Racial Tension-"Where do we go from here?" Part 2

This is the Truth Network. Welcome to Man Talk, brought to you by TAWCMN, talking and walking Christian men's ministry, where they're devoted to breaking down the walls of race and denomination, and challenging men to take their God-assigned role. Here's our hosts, Will Hardy and Roy Jones Jr., a black guy and a white guy. Welcome to Man Talk Radio.

I'm Will Hardy, the black guy, the white guy. He's still doing a little R&R out there. Some much needed R&R is what he needs. But we thank God that we got, again this week, we got Pastor John McCoy, pastor of Faith Fundamental Baptist in Eden, North Carolina. And, you know, Pastor McCoy, you know, not only is he a pastor, but he is degreed with a degree in criminal justice, so he's given his spiritual as well as his civic take on a lot of things that's been happening. And while we were off the air and before we get into some other things here, Pastor, give us your thoughts on individuals who are out here and the looters and the scallywags and hooligans that's been causing chaos and our attention to be a focus elsewhere that the media is given more attention to, I should say. Well, first I want to say from that justice part, there are laws that have to be adhered to when you're going to do it right.

And as a pastor, the first thing I have to tell people is be careful of what cause you take up. Then when you take up a cause, go by the rules. And these things that we've seen in these last incidents, the way that people were looting, the way that people were rioting, you have to remember that it don't matter if you break down a window and go into a store and steal the stuff, it's still stealing. If you don't obey the laws of the land, you still can be arrested. We understand emotions are running high, but we want you to still understand that the policemen still have a job to do. So the best way to do that, if you have rowdy people, people out there looking to steal, that's their prime focus. They take away everything you don't work for because their prime focus was to steal.

So all the good work you've done becomes bad. And I keep saying it, you can be arrested. You can cry about it. You can say, oh no, no, no, I shouldn't be arrested because it don't matter. By the law, you will be arrested.

So I just want to pass that on as a friend. Don't do it. Stay behind the lines they tell you to stay behind. If somebody's got a camera on you, if something goes wrong, they got it.

Just do what you want to do and stay true to the cause that you're fighting for. Yeah, because we were talking about the camera phone has leveled the playing field. So now you can't go anywhere unless somebody got a camera phone and filming you in reference to something that's happening. So everybody is being filmed. And you know, something I learned the other day, pastor, that I did not know about is that all around the country, there are people who film to see if your civil rights are being violated by the police. They actually have people in the crowd. And so I'm looking at this news story and I'm going, wow, you know, I just you look at them, you just think that they're an ordinary person, but they're actually filming every arrest, every encounter with the police. They're filming to ensure that your rights are not violated. And the person who was doing the news story said that they're usually in these light green caps.

So it's like a very light lime green cap. So when you see those people in the audience or you see them in a march or you see them in an assembly somewhere, they could be on the inside or outside. But that's that's what they're doing.

Any time you have something like that. Now, the thing that I think, pastor, really is sort of like rubs me the wrong way is when you have Christians starting to get wrapped up and let their mind be swayed to do the mob mentality, to go along with what everybody else is doing instead of having the mind of Christ. And, you know, I recall in scripture in Matthew, chapter 22, verses one through 14, Jesus gave a parable and he talked about the king having a marriage for his son. And he told his servants, he said, go out and and get the people who are invited, very important point, people who are invited to come to the marriage. And he said that some of them just said, no, we're not coming. They went back home. They went back to their businesses.

They went back farming. And they just said, no, we're not coming. And then he said he sent them out again. And he said, look, we killed a fatted calf and we got the table spread and it's set.

Come on in. And then Jesus said in the parable, he said that what the what they did next is they killed the servants and they treated them spitefully. And then he said that when he treated them spitefully after they killed the servants the second time, he said, then the king sent his armies out and he destroyed the individuals because they were unworthy. And then the parable goes on. But there's a lot in that parable. And we know a parable is it's a natural illustration that they were familiar with to convey a spiritual meaning. So there was a spiritual meaning and application behind this parable, which is purely spiritual.

And of course, we know that the son is Jesus in the parable, the king is the father, and the servants are the one who are obedient, the children of God who are obedient in going out and spreading the gospel message. And there's going to be people who reject the message of the gospel, but the message of the gospel is what we supposed to be conveying to them. And we don't let what people, even though it's hard, it's hard for someone to call you out of your name. You know, whether you're black and you're talking to a white person or you're white talking to a black person to call you out. It's very hard for you to stand there and quote unquote turn the other cheek because the natural man, see, he don't want to do that. Natural man want to lash out.

He want to say, I want to get even with you now. But again, this whole parable is saying there's going to be some people who who spite you when you go out and you tell them about the good news of the gospel. There's going to be some people who just say, man, I don't want to hear anything you have to say.

Just just get out of my face. You know, they don't want to hear it. You know, they got their own truth and you can't sway them one way or another because automatically they're going to think you're trying to convert me to something that I don't want to be converted. So you have all this thinking of individuals going out there. But I but I believe if we get into the crowd or if we talk to people who are in that crowd, God will lead us to opportunities to convey the gospel and the gospel message is what we need to be preaching and teaching. Well, I agree with what you're saying, but I think one of our problems is we don't believe the Christian words that we like to say. When you were talking, my mind went back to how I hear everyone talk about victory in Jesus. But when I see them react and say that they're a Christian, but I see the way that they react, it don't show me that they really believe that they have a victory in Jesus. First of all, they got to understand that victory in Jesus is not just for black people. That victory in Jesus is for everyone, everyone living for Christ, everyone living the way that Jesus told us to live. That victory belongs to us. We don't have to fight the battle. What we keep saying is, God, how long?

Well, it's a whole lot of people, if you read that Bible, they ask the same question. How long? But he said, you ain't got to worry about how long. You just be ready when the victory comes. So first of all, we got to get away from those spiritual words and start having a spiritual heart. When we get a spiritual heart, we'll start seeing that the devil is at the crust of this whole thing going on. As long as he can keep division, division, as long as that's going through, you can never focus your mind on God.

You can never have that type of life you want to have. I think of my son. A lot of people say he's a black man. He's going through this. My son is blessed.

I think of all my children. They're blessed. Why are they blessed?

Because they got something that nobody else has? No, because they truly believe that victory is in Jesus. And Jesus is going to take them that way. When you forget where your victory is coming from, that's when you open yourself up to do all this fighting and cursing and hollering and accusing. Exactly. That is so true because if the enemy can divide, then he will conquer a group of people or a set group of people because that division, it also brings about later into the conversation, deception.

And we know deception is his greatest tool. So see, in this parable that Jesus was talking about, I'm afraid that we have people who are sitting in the church today. They're sitting right in the church and they're coming every week faithfully, giving of their tithe and offering, and they have no relationship with Christ. Because, see, your character, the character of a man and the character of a woman is what you do when nobody's watching. In other words, when you're by yourself, what are you thinking about?

What are you doing? And if you're letting your mind be captive, held captive to what you see on the news media, then your mind is drawn to that. And all of a sudden now you start hearing and seeing things that is taking you further away from Christ instead of drawing you closer to Christ. We're coming up on a break, but keep that in mind, Pastor, so when we come back for the break, I want you to respond to that.

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Call 336-885-1987. Welcome back to Man Talk Radio and we're here in the studio with Pastor John McCoy, pastor of Faith Fundamental Baptist. And of course, we've been talking about the issues that everybody is seeing in the news and around the world. And when we left on break, Pastor, we were talking about certain things in reference to the parable and how we have people sitting up in the church today.

You alluded to some of these things and we're responding out of who we say we represent. Because if we represent the Lord Jesus Christ, then our life should be the example of the one who we say we're following. And see, that's true. Christ went through a whole lot to give us salvation. And when we live lives that don't show that, I'll say lives that don't show our appreciation, we dishonor God. If you honor me and do something dishonorably, then you're saying that I'm a dishonorable person. So if you honor, we honor Christ, we have to do it the way he said do it. It's not always pretty.

It's not always nice. It don't always make us look like a big hero. But sometimes we have to be humble because he tells us we have to be. Everything we do, we should be doing as if we are doing it to the Lord. So if we curse and do all that kind of stuff, are we really doing it to the Lord? If we're seeking a fight, are we really doing it as into the Lord? No, we're not. But see, when we get on our knees, can I go on and say it? Go on and say it. When we get on our knees and we truly start talking to God, if you really believe and really have that relationship in the Lord, you know that God's going to fix it.

Absolutely. And see, that's the thing. We are not exercising the freedom and the faith that God has given us to act on that freedom because he already said that we are overcomers.

He said it in 1 John 5-4 and 1 John 4-4. We're all overcomers. We have already overcome the wicked one.

All we have to do is live it out. So see, that's our message today to you, listener. If you're listening to the broadcast and you're born again, don't allow yourself to be caught up in the mob mentality.

Don't allow the things people say to you to get next to you to a point to where you want to strike out to them. Because as Pastor said, let the Lord fight the battle. He is the one. And that's where we need to be. We need to be on our knees.

And if we truly believe that prayer changes things, then we need to have more prayer time. Because see, in the second half of this parable, verses 9-14, Jesus was talking about, he said, okay, since the ones who were invited to the wedding weren't worthy, and he took his armies out and destroyed those individuals. The Word of God says. So now he says, just go out to the highways and go out to the byways and get anybody who you can to bring them to the wedding. Because the ones who were invited, they were not worthy. See, this is an invitation.

This is an invitation to you listening right now. God, you listening to the broadcast, it's an invitation for you to do what you have not been doing before. Because see, what Pastor was saying in reference to if you're lying, if you're cheating, if you're cutting up, if you're doing these things and you're saying you're a child of God and somebody's looking at your life, how can you be a true representative? How can you stand for truth when you're living a lie?

In a lot of these situations, you have to ask yourself the question. When you went out into these riots and you came against it with these big people to protest, how many really got on their knees and prayed and asked God to lead this thing? And when you ask God to lead these things, you can't be saying, help us as black people understand.

No, you've got to say, help us as people, your people, understand. Let the born-again Christian talk to you. Because I have to say it right now, everybody that pray, that prayer ain't going through. You've got to call upon the saints of God and the truly born-again and truly living a life according to what God said that that prayer will get through. Now, if they want to pray, they need to go on and start praying for salvation and let Jesus become the Lord and Savior of their life. Now, when they do that, you see, each time we do that, each time we get more in the kingdom, we get more power. But see, when we don't exercise like Pastor Will said, we don't exercise that power that God has given us because he hears his children's prayer as long as they're living according to his will. He will hear us and he will keep us safe and he will help us achieve the things that we need to achieve.

But that must be for all people, not just for one person. Remember Paul, he was coming to the Gentiles, but he said his prayer was that all of Israel be saved. So Paul was saying it right there, these are my people, but I know the job I got to do. I want to see everybody getting saved. So there's nothing wrong with praying for your people, but you've got to pray for everybody to use that power of God. Amen. Amen, Pastor, because again, see, toward the end of this parable, when Jesus was saying, go out and basically get anybody you can find, he said both good and bad.

See, now that in itself is a very important statement. Get the good and the bad and bring them in to the wedding feast. Now, it goes on to say that the king was kind of making his way through the crowd and then all of a sudden he saw a man who didn't have a wedding garment on. This is good now, Pastor.

This is good to me now. So he said he saw a man who, and so he asked him, he said, friend, basically how did you get in here without a wedding garment? And the scripture said a man was speechless, couldn't say a word.

See, this is how it is, saints. If you don't have no wedding garment, you ain't going to have a place and a seat in the kingdom of God. Because at the very end of this, the 14th verse of this chapter, Matthew 22, it says, many are called, but few are chosen. So see, you may think that you're born again. And because you heard a call of God and you're working inside the church and you're doing the things that you think you're supposed to be doing inside the church, but you won't have no relationship with Jesus.

You don't have that relationship. So you're a facade. You're like a silhouette. People can see you moving, but you have no identifying marks.

See, in a silhouette, it's just like if I'm here and all of a sudden a light casts a shadow, you just see the shadow, but you can't make out who I am. And see, that's what we got. As Tony Evans say, we got secret agent Christians in the church today, pastor. Well, but this has just been a grand time having you here. And what final remarks that you might have for the listener out there?

Well, make it quick. The only thing that I can say is put Christ first. Accept Him.

Don't play games with Him. And then you can understand and think critically about the things that's going on in this world. In order for you, the listener, to have a change of heart, you got to have a mind change. Because see, mind, the eyes, ears, the mouth, all these are gateways. And so that's how we get information. You wouldn't know anything if you didn't have any eyes, ears, or be able to speak.

You wouldn't have any gateways to get information in. But God has given us those abilities through the gateway. So my question to you is what is entering in through your gate? What are you allowing to come into your mind? What are you allowing your eyes to look at? Your mind to wonder when you see a guy who is buffed out or you see a woman with some tight pants or short skirt. What is going through your mind? Are you allowing your eyes to wonder? See, these are the things that we don't think about, but these are things that should be in our critical thinking. Because it is the critical thinking that we need to have in Christ that will keep the other things that is trying to enter into our mind.

It will keep those things at bay. So we as born-again believers, we've given you some things to do on next steps. The next steps you need to take because racial tension is going to exist until Jesus Christ comes.

This, what we're seeing here, it's not going anywhere. It's going to be here tomorrow, the next day, until Jesus Christ comes. And we know as born-again believers, listen, we know. If you're born-again, pray.

Stay on your knees. Seek God's direction. Because without His direction, then we can see no reflection of Christ in your life. But if you're being led by Jesus, you know that you are a child of God and you have been called for service and for work into the ministry. Don't take it for granted.

So take these points and continue to listen to ManTalk Radio. Again, we thank Pastor John McCoy, pastor of Faith Fundamental Baptist. We're going to give a shout out to all of the Faith Fundamental family out there and to True Worship family out there. And as always, if you don't know Jesus Christ, you can know Christ. Just admit that you are a sinner and that you cannot save yourself. You need to be saved by grace. Give your life over this. Just repent and say, God, I want to give my life to you. I want you to come in and be that one to cleanse me of my sins.

Pray to Him, believe by faith, and you will be born again. Until next time, ManTalk Radio. As we wrap up today's show, be assured that TAWCMM, Talking and Walking Christian Men's Ministry, is building a community of men that are Christ followers with a desire to be servant leaders in their homes, communities, churches, and work environments. Check out our website for upcoming events and regularly scheduled meetings. Drop us a note for topics that you would like to have us visit in the future. Thank you for joining us on ManTalk today. Visit us at www.tawcmm.com. Men walking the talk.