August 2015
The Christian faith requires a confession of sins and commitment to the doctrine and practices of Christ. Those that circumvent these requirements, therefore, cannot be authentic Christians. The early apostles and Christ warned believers against following teachings contrary to what they taught (Mt. 16:11-12). However, many churches teach a derivative of the gospel that does not model what Christ practiced. Some professing Christians may not be indeed true disciples of Christ. Lack of understanding of the gospel explains why some religious people may not see the need to repent in a season where God is dealing with all hearts.
Christian Progress Incomplete
A study of Christian history reveals many phases of the Christian journey in the western world. It will reveal many wars and executions resulting from those who believed their religious method or practice was supreme to others they considered heretics. Christian history also reveals extreme and unnecessary practices that some were willing to endure to perfect their faith. Like them, many of our churches believe they have found the true ways of Christ and have set out to perfect that standard among their members. But are they more right than believers of prior centuries who risked life and limb to sustain their practice of faith? The present deterioration of Christianity in the western world argues that something is awry in our practice of Christianity. Even as the Old Testament Jews never reached perfection through their religious practices, nor have many of us who have not rend the heart to find Christ. Christ walked out the faith that pleased God to show us the right pattern and yet it has escaped the understanding of many seekers.
Conflict with the Blueprint of America
When we examine the difference between the power structure of America and that of other democratic nations, we discover the uniqueness of this nation and gain further enlightenment on this question. This nation was formed by people who wanted to escape the tyrannical rule of religion and government. They wanted to lift up the voice of ordinary people to significantly impact what happened in their lives. With the help of God, the nation was formed to allow citizens religious freedom and exercise of a strong voice in the lawmaking process that ruled their lives. These systems have been in place for over 200 years but the nation has fallen into decline because people have disengaged their participation in governing and given rise to groups willing to reign over them. So America has not succeeded in its well organized system to evolve into the great democratic republic whose governing would be of the people, by the people and for the people, with liberty and justice for all.
Every organization, people or system is patterned after something that it has seen or envisioned for itself. America did not favor the old patterns of England and sought to find a new system that would be more just. They envisioned a governing system that would largely involve the common people in decision making. But more importantly this system was formed mostly by people with faith in God and who incorporated biblical ideals into this new system. What all of them may not have realized at the time was that God had a major role in setting up this new government. As the Master of the Universe, it was God who was guiding man to a system of government where all the people He created as equals, having equal value would have equal opportunities as well in the earth. The many forms of Christianity that united in the beginning of the nation later chose to divide by state; but the heart of the bible envisions a people who would follow biblical principles and arrive at a destination of heart that flows with love and compassion for all people.
The nation of America has never reached that destination of love and compassion for all people in its religious community. Having fought the Civil War and against civil rights for black people, America has been forced to accept the legal rights of all people by law, rather than by heart. The Law (Ten Commandments) was established to show people their sin and need of a Savior; and that Savior has come. Law never perfected the hearts or performance of any people. So what the Ten Commandments failed to do in man’s heart, the law of man cannot do. But God is still willing to work with America if America is willing to work with God.
Christianity’s Goal of Love
With the failure of religion to perfect the hearts of America and bring it into the plan of God for the people, it has left many seeking some other pattern to follow. We have seen America’s social engagement with the royals of England and a developing affection for the monarchal ways. The love affair with and lost of England’s Princess Diana (America’s Princess) broke the heart of America. The nation of America still flirts with the ideas of past European ways, travelling to foreign nations as royalty, establishing homes on several continents and developing an infatuation with foreign personalities and their speaking accents. We still see American elites trying to live the life of European aristocrats, some who maintain their status by oppressing commoners.
The nation of America must have a vision to imitate and a pattern to follow. If not Christianity, what? Ideals formed from Christianity and a pursuit of equal rights for all people is what made America different from other nations of the world. If it does not continue in this vein, it really does not have a purpose or destiny to fulfill. That is the reason why we see factions of its citizens trying to remake America into some other image. Some that were successful in removing the Ten Commandments from the courtyard recently positioned a demon statue in the courtyard in its stead. Because Christians and political leaders have lost their way, ad hoc groups are establishing their own control, i.e. the gay rights movement, the wealthy, media, conglomerates, and religious sects. All of these groups and their lobbying efforts that are also represented in other developed nations just add to the confusion of governing.
Backward Drift into Darkness
We are seeing America drift backward because it refuses to continue on a godly path. Legalization of hallucinogenic drugs and sexual appetites, breakout of violence and discord, confusion about moral values, as well as the breakdown of the family are all signs of the backward drift. As America condones the newly uncovered atrocities in the abortion industry and choosing instead to protest killing of sanctioned wild life, it does not seem to realize that this same type of hardened heart that endorsed slavery, killed the Jews, and thought it okay is the public heart of America today on display. Irony would have America to consider its deviant behavior that is being uncovered while it is busy judging the deviant behavior of other uncivilized nations and immoral groups. While some are cutting off heads to reach their goal, America condones cutting up babies for financial goals. While uncivilized and unprogressive nations are protecting the family, America is busy destroying the family. It is indeed a time for serious soul searching! But there seem to be no strong component to turn the nation in the right way because the right way has been rejected and the trumpet blowers are not alarmed.
Why is it that America will not continue in a righteous path? Churches have been content to have unregenerate pastors and congregations who follow religious paths leading down a road whose end does not resemble Christ. They have valued their social unity above relationship with Christ. Jesus met many people on this path in His earthy ministry and appealed to their hearts to change. America has arrived at a place where she must repent of past sins that she does not want to acknowledge. And yet she can precede no further until she deals with it in broken hearted repentance. The nation cannot deny its Christian founding, biblical foundation or past Christian leaders but it must continue its journey. It is fine to call oneself a Christian, but true Christianity requires one to accept the truth and repent of sins. White America, like during slavery, has been fine with having a form of Christianity that does not invade personal pleasures or privileges. True Christianity requires acceptance of every nationality of God’s people and bringing them into the commonality that is the Kingdom of God. White Christians have had their reign over all the affairs of the nation and refuse to release their control. But even the gay community has refused hypocritical religion and decided to guide its own way into politics and religion. America’s Christian white community has also established a gospel of prosperity that allows them to have elite rule from a different platform of privilege and self-righteousness, where commoners support their lifestyle with their dollars. It is no different than the British royals, except for the propagation of a perverted gospel. We even saw recently the white political body of the right wing and Christian organizations rise up into a powerful political force to set up their own candidates for the office of president of the United States in hope of gaining more control toward hierarchy and aristocracy. This would have been America’s own religious controlled government with a bias against blacks and other minorities. Sovereignty prevailed though and the move was crushed to the amazement of its organizers. White Christians in America were willing to compromise or give up their God in order to increase their rule. We have already seen this modeled in South Africa and it failed.
The founding fathers and first settlers of America had had enough of monarchal rule and religious oppression. They were ready for a reversal of that path. But new Americans, accustomed to privilege and liberties, have no appreciation for the hardship and fear the founders had suffered under English rule. Nor has America learned the lesson from the Civil War: oppression is wrong. Slavery was wrong, but America has never fully repented or atonement for this sin. Repentance calls for confession of sin and reversal of the old direction. Some Americans are trying to move forward through that backward direction because the hatred and racial prejudice of America’s past has not been resolved. It has always continued in some other guise such as unjust laws or discriminatory acts that boils over from time to time. Healing never took place because it has never been properly confronted. The height of Christianity obtained to the present day in America has not inspired the white church to lead the charge of resolving inequalities toward to blacks in particular and other nationalities. The insidious nature of the prejudice that ruled in America over past centuries was a hatred that told whites their skin color made them superior to those of darker skin. This deception can be traced back to the prejudice of its author, the German philosopher Christoph Meiners (1747-1810) who coined the term “Caucasian” for the white race; denoting people he thought were more morally virtuous and attractive than others due to their pale skin color. And even the world’s condemnation of this belief, demonstrated through German Adolf Hitler’s prejudice and atrocities carried out against the Jews, has not alleviated this venom. White Christians have failed to learn this lesson from past mistakes and to avoid making the same errors in the future. Christ demands a love for man’s neighbor that looks beyond physical attributes, one that proactively seeks to show love to neighbors and strangers and that will not participate in stoning of sin, even the sexual sins of homosexuality.
America was founded at a time when Britain was denouncing slavery and yet the new nation of America launched head first into it, ignoring British evangelists who brought their message across the waters with great power and authority compelling the end of slavery. America’s white population, and especially white Christians, still must come to grips with the lie of racial superiority that science refutes with the resulting embedded prejudice of soul; and come to a place where they denounce this hatred before it destroys the nation of America. It is unconscionable that Christian love, racial prejudice and a spirit of superiority could reside in the same soul; and some that are looking for revival will not acknowledge this major hindrance in their hearts. Apostle John denounced this hypocrisy in his gospel message:
If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 1Jn 1:6
For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 1Jn 3:11
We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 1Jn 3:14
America must remember its past where many religious people, professing Christians, preachers and even the founders of the nation bought and sold black people as slaves, brutally handled and killed them, believing it was God’s will and that they themselves were righteous and followers of God. How was that possible except that they were unregenerate or churchgoers with consciences seared through hatred? This same hatred is blinding America from the ability to solve urgent issues pertaining to immigration, racial discord, homosexual demands and internal/external terrorism. Refusing to deal with the root of these issues in the heart only exacerbate the problems. The very definition of Christianity is a heart of love because God is love. This fact should cause every white professing Christian to search his own soul to see if his salvation is merely professed rather than possessed. They should ponder how it is possible to have racial hatred, a spirit of superiority and yet call oneself a follower of the very Christ who forbade these practices and Who taught a doctrine of love and humility.
Christian Churches Should Set the Example
Individual believers of Christ should inquire from spiritual leaders the soul-searching questions of the day and follow only those that truly follow Christ. True Christianity will save the soul and America. True Christians in the white communities must deal with diehards that refuse to obey man and God’s law for sharing this nation. If Arab nations can realize their responsibility why cannot white America and especially Christians? This is a conversation that white America must have with itself and with their religious leaders before America can move forward. Many white Americans, rather than looking inward, are spending their time dissecting other issues such as gun control, immigration, motivation for crimes, and the president’s action. They have concluded that the cause of the problems must be those other people. How can black Americans be the problem when they have been beat down, oppressed and discriminated against at every turn while whites have had the advantage of majority rule and liberty in America that comes through a history of over two thousand years of Christianity? Imagine parents who would claim their children are destroying the family when it’s the parents who are in charge of the house and who control the purse strings. How foolish! Everyone knows this would be the parents fault! White America must search its own soul. Their sovereign rule over the lives of others has not given them a peace that satisfies and they continue to search for it in other places instead of in true relationship with God. But the Word of God declares:
For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. Luk12:48
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2Ch 7:14
Note in these scriptures God put the responsibility of change on those who say they are His. What has always been at issue in America is how the white elites can control the wealth of the nation for themselves. Greed is the issue behind racial prejudice as it was behind the issue of slavery. The love of money is still the root of all evil…in church…in government. But these issues are all settled in the heart of a true Christian who has learned to love his neighbor as himself. So where white America and the Christian community have failed to succeed in God’s vision for America, they must decide if they will now pursue God’s way. The power to change is the mighty power of God that He gives abundantly and freely. The power to change has been provided and the alternative is devastating. Wisdom would advise America and white Christians in particular, to consider its own wicked ways, repent, and follow the nation’s founders and God’s plan for allowing the nation to grow into a united body, which enjoys equally God’s bounty in liberty. Reversal into the confusion of past mistakes will not help and God forbids that course!
Truth and Life Ministries of Christ with Apostle Joyce Reba Payne 