And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him:
but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
SUBJECT – THE GLOVES ARE COMING OFF!! [PT 2]
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When I ended
last month's introduction I stated that, as the title of this message says, it is time that I address some of the foolishness, that passes for being God's Word, of as having His backing and support.
In the past, I have eluded to certain issues, but have not gone in to any specific detail, as to what I see, as a major cause of the problems this nation and especially the black community face.
It is obvious, that we have problems, and we need answers on how to solve them. However if we are to do that, then we have to look at, what is at the root, of the problem. And, as I mentioned last month, it is preachers that are the #1 cause of our problems. Because, these are the men/women that most of us that are Christians and some that aren't, look to for guidance. And if what they tell us, is from God, we are going to be better, for it, if we follow that advice.
By the same token, if what they tell us, is not of God, and we follow it, then, we are headed for trouble.
Let's look at one preacher, who is held in high esteem in the nation, and especially in the black community, and I am talking about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
From the offset this is not an attack on the man, or his character. I have high respect for him and what he did for us, as a people. However, there are things that he said, that I dare say, are ingrained in the hearts and minds of most of us. And, because he said them, we accept, and live our lives according to them. And herein lies one of our major problems.
Many of us readily accept what someone tells us, if, they have some air of popularity, and importance to us. Unlike myself, if I for instance said something, nobody would hardly pay any attention to me because to them, I am a nobody. But Dr. King?? That's a whole different picture. What this man had to say, has become the foundation of one of our major problems. Because a couple of these things, are not, what God supports. But because he was a preacher, the general consensus was, he was speaking for God.
Now just what is it, that he said, that I am calling as being not of God? Well let's look at his famous
'I Have a Dream' speech.
In it, near the end, he says
'I have a dream that all God's children, red men, white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics.......'[I may not be quoting it exactly, word for word, but, you get the point. My point is this, what do you notice about this part of his speech?? To clear it up for you, read this scripture.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son...... Compare these two statements and tell me if you can see the problem.
Do you give up??
Here it is, and it is a major reason for the problems we have in this nation, and our community.
Dr. King, uses the phrase,
'all God's children', while Jesus says, God had only One Son. What is the significance of this??
If God only had one Son, then, obviously, we can't all be God's children. The problem is, because Dr. King said it, people are going around thinking all of us, are His children. That means, that all of us, are just as entitled to the blessings of God, as anyone else. That despite whether we are straight or gay, Jew or gentile, protestant or Catholic atheist, Muslim, or whatever, we have no need to repent or come to Christ because, we are all in the family of God.
Friend, nothing could be further from the truth.
The only way a person can become a child of God is through the process of being born again. That's it!! But, when you think you are already His child, then the incentive for you to repent, and come to Christ, is greatly diminished. You see no need for it. Because in your mind, God wouldn't send His child to hell.
Let's look at another saying Dr. King made in his speech
'Drum Major Instinct!'
In this speech Dr. King says, after presenting the story of the two brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, wanting to be seated on the right, and left hand of Christ, when they get to glory. Sounds a little selfish, doesn't it?? But, who wouldn't want that honor?? There would be high prestige for the person that attained it.
However, Jesus said, they didn't know what they were asking, and that it was the Father who would make that determination. [
Mark 10:35-40]
It is interesting that in [Mat. 20:20-24], it's the mother who asks.
Anyway, what could possibly be wrong with that position? Let's go a little further down in the speech. Dr. King, then goes on to say
'This morning, you can be on his right hand and his left hand if you serve. (Amen) It's the only way in.
So here, Dr. King is urging us, to seek doing the work of Christ, so that we can be on His left and right hand, in Glory.
Sounds good, doesn't it. Dedicate our lives to doing good, so that we can be on either side of Him, right, or left.
BIG PROBLEM!!! Jesus says this, in one parable, found in Mat. 25:41,
'Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
What do you see?? What I see, is Dr. King, is essentially telling us to strive to be on either of His sides. He ended it by saying this,
'Yes, Jesus, I want to be on your right or your left side, (Yes) not for any selfish reason. I want to be on your right or your left side, not in terms of some political kingdom or ambition. But I just want to be there in love and in justice and in truth and in commitment to others, so that we can make of this old world a new world.
But Jesus says, those on the left hand, are destined for hell.
Can you imagine a preacher of the Gospel telling saints to strive to be in a position of going to hell?? Yet without knowing it, that is the message Dr. King left his listeners with.
Now, while many would say, that I am knit picking and that it doesn't really make that big of a difference. Really??
Both of these speeches, and others, are played every year on the radio. Children recite them in plays, at school and in the churches in this nation. They have been doing this, over 40 years. If you think that hearing something over and over again, or reciting it over and over doesn't have an effect on the psyche of a person, then you are a little more uneducated than I am giving you credit for.
[No offense intended, but I did say, I was taking the gloves off.]
Remember I said, the major cause of our problems are preachers?? Well since very few preachers have mentioned these two little contradictions to bible scripture, that is the same as saying they agree with it. A lot of them don't say anything because they haven't seen it. Others haven't, because they don't see it. While others don't because they don't want to lose favor with their members for attacking Dr. King. That is what it would be seen as, by a lot of people.
Do me a favor. If I ever say something that is not backed up by bible scripture, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!! I don't want to be responsible for any soul being lost, based on something I said, that was not biblical.
Anyway, Dr. King is gone. But there are thousands of preachers left, that, every Sunday, promote these attitudes and as a result this nation, and our community are baring the brunt of God's wrath, because of them.
Churches have started ordaining active homosexuals, because if they are God's children then why not let them hold office in the church. Besides, God made them that way.
[NOT!!!]
The '
left' in this country figure that being on the '
left', is just as good as being on the
'right', so they strive to do their thing because being the
'left' is ok. They support all the things God hates. But, they are comfortable being on the
'left'. After all, the pastors of the churches they attend, lead them to believe they are doing just fine.
You know, if it wasn't for the deadly seriousness of it, it would be laughable.
Here we have a society that, on the one hand, urges people to do the
'right' things. When you take a test, it is the
'right' answers you give, that determine, if you pass or fail. Everything is judged by whether it is
'right', or wrong. Spike Lee, did a movie named,
'Do the Right Thing.' So, everything is geared to doing what is
'right.' Jesus even says, those on the right hand, are headed to Glory. Yet,, we have a group of people, fighting against the
'right' in this country, they are called the
'left.' Another term for them is the
'wrong.' Or, how about 'those headed for hell!'
Most of these people, are being led by the Revs. Jesse (common ground) Jackson, and Al (keeping it real) Sharpton, to wage war against those that stand for what is
'right.' Is it any coincidence that they
[we] are aptly named, the
'right?' Or the 'religious right?'
Notice this, despite what you may think about them/us, they/we generally stand for doing what is
'right', philosophically, ethically, economically, but more importantly, what is
'right' in God's eyes. All of this conflict is, because they, the '
left' believe being on the
'left' hand is just another way to look at things and still get to Glory.
Tell me Dr. King's speeches, aren't at the root of this folly. And, mind you, these are only a few examples. I haven't gone on a 'witch hunt', to attack Dr. King, in fact it wasn't until I heard the 'Drum Major' speech, did I realize what King was saying. So, I got my bible out, and checked it, and there it was. Now I know why the
'left' in this country, hold the views that they do. Dr. King said it, so it must be ok.
Mistakes, especially when it comes to God, and His Word, have disastrous consequences.
[more next month].
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