The Scourge Of Racism
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Those professed Christians that cannot bear to hear talk about God as Judge may not actually know Him from the Bible and are in a bad place spiritually. As the Lord has led me to write in recent blog and social media posts, much of the blame for this must be shouldered by those pastors and teachers whether in church buildings or the media that have deceitfully focused exclusively on what are considered the non-threatening, positive aspects of the divine nature, character and acts presented in Scripture.1 However, the evidently massive numbers of fragile souls that need God to only show His sunny side must also accept responsibility (Isaiah 30:8-11; 2 Timothy 4:3-4).
While space will not allow me to do more than give only a very lightweight introduction to the God of the Bible, I proceed as the Lord leads out of His love for those He foreknows will be helped to understand who it is that has called them to salvation and eternal life! God wants to be known by us and has taken the initiative in four ways to make this happen. God is revealed through what has been observably created both external in the creation all around us (to include the human body) as a first and internal--made as we are unique above all animals in the divine image and likeness--as a second way of knowing Him (Genesis 1:1, 26-27, 5:1-2, 9:5-6; Psalm 19:1-4; Romans 1:18-21).
A third way God makes Himself known to us is in His written Word; a marvel of divine inspiration using human vessels over many centuries (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21). A fourth and final way humanity can know God is up close and Personal through Jesus Christ, the Son and Word who revealed God at His first century A.D. coming and after to all who believe on Him (Jeremiah 31:31-34; John 1:1-18, 14:7-26; Hebrews 1:1-4). From all of these ways of Self-disclosure, but especially the written Word, mankind can know what God wants known about Him. For this reason, every man should read the Bible for himself; not relying solely on what others tell him it says!
According to His Word, God is the eternally living God whose nature and character do not change--He is who He is forever (Exodus 3:13-15; Isaiah 40:27-28, 43:10, 44:6-8; Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8; Revelation 1:4-8, 17-18)! God perfect in nature is alone just, righteous, truth, holy, merciful, gracious, good, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kind, gentle, faithful and Self-controlled as some of His attributes (Deuteronomy 32:3-4; Leviticus 19:1-2; Psalm 103:8; Matthew 19:17; Galatians 5:22-23). His nature informs His character so that as holy for example, He is set apart from and has no dealings with sin lest He break out in wrath to destroy its bearer (Leviticus 10:1-3; Isaiah 6:1-7).
Because God does not change in nature and character, even after the coming of Christ in mercy and grace to endure the divine wrath against human sin as our sin bearing substitute, the benefit of His sacrifice extends only to those that repent of their sins, believe the Gospel about Him--that He died on the cross for our sins, was buried and rose again on the third day--and receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:36-38; Romans 3:21-26, 10:6-13; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Hebrews 9:27-28). However, those that reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ remain in their sins and must find another way if there were one to turn the wrath of God away from their sin guilt (John 3:16-21, 36; Acts 4:8-12).
Now, this is where many professed Christians and those that lead and teach them (some well intended) in these latter days are getting into trouble with God. For though, He is loving, good, kind, benevolent, merciful, gracious, longsuffering and ready to forgive the sins of believers (all disobedience to God’s written Word is sin) in the aftermath of Christ’s sacrifice, He does and will not do so unless we in humility confess, repent from and forsake them out of reverence for His holiness (1 John 1:5-2:2).2 Otherwise, the professed believer who refuses to do so faces God as Judge now, and in the future (Romans 2:1-11; 2 Corinthians 5:9-11; 1 Timothy 5:24-25; Hebrews 10:26-31).3
Indeed, Christians are called to be holy as God is in the New Covenant just as Israel was under the Old (1 Peter 1:13-21). Knowing God as He is, we supposedly need no one to teach us these things since His law is in our hearts and written upon our minds and we are eager to obey all of His commandments (Hebrews 10:11-22). Out of this context alone comes our legitimate confidence in all of God’s scripturally assured promises, benevolences and blessings. We are also enabled to “be strong” and do great deeds out of our knowledge of God (Daniel 11:32, NKJV).4 Nevertheless, the apostle John is very direct in declaring that anyone who professes to know Jesus Christ, but “does not keep His commandments is a liar,” (1 John 2:3-4, NKJV).5
Therefore, coming to Jesus Christ, Son of the holy God, believers that do not want to fear facing Him as Judge are called to follow His example of love motivated obedience to all of His Father’s commandments which are His too (John 14:31, 15:10; Philippians 2:5-8)! Keeping the Lord’s Word in obedience proves one truly knows and loves God and is in Christ, while walking as He did is proof one abides in Him (1 John 2:5-6). This is all critical to understand now and going forward. The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
1 See the two-part post beginning May 17, 2020, Persecution, Hatred And Betrayal, under the category, Bible Prophecy.
2 God already knows He has called us to mission impossible as it concerns sin without His help. He has provided the Holy Spirit and continuing access to His throne of
grace and mercy where our confessed and repented from sins are forgiven through the shed blood of Jesus (John 16:5-15; Hebrews 4:14-16). For more instruction on
biblical forgiveness, read my November 2, 2014 post, Once And For All Forgiveness?, under the category, Call To Repent.
3 Many Christians and their churches in sin now, endure God’s Coronavirus judgment as an example and are called to repentance.
4 This is the heart of every faithful Christian aspiring to be strong men or great women of God in the image of Jesus Christ I write about in my book, The Strong Man Of
God: Back To Basics. Get a print copy or digital download of the book 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.
5 See the five posts on the topic of obedience that begin on September 7, 2014, under the category, Call To Repent.
The suffering and death the Coronavirus pandemic will have caused the world by its end is tragic. It is though, the beginning of God's next level judgments that vindicate His warnings through us crying out to the world about sin and churches their rebellion against His Word, toleration of falsehood and worldly compromises.1 Indeed, the rapidity by which the pestilence spread throughout the earth, came upon our nation and overtook my January through March 2020 posts calling yet again for repentance among guilty churches and warning of coming judgment will be among my most powerful memories of the event. As I warned in the opening of a March post, the Lord “ain’t playing.”2
God’s Coronavirus judgment among other things is to also be considered another significant paradigm shift in His program for Christians and churches of similar end as that which occurred with the Jerusalem church after the stoning of Stephen (Acts 8:1-4). Negatively, the stoning of Stephen led to a severe persecution breaking out against the Jerusalem church causing “all” but the apostles to be “scattered” in every direction out of the city (Acts 8:1, NKJV). In the positive, the Jerusalem saints getting run out of town led to their beginning to fulfill the next phase in the Lord’s preannounced will and plan for how He was to be witnessed geographically (Luke 24:46-49; Acts 1:8, 8:4).
Negatively, the Coronavirus pandemic has closed the doors of many churches; some that will never open again. All Christians have suffered and suffer to various degrees through the challenges created by the pestilence; some have the illness and a relative few have died. Others are enduring the illness of loved ones sickened by the virus and the grief of loss. Many have failed the test of faith through fear in the event; some are rebounding through repentance. Some in despair walk away from churches. Others, called again to repent, continue to rebel in unbelief to their destruction shared in common with apostates who walk away from Christ never to return (Hebrews 3:7-19, 10:35-39).3
In the positive, the Lord through the Coronavirus pandemic has only mercifully chastened us to whatever extent any surviving Christian and church has suffered (Proverbs 3:11-12; Hebrews 12:3-11; Revelation 3:19). Guilty where sin has been involved up to the swift onset of the pestilence, the repentant and humbled are freshly giving themselves in fidelity back to God--His will, way and Word! And while a number of pastors and churches have been creatively maintaining some form of corporate connection to members in the crisis, it should be clearly understood God’s one will, way and Word as it is written involves equipping men to lead His worship at home and in His house!4
Truly, Christian men new and seasoned restored in God’s revival stemming from all of this are to be in the vanguard of a renewed and final push by the Holy Spirit to preach the Gospel and make disciples of the nations using mortal flesh (Matthew 24:14, 28:19-20; Mark 13:10, 16:15; Acts 26:8-20)!5 Our restored sisters are to be just as God designed: helpers and supporters of their husbands and men as they go forth (Luke 8:1-3; Romans 16:1-2); leaders in the cause to reach fellow women and children (Acts 9:36-42). If that sounds beneath you as a woman and insulting, you still need to repent from the stronghold of pride filled worldly feminism that retains its grip on your heart!
On this point as with every other matter the Bible plainly commands and teaches we should all be on one accord. For God does not have a multitude of wills, but there is only one declared consistently and without ambiguity on every issue in His Word as it is written! Passionately honoring this truth going forward as those revived by the one Holy Spirit, we fulfill Christ’s will delivered by His apostle, Paul, that walking “worthy of the calling” upon us in all “lowliness and gentleness with longsuffering” and forbearing “love” for one another, we strive hard “to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,” (Ephesians 4:1-3, NKJV). Over the past 500 years many professed Christians and their churches have striven for just the opposite and we see the result in ungodly divisions!6
However, if it must be as foretold that we go out as “sheep for the slaughter” for Christ’s sake, then, let us go out in unity faithfully pleasing Him and doing His will as we ought--the heart of every aspiring strong man and great woman of God in His image (Matthew 24:9-12; Romans 8:36, NKJV)!7 For “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all and in you all,” (Ephesians 4:4-6, NKJV). At the moment, we “hide” ourselves physically until the Lord’s indignation passes; laboring using media and waiting to emerge to zealously get after it (Isaiah 26:20-21, NKJV)! The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
1 God’s vindication in my lifetime of the word of warning and judgment He assigned in 1986 (Ezekiel 33:1-9) is deeply rewarding to me and I am sure all of His other
faithful servants. Many of the Bible’s prophets did not have this experience speaking as they did of events far removed into the future (1 Peter 1:10-12). To be sure,
the Lord’s vindication has nothing at all to do with those of us faithfully laboring, but a timely birth and nearness of His glorious Second Coming (Psalm 102:16; 1 Co-
rinthians 1:16-31; 2 Corinthians 10:17-18)! Glory to God!
2 See the March 15, 2020 post, Torn Between Two Masters, Pt. 1, under the category, Call To Repent.
3 Read the April 19, 2020 post, Does Anybody Repent Anymore? under the category, Call To Repent.
4 Pastor, it never did nor will it serve any good biblical end going forward to reserve the church house with its buildings and programs (which God has now, powerfully
shown He can do without and does not absolutely need especially when things are not going to be done His way) as the exclusive place of instruction, worship, fel-
lowship and ministry. In the wisdom of God from the beginning every man was assigned by Him to be the spiritual leader of his house (Genesis 2:16-17, 3:1-3, 21,
4:1-7, 8:20; Deuteronomy 6:1-9; 1 Timothy 3:2-5, 12). While you can easily teach the men of the church you lead to do as I have instructed in the free document, Men
Leading Family Worship At Home, save yourself some time since it has already been prepared. Download it from the Strong Man Store and use it!
5 Read the more thorough six-part treatment of this reality that begins July 30, 2017, Restoring Men In the Two Minute Drill, under the category, The Cause.
6 The apostle Paul, who wrote of divisions in the church at Corinth numbering just a handful, would be astonished to find them in the tens of thousands throughout pro-
fessing global Christianity today! Too, he would marvel that few consider this state of affairs abnormal and wicked in the sight of God who now, judges; calling guilty
leaders to repentance (1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 3:1-4). While Paul’s focus in the passages just cited was on divisions created by personality loyalties, all should be clear
the great apostle would not condemn them caused by the faithful standing firm in disallowing the biblically defined sin of those that insist for example, on practicing all
forms of sexual immorality--a reason God Himself will exclude all such persons from the Kingdom (1 Corinthians 5:9-13, 6:9-20; Galatians 5:19-21).
7 I write about the aspiring strong man and great woman of God in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. Get a print copy or digital download of the book
at major internet booksellers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ChristianBooks.com and Apple (digital only). You can also get a print copy in the Strong Man Store.
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