When we had the mission conference at our church the pastor from our mission church in Miami mentioned how segregated the churches are in his area. Pastor Juan said that he is thankful that God doesn’t segregate in heaven and how he wishes that churches would understand and embrace that concept. Well, here I am on the mission trip to “tiny town”, Alabama and I’m amazed at how segregated it still is. You may have heard the saying, “I’m from the other side of the tracks”. Well, this statement holds firm in this town. Here are some interesting facts:
- They have the black church, and the white church.
- There is a black newspaper, and a white newspaper.
- In this town, with a population of about 3,000, there is a murder almost every weekend.
- The town has been bankrupt about seven times since 1971.
- When the sun goes down, you don’t want to be outside.
- When you cross over “the tracks” you are able to distinguish between the socioeconomics in the community.
In Acts 15:9, we read, “He did not discriminate between us and them, for He purified their hearts by faith.” Paul was talking about how “ God, who knows the heart, showed that He accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us.” (verse 8). The “them” he was referring to were the Gentiles (non-Jews) who are now believers. The “us” referred to the Jewish believers. Even though they were believers, they were still caught up in the Moses frame-of-mind regarding circumcising. There was a “segregation” mind-set. I am so grateful that God does not segregate in heaven. He wants, as John said in Revelation 7:9, people “…from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb.” Praise God! We Christians need to be mindful of God’s ultimate goal for our lives. We need to share God’s love and be of one body in Christ with every man, woman, boy, and girl, from all races and denominations. Let’s put our God eyes on and be color-blind when it comes to sharing God’s love. Blessings and God’s abundant love to all! July 15
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