Daily Devotional for Thursday June 13, 2013

The George Zimmerman Trial and Race

(Genesis 1:26,27; Deuteronomy 10:17; Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11; Galatians 3:28)

***ASK BILL: Pastor Bill, why do some people talk about near death experiences when I myself knew nothing when I had my heart attack and respiratory arrest until I woke up 8 days later on the vent.

ANSWER: The Bible says the dead have no more part of this life. I feel people who claim these visions after dying are sincere, but believe they were really never dead to begin with and dismiss what they claim. Yes, there may have been a few moments when machines said they were dead, but they clearly were NOT dead or they would not have come back to life. I am certain our finite minds have NO ability to even begin to understand or comprehend what eternity in heaven, or hell, will be like.

The George Zimmerman trial and race. Last year when the shooting and death of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman in an Orlando suburb occurred, I was sickened how it was immediately turned into an issue of race. Over the next few months in an Orlando courtroom, the events of that fateful night will be presented to a jury who will decide Zimmerman's guilt or innocence. Sadly, no matter what the jury's verdict is there will be outrage and possible violence by those who disagree with that verdict.

Every time any incident with racial overtones occurs, the same people rise up to try and cash in. People like the faux Reverends Sharpton and Jackson, to stoke the fires of racism and act like they are relevant. I am still waiting for these two race-baiting opportunists to apologize for inciting racial animosity during the Duke lacrosse fiasco where everything they alleged proved to be a lie. Sharpton of course still has yet to take responsibility for his role in the Tawana Brawley scam several decades ago, while Jackson is in the news for his shakedown of corporations and fathering babies with women other than his wife

*Note: I still can't understand why a legitimate news organization like NBC, would have anything to do with Sharpton, let alone put this illiterate man who constantly butchers the English language, on the air.

What we do know about the Zimmerman case after all of the hype and false narratives that were presented is that Martin, is not the choir boy he was made out to be, but a young man who smoked pot, glorified guns, thought of himself as some sort of gangster wannabe with his gold teeth, who was kicked out of school on numerous occasions for fighting and drugs.

Zimmerman on the other hand, seems to be a wanna be policeman who took his role as a community watchman a bit too seriously. The trial will reveal how much of his aggressive actions that fateful night led to his altercation with Martin that ended up with Martin being shot dead.

Let me say this up front, racism is another dividing tactic straight from the pits of hell itself and is found from the early days of human existence and is still present around the world today! There is no white race, black race, brown race, yellow race, red race, or polka dot race. We are all of one race...the HUMAN RACE!

What does God say about racism? The Bible says that ALL MEN are created in the image of God. God created all men equal. I tell you frequently that satan is the great perverter. It is satan, not God, who seeks to divide men by their skin color, ethnicity, financial means, and any other way you can dream up to divide people. God created men equal to live in harmony with one another. It is satan who introduced division into the human experience.

In God's plan of redemption, there is no division. John 3:16 says that God so loved the world, ALL men. It says that WHOSOEVER BELIEVES. That is a universal call to ALL MEN regardless the color of their skin or where they live. In 1 John 2:2, it talks about how Jesus laid down his life for EVERYONE. Everyone means ALL MEN, the entire human race. This satanically inspired way we have of dividing ourselves through racism, prejudice, and discrimination all make a mockery of what Christ did on the cross. He faithfully and obediently went to that cross to die for the sins of ALL MANKIND.

You also have the Biblical example of Jesus during His earthly ministry. Again, racism is not a new phenomena to the United States in our brief 237 year history. Forms of racism have been part of the human expedience since the very beginning. Jesus commanded us in John 13:34 to love each other as He loves us. He used people of other ethnic backgrounds often in His parables. One of the most powerful is the story of the Good Samaritan.

If you remember, the Jewish religious leaders passed by the man who had been robbed and beaten and laying on the side of the road, leaving him to die. It was the Samaritan, the non-Jew, who honored God by stopping and ministering to the needs of the injured man. Don't forget, it was Jesus who told his followers to make disciples of EVERY NATION, reaffirming the value of all men.

I love you and care about you so much. Dividing men by skin color, ethnicity, are the works of the devil. Those who truly seek to serve and follow the Lord are not looking to divide men but unite them. A true follower of Christ understands that God created all men equal, that we are all part of the human race. Racism, prejudice, and discrimination are NOT of God, since we are hurting someone God created and loves and Jesus died for!

Sadly, 11 am on Sunday morning is the most segregated hour of the week in this nation. That is truly a shame since the one sanctuary from racism should be the church. Yet sadly, most churches don't lead the culture, they allow the culture to lead them. So rather than modeling what God says about this issue, in far too many churches, they perpetuate this ungodly attitude men have for other men who look different than them.

They better wake up since when we die, and stand at the gates of Heaven, there won't be a line for whites, or a line for blacks, or a line for Asians, or a line for Hispanics, or a line for those from the Middle East, just like there won't be a line for Catholics, or Baptists, or Methodists, or Pentecostals. No my friend, when you take your last breath there will only be two lines. One for those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ and one for those who have rejected Christ.

The Bible proclaims those who reject Christ will be cast into the flames of hell for all eternity, and those who know Jesus will be welcomed into their eternal home with God their Creator in Heaven. At that moment, Galatians 3:38 will be realized, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus!"

In His love and service,

Your friend and brother in Christ,

Bill Keller