joelstrumpet

Hello to all --
I am new to this forum. I visit Joels Trumpet quite often and have been since serving in Iraq. I really enjoy Joels Biblical perspective and his book.
Since the Obama - Rev. Wright issue has been in the news, I have felt strongly led to write a letter to them and their church. I can only pray they, or someone who needs to, reads it and gets the point.
Please read it and give me some input. If you agree with it and feel it should be passed on, please do. I do not believe in "race" at all. I do feel that Christians need to become more united as the end approaches.
God Bless!

March 20, 2008

To all the Leadership and members of the Trinity United Church of Christ

Grace and peace be yours in abundance through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Please, take the time to read and consider all that I have to say to you all.
I am a fellow Christian, born again and part of the body of our Savior Jesus Christ. God’s Word (the Bible) has taught me to be aware of the “fruit” of others.

Matthew 7:15-20 (NIV)
15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?
17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

I, like many other Americans and born-again believers have observed the news concerning Senator Barack Obama and Reverend Wright. It is rather disturbing to hear such talk coming from an ordained minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. On the surface, it appeared to me that Rev. Wright has lost touch with God’s Word and the love of Christ that should emanate from his pulpit.
Please allow a humble servant of our Savior Jesus to share some thoughts with you in love.
To begin, I would like to pose a few questions to all of you for serious thought. Please do not take offense at these questions but consider their importance for all of us who desire to enter God’s Kingdom.
1. Are you a Bible believing church? In other words, do you believe that God’s Word is the absolute truth and authority for our lives in this world?
2. Who created all of us?
3. Do we all stem from the same parentage, namely Adam and Eve?
4. What color were Adam and Eve? If you know, can you prove it? Were you there at the time of creation?
5. Did God originally create them perfect, so perfect that they would have lived forever had they not sinned?
6. Did God create “race”?
7. Are we to look to God or our personal circumstances?
I believe the proper answers to these questions should be as follows:
1. Yes, we are a Bible believing church and that His Word is the absolute truth and authority for our lives in this world.
2. God created all of us.
3. Yes, we all descended from Adam and Eve.
4. Adam and Eve’s color is not important. If it was, God would have inspired Moses to include this information when he wrote the Book of Genesis.
5. Yes. God did originally create them perfect and immortal. Because of their sin, separation from God occurred and death entered the world.
6. No, God did not create “race” because the scriptures are crystal clear that God does not look at the outward appearance of people, rather He looks at the heart.
7. We are to look to God for all of our needs and understand that, more often than not, we create our own personal circumstances that cause us problems. In the case of our appearance to others (for example skin color) -- this we have no control over. We understand that God has allowed these differences between the people of His creation and that there is something very important we all need to learn concerning this.
Now, please allow me to elaborate some more on these questions and answers.
God’s Word is crystal clear that He looks at our hearts and not our outward appearances.

1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)
7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Understand that we are all sinners. We all face the reality of death and judgment because our common parents, Adam and Eve, sinned and separated us from God so long ago. God knew this would occur and already had a plan to bring His creation back to Him, but after some hard lessons and a perfect sacrifice. We as born-again Christians understand that the greatest miracle of all time was when God humbled Himself and became a man in order to teach us how to come to Him, how to live our lives in a pleasing manner for Him and to give us all a choice – accept His sacrifice on the cross and receive eternal life with Him or reject Him and live as the world lives, deserving of death.
God took on sin and put it to death on the cross in the sacrifice of His only Son Jesus for us in order that we may be able to enter into His presence. In Jesus we are rescued from the bondages of sin and death. We no longer need to fear them if we simply focus our lives on Him.

Hebrews 2:14-15 (NIV)
14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil--
15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

Now, since we all descended from the same ancestors, Adam and Eve, what could possibly account for all of our differences in appearance? The answer is simple, especially since we have more scientific knowledge now than at any other time in history. It is genetics. Adam and Eve each had their own genetic code that was created perfect. Their genes mixed in their offspring to create new people with new appearances, their offspring did the same, and on and on and on. This accounts for all of the differences we see today such as light and dark skin color, straight and curly hair, different colored eyes, body sizes, etc.
God DID NOT create “race.” He DID create two perfect humans from which we all descended and currently suffer because of their sin.
It is WE who create the idea of “race” and who continue to force this issue in every aspect of our lives. One cannot find a government form, for example, that does not ask for your personal information to include your “race.”
Think about how Satan has further created more problems for us. Our society, to include our sciences, is based on the “theory of evolution.” It is not, nor can it ever be fully proven, to be fact, even though it is treated as such. With this in mind, it becomes easier for us to accept “race” as being real and the reason for our different appearances. This way of thinking naturally leads us to separate ourselves into distinct groups, which leads to segregation, inequality, prejudice, pride and arrogance and a society that cannot cope well without creating a million different laws to govern us when all we really need are God’s Ten Commandments. Jesus made it even easier for us by condensing these down into two.

Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV)
37 Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'
38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

To sum this thought up, consider this:
World mindset is based on evolution.
Evolution teaches racial differences.
Racial differences lead to prejudice and hatred.
Prejudice and hatred = SIN.
SIN = DEATH.
A mindset based on the Word of God is completely opposite.
A Word of God mindset views all created beings as equals before God.
It is not concerned about circumstances beyond our control, such as outward appearances.
It is concerned about the things of God and His Will in our lives.
This mindset leads to LIFE with Him.
What mindset are you? Are you willing to follow Jesus and His example or the worlds’? Understand this, as the end of times quickly approaches, we all face two choices – God or the world.

Revelation 3:14-22 (NIV)
14 "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation.
15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!
16 So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
17 You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.
20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.
22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

There is a very good reason why Jesus promised us He would return in the end. If you are more concerned about your circumstances, outward appearance, worldly possessions, etc., you will end up like the virgins who let their oil run out in their lamps.

Matthew 25:1-13 (NIV)
1 "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.
4 The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.
5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 "At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'
7 "Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.
8 The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.'
9 "'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'
10 "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
11 "Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!'
12 "But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'
13 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Please do not allow this to happen with you. If you do, you will not be a part of the Bride of Christ at His return. You will die in your sins.
As a Christian, I choose to look toward the hearts of others and observe their “fruit.” I choose not to segregate myself from others and to love all equally to the best of my ability. When it becomes difficult, God is faithful and helps me through it. I am not perfect and neither are you. But, we are all members of one body, are we not? If we call ourselves Christians then we are stating that we are all a part of the Body of Christ, correct? If God does not judge us by external standards, why do we judge ourselves in this manner? We all need to learn to love completely all others as God loves us.
Jesus died for me therefore I would die for you. This is love.

John 15:13 (NIV)
13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Does God view His creation with boundaries? Does He really care about North America, Africa or Europe? Does He see the United States and all the separate states within it?
Think about this. God views His people through their hearts. We separate and segregate ourselves with borders and boundaries. It is we who need to change our mindset and get with God’s before it is too late.
I did hear Rev. Wright state that Jesus was “black.” I suppose he was there 2000 years ago when He walked the Earth. Does the skin color of Jesus really matter? Again, if this was something of importance to the Gospel writers, then I suppose they would have written about this under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Please understand that I love all of you. We are all equal in God’s eyes so let us live and behave like it.
Another issue of importance I would like to address is Islam. This religion has absolutely NO PART in the Kingdom of Heaven. I have studied the Koran and Hadith and found them both to be thoroughly opposed to God’s Word and our Savior Jesus Christ. This is Satan’s counterfeit to what God has accomplished for us in Jesus. Consider this statement from Isaiah concerning this belief system in the last days.

Isaiah 28:15 (NIV)
15 You boast, "We have entered into a covenant with death, with the grave we have made an agreement. When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by, it cannot touch us, for we have made a lie our refuge and falsehood our hiding place."

The followers of this lie can be saved, as anyone else, through acceptance of Jesus.

John 3:16 (NIV)
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Do not allow yourselves to become yoked with the enemy and his lies in these last and troubled times. Turn your eyes and hearts to Jesus who proclaimed:

John 14:6 (NIV)
6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

In these last days, Biblical Christian common sense is becoming less and less common. We tend to view our lives, our past, our circumstances and the world through our own eyes and not God’s. I love all of you and exhort you to join the Body of Christ as fellow believers, not as worldly or segregated or “people of color” or “race.” God does not look at skin color. He looks at the heart.
Remember the prayer of Jesus in the Gospel of John.

John 17:20-23 (NIV)
20 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,
21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one:
23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

Jesus is stating here that we are to be united in Him, as one Body. He does not state anywhere that we are to be separate from each other, only to be separate from this world. If we as Christians obey this there can be NO division between us, whether by “race” or circumstances, within the Body of Christ.
As the end draws near, we also need to draw closer to one another – person to person, church to church – and take a stand for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We need to separate more from this world and its evils and stand out as lights in the darkness. We need to work towards saving the lost souls around us as is God’s will. This will mean tossing out our theological and other differences and focus all of our attention on the One who deserves it all – JESUS.
The Body of Christ is meant to be united as one. He in us and us in Him.
As Jesus stated here:

Mark 3:24-25 (NIV)
24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

Islam is a divided religion. It will collapse and be destroyed by the Truth.
As Christians we NEED to be united. Those that are divided will surely come to an end as their mindset is worldly and not Godly. Those united will enter into life eternal.
Do not follow the schemes of the enemy and allow division and destruction.
We as Christians must unite under Christ and remember this:

Matthew 11:12 (NIV)
12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.

I believe that Jesus is telling us something of immense importance here. No, we are not to be physically violent in this world. We are, however, to attack the kingdom of darkness through prayer, fasting and unity as the Body of Christ so as to advance the Kingdom of Heaven. This also goes along with this statement:

Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Our enemy is not to be within us. Our enemy is to be defeated by us, through our union with our Savior. We must not give Satan any foothold at all. The oppressive bonds of prejudice, segregation, racial issues, etc., must all be cast out of the Body of Christ. We as Christians must begin to unite in order to advance God’s Kingdom.
I close this message with these thoughts.
According to the paragraph beneath your statement of faith, it reads: “We are a congregation which is Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian.”
I am sorry but this is wrong. You even went to the trouble of capitalizing the words “Unashamedly Black” and “Unapologetically Christian” as though to make a clear statement of understanding to the reader of whom you are and what you stand for. Can you not see the problem here? God does not view your skin color or national or cultural heritage. He simply looks into your heart. Why then do you? “Black” and “Christian” are two words that do not go together. In fact, there is no other word that goes along with “Christian” except the Word we all know as Jesus. After all, Christ is the root word of Christian, is it not? He is the root that sustains us and gives us life while we are the branches. Remember what the Apostle Paul said here:

1 Peter 4:16 (NIV)
16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.

We are called Christians because of Christ. How many “Christs” are there anyway? White supremacists would tell you they follow one color or kind, black supremacists would tell you another, etc. Show me where in God’s Word it reads otherwise? We are Christians, plain and simple.
Here is a statement that makes more sense: I am a Christian who is unashamedly SAVED!
Consider these questions:
1. What will “black” get you?
2. What will “white” get you?
3. What will “SAVED” get you?
If you are of this world, you will naturally come up with all kinds of answers for the first two questions. If you are truly SAVED, you will only come up with one answer for the third, and that is life eternal with your Savior!
As for me and my house we will serve the LORD because we are SAVED!
HALLELUJAH!

Thank you all for reading and considering this message. I truly love all of you and desire only what God desires for you – eternal life with Him.
May God Bless you all and may you bear Him much fruit for His Kingdom!
Joe