On Friday, June 26, 2015 five of the nine justices of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) vied themselves against the Supreme God of all creation with their calamitous decision to redefine a God-ordained institution—marriage—the union of one man and one woman—two becoming one flesh, by the declaration of God Almighty.
The liberty that was fought for by valiant men and women, and once mandated by the Constitution of the United States; for each state to have the right to legislate their own laws in these matters, through their elected officials—by the people, for the people, has now be relegated by five unelected officials whose arrogance has reached the highest heavens. Due to the supreme foolishness of these Supreme Court justices (Sotomayer, Kagan, Ginsburg, Bryer and Kennedy) same-sexed marriages have now been legalized in all 50 states of my country; the country which I love.
There have been many news articles and blog posts about this sad day in American history. And I don’t desire to be another clamoring voice, spewing the same news. My desire is to do what God has given me to do in every aspect of my life; to speak the Gospel truth to a dying and depraved world that is passing away along with its desires, and to encourage the saints in Christ to not lose heart because all who do the will of God will abide forever (1 Jn 2:17).
Do not hate and damn our country, but love and pray for it (2 Timothy 2:24-26).
Just like the great prophets of old (Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc.) loved and prayed for God’s mercy upon the country He sovereignly put them in for His purpose, I too love and pray for my country because my Father God whom I love most, put me here to be a beacon of His hope, love, joy and peace found only in Jesus Christ His Son. So when I see our country being drowned in the cesspools of sexual immorality and pragmatism, my heart is deeply grieved and my knees are bent in prayer. I pray for the five justices who are under Satan’s yoke to do his will because God has chosen to blind them from the truth. I pray for God to have mercy on them, just as He’s had mercy on me. I pray for the petitioners of this suit, and others who revel in sin, that God would grant them the gift of repentance that leads to saving faith in Jesus Christ His Son—the only Mediator between God and man.
"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God…'All things are lawful for me,' but not all things are helpful. 'All things are lawful for me,' but I will not be enslaved by anything...Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body."
-1 Corinthians 6:9-12, 18, ESV (emphasis mine)
Do not be dismayed, but remain steadfast and immovable in the Lord, His Word, and His precepts (1 Peter 4:12-14).
The recent ruling of the Supreme Court of the United States can’t thwart nor does it remotely hinder the everlasting ruling of the only Supreme and Sovereign—God Almighty. When SCOTUS informed the world of their stupendous decision to test the Great I AM, the LORD was not surprised and He was not dismayed; so neither shall His people be.
Much like the presumptuous kings and rulers who had no fear of God, during the days of the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 36:23-32), the “kings” of our day recklessly think that by “burning” (redefining and ignoring) God’s decrees like King Jehoiakim did, they will be able to stop the destruction God mercifully warned would come to pass if they did not repent. And just as King Jehoiakim was suddenly swept away by his willful defiance of God’s admonition, the same will happen to anyone who does the same.
This is a time of great testing for all who profess the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who choose to condone, celebrate or remain silent for fear of retribution will only prove that their profession is dead. Neither listen to nor entertain the words of those who profess Christ, yet join in the revelry of any sin. Rather rebuke and urge them to repent.
“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies…For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the day of judgment…if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority.
“They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.”
-2 Peter 2:1, 4, 6-10, 18-19, ESV
I pray that when we come before our Lord Jesus, on the last day, we will not be ashamed, for we will not come to our King empty-handed, but will come with a harvest of righteousness that was sown in the peace of God (James 3:18). And on that great day, I pray that we would all hear our Lord say, “You have done a beautiful thing to Me.” (Mark 14:6)
May the grace and peace of Christ our Lord be multiplied to your spirits. Stand fast.
You've most likely already heard about Tullian Tchividjian's wife's affair, and his reciprocal affair that required his resignation as Pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (1 Tim 3:1-7). This announcement has stirred a media and social media frenzy; attracting both prayers and piranhas.
I can't imagine what it's like to live a life through the magnified lens of the media, the favoritism of followers, and un-Christlike criticism of detractors. The majority of us can't imagine that either, but we're so quick to condemn, excuse or join whatever seems to be the most popular position (at the moment). We make quick assertions, often, without stopping long enough to seek God's precepts.
"There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing."
-Proverbs 12:18, ESV
We're commanded by God our Father to weep with those who weep. And anyone in their right mind and with a right heart would be lamenting because of this news, rather than rejoicing. If we're commanded by God not to rejoice when our enemies fall (Prov 24:17), how much less ought we not rejoice when a brother and sister in Christ fall? Neither, you, nor I, nor Tullian, his wife, or any other human being who has walked this earth (save Jesus Christ) is sinless. And yes, I know that those who are in leadership (specifically those who teach the Word of God) are held to a higher standard, but that isn't God's approval for us to rail against Tullian or his wife and anyone else involved in their sins.
It is our duty and joy as God's holy and beloved children to pray for our brother Tullian, his wife Kim, their three precious children and the church family at Coral Ridge. Being mindful of the fact that none of us can claim being incapable of committing the same sin, and that we're only saved by God's gracious gift of repentance and faith in Jesus; we can humbly and lovingly pray for those who sin differently from us rather than condemn; supposing our sins are better. All sin is utterly putrid before the sight of our holy God and Father.
Please know, I'm not making excuses for Tullian's sin (and neither should you) just because he's a celebrity pastor, or "just a human being"; because before he is anything, he is a child of God Almighty who's been endowed with the same grace (the power in Christ to die to sin, Romans 6:14, 18) that every Christian has been given. Rather than rejoice in his demise, my heart breaks for him, his wife, their three children, and their church. Which is why I'm moved to fervently pray on behalf of (not against) all of them. And I beseech you to do the same.
For those who think I'm writing this because I'm one of Tullian's followers, rest assured, I am not. I'm actually one of those who warn people not to follow him or his teachings because though he denies being an antinomian, the majority of his teachings mimic this liberal teaching of God's grace (Tullian's teachings magnify the power of sin and diminishes the power God's grace to overcome sin). I'm also deeply concerned about his resemblance to Adam by saying "I sinned because my wife sinned." One of the first priorities of a husband is to be a covering, a protection for his wife; but he didn't—he exposed her to ridicule. Therefore, it's reasonable to question the validity of his repentance since he didn't simply say, "I disqualified myself by committing adultery." Because honestly, it wasn't his wife's sin that disqualified him to be a pastor, it was his sin.
But opposing his teachings and questioning the integrity of his repentance is far different than rejoicing in, and self-righteously clamoring about his sin. I don't rejoice. I weep. And I pray...fervently pray for the restoration of his marriage, but most especially, his and Kim's restoration of intimacy with Christ our Lord; for every sin depreciates the inexpressible joy and peace of communing with our Creator.
"Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything."
-2 Corinthians 2:5-9, ESV
By definition, "audacity" can refer to sheer arrogance for the sake of arrogance, or boldness without any regard for self-preservation. In his latest film, "Audacity"(available for download on June 24, 2015), Ray Comfort and his staff at Living Waters, graciously demonstrates the latter definition—boldness without any regard for self-preservation.
"Audacity" presents the truth with great compassion on the hotly debated topic of homosexuality and all that it entails (same-sex marriages, are people born gay, what does the Bible say about homosexuality, etc.). And there's no Disney-like scenes. It's real, edifying and offers true hope to all who watch this movie.
One of the things I really appreciated is how Ray Comfort portrayed the homosexuals (three different couples) in "Audacity" as they truly are—image-bearers of God Almighty (like the rest of us), who are in desperate need of the one and only Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord. I'm always disgusted by Hollywood's depiction of homosexuals as overly-sexed maniacs whose only identity and interest is their sexual orientation. Gay men and lesbian women are no more overly-sexed than heterosexual men and women. Sexual orientation does not determine, nor define sexual obsession (e.g. the abominable "50 Shades of Grey").
I've had many homosexual friends (both gay men and lesbian women) since I was 17 years old. I loved them dearly, so naturally, I shared the Gospel with them; whether they were my co-workers, bosses, or friends of mutual friends. Unlike Hollywood's gross exaggeration of homosexuals, my friends were more than sexual beings, just like heterosexuals are. My gay and lesbian friends were kind, loving, hilarious (well, not all of them), quirky, artsy, brilliant, talented in many ways, thoughtful, etc. They liked many activities I liked and frankly, lived very similarly to me, except that I'm a Christian and a heterosexual.
A movie like this is not only timely, but necessary because homosexuality is a widely misunderstood issue among the secular world and sadly, even among many Christians. Some Christians quote Bible verses stating that homosexuality is a sin while others quote Bible verses (out of context) and conclude that homosexuality is not a sin. Whether secular or Christian, those who contend that homosexuality is not a sin, lean on their definition and comfort level of what love is, rather than defer to God's definition of love—holy, righteous, sacrificial and morally pure.
"Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him...For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"
-1 John 4:8-9; 5:3-5, ESV
God is love, but love is not God. What I mean by that is exactly what Scripture says; God is love, therefore, He defines what love is. Those who believe love is God, dangerously and erroneously define God by what they "feel" love is...at any given moment. I understand why the world has this faulty, man/self-centered view of love, but I'm quite bewildered at why Christians have the same misguided view.
The talented, atheist illusionist and comedian Penn Jillette (of Pen and Teller) once said about Christians who don't share the Gospel, "If you believe there's a Heaven and Hell and people could be going to Hell, or not getting eternal life or whatever, and you think 'Well, it's not worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward' ...How much do you have to hate somebody to know that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?" I quite agree. Withholding the truth from someone because it makes you feel uncomfortable, isn't you loving others, it's you loving yourself.
Jesus Christ, the only Son of the only living and true God, suffered and died; was crushed for our iniquities; He drank the cup of God's wrath in our stead and rose again on the third day, so all who repent and trust in Christ will have everlasting life. How can any professing Christian condone and celebrate the sinful lifestyles of loved ones? Perhaps it's because too many Christians don't read and study their Bibles. Perhaps it's that too many Christians desire so much to keep a relationship with loved ones living in sin (any sin, whether heterosexual immorality, homosexual immorality, lying, stealing, etc.), that they've convinced themselves this is love, rather look to God, who is love. I don't know.
What I do know, is that the movie "Audacity" demonstrates God's definition of love—extraordinary compassion without compromising the truth. One of my favorite lines is from Peter (Travis Owens) who says, "If I really love people, then I have to say something. Love can't stay silent."
Below is my interview with Ray Comfort.
What inspired you to make this movie and story line?
After making films about abortion and evolution, people kept saying that I needed to make one on the issue of homosexuality—because it was confronting the church, and most Christians were very uncomfortable about how to deal with it without sounding hateful. I adamantly said that it wasn’t going to happen. There were two reasons for this. The first was that anyone who spoke against the issue of homosexuality nowadays are instantly vilified as though he were a hate-filled racist. Nobody wants that. And the second was that I really didn’t know how I could break away from the stereotypical way such a movie would be done. Most films on the subject would have a few ex-homosexuals giving testimonies on how they were now heterosexuals and were happily married with kids. No one was going to watch but Christians. I would be preaching to the choir.
Around April 2014, I was with my friend Stuart Scott in Huntington Beach here in California, when I saw two girls walking towards us kissing each other. I asked if they would like to be on camera, and to my surprise, they said that they would. These two ladies gave me an amazing 14-minute interview, and ended up thanking me for not being judgmental. Yet I hadn't compromised the gospel even slightly. It was as though God had dropped the foundation for a movie into my lap into my lap. That night I wrote a script and sent it to Mark Spence (he was the main editor and producer of "180"). He wrote back "Wow, wow, wow!" I quickly called a meeting, and after just over a year later, we had a completed movie.
This is very different from any of your other movies; it's a scripted story with actors, extras, etc. Why did you decide to do it this way?
To go the documentary route with this subject would have pushed me into a predictable mold. I wanted to stay well clear of the "We are now ex-homosexuals and everything is happy" type of film. Instead, I was thinking of something that was so well-produced and had such a good story line it would grip the attention of the unsaved—where they would stay and listen to the gospel. And at the same time, something that would help Christians who didn't know how to share the gospel with a homosexual without coming across as being hateful. I knew that it could be done, because 1 Timothy 1:8-10 tells us how to do it. It was just a matter of wrapping truth in a package that had the production quality of a modern movie. It was a tall order, but I knew our guys had the gifting to deliver that.
Are all the actors in the movie Christians?
Only three of the actors are Christians. Our big concern was bad acting. Even five seconds of poor acting would be like a small gash in a big ocean liner. No matter how good the production, [bad acting] would sink the whole movie. The only way to make sure this didn't happen was to have auditions and choose the best we could find. As soon as we had our actors, we sat them down at a table. Then my director Eddie Roman introduced me and I took the time to tell them why the script was as it was. I gave my testimony, which included a very clear gospel presentation, said that I wanted everyone (including homosexuals) to find everlasting life and that's why the script was as it was. It was an appropriate opportunity to share the way of salvation right at the beginning of our relationship.
Since this is your first scripted movie with a story line, how did you know where to look for actors, film crew, etc.? Did you have specific things you were looking for?
Over the years we have used Hollywood lighting and sound crews for our television program. We even took them with us when we went to Europe and filmed 13 episodes in 13 countries in 13 days (for our Fourth Season). We also had contacts in a professional casting agency. It’s a fascinating process. When we needed one waitress to play a small part, we had just under 2,000 applicants.
We were looking for talent and likability. We didn't want to stereotype homosexuals.
Do you have any friends who are living a homosexual lifestyle? If so, how long have you been friends with them and how do they remain friends with you, knowing you're a faithful Christian?
I have a number of friends who are atheists (I have no idea of their sexual preference). One of them in a particular, is a close friend. I had him play a paramedic in the movie (very small unspoken part). I also invited him to a special pre-screening we had for donors. His reaction to the movie was interesting. He sent me this quote and permission to use it: "Audacity is entertaining and has some great comedy and dramatic tension. Unlike most Christian films it is far from cheesy, and has a great, well-acted script. Most of all it is not heavy-handed, showing the Christian position on homosexuality without being intimidating or angry. Well done!" -Michael S. Martin (Atheist).
If you could choose one Bible verse or passage that best describes the foundation and heart of "Audacity" what would you say it is?
It would be from First Corinthians 13—about love. A skeptic recently wrote to me and said that it was virtually impossible to be a Bible believing Christian and not be "homophobic." I could understand his reasoning, because Scripture is very clear on the issue. Even when the movie won two awards (we submitted an uncut version), we wondered if Christians would like the movie. When a well-known Christian blogger asked for a review copy, we were a little nervous because he didn't pull any punches. When I sent him a link he replied the same day with, "Ray, this is the best film you have made yet. Congratulations on a job well done. " That was particularly sweet, because we felt a little haunted by "180" during this whole process, because it was so well received; it set a high bar.
Conclusion: From a purely cinematic standpoint, the script and acting were predominantly good, engaging and displayed much talent. The camera work, lighting, music, sound and visual effects were on spot.
Travis Owens "Peter" and Molly Ritter "Diana" were convincing, lovable, authentic. They drew you into their character's fears and convictions, as well as displayed what a truly loving friendship looks like in spite of strongly conflicting views.
Aaron Mitchell "Robert" and Franklin Killian "Lance" played one of the movie's homosexual couples and they were true-to-life, passionate and relatable. Both actors gave such a stellar performance you never judged them, but rather, you feel for them and understand their plight. It's one of my favorite scenes in the movie as it reminded me of precious friendships I once had and miss.
I found Ben Price to be an extremely gifted impersonator (with more than 47 near perfect impersonations). Talented guy. Danielle Rosario "Hailey", though she seemed to have some talent, didn't bring Hailey's character to life; making her character hollow.
As a whole, I love "Audacity" and highly recommend it to everyone (Christians and non-Christians, and especially Christians who know and love homosexual family/friends).
My prayer is that God will provide the necessary means for Ray Comfort to produce more biblically sound, Gospel-focused films so that Christians may be exhorted to live abandoned to Christ and unbelievers will come to saving faith through the steadfast preaching of the Gospel of God's grace (Acts 20:24).
One of the greatest and saddest deceptions that befall all people, is the deception of self. Too often we believe our own press and/or who we think we are, versus who we truly are before the sight of God Almighty. Because of our sin nature, none of us are as "good" as we should be. And because of God's grace, none of us are as depraved as we could be.
If you're reading this today and aren't sure if you're one of the people living under the deception of who you think you are versus who you truly are as God sees you, I have good news for you. Because God is so kind, is filled with compassion and mercy, and is exceedingly gracious to us, He gives and shows us things He doesn't have to; to help us live in truth. And what is it that God has compassionately given us so we can face the truth of who we really are? He's given us His Word—His holy and infallible "mirror".
"the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes...For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account...But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing."
-Psalm 19:8, Heb 4:1213, James 1:25 (ESV)
If we're inebriated with pride, we can look into God's holy and infallible Word, and still come away thinking, "Yep. That's me. I'm good." Remember, those who are confident in their own self-righteousness are the first whom the Lord will oppose...and humble (1 Cor 10:6-7, 11-12). Thankfully, if we truly belong to the Lord, He is faithful to discipline us, and He mercifully provides us with another "mirror"—the words that come out of our mouths (or our keyboards).
Jesus said what comes out of our mouths reveals what's in our hearts (Mt 15:18-19). Jesus also said that whatever we fill ourselves with, will be what flows out of us; and therefore commanded all believers to be filled with the Word of God (Col 3:16).
So if we're truly filled with God's Word, God's love and God's grace, then sacrificial living and loving will flow from us and will enrich others (Php 2:3-4). But if we're filled with our desires, love of self, and feign niceties; then deeds of convenience and perpetual whining will flow from us and will burden others.
"Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealously and selfish ambition exist, there will be every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."
-James 3:13-18 (ESV)
None of us are sinless. And no one, including Christians will ever attain a sinless state on this side of Heaven. However, Christians alone can and should sin less, and less and less, because that's proof that the Holy Spirit of God dwells within us (Rom 8:29).
God promised that He is faithful to complete the good work that He began in us since the day He granted us the gift of repentance that leads to saving faith in Jesus Christ the Lord. Jesus promised that those who are truly converted will manifest the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in their lives; and there will be evidence that we're being conformed all the more into the image of Christ.
We are all worshipers and we are all conformed by what is most near and dear to us. If the Lord God Almighty is the one we worship; if He is the one who is most near and dear to us, then we will be conformed into His image. We will love what He loves (righteousness) and we will hate what He hates (sin). The battle between God's Holy Spirit within us and the sin in our flesh will be a constant testimony to us that we belong to Christ. But if there is no inner battle between righteousness and sin, but only external consequences, then with great love from Christ our Lord, I urge you to examine yourself with God's Word (2 Cor 13:5).
There are many ways in which we deceive ourselves and thereby, deceive others. All forms of deception is destructive, whether we believe ourselves to be mightier than we are, wiser than we are or more sinful than we are. We all have enough legitimate sins we must die to, so let's not exasperate the situation by believing we've committed sins we actually haven't. And if you have sinned (according to God's Word and not by the opinion of others), don't deny it—instead, repent and be free of it (1 Jn 1:8-9). If you're not sure if you've sinned, check with God (not people...and especially not those who always tell you what you want to hear). Seek the Lord's wisdom by deferring to His Word as your preeminent source of truth (Ps 119:105).
When we're not honest with ourselves about the gifts and talents God has given us, we'll either presumptuously function in gifts we don't have, or we won't use them at all. And if we're not honest with ourselves about our proclivities to specific sins, then we'll never battle them, nor will we repent of them when temptation gives birth to sin.
Only when we daily hold up the infallible and perfect mirror of God's Word before our hearts, can we ever humbly confess our sins, daily repent, receive God's forgiveness, and live in the freedom Christ died to give us—to please, honor and glorify God (Heb 11:6).
"Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer."
-Psalm 19:12-14, ESV
By now many of you have heard about the McKinney pool party melee that's exhausted the social and news media-merry-go-round. You've heard about the one police officer's misconduct and the accusations of racial discrimination. Many (too many) have been discussing this and shared their story with obvious bias for either the pool party attendees or former Police Cpl. Eric Casebolt (who resigned yesterday, May 9, 2015).
So, why am I adding to this story? I'm talking about this because I have yet to read or hear anyone share this story based on the precepts of God Almighty. As a Christian, I choose to see this entire incident and all involved, by the standards of God's holiness and righteousness.
But before I discuss the McKinney issue, I want to share that I'm Asian and therefore understand racial discrimination. I grew up in Virginia during the 70s where we still had some segregation, though the laws prohibited it (white neighborhoods, black neighborhoods, white schools, black schools, etc.). I still vividly remember being only five years old and having an adult white man (accompanied by 2 others) chanting, "Ching chong, ching chong, go back to Hong Kong". Then he lunged at me as if he were about to hit me, but he spit in my face instead and roared laughing as he walked away. Things like that happened often...too often, and it was always very disconcerting and extremely frightening.
Aretha was one of my dearest friends all through elementary and some of middle school. I practically lived at her house. She's black, I'm Asian, and we were nearly inseparable. I spent the night often, went on her paper routes with her, and even tagged along to dinners and other engagements with her extended family.
In middle school, I met some wonderful friends, both black and white and in particular, my sweet friend Stacey who I remained close to throughout our high school years.
During my elementary school years, I often wished Aretha's mom was my mother and actually, called her "Mama" because she mothered and loved me well. During my middle school and high school years I always wished Stacey's mom was my mother because she was so loving, attentive, understanding and kind. I always felt so safe and well-loved by these to precious women God put in my life. And though we could see our different races, it never affected the love we had for one another.
Some people say they don't see race. And I believe them...if they're blind. But if a sighted person tells me they don't see race, they're simply lying. We all see race. I see race, and you see race. However, to see race and to discriminate are two very different things. I know I'm Asian, I can see that. I know my husband of 23 years is white. I can see that. I know our children are mixed. I can see that. I recognize that I have friends of various races, but their race doesn't determine my relationship with them. Seeing the difference with my eyes doesn't make me a racists. Making a distinction in my heart is what makes me or anyone, a racist.
Though I'm now 46 years old, I still get discriminated against. Depending on where I am, I still get strange and unkind stares and sometimes ill-spoken words by those who not only see that I'm Asian, but make that distinction in their hearts. What do I do about it? I don't ignore it. I pray for them because their wicked behavior is evidence that they don't know any better...but I do.
As my darling husband puts it, though we can visually see different races, in God's sight, there are only two races, that is, only two kinds of people: those who are saved and those who are not. And because my Father's greatest concern is the condition of a person's heart and not the color of their skin, this is my greatest concern too.
There are many articles that tell portions of the story. Therefore, in order to help you get as much of the truth as possible, below are links to articles that include video footage as well as photos that will help us all see the bigger picture—the effects of human depravity.
Who's responsible?Tatyana Rhodes is responsible for for lying about the party being a graduation/birthday party (her invitation says it was a #dimepiececookout), and for exploiting teenage girls and using them as sex objects for her "Dime Piece" parties where she usually charges a cover fee (the McKinney party was a free "Dime Piece" event that she organized in order to sell tickets and promote another one of her paid events). Tatyana's mother is responsible for aiding and abetting her daughter's madam-like business (I wonder if she pays taxes on this?). Former Police Cpl. Eric Casebolt is responsible for not doing his job—bringing peace and order to the community. His cursing, man-handling and abusive behavior towards children (possibly belligerent children) was inexcusable, immature and very unbecoming and unexpected of an officer of the law. The two white women who physically fought with Tatyana are responsible for not being mature and sensible enough to have simply left the pool and called the police rather than involve themselves in an altercation with an arrogant and immoral 20-year-old. The parents of all the teens who attended this party are responsible for not teaching/training their children well and for excusing behavior I hope, they wouldn't allow in their own homes. The children attending the party are responsible for forcibly entering a private neighborhood pool and disrespecting adults and the other children and families already at the pool. And lastly, the news media is responsible for their biased and poorly investigated reporting that turned an already exhausting situation into a bonfire of false accusations, gossip, outcry for purported but unsubstantiated racial discrimination, and the outlandish terrorist-like death threats targeting the police officer and neighbors of the Craig Ranch community.
Conclusion: Before I'm a woman, a wife, a mother, friend or Asian, I am a daughter of the Most High God. And because I am such, I'm held, like former Cpl. Casebolt is held, to a higher standard. Like Casebolt, I expect to be jeered at, cussed out, and mistreated in various ways whenever I intercede in a situation where emotions are high and rationale is low. Knowing this, the first action I take is to get on my knees and pray; to intercede in prayer for all involved, asking God to give me wisdom from above (James 3:17-18) so that I might do good and not harm to all people. The second action I take is to enter the situation with the peace and reasonableness I want others to emulate. Then whenever and wherever possible, I open my mouth, so that what's in my heart (the Gospel of Jesus Christ) may effortlessly flow out so that all who have ears, might hear, repent, and be saved.
Christians, let's not do what the world is doing. Let's not pick sides based on the color of someone's skin. But let us do what God Almighty has empowered us to do through Jesus Christ—sow God's peace with love, truth and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The McKinney pool party melee happened for the same reason why any painful and disconcerting incident happens; because we're all sinners in desperate need of eternal salvation, through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ alone.
Pray for the salvation of all involved since we don't know who is or isn't saved. Pray for God's truth to be revealed and for His peace to reign in the hearts and minds of all who are responsible for this tragic event. And pray to see if God might use you to help bring His truth, grace and peace to the community of Craig Ranch, the McKinney Police Department, news media or anyone who needs a personal demonstration of what true love and honor looks like (John 15:13).