"ANOTHER" Emblem of SUFFERING and SHAME!

You are not redeemed by corruptible things....
(I  Peter 1:18-19)

My eyes still tear up, as the images of those nine martyrs flash across the television or my computer today! Yes, I'm calling them martyrs for they have given their lives for a cause bigger than even they could know.

Mother Emmanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, South Carolina  adds another chapter to their glorious yet painful black church history.  Much like our Savior, Jesus Christ, this church has been despised, rejected by mankind and is well familiar with pain (Isaiah 53:3a). 

Ex slave and early founder of African Methodism, Richard Allen was also in prayer when white leaders of the church relegated black parishioners to segregated quarters to worship God early in our history. The struggle continued as  Mother Emmanuel was burned to the ground when another icon of Black History, Denmark Vesey engineered a slave revolt to free captives from their oppressive conditions. 

 And the confederate flag waves on!  Not at half-mast in respect to this tragedy as the other two, but proudly as if still on the battlefield fighting for the sin of slavery and an ideology that  robs the very people who built this nation of human rights!

I've heard the debate for most of my life...the confederate flag is not about hate but heritage...They've tried to make it innocuous, even funny with popular shows like The Dukes of Hazzard and other forms of red neck humor.  But to Blacks, it's no laughing matter!

A symbol of heritage...absolutely! But whose and at what cost!  For 21 year old Dylann Roof, it gave a subliminal message to wage war and take back his state and country! When I see it I think of  KKK rallies, website and literature promoting white supremacy and hate rhetoric?  I instantly get a knot in my stomach and  images of lynched black people. IT IS OFFENSIVE AND A REMINDER OF OUR  SINFUL UGLY PAST...TAKE IT DOWN!

Another weak defense is that it is the condition of the heart that reflects racism and hate, not the flag!  Well, I'll concede to that but have you noticed that there's already a significant symbol of sinful hearts...it's a Rugged Cross and the Confederate flag is often displayed prominently next to or wrapped around it!  Twisted around it, perhaps would be a better word for it is only twisted minds that could ever fathom a symbol of Christ's love for all men as an endorsement for racial hate!

Peter reminds us in his epistle, that no corruptible thing could ever redeem us, not silver, gold or  anything handed down to us by our ancestors but it is only the blood of Jesus. (paraphrase of I Peter 1:18-19).  If you need to display a flag worthy of a heritage, why not the Christian flag.  I'd love to see it flying from every capitol dome in our nation!

UNTIL NEXT TIME...

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A Whole Lot of Mocking Going On!

Do not be deceived, God is not
mocked...(Gal. 6:7)

Indiana is in the news again!  This time for the start of the First Church of Cannabis, a so-called worship center for pot smokers!  Its founder some how wrangled a non-profit status from the powers that be, incor-porating it as a religious entity!  So legally it can be called a church....but we know better don't we?

In a television interview, Bill Levin explains that  the "church's" cornerstone is love and marijuana (pot, weed, Mary Jane, blunt, grass, reefer, etc) will be treated as a Holy sacrament.   The very use of those particular biblical references are tell-tale.

 Ephesians 2:20 describes the Christian church as being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Jesus, Himself as the Chief Cornerstone.   His precious blood shed on the cross and His broken body is treated with great reverence as sacraments in our communion services.

At some point in their first service (to be held soon) all the congregants will light up in celebration of peace, love and harmony! Now mind you, the use of marijuana both recreationally and medicinally is still illegal.  Humm...Bill, if you're not careful, your second service just might be in the county jail!

This is only the latest of what has become a continuing trend of mocking our Lord and Savior and the Church for which He died!  Really sisters, our Christian values are constantly being belittled, and ridiculed.  So much so that instead of Saints being the Salt and Light in the World, we're becoming the Rodney Dangerfields of the Religious community....getting no respect at all!

It seems as if anything goes any more!  Social and political venues have marginalized the sanctity of marriage...anyone can hook up and call themselves husband and wife.  For more than two thousand years these titles were reserved for a man and woman joined in a vow before God...not a human judge!

The use of God's name in a profane or derogatory manner in media (public television, radio, newspaper) was prohibited...not any more!   Shows like Saturday Night Live, The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, regularly make jokes, satirical and disparaging remarks about Christians and their ratings go up and sponsors flock to them to sell their products!

Music has always been a favorite sandbox for our Enemy to play in! Always riding the fine line of controversy and using emotionally charged lyrics, artists like Madonna who historically mocked the Catholic faith and Miley Cyrus, who called Old Testament stories, fairy tales are quite common.  But the most blatant I think, in recent times, was Kanye West who posed as Jesus, wearing a crown of thorns on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, in 2006 and used a play on his nickname, entitled one of his albums, Yeezus, just about does it for me!

Many may wonder, how long will the Lord allow this to go on?  Surely He is as indignant as you and I!  We must remember, the Mocking Game is nothing new to our Lord!  He's been through this before (Matthew 27:29-31).  He has given all of us free will, we can choose to honor or blaspheme the Holy One, but remember, Do not be deceived...for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap (Gal. 6:7)  GOD ALWAYS HAS THE LAST WORD!

UNTIL NEXT TIME... 

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SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN...

Children are a gift from the Lord...
(Psalm 127:3)

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!

Remember that little tune?  I do.  Hearing it used to instantly bring a smile to my face, but lately the smile doesn't last very long!   For several weeks now my heart has been aching around the devastating news of abuse and deaths of these precious little ones!

Hardly a week goes by that there's not a news account of a missing or mistreated child somewhere in my community!  So much so that if one is not careful you could almost become desensitized to it.  I pray that this never happens for who then will speak for these little ones whose voices have been snuffed out in violence!

 Precious? Is this how the world sees these babies?  Ask the father of three month old Baby Janna who died (supposedly of natural causes) but was placed in a dumpster because her father panicked and never thought to cal 911!

How about Baby Zoey's parents.  They flat out murdered this one year old child.  Examination  of her remains showed that she had been beaten, bitten, and broken repeatedly over her short life span.  What in the name of all that is holy could a child do to deserve that?

 I still can't forget back in August 2014, Baby Delano's  father and mother stirring up emotions and creating so much  publicity while claiming he had been kidnapped at gun point when all alone he was murdered and his body disposed of.  Like Baby Janna, we still don't know where he is hidden! Some desolate field, under a bridge, decomposing in a weed filled vacant lot?

My local newspaper ran a series on babies born with drug addiction.  It recounted the callousness/carelessness of mothers who continued drug use while pregnant, even shooting up just before coming into deliver their babies.  The result was babies only a few hours old shaking and writhing in excruciating pain from withdrawals!  Where is the respect for these little human lives?  Are they looked at as dispensable,  irrelevant or perhaps just incidentals to fleshly pleasure?

Jesus didn't think so!  In the Gospels when the disciples tried to shoo the children away who wanted to see and be near Jesus, He said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, for such is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19:4)  Babies and children are important to Him.  They were treated as assets not liabilities and they were given honor and respect...so why can't we!

A thought came to my mind a few days ago.  Can you imagine a world without children?  Sounds bizarre doesn't it?  But is it that far-fetched?  With the rise in abortions, delayed child bearing causing infertility among the career oriented; the murders of our babies and increasing violence against black males are we that far removed from this reality?

This Holocaust of our children is no mere societal flaw!  It is a well thought out and strategic plan of the Enemy who wants to snuff out our future, preachers, teachers, missionaries, Christian politicians, economists and world leaders.

Read the following excerpt from a poem by Brian Molitor, The Endless Days of War.  Then tell me is this a war worth fighting!

Our children they are suffering; they bleed outside and in
Wounded by incessant war, they need more than just a friend

If only there was someone; brave and strong and sure
That would enlist to fight for them, a hero to the core

Now, do not be mistaken; this no easy chore
But every man is needed in these endless days of war

Our weapons are not carnal; we need not knives or guns
We fight with prayer and words of hope for our daughters and our sons

Surrender’s not an option; no white flag will be raised
This war requires each man’s best for our children to be saved

Men, when the fight is over and our tour of duty done
On bended knee, before our King, we’ll hear the words…”Well done.”

UNTIL NEXT TIME....

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