Strong Man Of God Blog

            The ability to think, reason and form opinions is a powerful ability we humans have from being made in the image and likeness of God.  Created by Him with freewill, we are free to think whatever we want.  The issue is, however, is what we are thinking lined up with reality and truth especially as set out objectively for us by our Creator?  Atheists clearly see the reality and truth of God’s existence and deny it because they choose to think otherwise about the evidence.  But for those of us that have been born again by the Spirit of God, we not only see the reality and truth of our God, but by His Word and revelation our eyes are opened to joyfully know these more deeply and learn that which is to be--His mind as it were (1 Corinthians 2:6-16)!

            In the aftermath of declaring the spiritual reality and truth about the Eternal Sons Of God in the June 19, 2016 repost, the Lord has led me to repost this re-titled and edited 2013 blog that followed it.  It serves as a prelude to addressing immortality from a biblical perspective.  In it, we also see again the devastating consequence of culturally conditioning the faith to the point human thinking supplants God’s Word.  For while titillating, flights of fancy, romantic ideas, wishes and subjective speculations in their error create heresy and rob believers (as they have done over the centuries) of the awe and child-like wonder available from the authentic glimpses of the unseen spiritual realm and future God has provided us in His Word.  Why settle for false fantasy when the reality and truth are so good?

Originally Posted May 26, 2013

            Faithful Christians know that we are not to impose our own ideas, views or desires onto Scripture or the faith.  Even the apostles among themselves had to constantly guard against this in preserving the purity of their Scripture rooted message and the simplicity of Christ (Galatians 2:11-21).  Nevertheless, with the rise of Christianity the religion of men after the passing of the 1^st century apostles, as foretold, all manner of corrupt violence has been done since to God’s Word with the result that much wrong thinking and many false doctrines exist and persist among professing Christians along with their leaders in the churches to this hour (Acts 20:27-31; 2 Peter 2:1-3). 

            Examples of unbiblical thinking and ideas abound, but consider a few popular ones.  As it concerns the impact of literature on Christian thinking, Dante may have written a fictional work showcasing Catholicism’s Purgatory and Hades as Satan’s current residence, but the Bible teaches neither idea.  The television show Touched By An Angel starring Della Reese featured female angels, but where are they in the Bible?  One of the most popular widespread cultural sentiments today not at all taught in the Bible puts anybody human opinion believes to be good in Heaven at their death.  Related to that thinking is the unbiblical idea the dead in the afterlife can see earth activity.

            I have heard even professing Christians say regarding departed loved ones: “I know he (or she) is looking down on us right now.”  Where in the Bible is it taught that disembodied human spirits either in Heaven or Hades are permitted to view earth activity in real time?  Concerning the afterlife too, not discouraged by solid Bible teaching to the contrary, many professing Christians solely out of mortal sentimentality and desire continue to insist they will reunite with loved ones and take up where they left off before death disembodied in Heaven and after at the resurrection to immortality forever!  Such wrong human thinking and ideas will only continue to proliferate among professing Christians unless the guilty repent and turn back to the Bible as the final authority for spiritual reality and truth.

            I fully empathize with the deep emotional ties we mortals have to our family and friends in this life.  As finite mortals, the temptation to want eternity to be like our present is linked to what is familiar and excellent to us.  For example, males find it hard to think of an eternity without females because of their mothers and intimate involvements with others.  However, God’s Word is to be considered true because His perfect character permits Him to speak no other way (Numbers 23:19; Deuteronomy 32:4; 2 Samuel 7:27-29; Psalm 119:160; Titus 1:1-2)!  Thus, Scripture is clear that death ends life, all biological family and marital ties as we knew them physically in this mortal age forever (Job 7:6-10; Ecclesiastes 9:2-6; John 19:25-27; Romans 7:1-3; 1 Corinthians 7:39).

            Indeed, for the Christian, the disconnect process from family begins in terms of priority at salvation when we take up with Christ (Psalm 45:10-11; Matthew 10:34-39; Luke 14:25-27; Romans 6:3-4) following His example (Mark 3:31-35).  Sadly, many professing Christians do not believe Christ means what He says about the primacy of our relationship with Him.  But He warned the otherwise thriving church of Ephesus He would take away their existence unless they returned again to Him as their “first love” (Revelation 2:1-7, NKJV).  Some in days to come will deny the Lord clinging to their mortal families of this world and perish eternally (Mark 8:34-38; Revelation 14:9-11).

            At the onset of the new eternal order God also gives His redeemed sons a permanent memory wipe of all the “former things” of this present creation to include the sinful, sorrowful and painful experiences we had even with family and friends during our mortal sojourn so that they will not interfere with our new glorious experiences in His presence forever (Isaiah 25:8, 65:17-19; Revelation 21:1-4, NKJV).  The memory wipe is necessary too because though in perfect agreement with God’s righteous condemnation of the wicked to the lake of fire, how could we not grieve forever as emotive creatures knowing that people we cared about during our mortal lives are there (Malachi 4:1-3; Revelation 20:11-15, 21:8)?

            Please note how Christ’s mortal family members (Mary, James and Jude) relate to Him as Lord, are not accorded any special standing nor do they appear to pursue it by right of family relationship in the aftermath of His resurrection and ascension in the canonical New Testament (Acts 1:12-26, 15:6-22; Galatians 1:18-19, 2:1-10; James 1:1; Jude 1).  Only the transcendent spiritual relationships formed in and through the Holy Spirit of divine love with fellow faithful believers (including those from the family) in this present life will survive death intact and continue as we serve God together forever (John 3:3-7, 13:34-35, 14:15-17; Romans 5:5; 1 Corinthians 13:8-13; 2 Corinthians 5:16-17; Galatians 5:22-25; 1 John 3:14-15, 4:20-21; Revelation 22:1-3). 

            Rather than attempting to impose our wishes on Christianity and corrupting His Word to do so, God’s will is for us to accept His will, way and Word as it is written (1 Corinthians 4:6)!  If we do, it will mean we think righteously, objectively and truthfully about things as well as hold to and teach sound doctrine as the Lord wills (John 7:24; 2 Timothy 1:13-14).  As it concerns our unsaved family and friends presently, the truth about God’s total disconnect at death should move us to do all of the loving of, witnessing to and good deeds for them we are going to do now (Ecclesiastes 9:7-10; Ephesians 5:15-16; Colossians 3:17)! 

            Concerning after we die, remember Heaven currently is only a temporary stop for our disembodied spirits to await God’s promised resurrection to immortal glory.  As exceedingly superior to our present, mortal experience as Heaven will be to us disembodied, Scripture promises exponentially greater, unending experiences still to unfold for us as the immortally embodied and glorified eternal sons of God (Ephesians 2:4-7; Revelation 21:5-7)!  The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"

            Happy Father’s Day first and foremost to my heavenly Father who has taught me from His Word and perfectly modeled what He the original Father designed us men in this present mortal age to be after Him and then to every human father that will read this edited 2013 blog repost.  On this same day this year, I also celebrate Juneteenth with fellow black Americans.  God the Father has big and eternal plans for all mankind that are His adopted sons by faith in His only begotten Son revealed in His Word and which we begin to examine in this blog.

Originally Posted May 19, 2013

            On top of all else being done in rebellion against God, His Anointed and Word in these latter days, professing Christian women as feminist rebels and their male sympathizers are re-translating the Bible to make it less offensive to females written as it is by men inspired of God to men as its first audience.  These new translations of the Bible have ranged in their changes from the use of gender neutral words to diminish male references all the way to the blasphemous and idolatrous re-casting of God as either feminine or androgynous in Person and voice.  To say this is grave iniquity is understatement to the extreme!

            The Bible is the special record of God’s Self-revelation to and purposeful acts in dealings with His creature, man.  As such, the Word of God is sacred and forever settled (Psalm 119:89; Matthew 24:35; 1 Peter 1:22-25).  Therefore, why would anyone not fear to tamper with it?  Rather than waiting until the end of this writing, in accord with the warnings of God in His Word, let every person be warned now that all efforts to change or twist the Scriptures (even for the cause of the Gospel) are evil in His sight and the guilty will not go unpunished (Deuteronomy 4:1-2; Jeremiah 23:33-40; 2 Peter 3:14-16; Revelation 22:18-19)!

            Knowing then, that I too must fear corrupting the Word of God, receive the following instruction which in some instances expands what is presented in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics.  God is the Author and Editor of the Bible that used men as inspired writing instruments by way of the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21).  God used men in writing the Bible and targets them as His first audience because they are His chosen leaders in the home, the service of His house and larger society (Genesis 1:26, 2:7; 17:1-14; Exodus 28:1, 40:12-16; Deuteronomy 6:1-9, 16:16-17; Matthew 1:1-25, 4:18-22; Luke 6:12-16; 1 Corinthians 11:1-3; 1 Timothy 2:12-14, 3:1-7).

            Many professing Christians will and should accept the foregoing without question because it is God’s Word!  However, for any number of worldly reasons with fear of feminism’s rebels, some stumble over and resist the Bible’s presentation of the culture and creatures of Heaven along with God and man in the masculine and masculinity as the source cause of the divine paternal interest in eternal sons.  Truly, masculinity is the norm of spiritual reality, existing eternally without physical form.  Angels in Scripture called “sons of God” are always referred to in the masculine and with appropriate names,” (Job 1:6; Luke 1:19, NKJV).  They never appear as females, engage in romantic relationships or procreate.  Interestingly, fallen angels that breached divine restriction long ago took only human male physical bodily form as a preference (Genesis 6:4; Jude 6). 

            God has descriptive names such as “Lord of hosts” suitable to the ancient masculine business of battle (1 Samuel 17:45-47, NKJV).  Heaven’s worship culture heaps expressions of praise upon God fitting to the divine masculine Person (Revelation 4:9-11)!  The One God of Scripture is revealed to us in three Persons: Father, Son (Word) and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; John 1:1-2, 14-18, 14:16-17).  The three Persons of the triune God are purposely represented to us in their masculine Person and voice since from eternity this is who God is (Psalm 90:2)!  If this is how God is revealed to us, then who are we for any reason to make the divine over as we want (Exodus 3:13-15)?

            Man in person is made in the masculine image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26).  Man as male and female share the masculine image and likeness of God divided in physical body by divine design and order (Genesis 1:27; 1 Corinthians 11:7-9).  Thus, the natural inner qualities of females historically considered uniquely feminine are actually those embodied in masculinity.  For example, generally speaking, human females are more empathetic and tender hearted than males.  However, Jesus Christ, God and fully male in mortal, bodily form thoroughly empathizes with sin weakened humanity and describes Himself as “gentle and lowly in heart” toward us (Matthew 9:35-38, 11:28-29, NKJV).  Was He presenting Himself as a female or quite naturally displaying the masculine nature of divinity?

            The Father is the original Father figure, Supreme Head and Chief Ruler of His forever family as well as all existence (Ephesians 3:14-15)!  The Son of God joyfully submits to and expresses the Father’s will while the Holy Spirit (referred to in Scripture as “He”) in power gladly carries out the unified will of God (Genesis 1:1-3; Psalm 33:6).  The divine Father-Son relationship from eternity continued after the Son added Man the creature to His being and dwelt among 1^st century Israel.  Their relationship is plainly as well as repeatedly presented throughout the New Testament (Matthew 3:13-17, 17:1-5; 2 Peter 1:16-18; 1 John 1:1-3).  Indeed, the Lord Jesus did not flinch or shrink back from publically asserting His familial relationship to God the Father.

            I write in my book that Christ, the eternal Son of God, honored His Father in everything to the death (John 14:28-31; Philippians 2:6-8)!  He revealed how as a Son, His Father had taught Him to perform in His many responsibilities including that of raising the dead and judging men (John 5:16-30).  He also spoke only the things His Father taught Him to say; looking up to, honoring and loving His Father (John 7:15-19, 8:26-30, 37-59).  The Lord taught His disciples to relate to God as Father in the same way He did (Matthew 5:16, 48, 6:1-18; John 16:25-28) for He had come to bring those who believe in Him into the divine family (John 17:20-26; Hebrews 2:5-18).  Hallelujah!

            As adopted sons by faith, the male and female disciples of Christ become real spiritual sons of the family unlike angels who as servants to the heirs of salvation were honored with a title only (Galatians 4:1-7; Hebrews 1:13-14).  On this side of Christ’s return, His men and women disciples without discrimination are being made over into His divine masculine image in nature and character as sons of God (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18).  The transformation of the eternal sons of God will be completed in their bodies at the resurrection to immortal glory when Christ returns.  Whoever stumbles over and resists these truths, stumbles over and resists God’s Word and should repent (Psalm 119:128)!  The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"