Happy Sabbath…After spending a week in the Eastern Cape creating content and visual resources for an Orphan Care organization and just having ordered more supplies for Sofoniyas back in DC, I am really thinking about mission, purpose and the true gospel of Yesus Christos. I think about what the “Churches of God” have stated was “The Gospel” and who was or wasn’t preaching it. I am marinating on the failed efforts and approaches of those churches I used fellowship with. As I look back at their efforts to have large scale public debates and forums about “Theology” and “Truth”, the words of Dr. Clarke truly resonate….Dr. Clarke stated at one time, ”I only debate my equals….all others I teach”.

Those Armstrogite and Christian Identity churches used to tout the fact that no academics they invited to debate would accept the invitation to participate in the debates and were therefore intimidated by them….🙄. On the contrary, why would an academic with a PHD in Orthodox studies debate someone with a Bachelors in Bullshit who was touting some obscure doctrine of White Supremacy? As I look at the results of these “debates” and evangelistic public forums, the moneys spent and the zero return in both the US and Africa I pray that those of the “Churches of God” who are dead set convinced that they are preaching the Gospel wake up to what the Gospel truly is.

Its not keeping 67 Sabbaths, a kosher diet and and trying to blast everyone else that doesn’t do what you do, beating your chest like some rabid ape, claiming you alone have the truth. Its not forming sacred name clubs where none you know or speak any of the biblical languages yet you claim saying “Yeshua” alone will get you into the Kingdom, all while you downplay and ignore the need to exercise Righteousness and Justice with every fiber of your being. Its not all of these special efforts to appear Holy while inwardly everyday you are everything but. The truth is all of these people, hunkered down and isolated in their bunkers of self righteousness are cementing their positions on the left hand of God as Goats (Matthew 25:31-end), and that in no way means greatest of all time either.

Through my 2 and a half decades in the Churches of God I can say I have only meant 5 people who understand Justice and Social Justice as a MAJOR AND MANDATORY aspect the “Christian Walk”. I myself had to come to a better understanding over the years but I can truly say at the most basic level I have always expected “Christians” to be like Christ and want the same things as Christ did, Peace, love and equity.

When it came to the Gospel, what actually came down from the church leadership was an avalanche of foolishness…debates, booklets, commitees and clicks of the super righteous. All saying and versed in nothing, educated by no one and with no comprehension of what actual Christian behaviors were and are and how to teach them.

The time to realign ones values and teachings with Christos started a long time ago. Acts of justice, right making and kindness should DEFINE the Christian, not be random occurrences that happen every third Saturday of every third month. If every “Christian” truly became an advocate for Yeshua and the Kingdom of God, living every second of every minute of their lives acting out and practicing behaviors defined by compassion, love, kindness, right making and social justice, the world would be radically transformed…which is exactly what Yeshua’s followers were meant to do.

We all know and have a “Sofoniyas” in our lives. If its not EB, its Cancer, its HIV, its some other diesease or affliction that hampers a Child or an adult from having a normal existance. We all know WOMAN and the attitude and moves to protect, elevate and treat them with equity and deep respect are to be as natural as breathing. The same applies to our elders and definitely applies to the orphan and at risk children around us.

The Christian life is to be one of action and purpose, defined by love, compassion and justice. Its time for “Christians” to make the choice to realize and live out what being a Christian truly means….