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The following blog is a formerly published Commentary that has had minor editing for accuracy and publication on this date. Additional post-Commentary edited comments from the Strong Man Of God Monthly Newsletter--the original source publication--are also provided with good purpose.
Originally Published September 2011
The prophecies of our Lord Jesus and His apostles that false Christs, prophets and teachers would proliferate near the time of His return are being fulfilled. One of the ways a number of leaders has sought to protect the Church from such men and women is to declare that "no one speaks for God." Some have even gone so far as to themselves corrupt Scripture teaching that prophecy and the prophetic ministry no longer exist. In the Spirit that enabled God's faithful prophets of the Bible’s Old and New Testaments who were all His strong men in the making par excellence, I stand to challenge the view held by these men and ratify my own gifts, calling and ministry.
It seems these men have done again what religionists in the guise of scholarship have been prone to do historically: "strain out a gnat and swallow a camel," (Matthew 23:24, NKJV)! Indeed, for another result of their ill-conceived edict is that no preacher is considered as having anything to say any other is duty bound to hear--no matter how sound. The spiritual pride in this attitude is evident (1 Peter 5:5). Regardless, the Bible teaches that not only apostles (missionaries), but all empowered by Him to witness Christ and preach the Gospel are ambassadors (representatives and spokespersons) of God (Acts 1:8; Romans 10:14-15; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20; Ephesians 6:18-20).
Now, the preachers are all supposed to be repeating the same message spoken by the original and unique group of first century eye witness apostles and recorded in the New Testament (1 Corinthians 15:1-11). When they do not, it is a clear sign the guilty have corrupted the message whether in ignorance or intentionally. Listening with the Bible open can test and prove the accuracy of the message proclaimed. The same standard can be used to test authoritative claims men make for themselves. For example, any man that rises up to declare he is Christ, we can know instantly is false because our Lord gave precise signs to look for when He has arrived (Matthew 24:23-31).
Prophecy is a bit harder to test at times because it does not spring word for word from a biblical text and we often have to wait to see if what was spoken comes to pass or not. Just because this spiritual gift has been the subject of much corruption from ancient times and is not always easily or conveniently testable, does not mean God has eliminated it. But scoffers at the supernatural and religionists robed in scholarly arrogance dismiss what their faithless, spiritually dead hearts do not understand and cannot control. Others have been lazy and disobey the commands of the Lord given to the apostle Paul I quoted in a Commentary entitled, Experience Arguments (republished as the May 17, 2015 blog, under the category, The Cause).
Again, he writes, "Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil," (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22, NKJV). To reject prophecy and the prophetic ministry as only a first century phenomenon for Christianity is to quench and despise an important gifting work of the Spirit. As well, it is to effectively blind, deafen and mute the Church in its contemporary context on earth (Isaiah 29:10; Ezekiel 3:17; Amos 3:7-8; Acts 11:27-30, 13:1-3, 21:10-14). Nowhere in Scripture does God announce the end of prophecy prior to the Second Coming of Christ; only after it for obvious reasons (Zechariah 13:2-6; 1 Corinthians 13:8-12).
Sinful men goaded by Satan have failed till this hour to silence God's voice to the Church and world through His gifted and called prophets (Joel 2:28-32a; Acts 2:1-21; Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, 28-30; 14:1-6, 24-26, 29-33; 37-40; Ephesians 4:7-16). Consistent with the mistreatment of God's prophets from Moses, many of church history such as Jan Hus (1370-1415) are not surprisingly among the martyrs made so by religious authorities.1 Contemporary religionists have also failed to properly love and receive the Lord's word through me among others (Ezekiel 33:1-9; Romans 12:9-10).
In over 30 years of formal prophetic and teaching ministry, some have been to me as David's brother who jealously resented his bold zeal for God (1 Samuel 17:23-29); others as the priest of Israel who would run off Amos, the prophet (Amos 7:10-13). My answer to the haters is that of Amos in which he essentially says he did not call himself (and I would add, neither did any authority of man), but God called him (Amos 7:14-15). Also, in Christ, I love and serve them in His cause whether they receive my ministry or not. Rather than saying in deceit, "no one speaks for God," test the prophets as the Lord commands.
First, understand there is no new prophecy about Christ--His Person, work or return (Luke 24:44-47; Hebrews 1:1-4; Revelation 1:1-3, 22:6-10, 18-19). Then ask three questions. Does what is foretold happen (Deuteronomy 18:21-22)? Is the prophet living a holy life (Matthew 7:15-20; 2 Peter 1:21)? Is the word given of whatever form consistent with God's Word and past works from Scripture (compare Jeremiah 27:1-8 and Acts 21:10-14)? If the answer to all three-test questions is yes, you do well to heed that prophet's word from the Lord; reject him that fails the test. The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
So, What’s The Big Deal?
The foregoing Commentary was soberly presented not only as I stated in its opening, but also after making my biblical case for the continuing ministry of prophets in His Church, to help interested Christians understand something of God’s beneficial purpose through us. Ignorance (willful and otherwise) where that is concerned has not only hindered my ministry, but that of untold numbers of other genuinely gifted and called servants of God that are labeled trouble makers in the churches.
Every true God called prophet from Moses until now loves Him and His people. Our hearts are zealous for the holiness, righteousness and faithfulness of God’s people. Even casually reading through the prophets in the Bible will show this is true. Hard and even harsh things are said by God through His mouthpieces to save the willing not condemn. In The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics, I am given the already written Word and a right now word of warning to pastors and churches about restoring men and their families because they are a very big deal to God (Malachi 4:4-6)! I pray for your sakes that you will receive the Lord’s word through me and take action accordingly.2
1 John Foxe, Foxe's Voices of the Martyrs (Alachua, FL: Bridge Logos, 2007), p. 83-85.
2 Follow my posts to the Strong Man Of God Resources Facebook Page beginning November 4, 2016 proclaiming how the Lord’s call to repentance and revival among professing Christians and churches impacts His will to restore men!
If the cities or names of the seven churches of Asia addressed by the Lord Jesus Christ have any importance at all as to why He chose them, surely, the church at Philadelphia does as a name. Most commentators translate Philadelphia from the Greek as “brotherly love;” a name given to the city by an ancient king to honor his brother. Consistent with this, the Lord’s message to the church there was to His faithful Christian brothers that included those of His Jewish heritage. This is clear to see in the message that would have excited a Jewish Christian more than any Gentile given its quote of Scripture with Jewish specific application, experiences and prophetic references.
The Lord opens His message: “These things says He who is holy, He who is true....” Though all Christians would (or at least should) perk up with a message from the Lord opening like that, the Jewish Christian with joy immediately understands Him to be authenticating Himself as the promised Holy One of God, His Anointed, Son and Himself true God (Psalm 16:8-11, 20:6-9, 89:19-37; Isaiah 7:10-14, 9:6-7, 10:20, 12:4-6; Luke 1:30-35, 2:8-11; John 1:1-9, 14-18, 17:1-3)! Further, to ensure His identifying credentials were not missed, He quotes from Scripture: “He who has ‘the key of David,’ He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens,” (Isaiah 22:22; Revelation 3:7, NKJV).
In quoting from Isaiah’s passage originally spoken about the man that controlled access to king Hezekiah, the Lord instantly affirms its prophetic application to and fulfillment in Himself as the One who exclusively controls access to God His Father (John 14:6). All Christians are supposed to understand why He is the only way to God, but only Jewish saints painfully appreciate how important this is when their own heritage is attempting to block access to God through their common historical and traditional means such as worship at the Temple (destroyed by this time) and the synagogue.5 As in all of the churches, the Lord knew the individual works of those at Philadelphia.
The Lord greatly encourages the individual saints and especially His Jewish kindred of this church by setting “an open door” before them He says, “no one can shut” in applying His quote from Isaiah 22:22. He is doing this He says because they “have a little strength, have kept My Word, and have not denied My name,” (Revelation 3:8, NKJV). As I wrote earlier, historically, the wide river of the Jewish “remnant according to the election of grace” the apostle Paul wrote of (Romans 11:1-5, NKJV) narrowed to a tiny brook with very little influence in Christianity after the 1st century as the Lord here acknowledges and appears to prophetically forecast as their foreseeable future.
The historically oldest of Christians, though tiny, faithful Jewish saints were and would be dogged in displaying spiritual strength, keeping the Lord’s Word and not denying Him through the unimaginable pressure of persecution from family, community and the Gentile nations into which they were scattered with their unbelieving fellow Jews. In what should stagger no one, the Lord lets the Jews that believe in Him know, He sees and is watching them! As a result, His encouragement turns to rewards for faithfulness: future vindication and reversal in the form of former persecutors being forced in the manor of Haman of old to worship His faithful saints (Esther 3, 5:9-6:14; Revelation 3:9).
But His rewards do not end there. The Lord says “Because you have kept (past tense) My command to persevere, I also will keep (future tense) you from the hour of trial (testing) which shall come upon the whole world, to test those (all others) who dwell on the earth,” (Revelation 3:10, NKJV).6 I concur with all that interpret the “hour of trial” the Lord speaks of here as one and the same as “the great tribulation,” (Matthew 24:15-21, NKJV). This being so, His promise of protection cannot be “the rapture” as is taught since Christians are foretold to go through and many suffer martyrdom during it (Revelation 7:9-14).7 In context and consistency with who He is addressing, the Lord’s promise of protection is intended for Jewish Christians primarily living back in Judea at that time!8
Though the Lord’s promise of protection during the hour of trial speaks to the proven Jewish faithful believers in Israel at the time it occurs, this does not preclude Him in sovereignty extending it to select other faithful followers likewise proven throughout the earth. Together they will form the small number who are “alive and remain” at Christ’s Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, NKJV). For this reason, the Lord warns He is “coming quickly” and exhorts the faithful to tightly grasp what they have in strength, obedience to His Word and loyalty to Him, so, “no one may take your crown;” unmistakably asserting that even with protection, there will still be persecution pressures (Revelation 3:11, 16:15, NKJV).9 The Lord’s rewards are still not done for those that overcome.
With yet more Jewish significant implications is the Lord’s promise to make him that overcomes “a pillar in the temple” of His God adding, “and he shall go out no more.” Also, He declares, “I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem...And I will write on him My new name,” (Psalm 48:1-3, 137:4-6; Isaiah 66:5-11; Revelation 3:12, 21:1-22, NKJV). Contrary to the lying deceit of these latter days, keeping His Word as it is written remains a critical part of the faithfulness Christ rewards! Those who are not doing so, put themselves in grave peril since disobedience is nowhere rewarded in the Bible (Revelation 3:13). The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
5 Jewish persecution had led to those that were Christians being barred from entering or cast out of the Temple in the 1st century and it will be so again briefly when it is
rebuilt (Acts 21:15-30; Revelation 11:1-2).
6 The Lord led me to proclaim a timely six message series, The Hour Of Testing, now available in the Strong Man Store that instructs Christians on God’s biblically
taught purposes behind why He tests His people and fully explores the prophetic implications tied to the coming hour of trial our Lord speaks of in this post. Listen
to the series sample.
7 Faithful to the death as those at Smyrna, having overcome they will not be touched again by death; raised as they will be to eternal life and glory by Christ at the first
resurrection (John 5:28-29; Revelation 2:11, 14:12-13, 20:4-6, 11-15)!
8 What an amazing affirming prophetic disclosure by the Lord to Jewish Christians and all the church at Philadelphia, His faithful! Dispersed to the nations, as the Old
Testament prophets and He foretold, the Jews would one day return to their land and among them would be those that are followers of Him as Messiah (Matthew 24:
15-16; Mark 13:16). This prophecy of a return to the land became reality in 1948 when Israel once again became a nation with Jews from all over the world streaming
home since. Here again is the immutability of God on display to the world before our eyes (Malachi 3:6)! During this period of the return, growth in the number of
Jewish followers of Christ--many calling themselves Messianic--in Israel (still with hostility and persecution) and around the world has exploded though, their numbers
are still relatively small compared to the larger number of all Jews and their professed Gentile Christian brethren (Psalm 118:23-24)! Thank you, my brethren, for
your millennia long perseverance under trial in obedience to your Messiah--longer than any other ethnic group and an example to all in His Body! We who love you
rejoice in His righteousness of rewarding you in every way He will! Stay faithful through all that is yet to shortly come. To learn more about them, type “Messianic
Jews” into your favorite search engine.
9 Those who doubt the Lord can protect and preserve His people during times of persecution as well as His own acts of judgment should again acquaint themselves
with His Word as it is written (Exodus 8:20-24, 10:21-23, 12:21-23; Psalm 5:11-12; Joel 3:16; Matthew 2:7-15; Acts 12:1-11 as samples)!
With the awesome help of the Holy Spirit, I have presented a strong (if brief in this limited blog format) case for the value of men to humanity, God in salvation and His Kingdom cause in the Gospel as well as families. As a close to this special blog series on the value of men, I greatly rejoice to declare the selected words and actions of Jesus, Son of Man and Christ about His “brethren” from the Bible. Only here will I mention in a non-apologetic, matter of fact way for those offended because of attempting to see spiritual reality through rebel feminist constructed, egalitarian eyes, that Christ’s regard for men in no way diminishes females since His eternal good end includes them too!
Truly we are taught that spiritual reality and wisdom--to include what God has done, is doing and will yet do in the future--is only understood by those with the “mind of Christ” revealed to us by the Holy Spirit (John14:15-17; 1 Corinthians 2:6-16, NKJV). In revealing the mind of Christ to us, the Holy Spirit fully draws from the Old Testament along with New Testament eyewitness accounts and instruction of the Bible He inspired (John 16:5-15; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:16-21)! As well, the Lord Himself comes near to reveal His mind, teach and direct us as promised (John 14:18-21; Acts 9:10-16, 10:1-16). O, the amazingly incredible, unsearchable and limitless ways of God!
Thus, the mind of Christ toward men is first abundantly seen in the Old Testament when for example, a thousand years before He appears on the earth in mortal form, He speaks through His Jewish royal forefather, David, and declares triumphantly at the end of His suffering and death on the cross: “I will declare Your name to My brethren,” (Psalm 22:1-22a, NKJV). Now, while the Psalm goes on to include expanding groups impacted by His Father’s deliverance (Psalm 22:22b-31), the risen Christ speaks of “My brethren” before all even as He does to the first persons to see Him--women--as He instructs them: “Go and tell My brethren…,” (Matthew 28:9-10; John 20:17, NKJV).
Jesus, Son of Man and Christ seeks out His earthly, Jewish brethren first as God’s fellow elect leaders, apostles and soldiers in the dangerous Kingdom warfare and cause for which He had just suffered and would now send them (John 20:19-23)! They would begin as He did with Jewish men as the first audience and heads of households charged by God to lead and teach them. For Jesus, Son of Man is the Anointed Savior-King of the Jews first, then us Gentiles (Isaiah 49:5-7; Acts 1:6-8, 2:36-39; Romans 1:16). With few exceptions conditioned by evangelistic opportunities, the pattern to reach men first and their households would persist among the Gentiles (Acts 10:17-48, 16:11-34).
The writer of Hebrews gets in on this and writes of the ultimate, eternal end of the Lord’s sufferings as “bringing many sons to glory,” (Hebrews 2:5-10, NKJV). He then speaks of how Christ who has done the work and those that are set apart to God as a result “are all of one;” the reason “He is not ashamed to call them brethren,” (Hebrews 2:11, NKJV). After this, the writer cites Psalm 22:22 and further celebrates this astounding truth by quoting from Isaiah 8:17-18 written 700 years before the Lord’s mortal sojourn; putting Him in the midst of His “brethren” voicing obvious delight in God’s redemptive purposes that brought them forth beginning with those of Israel (Hebrews 2:12-13, NKJV).
Indeed, the restoration cause of Christ in the Gospel goes well beyond saving mankind from sin in this present age as all important as this is as a first step. For Him as God and one of us, it is also about what follows salvation; the divine end game and exceedingly great spiritual reality He prayed for on the way to the cross. The opening up of the God Family to include adopted sons of God the Father and brethren for Christ from among Jews and Gentiles who share in His inheritance of life now through the Holy Spirit by faith (John 17:20-26; Romans 8:12-17; Ephesians 1:1-14, 2:11-22, 3:14-15); the fullness of His inheritance that includes resurrection for most, metamorphosis and immortal glory for all the redeemed at His Second Coming (1 Corinthians 15:20-23, 35-57)!
We know that the present age assembly of His mortal brethren in the generic sense includes women. However, in the future, brethren after the metamorphosis that conforms the bodies of all to Christ’s own immortal body will be used without any qualification (Philippians 3:20-21; 1 John 3:2).1 At last, the value of man to God as eternal sons and rulers in the divine image and likeness as declared at his creation is fulfilled (Genesis 1:26; Revelation 21:7, 22:5c). With His Father, therefore, the value of men to Christ is their redemption as sons, disciples and servants vigorously now engaged with Him in the perilous and risk filled Kingdom cause in the Gospel to restore others; bringing them as brethren with their households into the God Family and an eternal destiny!2
1 Read the July 10-31, 2016 blog posts under the category, God’s Creatures, where the Lord leads me to write about our coming bodily resurrection or living translation to
immortal bodies.
2 As an excellent supplement to this, the other three posts that preceded it and yes, those still to come dealing with men, I urge the reader to purchase my newly released audio series, “I AM A MAN” available exclusively in the Strong Man Store. All proceeds go to help fund the work of Strong Man Ministries and our passionate cause to restore men!
A final audience of the From Slavery To Victory: One Man’s Journey (FSTVOMJ) Radio Special is all other Americans professed to be Christians not of African or European descent.1 What God calls out as sin to be repented of by His professed people among black and white Americans, He also calls out among all for He “shows no partiality,” (Deuteronomy 10:17; Romans 2:1-11, NKJV). Thus, FSTVOMJ speaks to all professed American Christians as each has need to humble ourselves, seek God in sincere prayer fully confessing and repenting of sin! Perhaps if many do, as Scripture and FSTVOMJ assert, God may relent and give temporary relief from judgment (Joel 2:12-14).
If any of us professed Christians say “we have no sin” requiring repentance and that certainly should not be a factor in God judging our nation, the apostle John is used of Him to declare “we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us,” (1 John 1:8, NKJV).2 Such a one not only shows he has no ongoing fellowship with God who as absolutely holy is totally set apart from sin, but no regard for how serious it is to Him; condemning Adam for only one act of disobedience and decrying several of sin’s deeds with the strongest possible human word of revulsion saying He “hates” them (Genesis 3:17-19; Proverbs 6:16-19, NKJV). Such a one also calls the living God “a liar,” (1 John 1:10, NKJV).
The same eyewitness apostle to the sufferings of the Lord Jesus speaks to believers making it abundantly clear our fellowship with God can and will be severed at least temporarily when we walk purposely in the darkness of sin. If we say to the contrary, again, “we lie.” Otherwise, walking “in the light” (signifying holiness, spiritual, moral and ethical purity) of His Person made possible by the blood of Christ, we enjoy continuous fellowship with God (1 John 1:1-7, NKJV). When we sin and we do, John instructs, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” because of Christ’s atoning sacrifice (1 John 1:9, 2:1-2, NKJV).
John does not leave out repentance in his instruction as though it is not required with the act of confessing sins. He assumes his convicted readers know it has been required from ancient times among those that know God and as when they first came to Christ (Job 42:1-6; Acts 2:36-39)! Now, those who participated in the latest event at the Non-Denominational Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky purported to be a “revival” saw many students, staff and others who came to the campus appear to get real with God about their personal sins and that’s good; an exemplary step in the right direction for all since among the large number of whites, there was also a sprinkling of other hues.3
As it is written, the God of the Bible “is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit;” testifying, ‘“I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones,’” (Psalm 34:18; Isaiah 57:15, NKJV). Only God knows who walked away from Asbury fully revived by Him.4 Indeed, unless any did meet God there or going forward do so in complete humility, grief over, confession of and repentance not only from all of their own sins, but those of the fathers and entire Body the Lord also grieves over, no spiritual revival everyone claims to want took or will take place.
The Lord has led me in several posts during this New Year and many over the years to well express His displeasure with the proud refusal of guilty professed Christians to repent from every sin written in His Word.5 From the nation’s founding by professed Christians in the majority until now, there has been unbelief, divisions, racial and ethnic bigotry, oppression, violence, murders, idolatry, sexual immorality, adultery, divorce, shacking, rebellion against God’s set order of mankind, thefts, falsehoods, coveting and greed to name some. He expects the world governed by Satan to rebel against His Word, but not those called out of it to Him (John 17:6, 14-16)! And yes, scores practicing these sins have been religionist impostors and apostates (Matthew 7:21-23; 1 Timothy 4:1-5).
Give Him some credit; ‘“the Lord knows those who are His’” and they do not practice ‘“iniquity,’” (2 Timothy 2:19-21, NKJV).6 However, when they do, He is grieved and seeks for their repentance even through judgment--no exceptions! Therefore, judgment in part has come upon the great numbers of professed Christians in America who faddishly follow after the sins of the unsaved and nation as a whole many revere to the point of idolatry because such sinning is completely willful.7 In doing so, the guilty purposely trample upon “the truth” of salvation and “the Son of God,” consider His blood initiating the New Covenant as something “common” and insult “the Spirit of grace.” As it is written, ‘“The Lord will judge His people,’” (Hebrews 10:26-31, NKJV). Let His people then, repent!
1 The radio special Webcast begin date and time will soon be announced in select media and on social media. Interested contributors can make designated gifts for the Webcast at https://fromslaverytovictory.org/Donate and receive one of the limited collectible Commemorative Cassettes.
2 It is one sad thing to lie to one’s self about not having sin, it is a whole other wicked thing to judge God gracious and merciful on His punishment of it in a nation of sinners (2 Chronicles 12:1-12; Psalm 103:8-10; Romans 3:10-20, 23)!
3 I rejoice that professed Christian college age and younger students of various ethnicities were together turning to the Lord with a more sincere and deeper devotion which I pray will endure since it is their generation that faces so much of the evil that is coming! Read the October 23, 2016 post, Revival For Seeking Saints, under the category, Bible Prophecy.
4 See the article, The Aftershocks Of The Ashbury Revival, Inside Higher Ed for what surprisingly appears to be a good faith secular effort to understand what was happening as the author cites several Christian sources.
5 See for examples, The Sham Cry For Revival posted August 17, 2014 and on September 26, 2021, I Have Sinned, I Repent, both under the category, Call To Repent.
6 In only the short time I have been on earth (less than seventy years) I can say with certainty it used to be widely understood authentic Christians do not practice iniquity. This is the main reason my book, The Strong Man Of God has added to it, Back To Basics because in so short a time the basics of biblical Christianity have been abandoned. Get the book in the Strong Man Store, among internet booksellers and brick and mortar bookstores.
7 It is worth repeating. The professed Christian men in the majority who founded America cautioned that apart from holding to the morality and authority of God’s Word, the experiment with nationhood in which they sowed the first seed of failure by not extending God’s gift of freedom to all, would fail as it is now, doing with its divided corrupt sec- ular and spiritual houses. In this regard, the founders unknowingly spoke prophetically from God as did the first century Jewish religious leader who warned fellow rulers the way to halt the popularity of Christ was to kill Him not realizing His death was in God’s will (John 11:45-53). All that they feared because of Him came upon them anyway (Luke 19:41-44, 21:20-24)!
Since the fall of Adam, God has ordained as a general rule that men relate to Him exclusively by faith--that is, trust and confidence in as well as reliance upon Him! Adam failed to do this in spite of actually being able to look upon the indescribable glory of God his Creator’s face and experience the awesome wonder of the divine attributes for he willingly disobeyed Him (Genesis 2:7-8, 16-17, 3:1-11). Adam’s unbelief brought upon him and his progeny to come God’s promised consequence of death and then some (Genesis 3:17-19, 22-24; Romans 5:12).1 Now too, while men He has selected may see His glory, He declares ‘“no man shall see Me, and live,’” (Exodus 33:17-23, NKJV).
Those mortal men then that arrogantly insist that they will believe in God when they see Him with their sin-filled eyes are doomed since they never will and would die if they did! For how can sinful men look upon the purity of absolute holiness (Isaiah 6:1-7)? No, it is yet another manifest display of God’s grace that He has required that men relate to Him by faith. As it is written, ‘“Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith,’” (Habakkuk 2:4, NKJV). And again, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him,” (Hebrews 11:6, NKJV).2
The truth of the foregoing is why no one can be saved from the wrath of God--another consequence of unbelief in Him, apart from faith in the Gospel of His Son, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for our sins, was buried and rose again on the third day (John 3:16-21, 36; Romans 1:16-17; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4). As He did with the first man, Adam, God gives all the free will to choose to believe His Word this time in the Gospel. Obviously, you must first believe God exists which He also allows the choice to do or not. However, in the face of the vast evidence of His very real existence, it is written twice, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God,’” (Psalms 14:1a, 53:1a, NKJV).
Not believing in God does not relegate Him to non-existence! The evidence for the existence of the living God and Creator is all around us generally in His creation starting with “the heavens” and by special revelation through His written Word (Psalm 19:1-11, NKJV). So overwhelming is the evidence for God’s existence, His “wrath” when it comes will fall upon willfully unbelieving men who have actively suppressed the truth even as it is manifested “in them” and who “are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God,” (Romans 1:18-21, NKJV). They will be “judged” and spend eternity separated from God in “the lake of fire,” (Revelation 20:11-15, NKJV). Truly also, those without an excuse include Christians who fall away in unbelief!3
If as it is written, “the just shall live by his faith,” how is it many that profess to be Christians in these latter days are convinced their unbelief is of no consequence to them now or eternally? Scripture is clear such ones have been deceived either by themselves or others. For endurance to the end by faith is taught throughout the New Testament (Matthew 24:13; Colossians 1:21-23; Hebrews 3:5-19, 6:4-8, 10:26-39; 2 Peter 2:20-22; 1 John 2:28-29; Revelation 2:25-29).4 Indeed, professed Christians who live as though there is no God are in for a rude awakening since He will not be “mocked,” (Galatians 6:7-8, NKJV). Conversely for the faithful who have endured by faith, they as “the pure in heart” are “blessed” since “they shall see God” in eternal peace (Matthew 5:8, NKJV).
1 Death has been the undeniable reality of the human experience for millennia. What many do not consider is that before Christ, everyone that died went to Hades to await the judgment. After His death, burial, visit to Hades preaching His victory, resurrection and ascension to glory with the saints He liberated (Ephesians 4:7-10; 1 Peter 3: 18-22), only those refusing to believe in Him for salvation die and go to Hades. This is the staggering reality occurring every day on earth previewed in the fourth seal Christ removes opening a scroll of prophecy for His apostle John to see (Revelation 6:7-8)!
2 The impossibility of pleasing God without faith is what makes The Epidemic Of Unbelief In God the Lord led me to write about September 25, 2022, under the category, En- couragement, so wickedly devastating for the guilty who yet again as Eve at the beginning, fall prey to the deceiving work and destructive end goal of Satan (Genesis 3:13)!
3 Read the February 2, 2014 post, The Falling Away, under the category, Bible Prophecy.
4 In my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics, I write about the spiritual strength to endure God supplies His aspiring strong men and great women in the image of Jesus Christ who by faith “endured the cross,” (Hebrews 12:1-2, NKJV)! Get the book along with the companion Strong Man Of God Men’s Group Study and Great Wo- man Of God Women’s Group Study in the Strong Man Store, at your favorite internet bookseller or brick and mortar bookstore.
Rather than looking down the nose at and treating God’s will for them to be wives and mothers with contempt as do many of their feminist antagonists, faithful Christian females as aspiring great women of God in the image of Jesus Christ joyfully submit! In doing so, they receive benefits and rewards from God both in this mortal life and His promised eternal destiny.1 Indeed, without apology God in His Word from Genesis to Revelation summons whoever is willing from a life of self-determination and fulfillment to one of self-denial and His purposes (not always disclosed) among males and females (Genesis 2:15-17, 5:21-24, 18:9-15; Matthew 9:9; 16:24-27; Revelation 14:9-13)!
As it is written, “...whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved,” (Acts 2:21, NKJV). Of the magnitude benefits of answering yes to God’s gracious call to salvation through faith in Christ to all on this mortal side of life is access to and fellowship with Him through the agency of the Holy Spirit (Romans 3:19-26, 5:1-11; Ephesians 2:11-18; 1 John 1:1-4). In His company, with continuing confession and repentance God’s saints enjoy forgiveness of sin (1 John 1:5-2:2). We also have help in needs, troubles, afflictions and persecutions along with power to live out the transcendent eternal principles, morals and ethics of His Kingdom in His Word (Romans 8:26-39; Colossians 1:3-14).
To both male and female Christians it is equally written: “For you are all sons of God through faith” and “all one in Christ Jesus,” (Galatians 3:26-29, NKJV). Rather than being offended that Paul speaks to mortal females in the natural flesh as he does the males calling us in the masculine “sons,” all should understand the apostle’s grasp of God’s mystery in Christ such that he speaks by faith in the physical now, of God’s eternal spiritual reality (1 Corinthians 2:6-16; Ephesians 1:3-10, 3:1-13; Colossians 1:24-29). This he does as he also commended Abraham, the man of faith and glorifies “God, who...calls those things which do not exist as though they did,” (Romans 4:13-25, NKJV)!
Therefore, accepting their teaching as if from Christ as we are supposed to (1 Thessalonians 2:13), by faith we understand Paul’s repeated reference and that of other New Testament writers to believers as “sons” is not some male translation preference or chauvinist error (how little one thinks of God to believe He would authorize this). However, they all speak the heart, mind and actions of God the Father toward redeemed man the eternal creature, who in first mortal form is physically male and female for the express purpose of procreation, but has a glorious immortal spiritual destiny God has had planned since before creation (Genesis 1:26-28, 2:7; Romans 8:14-17; Hebrews 2:5-18)!
The glorious destiny of every truly born again Christian male and female as eternal sons of God includes resurrection from the dead and if alive at His return, a transformation too, of the body from mortal physical to immortal spiritual in conformity to Christ’s own “glorious body,” (1 Corinthians 15:35-57; Philippians 3:20-21; 1 John 3:1-3, NKJV).2 The transformation from mortal flesh and blood to immortal spiritual body is the manifest signal of new existence in the eternal spiritual realm and God’s eventual “new heaven and” “new earth” where there is no more marriage, procreation, “sorrow,” “crying” or “pain” for His eternal sons (Matthew 22:23-33; Revelation 21:1-8, NKJV).3
1 As He leads, I first write about the design, submission as a character trait and destiny of the aspiring great woman of God in the image of Christ in two important chapters
of my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. I am blessed of Him to further elaborate on her in The Great Woman Of God Women’s Group Study released this
past October 2020. The book and group study are available for purchase in the Strong Man Store or by order through your favorite book seller.
2 The Lord has led me to write about the eternal sons of God and coming metamorphosis of our bodies in The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics and several blog posts.
Read for example, the June 19, 2016 repost, Eternal Sons Of God, under the category, Instruction. Several posts follow through August 14, 2016 that address metamor-
phosis from mortal to immortal bodies God in His mighty power carries out!
3 For a now, mortal Christian female this means among other things in the new, immortal spiritual body, no possibility of pregnancy, its grief or the pain of childbirth ever
again as an experience, thought or even recollection!
Having considered the question from a personal male perspective in last week’s post,1 the Lord now, leads me to pose His question to professed Christian females that are influenced by and/or ardently hold to feminist ideology. Though many professed Christian females and cooperating males over the last half century have sought to corruptly baptize this ideology into the Bible, feminism manifestly originated from outside of it.2 At its core, feminism rebels against God; His will, way and Word as it is written in the Bible! What especially chafes die-hard feminists is patriarchy that originates with God as Father and has been practiced by most human cultures from ancient times.
Despite the willfully ignorant, corrupt and self-destructive efforts by some Bible translators and teachers to remake God over into a non-offensive Being that is gender neutral to appease feminists, from Genesis to Revelation God is revealed to be masculine in nature as Father, Son and Holy Spirit; three distinct Persons, One God (Matthew 28:19)! Except for the Son who later added a human male body to His eternally pre-existing spirit form (John 1:1-2, 14-18), God has always been masculine in nature apart from created male physiology. Truly, man derives his inner masculine make up from God who created him in the divine image and likeness (Genesis 1:26, 2:7; Zechariah 12:1)!3
Their spirits distinct from yet, intertwined with their bodies in the marvel of divine creation, human male and female bodies are designed as they are to fulfill the purposes of God on this earth made for them (Genesis 1:27-28; Psalms 8, 115:16). And having chosen males to lead beginning with the first man and his family (Genesis 2:15-25), God speaks to males as the first audience of His Word throughout the rest of the Bible unless speaking to a female. This is not because males are superior, but responsible and accountable to God for their leadership. Even so, when God speaks His Word to males of first accountability, it is also for females as Eve showed she understood (Genesis 3:1-3).
This reality of male responsibility and accountability first to God as His chosen leaders is also plainly seen in the fact sin is not charged or its pre-announced consequence asserted until God judges Adam though, Eve the female was the first and original human sinner (Genesis 3:4-6, 17-19, 22-24; Romans 5:12-14; 1 Timothy 2:13-14). God honors His set order of mankind and male election to lead as family initiators (only men through their seed can initiate, beget--father if you will, children) and patriarchs from creation to the end of this mortal age! The Bible affirmation of this truth is overwhelming from Adam (Genesis 5:1-5, 17:1-14; Exodus 3:13-17; John 8:51-59; Acts 3:11-26).
God is not unaware of the historical treachery of sinful males toward females in a fallen world caused by sin (Malachi 2:13-16; Matthew 19:1-12). However, rather than change His perfect order of mankind set like the order of the present cosmos (Genesis 1:14-19)4 as feminists have sought to do, God the Father made a way to transform the hearts of fallen males and females through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ (Isaiah 53; Romans 3:10-26; Titus 2:11-14, 3:3-8)! If any male or female will repent and believe this Good News--that Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again on the third day, God will forgive and give them new birth by the Holy Spirit (John 3:1-8).
Professed Christian females are supposed to know the foregoing and that rebellion against God can never bear the fruit of righteousness (1 Samuel 15:22-23; Isaiah 1:18-20; Hebrews 3:7-19). Still, many have joined the rebellion against God and His set order of mankind anyway led out half a century ago by a Jewish woman, Betty Friedan, who also defied what she knew;5 reared as she was with other famous Jewish feminists such as just deceased Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, in the biblical instruction of Judaism. This is tragic since on this Yom Kippur as all others, Jews are confronted about God’s view of sin and need for atonement (Leviticus 16:29-34)! Having suffered dispersions and so much for rebellion, this one in part led by women will not end well either.
Indeed, the majority of Jews historically until now, have rejected the once and for all atonement of Christ (Romans 9:1-5; Hebrews 9). As a result, they experience the divinely imposed spiritual blindness that gives rise to acts of rebellion and is leading to the final foretold severe judgment which unless God preserved a remnant, none would survive (Psalm 69:22-28; Isaiah 1:9, 10:20-23, 29:9-12, 65:2-12; Jeremiah 30:1-9; Romans 10:21-11)! Professed Christian females supposedly knowing the veracity of the prophetic Scriptures too, should therefore, fear since Christ’s question to you in your rebellion remains: “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul,” (Mark 8:36, NKJV)? Are the realized ungodly aims of worldly feminism really worth your soul?
To you too, O Christian female, Christ declares: “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes...,” (Mark 8:38, NKJV). Will you really reject God’s unchanging Word in apostasy to hold to the latter day deceitful doctrine of demons extant in feminism who are the original rebels and not afraid to lie on or accuse Him of evil (Genesis 3:4-5; John 8:44; 1 Timothy 4:1-2)? As with the men, I urge you sisters that are guilty to repent before it is too late! Return to God’s Word as it is written and objectively understood knowing it means what it says. Your design, position in God’s order, roles and responsibilities are noble, satisfying and sufficient in Christ if you are willing to submit to Him!6
1 Read the September 20, 2020 post, What Will It Profit A Man?, under the category, The Cause.
2 See the May 6, 2018 post, The Value Of Women To Families, under the category, God’s Creatures.
3 See the June 19, 2016 post, Eternal Sons Of God, under the category, Instruction.
4 Aside from shortening days “for the elect’s sake,” for this obvious rejection and suppression of the truth about God as Creator and testimony of His orderly creation,
among the soon coming severe warning judgments will be earth-wide seen disorder in the luminaries impacting time (Matthew 24:21-22; Revelation 8:12-13, NKJV)!
I write about this and the ensuing chaos that righteously reflects the disorder of human rebellion against God’s set order of mankind in the July 27, 2014 post, God Of
Order, under the category, Instruction.
5 The Value Of Women To Families. What began as a liberation quest from the historic roles and responsibilities of females Friedan is credited with launching has now,
mushroomed into a full on revolution for independent female standing, authority and dominion that not only challenges God’s set order of mankind and patriarchy, but
obliterates them!
6 The cause of this Ministry is to restore men as a first priority, then, their families. This means their wives and children are next in priority. To this end, the Lord has led
me to write blogs addressing women. Type “women” in the blog search engine to pull up the many posts. Also, in the context of helping men teach their wives and
daughters about God’s design of and assignment for them, the Lord led me to introduce the great woman of God in two chapters of my book, The Strong Man Of God:
Back To Basics. Now, I am pleased to announce that on October 8, 2020, The Great Woman Of God Women’s Group Study drawing from and expanding on the con-
tent of those book chapters will be released and available as the book and the first of our Group Study print resources, The Strong Man Of God Men’s Group Study in
the Strong Man Store as well as at all major booksellers. Learn more about the Women’s Group Study.
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