IMG_1173 – We Love God!

Racism is real. It’s existed in the world and will to some degree, if there are people, always be present in society. Its root is in pride, the superiority of self and is manifested in the sins of anger, envy and hate. It’s really a bizarre sin to hate someone because of their skin color. We need to start with God. Obvious God created and sees skin tone, but His primary concern is the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7, “God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” To reduce life to skin color, not only diminishes the primacy of character, but also negates God’s universal love for all mankind that all are created equal in His image. Racism is superficial, hateful, prideful, self-defeating and godless.

Randy Smith

We may often be baffled by the reality of the power of evil as it is manifest in our circumstances. Sometimes that power seems so overwhelming that we are unable to praise within the circumstances of our life. It is then that we do well to recall the words of the Apostle Paul. When writing amidst difficult circumstances to the Church at Ephesus he could say, ‘Giving thanks always for all things unto God.’ He had come to know that no matter what the source of the evil, if we are in Christ, and surrounded by Him as by an atmosphere, all evil has to pass through Him before it comes to us (Robert Norris).

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[Jesus] is not under anyone but God, and He is in perfect agreement with God, as God. He has authority... He has absolute unilateral authority to do whatever He will, whenever He wills, with whomever or whatever He wills… Jesus never in His earthly life asked permission to do anything. Never. He never sought it from any normal channels in His ministry… No matter what it was, there was no authority to whom Jesus went. He quoted no rabbi. He had permission from no Sanhedrin. He had no rabbinical council to which He was answerable. He was not ordained in the appropriate way that all teachers and rabbis were ordained. And nor was His theology checked and signed off on by the Sanhedrin. And He teaches without any connection to any prior mentor or rabbi, and without credentials, and without ordination, which could only be given by the Sanhedrin. Jesus was His own authority. He spoke prophetically. He spoke truly. He rightly interpreted the Old Testament Scripture. He spoke the true Word of God. They even admitted that. He forgave sin. He healed sick people. He raised the dead. He cast out demons. And He did it without ever seeking permission from anyone.

John MacArthur