What does God say about racism?

A very powerful article on the evil of Racism.
Written by a Godly Man: Bill Keller

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What does God say about racism?

By: Bill Keller

What does God say about racism? Like in all matters of life, when we need the Truth, the real answers, we have to go to our final authority in all matters, the Bible. One of the greatest weapons of Satan is division. The enemy has figured out every way imaginable to divide men. Since virtually the beginning of the human experience, man has fallen into Satan's trap of division based on the color of a person's skin or their ethnic origin. While racism has always been an issue in this country, the fact is it is an issue in every country. This divisive mindset is not unique to the United States. Sadly, in some form it is practiced everywhere on the planet.

Since the racially incendiary remarks by President Barack Hussein Obama's pastor of 20 years, Dr. Jeremiah Wright became such a big part of the Presidential campaign, it sparked a national dialogue on race. During the campaign, President Obama gave a speech on race that was lauded by many. Those who made such a big deal over his speech were most likely swayed by the fact he was dealing so openly with a taboo subject few will talk about. However, his speech was hollow, self serving, and nothing more than a political move to do damage control because of his close association with Dr. Wright.

President Obama's race speech did NOTHING to help people or this nation deal with this scourge, since the victory over racism isn't going to come from the flowery words of a politician whose only motive and goal is to get elected President. No my friend, if people and this nation are going to truly get victory over racism, it has got to come from an understanding of what God says about this issue and by people who are willing to follow what God says in the Bible.

If President Obama had intended to really take a leadership role on the race issue, educate the nation and provide real answers for how to get victory over this inhumane way people treat others who are different than they are, then he would have told people what God says about racism. God says MUCH about this issue, but President Obama didn't find it worth including even one verse of Scripture.

*THIS IS WHY I TELL YOU SO OFTEN THAT IT WILL NOT BE A POLITICIAN, BUT A MAN GOD HAS CALLED TO LEAD PEOPLE IN THE WAYS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS!!!

The fact is, there is only one race, the human race! People may have white skin, black skin, brown skin, yellow skin, red skin, or any other color skin, they may have different ethnic backgrounds, but they are all part of the same race, the human race! The Bible says that ALL MEN are created in the image of God. God created all men equal. I tell you frequently that Satan is the great perverter. It is Satan, not God, who seeks to divide men by their skin color, ethnicity, financial means, and any other way you can dream up to divide people. God created men equal to live in harmony with one another. It is Satan who introduced division into the human experience.

In God's plan of redemption, there is no division. John 3:16 says that God so loved the world, ALL men. It says that WHOSOEVER BELIEVES. That is a universal call to ALL MEN regardless the color of their skin or where they live. In 1 John 2:2, it talks about how Jesus laid down his life for EVERYONE. Everyone means ALL MEN, the entire human race. This satanically inspired way we have of dividing ourselves through racism, prejudice, and discrimination all make a mockery of what Christ did on the cross. He faithfully and obediently went to that cross to die for the sins of ALL MANKIND.

That is why all of the black pastors I know repudiate the false black liberation theology Dr. Jeremiah Wright has been teaching for over 3 decades. Wright is actually a student of James Cone who made this perverse theology popular in the 60s that teaches the Bible is the basis for blacks to be liberated from social, political, economic, and religious bondage. President Obama is a liar when he states he never heard the types of comments made by Dr. Wright the media has been playing, since that is the foundational teaching of the black liberation theology Wright has been preaching in Chicago for over 30 years.

The fact is the Bible DOES teach liberation theology, LIBERATION FROM SIN!!! It was not written to people with dark skin, but to all people regardless of their skin color. We are all part of the human race, which means we are all born with the sin of Adam, we all sin during our life, and that is why Jesus went to the cross. He gave His very life on that cross as the payment for the sins of all mankind, that through faith in Him men might be find freedom from their sins. There is nothing in the Bible to support this false black liberation theology Dr. Wright preaches, since the liberation theology of the Bible is about the freedom from sin for ALL MEN!

You also have the Biblical example of Jesus during His earthly ministry. Again, racism is not a new phenomena to the United States in our brief 232 year history. Forms of racism have been part of the human expedience since the very beginning. Jesus commanded us in John 13:34 to love each other as He loves us. He used people of other ethnic backgrounds often in His parables. One of the most powerful is the story of the Good Samaritan. If you remember, the Jewish religious leaders passed by the man who had been robbed and beaten and laying on the side of the road, leaving him to die. It was the Samaritan, the non-Jew, who honored God by stopping and ministering to the needs of the injured man. Don't forget, it was Jesus who told his followers to make disciples of EVERY NATION, reaffirming the value of all men.

I love you and care about you so much. If President Obama had wanted to give a real speech on racism to move hearts and lead people in this issue, THIS is the message he should have delivered. It would have been a message from God's Word that laid the Biblical foundation all men are created equal and those who seek to divide men by the color of their skin are not of God, but of Satan! It would not have been the self serving, politically crafted words to try and help him weasel out of his 20 year association with a pastor and church that preaches and teaches division based on the color of a person's skin. Dividing men by skin color, ethnicity, are the works of the devil.

Those who truly seek to serve and follow the Lord are not looking to divide men but unite them. A true follower of Christ understands that God created all men equal, that we are all part of the human race. Racism, prejudice, and discrimination are NOT of God, since we are hurting someone God created and loves and Jesus died for! Sadly, 11 am on Sunday morning is the most segregated hour of the week in this nation. That is truly a shame since the one sanctuary from racism should be the church. Yet sadly, most churches don't lead the culture, they allow the culture to lead them. So rather than modeling what God says about this issue, in far too many churches, they perpetuate this ungodly attitude men have for other men who look different than them.

They better wake up since when we die, and stand at the gates of Heaven, there won't be a line for whites, or a line for blacks, or a line for Asians, or a line for Hispanics, or a line for those from the Middle East, just like there won't be a line for Catholics, or Baptists, or Methodists, or Pentecostals. No my friend, when you take your last breath there will only be two lines. One for those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ and one for those who have rejected Christ. The Bible proclaims those who reject Christ will be cast into the flames of hell for all eternity, and those who know Jesus will be welcomed into their eternal home with God their Creator in Heaven. At that moment, Galatians 3:38 will be realized, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus!"

In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ, Bill Keller
http://liveprayer.com/

Is Loyalty dead?

One of the qualities I most admire in someone, along with honesty and integrity is Loyalty!

But, as Bill Keller points out below, loyalty is in short supply these days.

We can't change the world we can only change ourselves. The article below should remind us of the importance of loyalty and to be more conscious of living out a in our daily life. Our children will learn of it by seeing our example!

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By: Bill Keller

From: LivePrayer.com

No more loyalty. One of the observations I've made over these past 40-some years is that loyalty has become a very rare commodity. Growing up, I was taught that being loyal was an important part of who you were as a person. Just like I was taught to always tell the truth, to help others, to be kind, being loyal was an important element in making up the fabric of a person's character.

The longer I live, the more I see loyalty missing in the character make-up of most people. Today, being loyal is not a component of who most people are. This has become a contributing factor to the breakdown of our society, but even more important, the breakdown in the lives of many who claim to know Jesus..

A great example of loyalty from God's Word is David's loyalty to King Saul, even when Saul was trying to kill him! Now that my friend is a tremendous test of your loyalty to someone. Will you still honor them, be loyal to them, even if they are trying to kill you? Sadly, this type of loyalty is very rare in today's world.

Men and women who are in relationships are no longer loyal to their boyfriend, girlfriend or other friends. They think nothing of cheating on someone they are in a committed relationship with. Sadly, this mentality carries over into marriage which is why you have husbands and wives without conscience committing adultery, not even thinking about or caring about the consequences of their sin and how many lives it will hurt and even destroy.

Because so many children grow up today in a variety of living arrangements, many in blended families, there is not even loyalty to those in your own family any longer. These children grow up without ever being taught the importance of loyalty and sadly have parents and step-parents who model behavior that demonstrates no loyalty to anyone. So it is no wonder why these children grow up never learning how to be loyal, even to those in their own family.

Of course, if people aren't loyal to their boyfriend, girlfriend or friends, to their spouse who they vowed loyalty to before each other and God for life, to their own family, it is no wonder why employees are no longer loyal to their employer, and likewise, employers are no longer loyal to their employees. 40 years ago a person would have 2-3 jobs in their lifetime. Now, they are likely to have 2-3 jobs before they get out of college and dozens more throughout their working life.

The real danger is, this lack of loyalty that exists in most people also carries over into their faith. I mean if you think about it, it only makes sense. If you aren't loyal to anyone in your earthly relationships, how can you expect to be loyal to the Lord in your spiritual relationship? Just like a person can without conscience go out and cheat on their wife, or betray a brother, or scheme against an employer or employee, that same person who has accepted Christ can turn their back on Him and willingly sin and live in rebellion to God's Word!

Listen to me carefully. If you aren't loyal to someone you are in a committed relationship with as a boyfriend or girlfriend or as a friend, if you aren't loyal to your spouse who you vowed loyalty to for life to, if you aren't loyal to your own flesh and blood, if you aren't loyal to the place you earn your living or the people who help you earn your living, WHY DO YOU THINK YOU WILL BE LOYAL TO JESUS???

Our failure in being loyal really boils down to one thing.....selfishness! We put ourselves above everyone else, including Jesus! The reason a person cheats on their boyfriend or girlfriend is that they are selfish. The reason a person cheats on their spouse is that they are selfish. The reason a person is not loyal to those in their family is that they are selfish. The reason a person is not loyal to their employer or employee is that they are selfish. The reason a person is not loyal to the Lord is that they are selfish. We aren't loyal because we are selfish!

Loyalty requires a commitment to someone or something other than ourselves. It often costs to be loyal. We want the benefits of a relationship, a marriage, having a family, our job, knowing Jesus, but we don't want to pay the price of having that relationship, being married, being part of a family, having a job, or our faith in Christ. We all can be loyal when things are going good, but the true test of loyalty is during times of trouble.

The disciples of Jesus were all loyal when great crowds came to hear Him preach, when He was sharing His wisdom, when He was healing people and raising the dead. But where were they when the Romans came to take him in the Garden of Gethsemane? Nowhere to be found. Running away in fear for their lives. Denying they even knew who He was.

I love you and care about you so much. My word for you today is simple. BE LOYAL! It is a lost human characteristic in most people's lives in the year 2009, but one that every follower of Jesus MUST HAVE! Being loyal is part of what being a follower of Christ is all about. We are to be loyal to the Lord and to our faith. The fact is, if we are loyal to the Lord then we will be loyal in other areas of our life as well. In our relationships, in our marriage, to our family, to our employer or employees.

I will be praying for you that God will open your heart to really hear these words today. I pray that you will do an assessment of your life and how loyal you are to your friends, to a boyfriend or girlfriend, to your spouse, to your family, to your employer or employees. Ask yourself if you are really a loyal person in your earthly relationships.

Finally, assess how loyal you are to Jesus and to your faith. Do you do your best each day to live in obedience to Christ and to His Word? As a follower of Jesus, are you loyal to Him even when things aren't going so well in your life? It is easy to be loyal when the blessings are flowing, but what about when you are in the midst of some major battles? Despite the challenges you face are you still loyal to the Lord?

When I think of Jesus, I think of loyalty. Jesus promised that He would never leave us nor forsake us. Even when we turn our back on Him, Jesus is still there, loving us, watching over us, caring for us. That my friend is what being loyal is all about. May we follow the example of our Lord and be loyal in our life to others and to Him, as He is loyal to us!!!

In His love and service,'

Your friend and brother in Christ,

Bill Keller
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Bill Keller sends out a wonderful, daily devotional on timely topics. You can sign up here!

Powerful And Timeless Message For Married People and Single People Who Want To Be Married One Day

This message goes right in line with the one I posted last week entitled:
Love is a choice, a decision!

I am certain Steve McNair NEVER thought his affair would end in his death and yet his four young children are now left without a father. Steve's wife has to deal with the fact that her husband was unfaithful to him and now dead and now has to raise four children alone, children who will one day learn of the circumstances that took their father away.

If you are married and having an affair, it is only a matter of time before you pay a price--you can count on that! That "price" is different for everybody, whether that be the end of your life as in Steve McNair's case or/and the end of your marriage or/and the loss of respect from those around you, or/and a sexually transmitted disease or/and on and on and on.

If you are single and think that having sex outside of marriage is ok and saving yourself for marriage is outdated and old-fashioned, then please, look in the mirror so you can see a real, live fool! You are stting yourself up for lots of pain and disappointment. Some of the prices for your sin (and yes, in 2009 sin is alive and well) are sexually transmitted diseases that may take years to show up (and condoms are not and never have been "safe") and may lead to your death, pregnancy which may lead to abortion (traumatic for you and deadly for your baby) single-parenting (very hard emotionally and financially and your children will suffer--don't fool yourself otherwise.), heartache, feeling used, and on and on and on.

Single people: Did you also know that by giving in to sexual temptation now, you are setting yourself up to one day cheat on your spouse. NOW is the time to develop sexual discipline and integrity. It will NOT "magically" just appear on your wedding day!

My favorite analogy is this: Fire in a fireplace is beautiful, warm, and romantic. Fire outside the fireplace and in the living room is scary, deadly, and destructive. The same goes for sex. Sex in the confines of marriage with your spouse is beautiful, warm, and romantic. Any sex outside of the marital union (including masturbation, pornography, etc.) is incredibly destructive and harmful! PERIOD!

Please read the message below, it is long but so worth your 3 minutes!

truthfully,

Marisela

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Last weekend came the tragic news that former All-Pro NFL quarterback Steve
McNair was shot 4 times and killed, found dead with a young woman who had a
single gunshot wound to her head. McNair came out of a small college,
Alcorn State, and went on to a great pro career with the than Houston Oilers
that moved to Nashville and became the Tennessee Titans.

"Air" McNair as he was known, was a tough player who led the Titans to their
only Super Bowl appearance several years ago, where they ended up 1 inch
from the goal line on the last play of the game, losing to the St. Louis
Rams by 7 points. McNair had a wife, 4 children, and was known as a great
guy who did lots of great work in the community. That is why the details of
his death are so sad.

As it turned out, McNair was killed in a Nashville condo he was sharing with
his 20-year-old girlfriend. She was a very troubled young lady, had told
friends prior to last weekends tragedy that she was worried about her
finances, had seen McNair with another woman days earlier, and had thoughts
of "ending it all." Last Saturday as McNair slept on the couch, she pulled
out a gun she had bought a few days earlier, shot him in the temple, shot
him 2 more times in the chest, and than one more time in the other temple.
She sat down next to him, put the gun to her head, and pulled the trigger
ending her life.

This sad story is a great reminder to men and women who are cheating on
their spouses, SIN HAS A PRICE. Sometimes you will pay the ultimate price
for your sin. While you think you are getting away with your sin, never
forget God is watching. In the end, is it worth the cost? Satan is so
crafty as he entices men and women to sin. It looks so attractive. It
looks so perfect. He knows your weaknesses. He will give you all the
justification you need. Once you give in, all of a sudden the bill for your
sin starts to come in. It is like getting a $5,000 water bill, or a $12,000
electric bill. Satan is only going to laugh at you when you complain about
the price!

Would you be Concerned if your Husband or Wife Read your Emails or Instant
Messages? What about listened to your phone calls? What about if they knew
every place you go each day? How about the places you go when you are out of
town? Would you worry if your husband or wife heard a tape of all the
conversations you had each day with people of the opposite sex? For those
who are still reading, you either have no problem being this open with your
spouse or you are now under great conviction and God is speaking to you
today.

For those who have no problem being this open with your spouse, praise God!
A marriage centered in Christ should include this type of openness and
transparency. With Christ at the head of your life and loving and honoring
your spouse as the Word calls for, there is no reason you should be afraid
to allow your spouse to read your emails or Instant Messages, listen to your
phone calls, know exactly where you are at, or hear any of your
conversations with people of the opposite sex. I pray that you will continue
to love and honor your spouse so that you can always be this open and
transparent.

For those who are under conviction by these words today, this could be the
very tap on the shoulder from God that will keep your marriage from ending
in divorce. Satan is very subtle in how he destroys marriages. No marriage
ends in divorce overnight, but over time. One of the chief ways people open
the door for satan to come in and destroy their marriage is in their
relationships with people of the opposite sex. If your heart began racing as
you read those questions, if you know deep down you would never want your
spouse to read your emails or Instant Messages, hear your phone calls, know
exactly where you are at all times, or hear a tape of the conversations you
have with people of the opposite sex, please hear what God is saying to you
today. It may very well save your marriage!

Nobody wakes up one morning and decides to become an alcoholic. They have a
few drinks, it becomes part of their life, and over time they get into
bondage to alcohol. Nobody wakes up one morning and decides to become a drug
addict. They experiment with drugs occasionally, begin to use them more
frequently, and over time they get into bondage to drugs. It is the same
thing with someone who is in bondage to food, shopping, gambling, making
money, sex, or any other type of bondage you can name. A person doesn't get
into bondage to anything overnight, but over time.

This is also how relationships outside of your marriage develop, over time.
You get friendly with someone of the opposite sex at work, you see them
every day, you make sure you spend some time with them every day, talk to
them every day, you start to develop that elementary school crush and
fantasize about them, pretty soon you create opportunities to have lunch
with them or see them after work, and during this process the conversation
turns from work to your personal lives and often to sex. One thing leads to
another and one day you and your co-worker are in bed together.

Even if this relationship never culminates in having sex together, never
forget that Jesus said if you lust in your heart you have committed
adultery. You are giving someone else the emotions, feelings, and attention
that should ONLY be given to your spouse. When you got married, that is the
person God gave you for the rest of your life to pour all of your emotions,
feelings, love and attention into. NOBODY ELSE! That is the person who God
gave you to enjoy sex with. NOBODY ELSE!

Satan's new lie to people that there is really nothing wrong with carrying
on a relationship with someone "online." The reality is, you begin to pour
your heart, emotions, and feelings into this person you are having the
online relationship with just like if you were with them in real time.
Ultimately, in most cases it actually does evolve into meeting in real time
and ends up being no different than any other extra-marital affair. It all
started so harmlessly. A few innocent emails and Instant Messages that
became more frequent, more personal, more sexual in nature. The next thing
you know you are actually sitting side by side with this person.

Again, even if this relationship never culminates in having sex together,
never forget that Jesus said if you lust in your heart you have committed
adultery. You are giving someone else the emotions, feelings, and attention
that should ONLY be given to your spouse. When you got married, that is the
person God gave you for the rest of your life to pour all of your emotions,
feelings, love and attention into. NOBODY ELSE! That is the person who God
gave you to enjoy sex with. NOBODY ELSE!

I love you and care about you so much. Pray for the families of Steve McNair
and this troubled young woman who killed him and herself. They need the
Lord's strength during this difficult time. Today's message is a warning
that you must guard yourself from opening the door to satan, allowing him to
enter into your marriage and destroy it through your relationships with
people of the opposite sex.

If you are married, you simply cannot allow yourself to get too close to
someone who is not your spouse. You have got to be aware this is an avenue
the enemy will use to try and destroy your marriage. The way you judge if
you are getting too close to someone of the opposite sex is by answering the
original questions I posed. If the answer to any of them is "yes," you need
to back off because you are too close to that person.

I will be praying for those of you today who God brought under conviction
because you know that you would NOT want your spouse to read your emails or
Instant Messages, hear your phone calls, know all the places you go, or hear
the conversations you are having with people of the opposite sex. Be like
Joseph and RUN from this relationship NOW before it destroys your marriage.
God is speaking to you today and God is trying to help you save your
marriage. I will be praying for you to listen to Him and cut off ALL
communication with this other person.

I already know many of you will email me and tell me that your spouse
doesn't understand you, that you have "grown apart," and a whole plethora of
reasons to try and justify your involvement with someone who is not your
spouse. SAVE IT! Let me encourage you that if you put the same time, effort,
emotions, feelings, and energy into your spouse as you do this other person,
you would be amazed at how different your relationship with your spouse
would be. Whatever the problems in your marriage may be, being involved with
someone else is NOT the answer. I will pray today for God to bring healing
and restoration to your marriage. The first step, however, is to cut off all
communication with this other person you are involved with.

I will also be praying today for those of you who are dealing with a spouse
who has become involved with someone else. Never forget, you are not
responsible for the actions of your spouse. God gave us each free will and
only He can change your spouse's heart. Now is the time to make your faith
real and learn to trust God during this difficult time. Find your peace and
strength in Him each day and know that He is still in the restoration
business! I will be praying for you and for your spouse to turn their heart
and life back to the Lord and bring healing to your marriage.

Would you be concerned if your husband or wife read your emails or Instant
Messages? What about listened to your phone calls? What about if they knew
every place you go each day? How about the places you go when you are out of
town? Would you worry if your husband or wife heard a tape of all the
conversations you had each day with people of the opposite sex? If the
answer to any of these questions is "yes," God is speaking to you today.
Please, listen since your marriage is at stake.


In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller
http://www.liveprayer.com/