Fortify The City

Join me as we kick off EPISODE ONE of Stocking Up on Fortify the City, a quarterly conversation where we will discuss the different means and methods that one can stock up and prepare for the unknown in the ever-changing world that we are currently living. This week, we will be sitting down with Stock Expert/Consultant and friend, London McFadden as he breaks down some of the basics & key concepts of buying and selling stocks, a case study, and a special INSIDER TIP on the next stock to buy NOW. Listen, if you aren't stocking up already, you should start. Fortify your household, fortify your health, fortify your income and everything else. To contact and/or follow London McFadden Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/londonm34/ Stock Consulting: https://calendly.com/londonn   Subscribe NOW to Fortify the City! ----------- Check us out weekly on any podcast streaming platform.  And, we are on YouTube now as well. Hope to hear from you, talk soon.   Artwork done by: @Danagivens Original Music by: @Sweatbeatz   Check us out on all podcast streaming platforms: Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio Google Play Spotify Stitcher YouTube and more.   And, let's get social: @FortifytheCity @iamSadeGraham   Fortify the City is a weekly empowerment podcast assessing intricate ideologies, fallacies and pop culture topics through the lens of an odee #Christian, Sadé Graham | The Cultural Activist. Bridging the gap between #Christianity and the world one #hottopic at a time.

For many relationships, one's tenacity to support and even listen to each other are the sure-tell signs of its strength. And many will fall to the wayside when the relationship no longer suits their cause or benefit. Fake friends, user friends are only in it for the hype.   Subscribe NOW to Fortify the City! ----------- Check us out weekly on any podcast streaming platform.  And, we are on YouTube now as well. Hope to hear from you, talk soon.   Artwork done by: @Danagivens Original Music by: @Sweatbeatz   Check us out on all podcast streaming platforms: Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio Google Play Spotify Stitcher YouTube and more.   And, let's get social: @FortifytheCity @iamSadeGraham   Fortify the City is a weekly empowerment podcast assessing intricate ideologies, fallacies and pop culture topics through the lens of an odee #Christian, Sadé Graham | The Cultural Activist. Bridging the gap between #Christianity and the world one #hottopic at a time.

Some like to call it art or fashion, but we who know and have learned from the Word and Spirit of God, know better (or at least we should).  This week, I just want to try to enlighten you on a few things; I want to put you on game about a few accessories and symbols that you might want to do away with, if you call yourself a Christian.  Like any other set that reps or goes hard for, you must show allegiance of some sort.   So, what does it mean when we Christians go so hard for the opposing side than we do our own?     Related Scriptures: Ecclesiastes 3:15:  What exists has already been, and what will be has already been, for God will call to account what has passed. Philippians 3:21: He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control. Revelation 20:14: Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death— the lake of fire.  2 Corinthians 5:20:Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. Subscribe NOW to Fortify the City! ----------- Check us out weekly on any podcast streaming platform.  And, we are on YouTube now as well. Hope to hear from you, talk soon.   Artwork done by: @Danagivens Original Music by: @Sweatbeatz   Check us out on all podcast streaming platforms: Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio Google Play Spotify Stitcher YouTube and more.   And, let's get social: @FortifytheCity @iamSadeGraham   Fortify the City is a weekly empowerment podcast assessing intricate ideologies, fallacies and pop culture topics through the lens of an odee #Christian, Sadé Graham | The Cultural Activist. Bridging the gap between #Christianity and the world one #hottopic at a time.

We are back again with PART II of our conversation with Kingdom Conversations, Dajanay DTonyo. The Ex AKA boldly elaborates on the pivotal moment that led to her officiating her leave of the black Greek organization.  She speaks of multiple signs & dreams, an unforeseen exchange, and finally, the question which confirmed and locked in her decision to part ways.   Contrary to popular belief, you can't be "ten toes down" for Jesus and still indulge in such lifestyle, and here are the reasons why... It simply came down to this, with knowing the truth now and to question if one were to die today, do you think that you would go to heaven? Related Scriptures: Hosea 4:6:  My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you as My priests. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.  Matthew 7:22-23:  Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!' Proverbs 4:7: Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.    Follow Dajanay DTonyo on her Instagram or @Kingdom.Convos. And, be sure to visit her YouTube page as well.   Subscribe NOW to Fortify the City! ----------- Check us out weekly on any podcast streaming platform.  And, we are on YouTube now as well. Hope to hear from you, talk soon.   Artwork done by: @Danagivens Original Music by: @Sweatbeatz   Check us out on all podcast streaming platforms: Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio Google Play Spotify Stitcher YouTube and more.   And, let's get social: @FortifytheCity @iamSadeGraham   Fortify the City is a weekly empowerment podcast assessing intricate ideologies, fallacies and pop culture topics through the lens of an odee #Christian, Sadé Graham | The Cultural Activist. Bridging the gap between #Christianity and the world one #hottopic at a time.

With following Christ, it's "all or nothing", there's no two sides to it, no compromising; sorry to say, you can't have it both ways. The bible says in Matthew 6:24 "No man can serve two masters: for either he. will hate the one, and love the other; or else. he will hold to the one, and despise the other, Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Fellow YouTuber Dajanay DTonyo talks being 'ten toes down' for Jesus, the Divine Nine, and shares her story & testimony on why she made the decision to formerly denounce her membership from black Greek organization, the AKA's. PART ONE breaks down the hype of Dajanay's pledging process, the rituals, and what it was like crossing over as an AKA; the acts of manipulation, deception and the pain she caused to her subordinates, and how contrary she later realized it was for a Christian to partake in any of it.   Follow Dajanay DTonyo on her Instagram or @Kingdom.Convos. And, be sure to visit her YouTube page as well.   Subscribe NOW to Fortify the City! ----------- Check us out weekly on any podcast streaming platform.  And, we are on YouTube now as well. Hope to hear from you, talk soon.   Artwork done by: @Danagivens Original Music by: @Sweatbeatz   Check us out on all podcast streaming platforms: Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio Google Play Spotify Stitcher YouTube and more.   And, let's get social: @FortifytheCity @iamSadeGraham   Fortify the City is a weekly empowerment podcast assessing intricate ideologies, fallacies and pop culture topics through the lens of an odee #Christian, Sadé Graham | The Cultural Activist. Bridging the gap between #Christianity and the world one #hottopic at a time.

Do not be deceived, it will take some actual self work to get into Heaven. And it will not be easy as just believing in JC. Another one of the biggest misconceptions as it regards us Christians getting into Heaven is the notion that all we have to do is just believe in Jesus. While the blood over all things, along with God's grace, and mercy affords us a clean wash if we repent and those things, it will take much more than that to actually get you through those pearly gates. Related Scriptures: John 5:24: Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. Romans 12:2: Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Matthew 7:21: Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 1 Peter 4:8: Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. John 5:25-29: Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.  26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.  27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.  28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.   Subscribe NOW to Fortify the City! ----------- Check us out weekly on any podcast streaming platform.  And, we are on YouTube now as well. Hope to hear from you, talk soon.   Artwork done by: @Danagivens Original Music by: @Sweatbeatz   Check us out on all podcast streaming platforms: Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio Google Play Spotify Stitcher YouTube and more.   And, let's get social: @FortifytheCity @iamSadeGraham   Fortify the City is a weekly empowerment podcast assessing intricate ideologies, fallacies and pop culture topics through the lens of an odee #Christian, Sadé Graham | The Cultural Activist. Bridging the gap between #Christianity and the world one #hottopic at a time.

Hi Friends! I just wanted to share a word of appreciation to all of you. Thank you for tuning in week after week! We really appreciate you. We will be back next with some more dope content, discussions, debates, all of that. So stay tuned and stick with the movement. Remember to SUBSCRIBE, COMMENT, LIKE or not! Whatever is clever, let us know how you feel.   Subscribe NOW to Fortify the City! ----------- Check us out weekly on any podcast streaming platform.  And, we are on YouTube now as well. Hope to hear from you, talk soon.   Artwork done by: @Danagivens Original Music by: @Sweatbeatz   Check us out on all podcast streaming platforms: Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio Google Play Spotify Stitcher YouTube and more.   And, let's get social: @FortifytheCity @iamSadeGraham   Fortify the City is a weekly empowerment podcast assessing intricate ideologies, fallacies and pop culture topics through the lens of an odee #Christian, Sadé Graham | The Cultural Activist. Bridging the gap between #Christianity and the world one #hottopic at a time.

It's safe to say that the culture seems to be already morphing into a totalitarian world government, what conspiracy theorists tend to call the New World Order where there is no more freedom of thought, or a certain kind of expression.  And, if you don't side with the current trend or movement, you are axed out. We are seeing this more and more as the days go by, folks like rapper Da Baby are next up for cancellation after refusing to "sell their souls" or agree to the current terms of modern day living where we all have to abide to one thing, one rule, one way or else. But, according to the Bible, even God gives us the option to go to and fro, however unstable that may be, God still gives up the option.  This 'Cancel Culture' thing is too modern day slavery. Related Scriptures: Genesis 2:16-17: And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” Colossians 3:13: Bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do. Luke 17:4: Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,' you must forgive them.” Psalm 32:5: Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. Romans 5:7: For one will hardly die for a righteous person; though perhaps for the good person someone would even dare to die. Proverbs 11:14: Without wise leadership, a nation falls; there is safety in having many advisers. Proverbs 27:23-24: Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds; for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations. Luke 12:48: But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more. Ephesians 4:13-14:  This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.  Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.   Subscribe NOW to Fortify the City! ----------- Check us out weekly on any podcast streaming platform.  And, we are on YouTube now as well. Hope to hear from you, talk soon.   Artwork done by: @Danagivens Original Music by: @Sweatbeatz   Check us out on all podcast streaming platforms: Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio Google Play Spotify Stitcher YouTube and more.   And, let's get social: @FortifytheCity @iamSadeGraham   Fortify the City is a weekly empowerment podcast assessing intricate ideologies, fallacies and pop culture topics through the lens of an odee #Christian, Sadé Graham | The Cultural Activist. Bridging the gap between #Christianity and the world one #hottopic at a time.

The divisive conversation of racial issues & tension within the culture has long been a thing dating back to biblical days; however, while the differences of race regarding the Jews and Gentiles was topic of conversation in Jesus' day, it was never based on whether He was black or white. There are a flock of black folk who steady deny and negate the faith based on the topic of 'black and white', but why when we know the issue to be the cause of most division, turmoil, and lack of love within the state of which we currently live? Let's talk about it. Related Scriptures: Daniel 7:9: “As I looked, “thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. Revelation 1:14-15: The hair of His head was white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like a blazing fire. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters Ephesians 3:6: This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. John 7:41: Others said, “He is the Messiah.” Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee? Acts 21:25: As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.” Ecclesiastes 1:9: What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. John 13:34: So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.   Source of Information: Source 1 Source 2 Source 3 Source 4   Subscribe NOW to Fortify the City! ----------- Check us out weekly on any podcast streaming platform.  And, we are on YouTube now as well. Hope to hear from you, talk soon.   Artwork done by: @Danagivens Original Music by: @Sweatbeatz   Check us out on all podcast streaming platforms: Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio Google Play Spotify Stitcher YouTube and more.   And, let's get social: @FortifytheCity @iamSadeGraham   Fortify the City is a weekly empowerment podcast assessing intricate ideologies, fallacies and pop culture topics through the lens of an odee #Christian, Sadé Graham | The Cultural Activist. Bridging the gap between #Christianity and the world one #hottopic at a time.  

We, black people hear the words "oppression" or "oppressors" and automatically think the white man, we think someone usually of another race, but that is not always the case. Your oppressor can be your own brother or sister in fact, the person whom you shared a bedroom, a roof, the most unsuspecting person at times. While there is an oppression based on race, let us not overlook the many other images that oppression can look like: black on black crime, stealing from your own kind, hindering the bag of another because you disagree with them or their viewpoint, endeavoring to silence the voice of one who shares a different opinion or lifestyle than you. Oppression is not always black and white. Related Scriptures: Job 15:20: The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, Even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor. Jeremiah 22:3: This is what the LORD says: "Uphold justice and righteousness. Deliver from their oppressor those who have been robbed. Don't mistreat or do violence to the alien, the orphan, or the widow, or shed the blood of innocent people in this place. Malachi 3:5: “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.   Source of Information: Source 1 Source 2 Source 3   Subscribe NOW to Fortify the City! ----------- Check us out weekly on any podcast streaming platform.  And, we are on YouTube now as well. Hope to hear from you, talk soon.   Artwork done by: @Danagivens Original Music by: @Sweatbeatz   Check us out on all podcast streaming platforms: Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio Google Play Spotify Stitcher YouTube and more.   And, let's get social: @FortifytheCity @iamSadeGraham   Fortify the City is a weekly empowerment podcast assessing intricate ideologies, fallacies and pop culture topics through the lens of an odee #Christian, Sadé Graham | The Cultural Activist. Bridging the gap between #Christianity and the world one #hottopic at a time.

There is always more to dissect when it comes to the word of God, irrespective of who is reporting it.  And most times, it causes us longstanding harm not to listen due to missing out on the revelation that lies behind it.  Like a light bulb that turns on in your mind, that should always be the internal reaction to the divine word; and if not, something may be severely lacking. Tila Tequila may have ruffled more than some feathers in her interpretation of Isaiah 3:16-17 with what she said regarding black women and our hair, but that's no reason to get offended; it gives reason to do some digging. Listen in as we dug deeper into the book of Isaiah 3. Related Scriptures: Job 1:11-12 - But put forth Your hand now and touch (destroy) all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face.” Then the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that Job has is in your power, only do not put your hand on the man himself.” So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD. Job 2:3b-6 - "And still he maintains and holds tightly to his integrity, although you incited Me against him to destroy him without cause.” Satan answered the LORD, “Skin for skin! Yes, a man will give all he has for his life. But put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh [and severely afflict him]; and he will curse You to Your face.” So the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, only spare his life.” Mark 1:27b - He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him. Numbers 14:18 - The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.' Subscribe NOW to Fortify the City! ----------- Check us out weekly on any podcast streaming platform.  And, we are on YouTube now as well. Hope to hear from you, talk soon.   Artwork done by: @Danagivens Original Music by: @Sweatbeatz   Check us out on all podcast streaming platforms: Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio Google Play Spotify Stitcher YouTube and more.   And, let's get social: @FortifytheCity @iamSadeGraham   Fortify the City is a weekly empowerment podcast assessing intricate ideologies, fallacies and pop culture topics through the lens of an odee #Christian, Sadé Graham | The Cultural Activist. Bridging the gap between #Christianity and the world one #hottopic at a time.

Social media pioneer Tila Tequila or whatever she is going by these days is remembered as a lot of things, the least of them all, a Christian; however, as the newly professed Christian, Bride of Christ that she is referring herself to be, she has quite a lot to say about the Black Woman and our hair (among other things). Here is Part I of my take… Related Scriptures: Isaiah 3:16-17 - Moreover, the LORD said, “Because the daughters of Zion are proud And walk with outstretched necks and seductive (flirtatious, alluring) eyes, And trip along with mincing steps and an affected gait And walk with jingling [c]anklets on their feet, 17. Therefore the Lord will afflict the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion with scabs [making them bald], And the LORD will expose their foreheads (send them into captivity).” Subscribe NOW to Fortify the City! ----------- Check us out weekly on any podcast streaming platform.  And, we are on YouTube now as well. Hope to hear from you, talk soon.   Artwork done by: @Danagivens Original Music by: @Sweatbeatz   Check us out on all podcast streaming platforms: Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio Google Play Spotify Stitcher YouTube and more.   And, let's get social: @FortifytheCity @iamSadeGraham   Fortify the City is a weekly empowerment podcast assessing intricate ideologies, fallacies and pop culture topics through the lens of an odee #Christian, Sadé Graham | The Cultural Activist. Bridging the gap between #Christianity and the world one #hottopic at a time.  

Living in poverty doesn't always mean being financially dissolute, or dwelling in meager and scanty conditions. There are many forms of poverty. Above all, it is a matter of lack; the lack of any good thing. The richest man on earth can at the same time, be the poorest man on earth. And let me tell you how… Related Scriptures: Proverbs 10:15 - The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor. Ephesians 6:17 - Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Subscribe NOW to Fortify the City! ----------- Check us out weekly on any podcast streaming platform.  And, we are on YouTube now as well. Hope to hear from you, talk soon.   Artwork done by: @Danagivens Original Music by: @Sweatbeatz   Check us out on all podcast streaming platforms: Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio Google Play Spotify Stitcher YouTube and more.   And, let's get social: @FortifytheCity @iamSadeGraham   Fortify the City is a weekly empowerment podcast assessing intricate ideologies, fallacies and pop culture topics through the lens of an odee #Christian, Sadé Graham | The Cultural Activist. Bridging the gap between #Christianity and the world one #hottopic at a time.

Have you ever tripped over your own feet? It's not that hard to do when pride and arrogance begins to consume you. One starts to trip when their #successes leads them to stumble; and that is surely the time when you should pause and re-examine self before you proceed again with proper caution. The minute you start to feel yourself is the minute when you will surely start trippin'. So, stay #humble folks. Related Scriptures: Psalms 37:23-24 - The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand. Zechariah 4:6- The angel told me to give Zerubbabel this message from the LORD: "You will succeed, not by military might or by your own strength, but by my spirit. Psalms 39:11 - When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, Thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: Surely every man is vanity. Subscribe NOW to Fortify the City! ----------- Check us out weekly on any podcast streaming platform.  And, we are on YouTube now as well. Hope to hear from you, talk soon.   Artwork done by: @Danagivens Original Music by: @Sweatbeatz   Check us out on all podcast streaming platforms: Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio Google Play Spotify Stitcher YouTube and more.   And, let's get social: @FortifytheCity @iamSadeGraham   Fortify the City is a weekly empowerment podcast assessing intricate ideologies, fallacies and pop culture topics through the lens of an odee #Christian, Sadé Graham | The Cultural Activist. Bridging the gap between #Christianity and the world one #hottopic at a time.  

Hip Hop trio, Migos were on the Breakfast Club last week promoting their newest album 'Culture III' and had this to say regarding today's generation, calling out all who buy into the "Divide & Conquer" tactics of the industry. Related Scriptures: Romans 16:17 - I urge you, brothers and sisters, to keep your eyes on those who cause dissensions and create obstacles or introduce temptations [for others] to commit sin, [acting in ways] contrary to the doctrine which you have learned. Turn away from them. 1 Thessalonians 4:8-9 - Anyone, then, who rejects this command does not reject man but God, the very One who gives you His Holy Spirit. 9Now about brotherly love, you do not need anyone to write to you, because you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another. Proverbs 27:17 - [As] iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens the wits of another. Subscribe NOW to Fortify the City! ----------- Check us out weekly on any podcast streaming platform.  And, we are on YouTube now as well. Hope to hear from you, talk soon.   Artwork done by: @Danagivens Original Music by: @Sweatbeatz   Check us out on all podcast streaming platforms: Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio Google Play Spotify Stitcher YouTube and more.   And, let's get social: @FortifytheCity @iamSadeGraham   Fortify the City is a weekly empowerment podcast assessing intricate ideologies, fallacies and pop culture topics through the lens of an odee Christian, Sadé Graham | The Cultural Activist. Bridging the gap between Christianity and the world one #hottopic at a time.   #migos #breakfastclub #culture3 #divideandconquer

This week, I had to be brutally honest with myself and admit that I wasn't spending enough time with God.  Walking in Christ is not easy, and how many of us can admit that we aren't doing this thing right?

It's easy to blame Frick and Frack, or whomever for why you committed a #transgression. It's even easier to blame those who are clearly against you: the traitors, the #adversary, the antagonist, the #terrorist, it's all their fault, right? But that's just not so.  It's characteristic traits like #pride, #arrogance, indecent behaviors, a lying tongue and tons more that pose to be our biggest threat(s). The responsibility to choose between right and wrong is all on you, so don't you be your own #worstenemy. Related Scriptures: Psalm 5:4-6 - For You are not a God who delights in wickedness; no evil can dwell with You. 5The boastful cannot stand in Your presence; You hate all workers of iniquity. 6You destroy those who tell lies; the LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit. Proverbs 8:13 - The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate. Ephesians 6:11 - Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Subscribe NOW to Fortify the City! ----------- Check us out weekly on any podcast streaming platform.  And, we are on YouTube now as well. Hope to hear from you, talk soon.   Artwork done by: @Danagivens Original Music by: @Sweatbeatz   Check us out on all podcast streaming platforms: Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio Google Play Spotify Stitcher YouTube and more.   And, let's get social: @FortifytheCity @iamSadeGraham   Fortify the City is a weekly empowerment podcast assessing intricate ideologies, fallacies and pop culture topics through the lens of an odee Christian, Sadé Graham | The Cultural Activist. Bridging the gap between Christianity and the world one #hottopic at a time.

Dear Christians, Children of God!   I behoove you to cease at referring to oneself as a demon, do not subscribe to demon time.  Let's cancel #demontime all together!  I am not sure who exactly started this silly trend, but it needs to stop.   Don't be a fool and follow behind the likes of today's worldly leaders who prove themselves a little less than smart every time they proudly proclaim to be so satan-like.  Unbeknownst-ly giving reverence to the prince of darkness.   We often wonder why questionable, even dangerous behavioral traits are established and endure within us, when it is often as simple as an overlooked initiation that we called upon ourselves.  The #goodnews is, if you're alive to hear this episode of Fortify the City, you can and should renounce that thing with the quickness.   And that also pertains to referring to yourselves, or your children as #monsters too. Children of God, just don't do it.  Take it back.   Related Scriptures:   Psalm 74:18 - Remember this: the enemy has mocked the LORD, and a foolish people has insulted your name. Proverbs 18:21 - Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. Hosea 4:6 - My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. Subscribe NOW to Fortify the City! ----------- Check us out weekly on any podcast streaming platform.  And, we are on YouTube now as well. Hope to hear from you, talk soon.   Artwork done by: @Danagivens Original Music by: @Sweatbeatz   Check us out on all podcast streaming platforms: Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio Google Play Spotify Stitcher YouTube and more.   And, let's get social: @FortifytheCity @iamSadeGraham

Hi Friends!  Happy Sunday! Sadé | The Cultural Activist is here with a quick public service announcement:  Please stop referring to God, the Most High, as a #theuniverse.  How disrespected would you feel if someone was so adamant at calling you out of your rightful name?   Take a listen now.   Subscribe NOW to Fortify the City! ----------- Check us out weekly on any podcast streaming platform.  And, we are on YouTube now as well. Hope to hear from you, talk soon.   Artwork done by: @Danagivens Original Music by: @Sweatbeatz   Check us out on all podcast streaming platforms: Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio Google Play Spotify Stitcher YouTube and more.   And, let's get social: @FortifytheCity @iamSadeGraham

Hi Friends! This is a public service announcement to all my fellow odee #Christians: The biggest misconception that can land you in #hell.   Subscribe NOW to Fortify the City! ----------- Check us out weekly on any podcast streaming platform.  And, we are on YouTube now as well. Hope to hear from you, talk soon.   Artwork done by: @Danagivens Original Music by: @Sweatbeatz Check us out on all podcast streaming platforms: Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio Google Play Spotify Stitcher YouTube and more.   And, let's get social: @FortifytheCity @iamSadeGraham

Hi Friends! It's been too long, but we are back like we never left to Fortify the City. There is no more time to stall, we have to move before the fall.   Sade | The Cultural Activist is here with the talk: Jesus, the Bible, society, entertainment, how we control our thoughts, all that and lots more.     Check us out weekly on any podcast streaming platform.  And, we are on YouTube now as well. Hope to hear from you, talk soon.   Artwork done by: @Danagivens Original Music by: @Sweatbeatz ----more---- Check us out on all podcast streaming platforms: Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio Google Play Spotify Stitcher YouTube and more.   And, let's get social: @FortifytheCity @iamSadeGraham

The 2020 Democratic candidate Joe Biden made an insipid comment a few weeks back during an interview with radio host Charlamagne Tha God saying that, "You're not black, if you don't vote for me." What kind of education do you think gave Biden the inkling to think that he could make such a statement like that?  How does he know what constitutes for who a black person is or isn't?How does Biden know when some black people don't even know.1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.Black people have been studied, measured, poked into, pulled and tugged.  They know us.  It's fine time we learn a little bit about them.Listen in as I break down a bit of the history of the Southern Democrats and the Northern Republicans; the history of behaviors that might still be in play today.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Themes discussed:Racialized Social ConstraintCivil Rights Act of 1866The Fourteenth AmendmentThe Fifteenth AmendmentThe Roosevelt Coalition----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Thank you for listening - Follow me, Sade Graham on Instagram & Twitter or look me up on Facebook.Artwork design & logo by Dana Givens.                                                             Website: https://www.danagivens.com/   Social: www.instagram.com/danagivens/ Original music produced by professional musical production company, SweatBeatz. Website: http://www.sweatbeatz.com/   Social: www.instagram.com/ricspice/ & www.instagram.com/diasekou/----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Source(s):Holy Biblehttps://press.princeton.edu/ideas/why-are-blacks-democratshttps://www.umbc.edu/che/tahlessons/pdf/African_Americans_and_the_Democratic_Party(PrinterFriendly).pdfhttps://history.house.gov/Exhibitions-and-Publications/BAIC/Historical-Essays/Keeping-the-Faith/Party-Realignment--New-Deal/

The Pharisees came to the decision to sentence Jesus to death because he would not stop resisting.  He resisted their demands to be quiet, to stop spreading the message of the one true God; He resisted their totally bias, self serving, bigoted, unjust laws; and like the multi-use of today's smart devices which are now pointing out the obvious forms of malpractice happening due to the commandments of the constitution, Jesus pointed it out, every lie.  A bit of a coordinated event, but nonetheless, if He had just listened to these men who were considered the law and just kept himself silent, maybe He wouldn't have had to endure such a death. It was all his fault, right? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Scriptures:John 10:10 - The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.Colossians 4:1 - Masters, be just and fair to your slaves. Remember that you also have a Master—in heaven.Jeremiah 34:15-17 - Recently you repented and did what pleased Me; each of you proclaimed freedom for his neighbor. You made a covenant before Me in the house that bears My Name. 16 But now you have changed your minds and profaned My name. Each of you has taken back the menservants and maidservants whom you had set at liberty to go wherever they wanted, and you have again forced them to be your slaves. 17 Therefore this is what the LORD says: You have not obeyed Me; you have not proclaimed freedom, each man for his brother and for his neighbor. So now I proclaim freedom for you, declares the LORD—freedom to fall by sword, by plague, and by famine! I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.…Exodus 21:25-27 - burn for burn, wound for wound, and stripe for stripe. 26 If a man strikes the eye of his manservant or maidservant and blinds it, he must let the servant go free in compensation for the eye. 27 And if he knocks out the tooth of his manservant or maidservant, he must let the servant go free as compensation for the tooth.…Hosea 4:6 - My people perish for lack of knowledge.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Thank you for listening - Follow me, Sade Graham on Instagram & Twitter or look me up on Facebook.Artwork design & logo by Dana Givens.                                                             Website: https://www.danagivens.com/   Social: www.instagram.com/danagivens/ Original music produced by professional musical production company, SweatBeatz. Website: http://www.sweatbeatz.com/   Social: www.instagram.com/ricspice/ & www.instagram.com/diasekou/----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Source(s):Holy Biblehttps://www.huffpost.com/entry/conscious-relationships_b_5226425https://www.ligonier.org/blog/why-did-pharisees-hate-jesus-so-much/

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.We all have a responsibility to protect our children from the dangers of the world.  You want them to be happy; you want them to be successful; you want them to be safe, and to feel safe! Your hope is that they will have long life and have the opportunity, opportunities to represent you well, one day.As children of God, and as parents for that matter, are we doing that?  As citizens of America, are we doing that? As our brother/sisters keepers, are we doing that?  The chances that our parents or you as a parent prays that your children will grow up to be hateful is not even a first thought I'm sure, but at what point, does that detestable thing creep in? But a different question, when do we put a stop to it?  When do we turn back all those incorrect things that we have been taught, those things that have mentally crippled us as a people? Do we care?  Consequences don't just become results, they are the results.In America, the core to our problems has always been division.  How quickly we go to creating barriers between each other based on some exterior factor, then turn around and say that all men are created equal….yup, we are created equal, on the inside. And the inside is what counts.  It is so much the innate nature of a human to pick a side, a favorite, pick a team.  Friendly competitions are rare.  Everyone is out to prove how much better they are than you.  Because of Ego, jealousy, boasting creeps in; and once that happens, it's over - here comes the fighting, here comes the separation and the divisive talk.  But the plot thickens.  Mans wicked habit of covetousness and greed sets in, we are no longer who God called.Jesus Christ was considered a threat to the Pharisees due to His confidence, fearlessness, his outspoken voice, and disregard to their man-made laws.  But there is a similar story here.  When we talk about cycles, you have to understand that these things stem deep. The United States of America was established in June 1776,  the initial attempts to absolve the 13 original colonies from all allegiance to British rule.  This need to be free was very much a thing for those who enslaved those from Africa too.  Due to the growing division between Great Britain and its American colonies, this lit the match to the American Revolutionary War.  The United States of America had to unify in order to come up against the giant that is Great Britain, with the help of its African slaves.  That's what once made us great, when we unified.  The giants we have ahead of us, we will have to unify once again - but this time, forevermore.  No more adhering to old ways and old sins. Check yourself!I can't tell you how happy I've been to see the coming together of the two groups in these last few days, just the way God had ordained, for the two to be one and at peace.  The reason why Jesus willfully bared the pain.Ephesians 2: 14-16 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.Fellow citizens should not be clashing, the word is clear.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Thank you for listening - Follow me, Sade Graham on Instagram & Twitter or look me up on Facebook.Artwork design & logo by Dana Givens.                                                             Website: https://www.danagivens.com/   Social: www.instagram.com/danagivens/ Original music produced by professional musical production company, SweatBeatz. Website: http://www.sweatbeatz.com/   Social: www.instagram.com/ricspice/ & www.instagram.com/diasekou/----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Source:https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/theory-knowledge/201712/our-divided-americahttps://constitutioncenter.org/blog/it-was-239-years-ago-today-the-name-united-states-of-america-becomes-officihttps://www.bibleinoneyear.org/bioy/commentary/2256https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_United_States#American_Revolution

What we are seeing with the show of acts portrayed by those who are looting and rioting in the name of George Floyd, is like when you punch into a wall after being so baited and instigated, and then pretty much laughed at for being angry.  The feeling that there isn't much else to do except wreak havoc consumes you.  And I've heard the whispers of that already, the thought that we may never overcome this.  But I have decree'd and declared that we will see the day of victory over racism and injustice.  Along with many others, I am fighting through prayer, through love, and maintaining my peace; for anger, lashing out, or pushing the divide will not do it.While our anger rages on, our pains and heartstrings being pulled and tugged in the wrong way, the set up is to fight each other - the trap.  From the very beginning, and we shall also see too, that in the end, the only thing to blame is the unresolved history.  No matter how hurt or fueled with fire, we must never allow ourselves to blow up in a disastrous kind of way.  We only add to the narrative in which our oppressors have proclaimed.  If we involve ourselves in acts that are not considered justified, how do we expect to get justice?Our seeds of peace through the peaceful protesting are now infiltrated with weeds of bad behavior.  I would like to remind you that Martin Luther King Jr. did not condone rioting when he made this statement, "Rioting is the language of the unheard," so please don't misuse his words.  While it is the language and the adverse effect in this 'cause & effect relationship', doesn't make it right, nor does it solve any real problems.  It will in turn make things worse.Are we still fighting for George, or for some free stuff?Ephesians 4:26-27 tells us to "be angry, yet do not sin.  Do not let the sun set upon your anger. Give no opportunity to the devil."What we've been seeing is the opposite manifestations of that, the sun set, and all hell has broken loose.  Images of real life zombies from the walking dead, just dazed walking towards our own demise, but not before ripping some merchandise from off a shelf.  Forcing militia to be lifted up against us, when we were only trying to fight for justice.  Now, our oppressors are looking even the more down on us.  Our fight is surely a laugh to them.We know those cops aren't innocent, we saw it on camera.  But what about you, those who are rioting and looting?  What is this, a self defense crime?  No it's not.  After committing a crime, you are no longer innocent. So what now?  Stop what you're doing, and think.  How is looting going to help our problem?  We are not hurting them, they will still have their jobs, they will still be free.  Meanwhile, after you are done committing your crimes in retaliation, our communities will be the ones to suffer from this, more of us will be the ones to have to pay for it.  Please, think.The mountains are calling!----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Thank you for listening - Follow me, Sade Graham on Instagram & Twitter or look me up on Facebook.Artwork design & logo by Dana Givens.                                                             Website: https://www.danagivens.com/   Social: www.instagram.com/danagivens/ Original music produced by professional musical production company, SweatBeatz. Website: http://www.sweatbeatz.com/   Social: www.instagram.com/ricspice/ & www.instagram.com/diasekou/----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Source:https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psych-unseen/202005/the-psychology-rioting-the-language-the-unheard

Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt said it best in her excerpt "The Minorities Question" in 1946 - '“Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself,” has often been before me when I have heard people generalize about groups of their neighbors who, like them, are citizens of the United States....'.It had not occurred to me before that I might have been totally insensitive by not breaking them down by nationality, those responsible for the years and years of deprivation of which black people have suffered in the United States of America.  Is it safe to say that they all look alike, the same way we as black people get totally pissed off as it pertains to the thought that we all look alike?  The same way white people don't all look alike, their not all responsible for racism, slavery, bigotry and those things; the same way it may bother them to be grouped with the lousy set who began it and continue the spread of white supremacists ideologies.  This is the same way we, black people don't all break the law, we're not all dangerous or violent, we're not all unintelligent, we're not all lazy, we're not all athletically, artistically inclined; and distinctively, we are not at all, any of these particular things at a higher rate than white people.I am hoping that white people will one day understand the pain that is caused every time black people are overwhelmingly categorized because of a particular reason; whether that would be levels in melanin that we carry, style of dress, style of lingo or vernacular, gender/sex, where we live or grew up, or anything like that.  So, while it always occurred to me the discrimination and abuse that black people generally faced, and continue to face due to the history of racism, to now modern day generalizing and stereotypes; for a second, it slipped my mind that all races/groups endure the same thing to some degree. Asians, Middle Easterners; people of different religions, it happens to all.  John 7:24 instructs us to stop judging by outward appearances, and start judging justly.Stereotyping is extending statistical probability to certainty.Stereotypes pass judgment; leave little or no room for exceptions; create categories that often dominate all other features of a person, not allowing for other characteristics to be seen and appreciated; stereotypes do not tend to change, even when proven wrong, supporting the idea that it is not backed by empirical/factual evidence after all; stereotypes are not formed by said factual evidence to begin with.  It is a tall tale that stereotypes help folks to understand their differences.  Stereotypes cause way more harm to the human population than good.  For the simple fact that we all carry differences both individually and among groups, stereotyping those differences actually only puts a negative filter onto things.Nobody likes it; no one likes to be put into a box.  Clearly not white people, and definitely not us.  It is the perpetuation of doing these things, whether it's to each other (whites to blacks, blacks to whites, towards other groups) or the self-affliction of it that causes us to remain in bondage - physically and mentally.How we got here, it will be tough to get over.  But the first step to deliverance is admission, friends; and that does mean white people too.  And even if you weren't the ones responsible, white people have a responsibility in this too, still, start calling out some of your cousins! We have to stop being fake, stop pretending that these things don't exist.  Like we are not capable of 1) transmitting the problem and/or 2) acting like, the problem doesn't apply to us.  Because it applies to all of us, at some point or another. Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Thank you for listening - Follow me, Sade Graham on Instagram & Twitter or look me up on Facebook.Artwork design & logo by Dana Givens.                                                             Website: https://www.danagivens.com/   Social: www.instagram.com/danagivens/ Original music produced by professional musical production company, SweatBeatz. Website: http://www.sweatbeatz.com/   Social: www.instagram.com/ricspice/ & www.instagram.com/diasekou/----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Sources:https://www.facinghistory.org/basic-thing-we-must-do-stop-generalizing-about-peoplehttps://emorywheel.com/generalizations-v-stereotypes/https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1334&context=diss----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------R.I.P. to George Floyd who died on Memorial Day - Monday (May 25, 2020) at the hands of Minneapolis police officers who had him pinned to the ground with a knee to the back of his neck, where before dying due to this act, caused him to plead that he could not breath.

The wealth of the rich is its fortified city, poverty is the ruin of the poor (Proverbs 10:15).Black people! Are we better off than we were?Having a black President (Barack Obama) a few years ago didn't change a thing within the black psyche, implicit biases and internalized racism still exist.  It is the tendency of my black people to fight against each other more than any other fight we pretend to battle.The existence of implicit biases and internalized racism is very prevalent within the black community; could it be that the sentiments in which whites/white cops have towards black lives are in fact the same that blacks have against other blacks?  The same struggles of our freedom fighters are still living through us today.  The result of which racism left the stain still in fact remains.  How can we talk about racism when it comes to whites vs blacks, but not the racism that we harbor within our own communities, towards our own?  Racism doesn't just happen to us, but it also happens through us, as well. Mark 3:25  If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.The divide and conquer strategy of our greatest enemy against us continues to go on.  How can we ask for anything (ex. reparations, respect, etc), but then be so divided on the inside? We don't stand to receive anything until we sharpen up.  Lauryn Hill said it in her 1998 hit song 'Doo-Wop (That Thing)', "How you goin' win when you ain't right within? Come again." How can you command change but your house is in disarray?Ephesians 6:12 Our struggles are not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.Matthew 5:43 instructs us to "love your neighbor and hate your enemy".We are a mighty army together, we are stronger in our numbers; and we will need our numbers in order to take down our greatest enemy.  Your neighbor is not your greatest enemy, white people aren't even our greatest enemies. They are mere weaponry.The wealthy.  White people, they stay banned together. But my black people, we don't do that.  White people may rebuke each other, they may reprimand one another, but not in front of us.  Not in front of the outsider.  White people do not fight against each other for the world to see!  They do not encourage failure or wait to watch each other fail.  They don't celebrate each other's lack of any kind.  If nothing else, haven't we learned that much from the ones we like to call our oppressors?  But poverty: It can be situational, generational; it's not just lack of money, or lack of clothing or food.  Poverty is the state of being extremely poor, poor in judgement, poor in values, character, and so much more.  Lack in these areas, is or can be debilitating if you're not careful.  Folks, we gotta do better!Hosea 4:6  My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.We even see the manifestations of these horrible habits within our Christian churches.  Making fun - the church should never be the joke mixed with any outsider discussion.  The putting down of our brethren's leads to a slow demise of morale.  What this does it lessen the chance of a lost soul to be found, or come to Christ. While not all black people or Christians hate one another, many of us show signs of doing so in our inabilities to stick by or stand up for each other. These are the small seeds that we don't even consider a big deal, but later turn out to be the weeds that ruin the entire crop. Because our oppressors hate or hated us, we in turn learn to hate ourselves, leading to black on black crime, not seeing the value of our own lives or why we were even blessed with life.Are you woke?  To be "woke", as so many tend to claim, is not only being mindful of social, economic, political injustices, but it is also being aware of the spiritual and psychological weapons nigh.  We miss those cues every time.So, this is proof that we haven't gotten far at all.   Why do we expect change in them when we in turn, have yet to change?  We have the capabilities of breaking from these generational ties, friends! United we stand, divided we fall! Stop falling for the okie doke.  Let's get to work on us now so then when we speak, we are found unequivocally justified!  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Thank you for listening - Follow me, Sade Graham on Instagram & Twitter or look me up on Facebook.Artwork design & logo by Dana Givens.                                                             Website: https://www.danagivens.com/   Social: www.instagram.com/danagivens/ Original music produced by professional musical production company, SweatBeatz. Website: http://www.sweatbeatz.com/   Social: www.instagram.com/ricspice/ & www.instagram.com/diasekou/----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Internalized racism: where we take negative racial stereotypes adapted to white cultural standards and record it to our own thinking - leading us to think less of ourselves - unconsciously and consciouslyImplicit biases: biases unconsciously shaped by experiences or learned associationsBlack-on-Black Racism: The Hazards of Implicit BiasUnderstanding the Nature of Poverty

With the death of Ahmaud Arbery breaking news a few weeks ago, there is a familiar resonance of outrage among black people in America. People are mad all over again, history continues to repeat itself.Will Gregory and Travis McMichael ever see their day in court for the death of Ahmaud?  The protests and uproar of blacks did lead to an arrest, but how far will that go?  And were we, black people, too quick to judgement of the father and son?Is our anger a little displaced?  With all that is being said and those things not being said, it is time for black people to educate themselves on all the facts and not just some of it.  Was it a citizens arrest gone wrong or a blatant attempt at another black life?  It stinks of past cases like Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Sandra Bland; but not every case is the same.Now, the investigation is being done with more and more unfolding, some of which we may not like- what do we do about this?Hosea 4:6 For lack of knowledge, my people perish.It's understandable the sentiments felt or shared, but have we been a little overzealous about things?  Did we take the time to do some investigating ourselves before picketing? Historical events fueled by racism, police brutality towards blacks, etc., continues to lead emotions of all watching how this thing will turn out, but while we know that white people can be racists, can black people be racists too? And with another presidential election on the way, the pandemic COVID-19 halting all campaign efforts, here is another strategy to win our votes: the Ahmaud Arbery case.James 1:19 Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.Proverbs 18:2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.Be mindful the things you stand to say or do in the midst of anger for you might have to retract them later; and outrage rarely ever leads to sound actions, it sometimes leads to stupid decisions.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Thank you for listening - Follow me, Sade Graham on Instagram & Twitter or look me up on Facebook.Artwork design & logo by Dana Givens.                                                             Website: https://www.danagivens.com/   Social: www.instagram.com/danagivens/ Original music produced by professional musical production company, SweatBeatz. Website: http://www.sweatbeatz.com/   Social: www.instagram.com/ricspice/ & www.instagram.com/diasekou/----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Changing my Instagram name from @SadeDizzle to @iAmSadeGraham was more than just a change as far as my social media channels were concerned; I found that my perspective and view on many things organically changed with it.  My approach on content and life, in general, became altered; and it was around that time that I truly realized my new role in life.Letting go of who you are to become who are called to be is not easy.  And with that calling, you can't be scared nor slow about it, you just have to do it.2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self control (Holy Bible).  When on the path of elevation, as tough as it may be, we must reconcile with it.  If it means ridding yourself of a certain set of friends, practices, even a job/career that you absolutely love, you might have to make that hard decision to part with it.Most times that ultimate position will require you to wear an outfit you have never worn before.Even President Obama had to avoid lighting up his spliff during his campaign to the White House; he too had to button up if he was going to lead the free world with a particular grace.And after periods of time and frequent mistakes, hopefully some of those whom you use to look to as just reckless entertainers start to become more the wise.    Because we are all called, there comes a season when we all have to put the toys away. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Thank you for listening - Follow me, Sade Graham on Instagram & Twitter or look me up on Facebook.Artwork design & logo by Dana Givens.                                                             Website: https://www.danagivens.com/   Social: www.instagram.com/danagivens/ Original music produced by professional musical production company, SweatBeatz. Website: http://www.sweatbeatz.com/   Social: www.instagram.com/ricspice/ & www.instagram.com/diasekou/---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Without further ado, Fortify The City is back with Season II!A few weeks took about a few months, but Sade Graham, the Cultural Activist is back with another season of Fortify The City; back for good and she is ready to talk.Season II topics, but not limited to:The beast that is COVID-19 (coronavirus) running ramped.Quarantine driving folks nuts.White folks using the bible to enslave black people hundreds of years ago.The separation between church and state.What is ID2020?The false equivalency that the media spews.Pop Culture personality Kanye West coming out as a Christian and reaching billionaire status shortly after.Securing the bag, poverty; all that, and more.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Thank you for listening - Follow me, Sade Graham on Instagram & Twitter @iamSadegraham or look me up on Facebook @ Sade Graham.Artwork design & logo by Dana Givens.                                                             Website: https://www.danagivens.com/   Social: www.instagram.com/danagivens/ Original music produced by professional musical production company, SweatBeatz. Website: http://www.sweatbeatz.com/   Social: www.instagram.com/ricspice/ & www.instagram.com/diasekou/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Have you ever seen the image of the two fish, one in a fish bowl and one swimming free in the open water? Signifying the life of one committed to religion (the fish in the bowl) and the other fish living a life free & spiritual.The metaphor comparing the life of one who would be considered religious and one to be spiritual heads the movement today among many.  Steering away folks from God & religion, and instead choosing a life of a mere outlaw and calling it spirituality, a growing majority look at religion as a box that leaves hardly any room for self expression and freedom; a constraint full of strict, old laws that people are desperately trying to break away from.When studying the life of our Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ and how he came up in the ranks during His day, I have come to fully believe that Jesus was in fact that first Outlaw to break away from the religiosity of religion as it outright took away from what God intended, receiving the Good News. Galatians 5:1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.  Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.But while breaking away and setting the people free, Jesus never intended to do away entirely with religion as He meant to set things straight, and create a new order that is Christianity.Take a quick listen to this week's discussion as we crush those notions of Jesus & Christianity being like a caged box.In Jesus, we are set free from the confines of that fish bowl.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Thank you for listening - Follow me, Sade Graham on Instagram & Twitter @sadedizzle or look me up on Facebook @ Sade Graham.Artwork design & logo by Dana Givens.                                                             Website: https://www.danagivens.com/   Social: www.instagram.com/danagivens/ Original music produced by professional musical production company, SweatBeatz. Website: http://www.sweatbeatz.com/   Social: www.instagram.com/ricespice/ & www.instagram.com/diasekou/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Source(s):--Holy Bible

 Throwing subs (subliminals)?It's more like, throwing conviction!There are too many occurrences of someone falling out with a friend or loved one because of a seemingly slide comment made that wasn't necessarily meant to hurt them, but rather reveal something to that person about themselves.  Folks rather get angry and break ties with one another before addressing what the real issue at hand might have been.  That issue being, the message that was just relayed whether indirectly or directly, although it stung, was actually meant to inadvertently correct something.Church is the same way.The messages we go to hear every week in church are meant to convert us.  Sometimes those messages are the toughest pills to swallow, and hit super close to home that they seem almost deliberately said.  It's conviction!But the word of God says when speaking of conviction:1 Thessalonians 1:5For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.That is to say, when the Holy Spirit led the speaker to give the message, He knew the purpose behind it, which is to disclose something (subliminal like) - something intended to convert our soul.Hebrews 6:7-9 further explains conviction...When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing. But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it. Dear friends, even though we are talking this way, we really don’t believe it applies to you. We are confident that you are meant for better things, things that come with salvation.And when we refuse the message that was meant for us to receive, it is like choosing to devote to destruction.  Listen to this 10 minute discussion on why receiving the conviction - the instruction to our personal salvation is a must and not a thing to deflect from.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Thank you for listening - Follow me, Sade Graham on Instagram & Twitter @sadedizzle or look me up on Facebook @ Sade Graham.Artwork design & logo by Dana Givens.                                                             Website: https://www.danagivens.com/   Social: www.instagram.com/danagivens/ Original music produced by professional musical production company, SweatBeatz. Website: http://www.sweatbeatz.com/   Social: www.instagram.com/ricespice/ & www.instagram.com/diasekou/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Source(s):--Holy Bible

 There are many who straddle the fence of religion and Christianity, many who reject Jesus as the One true God.  Folks who believe in a higher power, but don't believe that power to be of the Son that is Jesus Christ, our Lord, is a widespread opinion.I had a social media follower refer to Jesus as a 'third party' in one of my comments and said that while he was brought up Christian, he has come into his adulthood to abandon the idea for his own personal reasons.  Many grow to fall to this assessment.Doctrine explains that before Christ, God created all things including man and woman who soon disrupted the peace and sanctity of the earth by the eating of the forbidden fruit.  It was imperative God send a Savior as sin became a constant ruin of the world and its inhabitants.While it may be easy to displace Jesus' responsibility in our salvation turning him into some general being that only maintains order on earth, it's a dangerous thing to utter as Jesus was & is God, He is Lord. John 1:1 says that "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."John 1:14 adds to that with, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." A Savior was born for you and me.Take a listen as to what I mean.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Artwork design & logo by Dana Givens.                                                             Website: https://www.danagivens.com/   Social: www.instagram.com/danagivens/ Original music produced by professional musical production company, SweatBeatz.  Website: http://www.sweatbeatz.com/   Social: www.instagram.com/ricespice/ & www.instagram.com/diasekou/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Source(s):--Holy Bible

 Science is heavily used to Debunk all the doctrines and mysteries and creations of God.  It can be extremely dangerous to those who still have no idea who God is.The word "science", deriving from Latin term “Scientia” means knowledge; knowledge established through experiments & research, it is looked at as a ‘route to truth’; science sets the standard for many disciplines of which human beings practice/follow today.If you leave it up to science, there would be no mystery, there would be no Heaven, and if you leave it up to science, you will have people out here thinking there is no God.The interest into Space Exploration actively began around the 1950s with US and the Soviet Union racing to get up there; and with all the racing, researching, there is still much that has yet to be made clear.  And today, billionaires like Elon Musk is leading the quest of Life on Mars.The galaxy is considered to be one of the evidences & mysteries of God’s perfection. One of the most complex studies of science to date is the galaxy. There is  much to the imagination as to what else is out there, far and beyond.  It is said that God created all of this, not just us here on earth, but he is responsible for all things surrounding us – Sun, Moon, Stars.Genesis 1:16 – God made two great lights – the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.   1 Corinthians 15:40-41 says – there are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. 41. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.All this to say that our earthly bodies are not capable of making space happen, it would take a particular transformation for space to happen - or a coming to Jesus moment.Genesis 1:28 God instructed man & woman to have dominion over the earth.He said nothing about Mars.Take a listen to this quick discussion as to why science is a no-go as it pertains to the realms of heaven - space.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Artwork design & logo by Dana Givens.                                                             Website: https://www.danagivens.com/   Social: www.instagram.com/danagivens/ Original music produced by professional musical production company, SweatBeatz.  Website: http://www.sweatbeatz.com/   Social: www.instagram.com/ricespice/ & www.instagram.com/diasekou/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Source(s):--Holy Bible--https://www.uh.edu/engines/epi12.htm--http://sciencedebate.com/science-blog/what-science-and-why-science-debate--https://aerospace.org/article/brief-history-space-exploration--https://www.inverse.com/article/51291-spacex-here-s-the-timeline-for-getting-to-mars-and-starting-a-colony

 How many can attest to all the advantages & perks of being on the VIP list of a club or a party with your friends versus only getting into the building from the General Admission line?A common misconception about Heaven is that it is one big auditorium of folks who made it passed the pearly gates, but I am here to tell you that, that's just not so.There are levels in Heaven; there's General Admission for the regular folks who did the bare minimum just to get in the door, then a tier above that, another tier above that, then there is the VIP tier for the special people, the almost perfect people; they came ready, they came dressed, and were prepared.  The Bible explicitly speaks of the man or woman who is able to store up their treasures in Heaven and are to be rewarded for their good works. Matthew 6:19 - Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But we are to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven.Matthew 16:27 - For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.Imagine going into Heaven, General Admission to see all your friends upstairs in VIP, but you can't get up there.  Here's a quick five minute analysis on how to make it passed General Admission Heaven. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Artwork design & logo by Dana Givens.                                                                Website: https://www.danagivens.com/   Social: www.instagram.com/danagivens/  Original music produced by professional musical production company, SweatBeatz.            Website: http://www.sweatbeatz.com/   Social: www.instagram.com/ricespice/ & www.instagram.com/diasekou/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 There are many who neglect to honor their God in fear of what others might think or how it might affect a particular outlook of who they are, but there is no fear in love, or at least there shouldn't be.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love - 1 John 4:18.Imagine your wife, husband or significant other disclaiming their love for you in public, being afraid to recognize or showcase that love before the world.  That union would be quite questionable if you ask me.Presidential elect Donald Trump did not mince words when addressing his beliefs, as hard as it might have been for some to receive.  Totally unapologetic and without retract, it was that same form of charisma, as gross as it may be, that landed him the seat.Our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ calls us to be that exact same way in the way that we acknowledge Him.  The bible speaks to it in 2 Timothy 2:12 saying, "if we deny Him, He will deny us".  Take heed. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Artwork design & logo by Dana Givens.                                                                Website: https://www.danagivens.com/   Social: www.instagram.com/danagivens/  Original music produced by professional musical production company, SweatBeatz.            Website: http://www.sweatbeatz.com/   Social: www.instagram.com/ricespice/ & www.instagram.com/diasekou/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Join us every Wednesday on 'Fortify the City' as we examine side by side some of the most cultural ideologies, fallacies, & current hot topics as it relates to the most divine word, the Holy Bible.Follow the Cultural Activist, Sade Graham on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/sadedizzle/