Strong Man Of God Blog

          Reflecting further on last week’s post,¹ the Lord leads me to follow up today among the unsaved leaders at all levels of government and those professed Christians who have corrupted themselves through compromise with the world’s philosophies and attempts to bring peace to its lawless communities.  There is only one Source in all existence for the light of life and peace: Jesus Christ, “the Word” and “Son” of the living God who has come and is coming again (John 1:1-18, NKJV)!  This is what He said about Himself when He came to first century Israel: ‘“I am the light of the world, He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life,’” (John 8:12, NKJV).

          Before He was born into the world, it was foretold by the prophet Isaiah of Him that among the titles of the “Son” of God would be “Prince of Peace,” (Isaiah 9:6-7, NKJV).  This is because in His multi-faceted assignment from His Father, Jesus Christ causes peace to break forth in all realms of existence beginning between God and man “through the blood of His cross,” (Colossians 1:19-20, NKJV).  After this (having risen from the dead and ascended to the right hand of His Father in Heaven) in a day very near now, He comes again to fulfill all that is written concerning His reign of peace on earth (Isaiah 2:1-4, 11:6-9, 65:24-25; Luke 2:8-14, 24:44-53; Hebrews 1:1-4, 13).

          As we all painfully know, the world has had no peace since the first century though, it has tried and tries in futility apart from the means God has appointed.  Faithful Christians have enjoyed inner peace from Christ which is beyond any kind of peace the world can offer because it is supernatural; flowing from Him in nature who is the eternal God (John 14:27, 16:33; Romans 8:1-6; Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 2:11-18; Philippians 4:6-7; Colossians 3:15)!  Until He returns to reign on the earth, Heaven’s decree is no peace on earth as He taught while still here and later prophecy after His departure affirms (Matthew 10:32-39, 24:6-14; Revelation 6:1-11).  This is part of the cost of rejecting Christ as God’s appointed means for peace with Him as most important (Isaiah 57:19-21)!

          Therefore, the days since Christ’s return to glory have been and are days of decision for all mankind; whether one upon hearing the Gospel that Christ died on the cross for our sins, was buried and rose again will repent and believe to receive God’s forgiveness and eternal life through the agency of the indwelling Holy Spirit or not (Acts 2:36-40, 10:34-48).  Those who do repent, believe the Gospel and remain faithful to the end enjoy the light of life and peace in Christ (Colossians 1:21-23)!  Those who do not are condemned in their sins and suffer separation from God eternally after being judged by Christ according to their works (Revelation 20:11-15).  Let all who have never or need to then, answer God’s call to repent now, before it is too late!

1 Read the August 14, 2022 post, Laborers For The Harvest, under the category, The Cause.

          Following up my last post in the Good News and compassion of Jesus Christ who judges and is coming to judge (Psalm 96),¹ I see fields of men in our nation still ripe for harvest at this hour!²  The lack of laborers He observed in first century Israel remains valid in our land today as does His remedy to “pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest,” (Matthew 9:35-38; Luke 10:2, NKJV).  The Lord immediately appointed laborers He sent out to the harvest (Matthew 10:1-16; Luke 10:1, 3-16).  However, in our day not only are the laborers few, but biblically sound churches where men made Christ’s disciples can be sent for proper equipping as men and laborers of God’s design!

          This is a great evil!  Like the literal fields of ripened produce that rot where they stand because of not being harvested, so, many men in our nation marginalized by secular society and numerous local churches following after it rather than Christ are perishing daily where they stand.  Where I live here in Portland, Oregon is no exception.  Our city is globally known for lawless streets not just due to a lack of police officers who are doing their best in the situation, but the widespread darkness that fills many hearts separated from the “light of life” in Christ Jesus (Mark 7:21-22; John 8:12, NKJV).  This reality is “spiritually discerned” and why unsaved city leaders don’t get it (1 Corinthians 2:14, NKJV)!

          I will never be made to understand why so many professed Christian church leaders within the city limits don’t get it either and are powerless in the face of the darkness having its way except to the extent they are afraid or part of the problem.  Jesus is Lord of His Church!  Since when do those assembled to Him as Lord fear the darkness or look to “an arm of flesh” for leadership to stand against it (2 Chronicles 32:1-8, NKJV)?³  They do not look to the Lord as they ought because they are alienated from Him through their corrupt compromises with the darkness or how is it that the biblical Gospel of repentance from sin and faith in Him is no longer preached for salvation by not a few?

          How is it too, what Christ has commanded His followers to do in the Bible is not done (Matthew 28:18-20) or God’s creation of man as male and female and order of mankind in roles He designed abandoned (1 Corinthians 11:1-3; Ephesians 5:22-33; 1 Peter 3:1-7)?  I know of not one church in this city that I can safely send men and boys led to Christ that will teach them biblical manhood; their roles and responsibilities in a biblical worldview.⁴  If you are out there, reach out to me with men for the sake of working together under the leadership of Christ to help deliver men in our city from hearts overcome by darkness through preaching of the biblical Gospel and witnessing of Him!

          Using men as laborers to reach men and the world with the Gospel is the example and intended enduring primary methodology of Christ recorded in the Gospels (Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20; Luke 5:1-11; John 1:35-51, 20:19-23).  He hand-picked no women to represent Him as apostles nor were any displayed in all of the rest of the New Testament.  The Lord’s exclusive use of men in the apostolic mission and leadership of those assembled to Him as His Church had nothing to do with chauvinism or any notion of innate male superiority, but their suitability according to His election of order and roles of His design from creation as sovereign Creator (Genesis 1:26-27, 2:7-8, 18-25; 1 Corinthians 11:8-9, 14:34-37; 1 Timothy 2:11-13)!⁵

          While the foregoing offends the rebel feminist men and women in and outside of professing Christianity who have abandoned the Lord’s Word and its purposeful examples during these latter days, it and He remain unchanged (Psalm 119:89; Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8)!  Therefore, without repentance by guilty professed Christian leaders and churches, as the Lord led me to write similarly in another post their labor in cooperation with secular allies will continue to be ineffective at diminishing the lawless violence and murder by those with sin darkened hearts prevalent in the city.⁶  Meanwhile, let any churchless or otherwise interested Christian man in Portland reading this that is zealous for the Lord and His causes reach out to me for instruction, fellowship and ways to serve Him with us!⁷

1 Read the August 7, 2022 post, Saving Souls Not Nations, under the category, The Cause.

2 My phrase, “still ripe for harvest” reflects all of my Holy Spirit led intentional labor to restore men beginning with preaching the Gospel and witnessing Christ to them since
   1998.  See the July 9, 2017 post, Laboring To Restore Men, under the category, The Cause.

3 Consulting with and relying on human wisdom, efforts and power to engage the darkness as only the Church of Jesus Christ has uniquely been equipped and empowered
   by  Him  to  do  is  a sure sign of spiritual impotency at best, apostasy at worst; either is characteristic of those practicing Christianity as manmade religion (Luke 10:17-20;
   2 Timothy 3:1-5)!

4 The  subtitle  of my book, “Back To Basics” is a summons to return to and gives biblical instruction on God’s mortal order of mankind as well as male and female roles from
   creation!  The  Strong  Man  Of  God:  Back  To Basics is available with the companion Strong Man Of God Men’s Group Study and Great Woman Of God Women’s Group
   Study in the Strong Man Store, at your favorite internet bookseller or brick and mortar bookstore.

5 Read the June 2017 posts presenting the value of men.

6 See the August 12, 2018 repost from 2012, Curtailing Gang Violence, under the category, Call To Repent.

7 We  are  always  on  the  lookout for Christian men on fire for the Lord that are wanting to serve Him outside of the limiting box of manmade religion that exists in too many
   churches!  Express your Portland area interest in connecting with this Ministry to me using our information e-mail address, info@thestrongmanofGod.org.