The Scourge Of Racism
E-Book Availability 4/12-26
Released January 5, 2024
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Writing about the reality of racism in the first chapter of my book, The Scourge Of Racism, I am taken aback by how apparently many white Americans who also professed to be devout Christians nonchalantly tolerated, practiced and even advocated for racism to continue as the systemic social norm of the culture for over four centuries.1 So much so has this been the case that even now, it appears many especially white conservative evangelicals still feel like they are doing the objects of racism a favor to cease and desist from it as biblically and morally indefensible as it is. Indeed, some have believed God was and is like them in their outlook and supportive!2 But was and is He?
As always, God’s dealings with ancient Israel serve to instruct those of us who will receive correction from His Word objectively read, interpreted and applied! In Psalm 50, God Almighty presents Himself as He who “has spoken and called the earth from” east to west to witness His glorious, loud, fiery and “tempestuous” arrival as He comes to judge His people, Israel, “out of Zion.” Beyond question, “God Himself is Judge.” And while Israel is in view first as the saints gathered to God “who have made a covenant with” Him “by sacrifice,” followers of Jesus Christ the “Lamb of God” see ourselves assembled to the Judge too (Psalm 50:1-6; John 1:29; 2 Corinthians 5:9-11, NKJV).
In language and purpose remarkably similar to Christ’s as Judge among the churches in The Revelation Of Jesus Christ, God calls to His ‘“people’” to listen as He testifies ‘“against’” them (Psalm 50:7; Revelation 1:20-2:7, NKJV). Why do those that profess to be God’s people in large numbers seem to forget He sees and hears everything we do? One reason is clearly the spiritually deadening routines, worship rituals and works of religion! This is exactly what God rebukes the dull hearted, dutifully religious in Israel for as does Christ the church at Ephesus (Psalm 50:8-15; Revelation 2:4-5). Love for God in relationship is paramount; spurring ardent worship and works He rewards!
The foregoing truth explains why many white professed Christians for centuries to this hour could silently tolerate and practice racism in American churches. Just like many in ancient Israel and the churches already by the end of the first century, they were practicing Christianity as a spiritually dead religion of men.3 It was loosely based on the Bible, but became exposed when the racist cultural norms it upheld ran up on the Bible’s transcendent spiritual principles, morals and ethics. Without being born again, many did not have the teaching, will or power to resist the cultural status quo and went along with what their church going fathers, neighbors, co-workers etc. did as racists.4
In God’s sight, devoted racists that have filled and led churches would be among the wicked in Israel He now, turns Himself to judge in the Psalm. He wants to know, ‘“What right have you to declare My statutes or take My covenant in your mouth seeing that you hate instruction and cast My words behind you,’” (Psalm 50:16-17, NKJV)? Too, He indicts the wicked for giving if not overt, tacit consent to evil that included the harming of family and in American history, blacks known to be Christians (Psalm 50:18-20). Ostensibly Christian hate groups (a contradiction in terms if there ever was one) such as the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) terrorized blacks throughout the nation’s South.5
The KKK did this by burning crosses in targeted black yards, destroying property, raping the women, whisking away the men to assault and murder sometimes by lynching as their means of intimating the race to remain in its supposedly inferior place to whites. As with the wicked of Psalm 50, those that carried out their evil works of racism did so in the face of God’s silence believing He was completely like them and supported their evil deeds. But God declares not so and assures His ‘“rebuke’” that will set His charges ‘“in order before’” their ‘“eyes,’” (Psalm 50:21, NKJV).6 There is no place in Scripture God endorses, but only in sovereignty permits such evil until He judges it. He says, ‘“Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’” (Romans 12:19-21, NKJV) as many have painfully learned.7
Consequently, God the Judge of His people warns the apathetic religious and willful wicked to ‘“consider’” what He is about to say with a view toward repenting; both, He says, ‘“who forget God’” in their sinning, ‘“lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver,’” (Psalm 50:22, NKJV). So much for the latter day false teaching that contrary to His Word asserts God is no threat for temporal or eternal punitive judgment upon sinning professed Christians (Romans 1:18-2:11; Galatians 5:19-21; Hebrews 10:26-31). The Lord does not change or lower His standards. He receives only genuine praise from the heart of obedience He saves (Psalm 50:23)! Having been gracious, merciful, longsuffering and forbearing with racism in His house over four centuries His judgment has come.8
1 The Scourge Of Racism, Copyright 2023, ODCM Publishing Division, Portland, OR, p. 31-32. The printed book is available in the Strong Man Store, all major internet booksellers and brick and mortar bookstores. The just released E-Book is available widely for purchase through your favorite E-Book seller. Watch the book trailer.
2 Many white conservative professed Christians obviously did believe God endorsed their bigoted and discriminatory acts of racism such as notable evangelists Billy Sunday (see the July 13, 2015 Blog post by Dr. Tim Gombis, The Racist Roots Of Evangelicalism) and Bob Jones, Sr. who founded the university bearing his name that openly practiced excluding blacks through the early 1970s. The Fort Worth, TX seminary I graduated from, Southwestern Baptist, in their history is among many that did not warmly welcome non-white students as I briefly touch on in The Scourge Of Racism, p. 34-35.
3 Read the two-part post beginning August 21, 2016, Christianity The Religion Of Men, under the category, Instruction. Also, read the September 4, 2016 post, Christianity The Religion American Style, under the category, Call To Repent.
4 The status quo being preserved within the context of loveless professed Christianity is the arrogance of racial superiority and privileges. God as Wisdom hates ‘“pride and arrogance,’” ‘”the evil way and the perverse mouth,’” (Proverbs 8:13, NKJV). See the November 12, 2023 post, Loving With The Love Of God, under the category, Instruc- tion.
5 The KKK in their full regalia were prominently featured in some Southern white churches (see the image at about the 9:56 mark in the PBS feature, Backs Against the Wall: The Howard Thurman Story). Four school age girls in a Birmingham, AL church bombing were among those murdered by the violence of racial hate.
6 Those who know and love Him appreciate God’s silence in the face of evil is never His active support and approval. Any that would believe this run into serious trouble at- tempting to sustain such a twisted view of God’s silence in the face of His own Son’s suffering at the hands of evil men (Psalm 22). In His sovereignty, God Almighty chooses the how and when of His intervention against evil as in His perfect or permissive will He allows it always to some good end for the one who puts faith in Him (Ro- mans 8:28)!
7 It is a reality of living in an existence with the eternally just God (Deuteronomy 32:4): sin does not go without being judged by Him. This means no racist that has ever harmed or harms the objects of their racism gets away with it. Equally true, the objects of racism that entitle themselves to sin as victims do not get away with it either!
8 The only God ordained avenue of escape is repentance as the apostle Paul stresses (Romans 2:3-4)! Watch this Ministry’s Strong Man Of God Online Rally, Return To The Lord, on YouTube for help.
God’s plan crafted from eternity to save mankind from our sins and mighty acts to carry it out in time reached a major highpoint with the birth of His Son, Jesus Christ, the praiseworthy substance of Christmas!1 His birth had been foretold to His mother, Mary, by the angel, Gabriel, nine months earlier (Luke 1:26-38). As also foretold by God through the prophet, Micah, some seven hundred years before, Mary gave birth to Christ in Bethlehem amid circumstances He had providentially superintended (Micah 5:2; Luke 2:1-7). So much so was the event of Christ’s birth worthy of praising God, angels step out of eternity into time to be seen and heard by men leading it!
Indeed, first one angel in the brilliant “glory of the Lord” suddenly appeared in the “night” darkness and stood before “shepherds” guarding “their flock” in “fields” adjacent to Bethlehem. The glory emanating from the angel enveloped and caused the men to “greatly” fear (Luke 2:8-9, NKJV). “Then the angel” spoke to the shepherds first to calm their fear assuring he was bringing them “good tidings (good news) of great joy” in making the greatest birth announcement ever made in the history of and for all mankind: “…there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord.”2,3 He followed this with giving the shepherds a “sign” of verification (Luke 2:10-12, NKJV).
Before the one angel had even finished his last word good, “suddenly there was with” him “a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men,’” (Luke 2:13-14, NKJV)! The praise of God by the heavenly host spoke of what humanity by faith could soon personally experience and God ultimately accomplish in all the earth through bringing His Son into the world at that precise moment--peace; His peace from the finished work of Christ on the cross to save from sin He would grow up to carry out!4 Those of us who have been saved by the Gospel of Jesus Christ ought not just celebrate His birth at Christmas, but with angels and the shepherds go tell it year round; glorifying our God who saves (Luke 2:15-20)!
(Thank you for reading the Strong Man Of God Blog in 2023. Our Lord willing, my next post will be on Sunday, January 7, 2024. You and yours have a Merry Christmas and blessed New Year!)
1 Read the December 3, 2023 post, Christmas: God’s Initiative To Save and the one that follows on December 10th, Christmas: God’s Acts To Save, both under the category, Holidays.
2 Please note this joyful good news was intended by God from the outset for “all people;” that is, from every nationality, ethnicity and race beginning with Christ’s own ethnic people, Israel, as also foretold (Isaiah 49:1-6; Luke 2:10, NKJV). This Christmas season learn why as a result the American Church has sinned a great sin before the Lord tolerating and practicing racism in the midst for over 400 years by picking up a print copy of my book, The Scourge Of Racism, in the Strong Man Store, all major internet booksellers and brick and mortar bookstores. And beginning January 5, 2024, the E-Book version of the book will be available for purchase in your favorite digital outlets. Watch the book trailer.
3 If you are guilty of tolerating and practicing racism among all the sins that without repentance separate us from the Lord as a professed Christian, He bids you return to Him as the opportunity is presented in this Ministry’s thirty minute Strong Man Of God Online Rally, Return To The Lord, on YouTube.
4 Faithful Christians must beware of today’s false prophets as those of ancient Israel who advocate for and assure God will bring peace to the world before the return of Christ contrary to His Word (Jeremiah 6:10-15, 8:8-12; Matthew 10:34-39, 24:6-7a; Luke 12:49-53, 21:9-10; Revelation 6:1-4). Christ is “peace” in the world when He returns and faithful Christians now (Micah 5:4-5; John 14:27, NKJV)! Contemporary false prophets in the pulpits and media platforms of our day like those of old present a message of human desire, not divine dictate (Jeremiah 23:16-22; Ezekiel 13:1-11).
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