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VOL X   NO. 1  JANUARY 2009

REV. ROBERT KELLEY

 


The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth

 

Rev. Robert Kelley is the founder and president of Open Door Communication Ministries, Inc. and pastored the St. Mark Baptist Church of Portland, Oregon at the time this was published.

 

I am pleased this month to join in observing the historic swearing in of our nation´s first African-American president.  Out from the realm of fiction in movies and television has come the reality no one even of my optimistic baby-boomer generation thought we would see in our life times.  It is a stirring moment in the history of our nation and among us that are descendants of slaves.  For those of us that are also Christians, it is time to refit our knees with fresh cushions in order to pray for our new President, Barack Obama and his family.

 

While since its Juneteenth 1994 launch this Ministry´s From Slavery To Victory Education Project has indirectly envisioned such potential incredible breakthroughs for the descendants of America´s slaves, I have directly tied them to a spiritually revived people holding to a biblical view of the world and its future.  The dramatic election of Barack Obama to the presidency of the United States would certainly seem to be evidence that I was wrong in this "extreme" requirement.

 

God is obviously happy with where we are as a people to have permitted Mr. Obama´s successful election.  No doubt all of our slave ancestors would also be happy if they knew we had reached the "Promised Land." With the possibility both of these statements are true, I should throw in the towel, cease praying and laboring in our project.  I would too if it were not for this: I have read the Bible enough to know a black (or any) President´s election is not necessarily God´s choice (1 Samuel 8, 10:17-24, 12: 12-13, 13:8-14) nor is it how His story ends!

 

I have also sung, listened to and read many of the Spirituals and work songs Christian and other slaves sang while in bondage.  Many talk about God, Heaven, Moses, Jesus, Israel and freedom.  But I have yet to come across one that yearns for the day blacks will have a black President as the end goal.  They especially might not be pleased with the biblical, moral and spiritual compromises that had to be made in the game of politics as the cost to gain this great achievement.

 

You see, while it is popular today to celebrate those slaves that escaped to freedom however they did it, the majority of them stayed put, some out of fear to be sure.  Many stayed out of faith and hope in God to deliver them in His timing.  Their faith, moral courage and character ran deep and long, manifested quite evidently in women such as Rosa Parks and men like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Truly, the best that has been done in this hour of a black President is the symbolic breakthrough of Dr. King´s dream for a colorblind America.  This is positively a good thing in the here and now!

 

However, God´s script and the ultimate victory for which Christian slaves yearned calls for a complete shake up of kingdoms presiding over this world.  The present kingdom of darkness that produces the oppressions of slavery, grinding poverty, lawlessness, injustice and brutality, evicted by the mightier, eternal Kingdom of God brought by Jesus Christ when He returns.  His is a Kingdom of light, universal freedom, prosperity, righteousness, justice and peace where the less fortunate are treated fairly (Psalm 72; Isaiah 11:4-10).  Those who trust in Him now enjoy a foretaste of His Kingdom in our lives (Matthew 11:25-30; Luke 17:20-24).

 

Proof the kingdom of darkness still holds sway in the world is the unrelenting corruption displayed in every pillar of our society.  In black communities, dope dealers and users, pimps, prostitutes, liars, slanderers, thieves, sexual deviants, adulterers, gang bangers, murderers, irresponsible fathers etc. have not all of a sudden laid down their wicked ways because there is now a black President, and they will not.  In fact, lawlessness increases to overflow globally just as the Lord Jesus foretold it would as His return drew near (Matthew 24:1-12).

 

Christian slaves saw something much more sinister behind many of the flesh and blood men that oppressed and very often terrorized them.  It was stark evil and dreadfully cold.  Unlike their descendants today that are so focused on the material, they perceived not only the reality of humanity´s struggle with sin within but also the immaterial, living forces of darkness without that are always engaged in schemes of destruction (Ephesians 6:10-12).  No sinful human being black, white or whatever is naturally equipped to contend and prevail against these forces.  As it is, Christians must "put on the whole armor of God" to enjoy victory day by day in this life (Ephesians 6:13-18).

 

We have labored obediently calling for repentance, revival and renewal among professed Christians and faith leading to salvation among unbelievers that ever increasing numbers might enjoy the here and now victories in Christ Jesus (John 16:33; 1 John 5:4-5)!  Only He has power to enable willing sinners to turn from their wicked ways, to restore men, their families and troubled communities.  As it is written, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord," (Psalm 33:12a, NKJV).  Thus, we labor on until He returns (Matthew 24:13-14).

 

The many Spirituals and work songs left by our Christian slave forefathers as testimonies of their faith, also looked to, hoped in and waited on God for an ultimate victory because they knew "the troubles of the world" were to be finally overcome (1 Corinthians 15:19-26).  God´s Word provided the promise of a real reversal of the wicked status quo and restorative change to this earth.  Indeed, He even promised them and all that look to Him, "The meek shall inherit the earth," (Psalm 37:11; Matthew 5:5, NKJV). God gives His people the rule over and resources of the earth in Christ!  He´s the One!

 


 

©2009 Open Door Communication Ministries, Inc