Just a few links today, but they're ALL worth reading... take a few minutes to check out each of these:
(only half in jest) Tender consciences and the preaching ministry of faithful shepherds is resulting, today, in many reformed men repenting of their hard-heartedness toward brothers in Christ evidenced most clearly by the chronic neglect of the biblical command, "Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss." We know we must repent and produce fruit in keeping with repentance, but how?
May I suggest, brothers, that we not try to bridge this gap all at once, but rather take a few baby steps to cover the distance between our current practice and biblical obedience. Starting with manly hugs seems a reasonable baby step, doesn't it?
You know how I like to end these with a laugh- and that last link does the trick- so with that, I'm outta here. If you haven't yet, go read those articles!
5 comments:
Enjoyed our chat. That video was hilarious! And I totally agree with what Luther said about family life. Wow...he put it perfectly! And it was only a couple weeks ago I was praying for God to make the babies stop waking me up in the night - how dare He allow that to happen and interrupt my sleep and then expect me to be joyful the next day! Now I'm cherishing those night wakings and seeing them as an opportunity to pray for my girls. And after what Luther said about childbirth, I think I can make it through the next delivery without an epidural! Whew! Let me type up what he said and pin a poster up on the wall for me to read while I'm pushing! Hehe. Thanks for your ministry through this site.
Loved the article by Piper. This issue was a shock for me when I arrived back in America after having done most of my growing up overseas. I was in the South and I was unaware that this racism is rampant.
I vividly remember sitting in the traditional church we were attending and hearing a sermon on this same exact story. The guy was an interim pastor so was at liberty to take this church places others never could have. David and I were grinning as it was obviously apparent how the entire sanctuary was extremely uncomfortable. We loved it!
It was great during my time there to have a close friend who had been taught by her pastor that these marriages were a sin and her family kept close tabs throughout her schooling which friends she got close to. In college she was able to become very good friends with a black girl in her class and was so delighted in how much they had in common. It was great to see her eyes opened...
The article by John Piper was interesting to me. My husband and I have had some "issues" at three different churches, thanks to our differing races, and those experiences were both shocking and eye opening to me.
I just finished a book about having a Godly home by a Christian author that included a section about the Bible prohibiting interracial marriage. Racism is bad enough as is, but even worse when it comes from the mouth of a Christian, especially an author who is attempting to minister to others!
Loved the article by Piper. Thanks for sharing!
Jazzy
Being African-American, I was especially impressed with the Piper article. Believe me, there is a cultural taboo from our side as well when it comes to interracial marriage. I've often said that I would rather my daughters marry a white man who loved the Lord than a black heathen. This has been met with skepticism and disapproval from family members-Christian and not Christian alike. I've often heard it said that Sunday is the most segregated day of the week in America. Shame on us and hats off to you Jess for referencing such a thought provoking article. And thanks for the humorous video, too.
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