When I bow...

America is undergoing severe trials at the moment and a lot of it revolves around racism. Apparently, they are being exhorted to bow their knee to the coloured population and beg forgiveness for being white.

Whilst the majority of  African-American people do not want this and just want to live peacefully with all men, especially white, there are those who are being whipped up into a frenzy and now require it.

Today here in Australia, we are seeing mass rallies protesting "Black Lives Matter" responding to aboriginal deaths in custody, and like in America, it is being contrived by certain people to have political gain and is driven on a false pretext that will eventually end in anarchy.

The spirit of Lawlessness is alive and well and multiplying. The mob mentality is rife. It is what is to be expected and was prophesied to come before the Rapture and second coming of the LORD.

The tone of racism is that we who are white should be ashamed and we should bow to the person of colour in an attitude of repentance and solidarity. It assumes that God has made a mistake in creating the human race in different skin hues and that is insulting to our Creator to say the least.

To require that we bow before another human negates our worth and minimises the beauty of humanity who were created in God's image. Our colour is not our worth: we are all worthy of respect from all races and were created equal in God's sight.

In as much as God considered all humanity equal, Christ died for ALL men. We are His children and He has no favourites.

It will be a wonderful- no, glorious Day when we gather together in front of the Throne of God. We will all kneel before Him- black, brown, red, yellow, white toned Saints unified and bought by the Blood of Christ. Before that great and glorious Day comes, we would do well to love each other and bow to no man. 

I won't say I am sorry for being white any more than I would if I was born coloured- and when I bow, it will be adoration, worship and awe to Jesus Who loves all His many hued children equally.

© Glenys Robyn Hicks        

For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God."  Romans 14:11 

Is interracial marriage scriptural?

It is sad that there is world-wide prejudice amongst people of different race. White people are prejudiced about coloured people and vice versa. As Christians, this shouldn’t be for Christ died for all men. John 12:32 ‘and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.’ Romans 14:11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." Yet despite this, we still have Christians who are prejudiced against people of different race or colour.

Often Christians ask if inter-racial marriage is scriptural. I believe it is, but let's actually see what the Word says....

The case for the Ethiopian (black) woman in Numbers 12:1-10

And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard [it].

(Now the man Moses [was] very meek, above all the men which [were] upon the face of the earth.) And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out.

And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood [in] the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.

And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, [I] the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, [and] will speak unto him in a dream.

My servant Moses [is] not so, who [is] faithful in all mine house.

With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed.

And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam [became] leprous, [white] as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, [she was] leprous.

Here we see that the LORD was angry because of the way Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses marrying a black woman. If Miriam was made a leper because of Gods' displeasure in her speaking against an innocent man then we can see that God has no qualms about inter-racial marriage. Obviously, God did not even hint that Moses had sinned by marrying an Ethiopian woman.

The Bible never classes a coloured person as a second rate person as we see in this beautiful story of the Spirit causing Philip to evangelise an Ethiopian (black) eunuch. And then we see his subsequent salvation and baptism. Acts 8:26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.

Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to [him], and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the man of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. 

And as they went on [their] way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, [here is] water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

So even though man makes distinctions, God sees people as people regardless of their race.

Nowhere in scripture do we see God telling us not to marry if our intended spouse is of another ethnic or racial persuasion to us....He does tell us repeatedly that we are only to marry another Christian.... and I see that as irregardless of colour or race...

There may be a few more difficulties with handling the prejudices of others: I do not see that as a scriptural matter. Obviously from the scriptures showing Miriam and Aarons' disapproval of Moses' marriage to a woman of colour, we can see that there has always been a prejudice of some people regarding inter-racial marriage. However, God does not require that we marry only someone of the same race as ourselves...only we are to marry "in the LORD"

© Glenys Robyn Hicks                   

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14

A great reason to rejoice!

Most of us do not have a problem with racial prejudice. Indeed, it is something that I believe is a learned thing. Something that is passed on from older generation to younger.

I have seen babies of different colour and ethnicity play happily together in Church creches, oblivious to the fact that they are different in skin hue.

Sadly, by the time those children enter school, the stigma of being different and consequent racial prejudice is taking hold.

I myself have no problem with making friends with people of colour and they have no problem with me, even though I have the whitest of white skin and summer palette colouring. 

Indeed, some of my closest friends are a South African black couple and a Sri Lankan black woman. The latter being like a sister to me. 

On coming to Australia, all three people were incredulous that they weren't segregated into places and situations stipulated for coloureds only. The South Africans couldn't get over being able to swim with the whites and the Sri Lankan woman was amazed that we don't look down on her as was the custom in her home country.

I don't know why colour is such an issue, and I can only imagine that Jesus weeps over this sad state. After all, He died for all in every tribe, nation and tongue.

What I do know is that colour is not important to those of us who truly love the LORD. We are simply brothers and sisters in Christ.

And another thing we can be certain of is that there will be no apartheid and coloured sections in Heaven. And that's a great reason to rejoice! 

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

”My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart [shall be] of understanding. ” Psalm 49:3