The Racial Millstone

When I write about culture or current events, always in the back of my mind is what the Apostle Paul told the folks in Corinth: “It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church…” I understand that as the Body of Christ we do speak prophetically into the world. We also desire justice and to see liberation brought to those who are oppressed. But as followers of Jesus, our understanding of these concepts and the means by which they are achieved differ greatly with the world. And so, when I speak of these things, knowing that those who are “outside” are of a different spirit and mind-set altogether, my conversation is primarily with those who claim to be believers. In other words, I don’t expect unbelievers to behave nor see the world as those who are in fellowship with Jesus. But when I see those who call themselves Christians carnally provoked, divided and at odds with one another I am more often than not moved to speak.

It would seem that American Christians have either forgotten or simply do not believe that “we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” A war involves strategy, and one of the strategies being employed by the Enemy at this time is to entrap believers in racial conflict. So many American Christians  are being deceived as the Enemy stirs up strife and inundates the media with coverage of racial issues/tensions. His goal is to distract, discourage, and “defile” followers of Jesus by soliciting strong, carnal, emotional responses. He knows how easy it is to push the “pride & anger button.”

Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples…. “Get away from me, Satan!” he said. “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

Racial conflict within the Church is always due to seeing and responding to things according to the basic principles of this world rather than by the Spirit of God. And the strategy of the Enemy is to bring about that kind of response in the believer. Answer honestly, when you watch the news and read the content so abundantly supplied by social-media, how many times have you become irate and thought, “Man, I can’t stand those ___ people.” How often have you as a Christian thought of your brothers and sisters in Christ as one of those ___ people instead of as a member of the Body of Christ? How often do you think of yourself as one of those ___ people instead of as a son or daughter of the living God? This type of mind-set is fleshly, of this world, and contrary to the Kingdom of God.

But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.

Finally, a word of caution to you who teach and have leadership positions within the Body of Christ. If you are using your affluence to influence others to adopt your carnal mind-set you will receive a more severe judgment. You would do well to remember the warning of the Apostle James, “Dear brothers and sister, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly.” Jesus takes very seriously the way you feed his sheep, the way you molest his bride. Repent and allow God to heal you of the racism within your own heart, and then you will see more effectively how to minister and care for his people.

[Jesus,] you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
    from every tribe and language and people and nation,
 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
    and they shall reign on the earth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 thoughts on “The Racial Millstone

  1. Thank you Kyle.. it is abhorable how we have allowed the body of Christ to become segregated into predominantly all white or all black churches here in America. Such exclusion is shameful. It tells us that we are so spiritually blinded that we can’t see Christ in our brothers or sisters if they don’t look just like us.

  2. Thanks Kyle….like the guy above says….what a sad shape we the body of Christ in the USA is in. And it really has bothered me when I see folks coming together in the name of Jesus to intercede for our nation. They focus on the condition of the nation rather than the condition of “ourselves”….it is so easy to focus on “them” rather than “me” or “we”. Not sure I know the answer….and as my non believing husband often says…I am not sure I know the question.
    I love what God is doing in this nation….because what He does is always out of his great love though that love may be manifest in the current time frame as “judgement”. He never stopped loving Israel but at the same time they got the backside of God’s love when they rejected Him and served other gods. They got the fruit of those gods and of their own evil hearts and minds. And I am guilty of same…have had my own issues when I went awhorring after the things of this world and that feel good rather than seeking Him and it was the journey that ultimately brought me back to Him even as the time in Babylon was ultimately intended to bring them back to the Lord as they suffered in that ungodly culture. I look for His church to be purified in this period of time as a result of the chaos and violence that is growing daily and the rebellion that is arising. What else could we expect….for has He not said….that if the father’s don’t turn to their sons and the sons to their fathers, he’d come and smite the land? The rebellion I see is so sadly understandable and I see it so close to my own family that I have little or no judgement to put on anyone else!!

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