The Scourge Of Racism
E-Book Availability 4/12-26
Released January 5, 2024
Download Your Copy
Now In The Strong Man Store!
How grateful I am to the God of the Bible who patiently pursued, drew and convinced me as a sinner of my need for what He had to offer in the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Though I had been introduced to the biblically based language and culture of Christianity as a religion in childhood and was baptized, I did not really know Christ until in my messed up life at 20 years old, He brought me into relationship with Himself through repentance, faith and spiritual new birth (John 3:1-8). Aside from momma Lee leading me in the prayer to receive Christ and my grandmother, Eunice Campbell’s counsel, the work to mentor me as a new believer my first three years was done directly by Him using His Word.
Thank God, thank God, He allowed no sinful human agent of Christianity the religion of men to interfere with His work of teaching me as a son, training me as a disciple and preparing me as a servant. And when I did have association with churches, I was so fully inoculated by the Holy Spirit, I was not, nor to this day have I been ruined spiritually by folks practicing Christianity as a religion. Religion is so seductively appealing and no wonder; it is expertly drawn out of susceptible fallen men by demons that specialize in it as a deceitful means to destroy them. The demonic origin of manmade and practiced religion was disclosed by Jesus Christ to 1st century Jews (John 8:37-47).
The spirit of religion down through the millennia has captured the hearts of and destroyed many souls. From Eve’s pursuit of forbidden knowledge to make herself wise like God (Genesis 3:1-6) to the final effort at self-deification by the Antichrist through forced worship of him and Satan’s power (Daniel 11:37-39; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, 9-12; Revelation 13), religion is among the most deadly and effective devices in the arsenal of evil for the diabolical cause of destroying mankind (Revelation 14:9-11). Satan succeeds because religion plays to mankind’s pride (Ezekiel 28:17; 1 Timothy 3:6), fears and ignorant attempts to satisfy the God planted yearning for Him in sin.
Inspired of demons, men in pride either invent things spiritual, moral and ethical or corrupt what God has already decreed through their attempt to be religious. The apostle Paul well exposes the futility of and rebukes both respective approaches to practicing religion in his proclamation to those at Athens and his so not coincidental letter to the church at Rome (Acts 17:16-34; Romans 7:14-8:4). With fears stirred up by demons, fallen men create gods out of any number of inanimate and animate sources for protection among other fear arresting reasons which the only true and living God rebukes (Psalm 115:1-8; Isaiah 44:6-8; Romans 1:18-25).
It is of God that men would seek Him since it is written, “He has put eternity in their hearts,” (Ecclesiastes 3:11, NKJV). Of all the things this statement may mean, it certainly indicates God has built into men awareness that there is something more to this life beyond what meets the senses. God is eternal Spirit (John 4:24)! Made in God’s image and likeness now marred and separated from Him by sin, men in spirit still yearn to reconnect to their Maker (Zechariah 12:1; Hebrews 12:9) despite not quite understanding it is Him they seek. God bids all to seek Him in the way He has prescribed and He will be found (Isaiah 55:1-7; Luke 11:9-13; John 7:37-39, 14:6; Acts 13:26-41).
Deceived by the spirit of religion, however, fallen men corrupt even the noble desire to reconnect with God by the invention of their own methods, doctrines and actions to please Him. All of the New Testament Gospels record how the 1st century Jewish religious establishment dogged, persecuted and eventually instigated Christ’s death on the cross deceived by Satan in practicing religion (see for example, John 8:48-12:19). The spread of Christianity from Christ’s resurrection by His apostles met with equal resistance from Jewish and pagan religionists. After the apostles, the foretold multifaceted form of Christianity as a corrupt invention of professed Christian men emerged and was ultimately headquartered by the 5th century at Rome (Revelation 17:1-9).
Exactly like the spiritually blind, carnal, proud, stubborn and hypocritical 1st century Jewish religious establishment as I have written over many years, demonically inspired Christianity the religion of men down through the centuries to this hour has been very wicked.1 From endless heresies and all manner of immorality, to the persecution, casting out and murder of internal foes along with sanctioned wars against other religions and secular enemies, Christianity the religion of men in all of its manifestations is among the most dangerous threats to genuine seekers of God, biblical Christianity and faithful Christians now and going forward. The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
1 A partial listing of related blogs dealing with Christianity the religion of men to be found by dates include The Falling Away, February 2, 2014, Re-defining Sin, November 9,
2014, Worshipping God Without God, Parts 1-3, January 2015, Strong Through God Not Religion, Parts 1-2, February 8, 15, 2015, and Babylon Is Fallen, August 23,
2015.
It is four years later and I am now watching the Summer Olympic Games in Rio. To the praise of my Lord Jesus, the important truths He led me to share in the following edited 2012 blog during the London Games still apply. Truly, the motivation, discipline and actions of athletes in the Olympics and all sports competition well serve as excellent analogy for the Christian race and will do so until there is no such thing as athletic competition! How appropriate this repost is as a final, short wrap up word of encouragement to the faithful in all the Lord caused me to write about and who wait for immortal glory as God’s consummation to the great salvation He has worked for us in Christ Jesus.
Originally Posted September 2, 2012
Watching the London Summer Olympic Games, I was struck by the diligence the athletes showed first in training for four years and then in the exertion of competing in their areas of specialty. These men and women do all of this for medals that will fade. The same sort of thing now plays out on football fields on every level around our nation this fall as teams work together to win the prize of trophies, rings and bragging rights in a championship season. As Christians, we are taught in Scripture that we are running in a race that we too are to run to win (1 Corinthians 9:24).
As the Lord leads me to teach in The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics, such a race requires the disciplined mind set of an athlete (1 Corinthians 9:25-27). It also must be run in accord with the rules (God’s, not man’s) lest we be disqualified in shame (2 Timothy 2:5). Finally, surrounded by a very great “cloud of witnesses” that has finished their own, our race is to be run with endurance since it is a marathon, not a sprint (Hebrews 12:1, NKJV). Truly, for this race is not about speed, but only faithfully finishing the race marked out for us. As we run, we look up ahead to our Lord Jesus the pacesetter who displayed the perfect motivation, discipline and faith as the key strategic action in His race; crossing the finish line to victory and immortal glory (Hebrews 12:2)!
Like the apostle Paul who saw the end of his race drawing near, we are only concerned to finish well knowing our works wrought in Christ will follow us and the prize of unfading crowns with immortal glory await (2 Timothy 4:6-8). Indeed, in the race of eternal life, physical death is not a disqualifying obstacle, but the finish line unless Christ returns first! And so, we run; experiencing all of the many kinds of challenges, hardships, afflictions, trials, setbacks, tears and longsuffering others endure to win only the temporary prizes of mortality. Many of them overcome by their challenges, hardships, afflictions, trials and setbacks and lacking endurance, drop out of the race.
However, we press on running our race looking for the Lord’s “well done” and after all adversity caused suffering endured in faith, perseverance and His strength, “the upward call of God in Christ Jesus;” the salvation and immortal glory even admiring holy angels desire to know more about (Matthew 25:21; Romans 8:18; Philippians 3:8-14, 4:13; 1 Peter 1:3-12, NKJV)! Therefore, let every aspiring strong man and great woman of God in the image of Christ our Lord run your race to win and collect the eternal prize to the glory of our God (Revelation 19:5-9).
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