The Scourge Of Racism
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As a pastor, I greatly enjoyed preaching and celebrating Christmas in July since doing so pulled its biblical prophetic/historical fulfillment and glorious truths out of the make believe secular cultural trappings of the holidays where it can be more deeply appreciated as the vivid reality it is. The same God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who personally came down to oversee and effect the deliverance of His people from Egyptian bondage, came down again robed in human flesh to save them and all willing men from slavery to sin and death to the glory of God the Father forever (Exodus 3:1-10; John 1:1-34, 12:27-28)!
As He suffered in His work to save us, so, we now suffer as those who labor “in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ” proclaiming and standing on God’s Word and His “testimony,” (Revelation 1:9, NKJV). In this second part of what was originally posted for Christmas 2012, look again to the witness of the saints that have gone before us as well as the “author and finisher of our faith” to be encouraged by Him and His example for what faithful American Christians as a powerless minority are about to endure in step with our brethren in many other nations (Hebrews 11:4-12:2, NKJV).
Originally Posted December 23, 2012
The silver lining in the incredible reversal of fortune Western Christianity and the faithful minority are suffering in these latter days is that it signals the near completion of God’s unfolding plan that began to be fulfilled at the birth of His Son that first Christmas. Jesus of Nazareth was born in Bethlehem as foretold (Micah 5:2), wrapped in common swaddling cloths and laid in a animal feeding trough by His mother, Mary, accompanied by Joseph, her husband (His surrogate father) that were ethnically, nationally and religiously oppressed as Jews (Luke 2:1-7).1
Shepherds of the lowest class stratum in Israel were sent by God (Luke 2:8-20) and Jesus was brought to a pair of patiently enduring faithful saints so they might behold and rejoice in Him born to save them ultimately from every source of oppression (Luke 2:25-38)! Confirmed in God’s fulfillment, Mary and a relative named Zacharias who was also a priest had earlier rejoiced in His faithfulness too (Luke 1:39-80). Knowing the Son of Mary was the long awaited Champion that was to come and bruise his head, Satan attempted to make a deadly pre-emptive strike against Jesus but God protected Him (Genesis 3:15; Matthew 2)!
As a Nazarene Jew, Jesus would grow up seeing and experiencing all of the bigotry, mistreatment and powerlessness that go with being part of an oppressed minority or nationality ruled over by those of superior numbers or might (He has felt my pain!). During His three and one-half year ministry He would encounter the three major layers of oppression upon His people: the kingdom of this world ruled by Satan, the wicked Roman Empire ruled by Caesar and the spiritually dead religious establishment of Israel ruled by the religious educated elite.
The Lord only directly and mightily engaged the demonic powers of this world oppressing His people with all manner of spiritual deception and affliction and Israel’s religious establishment who oppressed them with cold, dead and corrupt religion until the final hours of His ministry (Luke 4:1-13, 31-41, 5:30-6:11, 13:1-3, 31-33). Along the way in His service of preaching the Gospel and showing the glorious might of the Kingdom in great works of power, the Lord’s own family thought He might be mentally ill and tried to get Him to abandon His mission (Mark 3:20-21, 31-35); His brothers resented and despised Him in unbelief (John 7:1-9).
Not only did the religious rulers of His people want to kill Him, at times, the people wanted to do so too (John 8:48-59). However, the Father protected His Son till the time should come that He would undertake the final decisive part of His mission in which He engaged all three layers of oppression upon His people at once. His successful mission would first rescue the willing by faith among His people and the Gentiles from the tyranny of satanic oppression through sin and death and cause the promised judgment of Satan, “the ruler of this world,” to be another step closer to final fulfillment (John 12:27-33; 16:5-11; Hebrews 2:14-18).
As a minority of One, the Lord Jesus endured all that the prophets wrote in advance about His suffering before and on the cross (Isaiah 50:5-6, 52:13-53:9). He experienced the full oppressive weight of this world system’s might in the work of the powers of darkness through men upon His Person. Truly, for our sakes, they did far more to Jesus than any of His followers have or ever will endure! He even tasted what are now to us who have been born again, the horrors of spiritual death (Psalm 22:1-21a). Then, in accord with His and the Father’s plan, He ended His suffering and died triumphantly declaring the successful conclusion of His mission (John 19:30). His body was immediately buried but on the third day after He arose from the dead never to be subject to death again as foretold (Psalm 16:8-11, 22:21b-31; Isaiah 53:10-12; John 20:1-23).
Now, as the Lord Jesus foretold of His disciples beginning in the 1st century, fulfillment has reached us also that live in the latter days. We are persecuted by the ruler of this world and his human agents including in increasing severity our own unsaved, false and religious professing as well as Christian apostate family members who betray our love--so much for the successful measure of a man’s life being his devoted children (Matthew 10:16-26, 24:9-10). We are not to fear or become discouraged, but stand faithful to Christ as He stood for us until the end (Matthew 10:27-31, 24:13).
For all of the evil of these latter days is permitted by God as the testing of men’s hearts revealing their true loyalties and attitude toward Christ (Deuteronomy 13:1-4; Psalm 7:9-10, 11:4-6; Matthew 10:32-42; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12; Revelation 3:7-13, 14:9-13, 16:15). Truly, as my Christian slave and free forefathers along with all the saints of history have joyfully discovered, the Lord is a comforting refuge for the oppressed and powerless minorities that have put their trust in Him (Psalm 9:9-10). These evil days too will pass for the Lord will prevail for His people who have had the kind of prayer He taught us on our lips and patiently endured waiting on Him (Psalm 10:12-18; Matthew 6:9-13).
1 See my two-part blog, Jesus: The Jewish Messiah originally posted for Christmas 2013 under the category, Holidays, but reposted January 28, 2014 (after a satanic interruption) for a fuller treatment of our Lord as an ethnic Jew.
As the Lord has led, I have left the original, sad introduction to this now 2012 blog repost intact not only so that readers may have a wider historical context for it, but also see the inescapable reality and steady intensification of prophetic fulfillment in these times revealed in it. So many professing Christians are in denial about the times because in their arrogantly invented, culturally conditioned amalgamation of manmade Christianity the religion and American patriotism God would not allow what He has foretold in His Word to occur in this nation. Ignoring His Word, they fail to grasp the God of the Bible truly “shows no partiality” to anyone (Acts 10:34, NKJV).
Thus, the United States Supreme Court decision handed down on June 26th giving national legal status to same sex marriage is a final repudiation of the selectively created, biblically based Judeo-Christian morality historically espoused by American Christian religionists. It is a day the Lord showed me and I have been warning for years was coming because of the historically demonstrated impotency of manmade Christianity the religion and its centuries long corrupt practice by those in America’s majority culture that allowed for evils such as abusive slavery and the bigotry and discriminations of racism amazingly still practiced in many contemporary churches.
Now that our nation has reached the point of no return to any kind of biblical morality having by the Supreme Court legally excluded God and His Word from public life as well as enshrined feticide and iniquity into law, what is the response God expects of faithful Christians? With encouragement, that is what the Lord from His Word leads me to briefly present in this two-part blog repost and the one to follow. If it is not said plain enough in what follows, let me say here in absolute clear terms, no born again Christian is authorized by Scripture to take up arms to fend off or violently resist our government or the prevailing culture (Matthew 26:47-54; John 15:18-16:4; 1 Peter 2:11-25, 3:8-17, 4).
Originally Posted December 16, 2012
(Note: This past week’s outbreak of violent lawlessness in a mall here in Oregon and elementary school in Connecticut forms a foretold wider context for the following blog as well as fulfills another way satanic hatred for God and mankind that He loves is being manifested in these latter days (Matthew 24:12). This lawlessness and that which is still to come in increasing tragic proportions also clearly demonstrates that sinful men of humanistic philosophies, law, medicine, religion or in churches are not nor ever have been the restrainers of evil: God is (2 Thessalonians 2:3-8; Revelation 6:3-4)! What we have seen happening before our eyes are the natural consequences when a nation rebels against God and forfeits His blessings including the restraint of lawlessness.)
In one day this month Washington State became the legal host for same sex marriages and dope smokers. My reaction of helpless powerlessness is one I have known in various settings all of my life. Most frequently however, I have known powerlessness as a racial minority. This world system under Satan’s rule is bound and determined to challenge and resist God and His moral order in every area of human life on earth to the end (Revelation 16, 19:17-20:3, 7-10). Besides continuing to witness Christ and preach the Gospel that even now some might be saved, praying and laboring for spiritual revival among dying churches and exhorting believers to turn out in numbers to vote biblical righteousness on all issues, there is nothing else faithful Christians as a minority can do about the rising tide of open satanically inspired rebellion against God in the West except patiently endure it.
Indeed, faithful Western Christians from every race and ethnicity should begin to adapt to the new reality of shrinking societal influence, increasing hostility and the overt discriminatory mistreatment that is already in progress when one is the despised minority. Apparently, many professing white Christians in particular are finding minority status incredibly oppressive, suffocating, chafing and infuriating if the talk in Christian media is any indication. Welcome to my world and that of most every kind of racial, ethnic or religious minority in human societies since the days of Noah and Lot who had to patiently endure the evil and oppressive deeds of the majority until God intervened in judgment (Genesis 6:5-18; 19:1-25; 1 Peter 3:18-20; 2 Peter 2:4-9)!
Christianity as a religious force, of course, once dominated the predominantly white nations of Europe and their colonial satellites around the earth. This was so much the case, Christianity came to be referred to negatively as “Christendom.” America was founded by Western Europeans looking for religious freedom and wealth in a “New World.” A nation was built on Judeo-Christian morality and values selectively drawn from the Bible. The result was a cultural Christianity and national religion that cut across denominational lines becoming as it turns out temporarily part of the American fabric of life. For all of its appearance as righteous, the spiritually dead religion practiced by the majority of white Americans has permitted much wickedness including the oppression, discriminatory mistreatment and abuse of blacks, other people of color and ethnicity as minorities (2 Timothy 3:1-5).
Christian abolitionist and later Civil Rights preachers peacefully challenged America’s corrupt form of flesh driven Christianity that oppressed racial and ethnic minorities. Reluctantly, the white majority gave up some of its more egregious corruptions of biblical morality where race and ethnicity were concerned--a Civil War had to be fought to end slavery and the Civil Rights era Voting Rights Act guaranteeing blacks the right to vote still has to be periodically reaffirmed by Congress a generation after it was first enacted.
This reluctance is still evident among many predominantly white churches that call themselves preserving biblical morality and values, but are really only holding on to America’s corrupt, spiritually impotent, manmade “old time religion” of bigotry and oppression as I am a witness. From among these religionists who are either spiritually weak or impostors will eventually come those that take up arms to violently resist the new rebel majority and bring needless suffering upon the faithful who will be wrongly lumped in together with them.
The rebellious white children of the sixties have come along and rejected most aspects of the American Christian morality of their fathers including those that were biblically sound and introduced their own system in the form of political correctness, tolerance and multi-culturalism. They are joined by many racial and ethnic minorities that are secularists, biblically and politically liberal religionists (including our current President) and Christian apostates seeking to correct all perceived past inequities. The morality and values that have grown out of their humanistic approach have now led to the current state of affairs where those faithful to Christ and God’s Word regardless of race or ethnicity are being marginalized as religious minorities with worse still to come as we have been warning.
Pastors that have learned their service in the spiritually dead churches, legalism and empty traditions of Christianity the religion and fear of men have much trouble. They hold these churches together MacGyver style using the biblically unrelated elements of fallen personality, human effort, psychology, intimidation, coercion, control, manipulation, capitulation to sin and the will of the people as well as deceit. In part two of this 2013 blog repost, I continue urging every pastor seeking a reward from Christ for your service, to repent if guilty from purposeful ministry out of the motives and deeds of the sinful flesh and instead, imitate the example of our Chief Shepherd in the power of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, woe to the domineering and sinful shepherds (Ezekiel 34:1-16)!
Originally Posted July 7, 2013
Pastor, the Lord does not see you as some infallible dictator He has assigned to lord it over His sheep. He really meant what He taught His disciples and modeled, ‘“he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves,’” (Luke 22:25-27, NKJV). Abuse of authority by leaders in the churches is ancient and continues rampant. Men weak and insecure in the flesh run off or attempt to destroy perceived rivals and those who do not agree with their every dictate like worldly despots. They are cultishly more focused on subduing and controlling others than they are serving them in genuine, Holy Spirit supplied love as the Master taught. There is no mystery as to why this is the case; such men are either impostors or quenching the Holy Spirit so that all of the failings of the sinful flesh dominate (Romans 6:1-16, 8:5-13; Galatians 5:13-26).
How can you realistically expect men to gladly follow you and it is plain you are not following Christ? Stop excusing your sin by calling it imperfection. We already know that. The issue is what are you going to do about it, pastor? The Lord calls us to confession and repentance from our sins not accommodation (1 John 1:5-10)! You cannot hypocritically call God‘s people to repentance and you refuse to do the same yourself since you are to be to them not a lord, but an example (1 Peter 5:1-3). The call from the Lord to pastor is a call to serve His local flock through visionary leadership, oversight, administration, loving works of service, teaching, guidance and counseling as a father in the home where God first begins to train you (1 Timothy 3:1-7).
As it concerns leadership and oversight, the business of leading men is not a matter of one size fits all just as it is not with our children in the home. Again, pastors and elders in the flesh without the love of God in their hearts, find it easier to see and treat everyone the same--as creatures needing to submit to their authority--falsely calling it equality. Notice that John describes himself as the disciple “whom Jesus loved,” (John 13:23, 20:2, 21:20, NKJV). Clearly, he speaks of favoritism to the carnal mind. Yet, there is not one recorded complaint by any of the other disciples about John’s special status with the Lord.
Surely, it is because none of them felt neglected and unloved; the Lord dealing with each man in accord with his personality even giving them special, descriptive names (Matthew 16:17-18; Mark 3:17). No wonder John felt loved--he was! Rather than cookie cutter conformity to a worldly authoritarian, flesh driven, religious handling of men, our Lord sets the perfect example of loving each man enough to really get to know him--his personality, proclivities, aspirations and needs (which requires spending quality time you cannot give if you are busy with the stuff of your own ambitions)--so that thereafter, you might gain his ear and voluntary following.
Finally--for this go round, I don’t know about you, sir, but the promise of reward from “the Chief Shepherd” means a lot to me (1 Peter 5:4, NKJV). If nothing else, serving for it has kept me from doing the things He certainly will not reward but punish since they are foreign to His shepherding example. It is Christ’s example that we are to follow in everything. For this reason, we challenge every Christian man including you, brother pastor, to aspire to be a strong man of God in Christ’s image (get my book to find out what that is all about)! Truly, being called by the Lord to be a pastor in no way suggests instantaneous spiritual maturity and Christ-likeness for the task.
In the time that is left before His return, be faithful in your service to Christ eagerly seeking to please Him. Pray, study and live out the Word as well as serve in the power of the Holy Spirit so that no sheep is lost due to your negligence (Matthew 18:6-9). Do this and you will have every confidence that His reward is yours.
It is painfully clear to me that pastors are sinful men too (except when they are sinful women in rebellion against the divine order)! Most pastors learn how to be a pastor sitting under and watching other pastors as their primary example. Watching another pastor is not a bad thing if he is following Christ’s example as did my father in the ministry, the late Rev. Percy N. Manuel, Sr. Christ is the “great” and “Chief Shepherd” of God’s flock (Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 5:4, NKJV). He is our example in everything including shepherding people as sheep since He is preeminently qualified, proven and our Head (Psalm 23; John 10:1-18; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Colossians 1:9-18).
Too, He is our Judge which should cause the rebel pause since the local church is not your private flock to do with and teach as you please, but His (2 Corinthians 5:9-11). Truly, our Lord Jesus has only delegated this great responsibility of shepherding to us to be carried out under His tutelage and oversight. As foretold, however, from the first century until now, corrupt men as “savage wolves” have come among and led God’s sheep astray (Acts 20:28-31, NKJV). They do whatever it takes to gather a following including corrupt God’s Word to gain success and prove they are men of renown. Their ambitious sons in the ministry copy their manner and adopt their perverse doctrines.
The Western and especially American economic system with its attendant philosophies that for example, esteem the entrepreneurial spirit manifested in self-starting, self-made men, thoroughly saturates every segment of society along with the churches and enables such men as pastors contrary to the instruction of Scripture (Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31; Galatians 6:14; Philippians 2:3-8, 3:1-19). In this cultural context, men rise up to found churches in any old hole in the wall with the aspiration not to see souls added to the Kingdom as a first priority, but to build a church of great numbers, wealth, buildings and stature in the community, among denominations, other pastors and churches who will envy and seek to emulate their self-made success.
Very sad are those men that after many years have not realized their aspiration, but hold on in maintenance mode with a few sheep to retain the status of being a church pastor. God calling us to be shepherds is not to satisfy the cravings of the sinful flesh, but to physically represent Him in the service of His flock (Matthew 20:20-28). In this 2013 blog repost I write urging every pastor seeking a reward from Christ for your service, to repent if guilty from purposeful ministry out of the motives and deeds of the sinful flesh. Instead, serve as men led, controlled and empowered by the Holy Spirit with the Lord our Shepherd as your role model and the pure Word of God as it is written as the final authority for your life and teaching.
Besides having served the Lord as a shepherd under Him just over sixteen years, I have been an observer of men in the office from my childhood. The ungodly attitudes and behavior that I have seen come from so many of these men over the years has been very grievous and in some cases, personally injurious. I know it is virtually impossible that leaders on our best days won’t offend or injure somebody given the high level of sensitivity many religious folk have. However, I am not talking about the stuff of over sensitivity, but the very real harm I have seen and experienced that was deliberately carried out by men who are supposed to be born again, love Christ and are completely sold out to serving Him by serving His flock (John 21:15-17).
On the occasion of the end of my second year since I last formally shepherded a local church, the Lord would use me to help especially a younger pastor by way of some important admonitions and words of encouragement. Let me begin by warning all pastors: the worldly conventional wisdom to only pay heed to models of success is not from the Lord, but the world and ultimately Satan who sets snares for us in accord with the ego needs of the flesh born of selfish ambition for achievement, accolades, power, standing and money (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 22:24). What? The world is crumbling around us, churches are dying ‘“And do you seek great things for yourself,’” the Lord asks, (Jeremiah 45, NKJV)?
We come to salvation mostly from among those that are not wise or noble (1 Corinthians 1:26). Does God all of the sudden change after we are saved to require of us credentials gained from the best institutions and how to information from the men who model the success we crave to do His will? No, but God has chosen us of the “foolish,” “weak” and “base things of the world” to bring glory to Himself in the wisdom, power and humility of Christ that is displayed through us (1 Corinthians 1:27-31, NKJV). Repent, brother pastor, if you are in it for your own flesh driven priorities and glory. The wisdom you need to please the Lord begins in Him and His Word (Proverbs 2) and will also come from Him through men other than success models (Romans 12:16).
In the September 20, 2020 post, What Will It Profit A Man?, under the category, The Cause, I wrote in a footnote about how I (and you as an authentic Christian) am regularly visited by Satan, the tempter in some manner to tempt me to the sin of compromising God’s Word. As the Lord leads today, I follow up that footnote with a more thorough word of instruction and exhortation to the aspiring strong men and great women of God in the image of our Lord Jesus Christ reading this to help in these latter times.1 Truly, it is absolutely imperative that we cling to what we know about God, His will, way and Word as it is written to “wage the good warfare,” (1 Timothy 1:18, NKJV).
In the post footnote referenced above, I was discussing the truth of how “we all have been tempted by the satanic deceit of feminism from whatever weakness or desire of the flesh to believe the lies God is no longer honoring His Word as it is written, biased males from Moses and to include Christ for centuries have misunderstood or purposely misinterpreted the Word to subjugate females or blasphemously, God made a mistake and is wrong (Genesis 3:1-6; Isaiah 29:16, 45:9-10; Romans 9:20; 1 Timothy 4:1-2; James 1:14).” From the foregoing, it is clear weaknesses and desires arising from the sinful flesh makes us very susceptible to being tempted and deceived.
The deceiver remains crafty and subtle from millennia ago in Eden with Eve; having since gained a wealth of experience tempting and deceiving mankind (Genesis 3:1, 13; 2 Corinthians 11:3, 10-15; Revelation 12:9). After God, only Satan and his minions better know sinful fallen human nature, our weaknesses, common desires and proclivities based on observation and success employing methodologies that entice. He is the master of suggestion, planting thoughts (beware your memories), ideas and doubts. He stirs up feelings (sensual, bitter and even happy) to ensnare and unabashedly lies on and contradicts God along with His Word toward his deceptive ends (John 8:44).
Satan’s core strategy of deception from the beginning is formed by the limitations God has placed on him. He, of course, wanted to destroy mankind from the face of the earth and for all eternity in Eden, but God would not allow that. God did allow Satan to attempt to seduce the first humans to sin leading to the carrying out of the divine decree of death, but with a turn of events he did not foresee knowing God to be righteous: God would Personally make a way for His fallen creatures’ deliverance (Genesis 3:14-15; Romans 1:16-17, 3:21-26; 1 Corinthians 2:6-10; Colossians 2:11-15)! Nevertheless, temptation to sin through deceit remains Satan’s chief weapon against men.
His weapon has been repeatedly and successfully used on God’s people such as in the Bible when Balaam deceived Israel and the Nicolaitans, first century Christians (Numbers 25; Revelation 2:12-17).2 So confident is he with his ability to tempt to sin using deceit, he went after the sinless Son of God, but failed (Matthew 4:1-11)! Our Savior and Lord wills that we not be overcome by the tempter either; teaching us to pray to that end and praying for us while still on the earth (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 22:31-32; John 17:15). Indeed, we are to stay alert for the crafty working of that evil one to avoid being his unwitting vessels or deceitfully tempted into sin (2 Corinthians 4:1-6; 1 Peter 5:8-11).
Despite there being no temptation to suddenly come upon us “except such as is common to man,” the history of Christianity from the first century until now, follows the examples of Israel’s failures (1 Corinthians 10:1-13a, NKJV). From sexual immorality, manmade religion (allowing unimaginable corruptions) to now, full on rebellion against the Lord in the order of mankind, we professed Christians have been so easily deceived as again, James warns through our “own desires” (James 1:14-15, NKJV).3 Because he craftily and subtly operates in the unseen spiritual shadows (Ephesians 6:12), many in ignorance and/or pride underestimate Satan’s ability to tempt and deceive us at the point of even latent desires (which he counts on) we discover too late ensnared us.4
The Lord Jesus and His apostles repeatedly warn us about the prominence of deception in these latter times and the need to avoid being deceived (Matthew 24:3-5, 11, 15-28; 1 Corinthians 3:18-23, 6:9-11; Ephesians 5:1-7; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-11; 2 Timothy 3:13; 2 Peter 2:1-3; 1 John 3:4-9; Revelation 13:1-3, 11-15, 18:21-24). Being tempted by Satan is inescapable since God allows it. But He wants us to successfully endure it as James reminds us (James 1:12-13). To that end also, the apostle Paul writes, “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape...,” (1 Corinthians 10:13b, NKJV). To experience His deliverance, we must not yield to, but stand firm by faith in the temptation!
Therefore, to make ourselves as deception proof as possible we must daily do the following seven things. One, take Jesus Christ seriously when He demands of anyone that will follow Him to “deny himself” (Luke 9:23, NKJV). Two, practice putting the sinful flesh and its desires to death by and “walk in the Spirit” (Romans 8:12-13; Galatians 5:16, NKJV). Three, know our God, the God of the Bible--He does not change no, not even to accommodate our desires (Daniel 11:32; Hebrews 13:8; James 1:16-18). Four, know God’s Word (Psalm 119:9-11, 2 Timothy 2:15). Five, be content in Christ (1 Timothy 6:6-10). Six, keep short sin accounts with God--practicing sin invites Satan’s temptations (Psalm 32:1-5; 1 John 1:8-10). Seven, forgive so, God can forgive you (Mark 11:25-26)!5
1 Learn about who the aspiring strong men and great women of God in the image of Jesus Christ are in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. It is published
by the Publishing Division of Open Door Communication Ministries, Inc. with fresh editing in 2019 for greater clarity and updated web addresses in the footnotes. It is
available at major internet booksellers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble and ChristianBooks.com. These book sellers with Apple also have the digital download of the
book. Type the title into their search engines if necessary. You can also purchase the book and all related Strong Man Of God Brand Group Study Print Resources in
the Strong Man Store!
2 See the January 26, 2020 post, The Spirit Of Harlotry and its footnote on the Nicolaitans, under the category, Call To Repent.
3 Lusts (desires) for riches, positions, privilege, power etc. are reasons many professed Christians of all hues and genders will not fully answer God’s call to repent from
plainly seen sins of corrupting and compromising His Word as well as rebellion against Him and apostasy they are caught up in at this hour (Titus 1:16).
4 An excellent case study is this past century’s uprising of Western women armed with a number of righteous grievances against their male led societies, but which by the
midpoint of the century, had morphed into an all out rebellion against God and His order of mankind. Called now, feminists, these women and their male supporters in-
spired other rebels against the divine order such as those practicing same sex relations, infiltrated many churches and while allying themselves with black Americans for
example, have smeared their righteous cause for racial justice. At this hour the pursuit of secular and professed Christian feminists is for power and accolades amazingly
in line with that of Satan who incited, tempted, deceived and ensnared them into this great evil (Genesis 3:4-6; Isaiah 14:12-15; Luke 4:5-8; Revelation 13:4)!
5 Holding grudges in unforgiveness leads to bitterness and is a flashing neon light summons to Satan to tempt you to greater sin (Ephesians 4:25-27, 31; Hebrews 12:12-
15).
The Lord Jesus Christ loves His Church and speaks correction to and chastens those within the local churches that supposedly make it up (Revelation 3:19). This is the why and what for of His end of the first century specific messages to seven churches of Asia and their messengers in His Revelation I wrote about to open this New Year (Revelation 1:9-11, 19).1 The mere fact the Lord has something to say about what goes on in the churches demonstrates not only His knowledge, but concern that things be done in accord with His will, way and Word! He did not go away back to Heaven and turn the business of the Church over to us. He is Lord (Ephesians 1:15-23)!
In exercising His ever active Lordship over His Church from birth, the Lord Jesus presents Himself to the messenger of the church at Sardis as “He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars.” With authority granted by His Father (Mathew 28:18), the Son asserts His control over the fullness of the Holy Spirit represented as “the seven Spirits of God” in His activities among men and church messengers as “the seven stars” He earlier interpreted to John (Revelation 1:20). Then, after declaring He knew Sardis’ works, He drops a spiritual bomb shell on them with shock waves that reach to this very hour: they had “a name” for being “alive,” but were “dead” (Revelation 3:1, NKJV)!
The church in Sardis had a name or reputation for being alive whatever that meant for them at that time. Perhaps like some churches that were before and many that have followed them down through the centuries, professed Christians in the Sardis church were intensely engaged in sensational spiritual practices such as speaking in tongues which the apostle Paul warned against over emphasizing (1 Corinthians 14:1-19). Maybe it was passionate preaching or spirited singing and dancing that were carried out as a telltale sign God was present. Possibly too, it was all of these elements that are found variously in numerous churches among the ethnicities on earth today.
Few however, would argue with me that among the ethnicities, those of my own either on the African continent or scattered among the world’s countries including this one engage in all or most of what is described in the foregoing during any given service of what we call worship. The reputation for being alive among black Americans in their churches draws tourists to observe us from all over the world. And we typically do not disappoint; putting on emotion charged performances sometimes that are hard even for the most stoic of souls to resist being caught up in.2 I do understand such services have been historically cathartic for us and in loving empathy have written about why.3
Nevertheless, without the Holy Spirit whose living, working presence the Lord Jesus controls, none of what professed Christians do in the churches lives now or eternally before God (John 6:63). Clearly, from the Lord’s judgment of the church at Sardis, sensational activity and high energy emotional worship are not surefire indicators of the Holy Spirit’s living presence and work as many want to falsely believe. By default, works not empowered by the Holy Spirit are of the sinful flesh. Those acting in the flesh do not please God (Romans 8:5-8). And while there may be “liberty” when the Holy Spirit is present, such times are never a license to sin (2 Corinthians 3:17, NKJV)!4
The verdict of the Lord Jesus on the reputation of the church at Sardis was that they and their efforts were spiritually dead as is the case in every church where the Holy Spirit is not actually operative in what is going on! Apparently though, the church was not completely dead since after pronouncing them so, the Lord commands them to “Be watchful, and strengthen the things that remain, that are ready to die;” He not finding their works complete “before God.” Then, He exhorts them to go back in memory to what they had been originally taught, grip it tight and repent from their departure. If they don’t, He warns, He will come upon them suddenly for what will surely be retribution (Revelation 3:2-3, NKJV). The Lord says the same to guilty churches today.
Always in God’s economy there is a faithful remnant. At Sardis, there was one that by implication in their life and deeds were alive through the authentic work of the Holy Spirit. The Lord acknowledges them and promises a reward for their faithfulness--“for” He says, “they are worthy.” They will also never face the possibility of Him blotting their names out of “the Book of Life.” They will be alive in the Spirit forever! The Lord will also confess the names of these faithful saints before His “Father and before His angels.” He urges every individual in the church at Sardis and the one you attend too, if you will, “to hear what the Spirit says to the churches,” (Revelation 3:4-6, NKJV). The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
1 See the two-part post that begins January 5, 2020, Revelation’s Seven Churches In Time, under the category, Bible Prophecy.
2 Save attempting to shame me for telling the truth on “us” since I have been black all of my life and even before I was a believer, as a child I witnessed how we do. And
as it concerns performing, while I know a relative few individuals among the musicians and audience may be having a genuine encounter with God, my teen years
were mostly spent in bands entertaining; I know performance, entertainment and being moved by the music when I see and hear it as still happens to me in all trans-
parency when I allow it (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Just because you are feeling it in what is called worship, does not mean God is and it is idolatry to think so, since He made
us in His image not the other way around (Psalm 50:16-23; Isaiah 1:10-20)!
3 Read the two-part repost beginning February 8, 2015, Strong Through God, Not Religion, under the category, Black History.
4 Examples occur whenever an assembly is thrown into disorder by folk lacking self-control and women in disobedience and defiance of God’s written Word are allowed
to lead worship where adult men are present (1 Corinthians 14:20-40; 1 Timothy 2:11-14). Women freely empowered by the Holy Spirit to prophesy (Joel 2:28-29,
Acts 2:1-18, 21:8-11) are not free to do so as they please or as sinning church leaders command in disobedience to God’s perpetually set order of mankind. Or are we
now blasphemously teaching that the “Holy” Spirit sanctions sin in rebellion against Himself? Knowing this not to be the case, no wonder the false escape is to lie on
God and declare He has spoken (Jeremiah 23:30-32), changed His mind (Malachi 3:6), updated His Word (Matthew 5:17-20, 24:35) or abandoned the temperance of
His eternal nature He wills to display in us (Galatians 5:22-23)! It is not nor will it ever be the Holy Spirit that pushes the guilty into sin, but the prince of darkness and
the lusts of their sinful flesh draw them into it (James 1:12-18).
“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love,” (1 Corinthians 16:13-14, NKJV). The foregoing verses are among the final exhortations to the church at Corinth by the apostle Paul in a deeply sobering letter filled with instruction and correction. I pray these verses will find their mark in the heart of every professing Christian American that reads this blog and is searching for how to handle the morality shift of our nation that is retracting the welcome mat Christianity once had in a God pleasing way. To be sure, Paul’s exhortation does not sit well with our reflexive American cultural mind set to go on the offensive for our rights.
However, he is exhorting us to watch for something far superior to America in her best days; we are to watch for the glorious Second Coming and Kingdom of our Lord as He also taught (Matthew 24:42-44)! We are not to back up on Him in the face of opposition, but literally stand still in the faith--biblical Christianity as it is written! We are to be courageous and strong in the Lord while the opposition presses in on us laboring as aspiring strong men and great women of God in Christ’s image (Ephesians 6:10-20)! Finally, we are to do all of what we do in love--the love supernaturally supplied to us by the Holy Spirit--for fellow believers and those who hate us (Romans 5:5).
Presently, many professing Christians are not giving heed to the apostle Paul’s exhortation and have instead, chosen the American way of fighting--which in the right situation legally is not wrong. But what the Lord led me to write in 2013 about a business situation close to home here in Portland with many similar instances around the nation, I remain steadfast in conviction is not the right one to fight since discrimination violates God’s commandment to us and man’s law. Christians are not to show partiality or if you will, discriminate against someone’s person in making judgments (Deuteronomy 1:16-18; 1 Timothy 5:19-21). The subjects of the 2013 blog have since been penalized by the governing authorities for discrimination and others face similar consequences.
In this edited repost of that blog, I use the hurtful experiences I and most of those of my race with other racial minorities have had in being discriminated against in America as a backdrop to try in love to help my mostly white, conservative evangelical Christian brethren get this right going forward. Based on the Anglo-centric mail that I have received from some organizations, though, I see not only that this original word from the Lord through me as an ignorant black man was ignored, but it appears something sadly predictable as another part of the American way is occurring: discriminated against racial minority Christians are intended to be left to themselves.1 Seriously, racism to the end? Where’s the love? Even so, my God will thwart this evil too and prove His Word right (Acts 27:9-21).
Originally Posted March 3, 2013
I greatly empathize with the position Aaron and Melissa Klein who own the bakery, Sweet Cakes By Melissa here in the Portland area have taken not to bake a wedding cake for a same sex couple. They have taken this position out of the biblical conviction that such marriages are wrong which of course, I also share. However, I do not believe they or any other Christian owner of a business open to the public has the right to refuse service to those whose lifestyle they morally disagree.
It would be one thing if this were a church or para-church organization and an immoral person came in demanding that these entities violate the tenets of their faith to allow the individual to become a member, be hired or receive services formally declared to be for Christians only. However, this situation is about Christians that own a business offering services to the general public without any stated restrictions (until now). By their own admission the bakery owners have gay customers and have served them previously.
As a black American, the whole situation is a painful reminder of the evil system of discrimination in this nation that legally permitted businesses to refuse service to blacks based simply on the color of our skin. If service was offered, blacks were humiliated in having to go to the back or side doors to receive it. Many of the white business owners then were good church members and believed they stood on Christian values in their discriminatory conduct as taught and reinforced by their leadership.
In shame, even many nominal white Christians today in honesty would have to admit this kind of targeted discrimination was morally wrong and unbiblical. Yet, many have stood to support the cause of this couple’s right to unlawfully discriminate (with thanks to God and the perseverance of those in the Civil Rights Movement, discrimination in public commerce and accommodations is illegal now) against two gay customers just because they want to marry each other which all Christians with a biblical worldview agree is wrong.
In line with the thinking of the late Chuck Colson and others concerned that we Christians hold to our biblical worldview in every corner of our nation’s secular culture, we are to engage unbelievers and rebels against the divine order in a winsome way. If Christians are going to open businesses serving everyone in the general public, they can be winsome about it for example, by using tactful signage that affirms in a positive way their standing as Christians with a biblical worldview. Their lifestyle, demeanor and conversation should also reflect the joy of relationship with Christ.
Any customers that come in know that this business owner is devoted to Christ and the Word of God and most will respect that. The few who do not respect this and want the Christian business owner to provide their product or service to them should be served in the love and humility of Christ who taught us to love our enemies and healed the cut off ear of one of the men sent to arrest Him (Matthew 5:43-48; Luke 22:49-51). The message on a receipt for a product or service rendered can share the Gospel or for instance, read: “Served with love from the God who loves and forgives sinners!”
As I wrote back on December 16, 2012 in the Powerlessness Of Being The Minority, Pt.1, Christians are fast becoming a despised minority in America. Christian businesses which are important and strategic outposts for the Gospel do not need to incite our future persecutors by unnecessarily breaking the law through discriminating against them at this stage of things. In short, while I commend their willingness to take a stand, this is not a Rosa Parks moment for the owners of Sweet Cakes By Melissa, other Christian business owners or Christians at large. If a Christian that owns a business open to the public cannot in good conscience serve same sex couples, close it down. Similarly, if thinking of opening a business with the same conviction, do not open it!
Truly, already Christians are being discriminated against and our values rejected by our once welcoming society (Matthew 5:11-12; Luke 6:22-23). We are not to return evil for evil (Luke 6:31; Romans 12:17-21). The foretold severe persecution just for being willing to confess Christ draws near. As aspiring strong men and great women of God we will have plenty of opportunities to take a stand for Christ and I hope many will in all faithfulness and obedience (Revelation 13, 14:9-13).
1 Examine the art work, photos and primary victims displayed in a sampling of white, conservative evangelical Christian publications addressing the impact cultural change is
having on largely white evangelicals. While most assuredly I appreciate what their proclaimed intentions are, in the 21st century, to call “an oversight” the failure to in- clude the continuing fight against discrimination by all racial minorities, but especially their brothers in Christ as a related and worthy cause is beyond incredible. Of course, being the president of a small non-profit, I do also see the fundraising dollars and cents of this “oversight.” Nevertheless, I hope our Christian readers from all
backgrounds will consider donating to our Ministry because of the fair, balanced and truthful way in the Lord I deal with everybody’s stuff including my own!
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