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On this Palm Sunday 2016, the Lord has directed me to repost this edited 2013 blog that as it turns out was a prelude to important posts on apostasy He led me to make in February 2014. After reading this blog, I encourage you to follow it up by reading “The Falling Away” and “The Man Of Sin” under the category, Bible Prophecy as well as “Is There No King Among Us” under the category, Call To Repent. Concerning this repost, I am certain that in the midst of all the outward display of religiosity by professing Christians beginning today through this upcoming Resurrection Sunday--my 39th spiritual birthday, the Lord is giving us a reality check (Luke 6:43-45). Hear the Word of the Lord! In honor of the occasion, this post will stand until a new one is made on April 3rd. Hosanna!
Originally Posted March 24, 2013
It is Palm Sunday 2013 and who could have imagined that a major issue in the churches of Jesus Christ at this hour is the rising tide of apostasy in Western Christianity? Contrary to the position of some that Christian apostasy is impossible, the Bible not only says it is possible, but foretells it with deceit as among the evil features of these latter days before the return of the Lord (Matthew 24:3-4, 9-10; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4; 1 Timothy 4:1-2). Now, if God in His Word says something is not only possible, but will occur, what man is there filled with the Holy Spirit and coming to Scripture ready to be taught solely by what it says that will teach otherwise?
The same Scripture teaches only men devoid of the Holy Spirit or quenching His fire that come to the Word with their minds already made up, who refuse to accept its teaching and impose on its sacred verses their own doctrines will teach other than what is written. These are impostors, false prophets and teachers, carnal men and apostates walking about in cynical unbelief creating divisions; men of which as well are members of Christianity the religion’s educated elite who arrogantly exalt and cite themselves as wise authorities and blindly lead one another into the ditch of divine displeasure (Matthew 15:12-14, 24:11; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 3:1-4, 18-23; 2 Peter 2; Jude 3-19).
For the sake of clear biblical definition, apostasy is in subsequent unbelief to willfully forsake, turn from following, deny or renounce the Lord or the faith outright or to practice sin without repentance after having first truly believed (Ezekiel 18:24-26; Mark 8:34-38; Titus 1:10-16; Hebrews 3:5-19). It is silly to interpret Bible passages that speak of apostasy as referring only to persons that never believed and are later exposed as impostors. An impostor is a fraudulent pretender from beginning to end, while Scripture teaches the apostate actually believed God’s message and enjoyed its fruit but after a time, completely turned from Him and His Word in unbelief. The only things the impostor and the apostate share in common are unbelief and where they will spend eternity after the judgment of God (Luke 12:42-46; Romans 11:19-22; Hebrews 6:4-8, 10:26-31).
Apostates are of two kinds: willful and de facto. One that is willful openly turns from the Lord. A de facto apostate is one such as the apostle Paul refers in Titus 1:15-16 that professes with his mouth to know God, but actually denies Him by his corrupt doctrines and unrepentant lifestyle. To this hour, such have been the greater number of apostates since the first century who discover too late in Hades that God does not judge us by a one-time profession of faith, but by deeds that demonstrate faith’s continuing vitality in and to the end of our lives (Matthew 24:13; Romans 1:16-17, 2:5-11; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Galatians 5:19-21, 6:7-8; Hebrews 3:5-6, 14, 10:35-39; James 2:14-26).
The tide of apostasy in Western Christianity has been slowly rising for the last five centuries since the failed reformation attempt of Catholicism and splinter groups of every kind formed under the umbrella of Protestantism. All manner of heretical instruction has infiltrated the post-Reformation daughter churches of Catholicism not just by patently false uncredentialed teachers, but as already mentioned, those calling themselves scholars, theologians--the religious educated elite.
As the Lord leads me to discuss in the final chapter of my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics directed to pastors and churches, the last hundred years have been especially devastating in the churches as under the guise of academic freedom and theological discourse, proud professionals as cynical unbelievers and de facto apostates have churned out or upheld any number of false, confusing and conflicting doctrines in a not so funny comedy of errors that often has persisted even after being challenged. As I point out in my book, for example, this evil state of affairs has led to churches not upholding the biblical worldview of marriage, family and men as God’s appointed leaders.
Now, with worldly political correctness, tolerance, truth and moral relativity added to the mix in the churches along with related entities, there is a free for all where men and women with credentials from esteemed institutions hold any viewpoint and spout any kind of doctrine that can no longer be challenged from the Word of God because that is his or hers expertly held personal theology. Those that challenge these de facto apostates anyway in earnestly contending for the faith are considered intolerant, divisive, out of touch and “holier than thou.”
Meanwhile, willful apostates are not only found in the Bible colleges and seminaries of Western Christianity, but in steady increase church pulpits. This growing apostasy will continue to flower until it reaches the near at hand foretold culminating event in the face of severe global persecution and before the Antichrist’s appearing followed gloriously by the Day of the Lord (2 Thessalonians 2:3)!
Nevertheless, as the Gates documentary unabashedly shows, taking cues from their former masters and dominant white culture, black Americans too, created their own forms of Christianity, churches and various denominational entities.4 Common to many including the Church Of Christ without instruments is the uninhibited expression of emotion that God winked at in the most painful of historically oppressive times. But if all you have and come away with from church is an emotionally cathartic temporary experience, you have missed God and His help in the eternally satisfying qualities of life and transforming power of the Holy Spirit through biblical Christianity (John 10:10)!5
As portrayed in the film, the driving force behind the Christianity of black Americans is their native West African religious traditions to include a nod to Islam. Out of the severe adversity of capture, transatlantic transport and enslavement, blacks “made a way out of no way” for themselves! Furthermore, absent a biblical worldview of the black experience, the Gates documentary fully incriminates black religionists and the utter failure of their manmade religious construction to measure up to authentic biblical Christianity by admitting and reveling in such heretical acts as reinterpreting the Bible in their own image and making purposeful cultural adaptations.
Not the least of these reinterpretations and cultural adaptations as a deliberate theme throughout the four hour film is freeing women and gays from oppression by whites and stuffy blacks operating out of a Christian conservatism ostensibly beyond biblical Christianity in its restrictions. Ever for the oppressed no matter what, God is presented as working in all of the circumstances and black self-efforts through the engagement of their churches and many well known leaders to free not just our people, but women and gays too, from the tyranny of conservative oppressors. Gates himself tearfully returns to the presently white woman led Methodist church he grew up in to end his film.
Educated experts and cultural icons notwithstanding, Christianity and churches as a religious invention of black Americans may be a pride-filled marvel of sinful mortal flesh, but not the God of the Bible (Matthew 7:21-23, 15:1-20, 23:1-33; Luke 16:15)! As with all other forms of Christianity corrupted and dominated by culture as manmade religion, that of black Americans is counterfeit too; a knock off of the real deal prophetically foretold would be extant in the “perilous times” of these “last days,” (2 Timothy 3:1-9, NKJV). Clearly from this prophecy, no counterfeit form of Christianity by anyone is acceptable to God who judges and calls His faithful out of the harlotry (Revelation 18:1-8).6
Also, since most of our people can now, read the Bible to know what it says for themselves, ignorance of its content is no longer an excuse. Because of this, God has not for a long time been winking at what can only be described as willful ignorance waiting for the guilty to see the light and repent (Acts 17:30-31; 1 Timothy 1:12-14; James 4:17). The disproportionate ruin and God’s remedial judgments widely seen in our community are evidence of willful ignorance in rejection of biblical Christianity starting with the Gospel as salvation from sin defined in His unchanging Word as well as many choosing to be victims in rebellion and refusing to fulfill His good ends for our people’s capture, transatlantic transport, enslavement and freedom (Hosea 4:1-5; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10)!7
That God, the living God of the Bible would allow people to suffer being slaves on purpose is unapologetically presented therein (Psalm 107:10-16). Seeing so much of our experience in the Egyptian bondage of the Jews, we should also see that God did not just show up afterward to deliver them in surprise it had happened, but ordained it beforehand (Genesis 15:12-16; Exodus 2:23-3:8)! Moreover, the Lord later punished Israel with slavery by many nations, most prominently Assyria and Babylon. Of the Jews that came out of Egypt, many perished in the wilderness and never reached the Promised Land because of unbelief fed rebellion. For while God is for the oppressed, it is only the “humble” faithful who trust in and obey Him that are blessed (Psalms 9:10-12, 10:12-18, NKJV).
For this cause the writer of Hebrews warns all professed Christians about unbelief fed rebellion and being “hardened through the deceitfulness of sin,” (Hebrews 3:7-19, NKJV). Certainly, Satan, sin and self has deceived and they are thoroughly deluded who believe God has set aside His Word in these latter days to uphold rebellion against Himself (Psalms 2, 119:89; Isaiah 40:8; Mark 13:31; 1 Timothy 4:1-2)!8 Such willful ignorance is destroying our people as it once did Israel in the land. As it is written, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” And because they rejected knowledge, God rejected ancient Israel from His purpose and does so today among our people; the lively worship in invented religious forms and churches drawn from them dead before Him (Hosea 4:6, NKJV)!9
Therefore, if the Gates documentary is the final answer to God by black Americans practicing their own form of counterfeit Christianity and sin to include stealing His glory while resisting His call to repentance, then, know He is about to turn your “glory into shame,” (Proverbs 14:34; Hosea 4:7, NKJV). As it is written, “My glory I will not give to another” (Isaiah 42:8, NKJV) and ‘“he who glories, let him glory in the Lord,’” (2 Corinthians 10:17-18, NKJV). With hearts set on sin and "iniquity," God will “punish” you for your “ways” and “reward” your rebellious “deeds” of “harlotry.” Not repenting, your obstinate persistence in willful ignorance is proof of apostasy from which there is no return and only His wrath (Job 36:5-21; Hosea 4:8-10; Romans 1:18-2:11; Hebrews 6:4-8, 10:26-31, NKJV).
4 Read the September 4, 2016 post, Christianity The Religion American Style, under the category, Call To Repent.
5 See Strong Through God, Not Religion. Also, read especially part three of the post that begins February 28, 2016, When The Messengers Are Bound, under the categories,
Black History and The Cause. It was God that was the true “refuge” for our “oppressed” people who were looking to Him, not the place of assembly (Psalm 9:9, NKJV)!
This truth should be abundantly clear by now, to all that are willing to see it after over a year in some cases of not being able to assemble in church buildings due to God’s
Coronavirus judgment.
6 Read the January 26, 2020 post, The Spirit Of Harlotry, under the category, Call To Repent and the two-part post that begins June 7, 2020, Days Of Separation, under the
category, Bible Prophecy.
7 Read the two-part post beginning June 7, 2015, 150 Years After Slavery and beginning February 26, 2017, the four-part God Of Restoration And Judgment both under the
category, Black History. The biblical worldview of the black experience in the From Slavery To Victory Education Project the Lord led me to present is firmly built on the foun-
dation of His foreknowledge and sovereign will! The enslavement of our West African forefathers could not have happened without God knowing about and permitting it.
Visit the project Web Site, https://fromslaverytovictory.org to consider something other than the false narratives of victimization through content such as The Journey and in
the Journal Archives, The Renewing Of Our Minds.
8 The delusion God has set aside His Word encompasses what is written in it condemning all instances of sexual immorality and establishing His order of mankind with men
as His elect leaders from creation in the home and churches loyal to Christ’s Headship (1 Corinthians 6:9-20, 11:1-12, 14:34-40; 1 Timothy 2:11-15). Rather than belligerent
defiance, professed Christian feminist rebels and their male supporters ought to be in fear of the ongoing judgment upon them the Lord had me proclaim in the October 25,
2020 post, Women Pastors: Rank Rebellion, under the category, Call To Repent!
9 See the February 9, 2020 post, Reputation And Reality, under the category, Call To Repent. If “lively worship” is so important to God He is willing to overlook sin in the midst
as many contend, then, plainly this thinking during the Coronavirus church shutdowns has been exposed as false as it also is in the post (Isaiah 1:13)!
Whatever attributes, attainments or accolades credited to black Americans, Christianity and the spirited, homogenous churches we were compelled from bigotry to form are going to be identified with us until the Lord returns! As much as the distinctive pigment of our skin, physical features and abilities, Christianity and our churches are an inseparable part of Black History. This trilogy of black Americans, Christianity and churches is yet another of our self-made accomplishments to hear many especially black liberals in willful ignorance tell it. However, in a biblical worldview the trilogy exists at all because of a gracious God who is not pleased with the failures and apostasy of His glory stealers!
The faith of our Christian forefathers from slavery is a precious historical reality I never tire of celebrating and trumpeting as widely as possible. As the Lord leads me to warn once again this Black History Month though, their Christian faith was supposed to flower into an amazing community-wide testimony of and to His glory, not ours as the contemporary black Americans that are guilty would have it. For black Americans to glory in Christianity as a construction of our doing in any part, it would actually have to be the case. To the extent this is the case, it is wickedly not of God, but the responsible black Americans as a work of human religious invention as I have written before.1
The Henry Louis Gates, Jr. written, produced and hosted two-part documentary, The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song that aired this past week on PBS is the most recent display of self-congratulation and glorying in Christianity as a religious invention of blacks. This purpose can be read in the promotional statement on the documentary’s official Web Site before ever watching it. In part it says, “The documentary reveals how Black people have worshipped and, through their spiritual journeys, improvised ways to bring their faith traditions from Africa to the New World, while translating them into a form of Christianity that was not only truly their own...”2
Even a superficial reading of the Bible’s New Testament makes it clear Christianity did not originate with any mortal ethnicity, but God! As it is written, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth” expressly identified as “Jesus Christ,” (John 1:1, 14-18, NKJV). Sent down to earth by God the Father in love, He preached the Gospel that willing mankind can be saved from our sins, receive new birth, eternal life and entry into His Kingdom through repentance and faith in Him (John 3:1-21, 34-36).
The Lord’s first coming is the culminating fulfillment of prophetic promises made through and to the Jewish people as one of them (Matthew 1:1-17). Even so, His message of salvation and the Kingdom from the Father by His sovereign will transcends His Jewish ethnicity and their historic culture (John 14:6, 18:35-38) to reach all of the ethnicities, tribes and languages of mankind on the earth (Isaiah 49:5-6)! Indeed, Christ declared on the strength of who He is and the course of His work, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:13-18, NKJV) and after His death, burial and resurrection, tasked apostles to labor with Him before ascending back to Heaven (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:4-11).
Now, if Christianity and the Church are of Christ, where does any ethnicity of man except the Jews as the original recipients, beneficiaries and conduits for disseminating the Gospel get off attempting to lay claim to these as their own (Romans 1:1-17, 9:1-5)? Surely, the Lord knew the faith would face tremendous pressures to be culturally conditioned as it was spread throughout the earth and in the worst case, corrupted, from the counter working of Satan as it did still in the first century. For this reason, His apostles sternly warn all who embrace the faith against altering it or His Word in any manner (Galatians 1:1-10, 5:1-15; 2 Peter 2:1-3, 3:14-18; Revelation 22:18-19).
Otherwise, God who created mankind and ordained diversity of skin pigment, physical features, abilities, languages and unique ethnic cultures is glorified when they “in spirit and truth” offer up thanksgiving, praise and worship to Him for His great salvation with faithfulness to the Word and obedience (John 4:21-26, 14:15; Acts 17:24-29; Romans 15:7-13, 16:17-27, NKJV)! The faithful among these peoples never forget or lose sight of the fact it is God in grace and mercy that found and saved them through the Gospel of Christ! His Person is to be exalted and His transcendent holy Word, Kingdom principles, values, morals and ethics held in highest esteem over anything they might think, feel, believe or do culturally. In short, they do not allow their culture to overcome the faith.3
1 Read the two-part post beginning February 8, 2015, Strong Through God, Not Religion, under the category, Black History.
2 See the full promotional statement at https://pbs.org/weta/black-church/.
3 This is as I write in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics, in a word to pastors. Published by Open Door Communication Ministries, Inc., the book is available
in print or digital formats at major internet booksellers. You can also purchase a print copy in the Strong Man Store.
Originally Posted January 26, 2014
God’s New Covenant (just as the Old) is broken only by its mortal parties to the second part not for one sin or ten thousand that are forgiven upon confession and repentance. It is broken by a persistent, unbelief driven return to the willful practice of sin in disobedience without repentance along with stubborn resistance to the convicting work of the Holy Spirit and church discipline as a de facto apostate (Isaiah 63:7-10; Jeremiah 7:21-27, 8:4-6; Acts 7:51; 1 Corinthians 5:9-13; 2 Corinthians 12:19-21; Philippians 3:17-19; 1 Timothy 5:6-15; Titus 1:10-16; Hebrews 3:7-13). It is also broken by willful and blatant apostasy (Jeremiah 2:1-13, 11:1-10; Matthew 10:16-33; 2 Timothy 2:11-13).
The deliberate apostate is immediately condemned (Luke 11:24-26; Galatians 1:6-9; Hebrews 6:4-8; 2 Peter 2:1-3, 18-22; Jude 4). In the case of both the de facto and willful apostate, the rejection of Christ and His once and for all sacrifice for sin leaves them with no other sacrifice or covenant. Also, God considers their rejection the unforgivable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit with no outcome but eternal destruction (Luke 12:8-10; Hebrews 10:26-39; 1 John 5:14-17). Truly, the Lord Jesus plainly warns prospective followers and parties to the second part of God’s New Covenant about His demand that they make Him their ‘“first love’” and declares His willingness to destroy those who will not (Luke 14:25-26; Revelation 2:1-5, NKJV). Therefore, let every professing Christian give full heed to Hebrews 3:14-19 as does the aspiring strong man of God. The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, “Who is on the Lord's side?”
The Lord has previously led me to write about the foretold apostasy in progress within professing Christianity.1 As well, He also had me write to instruct the faithful about the distinguishing mark of a true Christian and His call to stand firm for the faith as it is written in the pages of the Bible.2 In light of these unfolding, foretold times of pervasive falsehood, the Lord would have me briefly add to those important former instructions His warning about the critical need to avoid being led into error by those professing to be Christians that are outright false as impostors or true, but deceitful in disobedience who have no compunction about corrupting Scripture to further their own ends.
How easily many professed Christians, self-styled apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, secular political, social, cultural, educational and even non-Judeo-Christian religious figures quote the Bible to support their own ideas today. In so doing, by association with His Word, God is being portrayed as endorsing all manner of evil from fornication, abortion, shacking, divorce and same sex marriage to women taking authority over men in His house and religious ecumenicalism. I often wonder, are we all reading the same Bible? And of course, that question is complicated by the fact many are boldly creating corrupt Bible translations that support their theological bents.
Persons outside of a Judeo-Christian framework are following millennia of falsehood and deceit through biblical corruption by those within it that have justified and even blessed evil calling it good (Isaiah 5:20)! Their part in this matter is understandable given their complete alienation from God. But many come ostensibly into the faith as professed Christians and deceivers as they have since the first century to this hour and getting worse as foretold (2 Timothy 3:13). They willfully generate falsehood and false doctrines by corrupting not hard to understand Bible passages, but those that are plain as false brethren (2 Corinthians 11:12-26; Galatians 1:6-7, 2:1-5)!
It is entirely as foretold in these latter days by the Lord and His apostles (Matthew 24:1-5, 11; 2 Peter 2:1-3)! The leadership of typical professed Christian churches believes they can spot and have circled their wagons against the obvious onslaught of false messiahs, prophets and teachers with their falsehood. In fact, some are so closed up as I can attest, not even those that are biblically solid may address their flocks unless they walk in exact denominational and/or personal lock step with these leaders on every single point of doctrine they hold true. Which leads to an important question: who protects us from them when they become corrupters of God’s Word and deceivers as a result?
Sadly, too many superstar pastors with their adoring, supporting cast of church elders and/or deacons are elevating their personal convictions to the level of Scripture as the final authority that cannot be challenged lest one be considered divisive. Never mind apostolic instructions about the divisive person had to do with those that were in clear sin being disobedient to authoritative apostolic revelation and teaching as well as Scripture, not the personal convictions of pastors and elders themselves guilty of the same (Romans 16:17-20; Titus 3:9-11). These are men (and today, women) who as foretold seek to draw away disciples from Christ to make them their own (Acts 20:28-30).
Some of these pastors that cannot be challenged on their personal convictions are outright rebels, impostors or willful and de facto apostates as has been reported in secular and Christian media.3 Many are religionist keepers of the manmade church status quo; unwilling themselves and not allowing anyone else to challenge creeds, covenants, traditions and practices they know are not biblical to supposedly preserve unity and peace, but in actuality, their “jobs.” Others--especially of the larger churches--are puffed up in pride and arrogance believing that they stand above correction because of their education, position or success as though success alone confirms God’s approval (reality check: false messiahs, prophets, teachers, religions and cults have great success too!).
Starting with erroneous ideas and suppositions outside of Scripture, the personal convictions of pastors and elders as final authority that conflict with and disobey it span the behavioral and doctrinal spectrum in their churches. Or, for example, how can one sit in a mixed gender congregation with a Bible open to learn its authoritative instruction under a woman pastor, speaker or teacher and ignore what it plainly teaches forbidding her to do this (1 Corinthians 14:34-40; 1 Timothy 2:11-15)? Is it not because for whatever all of the reasons in deceit to include Christianity as a unique, American cultural form of religion, the pastor’s unchallengeable personal conviction on the matter has taken preeminent authority over what the Word of God says?4
1 Read my March 20, 2016 blog, Willful And De Facto Apostates under the category, The Faith followed by those referenced in its introduction.
2 Read the March 1-29, 2015 blogs under the category Instruction that further discuss what a real Christian and the true faith is.
3 Google “Apostate Christian Ministers” to find reputable articles like this one I found by Dr. Albert Mohler in 2010.
4 See the September 4, 2016 post, Christianity The Religion American Style, under the category, Call To Repent.
Today is Pentecost calculated by Western Christianity as fifty days after the Sunday of our Lord Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead and return to Heaven to be glorified. As the Father promised, the Lord sent the Holy Spirit on this occasion to come upon and indwell His disciples He had commanded them to wait to receive in Jerusalem (Luke 24:49-53; John 7:37-39, 14:15-17, 20:19-23; Acts 1:4-14). Accordingly, when the Holy Spirit dramatically arrived on Pentecost among around 120 of Christ’s disciples assembled to Him, He came upon and filled them giving birth to the Church the Lord builds, not sinful, mortal flesh as an historic and ongoing falsehood (Acts 1:15, 2:1-4)!
This day then, is the birthday of the Church of Jesus Christ He plainly declared, ‘“I will build,’” (Matthew 16:16-18, NKJV). His intention to be actively engaged in His building project is asserted after His resurrection in the many commands and instructions given to the apostles; ending one instance stating, ‘“…and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age,’” Matthew 28:18-20, NKJV). He also made it very clear who the converts to faith in Him belonged to as He commanded Peter to ‘“Feed My lambs,’” ‘“Tend’” and ‘“Feed My sheep,’” (John 21:15-17, NKJV). On Pentecost and going forward, Christ began building His Church (ex. Acts 2:5-47, 4:1-4, 5:14, 6:7, 9:31-43)!
The Christian and Jewish calculations of Pentecost which means fiftieth in Greek differ due to dating methods. Interestingly, it is also known as The Feast Of Weeks or Harvest and was instituted by God as one of seven required feasts for the Jews to observe (Leviticus 23). Shavuot in Hebrew was also one of three feasts that all of the males were to assemble “before the Lord,” (Exodus 23:14-17, 34:18, 22-24, NKJV). The feast celebrated the firstfruits of the wheat harvest. Prophetically in the commanded wave offering of the feast, the priests offered two loaves of bread “baked with leaven” always associated with sin and picturing Jew and Gentile as the Church (Leviticus 23:17, NKJV).1
Despite being indwelt by the Holy Spirit, the reality of Christ’s mortal Church He builds on earth is that sin still resides in us even though He made perfect atonement for it. My continual praise to God the Father with thanksgiving is that He keeps on forgiving our sins as we confess and repent from them according to His plan from eternity and righteousness to do so through the finished work of Christ until we depart to Him or He returns to perfect us (1 John 1:5-2:2, 3:1-3)! Too, all throughout history some as gullible brethren, impostors, dead religionists, rebels and apostates used of Satan have dwelt in the midst of the mortal Church (2 Corinthians 11:1-21; Galatians 2:1-5; Titus 1:10-16).
Knowing the reality of sin in His mortal Church, the Lord and His apostles gave warning and instructions about how to deal with it and wicked infiltrators of its authentic local assemblies (Matthew 18:15-20; Romans 16:17-20; 1 Corinthians 5; Titus 3:9-11; 2 John 7-11).2 Now, this all presumed such men were not pastors, elders and other leaders in the main! For we are to submit to and obey “overseers” the Holy Spirit assigns to lead us who do the same toward Christ the Head of His Church “as those who must give account;” following their instruction and example (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 1:15-23; Colossians 1:15-18; Hebrews 13:7, 17; 1 Peter 5:1-4, NKJV).
However, when these men are “savage wolves” as foretold and readily identifiable by their failure to submit to and obey “the whole counsel of God” embodied in His written Word if one knows it through regular, fruitful study, we are not expected by the Lord to follow them to their certain destruction without repentance (Acts 20:25-27, 29-31; Philippians 3:17-19; 1 Timothy 5:17-22; 2 Peter 2; Jude 3-19; Revelation 18:1-4, NKJV).3 Yet, because many do not study God’s Word or really care about what it says as gullible brethren, impostors, dead religionists, rebels and apostates in their assemblies of manmade Christianity the religion, the savage wolves devour them by every carnal means as they build their doomed made to order churches (Habakkuk 2:12-14; Revelation 18:5-8)!4
Some have deluded themselves into believing the means however unbiblical with marketing gimmicks and entertainment is justified by the end of multiple church campuses and large numbers filling Sunday services.5 Others are well intended in their desire to make the local church appealing to the surrounding community and culture to attract prospective members. They do so though, by purposely choosing not to preach or obey God’s whole Word; allowing women for example, to take authority over the men (1 Timothy 2:11-15).6 But on this birthday of His Church, the Lord reminds all He is her Builder, not sinful, mortal men with their selfishly ambitious visions, plans and failures.7 Faithful believers are only granted the privilege of working alongside of Him as He does the building!
1 See The Feasts of the Lord, Kevin Howard and Marvin Rosenthal, Thomas Nelson Inc., Nashville 1997, 22, 89-100. The Lord used the two authors to fully open my eyes about this prophetic assertion of Jew and Gentile assembled before Him as wheat in a future harvest of souls pictured in the Old Testament’s Feast Of Weeks. They fur- ther well present His work as the Messiah to make it so in the New Testament citing the “mystery” of His Church revealed and explained by the Jewish apostle Paul (Ephesians 2:11-3, NKJV).
2 Read the two-part post beginning January 5, 2020, Revelation’s Seven Churches In Time, under the category, Bible Prophecy. The Lord leads me to make it clear in this post that membership in a local church is not necessarily equal to membership in His Church!
3 No professed Christian that knowingly followed and endorsed church leaders in their disobedience to God’s written Word will be able to claim innocence before the Lord in the Judgment. You had a choice (1 Timothy 5:24-25; James 4:17)! A Christian that will recognize and faithfully stand against evil in these latter days must know the whole Word of God attained through the spiritual discipline of Bible study and understanding He provides! To help you, the Lord has led me to produce the Fruitful Bible Study Self-Paced Video Course now, featured on our Strong Man Virtual Institute’s YouTube Channel. The video course and optional Study Guide is available for free download in the Strong Man Store. It replaces and expands upon the one sheet free document download this Ministry formerly offered.
4 See the September 27, 2015 post, Empire Building On God’s Program, under the category, Call To Repent. Many of those that build their made to order churches today are of my baby boomer generation that stayed put under the tutelage of corrupt and compromising leaders building theirs back in the day I said nothing about in a recent post--read the March 27, 2022 post, No Baby Boomer Free Lunch, under the categories Biblical Worldview and Call To Repent. They stuck with the manmade religious systems of rules, rituals, priorities and activities in Christianity the religion and paid their dues. But if the religious systems of manmade Christianity the religion are cor- rupt, what really has been achieved in the sight of Christ who judges in accord with righteousness (Isaiah 11:3-5; Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46-49, 12:35-48)?
5 Read the September 16, 2018 post, Justifying The Means By The End, under the category, Instruction.
6 If God in His Word commands the leadership of men as pictured in His perpetual requirement on Pentecost of three times a year they were to assemble to Him in Israel, then, by what authority are guilty pastors and elders rejecting it? The Lord leads me to deal with this willful act of disobedience nullifying His commandment (1 Corinthians 14:34-37) in many blog posts (type “feminism” into the blog search window). I also address the issue in my book, The Strong Man Of God Back To Basics. It 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.
7 Operating in the flesh as it is, no one should really be surprised at the extent to which pastors of churches large and small are falling like dominoes in moral failures and ethical scandals particularly those that enabled them as objects of their idolatrous worship; the cult of personality worship saturating the surrounding culture extant in the churches too!
You would think the awful toll the Coronavirus pestilence from God, unrest and increased lawlessness is taking on our nation would be enough to bring especially all Christians that claim to love it to their knees in complete humility, brokenness, repentance praying like Daniel of old and grief as called for by God (Daniel 9:1-19; Joel 2:12-14). But while this Ministry and no doubt a few others also have called for this, you do not hear much about it in Christian media as the television networks for example, continue with their usual programming and messaging focused on what God wants to do even now, to positively impact the dreams, ambitions, wealth and health of their audiences.5
Regular readers know the Lord has not led me to anchor His call to repentance and true Holy Spirit fired revival to 2 Chronicles 7:14. It has been repeatedly and hypocritically quoted by many sincere looking Christian leaders and others for years in times of national crisis as though America is Israel of old to whom the verse speaks. America is not Israel that is God’s one and only “everlasting love” among the nations (Deuteronomy 4:32-40; Jeremiah 31:1-3, NKJV)! Among the founders of America and to this day there have been individual faithful Christians including those of my black forefathers for whose sake God has graciously and richly blessed our nation in the past.6
Now, however, as should be abundantly clear to all but the most willfully dull-hearted professed Christians, the Coronavirus pandemic is not just a national crisis, it is so globally as judgment from God! Quite as expected, 2 Chronicles 7:14 uncoupled from the preceding verse that gives rise to it has been trotted out again. If professed Christians would rightly interpret and apply the two verses together as they ought, then, there is an important spiritual application for us as individuals living in a time of divine judgment. For if the guilty as God’s people would truly “humble themselves, and pray and seek” His “face,” and “turn from their wicked ways, then...,” (2 Chronicles 7:13-14, NKJV).
But God will not hear petitions, forgive or heal the land we live in because the folk that are supposed to be His people in it will not repent from their wicked ways; denying that they have any ways that should invite His judgment! However, as I wrote earlier, so-called Bible teachers that for financial gain fixate those they teach only on what God wants to do for them materially now, are teaching falsehood which in God’s view is wicked and sin! They and academic religionists may also tolerate as equally valid corrupt personal interpretations of and opinions drawn from Scripture, but as the Lord showed with His rebuke of Israel’s religious elite and His apostles, the false preachers and teachers, God does not (Matthew 22:23-33; Mark 9:42-48; Galatians 1:6-10; 2 Peter 2:1-3)!
The false presumption one can teach whatever he or she pleases is among many wicked ways professed Christians have that are also idols they have set up in their hearts (Ezekiel 14:1-5). Other idols are success and the pursuit of it through realizing personal dreams and selfish ambitions, the attainment of wealth by covetousness and greed and health involving body and fitness obsession along with the purchase and consumption of related products. Also, there is materialism, racism, sexual immorality, worldly compromise and rebellion entailing the embrace of feminism for example, and its corollary, gender equality as the world defines it contrary to the divinely set order of mankind.7
All of the foregoing idols of the heart and more must be fully repented of by guilty professed Christians for true revival (Ezekiel 14:6-11), to give the nation a temporary reprieve from judgment and forestall that which is greater God holds back to the end more of our fellow citizens might be saved!8 Otherwise, as with ancient Israel our biblically prescribed example, God must judge the “persistent unfaithfulness” of those insisting they are His people (Ezekiel 14:12-13; 1 Corinthians 10:1-11, NKJV). For apart from repentance and true revival, they are flavorless salt that cannot be re-salted; worthless to God and “good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men” according to the Lord Jesus (2 Chronicles 36:15-21; Matthew 5:13b, NKJV).
Consistent with His longsuffering nature, God has given professed American Christians as false prophets, teachers, scoffers, religionists, rebels and de facto apostates plenty of remedial judgments and time to repent (Isaiah 1:1-9, 9:13-17; Jeremiah 5:1-9; Luke 13:1-9). But now, striking to the very pride-filled hearts of these stubborn men and women that do not fear Him, God is bringing unmistakable judgment from Him upon the land. ‘“Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job, were in’” the land, ‘“they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,’ says the Lord GOD,” (Ezekiel 14:14-20, NKJV). It is therefore, as the Lord has had me warn, only the repentant and Holy Spirit revived will emerge as His people after His judgment (Ezekiel 14:21-23)!9
5 The welcome exceptions have been the networks’ special programming to address the needs of people created by the Coronavirus and the nation’s freshly opened
racial wounds in the aftermath of the George Floyd murder back in May. Regarding the latter, seasoned, sound and articulate national Christian black leaders with
biblical solutions, but that do not espouse the popular prosperity messaging championed by most of the networks are rarely heard from which calls into question just
how serious they are about ministering healing into the crisis. Interestingly too, picking who will speak for and to blacks to their liking, Christian white media owners
continue employing yet another of the historic tools used to create and sustain systemic racism.
6 America is not a Christian nation just because all of its founders tipped their hats to God, sought to include Christian principles in their founding documents and rightly
asserted every citizen must have a moral heart to make it all work. As I wrote in a previous post, while this was all noble, real biblical Christianity is empowered by the
Holy Spirit, not the well intended attempts to live out its precepts and morality through the sinful flesh! Not for the sake of being a “Christian nation” or its high ideals,
but His born again faithful in the midst has God preserved and blessed America! Read the two-part post beginning September 11, 2016, American Culture’s Religion,
under the category, Call To Repent.
7 Siding with the world against God to reject His perpetually standing order of mankind that defines male and female roles for this present, mortal age is not just over the
top, but open, brazen in God’s face evidence of rebellion (Ezekiel 8)!
8 True, biblical revival only results from soul deep repentance from all breaks with God’s Word which is sin. This sharply contrasts with what professed American Chris-
tians usually serve up as revival. Read the August 14, 2014 repost, The Sham Cry For Revival, under the category, Call To Repent. Also, here is where the implica-
tions of viewing America as a secular or Christian nation get real. For if America is a secular nation as from the Word of God I contend, there is hope for a great har-
vest of souls in the aftermath of true revival and God’s judgment of His people though as part of all this, the unsaved realize disobedient Christians have been a major
cause of their pain and react (Jonah 1:1-16; 1 Peter 4:12-19). But if as many contend from their hearts America is a Christian nation, then, its current wicked condition
and refusal to repent is evidence of apostasy with no hope of a temporary recovery or reprieve (Hebrews 6:1-8, 10:26-31)!
9 Most assuredly these will be the aspiring strong men and great women of God He led me to write about in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. A print
copy or digital download of the book 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.
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