{I am called a white person. But I'm just a very light skinned colored man.}
Jesus gave a famous two part answer: 1. Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, mind, soul and strength. 2. Love your neighbor as yourself.
I don't think enough people understand that these two Commandments can be inverted. The first is greater than the second and the second cannot be our priority. When we make the second our priority our neighbor becomes in the place of God. God takes a backseat and we ignore the guidance he would give us in favor of the approval of her neighbors, our family and our political allies. Unfortunately this will make us partisan. God loves all men and women and so should we. Matthew Chapter 5 talks about this in vs.'s 38 through 48. James rights that God is no respecter of persons.
Mankind suffers, we all suffer from the judgments we makes about our fellow man. In John 7:24 Jesus told the Pharisees to stop judge by appearances and start making righteous judgments. There is nothing so dangerous as judging by what appears to be so. The appearance of human epidermis (skin) is a very small thing upon which to judge even one man let alone 12 million Americans or the Evangelical Church.
I don't know why we and forgotten what Martin Luther King said about the content of one's character versus the color of his skin. If we were more familiar with God's character we would be better able to live amongst those who seem a bit different than ourselves. Without wanting to draw attention to myself I think you should re-read this because it's really true.
To put your neighbor, your black neighbor in juxtaposition to the rest of America is divisive. To put the white Evangelical Church in juxtaposition to the rest of the church is divisive. The only division that we should be comfortable with are the divisions that God ordains. He divided the children of Israel from the Gentile world. But then he offered both Jew and Gentile the unity of the church. Not everyone chooses that. But it is really wrong to inspire white guilt in order to create multi-ethnic Church congregations.
I fear that most politicians have no understanding of the success they could enjoy if did not invert these Commandments. They say 83% of Americans call themselves Christians. as Paul said, "I would not have you ignorant, brethren..."
The pastor at a church I went to said from the pulpit that a denomination is a search for unity! That was more than 20 years ago and some things just stick with you! I understand what he was trying to say as this: Unity in the congregation is a good thing. But what we find is that Unity is the work of the Holy Spirit; when man puts his hands on it it suffers from his efforts. It doesn't matter whether he's teaching on Law and Grace or on Prosperity. Christian leaders better be followers of the Almighty and not pleasers of men or of themselves. Don't invert the two famous Commandments. Do all in HIS NAME, even in His Spirit.
He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. - Matthew 12:30 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew12:30&version=ASV
John said unto him, Teacher, we saw one casting out demons in thy name; and we forbade him, because he followed not us.
But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man who shall do a mighty work in my name, and be able quickly to speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is for us. - Mark 9:38-40 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark9:38-40&versio
Why do we allow others to give power to skin color? Why do we allow them to stop us from enjoying our lives without regard to our outer appearances? Why do we fight them and what do we hope to gain by fighting them?
There is a place for the church to be a very separated place, very sanctified and very sacred and very much for the people of God alone. What happens in the world is another thing and it's very hard if not impossible to have the world honor God's love and sensibilities.
2nd Timothy 3:12 shows clearly that if we wish to be good Christian people we will be persecuted. Jesus said that we shouldn't be surprised if the world hates us because it hated him first. John 15
The only way to overcome is through faith. I think it's in Revelation where it is written "this is the victory that overcomes the world even our faith." Paul wrote in Galatians 5:6 that "faith works by love." Faith is energized by love. We simply cannot comprehend what love is until we encounter God and are intimate with him in his love for us.
Jesus gave a famous two part answer: 1. Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, mind, soul and strength. 2. Love your neighbor as yourself.
I don't think enough people understand that these two Commandments can be inverted. The first is greater than the second and the second cannot be our priority. When we make the second our priority our neighbor becomes in the place of God. God takes a backseat and we ignore the guidance he would give us in favor of the approval of her neighbors, our family and our political allies. Unfortunately this will make us partisan. God loves all men and women and so should we. Matthew Chapter 5 talks about this in vs.'s 38 through 48. James rights that God is no respecter of persons.
Mankind suffers, we all suffer from the judgments we makes about our fellow man. In John 7:24 Jesus told the Pharisees to stop judge by appearances and start making righteous judgments. There is nothing so dangerous as judging by what appears to be so. The appearance of human epidermis (skin) is a very small thing upon which to judge even one man let alone 12 million Americans or the Evangelical Church.
I don't know why we and forgotten what Martin Luther King said about the content of one's character versus the color of his skin. If we were more familiar with God's character we would be better able to live amongst those who seem a bit different than ourselves. Without wanting to draw attention to myself I think you should re-read this because it's really true.
To put your neighbor, your black neighbor in juxtaposition to the rest of America is divisive. To put the white Evangelical Church in juxtaposition to the rest of the church is divisive. The only division that we should be comfortable with are the divisions that God ordains. He divided the children of Israel from the Gentile world. But then he offered both Jew and Gentile the unity of the church. Not everyone chooses that. But it is really wrong to inspire white guilt in order to create multi-ethnic Church congregations.
I fear that most politicians have no understanding of the success they could enjoy if did not invert these Commandments. They say 83% of Americans call themselves Christians. as Paul said, "I would not have you ignorant, brethren..."
The pastor at a church I went to said from the pulpit that a denomination is a search for unity! That was more than 20 years ago and some things just stick with you! I understand what he was trying to say as this: Unity in the congregation is a good thing. But what we find is that Unity is the work of the Holy Spirit; when man puts his hands on it it suffers from his efforts. It doesn't matter whether he's teaching on Law and Grace or on Prosperity. Christian leaders better be followers of the Almighty and not pleasers of men or of themselves. Don't invert the two famous Commandments. Do all in HIS NAME, even in His Spirit.
He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. - Matthew 12:30 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew12:30&version=ASV
John said unto him, Teacher, we saw one casting out demons in thy name; and we forbade him, because he followed not us.
But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man who shall do a mighty work in my name, and be able quickly to speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is for us. - Mark 9:38-40 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark9:38-40&versio
Why do we allow others to give power to skin color? Why do we allow them to stop us from enjoying our lives without regard to our outer appearances? Why do we fight them and what do we hope to gain by fighting them?
There is a place for the church to be a very separated place, very sanctified and very sacred and very much for the people of God alone. What happens in the world is another thing and it's very hard if not impossible to have the world honor God's love and sensibilities.
2nd Timothy 3:12 shows clearly that if we wish to be good Christian people we will be persecuted. Jesus said that we shouldn't be surprised if the world hates us because it hated him first. John 15
The only way to overcome is through faith. I think it's in Revelation where it is written "this is the victory that overcomes the world even our faith." Paul wrote in Galatians 5:6 that "faith works by love." Faith is energized by love. We simply cannot comprehend what love is until we encounter God and are intimate with him in his love for us.
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