Antipas Harris introduces his new book, the serious challenge behind it, and his invitation to join him in proclaiming anew that Jesus is Good News for everyone.

Without doubt, we are living through troubled times. The world is engulfed in noxious uncertainties: contentious politics, racial unrest, hate groups and global warming, to name a few. Now, amidst the devastation of coronavirus, or COVID-19, many people are turning to – or back to – faith. Amid the constant resurgence of blatant racism, as exemplified in the recent murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, reminds us that we are really battling two pandemics, simultaneously. People are looking for answers, seeking the “peace that passes all understanding,” and a new and better normal. As president of a divinity school, my primary aim is ensuring that current and future ministers are prepared to bear witness more effectively for such a time as this. To that end, seminarians and faith leaders alike will discover refreshing new strategies for overcoming obstacles and deepening faith in my forthcoming book, Is Christianity the White Man’s Religion?

Americans searched for God with renewed interest in the last decade, and it seems that COVID-19 has only intensified this quest. Spiritual fulfillment, after all, is an important dimension of the human psyche. While many people will continue to look to the Bible and their Christian faith for guidance, others question the relevance of the Bible for contemporary times. In any case, people in general are scouring America’s spiritual landscape, hoping to find a faith that is real, one that heals and unifies. I explore this faith anew in Is Christianity the White Man’s Religion?

Let me share an experience I had a few years ago while teaching a graduate course on leadership. A 22-year-old student interrupted my lecture with a question: “What do you say to people who are leaving the church and arguing that Christianity is the white man’s religion?” I was taken aback by the question. First, it was unrelated to the topic. Second, I wondered who in the world would argue such a thing. I knew that this had been a common question back during the Jim Crow era, and I almost brushed it off. However, the discussion that ensued opened a world of discovery. Apparently, my ethnically diverse class of millennials was more attuned to the relevance of the question than I.

Unable to shake the discussion from my thoughts, I embarked on a journey of research and found that many Christians are unaware that much pondering about faith exists outside the church. How relevant is the Bible for understanding today’s complex issues? What does the Bible offer to a nation of multi-ethnic, multicultural, multi-generational individuals? The answers to these and similar questions led me to write Is Christianity the White Man’s Religion?

Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.” — Exodus 3:3

God revealed Himself to Abraham as God Almighty and said, “Walk before Me and be blameless” (Genesis 17:1). In the Hebrew, El-Shaddai means the “All-sufficient One.” When Abraham had this Divine revelation, there came with it an enabling to walk before God and be blameless.

But to Moses, God revealed Himself as Jehovah. Jehovah means the “Self-existent One who reveals Himself.” It is the covenant-keeping and redemptive name of God. This name was so sacred to the Hebrews that they never spoke it. It is translated into our English as Lord.

At the time God revealed Himself to Moses as Jehovah, Moses was in real need of this revelation. Israel was in Egyptian bondage, and Moses was chosen of God to lead them out. God reminded him of His covenant to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to give them the land of Canaan for an inheritance. This was too much for Moses. God had to intervene, and Moses had to see the God of ability and covenant-keeping.

When God was able to get Moses’ vision off the natural and centered upon Himself, He could intervene to do the seemingly impossible. Because of this revelation, through the rest of Moses’ life God was able to give him this marvelous supernatural ministry in bringing redemption to Israel.

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“…one of the early 20th Century’s prophetic voices still speaks today…” — Jack W. Hayford

Reprinted with permission from Daily Seedings: A Devotional Classic for the Spirit-Filled Life by Ivan Q. Spencer (selected and edited by Edie Mourey), Furrow Press, 2008.

For more about Ivan Spencer, see “Following in His Steps” by Edie Mourey.

Regularly returning, remembering, and refreshing how we live out the basics is important for spiritual growth. This workbook by Don Allen was originally published as a guest article on the Pneuma Foundation website, the legacy site for the parent organization for PneumaReview.com.

Image: Samuel Martins

Remember the Basics

“Keep it simple, when you get too complex you forget the obvious.” – Al McGuire

 Al McGuire was a leader both in basketball and in helping change men’s lives. “He led Marquette to 11 straight post-season appearances and a 295-80 record. As the Marquette coach from 1964 to 1977, McGuire placed himself among a select group of coaches to win both the NCAA (1977) and NIT (1970) championships. In 1971, McGuire was named Coach of the Year by the Associated Press, United Press International and the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) following Marquette’s 28 -1 season.”[1]

One basketball historian noted that 26 of McGuire’s players went on to play for the NBA, a major accomplishment for any coach. Yet Al McGuire stayed focused on helping men become better individuals both on the court and in life.

Over the years I have attempted to make my Christian Walk too complex. I have spent time focusing on other people’s opinions of what Godly men should be like, how I should praise Him, what passages of Scripture I should study, which church I should attend, and even sometimes worrying if I’m wearing the right clothes – clothes that would make others happy.

A man’s Christian walk is not complex. It actually needs to be very SIMPLE. Focus on the obvious, first and foremost on your personal walk with Christ. I have found that the old adage “K.I.S.S. … Keep it Simple Somehow” (or as others define it, “Keep It Simple Stupid”) should become a very vital part of a man’s Christian walk.

In my opinion we need to focus on the obvious things in our walk. We should identify three things that we should attempt to focus on daily. I like to think of them as our daily “PAC” (Prayer, Attitude, Commitments). Keeping It Simple Somehow (KISS) has to be a central part of life.

P – Focus on my personal Prayer Time

There are hundreds of opinions of what our prayer time should look like, from kneeling in your prayer closet, speaking in tongues at the church altar, spreading out prostrate on the floor, crying our eyes out and any number of other things. And there is nothing wrong with any of these.

• When you are in your personal prayer time, how do you choose to pray most often?

However, prayer is truly an individual opportunity to spend time with “the King of King and Lord of Lords.” It is our personal time away from others with only us sharing our innermost thoughts with HIM.

Find that place of Prayer that works for you.

• I have heard of men who spend hours in their cars commuting back and forth work. They pray as they drive, and their car becomes their place of solitude and communion with God.
• Some men rise at 4 or 5 in the morning and pray in their basements to start the day.
• Still other men go into their offices extra early and shut the door for 30 to 40 minutes to pray before their workday begins. Some pray at work during their lunch hour.
• Others find a quiet place at night at home and pray.