Why Has The Western Church "White-Washed" Biblical History?

It may simply be a "sociological" phenomenon. The desire for a culture, any culture, to make the imagery and moral codes of historical, heroic figures their own. To identify themselves with the best and most heroic figures and acts in order to associate themselves with positive and virtuous ideals and ideology.

Is that the case with Western Christianity? Why has the influence and even inclusion of Black people in the bible, in significant roles I might add, been either reduced or overlooked in biblical discussions and studies? Then what of the contribution of African Christians and apologists during the early post Apostolic era? Why has their imagery also suffered from this "white-washing" motif? 

"The White Jesus. The God Of The White Man's Religion, Christianity"

One of the chants that have been reverberated over and over, quite in error, by groups such as The Nation Of Islam, and the Black Hebrew Israelites, and others who have held to Black Nationalism and Black Separatism, has been that the Bible and Christianity in general is the "White Man's Religion" and Jesus is a "White man's God".

In short the story goes like this:

The White man, took Black man both from his home (Africa), and his religion (Islam ~ at least in most cases) and stripped him of his cultural identity and re-indoctrinated him to believe in White superiority (aka: Christianity) and in the White man's god (aka: Jesus) and did this all as a control mechanism.

But the question is how did this "White man's religion" become a "White man's religion" and the Jewish Jesus become a White European in the minds of many?  

Author Forrest G Wood states this:

"Graphic portrayals of Christ had to be “as far removed as possible from anything that could suggest darkness or blackness.” The result was a Renaissance image of Christ that recorded his transmogrification from Semitic to Aryan, his dark hair and beard evolving into “the color of sunshine” and his dark eyes magically taking on the “color of the sky” from which he descended and to which he returned." ~  Forrest G. Wood, The Arrogance of Faith: Christianity and Race in America from the Colonial Era to the Twentieth Century (New York: Knopf, 1990), pg. 51.

So it seems that the evolution of the European Jesus and his association to a Eurocentric religion, where a cultural virtues were aligned with biblical values, was more of a sociological event than a biblical or religious or even migrational truth. 

White Christian teachers and preachers such as the late Billy Graham, noted relentlessly that Christianity was NOT a White man's religion, neither was it a Black man's religion, but a religion of ALL men, and that there was no cultural advantage/disadvantage to any race in accepting Christ or in repentance.

However, what some teachers did was severely reduce and downplay the influence of Blacks and Black culture from the biblical narrative itself. in the many places where Blacks or African countries and cultures are mentioned, they are nearly always downplayed when the teaching is positive and hailed when the teaching is negative. 

For instance...When I was in theology school, our Old Testament Survey professor taught a message on Moses wife, Zipporah without the mention in any form that Zipporah was or could have been a Black woman and that the reason that Moses sister Miriam and Aaron did not like her, or mocked and criticized her, was because she was Black. (Num. 12:1) 

Now, part of this stems from the fanciful conjecture that  Moses had 2 wives as opposed to 1, and that Miriam and Aaron were simply criticizing the one. However, there is no reason to think or believe that Moses had 2 wives from the text. There is reason however to believe that Zipporah, was not only a Midianite (Jethro or Reuel's  daughter) but was also a fine dark skinned woman of possibly Cushite (Kushite) or as the KJV says "Ethiopian" descent. Either of which would have led a faithful historian to conclude that the woman had African ancestry or heritage and therefore was a Black woman by heritage. 

Conversely, in Exodus 18, Jethro (aka: Reuel), Zipporah's father, being a Midianite, who by virtue of his lineage also had a historical Black heritage, was responsible for helping Moses to effectively organize his duties as a chief Judge to adjudicate the grievances of the People under God's direction. 

In other words, the first theocratic form of governance that the bible points to was, in part, organized by Blacks and people of color. 

This is hardly a narrative that anyone within Christianity preaches or teaches today. In fact it is often held that churches organized by Blacks are somewhat disorderly while churches organized by Whites are generally more orderly. (which is a completely different article) But the point is clear, Black people and positive Black culture over time, and even within the biblical narrative, has been downplayed or ignored and even cursorily stepped over in many instances. 

Very little effort has been given to pointing out the praise or positive contribution of Blacks within the pages of biblical writ and I personally believe this has led to the confusion, alienation and even anger of millions of Black people over time to conclude that they have no or very little positive place or history within the world and ultimately society itself.

Teach It In Schools. The Bible IS Black History

Most shocking to many is that Black people's place and history within the bible is certain and in many instances if not most, very positive. For instance, it was a Black man, from an African territory of Cyrene, that helped bear the cross of Jesus during the crucifixion. (Mk. 15:21, Lk. 23:26) That is certainly not coincidental. 

There is much more that can be said on this topic, but please watch this interview with Dr. Theron Williams. I believe you will find it eye-opening.    

Read more!

Dunamis Insurance & Business Services. Powerful Solutions For Life's Circumstances

AT DUNAMIS

• 90% of our clients experience approval in 72 hour or less  
• Up to $1 Million Life Insurance without a medical exam (individual's may vary)
• Company direct applications available through some of the nations most highly rated and financially secure insurers 
• High limit disability insurance available for personal coverage and high limit business arrangements 
• Business loan security and guarantee coverage available with super-quick turnaround and special health risk coverage availability 
• Burgeoning, semi-pro and professional athlete high limit disability and life insurance available
• Retirement, estate planning, conservation and asset protection services available
• 401k, 403b and IRA rollover services available 
• Missionary & student coverage for journeys or trips, to and from foreign venues 

 Visit our website for all of our specialty insurance planning needs by clicking HERE

Read more!

Donnie's Fall Down/Get Up Continued...

Recently, Donnie McClurkin took to the internet to rebuke internet bloggers who "expose" the sins of some of the more popular gospel entertainers, artists and ministers. 

While I will not go into what led to the need for Donnie to take to the internet to rebuke folk on the internet for rebuking folk on the internet, all the while contending that the godly way to speak up on issues would be to "go to" the individual (as opposed to talking about it on the internet) I want to look at the theology behind his statements rather than the personalities he was attempting to defend aka: his fellow gospel entertainment artists. If you would like to hear Donnie for yourself his diatribe and rebuke can be found HERE.

Continuation Of Fall Down/ Get Up Theology

In his retort, Donnie invoked Micah 7:8, which certainly caught my attention (as outside of scripture I could really care less what any of these folk who use the gospel to make a living while presenting shoddy lifestyles do [Donnie excluded as I believe he lives saved])...What I thought was interesting, was that he chose to invoke a part of scripture in which the people (Israel) have gone into sin, been rebuked and judged by God for their sin, and are awaiting their deliverance and ultimate vindication by God for their circumstance. We all know this from basic OT bible study as the "sin cycle". So it is very familiar to many of us. 

What most people do not realize however, is that Donnie appears to build on his "fall into sin/get back up" motif popularized by a former controversial hit "We Fall Down". Donnie uses the scripture in Micah to suggest that a "fall" is tantamount to sin similar to what he did with the song "We Fall Down".

My Response

In response to what I believe was Donnie's misapplication and abuse of scripture, I wrote the following on my Facebook site and our In Defense Of The Faith forum:

************************************************

Donnie McClurkin absolutely BUTCHERED Micah 7:8 which says this:

"Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me."

Now, according to his suggested interpretation the word "fall" would include falling into sin and shame or the condition of sin. 

Now the context links "sit in darkness" to "fall"...this begs the question...if this is referring to a condition of SIN, then how is it that when we are in this condition that "the Lord" is a "light" unto us? 

Now one can go through some fanciful twists to try to convince us that God is a light or abiding presence even in sin, and it is he that brings us out etc...but look further at the context of the chapter.

Micah was not talking about an individual condition of sin, but about turmoil or national upheaval as a result of sin, in which people and families were suffering due to circumstance and resultant judgement or correction from the Lord, NOT due to ongoing immoral or sinful behavior.

V.9 says, "I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness"

Some conclude that because this says "I have sinned" proves that this was about the condition of sin. 

Well the fact is this, as 1 John 1:8 says if we say that "we have no sin" or that the condition of sin has not touched, effected or even controlled our lives, or is not a struggle today, we deceive ourselves greatly...

What Micah acknowledges is the job that sin has done on us (aka Israel) to cause us to suffer as a people, and that we have sinned as a whole, in need of a savior (which points to JESUS our Savior in the text) what is not alluded to is that we have fallen into or regressed into sin as a lifestyle or have been overwhelmed by sinful behavior aka: fallen into sin. 

Donnie builds upon his misapplied "fall down, get back up" narrative in which he took a song in which the message was about a servant falling down before God on behalf of and for strength to continue to serve the people and do the mission of Christ. In Donnie's application it was about saved folk consistently sinning (fall down) and repenting (get back up) to do the "work of the Lord".

In short, Donnie does the Saint, gospel singers, the church and the gospel itself a great disservice and displays why one cannot trust feelings, emotions, crowds or personalities for the direction or truth of God's word and must seek sound discretion and council for light and guidance. 

I only hope that this new generation is not deceived by this seeming continued diet of false gospel interpretives as entertainers seek to cover or minimize their sins that they so abundantly embrace in the name of "nobody's perfect".

************************************************

Now, can we acknowledge that the scripture was referring to people (Israel) who had egregiously sinned and was suffering as a result of their sin? YES

Can we say that any of this scripture suggests that the believer or people of God could be content to practice sin, and still yet claim the "light of God" (aka: Christ) NO.

In fact to do so would be sacrilege and certainly ungodly and unholy before the Lord. 

The part that I find particularly problematic is Donnie's association of this scripture, which is probably one of the most upbeat parts of Micah, to the condition of the modern "minstrel" who has not only failed, but openly and publicly, cheated, been in homosexual chat-rooms, showed their private parts on the internet, cussed and otherwise played a harlot, and even reverted back to ungodliness in both lifestyle and presentation, all the while yet claiming to be a "servant of God". 

Yes, we ALL have faults...and my picture is in the dictionary under the word, HOWEVER, those of us who are SAVED are not content in simply reverting in and out of sin when it is convenient and demanding others to "accept me anyhow"...No that is manipulation, not scripture. 

A Final Word & Pushback: 

"Pastor, the bible says love COVERETH the multitude of sins and faults" (1 Pet. 4:8 from Prov. 10:12)...

YES, it does say that. However, it does not suggest that believers embrace an effort to encourage the saints to bypass sin or the judgement of sin as wrong. It does not encourage believers to overlook the fact that sin is ungodly and is still something that breaks fellowship and union with Christ. 

The scripture is clear...NOONE can "cover" sins but God. It is also clear that those of us who do "cover sins" are condemned for it:

Prov. 28:13 ~ He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

Now, one may say that Proverbs is referring to "others" covering the sins of individuals (which Donnie I suppose would be suggesting by refusing to even accept that his colleagues are doing evil and will be judged) but the scripture is clear...to sin and simply walk on with cursory repentance is also ungodly and condemned. 

Now, PLEASE, don't give us this, "go to such a one and restore them in the spirit of meekness"...OK, how possible is it for us "ordinary folk" to go to these stars and moguls? They hide their phone numbers, make themselves inaccessible unless they are making money off of us, and REFUSE to listen to anyone rank and file who may have a word from the Lord for them...ie: they SELECTIVELY hear and don't care to listen to us!

The very nature of their "entertainment status" makes these people off limits and they only listen to their colleagues who sometimes are also ungodly. So unless it is for bloggers, youtubers and others, many of these folk would not hear, and most of the time they claim they don't listen to or read anything on the internet (or at least nothing that criticizes or examines them). So how are they reached? 

THIS is going to them and I hope they can understand that. While many of us could be wrong about our assessments and ultimately our opinions, we all can't be wrong. Everybody ain't stupid neither is everyone deceived into believing that the sins that many of them present and want us to accept are just "seasons in life" that they experience. 

No, these men and women, regardless of how they sing, entertain and or act, and no matter how much money they have, need to be SAVED like everyone else, to the point where they leave and come out of the world too. Anything less simply expands hell and fellowship with the original, now doomed heavenly crooner...the artist and angel formerly known as lucifer, now satan destined for the Lake Of Fire himself!

Blessed! 

Read more!

The Value Of A Good Lineage & Succession

“Far be it from me to speak adversely of any of these clergy who, in succession from the apostles, confect by their sacred word the Body of Christ and through whose efforts also it is that we are Christians”
~ JEROME (Letters 14:8 [A.D. 396]).

The early church valued what came to be known as "Apostolic Succession". In other words it was important to know not only what was being said, but who was saying it.  Who a leader studied under or what they had received from leadership during the process was important. 

Upon reflection, although I did not have a natural or paternal father that was saved, nor a step-father who was saved, however God gave me a whole host of replacements that have contributed to me both spiritually and naturally and that have not only helped shape me in ministry, but also in Christian character. 

It is these men who have given me a "charge", similar to the one Paul gave Timothy. 

Although I consider myself to still be learning, I am glad that over the years, I have had some pretty influential individuals speak into my life who have a clear line of decendency in Christian circles. 

Like Elisha, I am saddened because my "father's" have departed and seemingly left me...BUT God through them and in other even more direct ways has equipped me for this journey and the duties that he wants me to accomplish. 

Although I am certainly not alone, I am happy for the path that God has taken me and who knows, but God, what the future holds and where it may lead. one thing is certain, there is a sure purpose to all things and I am glad to be in the middle of it!

Truly BLESSED!!!!

Read more!

Bishop Robert Sanders IL. 3rd COGIC ~ LYA

Regrettably, I must stop to say farewell to a Spiritual Father, not to mention one of the greatest gospel preachers I have ever known, to whom I am indeed grateful to have served with here on earth.

My service to God through this Bishop and the church extends back some 29 years to a time when he was known as Superintendent Sanders and I as Elder Burnett. We've seen the best of days and the worst of days together. Having honest and open conversation about the church, scandal, personal failure, personal victory, and most of all the word of God and the power of God which is able to heal and make alive. 

Bishop Sanders, as you already knew, I Love You Always!

I am praying for the hearts and minds of the family, all my sisters and brothers, and all of the Saints of Il. 3rd Jurisdiction COGIC. On earth, we are indeed at a loss. Rest well around the throne Bishop, we will have a real reunion soon!

Read more!

Bishop Dr. Yvette Flunder. Could God Have Possibly Spoken This?

Recently, internet host Larry Reid interviewed "Bishop" Yvette Flunder in a show entitled "Church In The Closet" in which "Bishop" Flunder took the time to set forth her insights into sexuality in the church, the veracity of scripture, and even took the time to explain why she ultimately embraced lesbianism even going so far as to establish a gay affirming, Pan-African church and organization (Fellowship Of Affirming Ministries) which she currently oversees as Presiding Bishop.

I am sorry, but like many of her liberal gay affirming counterparts, her interview was a receptacle of unbelief, deception, liberalism and plain misapplication and erroneous interpretation of scripture. 

In this article, I will examine a few of the more poignant assertions of Dr. Flunder and in a previous article I will examine some of the more indepth scriptural arguments that she made against the bible and traditional biblical Christianity

Association With COGIC

Although many people knew about Dr. Flunder's past relationship with COGIC and that she was a "Grand Ole Church girl", daughter of a Bishop leader with ties back to the founders of the church, and the niece of Bishop W.W. Hamilton, what many did not know is the process of her separation from the Grand Ole Church and what her aspirations were in doing so.

To the point, in the interview Dr. Flunder outlines 3 areas that were problematic for her in COGIC. 1- Her view of social involvement, as the church was not adequately engaged in social intervention. 2 - Her view of women's ministry opportunities, as the church did not and does not Ordain women to "Eldership" or to the Bishoporic, and 3 - Her struggle with her lesbian "orientation". Dr. Flunder explained how God freed her so that she could show "integrity" in her walk with Christ as I will explain next... 

New Revelation ~ "That's your issue, not mine"

Dr. Flunder wanted to make it plain that initially she was not embracing her "orientation" of lesbianism. Claiming to have been married to a gay male church associate before her subsequent 30 plus year "marriage" to her lesbian spouse, she said that she was an avid seeker of the Lord regarding her condition and contended that she wanted what she though was her her freedom from same sex attraction, at least until God spoke to her. According to Dr. Flunder, one day, after seeking God through fasting and prayer regarding her homosexual bent, she "nearly" heard an audible voice of God tell her, "That's your issue, not mine"...it was at that point that she felt she was freed from having to comply and or conform to the church's understanding of sexuality and could live in "integrity", coming out of the closet embracing her lesbianism. 

In other words, God affirmed to her that her lesbianism was NOT an issue, and neither was it a problem to God in her pursuit of a spiritually right relationship with God or personal pursuits within the Christian community. 

Progressive Revelation

Well, needless to say, Dr. Flunder does not believe the canon of scripture is closed. In fact, Dr. Flunder views the words of Paul and his teaching quite dubiously (no wonder) She flat out accredits the "That's your issue, not mine" as God's affirmation that homosexuality ( and I would suppose sexual impurity) doesn't matter. Either way she does not believe that biblical revelation is the final authority. Subsequently, according to her, any individual can have and receive additional revelation on the same par as biblical writ as a result.

To support my conclusion, her teaching is rather clear on the issue. From the FOAM website: 

"I am often asked to clarify my relationship to the Bible, or the gathered group of books, stories, experiences, songs and promises that make up our most common canon. I read and reflect on our Bible daily. I also believe we can receive revelation for our time beyond what the writers of the Bible imagined possible."

She goes on to further note:

"...So are we, writing living evolving theology for those who will come after us. I believe we know the God of the Bible, and we can trust the God beyond the Bible. No book can hold the greatness and full revelation of God."

Now I must say that this is slick. Without saying as much, she says that the bible does not hold the information that we need to have a "full revelation" of God, and that the revelation contained within the bible is culturally commensurate (relative) rather than final and authoritative (objective) This is highly problematic, but is aligned with the gay advocacy view of Christian belief.

The Morality of Harm

Amazingly, Dr. Flunder says that sexual ethics and all ethics should be fueled by morality of harm. Now this is a complex argument rooted in headonism which basically says, "if it hurts, its bad, and if it feels good, and doesn't hurt nobody then it is good". Now, I have tackled in more than a few articles on this blog. However, it amazes me that she takes that view. Why? because of her desire for social activism. Many people loose their lives because they aren't hurting anyone...I mean look at it...a drug addict, doing drugs in their home, certainly can't be hurting anyone right? Yet, people die from drugs and drug overdoses everyday. According to the The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) nearly 130 people die of opioid drug abuse by itself in America. Worldwide nearly 250,000 lives are lost annually to illegal drug use. In these cases, who was harmed? Before death the families. During death the individuals and after death society as a whole. I only use this example to say that the morality of harm argument always falls flat on its face is not a moral standard to judge whether something is right or wrong by any means. There must be a better, more objective standard.

Nevertheless, Dr. Flunder follows the LGBT playbook, claiming that "harm" should be the guideline for all sexual and non-sexual ethics as well. ie: if there is no "harm" then it should be allowable. What of the over 50,000 men that die annually of AIDS over 90 to 95% of them having contracted the disease through homosexual or MSM sex? Another question, how could this lead to self love that she claims is an essential part of a person's character and being?

Homosexual Promiscuity

At a point in the interview, recognizing that the homosexual lifestyle could be and has been a promiscuous one, but Dr. Flunder shifts the blame for this response to the culture for not accepting homosexuality (calling it a "wilderness experience" and even "repression" that leads to "obsession) and causing them (homosexuals) to live closeted lifestyles, embracing closeted values, ideals and behaviors which have damaged countless lives and communities.  

How Does A Homosexual Live Holy?

For Dr. Flunder and her followers and a growing number of individuals Christianity is certainly not incompatible with homosexuality or a homosexual lifestyle. in fact, if you listen closely enough they claimed to be "blessed" to be able to experience same gender LUST, which is certainly a deception of the enemy. 

This contrast or polarization was the quintessential question that was left unanswered in this program. No matter the rationalization or the good deeds toward humanity, there was no answer or bridge between homosexuality and holiness at least on a scriptural basis. This link or acceptance is described by Flunder a purely human construct. 

A Dunamis Word On The Issues

Towards the end of Dr. Flunder's segment, she told a story that had been circulating for some time now. How a group of "leaders" were preparing themselves for a trip to a certain place in South Africa that allowed grown men to have sex with children as young as 14 years old and how every "leader" was complicit and eager to go to this venue to express their sexual appetite and explore their pedophilia as a sort of earned reward for the ministerial work that they had done. 

We have never heard a definitive list of who these men were. Then others speculate why was Flunder in the crowd and why, knowing that she was there asking questions as a sort of news reporter, the men were they so eager to pronounce the debauchery and evil that they were planning? I wonder that too...who were these men, and how did she just happen to be among them and why were they so eager to explain themselves to her? 

While speculation persists regarding these events and their truthfulness and accuracy, without a doubt, we can say that the true and real life influence of the church has been damaged by the hypocritical leadership and the hypocritical lives that have been created and produced. As a body of believers, we should acknowledge the problems produced by inconsistency of heart, mind and soul and by what appears to be a surrender by too many to live ungodly and embrace sin. 

Look at it, on one hand we (the church) has endorsed holiness and what is right, while we have practiced and even made allowances for sins that we "like" and or "favor". Dr. Flunder herself, singing a song, "Thank you" which I have sang many times, was yet struggling and even realizing that she was a lesbian while on a stage, singing that very song...but yet the stage was open to her to make history. 

Yes, the church has helped the DL community within its walls thrive in its shame, because it has used for entertainment, and amusement, produced and acted out by many of the same individuals that embrace and live in homosexuality, instead of ministering to them and helping them out of the darkness of sexual perversion. I mean look at it, when bishop or pastor hardprick is on film having sex or flaunting his new lover, whether straight or gay, that is not exactly a clarion call to others to leave their perversion. This sort of lack of integrity, has led to countless fornication, adulteries and babies and in some cases whole families either by bigamy or out of wedlock all together and the destruction of whole congregations or at a minimum their hopes and dreams. 

For certain JUDGEMENT will begin at the house of God. From the Inquisition on to slavery and every injustice between, during and after, to those who have lived in excess, using people for change, to those who have abused, raped, molested and have NOT repented or done their first works over, they will not escape and their action and deeds will be reconciled by God. 

In that Great and Terrible day there will be no escape and all the defiled will remain as such, as well as the clean until the reconciliation is past. I see Dr. Flunder's statements are being more than just statements affirming homosexuality. I see her statements as a barometer for the church, that allows us to examine just how far we will go for peace, relevance and a sense of community. 

in a writing such as this, I must remind every homosexual that the unpardonable sin has not been committed by their actions, but like EVERY sexual perversion, homosexuality IS a sin that should be rejected, repented of, and turned away from. One does not receive freedom by turning away from truth. one receives freedom by embracing it no matter how much it may initially hurt. 

We will all leave this life with a wound. Thank God that HE can heal all our wounds, sicknesses and diseases, no matter how deep they are or may become. 

There is HOPE and that hope is found within HIM who is able to make you a NEW CREATURE! 

Blessed!

Next Article:

The Biblical Marriage

Dr. Flunder consistently says that people do not want a biblical marriage pointing out the OT and various laws and customs which we would reject in modern times. However, is Dr. Flunder correct in her assertion? We will examine that in the followup to this article.        

Read more!