January 18, 2025 • 29 mins
What if we could bridge the divides that separate us within the body of Christ and truly embody unity? In this latest episode of the Holy Human Honest Podcast, we embark on a transformative journey, inviting you to reflect on the principles of examination, exploration, and engagement. Inspired by Psalm 139:23-24, we challenge ourselves to confront and dismantle biases or divisions, not just on commemorative days like MLK weekend, but throughout the year. Through candid personal stories, we navigate the complex path of embracing unity amidst diversity, urging a deeper and more authentic connection with fellow believers.
This episode highlights the beauty and significance of cultural diversity in our spiritual journey, drawing insight from Revelation 7:9. We discuss the importance of recognizing the diverse appearances of historical figures, like Jesus, and the need for an identity rooted in truth. Join me as I share insights from my personal quest to understand and celebrate various cultures, emphasizing that God desires unity, not uniformity. This episode extends a heartfelt call to action, urging listeners to embody a commitment to reconciliation and unity, embracing our God-given diversity in the kingdom. Let these reflections inspire you to examine, explore, and engage with your faith in meaningful ways.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hello, hello, hello and welcome, welcome.
Welcome to the Holy HumanHonest Podcast.
I am your host, jasmine BNichols, and I am so happy that
you are here with me today.
You guys, I say this all thetime this podcast is a challenge
to myself to be consistent andfaithful with different things
that the Lord gives me to edifythe body.
This is not about perfection.
So, with that being said, ifyou hear a little bit of noise
(00:25):
in the background, I am a mommyof four, a wife of one and
living in a house of six.
So if you hear some noise inthe background, bear with me.
But I still hope that somethingfrom this podcast can bless you
today.
Without further ado, I'm gonnago ahead and get into the topic
for today.
So, y'all, it's MLK weekend andtoday I'm going to be bringing
(00:47):
to you three E's.
Three E's examine, explore andengage.
I'm also going to let y'allknow right now this message is
for the body, this message isfor believers, so there's going
to be some things that may notbe applicable.
If you don't find yourself inthat category, you can still
(01:08):
please feel free to listen tothis podcast.
You might still pick up anugget, but this is specifically
for um, the body of Christ, thebody of Yeshua, our Messiah.
So three e's on a weekend likethis weekend, and really on days
like any other day, weshouldn't be leaning into
(01:31):
certain conversations andcertain ideas and certain key
figures of reconciliation andrestoration on just one day.
We should be doing these thingsall year round.
If you are a kingdom citizen,these things all year round if
you are a kingdom citizen.
But on a day like today, on aweekend like this weekend, where
so many people are wanting tolean into the message and the
vision and the dream of DrMartin Luther King, I wanted to
(01:56):
just share some thoughts.
So when I was in prayer, theLord gave me these three E's
examine, explore and engage.
For me personally, I thinksometimes it's easy to have a
day like MLK and we think aboutthe past, we meditate on it, we
think about things we don't wantto repeat, we look at you know
the progress that we've made andwe try to be of service, to do
(02:19):
kind things, stuff like that.
But sometimes then, okay, theconversation is over, then it's
done.
Things, stuff like that.
But sometimes then, okay, theconversation is over, then it's
done.
And I just personally want tochallenge the body to go deeper,
examine, explore and engage.
So what do I mean by examine?
(02:41):
Let's start with that one.
I first want to read a Psalm,psalm 139, verse 23 through 24.
It says search me, o God, andknow my heart, try me and know
my thoughts and see if there beany wicked way in me and lead me
in the way everlasting.
I love this scripture because,when we talk about
reconciliation, restoration,racial re-education, bringing
(03:03):
forth unity, you know, I hear sooften, and and even me, I
proclaim unity, unity, unity.
The lord uh desires for peoplewho really love him and are
called, according to his purpose, to be unified, to be one that
we would walk in agreement inwho he is, what he has said,
doing the things that he'scalled us to do, obeying his
(03:24):
commandments and living outthrough grace and truth, through
the holy spirit.
A call to unity.
But I think it's important forus to examine ourselves and ask
ourselves what are the things inme that don't bear the fruit of
unity but bear the fruit ofdivision?
(03:45):
Okay, now you know there arescriptures, jesus said.
There are.
There's a scripture.
Jesus said I didn't come tobring peace and that there would
be some division, but thatdivision should not be happening
within us as a body ofbelievers.
Within us as a body ofbelievers, we should be on one
(04:11):
accord, in alignment and inagreement with what God has said
, what God is up to, what Goddid, what God is doing and what
God is going to do.
We should be solid, inagreement on that.
So again asking myself are thereany ways inside of me that are
divisive?
Are there any ways inside of methat are racist?
(04:31):
Are there any things inside ofme that are hateful?
Y'all and I'm not going to lieAgain, this is the holy human,
honest podcast.
When I really begin to examinemyself, sometimes I find there
are things about certainpeople's stuff.
(04:53):
Honestly, I just that I don'tlike and I have to be honest
about that.
There are certain things incertain cultures that I feel
like I've not always known howto respect, and it's nothing
wrong, it's just.
It's something like.
(05:16):
I think we have to be honestabout that, because I think it
can be very easy to be tolerant,but being tolerant doesn't
always mean being unified.
Now, I'm not saying that wehave to like everything that a
person does or we don't have tonecessarily take on every custom
, but again, I'm talking aboutthings in us that actively our
(05:52):
our biases, that are activelybearing the fruit of division,
examine.
We gotta examine ourselves,y'all, and we we can't be afraid
to do it.
I think that it is so easy tokind of live parallel to one
another and not always intersectone another and I, I think the
Lord, he, desires for us tointersect with one another.
He said be one, even as I andthe Father are one.
(06:12):
That is what the Lord is asking, not for us to just be parallel
, to be close but not reallytogether, to be close but not
really intertwined.
We got to ask ourselves what isin me that's keeping me away
from that?
What is in me that's keeping meaway from that?
I'm going to be honest, I'mgoing to give an example for
(06:34):
myself y'all.
I'm throwing myself out there.
As a black woman, I havestruggled when I see black men
marry white women.
I'm not going to lie, i'm'mjust gonna keep it 100% real.
This is a real issue in theblack community for a lot of
black women.
You know, we don't necessarilywant to see the best of the best
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of our men, not choose a blackwoman.
We want to see them choose ablack woman and then for a man
to choose a white woman, thatcould feel hurtful and that
could feel like something thatis very hard to process.
And I've had to take that toGod and I've had to repent.
Because when you are a believer,your first and foremost
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identity is not in your skincolor.
Your first and foremostidentity is not in your skin
color.
Your first and foremostidentity is in Christ.
And I even look at Yeshua.
I look at Jesus and you readthrough his genealogy.
It's all kind of people in hisgenealogy.
I look at Ruth.
Ruth was not a Jew, she was nota Hebrew woman, but she's in
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the genealogy because she choseGod.
I look at Rahab I'm pretty sureRahab's in the genealogy
because she chose God.
I look at Rahab I'm pretty sureRahab is in the genealogy.
She wasn't a Hebrew but shechose God.
Who is choosing God?
Because people could could bewith somebody that looks like
them but not be serving the Lord, not be walking in spirit and
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in truth.
That's what it's really about.
It's people all the time theyget married or have
relationships with people thatlook like them every day and
they don't last because they'reunevenly yoked.
So that's something I had toaddress in myself okay, um, I
have some wonderful friends thathave really, I think, helped my
(08:27):
heart change in this way.
They are an interracial coupleand they both love the Lord, and
that's the first and foremostthing.
Okay, they're choosing God andthey're choosing one another.
I even look at my own genealogywhen I've done my DNA test, my
ancestry DNA, because I wantedto know where I come from.
(08:49):
I have so many different thingsinside of me.
I got Welsh, finnish, iberian,actually a lot of Iberian.
I think I'm like 15% Iberian,so that's Spain and Portugal,
and then different countries inAfrica, and I'm so thankful and
(09:11):
I'm like all those things mademe.
All those things made me.
And who am I to deny any pieceof who I am and how God chose to
bring me forth into this earth?
It's all in there, white andblack, spanish and Portuguese.
It's there and it made me.
(09:32):
So who am I to say that Godcan't move through people?
You know what I'm saying.
So that's just me being honest.
We have to examine ourselves.
To my white brothers andsisters, you know, examine
yourselves.
To my black brothers andsisters, examine yourselves and
everybody else in between,chinese, arabic, whatever you
(09:53):
are.
We need to examine our biases.
If we're kingdom people,because the Lord is asking us,
he desires for us to be unified,that we would be one even as he
and the Father are one.
Examine be unified that wewould be one even as he and the
father are one.
(10:13):
Examine.
The next one is explore, explore, explore.
Proverbs 4, verse 7, and youguys, I have some notes so you
might hear my my papers rattlinga little bit proverbs 4 and 7
says wisdom is the principalthing.
Therefore, get wisdom and, withall thy getting, get
understanding, explore.
(10:34):
So we went through theexamination phase.
Okay, what are the things thatkeep us apart and how do those
things live inside of me?
Okay, to push back progress ofa unified body in spirit and in
truth, seeing the Lord for whohe is.
Okay, examining even inourselves.
(10:55):
Am I pushing back against whoyou are, lord?
Am I not accepting you in yourfullness because there's certain
things about your culture orwho you were that I didn't want
to receive and accept?
Examine, examine that, butexplore and all thy getting, get
understanding.
Are we learning the stories ofthe people around us?
(11:21):
The kingdom is a kingdom ofnations.
Okay, the Lord was always afterthe nations.
He, he always wanted thenations to rule, to, to, to, to
worship him because, honestly,that's the best thing for the
nations is to walk in alignmentwith God.
The kingdom is a place ofnations.
(11:44):
I think sometimes it seems likeeverybody and, if I'm honest,
especially the western whiteecclesia, like people that
participate and identify as likewestern american or even
(12:05):
european white believers.
In some ways, I'm grateful thatit seems like many people, more
and more, are getting anunderstanding of the plight and
the pain of the differentnations.
However, do we know God's planand God's purposes for the
nations, for our brothers andsisters who look different?
(12:29):
Have we explored their cultures?
Who are their great orators?
Who are the great theologians,the conquerors, the storytellers
, the composers, the scholarsand the leaders in other
cultures?
With all of our getting goodunderstanding, who are my
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brothers and sisters whoidentify?
They love the Lord, but who arethey?
What gets them excited?
What makes them happy?
How do they desire to expressthemselves in worship?
Are we exploring these othercultures around us and not just
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looking for everybody toassimilate and look one way?
I often say that to be bornblack is to be born with an
invitation to investigate.
Have you investigated what youthink you know, have you
investigated how you came tocertain beliefs?
(13:35):
I don't feel like I've had theluxury of not investigating and
just accepting things.
And again, I say, to be bornblack in America is to be born
with an invitation toinvestigate, because I can't
depend on public schools to tellme who I am.
You know when we would learnabout different people.
(13:56):
You know I would sometimes havefriends say, well, why is there
a Black History Month?
And I'm like, well, look at whowe're learning about every year
during black history month.
That's when we, and then theneven in black history month, we
probably learned about maybe twoor three black people who did
something important, and then somany other things are being
attributed to all these otherpeople.
(14:18):
Ancient Africa had incrediblemathematicians and I mean, there
was such a wealth of knowledge.
Did you know and I learned thisat Purdue University, I was a
minor in African-Americanstudies and I took a class
called the black male.
Did you know that the worldwent to Greece to learn?
(14:40):
Like Greece is where everybodywants to learn, but do you know
that the world went to Greece tolearn?
Like Greece is where everybodywants to learn, but do you know
that the Greeks went to Africa.
When you study the pyramids andthings like this, they were so
intelligent in the land ofAfrica and they still are in the
(15:07):
land of Africa and they stillare.
All of Africa is not just, youknow, children with flies like
flying all over them.
If you, when you think ofAfrica, and all you think is
like these places where peopleare impoverished and you know,
everything is just desolation.
To to think of Africa and onlythink of that is to think about
America and only think of SkidRow.
That's an avenue, that's astreet.
Now, don't, don't, don't get mewrong.
(15:28):
It is a huge problem.
But even are we investigatinghow it got like that?
Because it wasn't always likethat.
There were systems that camewhen Africa was being colonized,
that put things in place and itliterally made these people
have to depend on government,but that, hey, that's a whole
nother podcast.
Again, to be born black inAmerica is to be born with an
(15:51):
invitation to investigate.
Who am I?
When I learned about blackhistory growing up in America,
it always started as slavery andfor a long time you just kind
of like oh, you know, youlearned about black history, you
learned about slavery, but I'mlike, wait.
There's so much that precededit.
(16:12):
There is so much of our historythat preceded all of that.
And so, again, are we exploringnot just our own beginnings,
but are we exploring thecultures of the people around us
?
Are we learning, are weknowledgeable?
Let's not just settle for beinghospitable and kind, but let's
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explore out of love for ourbrothers and sisters.
Right now, I'm really trying tolearn about indian culture.
I'm trying to learn more aboutindian culture.
I'm trying to learn more aboutchinese culture, because I am at
a place and in a location wherethere are so many international
students from India.
(17:02):
I'm learning about Africanculture, nigerian culture,
ghanaian culture, rwandanculture.
I want to learn these thingsbecause I want to be able to
care well for my brothers andsisters.
It's not just enough for me toknow the plight and pain of
people around me.
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I want to know the plan andpurposes of God for my brothers
and sisters, because we all havea part to play In the kingdom
of God.
Lastly, engage.
I don't want to just settle forjust being welcoming.
I want to actively participatein what God is doing in the
(17:47):
earth.
I want to actively participatein what God is doing in the
earth.
I don't want to just besomebody that just sends money
to a faraway country.
I don't want to be somebodythat just goes on a mission trip
every year or does this or doesthat.
Am I going up the street to mybrother and sister that might
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look different than me, thatmight be in a different
socioeconomic status than me?
Are we really engaging with oneanother and not just waiting
for people to come to us?
Don't just welcome theforeigner into your home.
Dwell with them in theirs,engage in their dreams, their
(18:33):
songs, their stories.
Today, this is kingdomadvancement, not when one
culture assimilates to look likeanother, but when we all hold
our own God-given shape andtogether we begin to look more
like Jesus, more like Yeshua,jew and Gentile, black and white
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and red and brown and yellow,when we're together.
One of my favorite scripturescomes out of revelation, chapter
7, verse 9.
After this, I looked and beholda great multitude that no one
could number, from every nation,from all tribes and peoples and
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languages, standing before thethrone and before the lamb,
clothed in white robes, withpalm branches in their hands and
crying out with the loud voicesalvation belongs to our god,
who sits on the throne, into theland and all the angels were
standing around the throne andaround the elders and the four
living creatures, and they fellon their faces before the throne
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and worship god, saying amen,blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor andpower and might be to our God
forever and ever.
Amen.
Later on in that scripture saysthat that multitude is the
people that came, came out ofthe great tribulation, believers
.
But again, just look at that amultitude that no one can number
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, from every nation, all tribesand peoples and languages,
standing before the throne ofGod.
You guys, that is a kingdomvision.
God is not looking for us to beuniform, he's looking for us to
be uniform.
He's looking for us to beunified.
(20:23):
And it's not just a dream inthe kingdom, it should be our
kingdom reality.
This should be our kingdommandate.
It's not enough to just settlefor living parallel to one
another.
We should be being one inYeshua, messiah and Jesus Christ
(20:49):
Okay, accepting him fully whohe was, both as God and even as
a man.
Y'all.
Christ was most likely brown Ihate to get on this, but listen
more like most likely brown,with dark hair and brown eyes.
His family was able to hide inegypt.
His feet are described asbronze.
(21:11):
If we can't accept that, theenemy has already won like we
really gotta get, we really gotto get honest.
And though skin is noteverything, we've made it to be
such a big deal, such a trip upfor the body.
Let's find our identity inYeshua, who he was, and advance
(21:35):
the kingdom unified, acceptingone another as we come, not
changing one another.
We all have a one another, weall have a part, we all have a
place.
The left foot is not moreimportant than the right foot.
When we're trying to win a race, let's walk together eyes wide
open, not trying to refuse someof the things that we see about
(21:58):
one another, but embracing oneanother.
And how we come.
I see you, you see me fullyworshiping God in spirit and in
truth, and from that space iswhere we engage with one another
, not from a place of guilt, notfrom a place of shame, not from
(22:22):
a place of denial, not steppingon, you know, eggshells, though
the historical past of ournation informs us.
What God spoke about us fromthe beginning is what defines us
One with one another, one withGod, reconciled completely
(22:46):
through Christ.
What a vision, what a dream.
Your kingdom come.
It will be done, father, makeit our reality.
Father, I lift up the body toyou, lord, right now, father,
(23:08):
that you would wash us with yourword, lord, that we would deny
and just get rid of the lies,lord, that we believe about
ourselves, the lies andmisconceptions that we believe
about one another.
Lord, father, I ask that youwould reveal the things that
keep us separated.
Lord, reveal our concerns andour fears.
Lord, Father, I ask that youwould reveal the things that
keep us separated, lord, revealour concerns and our fears.
(23:30):
Lord, father, reveal our biases.
Reveal racism in our heart.
Lord, father, if the worldchooses to remain divided, if
the world chooses to remainapart, fine, so be it.
Lord, but your word that thatthe world would be able to
recognize us by our love, thelove we have with one another.
Lord, lord, you pray that wewould be one, even as you and
(23:52):
the father are one.
Lord, god, father, help us to beone, not uniform, but unified.
Lord, walking in our rightfulplaces.
Lord, knowing that we all havea part to play in the kingdom.
Father, help us.
Father, help us.
Let us not be content and okay,that one of the most segregated
(24:16):
places in the United States tothis day is churches on a Sunday
morning or a Saturday evening,or a Saturday evening or Friday
evening.
Lord, make us one first of all.
Lord, teach us your word sothat we can can rightly divide
your word and agree with who youare and what you said and what
(24:39):
you've called us to do.
Lord, may the scales fall,father, of things that just
don't matter, lord, oftraditions of men.
Lord, and let us take up thethings that you have called us
to the things you've said.
Father, may we not try to bejustified by perfectionism, or
(25:01):
may we not try to be justifiedby the law.
Lord, but may we obey yourcommandments Because we love you
.
Those that love you obey yourcommandments.
Father, you are a good father.
May we be obedient Because weknow that you know what is best
for us.
Lord, like a child who obeys aparent.
Lord, not because they'retrying to win that parent's love
(25:24):
, lord, because they trust thatparent's love.
Lord, help us, father.
May we be unified.
Lord, may we be tuned in and,lord, may we not do it for
optics sake, but for thekingdom's sake.
Father, I thank you.
(25:44):
The theory is the promise ofunity.
Lord that revelation, chapter 7.
Lord that it shall come to pass, father, god, I thank you, lord
, for acts, chapter 2, when theholy spirit came, lord, and it
says that the spirit empoweredthe disciples to be able to
speak in different languages,lord.
(26:05):
And it says that there wereJews, devout Jews, from every
nation where they were, and theyheard them speaking in their
language.
They heard them speaking thewonders of God, and the people
came to them saying what isgoing on, and Peter was able to
preach the gospel to the peoplethat day, lord, and thousands
were added to their numberbecause the people heard their
(26:30):
language, lord, may we learn tospeak the languages of the
nations, lord, and I don't justmean uh, just just languages,
lord, but may we, may we learnto speak the language of, of the
youth.
The generations will help us toknow how to communicate with one
another, lord, but at the endof the day, let it always point
(26:52):
to you, lord, may the church nottry to look more black, or try
to look more white, or try tolook more this or try to look
more that.
Let us try to look more likeyou.
Let us not only ask ourselveshow can people come here and be
comfortable and how can peoplecome here and fit in, lord, let
us say how can we make this aplace where god feels welcome,
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father, because your word saysthat if we would lift you up,
you would draw all men unto you.
You would do, father, if welift you up.
So, father, may we lift you up,may we look and seek to look
more like you.
You are good Father.
(27:37):
We get out of the way, lord.
Teach us, help us to examine,help us to explore and help us
to engage with our brothers andsisters, lord, so that we can
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walk in arms and fight the goodfight of faith with one another,
in spirit and in truth and inobedience unto your glory.
In Yeshua's name, in Jesus name, amen.
I hope that this podcastencouraged you today.
You guys, um, I would love toget feedback on.
You know what is the Lord doingin you?
What is the Lord doing to you?
What is the Lord speaking toyou?
What did this spark in you?
I think that you know,conversations like this are best
(28:30):
had ongoing.
Talks like this are best hadongoing.
You know, share this withsomebody that you think it might
bless and, at the end of theday, let's just give God the
glory Again.
I hope that what I said today isencouraging and that it
challenges, but also that itedifies.
I'm not necessarily saying thatall of this is a word from the
(28:54):
Lord.
You know, this is just what wason my heart.
I definitely felt like, youknow, the Lord just dropped in
my spirit examine, explore andengage.
And then I just sort ofmeditated on that.
Um, I I never want to make itseem like anything that I'm
saying is law.
What the lord says, that's whatmatters.
Um, yeah, that's all that Ihave.
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I hope this blesses you.
Please share it, if it did.
And until next time, god blesstime, god bless.
Hello, hello, hello and welcome, welcome.
Welcome to the Holy HumanHonest Podcast.
I am your host, jasmine BNichols, and I am so happy that
you are here with me today.
You guys, I say this all thetime this podcast is a challenge
to myself to be consistent andfaithful with different things
that the Lord gives me to edifythe body.
This is not about perfection.
So, with that being said, ifyou hear a little bit of noise
(00:25):
in the background, I am a mommyof four, a wife of one and
living in a house of six.
So if you hear some noise inthe background, bear with me.
But I still hope that somethingfrom this podcast can bless you
today.
Without further ado, I'm gonnago ahead and get into the topic
for today.
So, y'all, it's MLK weekend andtoday I'm going to be bringing
(00:47):
to you three E's.
Three E's examine, explore andengage.
I'm also going to let y'allknow right now this message is
for the body, this message isfor believers, so there's going
to be some things that may notbe applicable.
If you don't find yourself inthat category, you can still
(01:08):
please feel free to listen tothis podcast.
You might still pick up anugget, but this is specifically
for um, the body of Christ, thebody of Yeshua, our Messiah.
So three e's on a weekend likethis weekend, and really on days
like any other day, weshouldn't be leaning into
(01:31):
certain conversations andcertain ideas and certain key
figures of reconciliation andrestoration on just one day.
We should be doing these thingsall year round.
If you are a kingdom citizen,these things all year round if
you are a kingdom citizen.
But on a day like today, on aweekend like this weekend, where
so many people are wanting tolean into the message and the
vision and the dream of DrMartin Luther King, I wanted to
(01:56):
just share some thoughts.
So when I was in prayer, theLord gave me these three E's
examine, explore and engage.
For me personally, I thinksometimes it's easy to have a
day like MLK and we think aboutthe past, we meditate on it, we
think about things we don't wantto repeat, we look at you know
the progress that we've made andwe try to be of service, to do
(02:19):
kind things, stuff like that.
But sometimes then, okay, theconversation is over, then it's
done.
Things, stuff like that.
But sometimes then, okay, theconversation is over, then it's
done.
And I just personally want tochallenge the body to go deeper,
examine, explore and engage.
So what do I mean by examine?
(02:41):
Let's start with that one.
I first want to read a Psalm,psalm 139, verse 23 through 24.
It says search me, o God, andknow my heart, try me and know
my thoughts and see if there beany wicked way in me and lead me
in the way everlasting.
I love this scripture because,when we talk about
reconciliation, restoration,racial re-education, bringing
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forth unity, you know, I hear sooften, and and even me, I
proclaim unity, unity, unity.
The lord uh desires for peoplewho really love him and are
called, according to his purpose, to be unified, to be one that
we would walk in agreement inwho he is, what he has said,
doing the things that he'scalled us to do, obeying his
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commandments and living outthrough grace and truth, through
the holy spirit.
A call to unity.
But I think it's important forus to examine ourselves and ask
ourselves what are the things inme that don't bear the fruit of
unity but bear the fruit ofdivision?
(03:45):
Okay, now you know there arescriptures, jesus said.
There are.
There's a scripture.
Jesus said I didn't come tobring peace and that there would
be some division, but thatdivision should not be happening
within us as a body ofbelievers.
Within us as a body ofbelievers, we should be on one
(04:11):
accord, in alignment and inagreement with what God has said
, what God is up to, what Goddid, what God is doing and what
God is going to do.
We should be solid, inagreement on that.
So again asking myself are thereany ways inside of me that are
divisive?
Are there any ways inside of methat are racist?
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Are there any things inside ofme that are hateful?
Y'all and I'm not going to lieAgain, this is the holy human,
honest podcast.
When I really begin to examinemyself, sometimes I find there
are things about certainpeople's stuff.
(04:53):
Honestly, I just that I don'tlike and I have to be honest
about that.
There are certain things incertain cultures that I feel
like I've not always known howto respect, and it's nothing
wrong, it's just.
It's something like.
(05:16):
I think we have to be honestabout that, because I think it
can be very easy to be tolerant,but being tolerant doesn't
always mean being unified.
Now, I'm not saying that wehave to like everything that a
person does or we don't have tonecessarily take on every custom
, but again, I'm talking aboutthings in us that actively our
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our biases, that are activelybearing the fruit of division,
examine.
We gotta examine ourselves,y'all, and we we can't be afraid
to do it.
I think that it is so easy tokind of live parallel to one
another and not always intersectone another and I, I think the
Lord, he, desires for us tointersect with one another.
He said be one, even as I andthe Father are one.
(06:12):
That is what the Lord is asking, not for us to just be parallel
, to be close but not reallytogether, to be close but not
really intertwined.
We got to ask ourselves what isin me that's keeping me away
from that?
What is in me that's keeping meaway from that?
I'm going to be honest, I'mgoing to give an example for
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myself y'all.
I'm throwing myself out there.
As a black woman, I havestruggled when I see black men
marry white women.
I'm not going to lie, i'm'mjust gonna keep it 100% real.
This is a real issue in theblack community for a lot of
black women.
You know, we don't necessarilywant to see the best of the best
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of our men, not choose a blackwoman.
We want to see them choose ablack woman and then for a man
to choose a white woman, thatcould feel hurtful and that
could feel like something thatis very hard to process.
And I've had to take that toGod and I've had to repent.
Because when you are a believer,your first and foremost
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identity is not in your skincolor.
Your first and foremostidentity is not in your skin
color.
Your first and foremostidentity is in Christ.
And I even look at Yeshua.
I look at Jesus and you readthrough his genealogy.
It's all kind of people in hisgenealogy.
I look at Ruth.
Ruth was not a Jew, she was nota Hebrew woman, but she's in
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the genealogy because she choseGod.
I look at Rahab I'm pretty sureRahab's in the genealogy
because she chose God.
I look at Rahab I'm pretty sureRahab is in the genealogy.
She wasn't a Hebrew but shechose God.
Who is choosing God?
Because people could could bewith somebody that looks like
them but not be serving the Lord, not be walking in spirit and
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in truth.
That's what it's really about.
It's people all the time theyget married or have
relationships with people thatlook like them every day and
they don't last because they'reunevenly yoked.
So that's something I had toaddress in myself okay, um, I
have some wonderful friends thathave really, I think, helped my
(08:27):
heart change in this way.
They are an interracial coupleand they both love the Lord, and
that's the first and foremostthing.
Okay, they're choosing God andthey're choosing one another.
I even look at my own genealogywhen I've done my DNA test, my
ancestry DNA, because I wantedto know where I come from.
(08:49):
I have so many different thingsinside of me.
I got Welsh, finnish, iberian,actually a lot of Iberian.
I think I'm like 15% Iberian,so that's Spain and Portugal,
and then different countries inAfrica, and I'm so thankful and
(09:11):
I'm like all those things mademe.
All those things made me.
And who am I to deny any pieceof who I am and how God chose to
bring me forth into this earth?
It's all in there, white andblack, spanish and Portuguese.
It's there and it made me.
(09:32):
So who am I to say that Godcan't move through people?
You know what I'm saying.
So that's just me being honest.
We have to examine ourselves.
To my white brothers andsisters, you know, examine
yourselves.
To my black brothers andsisters, examine yourselves and
everybody else in between,chinese, arabic, whatever you
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are.
We need to examine our biases.
If we're kingdom people,because the Lord is asking us,
he desires for us to be unified,that we would be one even as he
and the Father are one.
Examine be unified that wewould be one even as he and the
father are one.
(10:13):
Examine.
The next one is explore, explore, explore.
Proverbs 4, verse 7, and youguys, I have some notes so you
might hear my my papers rattlinga little bit proverbs 4 and 7
says wisdom is the principalthing.
Therefore, get wisdom and, withall thy getting, get
understanding, explore.
(10:34):
So we went through theexamination phase.
Okay, what are the things thatkeep us apart and how do those
things live inside of me?
Okay, to push back progress ofa unified body in spirit and in
truth, seeing the Lord for whohe is.
Okay, examining even inourselves.
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Am I pushing back against whoyou are, lord?
Am I not accepting you in yourfullness because there's certain
things about your culture orwho you were that I didn't want
to receive and accept?
Examine, examine that, butexplore and all thy getting, get
understanding.
Are we learning the stories ofthe people around us?
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The kingdom is a kingdom ofnations.
Okay, the Lord was always afterthe nations.
He, he always wanted thenations to rule, to, to, to, to
worship him because, honestly,that's the best thing for the
nations is to walk in alignmentwith God.
The kingdom is a place ofnations.
(11:44):
I think sometimes it seems likeeverybody and, if I'm honest,
especially the western whiteecclesia, like people that
participate and identify as likewestern american or even
(12:05):
european white believers.
In some ways, I'm grateful thatit seems like many people, more
and more, are getting anunderstanding of the plight and
the pain of the differentnations.
However, do we know God's planand God's purposes for the
nations, for our brothers andsisters who look different?
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Have we explored their cultures?
Who are their great orators?
Who are the great theologians,the conquerors, the storytellers
, the composers, the scholarsand the leaders in other
cultures?
With all of our getting goodunderstanding, who are my
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brothers and sisters whoidentify?
They love the Lord, but who arethey?
What gets them excited?
What makes them happy?
How do they desire to expressthemselves in worship?
Are we exploring these othercultures around us and not just
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looking for everybody toassimilate and look one way?
I often say that to be bornblack is to be born with an
invitation to investigate.
Have you investigated what youthink you know, have you
investigated how you came tocertain beliefs?
(13:35):
I don't feel like I've had theluxury of not investigating and
just accepting things.
And again, I say, to be bornblack in America is to be born
with an invitation toinvestigate, because I can't
depend on public schools to tellme who I am.
You know when we would learnabout different people.
(13:56):
You know I would sometimes havefriends say, well, why is there
a Black History Month?
And I'm like, well, look at whowe're learning about every year
during black history month.
That's when we, and then theneven in black history month, we
probably learned about maybe twoor three black people who did
something important, and then somany other things are being
attributed to all these otherpeople.
(14:18):
Ancient Africa had incrediblemathematicians and I mean, there
was such a wealth of knowledge.
Did you know and I learned thisat Purdue University, I was a
minor in African-Americanstudies and I took a class
called the black male.
Did you know that the worldwent to Greece to learn?
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Like Greece is where everybodywants to learn, but do you know
that the world went to Greece tolearn?
Like Greece is where everybodywants to learn, but do you know
that the Greeks went to Africa.
When you study the pyramids andthings like this, they were so
intelligent in the land ofAfrica and they still are in the
(15:07):
land of Africa and they stillare.
All of Africa is not just, youknow, children with flies like
flying all over them.
If you, when you think ofAfrica, and all you think is
like these places where peopleare impoverished and you know,
everything is just desolation.
To to think of Africa and onlythink of that is to think about
America and only think of SkidRow.
That's an avenue, that's astreet.
Now, don't, don't, don't get mewrong.
(15:28):
It is a huge problem.
But even are we investigatinghow it got like that?
Because it wasn't always likethat.
There were systems that camewhen Africa was being colonized,
that put things in place and itliterally made these people
have to depend on government,but that, hey, that's a whole
nother podcast.
Again, to be born black inAmerica is to be born with an
(15:51):
invitation to investigate.
Who am I?
When I learned about blackhistory growing up in America,
it always started as slavery andfor a long time you just kind
of like oh, you know, youlearned about black history, you
learned about slavery, but I'mlike, wait.
There's so much that precededit.
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There is so much of our historythat preceded all of that.
And so, again, are we exploringnot just our own beginnings,
but are we exploring thecultures of the people around us
?
Are we learning, are weknowledgeable?
Let's not just settle for beinghospitable and kind, but let's
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explore out of love for ourbrothers and sisters.
Right now, I'm really trying tolearn about indian culture.
I'm trying to learn more aboutindian culture.
I'm trying to learn more aboutchinese culture, because I am at
a place and in a location wherethere are so many international
students from India.
(17:02):
I'm learning about Africanculture, nigerian culture,
ghanaian culture, rwandanculture.
I want to learn these thingsbecause I want to be able to
care well for my brothers andsisters.
It's not just enough for me toknow the plight and pain of
people around me.
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I want to know the plan andpurposes of God for my brothers
and sisters, because we all havea part to play In the kingdom
of God.
Lastly, engage.
I don't want to just settle forjust being welcoming.
I want to actively participatein what God is doing in the
(17:47):
earth.
I want to actively participatein what God is doing in the
earth.
I don't want to just besomebody that just sends money
to a faraway country.
I don't want to be somebodythat just goes on a mission trip
every year or does this or doesthat.
Am I going up the street to mybrother and sister that might
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look different than me, thatmight be in a different
socioeconomic status than me?
Are we really engaging with oneanother and not just waiting
for people to come to us?
Don't just welcome theforeigner into your home.
Dwell with them in theirs,engage in their dreams, their
(18:33):
songs, their stories.
Today, this is kingdomadvancement, not when one
culture assimilates to look likeanother, but when we all hold
our own God-given shape andtogether we begin to look more
like Jesus, more like Yeshua,jew and Gentile, black and white
(18:56):
and red and brown and yellow,when we're together.
One of my favorite scripturescomes out of revelation, chapter
7, verse 9.
After this, I looked and beholda great multitude that no one
could number, from every nation,from all tribes and peoples and
(19:18):
languages, standing before thethrone and before the lamb,
clothed in white robes, withpalm branches in their hands and
crying out with the loud voicesalvation belongs to our god,
who sits on the throne, into theland and all the angels were
standing around the throne andaround the elders and the four
living creatures, and they fellon their faces before the throne
(19:39):
and worship god, saying amen,blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor andpower and might be to our God
forever and ever.
Amen.
Later on in that scripture saysthat that multitude is the
people that came, came out ofthe great tribulation, believers
.
But again, just look at that amultitude that no one can number
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, from every nation, all tribesand peoples and languages,
standing before the throne ofGod.
You guys, that is a kingdomvision.
God is not looking for us to beuniform, he's looking for us to
be uniform.
He's looking for us to beunified.
(20:23):
And it's not just a dream inthe kingdom, it should be our
kingdom reality.
This should be our kingdommandate.
It's not enough to just settlefor living parallel to one
another.
We should be being one inYeshua, messiah and Jesus Christ
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Okay, accepting him fully whohe was, both as God and even as
a man.
Y'all.
Christ was most likely brown Ihate to get on this, but listen
more like most likely brown,with dark hair and brown eyes.
His family was able to hide inegypt.
His feet are described asbronze.
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If we can't accept that, theenemy has already won like we
really gotta get, we really gotto get honest.
And though skin is noteverything, we've made it to be
such a big deal, such a trip upfor the body.
Let's find our identity inYeshua, who he was, and advance
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the kingdom unified, acceptingone another as we come, not
changing one another.
We all have a one another, weall have a part, we all have a
place.
The left foot is not moreimportant than the right foot.
When we're trying to win a race, let's walk together eyes wide
open, not trying to refuse someof the things that we see about
(21:58):
one another, but embracing oneanother.
And how we come.
I see you, you see me fullyworshiping God in spirit and in
truth, and from that space iswhere we engage with one another
, not from a place of guilt, notfrom a place of shame, not from
(22:22):
a place of denial, not steppingon, you know, eggshells, though
the historical past of ournation informs us.
What God spoke about us fromthe beginning is what defines us
One with one another, one withGod, reconciled completely
(22:46):
through Christ.
What a vision, what a dream.
Your kingdom come.
It will be done, father, makeit our reality.
Father, I lift up the body toyou, lord, right now, father,
(23:08):
that you would wash us with yourword, lord, that we would deny
and just get rid of the lies,lord, that we believe about
ourselves, the lies andmisconceptions that we believe
about one another.
Lord, father, I ask that youwould reveal the things that
keep us separated.
Lord, reveal our concerns andour fears.
Lord, Father, I ask that youwould reveal the things that
keep us separated, lord, revealour concerns and our fears.
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Lord, father, reveal our biases.
Reveal racism in our heart.
Lord, father, if the worldchooses to remain divided, if
the world chooses to remainapart, fine, so be it.
Lord, but your word that thatthe world would be able to
recognize us by our love, thelove we have with one another.
Lord, lord, you pray that wewould be one, even as you and
(23:52):
the father are one.
Lord, god, father, help us to beone, not uniform, but unified.
Lord, walking in our rightfulplaces.
Lord, knowing that we all havea part to play in the kingdom.
Father, help us.
Father, help us.
Let us not be content and okay,that one of the most segregated
(24:16):
places in the United States tothis day is churches on a Sunday
morning or a Saturday evening,or a Saturday evening or Friday
evening.
Lord, make us one first of all.
Lord, teach us your word sothat we can can rightly divide
your word and agree with who youare and what you said and what
(24:39):
you've called us to do.
Lord, may the scales fall,father, of things that just
don't matter, lord, oftraditions of men.
Lord, and let us take up thethings that you have called us
to the things you've said.
Father, may we not try to bejustified by perfectionism, or
(25:01):
may we not try to be justifiedby the law.
Lord, but may we obey yourcommandments Because we love you
.
Those that love you obey yourcommandments.
Father, you are a good father.
May we be obedient Because weknow that you know what is best
for us.
Lord, like a child who obeys aparent.
Lord, not because they'retrying to win that parent's love
(25:24):
, lord, because they trust thatparent's love.
Lord, help us, father.
May we be unified.
Lord, may we be tuned in and,lord, may we not do it for
optics sake, but for thekingdom's sake.
Father, I thank you.
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The theory is the promise ofunity.
Lord that revelation, chapter 7.
Lord that it shall come to pass, father, god, I thank you, lord
, for acts, chapter 2, when theholy spirit came, lord, and it
says that the spirit empoweredthe disciples to be able to
speak in different languages,lord.
(26:05):
And it says that there wereJews, devout Jews, from every
nation where they were, and theyheard them speaking in their
language.
They heard them speaking thewonders of God, and the people
came to them saying what isgoing on, and Peter was able to
preach the gospel to the peoplethat day, lord, and thousands
were added to their numberbecause the people heard their
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language, lord, may we learn tospeak the languages of the
nations, lord, and I don't justmean uh, just just languages,
lord, but may we, may we learnto speak the language of, of the
youth.
The generations will help us toknow how to communicate with one
another, lord, but at the endof the day, let it always point
(26:52):
to you, lord, may the church nottry to look more black, or try
to look more white, or try tolook more this or try to look
more that.
Let us try to look more likeyou.
Let us not only ask ourselveshow can people come here and be
comfortable and how can peoplecome here and fit in, lord, let
us say how can we make this aplace where god feels welcome,
(27:16):
father, because your word saysthat if we would lift you up,
you would draw all men unto you.
You would do, father, if welift you up.
So, father, may we lift you up,may we look and seek to look
more like you.
You are good Father.
(27:37):
We get out of the way, lord.
Teach us, help us to examine,help us to explore and help us
to engage with our brothers andsisters, lord, so that we can
(28:07):
walk in arms and fight the goodfight of faith with one another,
in spirit and in truth and inobedience unto your glory.
In Yeshua's name, in Jesus name, amen.
I hope that this podcastencouraged you today.
You guys, um, I would love toget feedback on.
You know what is the Lord doingin you?
What is the Lord doing to you?
What is the Lord speaking toyou?
What did this spark in you?
I think that you know,conversations like this are best
(28:30):
had ongoing.
Talks like this are best hadongoing.
You know, share this withsomebody that you think it might
bless and, at the end of theday, let's just give God the
glory Again.
I hope that what I said today isencouraging and that it
challenges, but also that itedifies.
I'm not necessarily saying thatall of this is a word from the
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Lord.
You know, this is just what wason my heart.
I definitely felt like, youknow, the Lord just dropped in
my spirit examine, explore andengage.
And then I just sort ofmeditated on that.
Um, I I never want to make itseem like anything that I'm
saying is law.
What the lord says, that's whatmatters.
Um, yeah, that's all that Ihave.
(29:15):
I hope this blesses you.
Please share it, if it did.
And until next time, god blesstime, god bless.
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