I can motivate us all to go impact our cities, counties, states, and nations – but if we try to do it without walking with Jesus – it will be empty and shallow. 

In the aftermath of the death of Botham Jean, many people were rioting. Most were heartbroken or angry. Most wanted justice. But Brandt Jean spoke words of such supernatural power that they were shocking to those in the courtroom. His words are still shocking today.

A slave girl. A slave boy. They had suffered unspeakable pain. They had been separated from friends and family. He was thrown in prison because of false accusations. She was made to serve those who had likely ordered the raid on her homeland. How would they respond to those who wronged them?

He was powerful. He was famous. He was celebrated. He was a fearless leader of men.

He was sick.

General Naaman was a leper. The dreaded skin disease was serious, painful and fatal. Thousands of years ago, there was no cure for leprosy. We learn of Naaman in the fifth chapter of II Kings, in the Old Testament of the Bible.

Quieting our soul – though extremely hard – in the middle of all the noise in our modern world from entertainment to news sources, to social media, to professional pressures, to family struggles – brings rest and renewal of the truth in our hearts. 

In the last article we learned the importance of bringing justice to a culture through biblical restitution. But before we start implementing reparations, there are two common misunderstandings that must be cleared up.

They were out to have a good time. It was a day trip with family and friends. A chance to create some memories.

Three young people from California—all in their twenties—were hiking in Yosemite National Park. They climbed up the steep and slippery Mist Trail until they reached Vernal Fall. It is one of Yosemite’s most popular and spectacular waterfalls.

It was a crystal clear, beautiful day.

There was a metal guardrail. It had been placed there by park authorities to keep visitors away from the swift-moving water of the Merced River. Just 25 feet from the precipice of the fall, the young people crossed over the guardrail and entered the water.

We’ve seen that racism is sin, that Jesus is the antidote for sin, and that heart change stems from the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit when we submit our lives to Him. We know that because of the fall, sin cannot be fully eliminated before Heaven. So, what is to be done when someone commits the sin of racism against their fellow man?

In the days of Esther, when all looked lost, God did a miracle for His people because of Mordecai, Esther, and those who fasted and prayed. Today, Purim celebrates God’s goodness and salvation.

There is a cry that leaves our lips that brings salvation; then God becomes our shelter, our tabernacle, and our heritage.

Eternal life is not just eternal life for nothing. It has a purpose. The purpose is found in Psalm 61:8 “So I will sing praise to Your name forever, That I May daily perform my vows.”

What happens to a country if there are bad laws? What about when those individuals tasked with implementing the laws don’t do it fairly? These are issues that God deeply cares about.

God is very careful to instruct His people not to favor the poor or the rich, the powerful or the powerless, and He wants equal justice to be shown to all without favoritism. Biblical justice requires everyone to be treated equally under the law. Racism is inherently unjust because it insists on giving some people special treatment while intentionally holding back or punishing others because of their “race.”

No one can heal us and restore us other than God. Putting our trust in men or women to change or repair their broken states will not work.

We have to completely depend on the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Restorer of our souls – Jesus.

David is betrayed. It is brutal. It is personal. And it is real.

This is his cry for help to God. His prayer where he seeks understanding from God of the trials he is going through.

He was labeled, pitied, dismissed, ignored and ostracized. Crippled was the word—and the stigma. “Disabled” and “challenged” hadn’t been invented. He was a young man with a difficult name and a difficult life.

Mephibosheth. He was royalty—once upon a time.

Slavery, like all other vices, has been around since early human history – at least as far back as the Ancient Egyptian Empire, but likely reaching back to Noah and the tower of Babel. Sinful man has always used the mistreatment of his brothers to vault himself into personal power, and oppressive slavery has been used again and again to further that end.

On May 5th - I personally signed onto a second Amicus Brief to the U.S. Supreme Court as President of Christians Engaged. This brief was organized by a non-profit called Advancing American Freedom (Founded by former Vice President Mike Pence) on a very important national case - Kennedy v. Bremerton School District. This case could be one of the most important in our nations’ history to protect the religious freedom of government employees.

God knows that His SON – JESUS – will be set on His holy hill from the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem and the kings of the earth will bow down to Him.

The secret to not fearing in this time in history is to see God as our defense. He will defend us if we put our trust in Him.

The world is a messed-up place. There is pain, separation, brokenness, and death. Our fallen nature causes people to divide each other into groups defined by physical characteristics, and to treat each other horribly based on those groups. People lie, cheat, steal, and murder.

God calls this wickedness sin, and in the previous articles we have seen that, according to the Bible, the sin of racism is the unequal treatment of people because of their skin color, or the devaluing of someone or some group because of physical characteristics.

He’s short of stature, slight of build. He’s youthful, informal, and seems a bit like the comedian he once was. He looks more like the guy standing next to you at the pizza place on a Friday night, waiting for his take-out order, than a head of state.

Whatever seemed ordinary about Volodymyr Zelensky a mere fortnight ago is suddenly eclipsed by a courage that is truly extraordinary.