Black Panther

The presence of God among us connects us. His presence connects us to His people. His presence in the Garden of Eden connected Adam to Eve. His presence in Israel connected the 12 tribes together. His presence connected King David to his son King Solomon. His presence connected Ruth and Boaz. And His presence is still connecting. His presence will keep you from connecting with the wrong people because sometimes people show up like wolves in sheeps clothing or frenemies. His presence removes and reveals. His presence removes the blind spots so you can see people and situations for what they really are. His presence reveals. Have you ever had a hunch; felt something in your gut; had a feeling? That was the Lord revealing what you couldn’t see. God will not have you be ignorant. Think about how good your life is because He connected you to the right parent, the right sibling, the right teacher! The right counselor, he right bestie, the right Pastor, the right church family, the right colleague, the right people. If you’re connected to the right people, shout thank you Jesus! His presence connects us to His people. His presence connects us to His power. At its most basic definition, power is the ability to get work done. It speaks to ability, capacity, capability or competency. When God is with you, you have all the power you need to get the job done. He gives you all of His ability / his competency to get the job done. Don’t size me up wrong. When I show up, I’m not showing up in my finite ability, I’m showing up in God’s infinite abilities. His power put the fire in the sun. His power put motion in the ocean. His power puts life in humanity. His power is working for you! If God is for you, He’s more than the world against you! One more thing. God’s presence connects us to His promises. God’s promises are projections of a better version of you. Projections are always over your head. To see God’s projected promises you have to lift your head up. Projections are always in front of you. To see God’s projected promises you have to look forward. Projections are always full of light. To see God’s promises, you have to look towards the light! His presence connects us to His promises or vision of better. (ESV): 12 And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.

Black Panther

That Black Panther signifies a threat to some is unsurprising. A fictional African King with the technological war power to destroy you—or, worse, the wealth to buy your land—may not please someone who just wants to consume the latest Marvel chapter without deeper political consideration. Black Panther is emblematic of the most productive responses to bigotry: rather than going for hearts and minds of racists, it celebrates what those who choose to prohibit equal representation and rights are ignoring, willfully or not. They are missing out on the full possibility of the world and the very America they seek to make “great.” They cannot stop this representation of it. When considering the folks who preemptively hate Black Panther and seek to stop it from influencing American culture, I echo the response that the movie’s hero T’Challa is known to give when warned of those who seek to invade his home country: Let them try.

Black Panther was born in the civil rights era, and he reflected the politics of that time. The month after Carmichael’s Black Power declaration, the character debuted in Marvel Comics’ Fantastic Four No. 52. Supernatural strength and agility were his main features, but a genius intellect was his best attribute. “Black Panther” wasn’t an alter ego; it was the formal title for T’Challa, King of Wakanda, a fictional African nation that, thanks to its exclusive hold on the sound-absorbent metal vibranium, had become the most technologically advanced nation in the world.

T’Challa knows exactly who he is. The antagonist in this film has many names.”

Leviticus 26:12 ESV

And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.

http://time.com/black-panther/

Themes: https://www.gradesaver.com/black-panther-film/study-guide/themes

Of the Righteous: ; ; ; ; ; ; , 6; ; ; ; ; ; , 17;

The presence of God among us connects us. His presence connects us to His people. His presence in the Garden of Eden connected Adam to Eve. His presence in Israel connected the 12 tribes together. His presence connected King David to his son King Solomon. His presence connected Ruth and Boaz. And His presence is still connecting. His presence will keep you from connecting with the wrong people because sometimes people show up like wolves in sheeps clothing or frenemies. His presence removes and reveals. His presence removes the blind spots so you can see people and situations for what they really are. His presence reveals. Have you ever had a hunch; felt something in your gut; had a feeling? That was the Lord revealing what you couldn’t see. God will not have you be ignorant. Think about how good your life is because He connected you to the right parent, the right sibling, the right teacher! The right counselor, he right bestie, the right Pastor, the right church family, the right colleague, the right people. If you’re connected to the right people, shout thank you Jesus! His presence connects us to His people. His presence connects us to His power. At its most basic definition, power is the ability to get work done. It speaks to ability, capacity, capability or competency. When God is with you, you have all the power you need to get the job done. He gives you all of His ability / his competency to get the job done. Don’t size me up wrong. When I show up, I’m not showing up in my finite ability, I’m showing up in God’s infinite abilities. His power put the fire in the sun. His power put motion in the ocean. His power puts life in humanity. His power is working for you! If God is for you, He’s more than the world against you! One more thing. God’s presence connects us to His promises. God’s promises are projections of a better version of you. Projections are always over your head. To see God’s projected promises you have to lift your head up. Projections are always in front of you. To see God’s projected promises you have to look forward. Projections are always full of light. To see God’s promises, you have to look towards the light! His presence connects us to His promises or vision of better. (ESV): 12 And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.

(ESV): 12 And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people

Originally, Black Panther showcased how visions of better were critical because they moved an entire nation from being victims to victors! Let me remind you that the whole idea of Black Panther was conceived during the Civil Rights Movement. It was birthed during a time when Blacks in America were treated worse than animals, lynched, burned, shot, mutilated, rejected, denied, depressed and disrespected. Laws were in place to strip them of their God given rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness! Dr. King, Dr. Abernathy, Jesse Jackson, John Lewis, Dorothy Height, Amelia Boynton and, the mother of the civil rights movement, Septima Clark led a non-violent approach with Peaceful, yet forceful, protests to fight for respect and equality. In the meantime, there were others like Malcom X, Hewey P Newton and Stokely Carmichael who felt like violence and self-sufficiency was the only way to go. So, one month after Stokely Carmichael declared Black Power was the way and raised his fist in protest, Marvel Comics’ Fantastic Four No. 52 debuted Black Panther. It was a vision of how much better life could be for beaten down Blacks. Get the picture. A Black Superhero. Black kings. Powerful black women. Incalculable wealth. Valuable vibranium. Brilliant technology. Most advanced civilization. Order. A united nation like never before. Get the contrast. At a time when people were physically, financially and spiritually at their lowest, Black Panther was uplifting and inspirational! It pointed victims to a projection of a victorious future!

I believe that’s what God was doing for the Children of Israel. They had come out of a season of oppression in Egypt; made their exodus from Egypt; wondered through the wilderness. God painted a victorious future. Here’s the catch, they were going to have to not only look different from every other nation on the planet, they were going to have to be different from every other nation on the planet. Different. Distinct. Dissimilar. Unique. What would make them different from all the other nations of the earth? They were going to have to be holy! A third of Leviticus, from chapter 17 to 27, is all about God’s requirements to be holy. In other words, you can’t get this victory by living how every you want to. You’re going to have to be holy. You can’t get this victory by treating people however you want. you’re going to have to be holy. You can’t get this victory by looking like and acting like everyone else. If you want God’s victory, you’re going to have to be holy!

God is holy. Three places in Leviticus we see God saying to the Israelites that they are to be holy because He is holy. . You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. . Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God. . You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine. God is holy. We are to be holy because He is holy. Holiness is what makes us different! You’re beautiful, but holiness is what makes us different. You’re handsome, but holiness is what makes us different. You’re brilliant and talented and favored and wealthy, but holiness is what makes us different.

7 Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God.

In the movie Black Panther, a vibranium comet hit the earth. T’Chaka was told to eat a “heart shaped herb”. When he ate it, it made him different. It gave him superhuman abilities. He was stronger. He was smarter. He was royalty. It was the new heart that made him different. People of God, we are to ingest and digest God’s word until God’s heart becomes our heart. David said, “Create in me a clean heart and renew the right spirit within me.” God’s heart in us makes us holy. Place your hand over you heart and repeat after me. God, make my heart holy!

Black Panther was born in the civil rights era, and he reflected the politics of that time. The month after Carmichael’s Black Power declaration, the character debuted in Marvel Comics’ Fantastic Four No. 52. Supernatural strength and agility were his main features, but a genius intellect was his best attribute. “Black Panther” wasn’t an alter ego; it was the formal title for T’Challa, King of Wakanda, a fictional African nation that, thanks to its exclusive hold on the sound-absorbent metal vibranium, had become the most technologically advanced nation in the world.

I will make my dwelling among you… I will walk among you and will be your God. Holiness rolls out the welcome mat for God. It’s our invitation for Him to dwell among us. It’s like cleaning up when you know you have guests coming over. You want to host them in a clean and aromatic environment. Likewise, holiness cleans up our lives so that we present God great place to dwell. Dwell is the language of permanent presence. He wants to be with us every second of our lives. He wants to be with us permanently. He’s wants to dwell with us. Understand, there has to be an US for God to dwell among. It’s hard to have victory without unity. . Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity. . Live in harmony with one another. . Two are better than one for they get a good return for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! There’s victory in unity. Wakanda thrived when the people were together on one accord. Notice, when Killmonger showed up, everything started falling apart. Friends turned on each other. The nation was torn. Everything they worked hard to build was about to be jeopardized. You have to defeat what’s trying to divide you from God. You have to defeat what’s trying to keep you from God’s presence and His people. You have to defeat what’s trying to keep you from God’s word. When God is in charge, marriages get better. When God is in charge parents raise children better. When God is in charge governments lead better. When God is in charge, churches help people to live better. His unity always gives us the victory.

For a while there, everybody was walking around talking about they want to go to Wakanda and stay there forever. Black Panther did a great job of painting the picture of a better place for Blacks. So one man called up Delta Airlines and tried to book a flight to Wakanda. It was hilarious. There is something you need to know before you go to Wakanda. Everyone in Wakanda worked. Not only did they work, they were continually improving their skills and abilities. Wakanda was wonderful because everyone played their part. The Merchant Tribe maintained the economic system of the country. The Border Tribe defended the country from outsiders and invaders. The River Tribe defended against water attacks. The Mining Tribe. They mined the vibranium. The Jabari Tribe were warriors who lived in the mountains. What I’m trying to tell you is everyone in Wakanda worked to make Wakanda better. So if you don’t work in Atlanta, don’t go to Wakanda and mess it up. If you don’t work in Living Waters, don’t go to Wakanda and mess it up. Work where you are! If you work in God’s presence, He will give you a world better than Wakanda! He will give you victory. He will give you peace. He will give you power. He will give you joy. He will give you love. He will give you power. He will give you everything you need!

Black Panther was born in the civil rights era, and he reflected the politics of that time. The month after Carmichael’s Black Power declaration, the character debuted in Marvel Comics’ Fantastic Four No. 52. Supernatural strength and agility were his main features, but a genius intellect was his best attribute. “Black Panther” wasn’t an alter ego; it was the formal title for T’Challa, King of Wakanda, a fictional African nation that, thanks to its exclusive hold on the sound-absorbent metal vibranium, had become the most technologically advanced nation in the world.

God’s presence connects us to His people, His power & His promises. When we’re in His presence, we can see visions that keep us from being victims. Holiness. Unity. They both keep us from being victims.

But I have one more thing. God said, I will dwell among you… I will walk among you… But in verse 13, he said, I have BROKEN the bars of your yoke and MADE you walk erect. When God dwells among you and walks with you, He will free you! When God dwells among you and walks with you, He will free you! Don’t for get that it was God who set you free. Not your money. Not your slick mouth. Not your good looks. Not your intellect. It was God who removed the yoke of bondage and set you free! He set you free because like Wakanda, you have something precious and powerful that can change the world. You have a relationship with God that removes depression, anxiety and evil. You have a relationship with God that brings people together instead of tearing them apart. You have a love that bears all things that endures all things and is all things. You have hope, faith and love.

Nakia & T’Challa talking about foreign aid just after the coronation. T’Challa was trying to convince Nakia not to leave Wakanda. He wanted her to stay. She looked at T’Challa and told him she had to leave because the world was in bad shape and needed help. She couldn’t stand by and watch people suffer when she could do something about it. She was going to help. She said, “Wakanda was so powerful that they could help others and protect itself at the same time.” I want to suggest that the world is in bad shape, but the church can help! Take joy to the world! Take peace to the world. Take love to the world. Take God’s presence to the world!

You can have something that can change the world, but it won’t because you aren’t willing to share it.

Both Challa and Jordan’s characters wanted a better world. They just went about it two different ways. The only reason they both wanted a better world is because they were promised it could be better. It wasn’t better when they received the promise. God often promises you better while Hingis are worse. Sometimes He has to allow things to get worse so we won’t miss his pronouncements of his promises! Tell somebody pay attention to the promises not the pain; the promises not the penalty. He promised!

Black panther is the promise of a better day for black people. It was created at a time when Blacks in America were oppressed, suppressed and depressed. Laws stripped us of our God given right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness! We were being lynched, murdered, beaten, raped, insulted, offended and disrespected. Then, in the midst of this context came Black Panther. He was the promise of a better future for people of color! It was a vision of black grandeur and, indeed, power in a trying time, when more than 41% of African Americans were at or below the poverty line and comprised nearly a third of the nation’s poor. Much like the iconic Lieutenant Uhura character, played by Nichelle Nichols, that debuted in Star Trek in September 1966, Black Panther was an expression of Afrofuturism—an ethos that fuses African mythologies, technology and science fiction and serves to rebuke conventional depictions of (or, worse, efforts to bring about) a future bereft of black people. His white creators, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, did not consciously conjure a fantasy-world response to Carmichael’s call, but the image still held power. T’Challa was not only strong and educated; he was also royalty. He didn’t have to take over. He was already in charge.

People want to go to Wakanda, but it’s not Wakanda that they really want. They really need to get in to the presence of God. In His presence, there’s the fullness of joy and life everlasting. You don’t need a plane ticket, just praise Him. You don’t need map, just open your mouth and praise Him. You don’t need a Wakanda, just worship Him.

He reveals. and reveals to This is not to be confused with the idea or thought of God connecting us, but the presence of God connects us all. Unity gives us victory. Hold on. You have to be united to the right one at the right time in the right place. If you connect to the right person at the wrong time, it can lead to injury. Somebody is going to get hurt. If you connect to the right person at the right time, but in the wrong place, it can alter your trajectory. But if you connect with the right person at the right time and in the right place, you can make history. When God walks among us and is our God, He will connect you to the right people at the right time and in the right place for you to make history. Adam and Eve connected in the garden of Eve at the right time and made history. Moses and Israel connected in Egypt at He right time and made history. Boat and Hannah connected in _____________ at the right time and made history. Hewey Newton and Stockley Carmichael connected in LA at the right time and made history. Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen connected in Chicago at the right time and made history. Batak Obama and Joe Biden connected in Chicago at the right time and made history. Drake and ________________ connected at the right time and made history.

Hidden in plain site...

You can have something that can change the world, but it won’t because you aren’t willing to share it.

Everyone mastered their role and trusted others to master theirs too. When I master my role, you master your role, we surpass expectations. As a pastor, let me master the role of leading and feeding, but I need you to master the role of following and serving.

Of the Righteous: ; ; ; ; ; ; , 6; ; ; ; ; ; , 17;