World Christian Leadership And Training Ministry

Now, I know this may sound elementary. However, given the conversations that I have heard, I have to wonder if all "Christians” believe the resurrection of Jesus from the dead to be true. I say this because Jesus is often spoken of in the past tense. And to add insult to injury, some say He was white, some say He was black, some say He was brown, and some even say He never existed. That’s why I cannot help but ask the question, what Jesus do you know?

Since our Nation just finished celebrating, acknowledging, and remembering Black History, I feel it is vital to have a clear understanding of who Jesus was and is today. Far too many people have missed the point of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He died for everyone regardless of their race, religion, or creed.

If Jesus came to set the captives free, then Black people can certainly relate to that and so can the Jewish people. However, there is a perception that most of the other races do not have a history of captivity or slavery. Of course, people walking around with all of their faculties in tact know that is not the case. There has been plenty of pain, suffering, and abuse of people in every nation. Every race has suffered and some are still suffering. If that is the case, then what’s all of the misinformation about Jesus’ race?  Why is His race even an issue today? I will try to shed some light on what I believe to be the answers.

Jesus was a Jew! What did a Jew look like in Jesus’ day? They looked much like the Jewish, Middle Eastern people today. Today, Jesus is not a black Jesus, or a white Jesus, but He is the Lord Jesus for ALL people. Because He was a Jew, He was from one of the twelve tribes of Jacob (Israel). His lineage was of the tribe of Judah because of, Joseph, His assigned father on Earth; even though His mother, Mary, was of the tribe of Levi. However, keep in mind that not all the tribes of Israel were the same. 

The Jewish People included every race and color of all those who had accepted circumcision as a sign of their belief. However, the twelve sons of Israel were the beginning of the Jewish People or Israelites. The eleventh son of Israel was named Joseph and his lineage was divided into two families because he had two sons. The eldest son was Manasseh and the youngest was Ephraim. Manasseh and Ephraim are the fathers of the two Black tribes of Israel. Joseph married an Egyptian woman named Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On. Joseph’s wife was black, she was not Jewish. In those days, the lineage was traced through the father. 

God knew that Manasseh and Ephraim were black. It did not come as a surprise to Him; in fact, He planned it just that way. God raised His hand against racism in the Book of Numbers, when Miriam and Aaron, Moses’ sister and brother, spoke against Moses because he married a black woman, an Ethiopian woman, Numbers 12:1-15. God struck Miriam with leprosy and Aaron quickly began to beg Moses to intervene to heal her before the leprosy visited him. God looked on their racism as a sin! He still looks on racism as sin today. 

God is NO respecter of persons, Acts 10:34.  God is not colorblind because He made all of the colors, or races. He did not make one race superior to another and He certainly did not and does not love one race more than another. Race is not an issue for God the Father, the Creator of all things including human beings. I believe, if the truth of His Word had been taught from the beginning of the colonization of America, then slavery and racism would have never had a foothold in our Nation. Let me give you another example. 

In the Book of Joshua, you will find a man who was called the son of Nun.He was a close assistant of Moses.  He was one of only two people from the original Israelites, who were 20 years old or older, who were allowed to enter the Promised Land. He was a man of power and authority. He was a leader and a warrior for the Lord. He was the Commander-in-Chief of over 2 million Israelite people. He was handpicked by God Himself to lead His people into the Promised Land. Wow, what an assignment!

Can you imagine how special he must have been for God to handpick Joshua to lead His people? God handpicked Moses to lead His people out of Egypt, but not into the Promised Land. God chose Joshua for that job. God chose them both because of their faith in Him. Because of their faith, they were able to performed mighty miracles in the name of the Lord. They were special in the eyes of God because of their faith first and secondly, because of their obedience.

How, if you look in the Book of I Chronicles 7:27, you will see that Joshua is the son of Nun. If you look in the Book of Numbers 13:8, you will see that Joshua (also spelled Hoshea) is the son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim.  Yes, Joshua was a Blackman.  Let me repeat that, Joshua was a Blackman.  Ephraim is one of the two black tribes of Israel. Again, God is NO respecter of persons. 

Have you ever heard that Joshua was a Blackman before? Why wasn’t it taught from the beginning? I believe it wasn’t taught because the prevailing belief was that Black People are the descendants of Ham, one of the three sons of Noah, and they were cursed. It is true that the black race is descendant from Ham. However, all of Ham’s descendants were not cursed. Noah did not curse Ham at any time. Noah knew that God had blessed Ham and he also knew that you never curse anyone that the Lord God has blessed (Genesis 9:1). There is an annotation in the Dakes Bible that says that Ham was cursed by Noah. This annotation by Dakes was taken as truth and is one of the root causes for the Christian Church, in America, to except racism as the will of God. However, if you "read” the Bible, you will NOT find any scripture that says that Noah cursed Ham.

What was referred to as the curse of Ham was actually the curse of Canaan, Ham’s son and Noah’s grandson. I explain why Noah cursed Canaan in my book "The Road to Self-Worth.”  This misquote was a significant event for Christianity in America because "White” Christians believed that blacks were cursed, therefore being in bondage as slaves was God’s will. It (racism) was taught by their pastors and church leaders. Since they were taught that the curse was God’s will, then they (blacks) could also be considered not human, and therefore, treated as property. How could it possibly be a sin to abuse anyone black or even murder them, if they were property and "really” not human? Standing on a lie will always lead to death, your death and/or someone else’s in the natural and certainly your death in the spiritual (James 1:15).

(Let me add that for financial reasons, because slavery was big business, they taught and stood by the lie about the curse on Black People. It wasn’t just a mistake or an oversight by the "Christian” church and ministers of that day.)

Where was God in all of the pain, suffering, and death of so many black people? God was right where He always is, recording every word, deed, and action committed by mankind. God is not moved by crying, pain, suffering, or even violent situations. He is only moved by your faith in His Word. The Father is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  He is NO respecter of persons.  It was not God’s will for all this to happen, but it was by the free will of mankind that it did happen.  Remember, every word that we say, every deed that we do, and every action that we take is recorded and we will see it again and be held accountable for all of it on the Day of Judgment. 

No wonder there is such a controversy over who Jesus is. He must be a White Jesus because look how much He has blessed White Christians. However, He must be a Black Jesus because look how much He has blessed Black Christians that have followed His teaching around the world. He must be a ________ (you fill in the blank) Jesus because of all the blessings He has bestowed on all those who follow His teachings.

What Jesus do you know now? Great men like Dr. Martin Luther King and great women like Coretta Scott King knew what it was like to walk by faith and not by sight (II Corinthians 5:7) with the Lord Jesus. By faith, Jesus moved an entire Nation, the United States of America, to change its racist policies. Of course, getting someone to change their personal beliefs is a difficult battle. Getting "Christians” to stand on the truth of the Word of God should not be a battle at all. It should be a part of their "Culture” of Christianity.  Remember, God is watching and He is taking notes.

As people of color, Black People in particular, be proud of whom you are as a person and as a race of people created by God. We were never overlooked, left out, cursed, or condemned by the Lord.  We are a chosen people, handpicked by the Lord to accomplish great things in this world. Everyone, regardless of color, was created for a purpose.Jesus came so that we could all be free to fulfill that purpose. He is the Jesus you should know today.

Do you know Jesus in a personal Relationships? Believe me; Jesus wants to know you as an individual person.  What ever you want Him to do for you, ask Him by faith. "No one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6). He cannot respond to your tears, if He did, then whoever cries the loudest and the longest would win out. He will and must respond to your faith. Hebrews 11:6 says, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” This is the Jesus that you should know.

Jesus is not defined by race, but He is known by faith.  He is the color of "Light” because He is life and the Light of the World (John 1:7). He is a healer and not a destroyer; He is a comforter and not a condemner; He is a forgiver and not an accuser. If you are a Christian, then simply follow His Word. It is all written down for you in the Bible so that no one can deceive you. You can read it for yourself. Remember, He is an ever present God. So, leave the past in the past, live in the present and look to the future. 

The point of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is so all people can be set free. He has already destroyed the works of the devil, so don’t let the devil lie to you and deceive you any further (I John 3:8). Use your free will to choose faith and not fear. Jesus does want to know YOU, personally! 

I pray that the word of God that has come forth in this message will not return void to the Lord, but it will accomplish all that it was sent forth to do, and it will prosper in the person who receives it, Isaiah 55:11 paraphrased. I pray that the Jesus you know is the Jesus who is the Word of God. 

PRAISE THE LORD!

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Prayer of Salvation (pray it out loud)

Father God, I come before you in the name of Jesus. 
I believe in my heart that Jesus died for my sins. 
I believe You raise Jesus from the dead and
He is alive and with You in heaven. I confess
That Jesus is now my Lord and Savior. 
I repent of all my sins. 
I renounce Satan and all his evil works. 
I believe that I am saved and
I will be with You in heaven for all eternity when I die. 
I believe that I am now a born again follower of
Jesus Christ. Amen!

If you prayed this prayer, you are now born again. 
All your sins are forgiven, yes, every sin from the first
time you (knowingly) sinned until this very moment.
You are now a Christian.

Praise the Lord!

If you do not have a Bible, get one and read it everyday. 
Start with the New Testament and read
as much as you can daily.

If you do not belong to a Christian Church,
then find one in your area.

God has great things ahead for you, so get into
fellowship with other believers who can help
you, teach you, and edify you.

Congratulations!

Welcome to the Body of Jesus Christ.

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