The Scourge Of Racism
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When any religion becomes integrated into the culture of a nation as many around the world are, some citizens of the nation who are not committed adherents of that religion nevertheless, identify themselves with it. As the annual surveys of Barna Group and others is confirming, Christianity as the predominant professed religious identity of Americans since the nation’s inception has led to a high number calling themselves Christians, but there is not any real evidence by their beliefs, lifestyle or activities that it is truly so.1 In fairness, some of the criteria used to identify Christians does not come from the Bible, but the invention of Christianity the religion of men.
In this edited 2013 blog repost, the Lord leads me to present from His written Word what the first and eternally enduring identifying mark of a genuine Christian is. Given the foretold confusion and persecution of these latter days that exists in and outside of the churches as well as betrayal to the death even by family members professing to know God (Matthew 24:3-5, 9-12; Mark 13:11-13; John 15:18-16:4), it behooves us who are bona fide Christ followers to be able to recognize who is real and who is not. How do you discern a real Christian from an impostor? A short answer is provided and the divine imperative to become fruit inspectors is issued in what follows.
Originally Posted January 6, 2013
An old television game show, To Tell The Truth, invited a celebrity panel to attempt to guess who the real person was among three that each said he was the person. In the game, two of the persons were impostors telling lies while only one was the real deal telling the truth.
Tragically, many have been saying they are Christians but are not from the first century until now. Planting false believers in the company of those that are true is a purposeful, deceitful strategy of Satan intended to frustrate (and where possible, destroy) the saving work of God among men and discredit the faith (Galatians 2:1-5; 2 Timothy 3:1-13). Truly, Christianity as a pervasive religion of men in the earth and the destructive evil it has historically produced demonstrates just how successful Satan has been. When the apostle John saw “her” in advance he was filled with “great amazement,” (Revelation 17:1-6, NKJV).
In the “New World” destined to become America where Christianity as a religion of men has been dominant for over three hundred years, many persons still identify themselves as a Christian in and out of churches that bear little or no resemblance to one that is described in the New Testament of the Bible. A number of these persons as church members are also leaders because Christianity the religion does not care about authenticity as much as it does assent to and regurgitation of manmade confessions of faith and systems of thinking about God, following traditions, rules, practicing rituals and the willingness to participate cooperatively including giving money.
Even the well intended effort of some pastors to make sure prospective members understand the Gospel as I once did is not a foolproof means to discern impostors since they simply answer as expected. So, what is the indisputable mark (identifying seal) of a genuine Christian as taught in the Bible and that cannot be faked? The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit whose eternal life and power gloriously radiates out from every person that has in authentic repentance believed the Gospel from the heart and received Him (Acts 2:1-39; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Ephesians 1:13-14).
A spiritual event the Lord Jesus depicts as being “born again” or “from above” takes place when the Holy Spirit enters the spirit of a believer whom the apostle Paul declares is “a new creation,” (John 3:1-8; 2 Corinthians 5:17, NKJV). The tangible results of a genuine Christian’s new birth cannot be long hidden since the boundless life of Almighty God flow out of his heart like “rivers of living water,” (John 7:37-39, NKJV). Men see the evidence of His presence and demons the Holy Spirit as the living mark of a genuine believer in Jesus Christ (Acts 10:34-48,16:16-18, 19:11-20).
Except for the exclusive authority and standing Christ gave to His original 1st century apostles, the immediate evidence of His presence the Holy Spirit displays in a new believer is of His sovereign choosing and without the need for human agency (Acts 8:4-25, 19:1-7). While miraculous works of power by the Holy Spirit may not attend the life of every newly born again believer, surely the godly repentance (dramatic attitude change toward sin and God) as well as the heretofore unknown experience of His life in spiritual life that are powerful beyond words and cannot be faked will occur (2 Corinthians 7:10-11; 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10).
Yes, I am well aware that many have falsely equated all instances of emotional fervor in church services with the Holy Spirit’s power and presence on display in a person’s life. However, any such persons are exposed as religious impostors when church is over since their lives will not give continuing evidence of the Holy Spirit’s leadership, control, power and fruit (Luke 6:43-49; Galatians 5:19-25; 2 Timothy 2:19; 1 John 3:4-9).
1 Go to www.barna.org for the latest surveys on American Christians.
The march to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the end of this world as we have known it under the dominion of evil is moving just as it has been foretold in the ‘“Scripture of Truth,’” (Daniel 10:18-21, NKJV). As part of this march, I stand in awe of the sovereign God who in wisdom has given men the knowledge to develop technologically at a faster pace in the last 200 years than at any time in all of the millennia before. The telegraph to computers and cell phones, the first automobile to space flight, modern appliances and robotics; all attest to this truth in serving the divine end time purposes and proving that still--regardless of technological progress, man’s chief problem is sin since its works through him have not abated, but only intensified (Joel 2:1-11; Revelation 9:13-21).
With the merciful heart of God, we do not rejoice at the foretold troubles coming upon this world because of sin. However, Christians are not supposed to be falling apart either. Indeed, many professing Christians and their leaders are even in denial and behave as if everything is going (and should continue) as it always has. They fear the future and do not by faith “look up” (Luke 21:28, NKJV) as God intends--having given us His prophetic Word as advance knowledge--because they in disobedience love this present world and their carefully laid plans and dreams rooted in it (Luke 9:23). As I present in this edited 2013 blog repost, God has raised up this Ministry among others to call the weak to His strength as those alone that will endure to receive the promised salvation.
Originally Posted October 6, 2013
It is so very heart breaking to see people all over our nation and world coming unhinged at the slightest provocation; unglued and falling apart at the seams leading to acts of rage and violence in these times of stress. It appears that the natural self-control and fear of consequences resident in most human beings that serve as a restraint to injury to self and others is dissipating and the Bible gives us an important reason why. I do sympathize with the provocations and stresses of life in this world that can lead to the mental and emotional states of mind persons get to that cause them to become unhinged and unglued.
However, the Word of God plainly teaches that these things are so in these latter days because He is allowing mankind in the main--that has spent much of nearly the last two millennia rejecting the Gospel--to now have it their way in the face of His coming wrath (Romans 1:18-32). God (who alone has been evil’s Restrainer) is permitting lawlessness through the venting of humanity’s natural sinful impulses and the instigating, pressuring work of demons to steadily increase and eventually commonly “abound” out of control because this is the kind of kingdom men as sinners choose when they reject the righteous Kingdom of God (Matthew 24:12; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12; 1 John 3:4, NKJV).
To add to the misery of the God haters and rebels in these latter days, the God of creation that created it for man, is causing it to convulse violently against its fallen rulers in anticipatory birth pains of its restoration in peace under the immortal sons of God (Mark 13:8; Luke 21:10-11; Romans 8:19-22)! As a result, anxious fear about what is coming upon the earth will also be added to the life stresses that are causing people to now fall apart and soon, to die from mass heart failures (Luke 21:25-26). Sadly, among such persons are many professing to be Christians.
It is in this context of the present stresses and those foretold still to come that God has called forth our strong man of God cause. We are not just about a book and brand. Jesus Christ is the Strong Man of God demonstrated by His life, death and resurrection to immortality! Men from Adam’s son, Seth, have known the strength and blessing that comes from calling “on the name of the Lord” (Genesis 4:25-26, NKJV) and the Lord Himself has commanded men to “be strong” from ancient times (Deuteronomy 31:23, NKJV).
Now, though, it is at “the ends of the ages” that calling on the name of the Lord and being strong in the strength He supplies to His faithful and obedient ones is of the utmost prophetic urgency and absolutely imperative (1 Corinthians 10:11, NKJV). For as I have written previously (in blogs and my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics) and will continue to proclaim with Scripture in the face of the world’s escalating stresses as well as hatred and persecution of Christians, only the strong in Christ will persevere to the end and eternal glory (Matthew 24:13; Mark 13:13)!1
The strength supplied to His aspiring strong men and great women of God in the image of Christ is nothing short of divine power through the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 3:14-16)! Thus, God’s strength is not a human emotion or moment of euphoria. God’s power is of the real, continuing spiritual substance of His eternal being that created and upholds the universe! And so, the great apostle writes again, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might,” the source Scripture for the slogan of Strong Man Ministries: Making Men Eternally Strong (Ephesians 6:10, NKJV)!
In His strength combined with the whole armor of God which includes the “shield of faith,” aspiring strong men and great women of God are expected to stand against all manner of adversity as well as “the wiles” and attacks of the devil and his “spiritual hosts” working through willing human agencies in these evil days just as our Lord Jesus did (John 16:32-33; Ephesians 6:11-18; 1 John 5:4-5, NKJV). Christians from a biblical perspective, then, are not supposed to become unhinged, unglued or panicked to the death during the course of what we see happening in nor defect from Christ seeking escape from suffering to the world.
We stand firm in our trust in Christ and the very real supernatural strength our God supplies to us as aspiring strong men and great women of God. We also continue to act as a moral people walking in the righteousness of Christ and to the bitter end proclaim and witness the Gospel about Him and His coming Kingdom. Unless, therefore, there is a Holy Ghost fired movement such as ours to help men and women professing to be Christians become aspiring strong men and great women of God in the image of Christ, many will perish in the swift rolling tide of increasing lawlessness, troubles, demonic activity and the violent convulsions of creation coming upon this world with divine permission. In spite of this, a “falling away” is foretold (2 Thessalonians, 2:3, NKJV).2
Nevertheless, in the meantime, if we restore many men, their families and communities for even a short season before the darkest days arrive, it has all been worth it. So, we preach the Gospel compelling men to come to Christ and in coming to Him, become strong men of God in His image (Romans 8:29)! Pastors and churches that are guilty this is your cue: get out of the way; stop resisting us in this mission clinging to your comfy lives supported by the mindset of manmade Christianity the religion in the old paradigm of God’s permitted temporary existence. Repent if you will and in this new paradigm where Christianity the religion of men in their own strength is plainly revealed to be marked out for divine destruction (Isaiah 47:8-15; Revelation 18:1-8), stand with and welcome our cause, Ministry and biblically rooted message (Acts 4:23-31; Romans 8:31-39; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17; 3 John 5-8). The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, “Who is on the Lord's side?”
1 Purchase my book at any major internet bookseller or the Strong Man Store on our Web Site, www.thestrongmanofgod.org.
2 See the February 2, 2014 blog, The Falling Away, under the category, Bible Prophecy to learn more about this coming event.
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