Please make sure to watch today's video! It will bless you!
SCRIPTURE
Acts 10:34-43 (NRSV)
God shows no partiality
Then Peter began to speak to them: "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ - he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
DEVOTION
On yesterday and today, our daily scripture readings have challenged those of us in The Church to really take a look at ourselves and our ministries!
Today, we are challenged to examine whether racism is keeping us from sharing GOOD NEWS with everyone who lives in our communities!
Peter was a Jew and Cornelius was a Gentile. They did not share race, ethnicity, or culture; in fact, there was a law against Peter associating with any Gentile person.
Society dictated that they stay away from each other. Jewish people believed that Gentiles were dirty, unclean, and beyond the pale of God’s love.
But, then God broke into Peter’s insular world and told him to go to Cornelius’ house and share the GOOD NEWS! Peter said in response, “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”
Wow! This is a major challenge to the way we do worship in the United States and elsewhere. It has been said that Sunday morning is the most segregated day of the week! On Sunday, in over 90% of Christian churches, European-Americans go to white churches, African-Americans go to black churches, and Asian-Americans and American Indians go to their ethnic specific churches as well!
We simply do not do multi-ethnic ministry well and yet in today’s scripture Peter says, “God shows no partiality…”
If God shows no partiality, how can we? If Jesus was willing to do ministry across race and ethnicity, how can we justify doing anything differently?
My friends, churches all across America are languishing and dying because the members of those local churches are simply unwilling to change the status quo. They do not have the courage to open up their doors to the new neighbors and friends who have moved into the neighborhood. They are afraid of change—to tradition, leadership, worship, music, and ministry—and so their pews sit empty week after week when there is an entire neighborhood bustling around them and in desperate need of the GOOD NEWS!
My friends, simply put, this is sinful! We know that God loves the whole world so much that God gave Jesus. We know that there is neither Jew nor Gentile for we are all one in Christ. We know that our Great Commission is to go to all of the nations sharing GOOD NEWS and yet, we fail, week after week to bring the GOOD NEWS to the very people living next door to our churches because the color of their skin is different from ours.
Have mercy, Lord! We must do better!
No longer can we allow our fear of the unknown to hijack the GOOD NEWS. No longer can we allow our sin and racism to keep us from telling people that “Jesus saves and He saves to the utmost!” No longer can we allow our prejudice to cause us to “bar the doors” to those who look, smell, speak, dress, dance, worship, or play music differently from us!
We must follow the example of Jesus who died on the cross to atone for the sins of all of humanity! We must go out into our neighborhoods and find “the least of these” and bring them into the circle of God’s great love for them. We must go to people of all colors—Red, Yellow, Black, and White—and declare with Holy Ghost boldness, “Jesus loves you this I know for the Bible tells me so.”
We must make up our minds that we will not fight over things that are not unto salvation. We will not begrudge the person who wants to lift her hands, shout “Amen,” clap to the beat of a song, or even dance a bit in the aisles! (smile)
We must welcome a multiplicity of language and culture into the hallways of our churches, the art on our walls, the toys in our nurseries, the music in our worship and the foods at our fellowship hours, building bridges across the waters of racism and classism which have hitherto divided us.
And we must embrace this very simple truth. If you don’t like multi-ethnic ministry, you are going to hate Heaven!
Listen to the words of John the Revelator found in Revelation 7:9-10:
After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying,
‘Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!’
Oh, Hallelujah! This is what heaven will look like my friends! There are no red, yellow, black, or white ghettoes. There will be no division between cities, suburbs, and rural areas. No! No!
Every nation, tribe, people, and language will join together before the throne and before the Lamb to worship God together!
Since we know that this is true, let us begin to practice right now, upon the Earth, while we have time!
¡Si, Se Puede, mis amigos! (Yes, it can be done my friends!)
Will you share GOOD NEWS this week with someone who does not share your race or ethnicity?
Loving God, you have created all people equal in Your sight. Please help my heart and mind to embrace this truth. Please forgive me for the racism and/or prejudice that I have in my heart. Please help me to root it out so that it will not be a hindrance to my ability to share GOOD NEWS with others. I really want all of Your people—red, yellow, black, and white—to know that you love, gave, and save. I pray all of this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Congratulations to the people who have recently put all of their faith in Jesus! We are so excited about your new-found faith in Jesus! You are in our thoughts and prayers!
If you would like to put all of your hope in Jesus today, please visit my blog entitled, “Putting All Your Hope In Jesus” located at
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/04/putting-all-your-hope-in-jesus.html
If you have additional questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, "Come to Jesus"
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html
Pastor Yolanda is now publishing another blog entitled, “A Spoken WORD” in celebration of Holy Hip Hop, Gospel/Christian Rap and Spoken Word. Please check it out @ http://aspokenword.blogspot.com/
You are invited to follow Pastor Yolanda on Twitter www.twitter.com/PastorYolanda
Good News has now added a Prayer Ministry. http://www.kindlejoy.com/groups/goodnews
You are invited to leave comments or questions regarding today’s devotional. These comments are public.
EACH ONE--REACH ONE! To share GOOD NEWS with a friend please click the "Share With Friends" button to the right!
Thanks for reading and please come again. Pastor Yolanda extends a very special welcome to all of our friends reading outside of the United States of America! We are honored that you are sharing with us today.
From Pastor Yolanda's blog http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com
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