Strong Man Of God Blog

            Having just spent time giving serious thanks to God for all of His blessings this Thanksgiving, the Lord again directs my attention to the persecution being suffered by my Christian brethren among many nations.  Though I do not write a lot about the ongoing persecution of Christians, I stay regularly informed and prayerful for all.  The aforementioned “all” includes not just the suffering faces of those in faraway lands such as North Korea and Nigeria, but increasingly, those enduring persecution in this Western hemisphere and our own nation.  Truly, growing hostility toward and persecution of Bible believing Christians in America is a reality that can no longer be dismissed as only isolated.

            As a supporter of similarly named, but organizationally unrelated Open Doors USA, our Ministry regularly receives their reports on what is happening among our persecuted Christian brethren around the world.¹  Not only are our brethren suffering from family and community exclusion within the nations they live, but government harassment, arrests, unfair trials, incarceration, legally sanctioned mob violence and martyrdom.  When the Christian men are targeted for incarceration or murder, it leaves their families to suffer.  While Communist and Islamic run nations fill the list of persecutors, nations such as Christian Eritrea, Hindu India and Buddhist Bhutan are also prominent.²

            It is about to get really real for those of us that profess to be Christians in America too.  Intensifying opposition to the biblical faith once on the fringe of American society is going mainstream.  Moral tenets of the faith once taken for granted as absolute and bedrock to American society are not only being challenged, but cast down as no longer acceptable.  These are not just tenets governing marriage and family for example, but definitions of objective truth, right and wrong, good and evil as well as justice and injustice.  In the wake of this swiftly moving river of moral upheaval, Christians that would dare stand firm for the moral tenets of our faith are suffering varying degrees of persecution.

            Besides the “in-your-face” government policies and litigations to remove crosses and nativity scenes as public displays of Christianity to implement falsely believed constitutionally mandated church and state separation, some Christians have suffered being demoted or fired from employment because they had Bibles at their work stations or read them on breaks.  And because many secular entities have a “corporate culture” now, that does not tolerate religious expression (though, they publicly trumpet “inclusion” and “diversity” as values), being hired a Christian with a social media presence may be very difficult and once hired, witnessing Christ to co-workers is out.³

            American secular colleges and universities that have historically celebrated tolerating various viewpoints as a means in the process of vigorous, but polite debate to sharpen the thinking of young minds have in too many instances today, hung out the “not welcome” sign to a biblical worldview.  Biblically conservative Christian students are routinely singled out and held up to ridicule for their faith.  Christian professors do not escape either.⁴  The secular media regularly ignores and mocks Christians that hold to a biblical worldview being quick only to report on high profile “Televangelists” and “Megachurch Pastors” whose sins come to light, while social media giants resist them.⁵

            As I have also commented in other posts, a number of American Christians have been purposely targeted and martyred in mass shootings such as the one at Columbine High School in 1999 along with churches as occurred in Charleston, SC in 2015 and Sutherland Springs, TX in 2017.⁶  In agreement with all other observers here, none of what American Christians have suffered to date compares with the daily egregious and violent persecution our overseas brethren endure--yet!  Praying for “the persecuted church” like it is some disconnected entity that exists only in non-exceptional, often impoverished nations of the world is about to change as persecutors intensify their efforts in America.⁷  And why?  It is their “hour and the power of darkness,” (Luke 22:52-53, NKJV).

            For this reason, beyond seeking to sensitize us to the ongoing suffering of our brethren wherever they are as a primary reason for this post, exhorting faithful American Christians to spiritually, mentally and emotionally prepare for the kind of hatred fed persecution our overseas brethren experience is an important secondary reason since our Lord has warned it is to occur in “all nations,” (Matthew 10:16-39, 24:9, NKJV).⁸  Now, is the time to awake from arrogance and apathy to get ready for what our Lord foretells and assures will take place.  Among the equipping resources available is my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics and related group studies.⁹  The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"

1 The  organizational  parent  of  Strong  Man  Ministries is Open Door Communication Ministries, Inc. I was led by the Lord to found August 12, 1985.  Read some of the

   stories of persecuted Christians among the many countries on the 2020 World Watch List of Open Doors USA.

2 What many of our brethren overseas “normally” suffer from their persecutors has been intensified during the Lord’s Coronavirus judgment.  As we are banding together

   with  other  Christians  to  help  and  encourage one another here at home, the Lord would have us remember our suffering persecuted brethren in those faraway lands 

   with tangible support as well (1 John 3:16-18).

3 Sadly, our military as a work place is no exception.  Read about the case of Chaplain Curt Cizek.

4 To learn more about the experience of Christians on American campuses read the following ACLJ, Beliefnet and IsChristianityTrue articles.

5 I  can  attest  to  the heavy-handed resistance of Facebook to biblically conservative ministries such as this one among the social media giants.  “Likes” to our pages by

   Christians  mysteriously  dwindle  after I write blogs or make posts on their platform that are not politically correct, tolerant etc. which the Lord has had me call them on.

   They  want  me  to  believe  that just making better posts and spending more money to “boost” them will remedy the situation though, such has not been the case since

   they also limit the reach of the same.  For the record, I do understand a to be expected number of professed Christians that formerly liked our Facebook pages are sub-

   ject  to  “unlike” them at any time as a show of disagreement with me.  I get that, but not what Facebook is doing which lately has even taken away page likes whenever

   someone has liked a post!  I urge Christians that have liked our pages and those of other ministries to check back periodically especially if you have not received a post

   in your newsfeeds for a time and re-like the pages if necessary.  Also, enlist other Christians on Facebook to like our pages after you have done so.

6 Read  for  example,  the  June  8,  2014 post, And Then There Is The War, under the category, instruction.  Revisit the cited respective church shootings at the following

   links Charleston, SC and Sutherland Springs, TX.

7 See the November 12, 2017 post, God’s Throwaways?, under the category, Bible Prophecy.

8 Read the two-part post beginning May 17, 2020, Persecution, Hatred And Betrayal, under the category, Bible Prophecy.

9 A  print copy or digital download of the book published by the Publishing Division of Open Door Communication Ministries, Inc. with fresh editing in 2019 for greater clari-

   ty  and updated web addresses in the footnotes is available at major internet booksellers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ChristianBooks.com and Apple (digital only).

   You  can  also  purchase  a print copy in the Strong Man Store.  Too, leaders can teach, disciple and equip through The Strong Man Of God Men’s Group Study and The

   Great Woman Of God Women’s Group Study also in the Strong Man Store.

            While every day of my life since being saved from my sins on Easter Sunday 1977 is a day I give thanks for, this Thanksgiving I am beside myself with praise and thanks to God for keeping His Word in Philippians 4:19 to me (and available to all) on the ninth of this month!  On that day my brother, Richard and sister-in-law, Vicki Kelley, helped our Ministry reach its campaign goal for funds needed to support my continued full-time service this year.¹  As with so many in this year of the Lord’s Coronavirus pestilence, I too, faced the prospect of layoff without God’s provision through those that reverence Him and had the means from His provision to them (2 Corinthians 9:7-8)!

            For this reason, I also give thanks to God for and thank every soul that has contributed to the campaign to date.  I have prayed and pray for His blessing of increase upon you both financially and spiritually (2 Corinthians 9:10-11)!  These contributors include my wife and other family members, our current Directors Alvin Johnson and Richard Anderson and supporters old, new, named or anonymous on our fundraising platform.  I also want to specially thank Rosie, widow of Director Philip Lovings, who had prayed for the campaign in our March board meeting before he departed to the Lord in April as well as family member, Miron Washington, for helping the Ministry reach the goal.

            Now, while I overflow with joy and thanksgiving, I have not forgotten about those who have had it rough this year.  I was careful to note parenthetically earlier that the same God and His promise of provision in His Word are available to all!  How?  Repent and believe the Gospel of His Son, Jesus Christ: that He died on the cross for our sins, was buried and rose again on the third day.  If you do that, you will be forgiven of your sins and born again through the Holy Spirit who will come to live in and make you an adopted son of God (Acts 2:36-39; Romans 8:14-17).  Father God takes care of His children.  Therefore, with the great apostle I also exclaim above all from the heart: “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift” of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 9:15; Philippians 4:20, NKJV)!

            A blessed Thanksgiving to all who know and love God Almighty and His Son, Jesus Christ!

1 You can read about my day of rejoicing and thanksgiving at https://fundrazr.com/salarycampaign1.