Welcome to Class 80 of “The Ramp” to the Highway of Success course for young women. I am Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society, working in partnership with the Martin Luther King Senior Institute for Young Men & Young Women. The Institute aims to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Sr., commonly referred to as “Daddy King”, whom God used to raise the great leader, Martin Luther King Jr. Our purpose is to guide young men and young women, and help them get on the path to becoming kings and queens for the glory of God.
I am your instructor for this course and the author of the ESSENCE Magazine bestselling book “Letters to Young Black Men” and the national bestselling book “Letters to Young Black Women.” My wife, Meriqua Whyte, and my eldest daughter, Daniella Whyte, co-authored “Letters to Young Black Women” with me. My daughter (who has two bachelor’s degrees in psychology and religion and a master’s degree in human services counseling—executive leadership and a second master’s degree in developmental psychology) and her mother, developed the Study Guide. We are using Letters to Young Black Women and its study guide to guide you through this course. This course is for all young women, but especially for young black women and young women of color who oftentimes face disadvantages that others do not. The goal of this class is to help you operate from a position of strength and power based upon the Word of God so you can be victorious in life. My prayer is that this class will empower you to win against your enemies: the devil, sorry men, and even yourself.
Today, we will continue our study, “ON NOT BEING A SILLY-MINDED WOMAN” (Letter Twenty-Four).
— First, Let’s Pray —
Allow me to begin with a quote from Joyce Meyer. She said: “Your mind can be a junkyard or a treasure chest, and you alone have the ability to choose what it will be.”
Now, please pull out your text and your digital study guide or follow along on the screen. First, I will read a portion of the corresponding letter from the book, Letters to Young Black Women. Then we will proceed with this lesson:
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Daughters and YBW, please forgive me for this rather long-winded letter. I just don’t want you to be a silly-minded woman; rather, I want you to be a strong, tough-minded woman, who makes things happen in her life, instead of letting things happen to her.
Be Strong,
Papa
P.T. (Power-Thoughts):
“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.” —Rosa Parks
“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.” —Thomas Jefferson
BIBLE GEM: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” —I Corinthians 15:58
TALK TO GOD: Dear God, Please help me to be a strong-minded woman for Your glory, and help me not to fall for every wind of doctrine that may come along. In Jesus’ powerful name. Amen.
BOOK: Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind, by Joyce Meyer
CHECK IT OUT: http://www.valorieburton.com
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As we wrap up this chapter’s portion of our study, let’s use Matthew Henry’s Commentary to take a closer look at II Timothy 3:6-7 which states, “For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Regarding this passage and its surrounding verses, Henry comments in part:
Men love to gratify their own lusts, more than to please God and do their duty…We abuse God’s gifts, if we make them the food and fuel of our lusts.
… God is to be loved above all; but a carnal mind, full of enmity against him, prefers any thing before him, especially carnal pleasure. A form of godliness is very different from the power; from such as are found to be hypocrites, real Christians must withdraw. Such persons have been found within the outward church, in every place, and at all times. There ever have been artful men, who, by pretences and flatteries, creep into the favour and confidence of those who are too easy of belief, ignorant, and fanciful. All must be ever learning to know the Lord; but these follow every new notion, yet never seek the truth as it is in Jesus.
…Self-love will make the times perilous. Who is there who does not love himself? But this is meant of an irregular sinful self-love. Men love their carnal selves better than their spiritual selves. Men love to gratify their own lusts, and make provision for them, more than to please God and do their duty. Instead of Christian charity, which takes care for the good of others, they will mind themselves only, and prefer their own gratification before the church’s edification…Observe, Self-love brings in a long train of sins and mischiefs. When men are lovers of themselves, no good can be expected from them, as all good may be expected from those who love God with all their hearts…
…And see what sort of people those were that they gained, and made proselytes of; they were such as were weak, silly women; and such as were wicked, laden with sins, and led away with divers lusts. A foolish head and a filthy heart make persons, especially women, an easy prey to seducers. He shows how far they were from coming to the knowledge of the truth, though they pretended to be ever learning. In one sense we must all be ever learning, that is, growing in knowledge, following on to know the Lord, pressing forward; but these were sceptics, giddy and unstable…
They attack those who are the least able to defend themselves, silly and wicked women. Seducers in all ages are much alike. Their characters are the same-namely, Men of corrupt minds, etc.; their conduct is much the same-they resist the truth…Those who resist the truth are guilty of folly, yea, of egregious folly; for…Great is the truth, and shall prevail.
Though the spirit of error may be let loose for a time, God has it in a chain. Satan can deceive the nations and the churches no further and no longer than God will permit him: Their folly shall be manifest, it shall appear that they are imposters, and every man shall abandon them.
Young ladies, please heed this scripture’s inherent warning and make sure you are the opposite of the “silly” women described therein. Sadly, this scenario plays out regularly in our world today: Why are the “churches” of so many fake preachers and false prophets made up primarily of women? Because they know silly-minded women are an easy prey. Strictly spiritually speaking, are you personally rooted and grounded in your faith in the power and Person of Jesus Christ? Or are you truly just caught up in following the cult of personality and charisma of some self-described prophet? When you attend church or hear a word from a “man of God”, do you check to see if the Holy Spirit in you agrees with the words coming out of his mouth? Are you even attuned to the Holy Spirit’s power of discernment? When a new, flashy pastor comes to town or gains popularity online or via TV, do you run to join his congregation just because he shares some new thing or eases your conscience by telling you what you want to hear? Do not allow yourself to be easily led astray, duped, deceived and used by false religious leaders only seeking to gratify their lusts and fleshly desires.
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In the next class, we will begin our study, “ON REMAINING A VIRGIN UNTIL YOU ARE MARRIED.”
—LET’S PRAY—
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Now, like many of you, I grew up in a very religious and church-going family, and during that time, I often heard the phrase “Being Saved.” Now, much of what church people said “being saved” was back then especially, in my community, is wrong according to the Bible. I wrote an article about it titled “On ‘Being Saved’ in Black America” which is available for you to read free of charge on our website, gospellightsociety.com. Right now, I want to share with you very briefly what the Bible says “being saved” really is.
First, understand that you need to be saved because you are a sinner. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, understand that a horrible punishment — eternal Hell — awaits those who are not saved. In Matthew 25:41, Jesus Christ said that God will say to those who are not saved, “depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”
Third, realize that God loves you very much and wants to save you from Hell. John 3:16 says, “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.” If you want to be saved from Hell and be guaranteed a home in Heaven, simply believe in Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose from the dead for your sins, and then call upon Him in prayer and ask Him to save your soul. And believe me, He will.
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.” That is the most important decision you will ever make.
God bless you and keep you until we meet for our next class.
BCNN1 WP 