08/16/2017 — This past weekend's demonstrations in Charlottesville, Va., which culminated in violence, were heartbreaking and infuriating. A national crisis of empathy is at the root of racial unrest in the United States. We have not arisen to our destiny as a nation, and we never will as God has defined our purpose, until we see the forces of animosity and hatred and the walls of division destroyed by the crush of righteousness and love.

EDUCATION

Ecclesiastes 3:1–8
“To everything there is a season,  a time for every purpose under heaven:   a time to be born, and a time to die;  a time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted;   a time to kill, and a time to heal;  a time to break down, and a time to build up;   a time to weep, and a time to laugh;  a time to mourn, and a time to dance;   a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones;  a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;   a time to gain, and a time to lose;  a time to keep, and a time to cast away;   a time to tear, and a time to sew;  a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;   a time to love, and a time to hate;  a time of war, and a time of peace” (MEV, emphasis added).

APPLICATION

• A friction of hatred prompted this weekend's protests in Charlottesville, in which a woman was killed when an Ohio man drove his car into a crowd of anti–white supremacy protesters.
• The protests began with a white—supremacist rally. Race continues to be a point of intense contention in this nation, despite much progress. But it is wrong to say that we have a race issue in the United States; what we really have is a heart issue!
• In particular, we need to have empathy for law—enforcement officers, who see the worst society has to offer every day and make split—second decisions when a response is necessary.
• Our challenge this week is to love everyone we encounter and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with him or her.

IMPARTATION Heavenly Father,

Thank You for positioning Your Church in this nation for such a time as this. As white—supremacy and anti—free—speech groups resort to violence to emphasize their agendas, use me to tell others that You are the only solution for what ails this nation! Make me bold to declare Your truth and love people with Your sacrificial love in the coming days and weeks.

Thank You for placing me, not in a white church, not in a black church, not in an Asian church, not in a Hispanic church, but a church that looks like Your vision for Your body! Teach me what I need to know about loving others, as You use me to love the people who need you most.

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ — Jehovah Joshua Messiah — I pray. Amen!




WHC FAMILY PRAYER REQUESTS

In Matthew 18, Jesus said “Truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.” Let’s stand in agreement with the following members of our church family who have requested prayer:
We want to pray with YOU! Send in your prayer request on this online form so we can agree with you in prayer! Send in your testimony or praise report here when God moves in your life, so we can give Him glory with you!!