Pridgen Issues 10 Commandments to Stop Violence

Pastor Darius Pridgen of True Bethel Baptist Church located on E. Ferry St. and with a satellite campus on Swan St. in Buffalo responded to the recent shootings that took place outside of City Grill this past weekend. Responding with the 10 Commandments to Stop Violence, Pridgen acknowledged on Sunday morning that his congregation was directly connected with at least one of the victims and will be holding two of the funerals for the victims this week.

Pridgen commented Sunday morning that one of the female victims regularly attended True Bethel's 11:00am Sunday service and had a genuine relationship with Christ characterized by exuberant praise at services.

In light of True Bethel's relations to the event, Pridgen brought forth a word we found applicable to all city and suburban residents. His exhortation consisted of the following:

1.  Don’t Kill

Plain and simple – God is not pleased   

[Ex 20:13 Thou shalt not kill.]

2.  Love God

[Deut 6:5-8  And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. NLT]

3.  Treat Others Like You Want To Be Treated

 [Lev 19:18  "'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. NIV]

4.  Know Who You Are

You were created in God’s image, act like it

[Gen 1:27-28 27 So God created human beings* in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 Then God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. NLT]

5.  Control Your Temper

It’s yours, own it

[Prov 29:11 Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back. NLT]

6.  Think First, React Second

You can’t take back your actions – later is to late

[Prov 14:29-30  People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness. 30 A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones. NLT]

7.  Walk Away – Live Another Day

Ask yourself “is this really worth my time or my freedom?”

[Rom 12:19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, "I will take revenge; I will pay them back,"* says the Lord. 20 Instead, "If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads. NLT]

8.  If You Saw It, Say It

Our community has been torn apart with fear and silence, telling the truth stitches us back together.  You are either a part of the solution or a part of the problem, it’s not snitching it’s stitching.

 [Heb 13:6 So we can say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? NLT]

9.  Talk

We must learn how to talk before we resort to violence.   

[Prov 15:1 A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare. 2 The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing, but the mouth of a fool belches out foolishness. 3 The Lord is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good. NLT]

10. Know Your History

It has always been the plan of the adversary to be war among those who should love each other.

[Gen 4:8  One day Cain suggested to his brother, "Let's go out into the fields."* And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him. NLT]

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