Saw this posted by a friend at facebook and thought the similarities in the two were enough to admit it is interesting. Though I understand being a civil war buff may mean it’s only interesting to me.
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Sola Dei Gloria 
http://now.msn.com/most-racist-obama-tweets-came-from-states-he-lost/
I have been awakened by the Spirit. I was ignorant. I thought racism and perjudice continued to wane through education and intragation. I was wrong. Not only is it alive and well and spreading, it is also alive within the church. Some is overt and much more is clandestine. I also am beginning to wonder if my assessemnt of how many people are really born again within the church is inflated, even though I thought I was being very conservative.
I now wonder if I have been sorely deceived about the state of the western church. Many consider some of my views harsh, but I have come to believe I have been blind to the depth of the spiritual depravity within the church. I do not believe there is any spiritual hope in the institutional church. I believe God is actively calling believers out of her and into small gatherings not submitted to western style organizations.
It would be impossible to list completely all the ways the church believes and acts against the interests of Christ. It now is our primary responsibility to bring our personal lives into surrendered compliance with the commands and teachings of Christ.
Agreed.
Makes you wonder how many churches have lost their candlesticks or never had them in the first place and were never churches of our Lord (vis. Revelation 2)
Amen Cal, amen. It sure does make us wonder…
“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD. And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it. In that day shall the fair virgins and the young men faint!” Amos 8: 11-13.
Henry, as sad as it is, I am pleased to praise God for your comment: “I do not believe there is any spiritual hope in the institutional church. I believe God is actively calling believers out of her and into small gatherings not submitted to western style organizations!”
There are essentially 3 factors that have created our modern church none of which please God. Sadly, to address the first (Trust in God’s WORD): Isaiah 30 verse 1 states “Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin!”
Many of our brethren have sought shelter under what is perceived to be God’s church but unfortunately their choice of worship is too often fed by the desire of the heart. As Isaiah continued to say in verses 9-11: “That this a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us!”
But of course few will recognize that they are victims of their own deceits and as a result will go only to those organizations that tell them what they want to hear and assure them that they are on the right path. Some refuse to trust what God has said and prefer to allow man to feed them text that God didn’t say. Therefore, when such men come forth to deliver God’s Word he brings with it his clever interpretation, spin, twist or allegory to please the hearer and as a result the seeker puts their trust in the words of man believing that it is of God.
Second, too many of us rely upon the works of men to resolve our problems and to provide answers for our comfort, safety and pleasure. That is why many are either pleased or disappointed in the politics of man because they put their (Trust in man) rather than God. Jeremiah 17: 5 states: “Thus saith the LORD: Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD!”
And thirdly and perhaps most important many place their trust in man rather than God and believe what man tells them despite what God has said simply because they have no desire to step out and (Serve the Living God) but rather to serve themselves. The most successful churches and best politicians are those that keep us focused on selves rather than others.
As a result some become disillusioned with their choice of church when they do not hear what they want or become angry when our elected officials let us down especially if these disappointments cause one to suffer loss or discomfort. But rather than seek a change in the heart as delivered by the LORD too many of us resort to the practice of blame and once delivered, hate. That is why racism like so many other labels is used to justify hatred which appeases our desire to remain lazy and unaccountable to serve the Lord Jesus Christ as he has said.
It is just so much easier to say that a white man born in a certain geographic area is by nature a racist which is a racially motivated observation in itself rather than admit that our condition in life is a result of our own choices, desires and foolishness. All races, cultures and religions have found it is more pleasing to their heart if they can find an enemy to justify their lack of love for another.
And of course there are continual examples of people hating one another in all walks of life and has been from the beginning but few will admit that the history of conflict is not justified by the actions of others but by the lack of love in their own hearts. 1 John 4: 20 states: “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”
So the problem comes when we accept lies in the church by trusting in the wisdom of men to reveal God’s Word and we would rather put our trust in the works of man rather than God because we will then be required to serve Him in love rather than live our lives as we please. Some of us would rather that the church witness for Jesus Christ rather than us. Some of us would prefer that the governments of man take care of the elderly, feed the hungry, cloth the needy or visit the lost or imprisoned.
Jesus Christ gave us our calling in Matthew 25: 31-46 in answer to who is that wise or foolish virgin because He also knew that racism, hatred and blame cannot survive true love for one another when we are busy serving Him. He knew that we would care nothing at all for politics and the works of men because we are too busy working for Him rather leaving that responsibility to others.
So Henry, I agree with you that there is a calling out. But as it is written in 1 John 3: 14-18: “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; BUT IN DEED AND IN TRUTH!”
Therefore, if one is to leave the organized church where will they go and what will they do? Start with trusting in God’s Word, trusting Him to change our hearts and to put His love into them so that we can truthfully serve Him. Love cannot be feigned or practiced and until we put our full trust in God rather than man we will not find that small group of believers to serve with where we live (Revelations 3: 7-13).
Excellent thoughts and observations Dave2!
Brother Rick, i think a lot of us believed the same thing…that the passage of time, education, and integration had (for all intents and purposes) wiped out racism and prejudice in this country. And yes, sadly we were wrong.
The most distressing truth i’ve been forced to face has been the realization of just how alive and well it is with the American Church.
Amen, i’ve also thought a lot about this too. In fact just last night i found myself thinking about the scripture concerning judgment first beginning in the house of the Lord, and wondering what that (judgment) means or consists of exactly. Could it mean God’s Spirit will no longer grace us with his presence when we come together in these institutional apostate and/or dead churches? That would truly be a horrible judgment.
Anyway, it was just something i found myself pondering on…
Conservatives think because they have Thomas Sowell, Bobby Jindal and Nicki Haley that they somehow can escape the charge of racism.
Rather it is these poor dupes (and I deliberately use that word especially when it comes to Sowell) that are pushed to the forefront in order to try and demonstrate that the Republican agenda and the Conservative movement is not racist.
Just because Condoleeza Rice and Marco Rubio have either forgotten the past or live in a fantasy doesn’t mean we have to. It amazes me how quickly people forget. The Civil Rights era was not that long ago! And everyone seems to have forgotten that white conservatives (including many Christians) led the charge against MLK, the Civil Rights bills of the Great Society, not to mention the later enforcement of Brown v. Board of Education with the mandated busing etc…
As late as 1967 (Loving v. Virginia) we still had anti-miscegenation statutes. Though Falwell and others tried to erase their past records, they led the charge on this stuff.
I heard a conservative say that Romney’s big mistake was putting Ryan on the ticket instead of Rubio. I thought race wasn’t supposed to matter? Why are they so desperate to prove their policies aren’t? Rubio had other problems. Being a Cuban his heritage tilts Republican but he was caught some time ago lying about his family’s story. He painted them as post-’59 Castro refugees. It turns out his folks came to the United States prior to Castro’s ascension. It kind of ruined his whole narrative.
The electoral map is very interesting. Civil War pt. 2 is on the distant horizon. It will be different this time.
Robert Kaplan’s ‘An Empire Wilderness: Travels into America’s Future’ is an interesting read that touches on some of the regional/sociological divisions. In no way do I endorse his views in all his books but he’s always interesting.
And ‘Albion’s Seed’ by DH Fischer is a fascinating read on the roots of our Anglo-culture and how the trends and divides still play out today. It’s a long book but I found it to be a page turner at times. The sequel is also excellent. Reading Fischer you begin to grasp the cultural differences that led to the Civil War.
Amen. Your comments sum it up nicely.
True. Your mention of MLK really struck me because of what occurred yesterday. My youngest son stopped by to visit after attending morning services at his church, and at asking him how church had been he told me something had happened which bothered him. My first thought was , ok…now we get to why he ‘really’ stopped by. He doesn’t normally just pop in on a Sunday afternoon; usually he and his wife have an early dinner after morning services, take a nap, and then get ready for Sunday evening services: in other words, i knew something was on his mind when he walked through the door. ahaha!
Anyway, what brought him to visit was he had heard a couple nasty (racist) comments being tossed around concerning Obama’s reelection while at Church. One of the over-heard comments had also included a few (equally) not-so-nice remarks concerning Martin Luther King.
My son was confused. Let me explain: If this had been my oldest son, no problem. He would have immediately spoke up and jumped into the conversation (he’s like his mother)…but my youngest is different. He has the type of personality which would cause him to stay silent, but brood. And that brooding “could” ultimately lead him to walking away from his church. I know his pastor and what is taught and preached at that church, and over all its a good bible-based church. And we know how rare that is today. So i found myself being very prayerful in what i said and how i said it.
Long story short, my afternoon yesterday was spent talking to my son…explaining to him how racism can (and does) still exist in churches, even today. And how many people (even Christians) may still knowingly continue to exhibit this ugly fruit, and in other instances, not being aware they are doing so! Especially in churches made up of congregations where older members who were raised in the south, attend. I also explained to him that that fact is no excuse. Which led us to discuss the fruit of the Spirit, and other related topics.
Late last night he called to thank me for the bible and ‘history’ lessons, saying i’d given him a lot to think about. What struck me as funny is knowing him, he’ll be mulling over all the things we discussed for probably the next 6 months! ahaha….his exact words were “whew mom, you sure gave me a lot of information today”
Yes, the entire civil rights movement; the truth that many “Christians” openly fought against it, the marches, names like those of the Rev. Martin Luther King and the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, and the horrors (church burnings, and deaths) which we’ll always associate with those years, seem just like ‘yesterday’ to many of us. But to many people today, like my youngest son (who is actually middle-aged) its like ancient history….something that happened long long ago and is no longer even an issue in the America of 2012. And when they find that type of thinking is still alive in their very own church, well, its more then astounding, its disheartening and worse…for those Christians, the walking-breathing examples of Christ who still carry around those destructive seeds of racism are not careful, they most certainly will become stumbling blocks to younger Christians. In truth, they are actually enemies of the Gospel and the Cross.
Secession petitions filed in twenty states. http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/secission-petitions-filed-20-states-190210006.html
Thanks Villabolo…i’ll check it out!
If your heart is set on things above, then the dirt under your feet is irrelevant. But if your heart is tethered to this world, then you will search for more personal comfort. It is too bad that Bill Elliot and Ned Saint left their country and lost their lives. Where is that spirit today??
The dirt on your feet irrelevant ….wow what a quote! . Personal comfort is of utmost importance in the American Evangelical mindset it seems.
Well this may be interesting but I think the whole thing is totally upside down. While there is no doubt that racism exists from whites to blacks the actual fact is that black to white racism takes the prize as far as I am concerned. The amount of unreported black on white brutal crimes is soaring in comparison. Racism is not acceptable in any fashion but from my prospective the blacks are kicking this thing into high gear and really causing this thing to blossom like never before.
Freddie, not sure where you’ve gotten your information, but the truth is most major crimes are not interracial but are intraracial; meaning a crime committed by a person of a certain ethnic group is more likely to be committed against another within (intra) the same ethnic group. Which if you consider it, makes sense.
I have no words. But if i had an emoticon which slaps its forehead i’d insert it here.
I have traveled to over 25 countries. One time in Ghana W. Africa I was ministering to those sweet brethren. Some leaders and I were in a restuarant having food and fellowship. While there a couple of “bros” from Detriot showed up and sat down at a table near ours. I was obvious the odd one out. After some time of racial slurs one of the Pastors stood up and directed his comments to these two bros asking them to leave because they don’t struggle with race issues. He was insulted by these two and let them know it. I sat there utterly amazed that he would rise up and defend my presence. The two guys just ignored him and continued their rude rants not realizing my ethnicity was Native American.
Good for the pastor Michael, for pointing out they don’t struggle with racial issues, but how sad for the two from America’s Detroit. Just goes to show, anything including our bigotry and prejudice can go with us regardless of how far we travel.
PJ, I would point out racism does exist in Ghana. It just has a different window covering and manifests differently there than here.
I appreciated the defense. I sadly wasn’t being very Godly though towards those two even though you might not have seen it manifested publically. It’s there and it’s a part of the “skin” we all wear thanks to our human Federal Head Adam!
Thanks be to God who will deliver us from ourselves and from our destructive enemies who willingly and publically come at us to kill us, steal from us His Joy and destroy us if God permits it?
My imagination is far different than my experience!
I think about how deceived I have been approaching the Bible Stories with a positive attitude instead of with a sober mind.
No one gets out of here alive into the next Life without His personal work of Salvation for our fallen state of being! We must be saved by Him alone, this is the doctrine of Christ!
Anyway, racism is alive and well all around the known world or at least in the places where I have been?
Thanks for correcting me Michael…you know by now i don’t always ‘get it’ the first time. ahahaha….
Perhaps the pastor meant there was no racism in his church or fellowship?.
And you’re correct, it can be found anywhere (and everywhere) in the world.
We even see it manifested in the pages of the bible when Jesus walked the earth!
It really galls me how one sided people seem to see issues from.
Freddie (though this time you’re using SquareD) i edited your post because i don’t believe you are grasping what this post is about.
Now, you gave some statistics (Which i removed) concerning rape etc. etc. But what you didn’t give were any links to back up your claims. Thats first. Second, violent crimes are committed by members of all ethnic groups. Third, what’s the violent crime of rape to do with this post? Let me tell you, nothing.
Get on board Freddie, we’re looking at the similarities between the two maps and what that similarity means.
Let us, as believers, expand the term “racism” and use the term “prejudice”. In that context people are prejudiced against gays, liberals, socialists, blacks, latinos, whites, Muslims, and a host of other categories. Prejudice is like a blanket; it can be thrown over any group the flesh desires.
Amen…that’s a better word Rick.