First Baptist Church of Anderson

I just received an e-mail from a man who is dear to me and to our church. He has gone through serious surgery and treatment for cancer and now they have found more cancer. But God who brought him through the first time is using all of this to lift him up, fill him with faith, joy and confidence. Here is his e-mail to me with his name removed:

Received promising news regarding treatment options for the cancer that has returned on my neck. Turns out that the results from the biopsy show high levels of the PD-L1 protein which makes me a good candidate for Immunotherapy. It was explained to me that the high levels of protein present in neck cancer are very rare and the doctors seemed genuinely surprised and encouraged by these results. One doctor even said “for some reason your PD-L1 came back at a surprisingly high number”.
I have an explanation. I’d like to thank everyone who has been praying for me these past several months. God has performed a miracle by providing a treatment option that will be less stressful to my body (no hair loss, less nausea and fatigue, less frequent trips for treatment) while also providing the potential for a better outcome.
Thank you to all those who have been praying for me. I wanted each of you to know that your prayers have been heard and answered. My reverence and dedication to prayer has been strengthened; another blessing received.
Thank you, and your continued prayers appreciated,

Last week we shared that the virus was not the last thing to happen in 2020. Beginning late last year we have been observing that 2020 will be a horrible year for the world. (But a great year if you are in Christ). Not to let us down, the murder and following riots have been on everyone’s mind this week.

I.
There are a few thoughts that might help give some clarity to what is going on. First, the murder is a function of hate. Hatred will always find an excuse to inflict itself on others. It might be the color of a person’s skin, sitting in the wrong section in hockey game can get you beat up, it might be a person’s gender, political or religious persuasion, or even where they are born. But the excuses are not the problem. The problem is hatred. Don’t fall into the trap of using the excuse to label the hatred. It muddies the waters.

Just for instance, three of the four officers who lost their jobs because of the murder in Minneapolis are not white. The white cop who is charged with murder has a history of using his badge to express his hatred of people in the past.

The folks who are making this about race and who are rioting are also expressing hatred. Innocent people have been injured. Minority owned properties have been destroyed. The cities around the country are on fire. Some African Americans have just as much hatred as some Anglo Americans do. Racism at this point is a two way street. The problem is the unredeemed nature of all humanity. Without Jesus there is hatred.

II.
Another area of thing to observe with this tragedy is the nature of crime in the United States. There are half again as many whites killed by police as there are African Americans. Proportionately one might think the number should be higher, but even if it were, there is a problem with how we perceive the police. The idea that race is the dividing line in police departments is just simply false. Increasingly police departments represent the community they serve. Recently in Indianapolis we had a funeral for an African American officer killed in the line of duty. No riots for her. She was a focus of love and appreciation (as it should be).

Police have a difficult job in that they deal with the worst of us. And since they are fallen individuals as well, that job guarantees there will be less than ideal results. Pray for police. Do some departments desperately need reform? Absolutely. In Anderson we are blessed with a Sherriff who loves the Lord. The protests here are peaceful. But even here not every thing runs smoothly all the time. I am so grateful for our Sherriff department and our city police. Pray for police.

III.

Thirdly, there are several cultures of hatred in our land. You will find them where ever people think like slaves. One of the markers is corruption of language. Anything that subverts the good is celebrated. Language is not just crude but is also used to veil the intentions of those who use it. Slaves don’t want the main street to understand them. Language becomes the identifying feature of belonging. This is true of Antifa, White supremacists, and urban gang cultures.

Another feature of slave culture is do as little as possible, as little as is required to avoid punishment. Don’t make other slaves look bad by doing more than is called for. This promotes poverty and unproductivity as well as resentment toward any who actually accomplish something with their lives. For people born into this culture, one can hardly blame them for doing what they are taught by their parents example.

A third way to identify the slave culture is personal responsibility. A slave is not responsible for themselves. Some one else must be responsible to employ, feed, educate and care for them. This is a seed bed for hatred.

The solution to the slave culture is Jesus. He alone breaks the chains and sets the prisoner free. When you see the slave culture share Jesus.

IV.
Finally, in the United States, there is a threat far more dangerous to African Americans than rogue cops or departments that allow rogue cops to continue on the force. African Americans and Anglo Americans for that matter, are far more likely to be killed by an African American than any other group. This still is not a matter of race. But it is time for the African American community to take responsibility to clean things up. In Indianapolis there are several efforts to do just that. And they are doing a great job. This is not a matter of judgementalism. We need to recognize these efforts, support them and encourage them no matter what our skin color is. In Anderson there have been several efforts to do that. My good friend Rev. Early Dixon started the Impact center to do just that. Some of what he started still is active. The Crossing, Man 4 Man, the Christian Center, and Operation Love are just a few of these efforts that deserve our unconditional support.

Christians, today is the day of salvation. It is more urgent than ever that we reach out in Jesus name. Lives submitted to Him are our only hope.

love,
Pastor Art