“I just wanted to throw this out there...obviously ALL lives matter, however, the reason why the Black Lives Matter movement exists is to emphasize that the lives of black people matter just as much as any other human being's. Because the general public tends to forget that blacks are included in the "all" part.” Posted on Facebook by my friend, Lindsey Finne
Black Lives Matter is an ideological and political intervention in a world where Black lives are systematically and intentionally targeted for demise. It is an affirmation of Black folks’ contributions to this society, our humanity, and our resilience in the face of deadly oppression. Taken from Black Lives Matter Website Whether you believe it or not there are places in our world that practice genocide. However, many White Christian do not believe that Black lives are being systematically and intentionally targeted for death. But, many Black Christians do believe that they are. Something is happening for our Christian brothers/sisters to believe that they are at danger. How about years of discrimination, oppression, and abuse by society? Years of being systematically and intentionally targeted for failure, ruin, and spoil. Years of being used as pawns by political parties with promises of hope and change? And where has the White Christian Church been through most of this disaster? Most of us just shook our heads and walked on by. Luke 10:31, 32. Because of the years of lies, false compassion, and abandonment, could it just be possible that are Black brothers/sisters have difficulties with trusting the White Christian? What is sad is that the message of the Bible is one of unity and equity. If we as Christians (black or white) would follow the instructions of the Bible, then many of these racial tensions among us would vanish. If we only knew what it is that God requires of us as a people on how to treat each other? What does God require of us as a people? It is so simple, how do we keep missing it? The Plea: Hosea 6:1-2 Come, and let us return to the Lord; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. 2 After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight. The Attention of God for His People: Isaiah 5:1-2 Now let me sing to my Well-beloved A song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard: My Well-beloved has a vineyard On a very fruitful hill. 2 He dug it up and cleared out its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, And also made a winepress in it; So He expected it to bring forth good grapes, But it brought forth wild grapes. 1. His Preparation – Isaiah 5:2 …He dug it up… 2. His Renovation – Isaiah 5:2 … Cleared out the stones… 3. His Goodness – Isaiah 5:2 …Choicest vine… 4. His Watchful Protection – Isaiah 5:2 …Tower in the midst… 5. His Plan – Isaiah 5:2 …Made a winepress… 6. His Anticipation – Isaiah 5:2…He expected…good grapes… 7. His Disappointment – Isaiah 5:2 …But…wild grapes… The Good Fruits He was searching for: Isaiah 5:7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, And the men of Judah are His pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but behold, oppression; For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help. 1. God expected Justice: Fairness, Impartiality, Honest, IntegrityInstead He found Oppression: domination, cruelty, harassment, discrimination 2.God expected Righteousness: Blameless, Virtue, Decency, MoralityDoing what is Right. Instead He found Distress: abuse, suffering, hardship The Disappointing Wild Grapes: The Root of Coveting Woe to those who devise iniquity, And work out evil on their beds! At morning light they practice it, Because it is in the power of their hand. 2 They covet fields and take them by violence, Also houses, and seize them. So they oppress a man and his house, A man and his inheritance. The Fruit from the root of Coveting: 1. Violence: Physical/Verbal force, injure, and abuse 2. Stealing: shoplifting, taking what belongs to another, take advantage of 3. Oppression: domination, cruelty, harassment, discrimination Micah 3 The Fruit from Wicked Leaders: Their Wickedness? God expects them to know Justice 3:1 And I said: “Hear now, O heads of Jacob, And you rulers of the house of Israel: Is it not for you to know justice? Instead they Hate Good and Love Evil: Hate Good: Decent, Moral, Helpful, Beneficial, Safe Love Evil: Inappropriate, Immoral, Useless, Detrimental, Harmful 2 You who hate good and love evil; Who strip the skin from My people, And the flesh from their bones; 3 Who also eat the flesh of My people, Flay their skin from them, Break their bones, And chop them in pieces Like meat for the pot, Like flesh in the caldron.” …You heads of the house of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel, Who abhor justice And pervert all equity, 10 Who build up Zion with bloodshed And Jerusalem with iniquity: 11 Her heads judge for a bribe … The Fruit of Unfair Rulers – God will WITHHOLD himself from them. 4 Then they will cry to the Lord, But He will not hear them; He will even hide His face from them at that time, Because they have been evil in their deeds. The Fruit from Wicked Religious People: Their wickedness? God expects them to lead in the right direction. (What is right.) Instead they lead people astray. How? People are a way to a means for them – money. Yet, they claim to be from the Lord. 1. They chew people up, and spit them out. 2. They war (fight) those who do not benefit them. 3. They are only in the service of God for money. 5 Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets Who make my people stray; Who chant “Peace” While they chew with their teeth, But who prepare war against him Who puts nothing into their mouths: 11 Her priests teach for pay, And her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the Lord, and say, “Is not the Lord among us? No harm can come upon us.” The Fruit of the Unfair Religious Person – God will WITHHOLD himself from them. 6 “Therefore you shall have night without vision, And you shall have darkness without divination; The sun shall go down on the prophets, And the day shall be dark for them. 7 So the seers shall be ashamed, And the diviners abashed; Indeed they shall all cover their lips; For there is no answer from God.” 12 Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed like a field, Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins, And the mountain of the temple Like the bare hills of the forest. God expects the society in every community to live with each other in a Just (fair) and Righteous (do right) manner. If the society in a community lives with each other in an Unfair and Corrupt manner, then that community is not Honorable before the eyes of God. A dishonorable community is allowed by God to be devastated with Violence, Distress, and Poverty, even if their motto proclaims “In God we Trust.” It is the responsibility of every Christian, White or Black, to live in their community Just (fair) and Righteous (do right) and to teach it, proclaim it, and demand it. Part 3 coming soon What do you do when you do not know what to do?
2 Chronicles 20 12 O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, 1. Prayer: Lots and Lots of Prayer but our eyes are upon You.” 2. Keep your eyes on God: mind, thoughts, views, feelings 13 Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the Lord. 14 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: 3. Listen to the Lord: pay attention, heed (Bible, Holy Spirit, Church, Christian Friends) ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, 4. Do not be afraid: troubled, scared, fearful for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 5. The battle is not yours (it may not feel that way, but not if you trust God) 16 Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. 6. Stay faithful: loyal, devoted, constant 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, 7. Position yourself: keep yourself in correct stance, attitude, outlook, thinking stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.” 8. Stand Still: Be at rest, calm, do not panic and make a move, do nothing emotional 18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the Lord, 9. Humble yourself: not everything is about you. worshiping the Lord. 19 Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with voices loud and high. 10. Worship the Lord: He has blessed you. He will continue to bless you. 20 So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” 21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: “Praise the Lord, For His mercy endures forever.” 22 Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated 11. Follow the leading of the Lord. Do what is your told to do. |
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