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and
separate
the body of Christ. Why? Because he understands the
power of one. Consider the day of Pentecost. In Acts
1:14, the record states that "These all continued with one accord in prayer and
supplication." The Church was united as one. As a
result, the Holy Spirit was able to come and over three thousand
souls were baptized in one day.
Unity is strength. In Genesis 11:6, the Lord gives us another
example of the power of one. The Bible reads, "And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do."
The story goes on to say that the Lord had to confound their
language in order to separate them, else they would have built a
tower reaching to heaven.
The devil understands that a united body is a victorious
power. Therefore, he was desirous and successful in
confounding our language, the language of love by attaching all
kinds of requirements to enslave the minds of men. Of such, we
have color of skin, economic and scholastic classes among many
others. Jesus Christ, the righteous, wants to emancipate every
man from mental slavery. For we are enslaved in believing that
one pile of dust is better than the other. Dust is dust.
The deception also affected our perception of Christ. Many who
call upon the name of Jesus would forfeit heaven, if Christ is
reveal to be black or white for others. On the 22nd day of
September, 1862 the President of the United States of America,
Abraham Lincoln, issued an emancipation proclamation declaring every
man free. The proclamation was reinforcing the words of many,
that all men were created equal. But many people could not endorse
that statement. Sad to say, many Christians who speak of the
love of God are secretly racist within their hearts. Today,
Christ also has an emancipation proclamation with a condition for
every man. And He is saying in John 8:32, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
What is this "truth" that Jesus spoke of? Well,
consider the following.
The Experience of Peter
Acts 10:10-14
10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,
11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
This scripture reveals that Christ was preparing
Peter to receive the saving truth that would make him free.
Therefore, when the Lord told Peter, being a Jew, to eat unclean
meat, Peter's response was "not so Lord." Peter went on
to classify the animals as unclean and common. The Lord knew
the heart and mind of Peter. He knew that Peter classified
certain individuals as common and unclean. Peter the
Christian, who spoke with power on the day of Pentecost, was
racist. He had a better than thou complex. He thought
himself to be better than people of a certain race. I
sympathize with Peter, for I understand the cause of his mind
set. If I was told from my youth to stay away from other
nations because of their corrupting influences, If I was told to
marry only within the Jewish nation, then I can understand why he
grew up with a air of superiority. God had his reasons.
The children of Israel was to remain pure and unspotted from the
other nations. They were God's people, through whom the Lord would
use to evangelize the world.
However, after Christ, that responsibility was transferred from the
initiative of a nation to the responsibility of all that are
Christ's. The focus was no longer on saving the Jews, but the
salvation of every man. Therefore, the Lord had to emancipate
the mind of Peter so that the saving message would be carried to
every man. Did Peter accept every man as his equal after his
lesson from the Lord? Let us find out...
Acts 10:28
28 And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
Yes he did. Peter understood that the Lord was making
reference to man and not beast. For in giving his testimony,
he said, "But God hath showed me that I should not call any man
common or unclean." Here we see a Christian considering
other Christians, other human beings, as common and unclean.
However, the Lord told Peter the truth, He accepted it and he was
set free. Is there a little Peter in you? Are you
considering any of God's sons or daughters common, unequal, less
than human or unclean? If so, would you be free from your racist mentality?
Jesus can set you free if you ask Him in prayer.
The Lord wants to correct our proposed image of Him as well.
Friend, do not be like the Jews. They could not accept Jesus
as Lord and Savior for He was not the deliverer they were looking
for. Is it possible for history to repeat itself? Is it
possible that the spirit of racism could cause many to miss Christ
completely when He returns the second time? The Jews were serious. They were completely adamant
that Jesus of Nazareth was not the Christ. Why? Because
He wasn't what they were looking for. Suppose Jesus is
white, would your faith be shaken? Would you give up the faith
and forfeit heaven if he is black? Friend, if you are looking for a
white Jesus, if you are looking for a black, Chinese, Indian, or
Puerto Rican Lord, you will miss Him if your image of God is not
met. You will miss Him as the Jews missed Christ. We
know that every eye will see Him (Revelation
1:7) and every tongue will confess that He is Lord of Lord
when He returns the second time. The Bible also says that
the devil will transform Himself into an angel of light (2
Corinthians 11:14). In
addition, the Bible says that many false Christ shall arise for the
very purpose of deceiving the elect
(Matthew 24:24). If you are
looking for a Indian, white or black Christ, the devil will come as
that which you are looking for only to deceive you. Deception
is a serious thing, friend. It determines whether heaven or
hell will be our inheritance. The
devil knows the proud and haughty nature of man and he is using it
to our destruction. He knows that man does not learn from the
mistakes of others. He knows that we do not learn from the
past. Therefore, history will repeat itself, sad to say, for
the attitude and the spirit of the Jews lives on in many individuals. Many will
miss Christ, for they will be looking for another. This might
seem farfetched. But men will be so enslaved by racism, so
enslaved by the devil and so blinded by their pomp and pride, that
they will indeed miss the savior. We must rid ourselves of all
preconceived images of Christ. Only at His second return will
all men see Christ for who He is.
1 John 3:2
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
The Bible says, "We shall be like Him (that is whatever He is
like), for we shall see Him as He is." Currently, every
nation seem to have convicting evidence of the race of Christ.
They will take you through a historical tour just to substantiate
their claims. But does it really matter if He is black or
white? Jesus gave His life for you, He gave His life for
me. He could be green in color, my affirmation will continue
to be, "Even so, come Lord Jesus."
Christianity and Racism
Peter accepted the truth but many others in the Christian church
refuse to see all people as equals. Consequently, within
certain denominations, there are white and black conferences.
Those denominations are divided. Therefore, they are
exhibiting a form of Godliness, but there is no power. The
power only comes when there is oneness. How can a group of people
suggest to be in one accord when they are segregated by racism?
Where is the love? When Christ is in the heart, the love of
man becomes unconditional. Men will not see color, but a
sister and a brother in Christ. How can we say that I am an elder in the church,
yet at the same time certain members are neglected because they are
black? How can you say that I am a Pastor, a man of God, yet at the same time you have ill feelings towards the white members of
your church? Who hath bewitched you friend? The Bible says, "Let no man
deceive you." But many have been deceived, in believing that they
are better than others. Heaven is not segregated. If we
cannot live as one here, we will never make it to heaven. Now
is a good time to re-evaluate your value system. Friend, I ask
of you, learn from Peter's experience, and I hope that you will
realize as Peter did, that no man is common or unclean. Amen.
Galatians 3:28
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
In other words, there is neither black nor white, for we are all one
in Christ. If we cannot live as one on this earth, in love, we will not be qualified for heaven.
Some individuals feel justified when they classify white people as
racist. However, judge within yourselves which is worst?
Consider a Puerto Rican who gets offended because they are mistaken for
a Mexican. My question is, "what is wrong with
Mexicans?" Consider the offended reaction of a black American
because he/she was mistaken for a Haitian. The devil will always get our eyes on
everybody else, on every other race, but ourselves. Many are
racist within their own race. Many whites look down on trailer
park rednecks. In addition, if a black man is of a lighter completion than
another, he will exhibit a air of superiority. Can you believe
that? The devil has messed us up. Do you think the Lord is going to go easy on you because of what somebody else
did? God is
no respecter or person. It does not matter if that brother is
racist. It does not matter if he does not like you. Your
business as a Christian is to love that brother the more.
Overcome evil with good. You are not justified in returning
evil for evil if you claim to be Christ's. How can you say you
love God whom you cannot see, when you have racist feelings towards
your proposed brother. The Bible calls all such people a liar
and the love of God is not within their hearts. They are
perpetrating a fraud. Claiming to be something that they are
not, a Christian. Christians, like Christ, love all men
equally.
If we cannot forgive and let go, we will not be forgiven.
Forget the past and look towards the glorious tomorrow. Jesus
tells us to love those that abuse us and persecute us. Do good
and not evil. The Lord is speaking healing into your life
today, friend. Would you be free from your burdens of
hate? There is healing is Jesus Christ. Just bow down
and ask Him to let His heart and His mind be yours. Ask and
it shall be given. You will be amazed. All of a sudden
all the chains that bound you are broken. You are able to
speak with your white or black deacon or business associates without any ill
feelings. Jesus can set you free friend, if you ask Him in
prayer.
How do you know that you are
racist? Well, if your daughter or son takes home a prospective
life partner that is of another race, your reaction will convict
you. To some it does not matter if the person is a child of God, decent and able to support
a family, race seems to override everything. Out of many, the
Lord made one people. But it is sad to know that even those
who profess to be Christians, are racist. Friend, love does not
consider color. Unless we become as little children, we will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
A child does not see color. A child sees mommy and daddy. They see
others as friends and equals. Parents are the ones that teach
racism. It is instilled from a tender age. There are
many instances where a little black boy and a little white boy would
be crying for each other, but their parents would not allow them to play
together because of racial differences. These kids would
say to their
respective parents, "But mommy, but daddy, he is my
friend." We know the story. You might have
experienced that before. I am talking about unconditional love,
friend. Do you want lessons on love, consult a child.
Pure and undefiled is the love they have towards all men. Men are not born with a racist spirit, racism is
thought. By beholding we become like. If mommy and daddy are racist, the kids will grow up with a superiority complex.
God forbid.
Currently, people of certain race seems to suggest that they are of
a better quality than all others. Therefore, they are very
adamant about not mixing with other race in order to protect their
"pure blood." Mixing will taint and mar their
perfect statute. Their attitude suggest that their image sets
the standard of beauty. Beauty begets beauty is the rationale
of many. On the contrary, beauty is not seen, it is
experience. In addition, no one is truly "pure
blooded," for we all came from Adam and Eve. In fact, the
most beautiful offspring are those that comes from mix
relationships. The Lord is saying to us, as He said to Peter,
"No man is common or unclean." Friend, every man is
created equal. But many has a superiority complex. They
do not want to mix with what they consider "common
people". People who are not considered beautiful or of
much value. Therefore, mixing with certain race will cheapen
their existence. If we believe that all men are created
equal, if we believe that God made all men beautiful, then we will
no longer have racial problems.
This world has a problem. Should we be conformed to this perverted world, or should
we be transformed by the renewing of our minds? At Centurion Ministry, almost every race is present, and we live as one. We are against any situation that will cause problems within. However, no one can control or prevent problems from without. Should I, if the situation present itself, give up my true love because society cannot accept it? On the other hand, should I give up my principles, because society thinks that I am crazy to believe in them? Should I deny Christ in order to save myself from the persecution of this world? We cannot allow the mentally and spiritually enslaved mind of
society to determine the kind of lives we live or the choices that we make. We must look to Christ. Consider the following.
God gave Moses an Ethiopian woman to be his wife. Two race
coming together. Hagar, Abraham's maid was from a different
race. Friends, God sees people, He does not see race. Is there not beauty in everything? Yes there is. It is just that some people are so pre-disposed a certain way that they cannot see it. The fact is, God did not create race. He did not create black and white. The Bible said, "So God created man."
Genesis 1:27.
All people came from Adam and Eve. Therefore, where did race come
from? Some say the beginning of race started at the Tower of Babel. From that point onward our geographical location, climate and infrastructure had everything to do with our features. The pigments of our skin change depending on the
seasons. The climate affects every living thing. The tree change color depending on the
seasons. In the fall we have an array of colors - red, orange, brown, yellow, etc. Notice that the deer's has a light gray color in the winter and in the summer, they become dark gray. Where it is predominantly cold, in the arctic climates of Alaska, we will find Polar bears. They are completely white. The monkeys and rabbits are white as well. When blacks lay in the sun, they get darker and the same for whites. South African whites and blacks are darker than North American whites and blacks.
After so many centuries, man adapted to their environment. The
body was designed to protect itself and to adjust to survive.
And these are some points that many would have all men to consider.
What do I say, I say the greatest factor to consider is God.
The Bible speaks of one tree bearing 12 manner of fruits, therefore,
according to His power and providence we have the existence of race.
I does not matter to me where it came from, it is important however,
that we consider every man as a equal son or daughter of God the
father.
One day, their will be no more race, just one people. At that point, no one will have a reason to be racist, for we will be one people.
Does that mean we will all look alike? I am speaking about a
mind and a heart change. When we are in Christ, race does not
exist, for we will only see a brother or a sister. Friend, I do not know about you, but I am longing for that day. The day where situational racism and all other kinds of racism will be destroyed. God made all man in His image and all man equal. Image has a lot more to it than just color. It is our attitudes, mannerism and our character. Man is skin deep. For
many, image means color. Racism prevents us from seeing the physical form of the entire face and body of a person. We only see color and then exclaim, "that person does not look like me." Why, because we are condition and bent that way because of the corrupted teachings of this world.
God does not see race, He sees people. We must get to the point where we are separated by nothing, in God. God made us one people and we will be one people again.
Philippians 2:3
3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
We should always, as the command from the Bible, esteem others
better than ourselves.
Friends, if you are racist, you are not qualified for heaven.
If you are looking for a specific Jesus, you will miss Him if He
does not match up to your image. The good news is that, there
is healing in Jesus Christ.
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