The Scourge Of Racism
E-Book Availability 4/12-26
Released January 5, 2024
Download Your Copy
Now In The Strong Man Store!
As the Lord led, I wrote this edited 2010 Commentary in commemoration of serving Him in this Ministry He led me to found. In that mindset, I post it now to praise the God who saved and called me to His service through what have been many adverse circumstances since 1985 and to serve as yet another witness against the success mongers that have falsely made compromise of God’s Word a necessity of Christian service. I joyfully fear God and in it have led this Ministry to stand for the restoration of men to the ordained roles of headship He designed for them in this mortal age; the glorious destiny that belongs to all Christians who will let God conform them to the image of Christ!
Originally Published August 2010
In our success mad world that always judges it based on numbers, size and favorable outcomes, many of the Bible's most important figures would be deemed failures. Yet, time has proven their calling and service to God--where they many times stood alone against the tide of their day--was truly very successful as it concerned faithfully doing His will. Reflecting on the 25th anniversary since I was blessed by God to found Open Door Communication Ministries, Inc. August 12, 1985, I have faced the fact a later to be seen faithfulness as success may be my own spiritual legacy as also the majority of aspiring strong men of God in the image of Jesus Christ!1
Since the success model of the world has also firmly established itself in most of our churches and para-church ministries today, numbers, size and favorable outcomes determine whether a man or his ministry are successful. As a pastor, folk constantly want to know, "how large is your church" as if this one factor can really determine success or if God is involved. Many certified false teachers have followers in the millions. With Open Door Communication Ministries, Inc. the question is "what is your income?" In fairness, we report numbers small and large from events we sponsor in our monthly newsletter. But we give God the glory because His work is the point!
The God of the Bible does not often set numerical goals especially for work to be done with a prophetic emphasis. The question, “how many support your cause” asked in their times would have surely made the responses of men like Noah, Lot, Elijah, Jeremiah, the Lord Jesus and His apostle, Paul, failures in the eyes of their inquirer. Noah was called of God to build an ark for what turned out to be just for his family of eight out of millions of human beings. God gave this cause to Noah after announcing He would destroy the world with a flood. Yet, Noah preached righteousness while he worked a lengthy time building the ark, but none sought refuge until too late (Genesis 7:11-23; 2 Peter 2:4-5).
Righteous Lot lived in a wicked city like many in our nation today in which he had continually appealed for their restraint from evil. God sent angels to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah sparing only Lot, his wife and daughters for his sake. But even his wife perished after disobeying the command not to look back (Genesis 19:12-26; 2 Peter 2:6-8). Elijah the prophet stood alone to face down 450 false prophets of Baal and though he prevailed by the Lord, he felt abandoned by the people of Israel because they feared wicked Jezebel who had put a death sentence upon him (1 Kings 18:20-19:10).
The prophet Jeremiah warned of God's coming judgment and called the people of Judah to repentance for over 40 years. He was beaten, imprisoned, kept in stocks, dropped down wells and opposed by priests, false prophets and most of the kings. He stood virtually alone until the end when the judgment God had been warning of through him came (2 Chronicles 36:15-21; Jeremiah 40:1-6). After having the multitudes of Israel follow Him and enjoy His instruction and ministry of power, the Lord Jesus stood alone against His accusers and in His cause that led Him to the cross (Luke 23:33-49). Later, Paul, His apostle knew a similar experience (2 Timothy 4:9-16).
Thus, limited numbers and standing alone against the crowd typically in rebellion and apostasy is not new for God’s faithful. Indeed, every professed Christian man must decide if he needs a crowd or will he stand alone if necessary to do God's will? I made my choice 25 years ago and suffer the consequences. This Ministry is still small and I have never had a salary.2 I am scoffed at and ridiculed because I refuse to corrupt God's Word for the sake of success. Even so, the Gospel is preached, lives are being changed and souls are being warned! Like all of the Bible’s aspiring strong men of God, I have stood at times and will stand alone to faithfully do His will to the end (Ezekiel 33:1-9). The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
1 As a result, my sole focus is on finishing well (pleasing to God--2 Corinthians 5:9) and to let legacy take care of itself! Learn more about the aspiring strong man of God
in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. It is available at all major internet booksellers, by order at your favorite brick and mortar bookstore or in the
Strong Man Store.
2 With all praise and thanksgiving to God, this changed in 2014 with the sale of property the Ministry received. I am trusting the Lord for what follows the exhaustion of
this diminishing provision and invite any faithful Christians looking for men of biblical truth and faithfulness to support to consider me through this Ministry. Contact the
Ministry for more information.
Though it is repeatedly taught in the New Testament that what is called “Christianity” cannot be lived out through the natural will and strength of human effort as a religion, from the first century until now sinful human beings have kept trying in futility and shame.1 Of course, Satan delights in this reality since it helps sell his lie that what God has gloriously accomplished in Christ to save mankind from our sins is really just another of the many equally valid religious inventions of men. Those of us that know and love the truth grieve with the heart of God that a counterfeit form of Christianity exists competing with the real thing either ruining or turning away earnest seekers (2 Timothy 3:1-9).
The Person and work of Jesus Christ crucified, buried, risen, ascended, glorified and coming again to rule this earth forms the biblical core of “the faith” (Jude 3-4, NKJV). He and the Father have sent the Holy Spirit into the earth to actualize the divine will to save souls through the preaching of the Gospel about and witnessing of Christ (Luke 24:44-49; Acts 1:8). Still concerned about how Satan has confused things, I wrote this edited 2012 repost as the Spirit led to stress again how He in life changing residence and power is the central and essential superior factor that distinguishes an authentic Christian from one that is a mere professor (John 3:1-8,14:15-18; Acts 19:1-10).2
Originally Posted March 11, 2012
One of the major reasons the history of the churches on earth is filled with confusion, stained with human blood and pot-marked with evil corruptions of all kinds is the deadly, formal appearance of Christianity as a flesh driven religion not long after the first century eyewitness apostles passed from the scene. In fact, the Lord Jesus apparently deals with a church in the onset of religion first in messages He gives to seven churches of Asia through John, most likely the last living eyewitness apostle (Revelation 2:1-7). The reality that Christ not only has first-hand knowledge of what is going on within, but judges every local church in all generations accordingly should be totally sobering to us.
The once spiritually vibrant church at Ephesus had been nurtured by the apostle Paul who also foretold the devastation that would come by corrupt shepherds (Acts 20:17-31). Still, by the time of John’s recording of His Revelation later in the century, the Lord Jesus commends the church’s resistance of false apostles and teachers along with their persevering labor for His name sake. But He then calls for the individuals making up this church to repent from the one thing He had against them: they had left their “first love”--Him (Revelation 2:4, NKJV)! This matter is so serious to the Lord, He promises to remove the church from among His churches unless they repented! Why?
Is it not because our individual relationship with and corporate devotion to the risen Lord in Holy Ghost fired love is His highest priority for us (Luke 14:25-26; John 21:15-17; Romans 5:5; 1 John 4:19)? And had it not been the loveless, flesh driven works of Jewish religion that put the Lord on the cross (Acts 2:22-24, 3:11-17)? Besides all of that, the Christian life is a supernatural life that cannot be lived in the flesh nor can flesh works please God (Romans 8:6-9). All throughout the biblical record whenever men turn their hearts from God, sin and the rigor mortis of outward religion soon set in to His great displeasure (Isaiah 1:10-15; Matthew 23:1-33).
In my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics,3 Jesus Christ is shown from the Bible as a Man full of the Holy Spirit and power for His service from the time of John’s baptism (Matthew 3:13-17). Having the preeminence in all things and blazing a trail of example for us who would believe in Him thereafter, aspiring strong men of God and the churches they assemble in are all likewise baptized in and live full of the Holy Spirit. This means the Spirit initiates then leads, controls and empowers the aspiring strong man of God’s life moment by moment. It also means God’s power through the Holy Spirit not human effort characterizes his life in all things.
There is no substitute for the Holy Spirit. Not even studying and knowing the entire written Word of God can replace the Spirit’s priority and manifold work in the life of a believer. Indeed, it is of the highest form of futility to know the Word, but have no power to do it (Romans 7:14-24). But now, fully related to Christ Jesus in faith, the aspiring strong man of God is able to love, obey and serve Him in power through the agency of the Holy Spirit (Romans 7:25-8:5)! This is the Christianity of the apostles and New Testament of the Bible. Anything else is an empty knock off of manmade religion destined to destroy its practitioners and be destroyed (Revelation 17:15-19:4)!
1 See the August-September 2016 posts on Christianity as a powerless religion of human invention beginning with the two-part, Christianity The Religion Of Men on August 21st under the category, Instruction.
2 Read my March 1, 2015 post, The Mark Of A Genuine Christian and those that follow through March 22nd under the category, Instruction.
3 The book is available at all major internet book sellers, by order at your favorite brick and mortar bookstore or in the Strong Man Store.
Join The Strong Man Of God Resources Conversation!
Get Your Copy Of The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics Today!
Your purchase supports restoring men, families and communities through Strong Man Ministries!
Purchase It Now