By Pastor Colin Ruddock
The time and the season and the way the world is changing, and the pace at which it is changing is one of the biggest realities we are facing right now, and most of us have ever faced.
Living in the UK, it always felt like major disasters were far away. We had compassion, but how real and sincere were we being really, when we are thousands of miles away. We are in a time now that none of us can escape from. We are in it. Recent events are now on our doorstep, in our homes, and affecting our lives every day. It is now not a time to actually waste your energy trying to ignore what's taking place around the world, as its impossible.
I am a late 60's child. I have to admit to my myself, that I have been around for over half a century. A lot has happened in my lifetime, during the 70's 80's 90's and so on in the world.
As a Christian, born again, daily life-long follower of Jesus, I say that in so many ways, so you hear my commitment to Jesus. As I am praying and preparing myself in this season, and for the next as much as possible, one of the main desires is that of Jesus' heart and what he taught the believers. He prayed that they would be ONE, just as my Father and I are ONE in John 17.
Firstly, we must have a desire to be ONE with the Father through his son Jesus. This is a picture of UNITY. This is the example that Jesus has for the church today. Then there must be a heartfelt desire to be in one accord with each other.
I long to be in unity with my brothers and sisters, as this tells me, God COMMANDS a blessing. This sounds good to me. So, there is a very clear reason why God wants to see his church as ONE.
I look at the world He created with all the cultures, colours, languages, and desires - that we would be ONE. Then, I look at how we have dishonoured Him and allowed hatred, selfishness, greed, and racism to destroy the planet.
Racial hatred is a heart problem or issue. To decide to hate someone else because of the colour of their skin is a real heart dysfunction in the highest form. I wouldn't even blame it on ignorance or lack of understanding, because we all make decisions and have choices.
I don’t know what the police officer was thinking at the time he murdered George Floyd, but I do know evil was in his heart. I don’t know if that was his intention, but I do know he made a choice to keep his knee on George's neck, whilst hearing the cry of, “I Can’t Breathe”.
Justice has to prevail. And we need to know what justice looks like for all black people everywhere.
The bible is clear that in the last days men’s hearts will become stoney. They will be lovers of themselves.
The Lord Jesus is coming back very soon for his Bride. The people that believed and lived the way He always wanted human beings to live. Let us be ONE, just as He is ONE with his Father.
