The Scourge Of Racism
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Why is there still apparently so much angst and now, tumult among many that are politically conservative and profess to be Christians including those self-identified as evangelicals after this year’s Presidential election? Is it not because a year after the Coronavirus pandemic that persists, social unrest and political losses many are squaring up with the reality conservatism as it has been practiced in America may not endure? This is truly a frightening prospect to those that have rested their hope in this life almost exclusively on the control of human institutions of society to perpetually ensure their religious, moral, social and political values, dominance as well as prosperity. I get it.
Indeed, this line of thinking is by no means unique to American conservatism. It has been displayed by the peoples, nobles and royals of every nation and kingdom of men since the beginning. However, from the beginning also, the Almighty God, man’s Creator has been involved and at work in the affairs of men as His Word affirms (Genesis 3:9-11, 17-24, 6:5-22; Job 12:13-25). It is certain that neither Adam nor the people of Noah’s day that perished in the flood wished for an end; nor did king Nebuchadnezzar to whom God through the prophet Daniel revealed the future of His work to raise up and bring down kingdoms starting with Babylon until the coming of His own (Daniel 2:14-45).
The sovereign God has been in charge of the rise and fall of kingdoms up until now, and still is! Grasping this truth, the faithful in Christ understand our times are in His hand and accept His will to move them along even with judgments in accord with His plans and timing no matter how inconvenient, troublesome or adverse to our own plans, hopes and dreams (Psalm 31:14-15).1 While in general it is not wrong to pray for God to continue His gracious and merciful acts to preserve our nation and way of life as they are, it is to pray at cross-purposes with Him if it is abundantly clear as it is today, that the early warning judgments of His foretold end have begun to come upon the earth!
The generation that perished in Noah’s day had 120 years of his preaching as warning to prepare (Genesis 6:3; 2 Peter 2:4-5). Israel had all of the prophets from Moses and finally, Jesus of Nazareth, God’s Son--some 1,400 years--to warn them before their nation was destroyed and the people scattered a generation after His death, burial, resurrection and ascension (Ezekiel 7; Luke 19:41-44, 21:5-6, 21-24). Now, God has patiently given the world nearly 2,000 years since those days; time lengthy enough that some foolishly dare to scoff at us who continue to steadfastly wait for Christ’s promised glorious return and wrath as foretold (2 Peter 3:1-9; Revelation 6:12-17).
That a holy God has given sinners even one day is gracious and merciful (Ezekiel 18:4), but almost 2,000 years with the preaching of the Gospel (Acts 17:30-31)? As the Lord led me to write last year, the prayers of those professed Christians that He move His Coronavirus judgment and save our republic for among the emotionally manipulative and selfishly hypocritical reasons “the sake of our children and future generations” will not be answered by Him the way they want.2 If you truly cared about the children’s future, then, you would have fully repented from all of your biblically defined sins, rebellion and wickedness by now as God calls for (Numbers 14:1-3; Jeremiah 8:4-7).
Instead, by your refusal to repent, cavalier attitudes about and disbelieving denial of the consequences until now, it is too late to delay His on the way judgments more severe than losing elections, a nation and way of life (2 Kings 20:12-19; Ezekiel 12:21-28).3 And though they will suffer short-term, the eternal fortunes of our saved children will be infinitely greater than the inheritance of a crumbling nation and world facing divine wrath (Numbers 14:26-33; Hebrews 3:7-19). This is why the best inheritance to give our willing children is the Gospel of Jesus Christ that they might be saved and instruction about how to faithfully endure suffering persecution to the end (1 Corinthians 15:19)!4
It is time to stop denying the present and warnings about what is coming we Christians have as a legacy of hope from God through His prophetic Word; His plans and purposes now, in play! Therefore, let those that repent of all selfishness and rebellion pray in accord with His will for God to restore you through the Holy Spirit. Pray for strength and wisdom to be a bold witness for Christ. Pray to stand firm in faith throughout all that is unfolding against believers in the darkness as trouble and be encouraged in it (Psalm 46; John 16:33; Philippians 4:4-6; 1 John 5:4-5).5 Pray for all your sustenance. Pray for and support fellow persecuted brethren everywhere. Pray for the expeditious coming of our God’s Kingdom to the earth (Matthew 6:5-15; 1 Peter 5:5-11; Revelation 6:9-11, 7-8:6)!
1 This is a reality the Lord had me address early on during the spread of His Coronavirus judgment in a May 3, 2020 post, Why Now, Lord?, under the category, Encour-
agement.
2 See the April 5, 2020 post, God Is Speaking and that of April 19, 2020, Does Anybody Repent Anymore?, both under the category, Call To Repent.
3 In a chapter aptly titled, God And Politics in his 1989 book, Against The Night, (Vine Books, Ann Arbor, Michigan), political and biblical conservative, Chuck Colson, is
unambiguous in asserting the 80’s Reagan Presidential era and height of evangelicalism’s Moral Majority had “failed” in the attempt to effect a swing in our nation to a
decidedly Christian morality. Religious conservatives, he contends, ignored “two key truths” as reasons writing: “first, the solutions to all human ills do not lie in political
structures; and second, it is impossible to effect genuine political reform solely through legislation,” (p. 117). Colson ought to have known since he came to know Christ
while incarcerated for crimes committed carrying out political dirty tricks in the cause of a conservative President. Too, the historic sinful duplicities of religious conser-
vatives such as upholding systemic racism also contributed to their failure. The failure of the 80’s continues into the present hour where a divided nation is crumbling
into ruin as the Lord led me to warn in a two-part post beginning September 11, 2016, American Culture’s Religion, under the category, Call To Repent. Consequently,
Colson also affirms my conviction from the Lord that any real national reformation would have begun with individuals which only He can effect through Holy Spirit em-
powered salvation (Titus 2:11-3:8).
4 My book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics can help in this instructional effort. A print copy or digital download of the book published by the Publishing Division
of Open Door Communication Ministries, Inc. with fresh editing in 2019 for greater clarity and updated web addresses in the footnotes is available at major internet
booksellers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ChristianBooks.com and Apple (digital only). You can also purchase a print copy in the Strong Man Store. Too, parents
and church leaders can teach, disciple and equip the next generation through The Strong Man Of God Men’s Group Study and The Great Woman Of God Women’s
Group Study also in the Strong Man Store.
5 Colson in his book earlier referenced and others that followed is not calling for disengagement from culture, but for the Church to be the Church as salt and light serving
God’s Kingdom purposes which include holding up “the blood stained banner” of Christ and His transcendent morality, (pp. 118-121, 135-137). This is not possible to
any effective extent of course, if the many that profess to be Christians are corrupt and complicit with this dark world in its rebellion against God. For this reason, Colson
also calls for repentance among guilty professed Christians and their churches, (Chapter 15 and beyond).
Having just spent time giving serious thanks to God for all of His blessings this Thanksgiving, the Lord again directs my attention to the persecution being suffered by my Christian brethren among many nations. Though I do not write a lot about the ongoing persecution of Christians, I stay regularly informed and prayerful for all. The aforementioned “all” includes not just the suffering faces of those in faraway lands such as North Korea and Nigeria, but increasingly, those enduring persecution in this Western hemisphere and our own nation. Truly, growing hostility toward and persecution of Bible believing Christians in America is a reality that can no longer be dismissed as only isolated.
As a supporter of similarly named, but organizationally unrelated Open Doors USA, our Ministry regularly receives their reports on what is happening among our persecuted Christian brethren around the world.1 Not only are our brethren suffering from family and community exclusion within the nations they live, but government harassment, arrests, unfair trials, incarceration, legally sanctioned mob violence and martyrdom. When the Christian men are targeted for incarceration or murder, it leaves their families to suffer. While Communist and Islamic run nations fill the list of persecutors, nations such as Christian Eritrea, Hindu India and Buddhist Bhutan are also prominent.2
It is about to get really real for those of us that profess to be Christians in America too. Intensifying opposition to the biblical faith once on the fringe of American society is going mainstream. Moral tenets of the faith once taken for granted as absolute and bedrock to American society are not only being challenged, but cast down as no longer acceptable. These are not just tenets governing marriage and family for example, but definitions of objective truth, right and wrong, good and evil as well as justice and injustice. In the wake of this swiftly moving river of moral upheaval, Christians that would dare stand firm for the moral tenets of our faith are suffering varying degrees of persecution.
Besides the “in-your-face” government policies and litigations to remove crosses and nativity scenes as public displays of Christianity to implement falsely believed constitutionally mandated church and state separation, some Christians have suffered being demoted or fired from employment because they had Bibles at their work stations or read them on breaks. And because many secular entities have a “corporate culture” now, that does not tolerate religious expression (though, they publicly trumpet “inclusion” and “diversity” as values), being hired a Christian with a social media presence may be very difficult and once hired, witnessing Christ to co-workers is out.3
American secular colleges and universities that have historically celebrated tolerating various viewpoints as a means in the process of vigorous, but polite debate to sharpen the thinking of young minds have in too many instances today, hung out the “not welcome” sign to a biblical worldview. Biblically conservative Christian students are routinely singled out and held up to ridicule for their faith. Christian professors do not escape either.4 The secular media regularly ignores and mocks Christians that hold to a biblical worldview being quick only to report on high profile “Televangelists” and “Megachurch Pastors” whose sins come to light, while social media giants resist them.5
As I have also commented in other posts, a number of American Christians have been purposely targeted and martyred in mass shootings such as the one at Columbine High School in 1999 along with churches as occurred in Charleston, SC in 2015 and Sutherland Springs, TX in 2017.6 In agreement with all other observers here, none of what American Christians have suffered to date compares with the daily egregious and violent persecution our overseas brethren endure--yet! Praying for “the persecuted church” like it is some disconnected entity that exists only in non-exceptional, often impoverished nations of the world is about to change as persecutors intensify their efforts in America.7 And why? It is their “hour and the power of darkness,” (Luke 22:52-53, NKJV).
For this reason, beyond seeking to sensitize us to the ongoing suffering of our brethren wherever they are as a primary reason for this post, exhorting faithful American Christians to spiritually, mentally and emotionally prepare for the kind of hatred fed persecution our overseas brethren experience is an important secondary reason since our Lord has warned it is to occur in “all nations,” (Matthew 10:16-39, 24:9, NKJV).8 Now, is the time to awake from arrogance and apathy to get ready for what our Lord foretells and assures will take place. Among the equipping resources available is my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics and related group studies.9 The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
1 The organizational parent of Strong Man Ministries is Open Door Communication Ministries, Inc. I was led by the Lord to found August 12, 1985. Read some of the
stories of persecuted Christians among the many countries on the 2020 World Watch List of Open Doors USA.
2 What many of our brethren overseas “normally” suffer from their persecutors has been intensified during the Lord’s Coronavirus judgment. As we are banding together
with other Christians to help and encourage one another here at home, the Lord would have us remember our suffering persecuted brethren in those faraway lands
with tangible support as well (1 John 3:16-18).
3 Sadly, our military as a work place is no exception. Read about the case of Chaplain Curt Cizek.
4 To learn more about the experience of Christians on American campuses read the following ACLJ, Beliefnet and IsChristianityTrue articles.
5 I can attest to the heavy-handed resistance of Facebook to biblically conservative ministries such as this one among the social media giants. “Likes” to our pages by
Christians mysteriously dwindle after I write blogs or make posts on their platform that are not politically correct, tolerant etc. which the Lord has had me call them on.
They want me to believe that just making better posts and spending more money to “boost” them will remedy the situation though, such has not been the case since
they also limit the reach of the same. For the record, I do understand a to be expected number of professed Christians that formerly liked our Facebook pages are sub-
ject to “unlike” them at any time as a show of disagreement with me. I get that, but not what Facebook is doing which lately has even taken away page likes whenever
someone has liked a post! I urge Christians that have liked our pages and those of other ministries to check back periodically especially if you have not received a post
in your newsfeeds for a time and re-like the pages if necessary. Also, enlist other Christians on Facebook to like our pages after you have done so.
6 Read for example, the June 8, 2014 post, And Then There Is The War, under the category, instruction. Revisit the cited respective church shootings at the following
links Charleston, SC and Sutherland Springs, TX.
7 See the November 12, 2017 post, God’s Throwaways?, under the category, Bible Prophecy.
8 Read the two-part post beginning May 17, 2020, Persecution, Hatred And Betrayal, under the category, Bible Prophecy.
9 A print copy or digital download of the book published by the Publishing Division of Open Door Communication Ministries, Inc. with fresh editing in 2019 for greater clari-
ty and updated web addresses in the footnotes is available at major internet booksellers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ChristianBooks.com and Apple (digital only).
You can also purchase a print copy in the Strong Man Store. Too, leaders can teach, disciple and equip through The Strong Man Of God Men’s Group Study and The
Great Woman Of God Women’s Group Study also in the Strong Man Store.
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