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The Black Church Is A Spiritual Virtue

 

 

“Back then, Black churches were a small piece of peace.
Church was a world where, even with its imperfections,
the offer of equality and common humanity was the sustenance needed to make it through the rest of the week
in a society that deemed them less than human.”

 

Today you will read the “heart cry” of Dante Stewart that encapsulates the hurt, pain, and disappointment of many. As you read this, prayerfully consider how we bring unity to the body of Christ.
Guest Author: Dante Stewart
I can remember when it first happened — when my dungeon shook and my chains fell off. I had recently gone through a horrible experience and felt there was nowhere to turn, no one who could give voice to my ache, my pain, and my rage.

 

I feared that many wouldn’t understand.

 

At the time, I was immersed in White evangelical church life. I had been the one selected to lead a group through John Piper’s Bloodlines because the church wanted to be more “diverse.” I was probably the first black person to preach there.

 

That usually came with a badge of honor — the “first” usually means you’re breaking barriers (or so I thought). Then Trump happened. Then the shootings of unarmed black people. Then … the white responses in the church I was in.

 

I was confused.

 

“How could they be around me and my wife and say this about black people?”
“How did they not know us?”
“How could they believe this?”
“Why aren’t we speaking about this?”

 

Confusion compounded by the employer who used my abstention from the National Anthem as an opportunity to lecture me on NFL protests and oppression.

 

Confusion compounded by the colleagues who said, “there’s no need for Black History Month,” and another, “there’s no such thing as black theology.”

 

Confusion compounded by another colleague who reported me for inappropriate touching after I side-hugged her while bidding her a good weekend. Maybe at that moment I forgot all the lessons my mom taught me about being careful around white women. Did she know that they see her as innocent and me as a danger? Maybe she believed the lie that Amy Cooper believed: that her whiteness is a weapon to keep a “n— in his place.”

 

And then my confusion turned to rage as the comments continued.

 

“You are losing the gospel.” 
“I’m not racist.” 
“You’re a social justice warrior.” 
“I have black friends.” 
“All lives matter.”
“Black men need to stop killing black men.”
“It’s a sin problem, not a skin problem.” 
“Jesus came to change hearts not societies.” 

 

Black rage in an anti-black world is a spiritual virtue. Rage shakes us out of our illusion that the world as it is, is what God wants. Rage forces us to deal with the gross system of inequality, exploitation, and disrespect. Rage is the public cry for black dignity. It becomes the public expression of a theological truth that black lives matter to God.

 

Rage is the work of love that stands against an unloving world. Rage is the good news that though your society forgets you and works against you, there is Someone who loves you and believes you are worth fighting for.
⠀

 

If you’re more concerned about the responses of black rage than you are about a system that justifies and rewards black death, you don’t love black people — you just love when they stay in their place. And that’s not love, that’s hate.

 

So, I wept — I wept because I felt so powerless, so vulnerable, so unloved, so hated.

 

In “A Letter to My Nephew,” James Baldwin wrote:
Please try to remember that what they believe, as well as what they do and cause you to endure, does not testify to your inferiority, but to their inhumanity and fear.

 

His words hit me with the sort of mercy, a grace as if Almighty God was speaking, when he wrote, “You don’t be afraid. I said it was intended that you should perish …”

 

But I did not. We did not. We are still here. It was at that moment that a fire came over me. It was then that my dungeon shook, the chains of fear fell off, and the bones began to rumble, and the sinews that made flesh black began to come to life. It was not just the question, “Lord, can these bones live?” No. It was, “Lord, where will these bones go?”

 

I needed to give voice to God’s action in the black experience, our suffering, and our resistance. I needed to bear witness to the struggle for our freedom. I needed to give voice to being both black and Christian. I did — and I never looked back.

 

James Cone said after the Detroit rebellion, “I could no longer write the same way, following the lead of Europeans and white Americans.”

 

And don’t we feel this? With white racial paranoia. With Trump. And now with black suffering in COVID-19, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd. Terror. We saw the responses to the cries of our people as many of our women, children, and men became hashtags. They praised “black forgiveness,” called us to speak of love, when their people gave us death. Our people’s blood cries out from the ground.

 

What does theology have to say in the black freedom struggle today? What does faith say in the face of black death? What is good news for black people in America’s racial caste? Cone was right: “I had to find a new way of talking about God that was accountable to black people and their fight for justice.”

 

I am black; I am Christian. We have been through hell in this country — and we’re still going through it. But I too am America; this is my country. Being black in an anti-black world becomes the greatest spiritual, moral, and political task of each generation.

 

The journey has been long and a struggle for many of us — trying to speak of Christian faith and being black in America — but it is also empowering. We know that we come from a long tradition of black people who refused to accept the tragic belief and practices of white supremacy — the belief that we are second-class citizens, that we deserve exploitation and punishment, that we deserve disrespect and death, that we must be respectable and cater to the demands of whiteness. No. We will not.

 

Many will believe we have exaggerated the scope and depth of injustice. That’s okay. We’re fighting for hope, we’re fighting for love, we’re fighting to live. This world as black people experience it is not the world as it should be. All of us must give voice to the hope of a better day. There’s no other way.

 

To love, to struggle, to fight, to pray, to embrace, to remember — these become our sword and shield. To protest violence against black people is a spiritual virtue, moral obligation, and political practice. In a world that wounds the souls of black folk, it represents the Spirit of God at work resisting the evil of white supremacy and murder with impunity. It’s holy work. Through rage and heartbreak, we work. Until we are free, we can never rest.

 

SOURCE: Sojourners, Black Range In An Anti-Black World Is A Spiritual Virtue, May 29, 2020

 

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Is This An Aberration or Manifestation?

“A leader is a person who must take special responsibility
for what’s going on inside him or herself,
inside his or her consciousness,
lest the act of leadership create more harm than good.”  
– Parker Palmer

 

The insurrection attempt on January 6, 2021, demonstrates how a leader’s strongholds can affect other people’s beliefs, attitudes, and actions. It’s been compared to Kristallnacht, the 1938 assault by Nazis in Germany. Many say, “This doesn’t represent who we are” or “This is not who America is.” It may not be who we want to be or desire to be. Still, these thoughts ignore the patterns of behavior that define the long history of this country. I am not engaging in political conversation but addressing the strongholds of self-interest, superiority, self-absorption, and sense of entitlement that led to more harm than good. The unwillingness to recognize another’s meritorious worth or hard-earned success indicates how often we think with our beliefs rather than about them. In this, we lose our truth and ignore Biblical principles.

 

I am not referring to Ted Cruz, who, seeking to raise his notoriety, challenged election results and even voted to reject the Electoral College certification hours after the riot. I’m not referring to Giuliani, who said, “let’s have trial by combat.” I’m not referring to Eric Trump, who said, “this is the party of Donald Trump, and we’re coming for you.” Nor am I referring to Ivanka Trump who called the rioters patriots. I’m not even referring to the President who incited violence through weeks of the rhetoric of a stolen election. Then encouraged supporters to “Be there, it will be wild!” and at the rally shortly before the would-be rioters descended on the capital said, “we’re going to walk down to the capital, fight like hell and take back our country.” Afterwards he said his speech was “totally appropriate.” And even on Monday suggested that “danger could follow the Democrats’ decision to impeach him a second time.”

 

I am referring to Christians who were used to take full advantage of Christianity, the brand. Those who explicitly or implicitly endorsed – character, integrity and divisiveness don’t matter as much as policies that support self-interest. In Parker’s words, those who demonstrated that they had not taken special responsibility for what was going on inside them and how it could create more harm than good. Religious leaders used pulpits to create and justify a movement, a belief system about the “other”, and a responsibility to take action against perceived lost freedoms. Christians in Congress through their rhetoric normalized political violence. An investigation is underway looking at “potential members of Congress” who gave tours to rioters prior to the insurrection. It’s no wonder so many of those rioters at the Capitol openly stated they were Christians. Some carried “Jesus saves” signs, some carried crosses, others said it was their God-given duty to do this for the President and the country. Faith leaders have to be accountable for what’s done for present gain without regard for future costs or consequences. The Gospel requires it.

 

What is behind this undying support that sacrifices the gospel for the partisan politics of someone that doesn’t even respect them? Support that leads to beating police with a blue lives matter flag. To post on Twitter that everyone in the Capitol “is a treasonous traitor” and that “death is the only remedy for what’s in that building.” To defecate inside the Capital building and track their feces in several hallways. That using violence as a means of achieving their desires is ok. The theologian Wayne Grudem speaking on behalf of religious leaders, summarized conservative Christian support as, “Conclusions drawn by a hostile interpreter of words that a sympathetic listener would understand in a positive way. I’m not sure [the President] ever intentionally affirmed something he knows to be false, which is how I define a lie.” Many conservative Christian leaders tell their congregation the president is “God’s chosen one” which carries a different connotation than “chosen by God.” Yet McKay Coppins wrote, “Former aides told me they’ve heard Trump ridicule conservative religious leaders, dismiss various faith groups with cartoonish stereotypes, and deride certain rites and doctrines held sacred. Trump speaking about a group of religious leaders who came to pray over him, told aides: Can you believe that bullshit?” Self-interest is a stronghold that can blind leaders causing them to overlook bad behavior and personal ridicule to advance their beliefs and cause.

 

In 2 Timothy 3:2 – 4, we are provided a list of attributes that characterize the leaders of dangerous seasons. Leaders whose outward appearance or form of Christianity and virtue makes them all the more dangerous. Let’s assure we are not those of whom scripture speaks. We can do better; we can be better. We are the representatives of Christ, and our witness carries significant influence. Be it positive or negative.

 

I am not here to curse the darkness. I am here to light a candle.

 

Insurrectionist carried stun guns, batons, knives, bulletproof vests, nooses, and pepper spray as they searched out members of congress. A retired Air Force officer carried zip ties, A retired firefighter threw a fire extinguisher at officers. Nooses, unambiguous symbols of mob mentality and racial terror, were strung up on the Capitol grounds to remind everyone exactly what the rioters stood for, who they stood against, and what their intent was.

 

This scene was eerily similar to Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1898. America’s first and only successful coup d’etat. Erin E. Evans recaps in a HuffPost article: “During the Reconstruction era, biracial governments came to power in cities across the South. Southern Democrats often retaliated against this new power structure. On Nov. 10, 1898, a mob of white men marched on City Hall in Wilmington with their pistols and rifles to overthrow the local government and remove black political leaders from their posts. They were successful. White supremacists took over. The mob destroyed Black-owned businesses, including the town’s Black newspaper. Dozens of Black residents ended up dead.” There was a belief that Black votes were inherently illegitimate. That was the basis of electoral fraud claims back then, and it is effectively the same claim that’s being made now.

 

History reports that from his pulpit at First Presbyterian Church, The Rev. Peyton Hoge triumphantly defended the 1898 racial violence. “Since we last met in these walls, we have taken a city. . . It has been redeemed for civilization, redeemed for law and redeemed for decency and respectability. . . For these things, let us give God the glory.” Several other white Wilmington pastors also lent their voices to uphold the violent acts.

 

To understand why churches were involved in the 1898 Race Riot, it helps to know that the biblical justification of slavery and segregation hailed from many Protestant churches’ pulpits in the South in the 1800s. Pastors in the South were preaching sermons saying that slavery was indeed God’s plan for the universe. Many of the pastors misinterpreted the Pauline view in Ephesians 6:5 that “slaves, obey your earthly master with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.” They argued that slavery was not condemned in the scriptures. And used stories from the Bible to buttress their argument, such as the story in Genesis about the Hamite curse. Noah cursed his son, Ham, after the son saw his father lying naked in his tent. They preached that the descendants of Ham were Africans and should be the servants of the white race.

 

For the pastors in Wilmington during 1898, the author added, “the surprising thing would have been if they had actually stood up and said, ‘Hey this is wrong.’ That would have been shocking and unexpected. For them to have done as they did was par for the course because their beliefs agreed with the white supremacist society.” Unfortunately, history is repeating itself and the explicit or implicit acts of faith leader are creating more harm than good.

 

When we strays from the radical love of Jesus into hateful partisan faith, we see the worst. The way to a more perfect union, to a nation where equality before the law and before God is more universal, is the way of Jesus. People of faith are called again and again and again to return to the foot of the cross. It’s a terrifying place to stand. But that is where the story Christians profess begins. It is a story about love, not loathing; generosity, not greed. In our time, the will for power has all too often overwhelmed the Words of Jesus.

 

SOURCE: Star News Online, 1898 riots still resonate with Wilmington’s black churches, Amanda Greene, Nov 6, 2008. The Atlantic, The Lost History of an American Coup D’État, Adrienne Lafrance and Vann R. Newkirk II, August 2017. NYT, Jon Meacham is the author of “The Hope of Glory: Reflections on the Last Words of Jesus from the Cross. Baptistnews.com, Faith leaders make a case for Trump to the delight of some and dismay of others, Mark Wingfield, October 2020.

 

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Inoculation Against Hopelessness 💉
“We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.
May your unfailing love rest upon us,
O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.”
Psalms 33:20-22 (NIV)

 

We made it to the new year! Between the pandemic, economic stimulus, racial tension, and political upheaval, 2020 brought on an endless onslaught of emotions. At the end of the long and grueling year (it was just a day or so ago), most of us could use a few words of inspiration and wisdom. So take a virtual seat beside the fire and let’s chat.
First and foremost, we can take solitude that God is still in control. Our dependence can remain in Him and in Him alone. He has promised to not put more on us than we can bear. Nothing happened or is going to happen of which He is not already aware. With that knowledge we can pray,

 

“So, in my trials, God, help me to fix my eyes not on what is seen, the temporary things that burden me, but on what is unseen, that which is eternal. I praise You that You comfort me in my troubles so that I can comfort others with that same comfort.”

 

Our trials are not to be eliminated but seasoned and buoyed up with love and hope because they sharpen us for our destiny.

 

Second, we don’t need to make resolutions this year. We can choose to focus on the outcomes you want and avoid getting caught up in the obstacles to achieving them. Getting mired in a daunting list of obstacles will prevent you from stimulating awareness of all the options you have for succeeding. Adapt your action plans as life unfolds differently than you originally planned, ensuring your actions align with your values and the Word of God. We tend to give too much power to things that are out of their control. You don’t have to be perfect and a big part of accepting this is learning how to embrace your failures, imperfections and fears. Confronting them so you can grow and become the person you are called to be.
Refrain from focusing on self-interest based on acquiring power, status, social recognition, tangible, or intangible rewards. Instead, focus on self-sacrifice based on personal growth and understanding of your patterns of behavior that affect family, friends, health, and relationships. Think about relating more deeply to others, building community, demonstrating love to the unlovable, being of service, or learning something new that enables you to serve others better.

 

You can walk in the grace of resilience, strength, and, yes, hope. Never lose hope – the world was a mess, but God, because He loves us, gave us His son. God has promised victory to all who remain faithful throughout the generations; regardless of social location, race or economic status. God includes and protects each of us, and we are guaranteed a place in his presence. We can be assured that God hasn’t given up on us, let’s not give up on each other.

 

Biblical hope is an application of your faith that supplies a confident expectation in God’s fulfillment of His promises. So demonstrate the power of love and hope one to another. As Wuthnow says, “If we see our own identity [as] part of a divine or transcendent plan, then those who are not us must have an identity within this understanding as well.”

 

When you feel you are losing hope remember – “love your neighbor. . .” came from a man the people slandered. “Forgive them. . .” came from a man who the people crucified on the cross. “I know the plans I have for you. . . to give you a future and a hope. . .” came from the man who promised better things are yet to come!

 

Now go be great in 2021!

 

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Your Calling Is Calling

 

This virus and election season have exposed our innermost thinking, beliefs, attitudes, and actions. Many have looked to those called by God for understanding and support. Yet, some influential Christian leaders are saying to overlook the wrongs of politicians, who support their self-interest, but condemn the wrongs of those considered the “other”. Many people ask me why Christians plant their flags on things not spoken of in the Bible but ignore what is clearly laid out? So rather than giving my opinion, I took to the phone, called ten pastors to hear their answers to the question. The most common responses were “what the scripture meant was” and “God uses flawed people to do his work.”

 

The first answer, I believe, is the foundational basis of the challenge this country faces—interpretation based on self-interest rather than self-sacrifice. We tend to ignore the parts that challenge us or call us to make that great sacrifice. It’s much easier to point the finger at someone else. But as momma used to say, “when you point to what you think is someone else’s issue, there are always three fingers pointing back at you and your issues.” Or to use scripture. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” (Matt. 7:3). From Lucifer’s desire to be like God to the last sin we committed, every sin committed is grounded in self-interest.

 

The second answer, I agree God used flawed people. For instance, the stories of Zacchaeus and Matthew, both tax collectors who cheated people. Jesus spent time with them, and once knowing Jesus, they turned their lives around. Zacchaeus paid back all whom he’d cheated, and even more, than he had taken. (Luke 19: 1-10) Matthew dropped everything and became a disciple. (Matthew 9:9) Just two of the many examples that demonstrate they repented, and because they came to know Jesus, their lives became different. People could see evidence of their faith.

 

 

2021 will provide us an opportunity for a mental and spiritual reset. Love instead of hate; understanding instead of judgment; critical thinking instead of homogeneous bubbles; values instead of violence; dialogue instead of division; sacrifice instead of self-interest; influence instead of control; Imago Dei instead of class systems; living out the Word instead of talking about it.

 

People are walking away from the Church in record numbers. When they can’t hear what you’re saying because of what they see you doing, you have to ask yourself – what are your patterns of behavior saying?

 

Your calling is calling you. Will you answer the call in 2021?
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Writing Our History In The Present

They Called For Change

 

Black thinkers and activists, from the poorest of the poor to those with great power and means, have been critical in challenging America to do the right thing.

 

Their voices mattered. Their words — some reflected here — express deep outrage and suffering but also tremendous love and hope for their community and their country. Some of their calls for justice have been answered through legislation or litigation; other demands remain painfully timely. Together, they offer a powerful opportunity to honor the past while working together to create a better, more just future for all.

 

 

SOURCE: From Harriet Tubman to John Lewis, they called for change by Kim Gallon (research) and Tre’ Seals (portraits), AARP, October 7, 2020
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A Time For Humility

 

Ezekiel 28-29

 

Holiness and humility are inextricably linked. Jesus showed us that at the heart of holiness is humility. On the other hand, pride is at the root of all sin. It was pride that led to Satan’s downfall. According to the biblical world-view, behind the evil in the world there lies the devil. The Greek word for devil, diabolos, translates the Hebrew word satan. We are not told very much about the origins of Satan in the Bible. But this passage is one of the few that might give some hint of the origin of Satan.

 

Although the original context is the fall of the King of Tyre, it seems that Satan, the ruler of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4), was behind the ruler of Tyre.
Read alongside Isaiah 14:12–23 and Revelation 12, it appears that both humans and Satan were created good: ‘You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God’ (Ezekiel 28:12–13).

 

It appears that Satan was an angel: ‘You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God’ (v.14). Satan had access to the throne of grace and to the presence of the Lord. He was blameless in his ways (v.15). Instead of worshipping God on the mountain of God ‘his heart became proud, going around saying, “I’m a god. I sit on God’s divine throne, ruling the sea”’ (v.2, MSG). He was ‘trying to be a god’ (v.3, MSG). ‘By your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth, and because of your wealth your heart has grown proud’ (v.5). Just as great skills and wealth can lead to pride, so can good looks: ‘Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendour’ (v.17).

 

 

This is a description of self-worship, which happens when we put our success down to our own wisdom, skill and abilities (v.4), without realising that these things come from God and that we should worship him alone. Instead of worshipping the Sovereign Lord, the temptation is to worship success, wealth and beauty – the gods of our culture – they are ‘god-pretentions’ (v.7, MSG).

 

God brings down the proud and exalts the humble. As a result of his pride and sin, Satan was expelled from the presence of God: ‘you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you’ (v.16), ‘So I threw you to the earth’ (v.17; see Isaiah 14:12; Luke 10:18). Satan’s final destruction is assured (Ezekiel 28:18b–19). Jesus defeated Satan by his death and resurrection.

 

The attitude of Jesus is the complete opposite to that of Satan. He took the opposite path: ‘Who, being in very nature God… made himself nothing… he humbled himself and became 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, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father’ (Philippians 2:6–11).

 

Worship Jesus today. As you draw close to him throughout your lifetime you will experience these benefits – happiness, holiness and humility.

 

Lord Jesus, today I bow my knee to worship you and confess that you are Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

Reprinted with permission, bibleinoneyear.org
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R U Looking 4 A King?

Scripture transcends ideology, identity, party allegiance, and is full of clear specific instructions on how we should treat each other. Today, I’ll let scripture speak for itself and in the words of Ray Charles, “do what it do. . .” Those who are serious about finding and following a king will heed Christ admonition that “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).
Read them carefully and consider how to apply them in your life:

 

Leviticus 19:11 Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another.

 

John 13:14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.

 

John 13:34 A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

 

John 13:35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

 

Romans 12:10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

 

Romans 12:16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

 

Romans 13:8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.

 

Romans 14:13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.

 

Romans 15:7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

 

Romans 15:14 I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.

 

Romans 16:16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.

 

1 Peter 4:9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

 

1 Peter 5:5 Be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

 

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

 

1 John 3:11 This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

 

1 John 3:23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

 

1 John 4:7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

 

1 John 4:11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

 

1 John 4:12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

 

1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

 

James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

 

James 5:9 Don’t grumble against each other, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
Hebrews 13:1 Keep on loving each other.

 

2 Thessalonians 1:3 We ought always to thank God for you, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

 

1 Thessalonians 4:18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.

 

1 Thessalonians 4:9 Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.

 

1 Thessalonians 3:12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.

 

Colossians 3:13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

 

Colossians 3:9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices

 

Philippians 4:2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord.

 

Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

 

Galatians 5:26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

 

Galatians 6:2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

 

1 Corinthians 12:25 There should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.

 

Galatians 5:15 If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

 

1 Corinthians 11:33 When you come together to eat, wait for each other.

 

Romans 1:12 That is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.

 

Ephesians 4:16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

 

Philippians 2:3-5 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.

 

We change our moral and ethical behavior by letting Christ live within us, so that he can shape us into what we should be. The scriptures call us to love as we have never loved before. This requires radical humility (next issue’s topic).

 

 

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The Toxic Source Of Inconsistency

Dr. I. David Byrd

 

An expected result of teaching God’s Word is demonstrating, distinguishing, and defending what we teach. In other words, live what we teach and teach what we live. 1 Corinthians 11:1 says, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” The great commission’s high calling is for believers to serve as a Godly example by living out our walk with God.

 

As the world “waxes worse and worse”, we must ponder – is our witness is losing its impact. If people listen more to what we do than what we say, the central question becomes, what are we doing that is driving the world away from the Church? Research shows people are leaving the Church in record numbers. What are they saying to us. Could they be telling us that they are not interested in being a part of what they see from the Church? What attitudes, beliefs, assumptions, or patterns of behavior are we projecting that have become our strongholds and turns people away? Once separated, the enemy has the opportunity to plant all kinds of false truths in their minds.

 

Some believe coercive force is to be used to restrain other people’s activities. Jesus demonstrated that proximity and the Word’s power are more than enough to change humankind’s hearts. Three examples of this:

 

In John 4:4-26, Jesus brought the Samaritan woman at the well to repentance using the Word and demonstrating to those ready to stone her that they too were sinners in need of grace.

 

In Mark 7:24-30, when the Syrophoenician came to speak to Jesus, the disciples dismissed her, labeled her, and advised Jesus to send her away. Yet, Jesus took the time to talk with her. And because of her faith, her daughter was healed.

 

In Luke 24, Jesus responded on the road to Emmaus by using scripture – “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” The Bible says they responded, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

 

The Word is enough to transform hearts and minds on its own. It doesn’t need our coercion, legislation, force, dominance, or judgment to help it. The only help it needs from us is to tell people about it and let them see us living it. Besides, we can’t put anyone in heaven or hell anyway. Only God can provide saving grace. When we come to this knowledge and understanding, our personnel theology will be an example of Christ to this wayward world.

 

I still believe the Church can be the example of Christ.

 

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Is Your Commitment To Capitalism or Christ?

Dr. I. David Byrd

 

“What if this darkness is not the darkness of the tomb,
but the darkness of the womb?”   Valarie Kaur

 

 

If capitalism works, more people would have achieved economic security as the stock market continues to go up. Capitalism’s premise is that wealth will trickle down to make life better for everyone. The U.S. reports the lowest unemployment in 50 years, rising incomes across all races and job levels, a stock market that continues to reach historic highs (even with the recent volatility sparked by the spread of the coronavirus), the low-interest rates, and a GDP that has been expanding.

 

Juxtapose that against a possibility of a terrible second or third coronavirus wave. A delay in the discovery of a vaccine, a potential constitutional crisis in the election in November, runaway inflation, the prospect of higher taxes to pay for the stimulus, a more significant trade war with China, social unrest, or the dozens of other risks that seem to be bubbling just below. In July, CNBC reports that 32% of Americans couldn’t even pay their rent or mortgage. And according to Newsweek, U.S. billionaires got $583 billion richer since mid-March. Over 30 million Americans can’t find a job despite efforts to become gainfully employed.

 

Was that a political rant? No, that was showing you our need for the dependence on Jesus and not humans’ idols. No ideology is going to last; only the Word of God is eternal.

 

If our history tells us that economic scarcity can lead to violence, then let’s create a system in which more people can access economic success. I read an article from Anand Giridharadas about his interview with Senator Chris Murphy.  They concluded, “America does have a law-and-order problem, but it’s nothing new. And the nature of that law-and-order problem is being the most violent country in the rich world. And the genesis of that violence isn’t Black and brown communities rising up against friendly, overwhelmingly white suburbs of Minneapolis. It’s America, from the founding days of the republic, committing to an economic and political model that made violence a daily, systemic necessity. In short, those fighting to make America less racist are not our law-and-order problem. America’s real law-and-order problem is and always has been racism. The conversation continued with Senator Murphy stating, “This reckoning we’re having with our past is necessary, but it also comes with real consequences for one of the few threads of fabric that unites the country. As we all retreat to our corners, as we all get our information from different sources with different spins, our founding ideals and founding mythology are among the few things that we have left in common. Now, we’re not even sure what that mythology is.”

 

America has destroyed all nuances around American racism. It is now there, in the open, for everyone to see. The result has been to draw a lot of other people out into the open. Unfortunately, even dialogue by religious leaders is coarser and more hateful than ever before. This is antithetical to the Word of God and promotes the sin of self-interest and not the mission of the gospel.

 

Choose ye this day who you will serve. “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

 

 

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The Contours of Culture

Dr. I. David Byrd

 

After watching the Democratic and Republican convention’s over the last 2 weeks, it is clear that America is in a cold, political civil war. She has commodified hate for political gain, and now attack people, not problems. Some want to turn hate into an asset. Both sides are impermeable to each other and have their own set of facts and realities. This existential crisis across America is baked, and neither is listening to each other. Each paints the worse picture of the other side. We even witnessed them invoking God for the purpose of political agenda. This sin of self-interest has dominated humankind’s thinking and risk the world’s belief of our witness. Given this current state of America, I felt it best we have a single focus today.

 

As believer’s in a fallen world, we can’t be neutral or negative about our love of neighbor, or our dialogue and actions, or our choices that show the world who Jesus is. Problems and behaviors based on what we believe is needed to meet our own personal desires is not in line with God’s Word. Jesus came to serve and not be served. His love is kind, is not puffed up, does not behave rudely, does not seek its own . . . but rejoices in truth, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.