I know that this topic doesn’t directly involve Evangelicalism or mysticism. But this is my blog and I can say whatever I want on it. And you may find, that as the years go on, I will discuss various topics. Social topics. Topics about holiness. Charismatic topics. Contemplative topics. Bible topics. House Church, etc. Today I will address a social topic–the topic of racism.
I am an American citizen and I live in the 21st century. I am also a white male. Let me fill you in on some of the historical background of where I live. In the 1600s, white immigrants from England, Scotland, Ireland, and other European countries purchased African slaves, and forced them to work on their farms here in America. Primarily in the Southeastern United States; and ironically known today as the “Bible Belt.” Most of these white slaveowners were also churchgoers. Although Paul speaks of slavery in the New Testament, we would be wrong to assume that he taught Christians to purchase slaves. Paul’s notion of slavery was that, as citizens of the Roman Empire, Christians should do all that they could to fit into the culture (1 Cor. 9:22). He did not preach against slavery, but taught Roman Christian slaveowners to be good to their slaves; and slaves to be obedient to their masters (Eph. 6:5-9). Peter said that even if a Christian slave has a wicked master, he should be sincerely obedient to him as a witness for Christ (1 Pet. 2:18-20).

You might think that it is wrong that Peter and Paul didn’t preach against the institution of slavery. But we must understand that God probably didn’t want them to do this because it would have been too radical, and would have brought even more resistance to the spreading of the Gospel in the Roman Empire–which was already practicing slavery. Peter and Paul were Jews. They knew their heritage. The Jews were enslaved by Pharaoh in Egypt, and God sent them Moses to be their deliverer (Exod. 3:7-10). GOD OBVIOUSLY HATES SLAVERY. The prophet Jeremiah said, “Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his countrymen work for nothing, not paying them for their labor” (22:13).
But slavery and anti-black discrimination has been practiced by churchgoing whites for most of American history. It was only the Quakers and the Methodists who were opposed to it, and a few others–these were called abolitionists because they wanted to abolish slavery. Catholics, Puritans, Southern Baptists, Anglicans, etc.–they were all pro-slavery. Interesting too might I add–that it was the Quakers and Methodists who were the only Charismatic groups in America in the late 1600s and 1700s. The Spirit of God led them by dreams, visions, and inspirations to organize an “underground railroad” and free the American slaves by other methods of political and social action. In the 1800s, this led to the Civil War, and eventually to Abraham Lincoln’s “Emancipation Proclamation” for the freedom of the slaves. Progressively, the Confederate slave states began to give up their practice of slavery. By 1865, all slavery had ended in America.

But the demonic spirits of slavery, racism (my race is better than your race), discrimination, hate, and bitterness have remained to this day. If you are not an American, and you are reading this, then you can only imagine the social tension between American whites and American blacks that exists today. It is, I am sorry to say, still very terrible. It is now late in the year 2010. Only 50 years ago, America saw the Civil Rights movement, headed by Martin Luther King, Jr. Although a theological liberal, he was an American Baptist pastor, and social activist. I have heard that Dr. King wasn’t necessarily the most saintly of men–even to the point of alcoholism and adultery. But I always have and always will believe that he was inspired by God when he gave his “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963. Here is a sampling from that speech:

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal’ … I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character … With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. … When we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”
Up until after Dr. King’s profound influence on the laws of the land, America had all sorts of social rules about RACIAL SEGREGATION: white drinking fountains, colored drinking fountains, white waiting rooms, colored waiting rooms, white restaurants, colored restaurants, white bathrooms, colored bathrooms. The SOCIAL TENSION was and is still AWFUL! Might I say that this demon spirit of racism is still alive and well today? HATE. Might I declare that THIS GRIEVES THE SPIRIT OF GOD! Many American blacks hate whites–just because. Many American whites hate blacks–just because. They all need deliverance from these spirits if they want to be “free at last.” MAY GOD REBUKE THEM, FORGIVE THEM, AND RESTORE THEM IN HIS SPIRIT! IN JESUS’ NAME!

Even today, in the southern states, you see rednecks and country whites sporting their Confederate flags with pride. They say it’s about “Southern heritage.” That’s a bunch of stinking garbage. It’s about racism. Have some discernment of spirits.

It should be obvious that the modern usage of the Confederate flag as a nostalgic ornament is a symbol of white racism, the ongoing spirit of slavery, and hatred of black people. It’s the centuries old demon spirit of the abusive white slaveowner. Look at the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) for example. These guys are really sick. They are anti-black, white supremacists, that dress in strange white costumes and sport the Confederate flag as a symbol of their continued hatred of blacks, and willingness to enforce slavery upon them. It’s just sick, mentally ill, psychopathic–demonic racism.

But it goes both ways. It is easy to point out the racist whites, because of their history of abuse and enslavement of the blacks. But the American nation is under the curse of an immense psychological wound–on both sides. From the days of slavery, to the days of segregation, to today–a psychological wound. The blacks are emotionally wounded, because the whites enslaved them. But also, and especially since the days of the Civil Rights movement, and BLACK SUPREMACISTS like the Black Panthers and Nation of Islam–whites are also emotionally wounded by being mistreated by racist black people.

When will this ever stop? WITH FAITH IN CHRIST. Jesus is the One who delivers us from evil spirits. People need to get their eyes off of Social Services, universities, corporations, the American dream, and material prosperity. The wound remains. What needs to happen is that BOTH white and black people need to look at the cross of Christ, repent for their sins of racism, get right with God, and live by the Bible. Like the Asuza Street revival of 1906, we need to all get to the place where “the color lines are washed away in the Blood.”