Category: Religion

GOD’S FAVORED COLOR: WHITE, BROWN, BLACK, OR RED?

 

A large group of people standing together in a room.

God’s favored color is the color life, red. God’s favored color has nothing to do with race, ethnicity, politics, ideology, or socio-economic philosophy. If God does not look at skin color, what should Biblical Christians do about racism?

Why do I believe that God’s favored color is red? In Genesis 4:10-12, God said to Cain,

What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth. [Scriptural quotations are from the New International Version,]

Genesis 9:6 says, Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for in the image of God has God made man. In Exodus 12, the Passover lamb and its blood is central to the Passover. In verse 5 scripture says, The animals you choose must be year- old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. Verses 7-11 tells us that the people were to

¦Take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. Do not eat the meat raw or cooked in water, but roasted over the fire ˆ’ head, legs, and inner parts. Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. This is how you are to eat it: with your coat tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste, it is the Lord’s Passover.

Let’s consider some key Passover symbols. The entire Passover paints a picture of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection which gives believers in Him the promise of eternal life. Of course, the Lamb, without defect, symbolized Christ. The Lambs blood symbolized Christ’s blood. A bunch of hyssop was used to place a lot of blood on the door frame. The blood on top of the frame dripped to the threshold at the bottom. Blood was also placed on the posts on each side of the doors. Connect the dots of blood and you get the cross of Christ’s crucifixion. Think of it. When God passed through Egypt, He would not let the destroyer enter the houses protected by the Lambs blood, the cross of Christ’s crucifixion. The blood of the Lamb and the cross of Christ provided salvation, life, for all in the house. Sacrificial blood is part of atonement and forgiveness. Leviticus 17:11 says, For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life. Similarly, Hebrews 9:22 says, In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. God’s favored color is red, the color of the Blood of Christ, the Lamb of God.

Let’s look at the Lamb’s part in the Passover meal. That which was eatable by God’s instructions about what to eat was totally consumed. It was incorporated into the body of each participant. This is a symbol of Salvation. Each person must accept Christ into their life as Lord and Savior. Christ, through the Holy Spirit empowers each Christian as in Acts 2:4, All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the spirit enabled them. In contrast, those parts of the Lamb that were not to be consumed according to God’s instructions, Exodus 29, unholy parts, were totally consumed in fire. Symbolically, that, or those, outside God’s redemptive plan through the blood of Christ face another fire, Revelations 20:14-15,

Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Since blood is red and blood is life, God’s favored color is red. Does God give a whit about the skin color of the people He created? Genesis 9:6 says, Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for in the image of God has God made man. With this in mind, does skin color represent the image of God or is it the blood that represents the image of God? God only sees one color when he looks at his human creation. The color of the blood of Jesus Christ. This is also the only color we should see,

What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus; What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh! precious is the flow that makes me white as snow; no other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.

The phrase white as snow comes from Isaiah 1: 18, ‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet [red], they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’ Let us be crystal clear, when God speaks through Scripture, white never refers to skin color. White is never a racial term. When I look at humanity, I want to see only one color, the red color of the blood of Jesus that washed away our sin, the sin of each individual in the United States and the world.

Scripturally, white also represents the Light and Life of Christ. In Mathew 17:2 we read, There He was transfigured before them. His face shone as the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light [from His face]. In John 8:12, Jesus said, I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life. John 1:4 states, In Him [Christ] was Life, and that Life was the Light of men. In John 14;6-7 Christ said,

I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you really know Me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him.

Our red blood makes up about 8% of our body weight. Our blood is our life both spiritually in God’s sight and physically. Physically, our blood is where our cells exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide carried to and from our lungs to our entire body. Our blood carries nutrients from our digestive system to our entire body, and metabolic waste from our entire body to our organs of waste elimination. Our blood carries hormones throughout our bodies. Our blood transports the essence of our physical life. This is the reason that blood is life in the sight of God; and the red of blood is God’s favored color.

Since our skin makes up only about 7% of our total body weight, I personally fail to understand why people think that skin color has any relevance when evaluating the worth or character of any human being. Sadly, when I look at the black community outside the walls of Biblical Christian black churches, I unfortunately, see skin color because that black community sees me as a racist old white man steeped in white privilege. The vision of the greater black community, outside of the Blood of Jesus, is the vision that is MAKING A RACIST OLD WHITE MAN of me. Unfortunately, I also see a community ravaged by BLACK SELF-GENOCIDE, at the hands of black criminals who kill their fellow blacks including black children. It also breaks my heart to know that black babies in the wombs of black mothers are killed by abortionists, more black self-genocide.

As we consider the implications of God’s favored color, there is one critical question for Biblical Christians of every race, ethnicity, and class. How can we work together to unite our nation for the cause of Christ when leftist elitists of our most influential institutions and culture seek to divide us by race, ethnicity, and economic class? These groups also denigrate and undermine Biblical Christian morality and ethics as well as our two Holy and ordained institutions, the church and family consisting of a father, mother, and their children. These elitists also deny, denigrate, and undermine the importance and reality of our Judeo-Christian heritage in relation to our Constitution, national success, prosperity, and freedom to elect a black President, Barack Obama.

The first step in answering the question, How, is to become informed about the issues. Hopefully, the seventy plus articles at America’s Crossroad will provide sufficient information about the critical issues affecting our nation and Biblical Christians. The AMERICA’S CROSSROAD and PATRIOT VISIONS tabs at the top of the website will provide insights into my biases and perspectives on the issues. The PATRIOT VISIONS tab discusses my positioning of the various philosophical, ideological, and political groups on the left-right political continuum. The BLOG CONTENTS tab lists articles by general subject matter categories and provides a link to each article on the site. The CHRISTIANITY, CULTURE, EDUCATION, and MARXISM categories will probably provide the most relevant information for Biblical Christians.

The second step in answering the question, How, is to ask yourself if your votes and activism actually represent your Biblical Christian values. If the policies, initiatives, and laws supported the politicians you vote for do not reflect your Biblical Christian values, stop voting for them. If a school board candidate supports teaching curricula that does not reflect your Biblical Christian values, do not support or vote or them. If no candidate supports your Biblical Christian values, become active in finding a candidate or candidates who do; or run for the office yourself. Ordinary people like you are running for office all over our nation, especially in school board elections. To use an old cliche, actions speak louder than words.

The third step in answering the question, How, is to increase voter registration and voting among Biblical Christians. Sadely, voter registration and voting among Biblical Christians is about the same as in the secular population, about 50%. If there are 50 to 80 million Biblical Christians in the United States, a significant number of voters with Biblical Christian values are not voting. Consider the fact that the Southern Baptist Convention has 14.5 million members with at least 4 million attenders who are not members. Additionally, there are at least 10 other Biblical Christian denominations and countless independent congregations in our nation. If half of these unregistered Biblical Christians were registered and voted their values, 12.5 to 20 million Biblical Christian value voters would cast ballots in our national elections for President and the US congress. The same results would occur at the local and state levels. The result would transform our nation. One could call it the start of a revival of traditional Judeo-Christian values.

God does not see skin color, race, or ethnicity. He only sees God’s favored color, red, the color of the Blood of Jesus shed for redemption of our sin.

The final question for readers is simple, What will you do?

Join the fray. All of the America s Crossroad Posts are listed by categories in the  BLOG CONTENTS tab. If you decide to read a few, please leave comments about your Patriot Visions, start or join the conversation, and share the Posts with friends and political frienimies.

OUR SICK SOCIETY

 

A quran is open on the table in black and white.
Unfortunately, in our sick society, a walk on the beach can lead to sexual harassment.

It is my strong opinion that the wave of credible high profile sexual harassment and rape accusations during the last two months are symptoms of our sick society and culture. Joseph Stalin purportedly said,

America is like a healthy body and its resistance is threefold: its patriotism, its morality, and its spiritual life. If we can undermine these three areas, America will collapse from within.

In contrast, George Washington made a very important statement about the relationship between Religion and Morality and the continuing success of the United States of America in his Farewell Address to the Nation when he wrote,

With slight shades of difference, you have the same Religion, Manners, Habits and Political Principles. You have in a common cause fought and triumphed together; the Independence and Liberty you possess are the work of joint councils, and joint efforts “ of common dangers, sufferings, and successes¦.

Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports. “ In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and Citizens. “ The mere Politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and cherish them.

When President Washington wrote, With slight shades of difference, you have the same Religion, he was referring to the many sects and denominations of Christianity and an important number of Jews inhabiting the United States at the time, our Judeo-Christian heritage. Shared Judeo-Christian values would be essential to the future political prosperity of our nation. It is our common religious and moral values that Stalin and modern Marxists and progressives seek to undermine. Those seeking to undermine our patriotism, morality, and spiritual life claim the tribute of Patriotism in vain in the words of the Father of our Country.

Unfortunately, the Godless Marxists on the left have succeeded; and we now have a sick society. The underlying infection contaminating our culture and society is the fact that We the People of the United States of America no longer agree that Religion and Morality are indispensable supports leading to a healthy culture and society, our political prosperity. Our abandonment of meaningful Religion and Morality as indispensable supports of our culture and society is the disease at the heart of our sick society and all forms of criminal activity and social problems in our nation. Among other social issues, these problems include murder, assault, rape, drug addiction, thefts, all white collar crime, school dropout rates, single parent families, and all forms of sexual harassment.

Two strains of thought that infected our culture and society which significantly contribute to the current sexual harassment epidemic are the sexual revolution and feminism. The Sexual Revolution, led by Hugh Hefner and Play Boy magazine, Larry Flynn and Hustler magazine, Play Girl magazine, other similar periodicals, the pornography industry, all forms of sex therapy, and The Howard Stern Radio Show, has been praised by the print and news media as a liberating advance for personal satisfaction and relationships in our country. After his death, Hefner was praised for his leading role in the sexual revolution in the United States. Howard Stern regularly discusses and promotes lude sexual behavior in both public and private settings as fun, perfectly acceptable, and natural behavior. Women are regular guests discussing their sexual exploits both as initiators and participants in all varieties of casual sexual interactions. Women often offer laughing encouragement to men discussing their exploits on Stern’s program. On the Access Hollywood tape involving Donald Trump and Billy Bush, Natalie Morales provided laughter and verbal encouragement for the men involved. Natalie Morales got a pass; Donald Trump was elected President; and Billy Bush lost his job. On these type venues, popular music and sports stars brag about the number of women willingly enjoying sex with them where ever they travel in the United States. Sex is portrayed as nothing more than a sensually enjoyable, purely biological act between willing consenting participants that is without moral consequences or meaningful emotional attachment between participants. If the sex is one and done, it served its purpose, immediate sensual, personal gratification. Relationships that are based primarily on good sex are now perfectly acceptable. To Biblical Christians like me, this behavior is symptomatic of a sick society.

Although sexual harassment revolves around the use of power, influence, intimidation, or force to garner sexual favors or unwanted sexual contact, with the exception of rape, the general sexual behavior on display in virtually all of the current sexual harassment situations is depicted every day on public and cable television, in the movies, throughout the music industry, advertising, and most novels. How many times each day does a movie show 007 grabbing a resisting woman, sticking his tongue down her throat, and ending up having sex with her that she absolutely enjoys and often voluntarily participates in additional sexual encounters, to name one movie series example. Illicit sex is depicted on most television dramas. In S. W. A. T., a female police supervisor had an affair with a male subordinate. In SEAL Team, it’s a newbie and a female university graduate student. In The Good Wife, it was the bad husband, the good wife and her boss and at least one other man who she pursued, and the old senior partner who roamed his office in his underwear. In Vikings, one of the queens in the series rapes a competing king who is her chained prisoner. In Suits, etc., it was etc. Sex sells men’s and women’s fragrances and clothes, etc. It is all depicted as common place, acceptable, and no big deal for our sick society. After all, All’s fair in love and war.

Leaders of the Women’s or Feminist Movement have always promoted equal employment opportunity, equal pay for equal work, equal educational opportunities, and parity for women with men in all areas of life. However, it is my opinion that the desire of Feminists to promote women as equal participants and beneficiaries of the sexual revolution also contributes to the current sexual harassment epidemic in our country. Feminists demanded the freedom to pursue men as equal participants in the sexual revolution. Women should be free to experience all the sensual freedom and exhilaration of the sexual revolution as either instigators or willing and equal participants. Feminists have also led the way to ensure that women would be equal to and as free as men from the unintended consequences of unrestricted sex, unwanted pregnancy. Birth control pills were not enough. Feminists demanded abortion on demand and later the morning after pill. Free love, or free sex, without consequences or obligation is the operative thought, word, or phrase. Again, to Biblical Christians, such an attitude is symptomatic of a sick society.

Of course, the critical word for this discussion about sex is willing. When anyone is not willing, freedom to participate becomes sexual harassment or rape, period. The problem is that the culture ushered in by the sexual revolution teaches that sex is nothing more than a naturally instinctive physical interaction which is sensually exhilarating and pleasurable for the participants. Emotions, personal attractions, and long term compatibility are secondary to the sexual interaction between the individuals. Unfortunately, our popular culture also teaches men that women may not be as fully aware of their willingness and desire for sex as men and often need some encouragement or convincing to reveal their desire. This assumption is wrong. Willing consent does not require encouragement, convincing, or force. No is not maybe or convince me. Contrary to popular depictions, one thing does not automatically lead to another. A warm kiss does not constitute an invitation to a sexual encounter. In all situations, men must honor a woman’s wishes regarding sex. Failure to listen to the word no or stop or understanding that simply withdrawing from an embrace also means no or stop is sexual harassment or rape.

We the People of the United States of America must deal the problem of sexual harassment and rape that has occurred at the highest levels of our culture and society. We must also determine whether these problems are independent issues or symptoms of a deeper moral crisis and sick society in our country. Are we “collapsing from within?” Have the Godless voices in our nation succeeded in their efforts to undermine our patriotism, morality, and spiritual life? If so, is it time to reconsider our commitment to George Washington’s vision for our nation when Religion and Morality once again become indispensable supports leading to a prosperous, healthy culture and society that is safe and rewarding for all our citizens?

Join the fray. All of the America’s Crossroad Posts are listed by categories in the  BLOG CONTENTS tab.  If you decide to read a few, please leave comments about your “Patriot Visions,” start or join the conversation, and share the Posts with friends and political frienimies.