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| This Photo Was Posted by a NFL Player |
As a Pastor I will not bow to the pressures of the politically correct left nor jettison a truly gospel-centered ministry for so called "social justice" politics. I would gladly march to Selma with Dr. Martin Luther King but I would not cross the street to stand with current "Civil Rights" leaders like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. I refuse to embrace a false narrative in order to convince people that I really am not a racist. Minorities who truly know me; (our neighbors who live across the street from us, minority church members, our Awana and youth group kids; former co-workers, athlete-friends, my old roommate Jimmy) all know the "content of my character" and the overall direction of my life; (which I must quickly add is all of grace; 1 Cor. 15:10).
This week a family member who serves in law enforcement asked for prayer as many serious "death threats" have been made against officers in California and throughout the U.S.A. Also this week a church member who serves in our local police force was injured in the line of duty. According to black politician Herman Cain some protesters even danced on the night of the Dallas murder spree. In addition to this, a black NFL player posted a graphic drawing on Instagram of a man in a black hood slitting the throat of a police officer (see the image above). Can you even imagine if Tom Brady ever posted something as hateful like this? Forget Deflategate. President Obama would personally suspend Brady for an entire season (and rightfully so). Underneath this hate-inspired picture this NFL player's caption read: “Mood: They give police all types of weapons and they continuously choose to kill us…#Weak.” Sadly, this very narrative was all too common before and after the Dallas massacre. Miss. Alabama initially stated that she could not help but view the sniper who targeted and murdered five Dallas police officer as a "MARTYR;" even though this man admitted that his goal was to murder "white people" and "white police officers" in mass. (See rap lyrics below if you want to know what/who encourages this kind of thinking and behavior-note James 3). In St. Paul, Minnesota 21 police officers were injured by "peaceful" protesters. One officer received a spinal fracture. Freeways were shut down. Stores were closed. Innocent civilians were hurt. Need I go on?
Rewind the tape back to Feb. 22, 2015. "For one day we felt like fire fighters." This is what a police officer told Pastor John MacArthur (post Ferguson riots). If you have not listened to it yet, MacArthur's gospel message on "Law Enforcement Appreciation Sunday" is a must listen. Only a fool would call John MacArthur a racist seeing John's church is extremely multi-racial. In addition to this, John himself was preaching with black pastors to black audiences in the South on the very night MLK Jr was shot. I believe John even received a misdemeanor for crossing the color line back when racism ruled too much of the Deep South. Yet many evangelical fools are out there and will no doubt call him racially insensitive.
The rap industry and Hollywood have been close allies of the BlackLivesMatter movement. Some time ago a rapper wrote a telling song titled, Cop Killer. Here are some of the lyrics (I have edited out the profanities).
"I got my black shirt on.
I got my black gloves on.
I got my ski mask on.
This XXX been too long.
I got my twelve gauge sawed off.
I got my headlights turned off.
I'm 'bout to bust some shots off.
I'm 'bout to dust some cops off.
I'm a cop killer, better you than me.
Cop killer, XXX police brutality!
Cop killer, I know your family's grieving,
(XXX 'em!) Cop killer, but tonight we get even, ha ha.
I got my brain on hype.
Tonight will be your night.
I got this long-XXX knife.
And your neck looks just right.
My adrenaline's pumpin'.
I got my stereo bumpin'.
I'm 'bout to kill me somethin'.
A pig stopped me for nuthin'!
Cop killer, better you than me.
Cop killer, XXX police brutality!
Cop killer, I know your momma's grieving,
(XXX her!) Cop killer, but tonight we get even, yeah!
Die, die, die pig, die!
FXXX the police!
XXX the police!
XXX the police....."
Phil Johnson posted many pictures this past week which echoed this same sentiment (innocent, unarmed, black men are consistently targeted by cops; it is only poetic justice for them to die; etc). Many I fear share the angry sentiment of Tupac- who famously rapped, "Cops don't give a XX a negro/one shot in the head/now he's a hero!"
In stark contrast to the careless words spoken by our President Obama and many others stands Dallas Police Chief, David Brown. According to Divine Providence, Brown is also African-American and he appears to be just the right man for the moment! Tragically, shortly after the sniper attack Mr. Brown began to receive death threats (as did his entire family). One could only wish a real leader with this kind of character were running for President. I would enthusiastically support a leader like Mr. Brown.
As I stated before, so I say again, the answer to these deep rooted problems is the gospel of peace and ministry of reconciliation. The Christian Church must keep first things first as we seek to flesh out the implications of Galatians 3:28 and Romans 1:16-17 before a lost and angry world!
This week a family member who serves in law enforcement asked for prayer as many serious "death threats" have been made against officers in California and throughout the U.S.A. Also this week a church member who serves in our local police force was injured in the line of duty. According to black politician Herman Cain some protesters even danced on the night of the Dallas murder spree. In addition to this, a black NFL player posted a graphic drawing on Instagram of a man in a black hood slitting the throat of a police officer (see the image above). Can you even imagine if Tom Brady ever posted something as hateful like this? Forget Deflategate. President Obama would personally suspend Brady for an entire season (and rightfully so). Underneath this hate-inspired picture this NFL player's caption read: “Mood: They give police all types of weapons and they continuously choose to kill us…#Weak.” Sadly, this very narrative was all too common before and after the Dallas massacre. Miss. Alabama initially stated that she could not help but view the sniper who targeted and murdered five Dallas police officer as a "MARTYR;" even though this man admitted that his goal was to murder "white people" and "white police officers" in mass. (See rap lyrics below if you want to know what/who encourages this kind of thinking and behavior-note James 3). In St. Paul, Minnesota 21 police officers were injured by "peaceful" protesters. One officer received a spinal fracture. Freeways were shut down. Stores were closed. Innocent civilians were hurt. Need I go on?
The rap industry and Hollywood have been close allies of the BlackLivesMatter movement. Some time ago a rapper wrote a telling song titled, Cop Killer. Here are some of the lyrics (I have edited out the profanities).
"I got my black shirt on.
I got my black gloves on.
I got my ski mask on.
This XXX been too long.
I got my twelve gauge sawed off.
I got my headlights turned off.
I'm 'bout to bust some shots off.
I'm 'bout to dust some cops off.
I'm a cop killer, better you than me.
Cop killer, XXX police brutality!
Cop killer, I know your family's grieving,
(XXX 'em!) Cop killer, but tonight we get even, ha ha.
I got my brain on hype.
Tonight will be your night.
I got this long-XXX knife.
And your neck looks just right.
My adrenaline's pumpin'.
I got my stereo bumpin'.
I'm 'bout to kill me somethin'.
A pig stopped me for nuthin'!
Cop killer, better you than me.
Cop killer, XXX police brutality!
Cop killer, I know your momma's grieving,
(XXX her!) Cop killer, but tonight we get even, yeah!
Die, die, die pig, die!
FXXX the police!
XXX the police!
XXX the police....."
Phil Johnson posted many pictures this past week which echoed this same sentiment (innocent, unarmed, black men are consistently targeted by cops; it is only poetic justice for them to die; etc). Many I fear share the angry sentiment of Tupac- who famously rapped, "Cops don't give a XX a negro/one shot in the head/now he's a hero!"
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| Our Church Awana Christmas Musical |
In stark contrast to the careless words spoken by our President Obama and many others stands Dallas Police Chief, David Brown. According to Divine Providence, Brown is also African-American and he appears to be just the right man for the moment! Tragically, shortly after the sniper attack Mr. Brown began to receive death threats (as did his entire family). One could only wish a real leader with this kind of character were running for President. I would enthusiastically support a leader like Mr. Brown.
As I stated before, so I say again, the answer to these deep rooted problems is the gospel of peace and ministry of reconciliation. The Christian Church must keep first things first as we seek to flesh out the implications of Galatians 3:28 and Romans 1:16-17 before a lost and angry world!
