Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.”
Proverbs 24:6 says, “For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.”
Proverbs 13:10 says, “Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.”
Proverbs 12:15 says, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.”
As President Trump begins his time in office, the Lord has led me share some practical and biblically-based ways in which he can help black America as well as some practical and biblically based ways black America can be of help to him.
So far, we have named the following:
1. President Trump Can Help Black America by Setting a Godly Example
2. Black Americans Can Help President Trump by Praying for him
Allow me to share with you another way Trump can help black America and another way black America can help Trump.
— Donald Trump Should Not Circumvent the Legitimate Leadership of the Black Community Rather He Should Reach Out to Them Respectfully and Individually
Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.”
Proverbs 24:6 says, “For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.”
Proverbs 13:10 says, “Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.”
Proverbs 12:15 says, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.”
Matthew Henry said, “The bad omen of a kingdom’s ruin is that there is no consultation at all or no prudent consultation for the common good. Councils are necessary for the operation of the government; two eyes see more than one; and mutual advice is in order to mutual assistance. The sign of a kingdom’s prosperity is a multitude of counsellors who see their need for one another, and act in concert and with concern for the public welfare. In our private affairs we shall often find it to our advantage to take advice from many. If they agree in their advice, our way will be the more clear; if they differ, we shall hear what is to be said on all sides, and be the better able to make a decision.”
It would be easy for someone in President Trump’s position to think and to act as though they know what to do about every situation that presents itself. However, the wisest man who ever lived — King Solomon, who received his great wisdom directly from God — states several times in his Proverbs that a wise person listens to counsel. In fact, here he says a person who listens to counsel is counted as wise. No political leader knows all there is to know about the people he serves — certainly no leader elected in a country as diverse as America. Therefore, it would behoove Mr. Trump to listen to the counsel of the legitimate leaders of the black community (and all communities in the U.S.).
It is no secret that President Trump had trouble attracting black supporters. This is partly because he did not try to win legitimate black leadership to his cause. Some believe it is probably because he did not know who those leaders are. If the president wants to be taken seriously in the eyes of the black community, he must make a strong effort to reach out to and involve these leaders in his administration as they plan strategy to improve the lives of black people and America as a whole. Mr. Trump has already been burned once by getting hooked up with someone who presented himself as a legitimate black leader but who was not who he claimed to be and certainly one who does not have any influence with black people.
I am a conservative Christian who happens to be black. With that said, over the past nearly forty years, I have had to try to help conservative Christians who happen to be white understand you cannot “make black people.” And what I mean by that is: you cannot choose a black person and get them to say everything you want them to say and think they will influence the black community. It doesn’t work that way. You cannot just take any black person and make them into what you want them to be, put them on a pedestal, and think other black people are going to follow suit. It doesn’t work that way. One of the principles of leadership expert John Maxwell is: if you want to lead large numbers of people, one needs to use the legitimate influencers in that community. He said, “True leadership cannot be awarded, appointed, or assigned. It comes only from influence, and that cannot be mandated. Just because someone has a title, doesn’t mean that person is a leader.”
Mr. Trump and his team should be careful not to make the mistake that some conservative whites have made repeatedly — promoting and pushing forward the black people whom they feel comfortable with as “leaders.” It doesn’t work that way. The black community will see these people as “Uncle Toms” or “token” blacks who are just there for show or to make largely white groups feel good about themselves. We believe you can be all Christian, all black, and all conservative and still not be perceived by black people as an Uncle Tom or a token negro. Quite frankly, once you get that tag, you’re not any good to the black community or to the white community.
We know that President Trump has the capacity to engage strong, influential leaders because he has proven this in his selection of advisers and cabinet appointees. Some of the leaders and influencers President Trump should reach out to include: Dr. Tony Evans, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Dr. A.R. Bernard, Coach Tony Dungy, Rev. Anthony Evans, Bishop Clement W. Fugh, Bishop Harry Jackson Jr., Alveda King, Rev. Fred Luter Jr., Roland Martin, Rev. Dwight McKissic, Pastor James T. Meeks, Dr. Jerry Young, Dr. Ralph Douglas West, Dr. DeForest Soaries, Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell, Pastor Jeffrey Johnson, Bishop Vaughn McLaughlin, Dr. Allen McFarland, Pastor Miles McPherson, Dr. Kenneth Ulmer, Bishop Paul Morton, and others. These are people who have diverse opinions on various issues, but they have significant clout in the black community. Dr. John Maxwell also said, “He that thinketh he leadeth, and hath no one following, is only taking a walk.”
— Now, here is the second thing black people can do to help the new president: Black Americans Should be Open-minded and Give President Trump a Chance
James 1:19 says, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” This verse warns us against jumping to conclusions about different situations. Our first instinct upon hearing something that we do not agree with should not be to get angry and call for a march, but to take some time to see the issue from the other person’s point of view. David Guzik said, “We can learn to be slow to anger by first learning to be swift to hear and slow to speak. Much of our anger and wrath comes from being self-centered and not others-centered. Being swift to hear is a way to be others-centered. Being slow to speak is a way to be others-centered. In light of the nature of temptation and the goodness of God, we must take special care to be slow to wrath, because our wrath does not accomplish the righteousness of God. Our wrath almost always simply defends or promotes our own agenda.”
Proverbs 18:13 also says, “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.” If you jump to conclusions, you will most likely end up in the wrong place. Ralph Wardlaw said, “A man who has only heard a part of a matter is in no position to judge in it, and commits a great folly if he attempts to do so. He does violence to his own understanding — to those mental faculties which enable him to place things side by side and to compare them, and to sift and weigh evidence before he arrives at a conclusion. Such a man often deeply wrongs others. A half-told story often makes the state of matters appear so different from the truth that it is a gross injustice to condemn or justify any person when that is all that is known.”
Yes, many black Americans are upset about some of the things Mr. Trump said during the campaign, some past allegations of discrimination, and some of the assumptions that, justly or unjustly, have been made about his views and possible policies on issues that affect race.
All of that being said, Donald J. Trump is the new President of the United States. And if it be the Lord’s will, he will be the president for the next four and possibly eight years. He will be your president. All of the people who were talking about moving to Canada if Trump was elected are still right here in America because they realize that, even with all of her faults, America is still the greatest nation on earth. There is no wisdom in marching, protesting, and declaring #NotMyPresident on social media. The words of the Serenity Prayer come to mind here: “Lord, grant me the grace to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
This, friend, is a thing you cannot change. Contrary to what Rep. John Lewis said, he is just as much a legitimate president as Barack Obama, George Bush, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, and Abraham Lincoln were.
Black Americans can be a help to President Trump by being open-minded, giving him a chance, and truly listening to him (with the understanding that he simply does not come from the life background that most black people come from). Now is not the time for marching, threats, violence, riots, and saying stupid things like ‘he is not my president.’ Now is the time to step across the lines that have been drawn in the sand, and as Dr. King would say, sit down together at the table of brotherhood and make the best out of an interesting situation.
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In closing, allow me to remind you that the only way America’s problems can be truly solved is through Jesus Christ, God’s Son who came to this earth two thousand years ago. The problem with people on this earth is sin. And Jesus came to die on the cross for our sins, so that we would not have to suffer eternal punishment in Hell. Billy Graham once said, “I do not believe that any man can solve the problems of life without Jesus Christ.” No matter what problems you are facing, you can only find the solution for your problems in Jesus Christ. If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, please allow me to show you how you can accept Him as your Savior today:
1. Accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 7:20, “For there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good, and sinneth not.” Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
2. Accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death…”
3. Accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
4. Accept the fact that God loves you more than you love yourself, and that He wants to save you from hell. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
With these facts in mind, please repent of your sins, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and pray and ask Him to come into your heart and save you this very moment. Romans 10:9, 13 says: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you are willing to trust Christ as your Saviour, please pray the following prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please email me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.
He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.
He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.
BCNN1 WP 