Author: Phil Rehberg

racism

Kingdom Attitudes Towards African-Americans.

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American slavery was one of the most dehumanizing brands of slavery in the modern world. English revivalist John Wesley said it was the worst form of slavery that he was aware of after he visited America. This realization eventually generated a strong opposition to slavery by Christians in the northern U.S. After an unbelievably bloody civil war, the slaves were set free and African Americans very quickly became more prosperous in the South and gained positions of influence. Alarmed by this, influential whites in the South began to pass laws to discriminate against African-Americans. These laws came to be known as the Jim Crow laws. They persisted through the 1960’s and their impact is still felt. Obviously, as Christians we are horrified by the way African-Americans have been treated. This has resulted in substantial economic disadvantage. The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis provides statistics for this and the Washington Post Continue Reading →

Weekly words of encouragement

Holy Radiators – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

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Those who look to him are radiant,and their faces shall never be ashamed. Psalms 34:5 (NIV) Those who keep their gaze on the Lord will find that their lives will shine with the Lord’s radiance. In other words, we reflect God’s beautiful light when we keep our focus on him. This is a privilege that he gives to his people. We find a vivid illustration of this gift in the life of Moses. When he went up on Mt. Sinai and beheld the Lord, his face began to shine so much that when he came back down the people were afraid of the radiance (Exodus 34:30) so he ended up putting a veil over his face. 2 Corinthians 3:18 draws on this story and explains that believers “with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” Continue Reading →

Weekly words of encouragement

His Eyes Are On You – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

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But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, Psalms 33:18 (NIV) Being invisible, we often wonder what God is doing around us. We hope that we are pleasing him. We hope that he is looking down on us with approval and keeping a watch on our lives. This verse promises that if we fear him (respect his divine power) and hope in his love then he is watching us. His eyes are on us. We might know this in our head but it is important to meditate on it until it becomes a living reality in our heart. His eyes are on you as you read this. His attention is focused on you. This may not be so hard to believe during periods of our life when we can easily feel his presence. But are we willing to Continue Reading →

poor children

Our Obligation To Address Inequality In Our Nation

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Even though some people have reacted to George Floyd’s death with criminal acts, and even though some groups have taken advantage of the protests with unethical tactics to further their own cause, the fact remains that economic and racial inequality in America is a disastrous problem. Last February Pew Research released some statistics on economic inequality in America. The findings are here. They reported that the share of all income in America earned by the top 20% of the highest earning families went from 43% in 1968 to 52% in 2018. The share of the highest earning 5% went from 16% to 23%. These numbers represent a substantial increase in the concentration of wealth in the upper class. Meanwhile, the share of income earned by all four of the lower 20% segments of earners declined. The same February report from Pew Research also found: “From 1970 to 2018, the median Continue Reading →

Weekly words of encouragement

Surrounded By Love – Weekly Words of Encouragement

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The Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him. Psalms 32:10 (NIV) We have many challenges to faith in God in our lives. We are constantly tempted to worry instead of trust. We are constantly tempted to fix problems on our own because we do not want to entrust them to God and let his words guide us. We are tempted to shade the truth and deny the truth about ourselves. In short, we are tempted to live in fear and self-reliance instead of living in God’s love. This passage promises us that his love surrounds us when we trust in him. What is more secure and comforting than that? True, we can’t see him, and we don’t hear his audible voice telling us that he loves us and will work all things together for good. But, we do have his promises. So it is much wiser to Continue Reading →