The Scourge Of Racism
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Released January 5, 2024
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The Lord has allowed that I should pause at this critical juncture in writing about the restoration of men and grieve for those from amongst whom I have sprung racially for what is taking place and is still to be fulfilled as He began to show me in 1984. For this is Black History Month unfolding contemporaneously with and an integral part of American history. Even so, though we remember the facts and realities of the black American experience this month, Juneteenth and everyday of the year, they of themselves can do nothing to turn back the continued suffering of the spiritually and otherwise impoverished masses of the people--the men in particular--untouched by divine restoration.
I set out in the autumn of 1984 to create a short video documentary for my Master’s Thesis on the problems many black Americans faced in Fort Worth, Texas including the typical issues of poverty, inadequate housing, low educational attainment, unemployment, family dysfunction, drugs, alcohol, violence, criminality, incarceration etc. My target audience was predominantly black American churches that were numerically prolific in the hood. Who Is Weeping For My People? as the title of the documentary was not only intended to spiritually and morally confront otherwise preoccupied religious hearts, but to also convey the heart of God toward their hurting community.1
The problems I found in 1984 Fort Worth, of course, exist in every urban and rural area of America with any sizeable black population and have intensified. In fairness, governments along with secular and faith based non-government organizations to include a relative few that are church operated at all levels have tried (and try) in varying ways with uneven success outcomes to address the political, educational and socio-economic factors that give rise for example, to persistent poverty. However, unless and until the churches professed to be of Jesus Christ in each community step up as one to fulfill their biblical restoration mandate, positive outcomes will continue to be limited.
Churches involved do not immediately release any of the current key players from the mix of those helping black Americans. But they bring to the table the divine imperative to restore men spiritually in Jesus Christ who are the engines that God designed to drive families and communities to prosperity. After any man is restored in Christ, he relies long-term on God and needs only that mortal flesh places no artificial barriers such as racial discrimination to his aspirations to provide for his family and be a contributing member of the community. For him it is as soul singer, James Brown, sang in his 1969 song: “I don’t want nobody to give me nothing, open up the door, I’ll get it myself.”
To their shame today as in 1984 though, such talk is so much idealism since the many divided churches and their pastors cooperate well enough to put on self-serving annual days, but find it impossible to lay aside ego, pride, control issues and personal agendas to preach the one and only Gospel of Jesus Christ as called and teach biblical manhood as it is plainly written in God’s Word (Romans 10:14-15; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Ephesians 4:1-6, 5:22-6:4; 2 Thessalonians 3:10; 1 Timothy 5:8). Yes, keeping it real, many of our sons do not try too hard to hear what preachers are saying today because of the great number in destructive bondage to Satan, sin and self as they are.
I wrote about the inability to declare freedom to other men when the preachers as ostensible aspiring strong men of God in Christ’s image are still in bondage and unconcerned last year.2 So, I write again this year for the sake of black males and our community languishing in self-destruction to appeal to any hearts left that may care; care enough with tears launched from agonizing grief at the slaughter. Or am I at times, their families and friends the only ones to weep when another black male is killed by anyone; another soul removed from and whose blood waters the earth? God weeps over this and wills to act; why not all of those professing to be His people? The Lord weeps as He did through the prophet Elisha over Israel in the face of His judgment’s instrument (2 Kings 8:7-15).
He weeps also as He did over Judah on their way to and in Babylon through the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 8:13-9:2) and all from first century Israel to this hour that fail by the time of death to lay hold of His salvation and restoration through Jesus, Son of Man (Luke 19:41-44)! He as God’s prime “Repairer of the Breach” (Isaiah 58:1-12, NKJV) and true “Change Agent” is our only Hope as I know for myself and have joyfully testified.3 Such testimony to the world is what God planned for our people!4 But if those that profess to know God refuse to model and declare His restoration in Jesus, why should we expect anything better than what we see through our tears (Jeremiah 9:3-24)? The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, “Who is on the Lord's side?”
1 The documentary was packaged and shown on Dallas/Fort Worth cable systems in 1989-90 as part of its Revival’93 media campaign targeting black Americans by Open Door Communication Ministries, Inc.
2 Read the blog series, When The Messengers Are Bound, Parts 1-3, February 28-March 13, 2016 under the category, Black History.
3 Read the five part series beginning December 2005, Releasing The Strong Man! where my personal testimony is included in the Journal Archives at the From Sla- very To Victory Education Project (FSTVEP) Web Site.
4 A biblical worldview of the black experience from Africa can only come to this gracious and redemptive conclusion which is what the From Slavery To Victory Edu- cation Project heralds beginning with its presentation on the Home Page of www.fromslaverytovictory.org. While you are there, visit the Hope For The Family Page to listen to the full length Juneteenth audio message the Lord gave me entitled, Restoring Fathers & Children’s Hearts.
A man’s Man to be sure, but God’s Man all the more, Jesus, Son of Man displayed the masculine traits that have long been considered solidly male. Clearly, however, this was not the extent of His eternal masculinity and Manhood as He also displayed traits that have been wrongly associated uniquely with femininity and weakness. Such traits as grace, mercy, compassion, humility, gentleness, kindness, empathy, longsuffering, forgiveness and consoling were displayed in Jesus too (Matthew 9:9-13, 18-36, 11:25-30; Luke 6:1-11, 7:1-17, 9:37-42; John 8:1-12, 16:16-33). Thus, He fully exhibited man as the masculine being he is as I have been proclaiming in this blog!
Contrary to what sin has corruptly worked in fallen man as male and female by God’s perfect, purposeful design and division, they in their marital oneness were to operate cooperatively in a complementary relationship. Their intrinsic masculinity was “fleshed out” by God in their natural bodies in such a way as to foster understanding, appreciation and harmony for each other’s roles and responsibilities in the divine assignment to rule and fill the earth.4 As a result, males in general as His chosen heads and initiators of the family with the help of hormones have emphasized those parts of masculinity that are strongly linked to their tasks such as authority, ambition and strength.
Hormonally aided, females in general as helpers to their husbands in the management and expansion of the family through childbearing, display more of such masculine traits as compassion, gentleness and consoling suited for those responsibilities.5 Nevertheless, as demonstrated by Jesus, Son of Man, these masculine traits are not intended exclusively for feminine ends and in fact, now, His male and female followers are being restored inwardly to conform to His image and example of eternal masculinity in becoming like Him in every way, but without conflict with their respective temporary gender body designs, roles and responsibilities (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18).
As great as Jesus is, He still presented Himself a “bondservant,” (Mark 10:45; Philippians 2:7, NKJV). John the Baptist described Him as “the Lamb of God” which spoke to His mission to take “away the sin of the world,” (John 1:29, NKJV)! But calling Jesus, Son of Man “the Lamb of God” also speaks to His eternal attitude and posture of humility to please the Father in all submission that led to His offering Himself on the cross to take away sin and bring forth the restoration of willing mankind. Therefore, again, submission as taught and displayed eternally by Jesus is not something exclusive to femininity and negative, but well pleasing to God since it is directly tied to the proper loving response to greater authority as in the divine Father and Son relationship above all other examples!
The foregoing is certainly the reason Jesus does not attempt to fix God’s order of mankind as it concerns the headship of a man over his wife and family--there is nothing wrong with it, but mankind as sinners! Instead, as the consummate Man and our Head (1 Corinthians 11:3), Jesus teaches us men how to treat women (Luke 7:36-50) and His apostles our wives with love, dignity, compassion and true equality as fellow man (Genesis 2:23; Ephesians 5:28-29); leading, teaching, providing for and protecting them as God has done for man since Adam in the garden (Genesis 2:7-17). God’s restoration of man in Jesus makes better male and female relations in this age possible!
Man is a ruler by divine design and created to rule God’s creation under Him. As I wrote in another place, as fully restored in Jesus Christ we are eternally destined “a race of rulers.”6 God did not create man to rule in any way that he pleased, but to do so in the divine image and likeness. Jesus, Son of Man showed us what kind of a ruler man is to be in perfect masculinity, nature, tested character and balanced demeanor as a lion and a lamb as I describe in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. Having ended the first part of His work to restore man crying out from the cross, “It is finished“ (John 19:30, NKJV), He rose from the dead and ascended to His Father who “exalted Him” “Lord” to which every created knee bows to God’s glory (Philippians 2:8-11, NKJV)!
In the meantime, He continues seeking willing men among Adam’s fallen sons to restore in salvation and spiritual regeneration so they may be deployed and labor too in His present Kingdom cause (Matthew 4:18-19, 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Titus 3:3-7). Truly, the second and consummating part of God’s restoration work draws near; Jesus, the Son of Man’s declared return to earth when He will immediately raise the dead and transform the bodies of those living that have waited for Him (Matthew 26:63-64; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17)!7 He with His fellow glorious immortals as God’s eternal sons will reign over an eagerly waiting creation beginning then and forever (Romans 8:14-25)! The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, “Who is on the Lord's side?”
4 Read my May 1, 2016 post, Natural Bodies By Divine Design and others referenced in it under the category, God’s Creatures.
5 Read the June 19, 2016 post, Eternal Sons Of God to learn more about how eternal, spiritual masculinity transcends and informs that which is displayed in the human body by gender under the category, Instruction.
6 Read the September 19, 2014 post, A Race Of Rulers under the category, God’s Creatures. Also, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics referenced in this blog can be purchased in the Strong Man Store.
7 See the July 10-31, 2016 posts that discuss the immortal bodies of the eternal sons of God!
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