Juneteenth

Juneteenth refers to June 19, AD 1865.  That is the day federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas and announced to the slaves that they were now free.  At the time, there were about 250,000 slaves in Texas.  So Juneteenth, while a federal holiday, began as a uniquely Texas celebration.  It has been officially recognized in Texas since 1980, but celebrated there long before.  It began as an official federal holiday in 2021. 

 Part of the cost of ending slavery in the United States was the loss of around 620,000 men in the Civil War, about 2% of the population of the 1860s. 

 Union General Gordon Granger issued General Order Number 3, which read, “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freed are advised to remain at their present homes, and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts; and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.”  

 Read more about Juneteenth:

https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/juneteenth

 

Note; The Bible and Slavery:  Slavery was part of the world’s culture in Bible days, and for centuries thereafter.  That included slaves of many races.  The Bible tolerated slavery and urged slaves be treated well.  But when viewed as a whole, the Bible definitely points toward liberty for all and treating others as you would want to be treated (Genesis 1:27; Matthew 7:12; Philemon 1:16; etc.).  Two great Bible themes:  The Hebrews escaping slavery in Egypt (Exodus); All of us escaping the slavery of our sins through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 6:6; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Galatians 5:1; etc.). 

May everyone have a Happy Juneteenth! 

 -David R. Brumbelow, gulfcoastpastor.blogspot.com, June 20, AD 2022. 

 Articles: 

Quotes by Thomas Sowell

Quotes by Martin Luther King, Jr.

Saving for Retirement

Charles H. Spurgeon on Alcohol

Other Articles in lower right margin, Web

Version. 

Reasons to Oppose Critical Race Theory

I’m glad our Southern Baptist Convention seminary presidents recently condemned both racism and the Critical Race Theory.  Why not simply judge others by their character, rather than the color of their skin? 

Why so many oppose Critical Race Theory (CRT): 

CRT was founded in Marxism / Communism. 

CRT is racist towards White people and gives preferential treatment to Black people. 

CRT says since Black people were mistreated in the past, so White people should be mistreated today. 

CRT teaches that most all White people are racist, unless they agree with CRT. 

CRT is intolerant to opposing viewpoints.  When they say they want a dialogue; they really mean a monologue where others should just shut up, listen to, and agree with, their CRT views. 

CRT wants to view everything through the prism of race. 

CRT wants to make all Black people victims.  Many, many Blacks, however, are very successful in America.  Blacks enjoy great freedom in America.  Many are weary of hearing Black activists, who make ten times their salary, complain about how tough they have it. 

If there is so much systemic racism in the USA, why do so many Backs emigrate to America each year?  Many, many Blacks around the world wish to come to America.  And many do. 

Let’s condemn racism and CRT.  Let’s do our best to treat everyone equally, fairly.   

For those who desire more information, heritage.org (The Heritage Foundation) has some helpful, extensive information on Critical Race Theory. 

https://www.heritage.org/civil-rights/report/critical-race-theory-the-new-intolerance-and-its-grip-america

Significant Quotes:

Critical Race Theory (CRT) makes race the prism through which its proponents analyze all aspects of American life—and do so with a degree of persistence that has helped CRT impact all of American life. CRT underpins identity politics, an ongoing effort to reimagine the United States as a nation riven by groups, each with specific claims on victimization. In entertainment, as well as the education and workforce sectors of society, CRT is well-established, driving decision-making according to skin color—not individual value and talent. As Critical Theory ideas become more familiar to the viewing public in everyday life, CRT’s intolerance becomes “normalized,” along with the idea of systemic racism for Americans, weakening public and private bonds that create trust and allow for civic engagement. -The Heritage Foundation

https://www.heritage.org/civil-rights/report/critical-race-theory-the-new-intolerance-and-its-grip-america

“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.”   -Martin Luther King, Jr. 

"When America comes together, we've made tremendous progress. But powerful forces want to pull us apart. A hundred years ago, kids in classrooms were taught the color of their skin was their most important characteristic — and if they looked a certain way, they were inferior. Today, kids again are being taught that the color of their skin defines them — and if they look a certain way, they're an oppressor. From colleges to corporations to our culture, people are making money and gaining power by pretending we haven't made any progress. By doubling down on the divisions we've worked so hard to heal. You know this stuff is wrong. Hear me clearly: America is not a racist country. It's backwards to fight discrimination with different discrimination. And it's wrong to try to use our painful past to dishonestly shut down debates in the present."

-Senator Tim Scott (R-SC).  AD 2021 

-David R. Brumbelow, gulfcoastpastor.blogspot.com, May 4, AD 2021. 

 

Articles:

Before Rosa Parks There Was Ida B. Wells

Quotes by Thomas Sowell

SCRIPTURE INDEX for Ancient Wine and the Bible

Other Articles / Labels in lower right margin. 

I Have a Dream; Fulfilled

August 28, AD 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. preached his famous message, “I Have a Dream.”

He spoke of a check that needed to be cashed. 

“In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”  

-MLK

In his message, he specifically asked for three simple things (numbers have been added): 

“There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights,

‘When will you be satisfied?’ 

1.  We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities.

2.  We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one.

3.  We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote.

No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.”  

-Martin Luther King

To a large extent, these very legitimate requests have been satisfied.  America is vastly different in this respect than it was 54 years ago.  On a regular basis, I see Black folks treated the same as others – in motels, restaurants, banks, all types of businesses.  Not just as customers, but also employees. 

Speaking of ghettos, one of the best ways out is a job.  Black unemployment is now the lowest in 45 years. 

“In the 45 years since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking black unemployment, this is the first time that the black unemployment rate has dropped below 7 percent to just 6.8 percent.”  

-Armstrong Williams

Mississippi was specifically mentioned by King.  Today Mississippi has more Black elected officials than any other state in the nation.  No, that’s not to say Mississippi is perfect, but it has radically changed from the days Martin Luther King spoke these words.  

King continued,

“I have a dream that my four 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.”  

-Martin Luther King

While we have made great strides, this should always be our goal.  

To this I would add a more recent quote:

“The oppression of black people is over with. This is politically incorrect news, but it is true nonetheless. We blacks are, today, a free people. It is as if freedom sneaked up and caught us by surprise.

Of course, this does not mean there is no racism left in American life. Racism is endemic to the human condition, just as stupidity is. We will always have to be on guard against it. But now it is recognized as a scourge, as the crowning immorality of our age and our history.”

-Shelby Steele

Today, African-Americans, and all USA citizens are free.  Thank God for that.  Pray often for America.  Use your freedom wisely. 

-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, January 15, AD 2018. 

Before Rosa Parks There Was Ida B. Wells

Quotes by Martin Luther King, Jr.

Israel, May They Prosper Who Love You

Quotes by Thomas Sowell

11 Reasons to Not Drink Alcohol

Why Abortion Is Wrong

T. B. Maston on the Curse of Ham

More articles about racism and other subjects in the lower right margin.  

Confederate Statues, History, and Racism

Some of my thoughts on Confederate Statues, history, and racism. 

Racism is wrong and sinful.  Period. 

Racism on any side or from any racial group is wrong and sinful. 

Falsely charging someone with racism is also a serious wrong. 

The violence, injuries, and murder in Charlottesville, Virginia over the weekend is unjustified, wrong, and should be punished. 

The Confederate Statues and Memorials should stay and be protected.  They are part of our history and heritage.  They teach multiple lessons.  We should not cleanse and whitewash our own history.  

Those who are offended by Confederate Memorials - maybe that is part of the price you need pay for multi-culturalism.  Allowing these Statues helped in bringing a divided country together again.  Tolerance should work both ways.  

Confederate Statues should even be allowed to be established today. 

Get rid of other people’s Statues and Memorials, and you should not be surprised when one day others get rid of your Statues and Memorials.  How about being respectful and tolerant to both sides? 

On the other hand, Union Statues (Civil War era), Black Leaders Statues (liberal and conservative Black Leaders), other Ethnic Statues and Memorials should also be freely allowed (and are).  After all, we are a diverse, free society. 

A few ideas for statues of Black leaders:

Frederick Douglass

Booker T. Washington

Harriet Tubman

Ida B. Wells

George Washington Carver

John Jasper

Martin Luther King

S. M. Lockridge

Clarence Thomas

Thomas Sowell

Walter Williams 

Condoleezza Rice

The recent controversy at Charlottesville, Virginia was marred by hate and violence on both sides.  The murder by a White Supremacist should be punished to the full extent of the law. 

 The media needs to more fairly cover all sides.  

Vandalism of statues and memorials, no matter which side, should be condemned and prosecuted. 

Law Officers should vigorously uphold the law and arrest criminals, whether they be on the left or on the right; especially in riot situations.  

A couple of quotes I find interesting: 

“The hard left seemed as hate-filled as alt-right.  I saw club-wielding ‘antifa’ beating white nationalist being led out of the park.” 

-Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times, on the demonstrations in Charlottesville, VA.  

 “What about the politicians such as the city council who voted to remove a memorial that had been in place since 1924, regardless of the possible repercussions? How about the city politicians who issued the permit for the lawful demonstration to defend the statue? And why didn't the mayor or the governor see that a powder keg was about to explode and stop it before it got started?”

“I denounce bigotry and racism of every form, be it black, white or any other. My prayer is that our nation will come together. We are stronger together, and our answers lie in turning to God.”

 -Franklin Graham, Samaritan’s Purse, on Charlottesville, VA.  

Christians need to love, be an example to, and witness to racists and extremists on all sides. 

-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, August 15, AD 2017.

T. B. Maston on the Curse of Ham

Other articles in lower right margin.  

More on the Curse of Ham

There is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.  -Colossians 3:11 (NKJV) 

Some have recently brought up the fact that people of the past, and I suppose a few in the present, have used the Curse of Ham in Genesis 9 to justify slavery and racism.  It does not.  Some Southern Baptists used this argument years ago, but none I know of today.  Instead, for years Southern Baptists have spoken against this false idea. 

In a previous article it, was pointed out that Southern Baptist leader T. B. Maston spoke against this viewpoint back in 1959.  His book was published then and today by Southern Baptists. 

Southern Baptists have produced a commentary through LifeWay and Broadman & Holman (B&H); the New American Commentary.  It is presented here as just one of many more examples of Southern Baptists, and conservative Christians, repudiating racism in all its forms, and repudiating the false view that the Curse of Ham justifies racism. 

The New American Commentary on Genesis 9; the Curse of Ham. 

“There are no grounds in our passage for an ethnic reading of the ‘curse’ as some have done, supposing that some peoples are inferior to others.  Here Genesis looks only to the social and religious life of Israel’s ancient rival Canaan, whose immorality defiled their land and threatened Israel’s religious fidelity (cf. Leviticus 18:28; Joshua 23).  It was not an issue of ethnicity but of the wicked practices that characterized Canaanite culture. 

The biblical revelation made it clear that if Israel took up the customs of the Canaanites, they too would suffer expulsion.  It is transparent from Genesis 1-11, especially the Table of Nations (Genesis 10:1-32), that all peoples are of the same parentage (i.e., Noah) and thus are related by ancestry.  This we find at the outset by creation’s imago Dei [man is created in the Image of God], which is reaffirmed in God’s covenant with Noah and his sons, including Ham (Genesis 9:1,5-6). 

The blessing that befalls all peoples is carried forward by the Abrahamic promises, which counter the old curses by the blessing received by all peoples in any era who acknowledge the Lord.  ‘Any attempt to grade the branches of mankind by an appeal to Genesis 9:22-27 is therefore a re-erecting of what God has demolished’* (cf. Colossians 3:11; Galatians 2:18; 3:28).” 

-Kenneth A. Mathews, Genesis 1-11:27, New American Commentary, B&H; 1996. 

*D. Kidner, Genesis, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove: IVP, 1967), 103. 

-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, June 1, AD 2017. 

T. B. Maston on the Curse of Ham

Ancient Wine and the Bible - the Book; update

11 Reasons to Not Drink Alcohol

Wit And Wisdom Of My Dad

Up Fool Hill, by J. B. Gambrell

 More articles in lower right margin.  

T. B. Maston on the Curse of Ham

Then he said: “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants he shall be to his brethren.”  -Genesis 9:25

Dr. Thomas Buford Maston (AD 1897-1988) was a longtime Ethics professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas.  While a student, I had the opportunity to briefly visit with T. B. Maston on a walk around the SWBTS campus.  In 1959 Dr. Maston wrote “The Bible & Race,” published by Broadman Press.  It was a book ahead of its times.  In 2008 SWBTS reprinted this book as a part of its Centennial Classics. 

In the last chapter, Maston deals with the Curse of Ham, or the Curse of Canaan in Genesis 9.  This biblical passage has been wrongly used by some to justify slavery and racism.  I will not reprint the entire chapter, but Maston’s conclusion.    

Conclusions Concerning the Curse

“What can we conclude concerning the curse of Canaan and its relevance to the contemporary racial situation?  Some personal conclusions are as follows: 

1.  The curse was a pronouncement of a particular sentence on a particular sin. 

2.  The curse was a prophecy.  Its main purpose was to predict the subjugation of the Canaanites by the children of Israel. 

3.  The fulfilment of the terms of the curse and the time of the fulfilment were dependent on the decisions and the conduct of the ones mentioned in the curse. 

4.  The curse of Canaan has no direct relevance to the contemporary racial situation.  The Negro was not included in the original curse, since he was not and is not a descendant of Canaan.  Even if he were a descendant of Canaan, the curse itself is no longer in force. 

5.  Most men seek divine sanction for what they do or want to do. 

6.  In seeking divine sanction for enforced racial segregation, some have used the curse of Canaan, which they usually label ‘the curse of Ham,’ and the Bible in general to support their position. 

7.  Even Christians may defend racial segregation as the best method of temporarily and immediately handling a perplexing problem without doing great damage to the cause of Christ, so long as they will not use the curse of Canaan and other biblical incidents and teachings to support their position, and so long as they do not defend segregation as being the full and final expression of the divine will in human relations.  When the latter is done, irreparable harm is done to the Christian movement and to the Christian witness at home and abroad. 

Surely the God who created man in his own image, who made of one all men, who is no respecter of persons, who loved all men enough to give his Son for their salvation, and who taught us to love our neighbor as ourselves did not and does not intend that any man or any segment of mankind should be kept in permanent subserviency or should be treated as innately inferior, as second-class citizens in a first-class society.”

-T. B. Maston, The Bible & Race; 1959. 

-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, May 29, AD 2017. 

More on the Curse of Ham

Quotes by Thomas Sowell

Quotes by Martin Luther King, Jr.

Before Rosa Parks There Was Ida B. Wells

13 Reasons Why Not to Commit Suicide

 Many other articles in lower right margin.  

Quotes by Thomas Sowell

Thomas Sowell is a conservative professor, author, columnist.  He also happens to be black and grew up in North Carolina and New York.  He was born in AD 1930 and proudly considers himself a relic of the past. 

Sowell has a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Chicago, taught at UCLA and is a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution.  Senator Ted Cruz called  him a “brilliant thinker and writer.”  Sowell recently retired at age 86. 

I like quotes.  Even though I may not always agree with the author.  Even though I may not even agree with every nuance of the quote.  

Here are a few thoughts to ponder from Dr. Thomas Sowell. 

1. People who enjoy meetings should not be in charge of anything.

2. If you have always believed that everyone should play by the same rules and be judged by the same standards, that would have gotten you labeled a radical 60 years ago, a liberal 30 years ago, and a racist today.

3. Immigration laws are the only laws that are discussed in terms of how to help people who break them.

4. No community is better off for having large numbers of idle young males, hanging around with nothing to do except getting into trouble.

5. Socialism in general has a record of failure so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore or evade it.

6. The next time some academics tell you how important diversity is, ask how many Republicans there are in their sociology department.

7. The most basic question is not what is best, but who shall decide what is best.

8. The biggest and most deadly 'tax' rate on the poor comes from a loss of various welfare state benefits - food stamps, housing subsidies and the like - if their income goes up.

9. The real minimum wage is zero.

10. What 'multiculturalism' boils down to is that you can praise any culture in the world except Western culture - and you cannot blame any culture in the world except Western culture.

11. Elections should be held on April 16th- the day after we pay our income taxes. That is one of the few things that might discourage politicians from being big spenders.

12. The word ‘racism’ is like ketchup. It can be put on practically anything - and demanding evidence makes you a ‘racist.’ 

13. I am so old that I can remember when most of the people promoting race hate were white.

14. The black family survived centuries of slavery and generations of Jim Crow, but it has disintegrated in the wake of the liberals' expansion of the welfare state. 

15.  Chief among those who generate this poisonous atmosphere are career race hustlers like Al Sharpton and racist institutions like the "Black Lives Matter" movement. All such demagogues need is a situation where there has been a confrontation where someone was white and someone else was black. The facts don't matter to them. 

16. We have demonized those who produce, subsidized those who refuse to produce, and canonized those who complain. 

-Thomas Sowell (tsowell.com) 

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.  
-Proverbs 25:11

-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, December 28, AD 2016. 

More articles in lower right margin.  

Before Rosa Parks There Was Ida B. Wells

Rosa Parks is a famous Civil Rights leader. In 1955 when the white section of the bus was filled, Rosa refused to give up her seat in the colored section for a white person. But 71 years before Rosa Parks, there was Ida B. Wells.

Ida B. Wells (AD 1862-1931) was an African-American born into slavery. She was outspoken in defending the rights of black folks and spoke strongly against lynching. Active in the Republican Party, she lived in Memphis, Tennessee and later in Chicago, Illinois.

On May 4, 1884 Ida Wells had a first-class train ticket. The train conductor ordered her to give up her first-class seat and move to an already crowded smoking car. Wells refused the order. Finally the conductor and two others dragged her out of the car.

Wells hired a lawyer and sued the railroad. She wrote a news article giving wide publicity to her ordeal. Her lawyer was paid off by the railroad, so she hired another. She won her case and was granted $500. Later, however, her win was reversed by the Tennessee Supreme Court and she was ordered to pay court costs. Ida lamented, “Is there no justice in this land for us?”

Ida B. Wells continued her activism. She was a firm believer in the Second Amendment and offered the following advice to oppressed blacks.

“The lesson this teaches and which every Afro-American should ponder well, is that a Winchester rifle should have a place of honor in every black home, and it should be used for that protection which the law refuses to give. When the white man who is always the aggressor knows he runs as great a risk of biting the dust every time his Afro-American victim does, he will have greater respect for Afro-American life. The more the Afro-American yields and cringes and begs, the more he has to do so, the more he is insulted, outraged and lynched.” -Ida B. Wells, Southern Lynch Law in All Its Phases; 1892.

A Winchester rifle may be a good idea for anyone of any race who desires to protect his family.

So, the next time you hear of Rosa Parks, remember 71 years before her, was the Civil Rights leader, Ida B. Wells.

-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, July 26, AD 2016.

Articles:
Black Lives Matter; All Lives Matter
Gun Control

Other Articles in lower right margin.

Black Lives Matter; All Lives Matter

Then Peter opened his mouth and said: In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. -Acts 10:34-35

In Harris County and just outside of Houston, Texas, Deputy Sheriff Darren Goforth was a customer at a gas station. He was in uniform. As the white Deputy walked back to his vehicle, a black man walked up behind him and shot him in the back of the head. He continued to shoot him as the Deputy crumpled to the ground.

Later, Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman said,
“We’ve heard ‘black lives matter.’ ‘All lives matter.’ Well cops’ lives matter too. So why don’t we just drop the qualifying and just say, ‘lives matter.’”

The misreporting and misrepresentation of the incident in Ferguson, Missouri, and other such incidents have apparently led to the murder of several police officers. Lately racial issues have gotten worse instead of better.

A few general thoughts about racism.
1. White police officers are not systematically hunting down and murdering innocent, unarmed black men. The facts simply do not support this.

2. “Hands up, don’t shoot,” is a blatant misrepresentation of the facts of the Ferguson, Missouri incident. Don’t perpetuate this untruth; and call people on it when they do. Facts matter, a lot.

3. Misrepresenting incidents to make them look racially motivated, do not reduce racism, they aggravate racism. They may even aggravate racist murders against white police officers.

4. Bringing down a Confederate flag may make some feel good, but does nothing to reduce racism. In fact, it may incite it. Perhaps both sides should respect the other’s cultural heritage. I say this as white man who does not fly a Confederate flag. Stop forcing everyone to be politically correct.

5. True racism is clearly wrong. America has a history of this, but thank God most of that is in the past.

6. Not all claims of racism are, in fact, true.

7. Some use racism as an excuse for their inappropriate behavior.

8. Some are way too sensitive about racial issues.

9. We all suffer from daily or weekly slights that have nothing to do with racism.

10. America is incredibly less racist than it was 50 years ago. Most everything Martin Luther King asked for in his “I Have A Dream” message has been accomplished.

11. There is such a thing as white privilege; there is also such a thing as black privilege. Two young men are equally intelligent, capable, men of integrity, have a positive attitude and good work ethic. One is black, one is white. Today in America in many situations the black man would actually have the advantage in getting a job. However, both should easily get and keep a good job.

Regardless of race, if one has a bad attitude and poor work ethic, he is going to have a tough time getting and keeping a job.

Some in law enforcement have said one reason more blacks are not serving as policemen is because if they are qualified to do so, they are also qualified to get a higher paying job, and probably a job with less stress.

12. Racists come in all colors.

13. If a white man murders a black man, whether for racist or other reasons, that white man should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. The same goes for any other combination of races. How about judging men by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin?

14. Do not make a hero out of a criminal, regardless of his ethnicity.

15. If a man or woman of any color is smart-aleck and combative when a police officer stops them, expect that they will get in trouble, go to jail, or worse. The same goes for resisting, or fleeing from, an officer. On the other hand, if a police officer abuses his authority, he should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

16. Teach your children to respect, and submit to, those in authority. If those in authority are out of line, go through the proper channels to remedy the situation. Also, if you are not a gangster, it may help to not dress or act like one. Walk in a store on a hot sunny day with a bad attitude and a hoody, and you can expect to be viewed with suspicion.

17. Teach your children to have a good, positive attitude in general. Don’t have them walking around with a chip on their shoulder. This also helps in getting and keeping a job.

18. Planned Parenthood kills more African-Americans (through abortion) in a year than the Ku Klux Klan killed in their entire history. I don’t support either one.

19. News media should be much more careful about inciting racial incidents. They should fairly present both sides.

20. Do not follow a crowd to do evil.

You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice. You shall not show partiality to a poor man in his dispute. -Exodus 23:2-3.

21. A biblical church should welcome anyone of any race.

22. Everyone wants to be treated with respect. Treat everyone with respect, unless there is clear reason to not do so.

23. All lives matter!

-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, October 6, AD 2015. 

Articles: 
Nelson Mandela Quotes; and Comments About Mandela
Quotes by Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Ancient Wine and the Bible - the Book; update

Quotes by Thomas Sowell

Before Rosa Parks There Was Ida B. Wells

Israel, May They Prosper Who Love You

Other Articles / Labels in lower right margin. 

Quotes by Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for other’s?’” 

“The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’ But…the good Samaritan reversed the question: ‘If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?’”

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

“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.”

“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 together at the table of brotherhood.”

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

“The time is always right to do what is right.”

“Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.”

“If a man has not discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.”

“Whatever your life’s work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better.”

“All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”

“The principle of self defense, even involving weapons and bloodshed, has never been condemned, even by Gandhi.”

“Never succumb to the temptation of bitterness.”

-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, January 19, AD 2015.

The Roman Road of Salvation
 Nelson Mandela Quotes; and Comments About Mandela
Black Lives Matter; All Lives Matter
Other articles in lower right margin (Labels). 

Nelson Mandela Quotes; and Comments About Mandela

Nelson Mandela (AD 1918-2013) was an outstanding South African and world leader. I’m sure I would not agree with him on every detail of religion and politics, but there is no doubt he accomplished great things. 

A few significant quotes by and about Mandela:

"During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."
-Nelson Mandela. Spoken in 1964, he lived out the truth of this statement. 

Baptist Press noted Mandela rarely discussed religion outside the arena of religious freedom, but gave this quote of Mandela from a 2000 Christian Science Monitor interview:
"Religion has had a tremendous influence on my own life. You must remember that during our time - right from Grade 1 up to university - our education was provided by religious institutions. I was in [Christian] missionary schools. The government [of the day] had no interest whatsoever in our education and, therefore, religion became a force which was responsible for our development.
I appreciate the importance of religion. You have to have been in a South African jail under apartheid where you could see the cruelty of human beings to each other in its naked form. Again, religious institutions and their leaders gave us hope that one day we would return.”

Comments on Mandela from Gordon Fort: 
"While tackling the daunting task of dismantling institutionalized racism, poverty and inequality, [Mandela] gave a clarion call to national unity and religious freedom. This atmosphere led to a season of opportunity for the church and its missionary representatives to advance the Gospel, engage new people groups, and play a part in the healing of the deep rifts within the nation.
President Mandela was among the first to invite and welcome the role of the church in the new nation he was seeking to build. After retirement from the presidency, he continued to provide leadership and an example of statesmanship that allowed the church to flourish.”
-Gordon Fort, SBC International Mission Board Senior Vice-President, and former IMB missionary in Africa.

Adeniya Ojutiku on Mandela: 
Nelson Mandela was “an epitome of forgiveness, kindness and love" who had "a dogged resolve for the pursuit of peace and justice."
"His extraordinary life story, witty sense of humor and lack of bitterness toward his former oppressors has ensured global appeal for his type of charismatic leadership.
Mandela has no antecedence, parallel or equal in the contemporary history of harmonious race relations.
He rekindled hope in the humaneness and greatness of the black, colored and white races, as he soared above the petty confines of party politics and prejudice.”
-Nigeria native Adeniya Ojutiku, a Southern Baptist in the U.S. who fights for Christians and their livelihood in his homeland; from Baptist Press.

“Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.” -Nelson Mandela

“As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison.” -Nelson Mandela

“Appearances matter - and remember to smile.” -Nelson Mandela

“A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special.” -Nelson Mandela

-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, December 7, AD 2013.

10 Commandments For Christmas

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Israel, May They Prosper Who Love You

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you. -Psalm 122:6

Some Christians today say we should not support the Jews or Israel. Incredibly, some say the Israelis are no different than the terrorists they fight.

Israelis and the terrorists they fight, however, are no more equivalent than the USA and the terrorists we fight. We are not always right, but we are assuredly more right than those we oppose.

* Israel does not send suicide bombers, including children, to blow up innocent people.
* Israeli soldiers do not hide in, and shoot from, the homes of innocents and force the other side to fire on them there.
* They do not use women and children as shields during battle.
* Israel has many Arabs living within the borders of Israel proper. They live there in relative peace and security, and prosper. They are Israeli citizens. On the other hand, when Israel pulled out of Gaza they had to evacuate all the Jews, or they would have been murdered by the militants.
* Israel is a democracy, surrounded by dictatorships.
* Israel has a tiny sliver of land; the Arabs have incredible amounts of territory compared to Israel.

The answer to both sides is personal faith in Jesus Christ as Messiah and Savior. I’m all for sending missionaries to both sides. There are certainly good and bad in every race. There are wonderful Jewish Christians, and wonderful Arab Christians. I do not believe all Palestinians, all Arabs, or all Muslims are terrorists. But I certainly oppose those who are. Recently it has come to light that some Arabs protected Jews during Nazi control of North Africa and the Middle East; God bless them.

Israel is not always right, and we should oppose them when they are wrong. Don’t blindly support them, or us. But be sure about the facts, before you speak up and oppose the Israelis.

It has been asked how exactly can Christians support Israel. How can we keep our support for Israel from just being a platitude? Good question.

Ways We Can Be Supportive of Israel1. Pray for them, their safety, their security. They live in an entirely different world than we do and while they have a tenuous treaty or two, they are basically surrounded by enemies. Enemy tanks could roll across their entire country in much less than a day. They have to always be on guard. Get a Middle East map and see the size of their country as compared to the surrounding nations and the Arab and Muslim controlled lands.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” -Psalm 122:6

2. Pray for their salvation.

“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.” -Romans 10:1

3. Support them by voting for candidates that support our aid to, and our friendship with Israel. Support their right to exist and defend themselves.

I believe God’s promise to Abraham and his descendants in Genesis 12:3 is still true, “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you.” One of the reasons God has blessed America is we have blessed His chosen people.

4. Encourage people to go visit Israel as tourists. It helps their economy; tourism is one of their biggest sources of income. You will also learn more about the modern day country of Israel and the difficulties they face. You will come to love the Holy Land as never before.

5. Speak up for the Jews, Israel, and against anti-Semitism. Teach what the Bible teaches about them. Remember everything about Christianity comes from the Jews and their faith.

“In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” -Genesis 12:3

6. Some Christians support Israel in other financial ways.

7. Support trade with Israel. When you have a chance, buy what is produced in Israel.

We should love, pray for, and witness to all people. But God’s chosen people are still special.

-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, April 6, AD 2010.