In the middle of a pandemic and possible recession, we find ourselves also thrust into a racial war. I’m not going to discuss the merits or faults of a peaceful protest, but violent malicious rioting is wrong. Detestable! Evil!
I mentioned in last week’s blog something I’ve been posting all week, “The rioting has nothing to do with the original frustration over an injustice. Doing wrong to justify another wrong still makes your wrong, wrong!”
There are so many things that alarm me, and I’m sure you too, about what is portrayed about the racial division being stoked in our country.
Bad cops made a bad decision and they will pay the price. But why are the rest of us paying the price?
If this is a racial protest, why are black communities and black businesses being destroyed, looted, robbed, and burned? Why are blacks being killed by blacks?
There’s only one answer to these questions and so many more like them: Satan!
God created one race—the human race!
God gave us the color of our skin. We had no control over that and yet today many Caucasians are bowing down before those who are promoting chaos and mayhem and apologizing for the way God made them. Only Satan could create such an atrocity.
Satan wants to destroy God’s creation of all skin colors because we’re all made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).
When I watch a Black Lives Matter man create a video of him demanding several times that a young white woman bow down before him and repeat after him that she needs to apologize for being “white privilege,” and she does it, I am revolted.*
Or the video of hundreds of people with their hands in the air in a position of worship repeating a renouncement of white privilege mantra led by someone on a stage. Like followers of a false religion. A cult. *
I wonder how many Christians are in that group thinking they are doing something righteous by kneeling to the culture and the world?!
I have another image in mind when I see these videos and it’s not righteous, it’s evil: Hitler, Stalin, Mao Zedong, Mussolini, or even King Nebuchadnezzar from the Bible.
King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue ninety feet tall and nine feet wide[a] and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 Then he sent messages to the high officers, officials, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the provincial officials to come to the dedication of the statue he had set up. 3 So all these officials[b] came and stood before the statue King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
4 Then a herald shouted out, “People of all races and nations and languages, listen to the king’s command! 5 When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments,[c] bow to the ground to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue. 6 Anyone who refuses to obey will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”
7 So at the sound of the musical instruments,[d] all the people, whatever their race or nation or language, bowed to the ground and worshiped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
8 But some of the astrologers[e] went to the king and informed on the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “Long live the king! 10 You issued a decree requiring all the people to bow down and worship the gold statue when they hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments. 11 That decree also states that those who refuse to obey must be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 But there are some Jews—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—whom you have put in charge of the province of Babylon. They pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They refuse to serve your gods and do not worship the gold statue you have set up.”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego trusted God to protect them when they refused to bow down to the gold statue and if you remember, they walked out of the fiery furnace untouched.
Like these three brave men, we should never take a knee or bow to anything or anyone except our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Otherwise, we’re not only renouncing our heritage, the color of our skin, our country—or whatever else they come up with to try and get us on our knees—we are renouncing our God.
Don’t do it; it’s not worth it. Only Jesus Christ deserves our prostration before Him. Everything else is an idol of power, control, manipulation, intimidation, and evil, yes evil.
Because . . .
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. Phil. 2:8-12
Christians of Every Color, Nation, Tribe, People and Language Are United in Christ!
Many of you know that my family has different “skin colors.” When I look at our family pictures, I see a big happy, handsome, smiling, loving family. I see different hair colors. I do not see different skin colors.
When I see my Christian brothers and sisters, I don’t see skin color, I see the family of God!
It is sadly true that racial injustice is a part of our country’s history, which we should as Christians admit and repudiate the sins of the past. Admission demonstrates humility and acknowledgement that wrongs happened, but it does not have to characterize who we are today. Our job is to make a difference in our generation.
No matter what our skin color or heritage, we aren’t defined by what our ancestors did or experienced. We are defined by what we do and who we are now.
Since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, we’re all born into this world as sinners. “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5).
Until we learn a new better way to live, we will keep on sinning. That’s why everyone needs a Savior and to be born again out of our unrighteousness into the righteousness of following Jesus. Not followers of any fringe or woke group that wants you to change for their benefit. Your identity is in Christ alone!
22 This righteousness is given through faith in[a] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, [black or white]23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:22-24
As Christians, we live counter-culture! We get ourselves right with God and then we can love on others.
Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matt. 22:36-40
Today, politicians, anarchists, and agitators want to keep the old wounds open and look for every opportunity to fester them. It is to their advantage to maintain division and unrest. They have no desire to unite us because then they lose their power and control.
Race isn’t a political issue, it’s a sin issue. It’s not a skin problem, it’s a sin problem.
We’re not dealing with systemic racism, we’re dealing with systemic secularism!
Change won’t happen with a policy change, it happens with a heart change. Hearts transformed by Jesus Christ.
We can’t legislate or demand unity. Only God is the Unifier. It’s our responsibility to continue to love our neighbor as ourself, no matter what their skin color. God’s Golden Rule (Matt. 22:36-40); (Mark 12:30-31).
We defy Satan’s schemes for disunity when we live under God’s plan for unity!
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:2-3
I remember the song we sang in Sunday school as a child, “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and Yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world.
When you don’t embrace your own skin color, you deny who you are in Christ.
When you bow to anyone or anything other than Jesus Christ, you deny God who said I will have no other gods before me.
We must be on our knees in prayer for the civil and spiritual unrest in our world.
Let’s look for ways this week to keep the focus on God and not the works of Satan. That means we need to outshine the divisive voices in the news and many on social media. We need to bring the light of Jesus into the worldly darkness.
Then we will counter evil with good like these pastors who led a praise march singing Waymaker in the streets of Milwaukee.
*You’ll find the woman kneeling and the people reciting the mantra in this news clip.
Thank You. In a world of good and evil, putting God first is the only answer. I was taught we are all children of God, some fallen, but all redeemable. Continue your good works. I will pray for you and your calling.
Thank you for the encouraging words and prayers. Yes, we all matter to God!
Thank you. For it is written in the bible
There is only one God