The Scourge Of Racism
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On this thirty-third anniversary since the Lord led me to found Open Door Communication Ministries, Inc., the organizational parent of Strong Man Ministries, He has me continuing to deal with two themes: violence against young black males and folk practicing Christianity as a religion of manmade invention. In this post of an edited 2012 Commentary,1 however, the violence against and killing of young black males comes purposely at their own hands, while it is predominantly black Americans as professed Christians in many churches practicing their own form of Christianity completely powerlessness to reverse this evil to any extent that are addressed.2
Without repentance, total community self-destruction is assured! With repentance and embrace of biblical Christianity in genuine Holy Spirit empowered revival, there is still some hope and a little time left to make a difference for good among our spiritually lost, young black males and entire community. This hope is not a fantasy like that of the fictional, comic book Black Panther king, his other world magical flower and cloaked kingdom of Wakanda. Our hope is fully grounded in the reality of the Son of God, His anointed King, Jesus Christ, revealed from Heaven who died on the cross for our sins, was buried and rose again to bring salvation and its exceedingly great benefits including His eternal power and Kingdom rule to all mankind now (Luke 24:44-49; Acts 1:8)!
Originally Published August 2012
The mostly Portland, OR area black American men and pastors that walk the streets to intervene with our boys and that recently came together to address how churches should handle gang related funerals are to be commended for their efforts. Formerly in my pastorates and through Strong Man Ministries I have witnessed to gang members. Eight years ago, I also attended a community meeting in the aftermath of yet another uptick in gang violence and was pierced deeply by the statements of one gang member who shattered all of our presumptions about gang bangers. His words made me realize Spirit led Christians can help curtail gang violence, but must be more assertive about it.
Let me be clear that I fully understand the problem with gangs and all forms of lawlessness in our communities are complex and multi-faceted. Even so, at its core, the criminal enterprise of gang banging with all of its associated lifestyle props is a spiritual issue of sin and evil. For example, the gang member that greatly disturbed me and others in the community meeting said that they are not all from single female led homes and poverty. This particular gang member had come from a two-parent, middle class home and was banging for the thrill of it--so much for viewing and solving the problem solely as a matter of political, economic, social and educational victimization!
Secular governments and police agencies are frustrated along with the few engaged church leaders that deal with the gang problem having rejected a biblical worldview and approach to curtailing it. Biblical Christianity is plain that gang bangers are sinners and need the Gospel like all other sinners to face up to the fact that a holy God has condemned them and their wicked behavior (criminality, violence and murder are sin). However, God loves and sent His Son, Jesus Christ into the world to save sinners that will repent from their sins and believe in Him (John 3:16-18a)! Those who believe become new creations with renewed minds by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:17-24).
Sinners who refuse to repent and believe in Christ from the heart remain condemned before God (John 3:18b-21; Romans 3:9-20; Galatians 5:19-21). With our continued attempts to reach gang members in and out of prison,3 they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law to include receiving the death penalty when they harm and murder others respectively (Genesis 9:4-6; Romans 13:1-4). Churches mocking Christ's words should not provide a Christian burial service to those killed while banging (Matthew 7:21-23). But such tough love will never happen until pastors repent from not preaching the Gospel and the whole counsel of God with a unified voice into our communities.
Again, in having rejected a biblical worldview, secular governments and police agencies are outwitted and gunned in their struggle with the gang problem while too many church leaders appear to be willfully ignoring or helpless against the reality of the evil that supports it. Biblical Christianity also presents lawlessness as the spiritual outworking of evil (2 Thessalonians 2:3-9). According to the Bible, Satan is the original gangster as well as author of gang violence among angels and murder among men (Ezekiel 28:11-16; John 8:44). Because of this reality, faithful Christians or the world will never totally eradicate gangs for lawlessness even increases as the Lord foretold (Matthew 24:12).
However, just as our Lord went about destroying the works of the devil for the love and liberation of oppressed humanity, so must we for the sake of our sons, families, churches and communities (Acts 10:36-38; 1 John 3:8). Aspiring strong men of God in the image of Christ understand that we are not as a first priority wrestling against human beings, but territorial fallen spirits; demons whose mission it is to oppose God by destroying the men of His love (Daniel 10:1-14, 20-21; Ephesians 6:12).4 Therefore, we properly suit up and begin to attack the gang problem where it originates: in the spiritual realm among demonic hordes arrayed against us (2 Corinthians 10:3-6; Ephesians 6:10-18).
Such warfare requires that sinning pastors turn back to and lead their churches in the way of biblical Christianity which is routinely the power of God on display (Mark 16:15-18)! And since they have failed to do this until now, much fasting and prayer in revival must precede and bathe the warfare (Mark 9:14-29). Our liberated children will still need to be mentored spiritually in faithful, Bible teaching churches and encouraged to pursue an education as well as positive activities, employment or entrepreneurial opportunities. Our boys in particular must no longer be given mixed messages about what a man is and does as a leader in the home and churches!5 The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
1 This Commentary originally launched a trilogy on violence that ended with Arresting Violence Against Women that posted on October 6, 2017, under the category,
Biblical Worldview. Lord willing, the middle Commentary--a follow up to this one entitled, Valuing Human Life, will post August 19, 2018.
2 The Lord has led me to write many commentaries and blogs over the years to professed Christian black Americans and our churches calling for repentance from re-
ligion and revival because of the sinfully lost opportunities to showcase the life changing power of the Gospel and power of God in our community. Read for exam-
ple, the February 8-15, 2015 two-part post, Strong Through God, Not Religion, under the category, Black History.
3 Since 2005 Strong Man Ministries has been intentionally engaged in reaching young males with the Gospel using media, on the streets, in sports and the prisons.
Learn more about our activities in summary on our Web Site or for our work with youth go directly to the Strong Man Minute Page. This Ministry stands ready to
come along side of and stand with any Kingdom driven church of Jesus Christ to reach especially our males--God’s chosen family heads with the Gospel and make
a difference for good among all of our community members.
4 I write about Christian men as aspiring strong men of God in the image of Jesus Christ in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. It is available at all
major internet book sellers, by order at your favorite brick and mortar bookstore or in the Strong Man Store.
5 Males are purposely introduced to the Christian faith and taught biblical manhood which includes divinely willed Christ-like character in traits to help them mature in
Christ through The Strong Man Of God Men’s Group Study, available in the Strong Man Store. My book also teaches about purposeful mentoring by way of spiritual
fathering. This is spiritually maturing Christian men working with younger men and boys to help them grow in the faith. They also model to and teach them what it
means to be a man by God’s design and walk in His assignment of family headship and church leadership.
Among other things, this edited 2013 repost is a real world illustration of just one evil done by those that have practiced loveless Christianity the religion of men in America from its founding.6 That its practitioners and churches have helped to morally undergird and maintain the nation’s racial double standard is the focus of this part two. An appropriate call to repent is made to the guilty.
According to Microsoft Encarta Dictionary, a double standard occurs when a principle, rule, or expectation is applied to some people, but not others in a way that is unfair. America’s historic racial double standard where its laws, system of justice, morals and rules of social conduct were unfairly applied to blacks in favor of whites is perceived by many to remain largely, though covertly intact. So, while the American justice system is supposed to be blind, given the history and present hour realities, most honest Americans must concede that the tables being turned and a black man killed a white man, they would be shocked if he were to be found not guilty--“stand your ground law” or not.
It is a fallen world--you know I get that. However, keeping it real and straight to the point of our strong man of God cause, white men weak in the sin of racism professing to be Christians and operating out of churches claiming to represent Christianity have for centuries been the enabling moral force behind America’s racial double standard.7 Because of that fact, to this day in many predominantly white churches a white man’s word or teaching still carries more weight than a black man’s no matter how biblically sound. Too, a white man’s evil deeds will be reflexively excused or explained away, while a black man guilty of the same behavior would be more severely dealt with.
I know this because I have been part of predominantly white denominations since 1980 and am presently a member of a predominantly white church where I have experienced the racial double standard.8 Indeed, because of it, some of the white readers of this post that are guilty will automatically dismiss what I am saying in denial rather than taking it to heart and repenting! Some of my black brothers will say, “Get out of there!” But if professed white and black Christians never interact, how will we ever resolve issues like the racial double standard; as brothers, presenting to the world the commanded, superior way of Christ (John 13:34-35; Romans 15:1-7)?
Safely retreated into segregated camps apathetically retaining the racial double standard status quo is not now nor was it ever God’s solution! Truly, it is a state of sinful defeat that especially professed Christian conservative white Americans live in that tolerates all of the racial negatives including the double standard in the camp without any serious attempt to remove them.9 As I have already alluded to as a reason, many practice counterfeit Christianity the religion of men. It allows one to profess being a Christian without having to demonstrate any real “fruits” of repentance so that impostors proliferate within their ranks (Luke 3:7-14; Galatians 2:1-5; Colossians 2:16-23, NKJV).10
Corrupting Scripture to arrogantly rationalize redefining men of color as sub-human and inferior, the majority of their forefathers as professed Christians established the racial double standard; upheld to this hour if not overtly in word, covertly by deeds. Falsely believing God shared their wicked view of non-white men, they failed to realize (or care) their sin with disobedient others cast shame upon Christ’s name among its consequences (Romans 2:17-24; 1 Timothy 5:14-15, 6:1; Titus 2:1-10)! Using double standards falls biblically into the category of showing partiality which God does not do and condemns as sin (Deuteronomy 10:17; Acts 10:34; Galatians 2:6; James 2:1-9).
Therefore, let every professed Christian be warned from the sinful issue of racial double standards raised again in the tragic killing of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman: repent if you are guilty lest the God who shows no partiality you claim to serve deals with you personally as your sins deserve (Romans 2:1-11; Galatians 6:7-8; Colossians 3:25; 1 Peter 1:13-21). Moreover, recognize this and every effort to communicate God’s call to repentance to you rebuffed for whatever reasons including racism, serves as a witness against you “before the judgment seat of Christ,” (2 Corinthians 5:9-11, NKJV). God in wrath will also destroy your religion (Revelation 16:17-21). To the relative few faithful working to repair racism’s damages: your reward awaits you; keep working!
Nonetheless, the work of the faithful will not forestall God’s coming wrath upon this and all nations guilty of prolonged and severe oppression of subjugated peoples. For just as Judah, what God allowed as punishment for ancient sin in the case of my people and all surviving minorities from America’s colonial times was only to be for a little season. As He did to Babylon, His vengeance is about to fall on the nations “at ease” that unmercifully lengthened their pain. This will be followed by His mercy extended to Jerusalem and the lowliest of souls waiting in faith for Him (Isaiah 47:1-7; Jeremiah 25:8-33; Zechariah 1:12-17, 2:6-13; Luke 1:46-55, 6:20-23; 2 Thessalonians 1:3-12, NKJV).11 The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
6 See the two-part post, Christianity The Religion Of Men beginning August 21, 2016 under the category, Instruction.
7 Read my September 4, 2016 post, Christianity The Religion American Style and those that follow that month under the category, Call To Repent.
8 Once, in a one on one meeting, the pastor had a knife under his leg that was revealed when he rose up out of his chair to leave the room briefly. Upon his return,
I asked about the knife since there was no reason to fear me. I was told it must have fallen out of his pocket and was carried only out of the norm of his cultural up-
bringing. After sharing the incident with church elders that included a police officer, it was dismissed as my misperception--an outcome most blacks are familiar with.
Perhaps so, but because of the racial double standard also practiced in many predominantly white churches, I have no doubt that had it been me with the knife, the
incident would have been seen and handled differently.
9 I make a distinction between “conservative” Christians which tend to be white and those souls from every hue like me that are “biblically conservative” in likeness to the
Lord Jesus (Matthew 5:17-20) as I discuss in an April 19, 2015 repost, On The Lord’s Side, under the category, The Cause. Though there is generally an overlap in
some shared morals, in contrast to conservative Christians who are more worldly political and patriotically intense, biblical conservatives have as our uppermost con-
cern love for Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit preserving, applying and living out the eternally transcendent truths and instruction of God’s Word as it is written!
As a result, there is no tolerance of or accommodation to the sin of racism in our ranks. Read my December 11, 2016 post, Professing Christian Racism Is Sin Too,
under the category, Call To Repent.
10 Read the July 8-22, 2018 posts that discuss biblical faith, false and real Christians as well as authentic Christianity.
11 For a summary historical examination of the rise and fall of Christianity as a manmade religion along with God’s foretold judgments on the nations, read the February
24-March 17, 2017 four-part blog series, God Of Restoration And Judgment, under the category, The Cause.
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