The Scourge Of Racism
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Never could I have imagined that of the chief reasons virile men are relatively few among professing Christians and absent from churches are the purposeful acts of many male pastors to oppress and marginalize those they are not exploiting for personal ambitions unless I had witnessed it for myself. If the temporary door of opportunity for the Gospel God is opening in the Donald Trump era will be bountiful to His satisfaction, men restored in accord with His Word and the image of Jesus Christ must be well represented in the fishing net of the churches. Otherwise, because of the times, the folly of continued rebellion against God will become painfully evident.
As I wrote in the October 2, 2016 blog, Gifted With A Prophet’s Heart under the category, Call To Repent, if it had not been for the timely and purposeful acts of the Holy Spirit to preserve me in my spiritual infancy, I could have easily been discouraged enough by my experiences in the churches as many men have been to give up. Not only was I not intentionally mentored in the faith by a pastor or other leader, but biblical manhood either. During the early nineties and the rise of Promise Keepers, in only one predominantly black American, Fort Worth, TX church I knew of was there even an attempt to instruct on what my then pastor, Howard Caver, titled, God’s Master Plan For The Family.
I remain grateful to Pastor Caver for teaching on male and female roles and responsibilities in the home from a biblical perspective, though with many others, he too refused to fully implement God’s order in the church as taught by Paul, the apostle to us Gentiles (Acts 26:12-18). Even Promise Keepers following the packed stadium glory days and fierce, resentful feminist push back toned down its initial fiery call for men to be restored to their biblical roles and responsibilities so women filling the churches in the majority would not be offended. In full deference to the women that buy their products in the main, Christian retailers and media have largely followed suit.1
Now, what was a burgeoning problem of missing men a decade before the close of the 20th has become severe as David Murrow documents in his 2005 book, Why Men Hate Going To Church and unnecessarily complicated in this 21st century! As I write about in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics drawing upon Murrow’s research among others, the matter is complicated by the confusion the secular culture and pandering pastors and churches following after it have created in attempting to craft male, female and family models that are politically rather than biblically correct.2 Social chaos over gender identity and roles, for example, now reaches right into the public bathroom.
While the content, methods and ministries to “disciple” men has exploded, if it will be done biblically, inevitably their roles and responsibilities in God’s house come up. In my book, I have maintained that only teaching a man he is the head of his family in his house is a sinful coming up short of biblical follow through instruction that he is actually so in God’s house and beyond too!3 But the trend set in motion by compromising male pastors early in the 20th century and later energized by the feminist movement to elevate women to positions of unbiblical authority, has exploded today into a full blown rebellion against the divinely set order of mankind.
We may never know all of the reasons pastors began to compromise and corrupt the plain directives of God in His Word. In the final chapter of my book calling the guilty to repentance, though, I am led by the Lord to charge of prime importance that they were not listening to Him, but sin, self and Satan especially through the culture as is so very apparent at this hour. Tied to and driven by this reason are many others. Foremost obviously, some have believed themselves more compassionate toward women than God who could not have intended to treat them so unfairly in His order of mankind. Such men are like earth’s first human king who listened to his wife rather than God accused by Satan of being unfair (Genesis 1:26-28, 2:7, 16-25, 3:1-6, 17a).
However, can the creature ever be superior to God his Creator in any measure? Even the Lord Jesus--God the eternal Word and Son in sinless flesh--declared: “My Father is greater than I,” (John 14:28c, NKJV). Some have yielded to the desires of the sinful flesh as did the compromising kings of Judah and Israel, Solomon and Ahab (1 Kings 11:1-8; 16:29-33). And like Jeroboam, others forgot who installed them to rule and from motives of the flesh the culture approves of, have sought to govern as they please (1 Kings 12:25-33). Some like king Asa, act out of fear instead of faith in God’s proven provision. Then they end up as he even did persecuting God’s prophets and oppressing the people they are to serve in bitterness toward God after rebuke (2 Chronicles 16:1-10).
Some are like Aaron who gave heed to the people at Sinai because God had kept them waiting for Moses to return (Exodus 20:1-6, 32:1-6) Similarly, like the Pharisees in manmade religion some believe themselves lofty enough to replace God’s commandments with their own (Matthew 15:1-9). Finally, in the flesh and pride as lords rather than servants, some have not consulted the Lord for His counsel as Scripture teaches pursuing selfish ambitions and compromising God’s order of mankind for the sake of expediency (Proverbs 3:5-8, 8:12-36, 14:12; Mark 10:35-45; 1 Peter 5:1-4). The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, “Who is on the Lord's side?”
1 Read my blogs from June 29-July 27, 2014 for more elaboration on what has happened in professing Christianity and the churches on male and female roles and God’s order of His house.
2 Read the July 20, 2014 blog in particular, Confused Men, Compromised Sons, under the category, Call To Repent.
3 Read the September 14-21, 2014 blog, Partial Obedience, Pt. 1&2, under the category Call To Repent.
Is it just me or does anyone else also see the glaring inconsistency of teaching me I am the head of my house by God’s design and purposeful will, but when I come to His house, the God who made me the head changes everything? Like a bizarre, mind bending movie where things are familiar, but out of place and nothing is as it should be, so, the growing number of churches today with women as pastors, worship leaders and authority figures over adult men in what is supposed to be the God of the Bible’s “household,” “family” and “house;” His Father the Lord Jesus taught us in Him to also address as “Father,” (Matthew 6:9; Ephesians 2:19-22, 3:14-15; Hebrews 3:1-6, NKJV)!
There has been a change made in the churches led by pastors that are responsible true enough, but the ever consistent and immutable God has not authorized it as He leads me to make absolutely clear in a very important second Appendix of my book. This change to allow women to speak into the whole church assembly and be deployed into positions of authority over men is exclusively the action of sinful flesh in defiance of Scripture! It has come about from the same demonically deceitful instruction that has also allowed those that pervert God’s sexual design to pastor, lead worship and ministries in what is supposed to be God’s house.
After millennia, to now--at the end of this age--fully set aside men and God’s order of mankind in His house is wickedly brazen; showing no fear of God whatsoever in sinning with such a high hand. You surpass even the people and leaders of ancient Israel who also corrupted themselves in spiritual harlotry, disrespected God’s house, profaned His great name and caused His enemies to blaspheme (Ezekiel 16:23-30; Malachi 1:6-2:16; Romans 2:24; James 4:17). For those who question by what authority I have stood to say such things in crying out against this ongoing rebellion in God’s house, I will ask you an even more important and eternally troubling question.
By what authority have you stood to usurp Jesus Christ, God’s appointed Head of the Church, to dishonor men and change the divine order of mankind in His house as antichrists (Daniel 7:25; Matthew 28:18; Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:15-18)? At the Lord’s command and in the power of the Holy Spirit, I have taken my stand to wage war on and pull down strongholds of deceit in all of the arguments raised up against “the knowledge of God” embodied in the whole counsel of His Word on men and the order of mankind in His house; “bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” in His cause to restore men and declaring His judgment on the unrepentant (2 Corinthians 10:3-6, NKJV)!6
For while the world culture may be in rebellion against the will, way and Word of God, such should not be the case among us who have been set apart as His and are His house (1 Peter 2:4-5)! We were saved from out of the world culture not to live to or honor it above God any longer, but as “His own special people” to exalt Him and proclaim His praises with supporting godly deeds (1 Peter 2:9-12, NKJV). So, the world culture may be celebrating with guilty professed Christians in their break with ancient, biblical orthodoxy on men and the divine order of mankind in yet another display of the foretold “falling away,” but the Head of His house is not pleased (2 Thessalonians 2:3, NKJV)!
Let me be very clear from the prophetic Word of God to the professed Christian following after world culture and the unbeliever listening in. The corrupt egalitarian, anything goes world as a tower of Babel you seek to build will not come to fruition without contest from God in severe judgments (Genesis 11:1-9; Revelation 8:1-11:19) or long stand before it is destroyed in wrath by Christ (Isaiah 2:10-22, 13:9-13; Revelation 6:12-17, 16)!7 He now, graciously calls unbelievers to repentance and faith in the Gospel to be saved from His coming wrath; repentance leading to revival among those in sin as professed Christians so they may not be condemned with the world, but rather vigorously preach the Gospel especially to men as the Lord modeled so they might be completely restored.
The faithful pastor should not fret or fear your obedience has been in vain and the wicked in and outside of God’s house are getting away with anything (Malachi 2:17, 3:13-4:3). Those that profess to be Christians and continue to refuse God’s offer of forgiveness through repentance from all disobedience including rebellion against His order of mankind will be caught in the intensifying judgment He has begun in His house and that will be more evident in 2017--beware rebel women in positions of unbiblical authority (Revelation 2:20-23)! It has begun in His house so the world may see God is just and fear; for this assures their destruction without repentance to follow (1 Peter 4:17-18). All who die in their sins also face the judgment seat of Christ in terror (2 Corinthians 5:9-11)!
Now, therefore, woe to the pastors that oppress and marginalize the men you shepherd! You will give an account of every soul harmed by your disobedience. If the Lord commands Israel’s faithful to keep the “Law of Moses” and to look for Him to send Elijah before “the great and dreadful day of the Lord” to restore men and their children, how is it that you have failed to grasp you are to keep His Word and labor to make ready a people prepared for His coming through restoring men and their children also (Malachi 4:4-6, Luke 12:42-48, NKJV)? Does not the judgment of Adam, Aaron, Solomon, Jeroboam, Ahab, Asa and the Pharisees frighten you at all (Genesis 3:17b-19; Exodus 32:25-35; 1 Kings 11:9-13, 13:33-14:11, 21:17-26; 2 Chronicles 16:11-14; Matthew 23:25-24:2)? The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, “Who is on the Lord's side?”
6 I have addressed most of the more popular arguments of the rebellion in all of my May 2015 blogs.
7 The tragedy of inequality among mankind does not originate with God’s creation of men and women for when all was created, He declared His work ‘“very good,’” (Genesis 1:31, NKJV)! After this, the next greatest statement of human equality came from the lips of the first man when he raved about the woman made from him in perfect correspondence to him in every way (Genesis 2:23). Human inequality originates with sin and all of the evil ways it corrupts the human heart (Mark 7: 17-23)! This being true, how can the noble cause to eliminate sin invented human gender and racial inequality, for example, be lumped together with that of over- turning the decree of God that only sex inside of male and female marriage is righteous? Therefore, until my final breath as a Christian black American male. I will be offended by the sexually immoral person’s evil and false claim that rejecting his sin is equivalent to rejecting me as a man of color by the purposeful design of God! Read my May 8-15, 2016 blogs.
I have felt the pain of men in many ways at the hands of compromising and disobedient pastors as I have shared in various publishing platforms, other blog posts and earlier in this one. I have seen threatened pastors purposely hold down (oppress) eager men lest they show them up in any way and disrespect capable others by purposely putting women over and marginalizing them. I have also heard pastors put men down and treat them with contempt from the pulpit for not being enthused to step up to do humanly invented churchy stuff. Men disillusioned and disengaged from the local church have consistently told me of feeling exploited by pastors that are corrupt, self-focused and see their value only as servants to their ambitions in building personal fiefdoms.
Again, like a man under the controlling influence of alcohol and drugs, so, it is only because of being in the sinful flesh and deceived by demons that for any wicked reasons there are pastors who have refused to honor men and God’s order of mankind in His house (1 Timothy 4:1-2). I know and admit in my book how easy it is to begin down the slippery slope of compromise and disobedience on this; in my case, to avoid conflict with tradition. However, confronted with a pastor friend’s challenge of my own incomplete obedience in 2003, I had to give it up. I was wrong, confessed it and repented! The conflict I tried to avoid came, but I stood and was glad to no longer be in disobedience to God!
Oh, it is so much better to be in conflict with men and demons than the holy God as the Lord Jesus warns (Matthew 10:27-39; Luke 6:22-23)! Then came the Lord’s deeper instruction behind the directives of His Word which we Christians walking by faith are to always trust is there (Matthew 5:17-48; 2 Corinthians 5:7). Thoroughly sinful and ignorant in our finiteness, how could we ever realistically believe we could find wrong in God (Deuteronomy 32:1-6; Job 34:10-30, 36:22-23; Isaiah 40:12-17; Romans 11:33-36; 1 Corinthians 1:25)? Let the guilty even now fall on his face in utter humiliation, guilt, shame and repentance (Job 42:1-6; Isaiah 29:15-16; James 4:4-10)!
So pervasive is the order of God in every realm of existence, it would be most odd if among mankind His highest creation, He had not provided it (Psalm 104, 148; Isaiah 40:21-26). Indeed, God’s set order of mortal mankind is fully rooted in His eternally sovereign Kingdom rule and plans for us as His creatures. The Kingdom of God does not originate on earth with man, but is completely of and springs from Him at His throne in Heaven (Psalm 11:4). Thus, the Son of God and Man who came from Heaven to rescue and bring willing fallen mankind to glory declares to His adversaries that His Kingdom ‘“is not of this world…not from here,’” (John 18:36; Hebrews 2:5-10, NKJV).
Sent into this world by the Father (the Original Patriarch and Source of patriarchy) to restore all things, Jesus Christ His only begotten Son purposely and aggressively began His work among males as the divinely appointed leaders of mankind (Genesis 2:7-8, 15, 18-24, 3:16b, 5:1-2; Luke 3:23-38; 1 Corinthians 11:7-9; 1 Peter 3:7). In so doing, He honored men and God’s order of mankind! Calling first a group of fishermen to Himself, He told them from then forward they would fish for men as their life’s work too (Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20; Luke 5:1-11).4 In contrast to many pastors today and true to His calling as the Lord’s Servant, He did not crush or snuff out the yearning hearts of men for God and total restoration to Him (Isaiah 42:1-4; Matthew 12:9-21; Luke 19:1-10).
The Lord Jesus was also the perfect example of Manhood before the Father and faithful service to Him (John 8:28-29). He eventually chose twelve men that He taught and mentored to follow His example (John 6:60-71; 13:12-17). Though one of them did betray Christ, the other men became examples to us brought to Him over the centuries through their eye witness testimony. Their natural male strength, courage, zeal and ambition had been taken over, new abilities added and all energized by the Holy Spirit for the cause of Christ to proclaim the Gospel about Him to earth’s ends (Acts 1:8). So they did and here we are who are born again, faithful followers of Jesus Christ!
As sons of glory in Christ individually and assembled corporately in the churches, the Kingdom of God is supposed to govern every part of our lives on earth now like it has already been manifested since truly it has in us--a very important point I make to pastors in my book (Luke 17:20-21; Colossians 3:1-6). The mandate of Christ our King has been and is to seek out and completely restore men as fallen creatures to God so they might fulfill His purposes for them to rule in His image in the home, His house and if it would accept it, the world during this present age; all creation in the eternal age to come! The Lord has me also stress that because of His preeminent Kingdom rule in us, world culture is not to hold priority sway in our thinking, attitudes and deeds (Romans 12:1-2).
Instead, we by the surpassingly great work of God in, through and for us as we stand on, live out and proclaim His ageless Word are to impact and be transformers of culture (to the extent this is possible even temporarily) as the Bible and history up to the 20th century shows (Daniel 6).5 But how could this be authentically done in that century and now after when God’s own people led by compromising pastors in willful sin are seen to rebel against His Word; allowing my female family members and those of other men contrary to Scripture and God’s order of mankind from creation to teach, take authority and rule over me as an adult male in His house (1 Timothy 2:11-14)? The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, “Who is on the Lord's side?”
4 For a fuller biblical and my first major public exposition of why men are targeted by Jesus Christ prior to writing The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics, purchase the four part Strong Man Of God Audio Release, Fishers Of Men available in the Strong Man Store.
5 No historian of honest scholarship, for example, can deny the general impact for good Judeo-Christian morality from the Bible (even with much sinful human duplicity) has had on Western Civilization and every culture of man it has spread to on the earth since the first century by way of Christianity in its many forms. Certainly, even 20th century men such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were able to stand on biblically drawn morality to challenge segregated America’s racism bringing about a reluctant and still in progress change to the culture a generation later.
Without a doubt, Peter has Isaiah 53:4-9 in mind as the Holy Spirit inspired his writing of 1 Peter 2:21-25 since he quotes verse 9 and alludes to the rest. In 1 Peter 2:24-25, Peter writes of the spiritual outcomes that Christ’s sacrifice brings to believers in that having died to our sins in coming to Him through faith, we now live for righteousness since our painful separation from God has been healed. Truly, we were as sheep “going astray,” but now through faith “have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer” of our souls (NKJV). Such are the rich and joyful realities the apostle writes of in a context in which he is encouraging us to follow Christ’s example when we suffer. However, in these latter days, apostolic instruction like Peter’s is being ignored and many of those that claim to love the Lord are rebelling against Him as the Shepherd of God’s flock to include men who supposedly have been called by Christ to serve in the ministry of shepherding under Him (John 14:21-24, 31, 15:9-10, 21:15-17). The Lord Jesus is the “great” and “Chief Shepherd” of God’s sheep that purchased them with His own blood and it is His will that is to be implemented in pleasing Him among them (Hebrews 13:20-21; 1 Peter 5:1-4, NKJV)! But the guilty in rebellion are sheep going astray all over again after having already returned to God through Christ our Shepherd. In the meantime, many of the guilty are running around calling for “revival in the land” because our nation is steadily losing its collective mind in approving social policies that God condemns. How can professing Christians call unsaved rebels to repentance and they as rebels need to repent themselves? The Lord had me to write about this sham cry for revival back in 2012 and nothing has happened since then to make a liar out of me. We desperately need heartfelt revival in the land alright, but we need it in God’s house among His sheep first and of the drastic variety seen under Judah’s king Josiah before God’s severe judgment fell (2 Chronicles 34-35:19). Only after will we appreciate as fully as we ought, the divine imperative to restore men. Originally Posted October 28, 2012 It has been nice lately hearing all of the cries for revival in our nation. Unfortunately, as I have previously written and the Lord in righteous indignation impressed heavily upon my heart on Friday, October 19th, without heartfelt repentance on the part of professing Christians, authentic revival is not coming--right at this moment anyway. Why? Many of these folk calling for revival are still standing knee deep in rebellion while they quote 2 Chronicles 7:14. This is not a game and my God is not stupid. You do not think He knows a deeply repentant and broken heart from one that is merely superficially acknowledging a few general acts of common sin? How could it be that women as pastors and those that endorse their clear break with Bible instruction would actually believe God is moved by their ostensible display of humble petition for revival? Hypocrites! God is not pleased and rather than revival, prepare for His remedial judgment as also happened to ancient Israel for trying the same thing (Jeremiah 6; Revelation 2:18-23, 3:19). God’s people from ancient times only ever got in trouble with Him after departing from His Word. In God’s words to Solomon by night after the Temple dedication ceremonies, He is concerned in verse 13 first to have him understand judgment would come upon His people for their sins. Drought, devouring locusts and pestilence are sent by God upon His people not for doing well, but for their wicked ways. It is deeply offensive to God holy, righteous and true that His people not only willfully sin against Him, but corrupt His Word to His face to even justify their wicked ways. Israel would do this and many professing Christians across America are now doing it (Matthew 15:1-9). So many professing Christians treat God as a marshmallow who only cares that they have some level of acknowledgement of Him in their lives. While confessing that all of the bad stuff the sinners in America are doing is the source of our nation’s troubles, I hear nothing about how we, God’s people, have sinned against Him in disobedience not to some obscure passages of Scripture, but very clear instruction. This is instruction from Christ on adultery and divorce for example in Matthew 5:27-32 and 19:1-9. As well, it is anointed apostolic instruction on the headship of men in the home and churches along with greed such as is found in 1 Timothy 2:11-15 and 6:6-11. Christ says “not to resist an evil person,” (Matthew 5:38-42); we say, “Whoever takes from me will pay” and justify keeping deadly weapons for protection. Christ says “love your enemies” (Matthew 5:43-48); we say, “This is impossible” and justify racial prejudice. On and on this goes ad nauseam and we are guiltless? God is telling Solomon in 2 Chronicles 7:14 that on the condition His people would earnestly petition Him in repentance from their sinful and wicked ways that has brought judgment upon them, then He would “hear” (which plainly asserts until that point He is not listening), “forgive their sin and heal their land;” that is, restore the land devastated by the judgment represented in drought, devouring locusts and pestilence. Before Holy Ghost fired revival will come to American Christians and churches there must be deep and bitter repentance from the sin, worldly compromises and corruptions of His Word we have made. Apparently, the travails of our nation to date have not yet been severe or painful enough to bring us to this. However, get ready; God who knows how to humble the proud will bring His people, professing Christians and this nation to our knees in a disciplinary judgment that will not be easily dismissed as “natural” in any way. Then, there will be serious repentance and genuine, fresh surrender to Jesus as Lord as well as commitment to obey even the whole Word of God as He requires His people. In that hour very near too, there will be no more clever skating around obedience in the deceitful and convenient dismissal of God’s Word as rules so as to avoid “rule keeping,” (Psalm 119). (ODCM Publishing Division is pleased to invite readers of the Strong Man Of God Blog to visit a new Facebook Page, The Strong Man Of God Resources that debuted today with a post from Robert Kelley and featuring a You Tube link to the Strong Man Of God Book Trailer video.)
God is awesome beyond human words to express, for even in the judgment of His “wrath” as the prophet prays, He does “remember mercy,” (Habakkuk 3:1-2, NKJV)! Consequently, a remnant of Israel will be forgiven in accord with His grace at the return of Christ and because “He delights in mercy,” (Psalm 103:8-10; Micah 7:16-20; Zechariah 12:10-13:1, NKJV). In parallel with Samson’s story as I write about in The Scourge Of Racism1 and biblical revival spurred by repentance among those of ancient Judah at the time of Hezekiah the king, the Lord is displaying grace and mercy to those of His Church that with humbled hearts return to Him during the adversities of His judgment.2
I will leave it to the reader of this post to discover the particulars surrounding the parallel story of the American Church with the Bible’s physically strong man, Samson (Judges 13-16).3 Suffice it to say here that although Samson had failed the Lord miserably in his spiritual weakness leading to utter humiliating disgrace, God showed him grace at his end such that he had a final outstanding fulfillment of his calling and mission. The Church of Jesus Christ exists on earth at all and in America not by the will of sinful flesh, but His (Matthew 16:13-18)!4 God has made Him the Head (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:15-18). Many over the centuries have willfully forgotten these biblical truths.
Like Samson who started out well, during the assembling years of those fleeing the corruption and turmoil of Europe’s Catholic and Protestant versions of counterfeit Christianity to what would become America, there were some who nobly set out and did the will of Christ as His Church. Others--many others, did not as evidenced by the ignoble history of American slavery, followed after the Lord’s severe rebuke with Jim Crow Segregation which still found ways to violently oppress former slaves and others of color as even spiritual brothers and through the active overt arrogance of racial bigotry and discrimination by some; covert complicity through silence by many to this very hour.
As He led me to write in several previous posts, the Lord is now, moving through His Church in judgment for not only tolerating, practicing and enabling the gross sin of racism, but being so spiritually unfaithful as to serve other gods in idolatry, brazenly stand with the world in rebellion against God’s order of mankind from creation and indulge the sexually immoral among others.5 As has the Church’s sins, Samson’s finally caught up to him as the Lord in judgment allowed him to suffer the full weight of their consequences. After a little season though, the Lord showed Samson grace and mercy by letting him go out (die) fulfilling his calling and mission as intended once more.
Similarly, the Lord extends grace and mercy with bona fide biblical revival to His humbled (remnant to be sure) American Church in the midst of the escalating adversities allowed as part of His judgment. There is so much unnecessary confusion in the use of the word “revival” today. It is used by many especially in Christian media to indicate any apparent event where the activity of God seems to be at work to excite an assembly of people.6 But while everything having to do with the saving and reviving of souls is the supernatural activity of God at work, biblical revival follows His judgment on those already His people, their humble repentance from sin and deeds freshly empowered by Him.
What happened with ancient Judah under king Hezekiah is a perfect example. Following behind the evil deeds of his father, king Ahaz, who had worshipped other gods, sacrificed some of his children to the fire, destroyed articles of, trashed and shut down the Temple putting the priests out of work and leading to God’s severe judgment on the nation (2 Chronicles 28), Hezekiah went the other direction and cultivated a heart of faithfulness to Him. He called upon the priests and Levites to repent and commanded they clean up God’s Temple (2 Chronicles 29:1-19). He then, directed these men to restore worship and led out with other city leaders to participate (2 Chronicles 29:20-36). After this He called all Israel and Judah to commemorate Passover at the Temple (2 Chronicles 30).
Having freshly encountered God through repentance and revival of spirit, the people went forth to tear down the implements of idolatry in the land. The king also saw to it that the Temple and the men God had ordained to serve Him there were taken care of wherever they lived. As is typical of authentic revival that takes place in the heart, the king served God “with all his heart. So he prospered,” (2 Chronicles 31, NKJV). Such revival could have occurred in the American Church years ago, but holding on to the sin of racism among others has prevented it until now. Proud and obstinate, many have not been willing to receive correction.7 However, the severe adversities the Lord in judgment is permitting will change this (Isaiah 57:15, 66:1-2; James 4:1-10; 1 Peter 5:6-11).
1 The book is available in this Ministry’s Web Site Stores including the Strong Man Store, all major internet booksellers and brick and mortar bookstores. View the short book trailer.
2 Watch this Ministry’s Strong Man Of God Online Rally, Return To The Lord. It is one of the ways the Lord is presently manifesting His grace and mercy; appealing to His professed people as Christians who have strayed from or are not living for Him with a sold out heart to return!
3 Greater are the men that are spiritually strong in the image of Jesus Christ as I write about in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics! The Hard or Soft Cover or E-Book Editions are available in the Strong Man Store, all major internet booksellers and brick and mortar bookstores.
4 While the Lord declares in the passage cited regarding His Church, “and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (VS. 18, NKJV), this does not mean as some I have heard assert that destructive evil He permits cannot assail and even diminish it on earth! What He means is “the dead in Christ” which includes every faithful believer and martyr from the first century until He returns are with Him in Heaven, not Hades where those who don’t know Him go when they die to await the judgment (Matthew 11: 20-24; John 14:1-3, 17:24; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Hebrews 12:18-24; Revelation 6:9-11, 7:9-17, NKJV).
5 Read the July 9, 2023 post, Corrupt Christians Not Hidden From God, the one on July 23, 2023, The Nations Do Not Impress God, both under the category, Call To Repent and the September 24, 2023 post, Racism In Christ’s Church A No-No, under the category, Instruction.
6 See the July 16, 2023 post, God Saves While Judging, under the category, Call To Repent.
7 The Scourge Of Racism, Copyright 2023, ODCM Publishing Division, Portland, OR, p. 57-58.
“Who died and left you in charge?” A proud, independent American pastor cynically muttered this question while preaching a sermon intended to debunk me or any other preacher besides himself that would dare proclaim God’s Word with the force of authority. In truth, Christ died, rose again and gave the gifts, calling and ministry I (and others) have as a watchman/prophet; authorizing me to speak words from Him He puts in my mouth (Ezekiel 33:1-9; Acts 21:8-14). If such authority does not now exist, by what authority are any preachers preaching? And though we faithful prophets do not exercise ruling authority over individual churches, Christ has given us a higher rank in His Body to be listened to for the good of all (1 Corinthians 12:28-30, 14:1-5; Ephesians 2:19-3:7, 4:11-16).
Since I greatly fear the Lord, I strive with all vigilance to faithfully proclaim only the words He puts in my mouth and which are in conformity with His Word as it is written (James 3:1). Nevertheless, I am blessed with all of those that have the gift of prophecy in accord with our measure of faith (Romans 12:3-6) to especially receive understanding of portions of the Lord’s already written prophetic Word (2 Peter 1:16-21). In this edited 2012 repost, the Lord leads me to again exhort professing Christians and their churches to repentance and revival as an absolute necessity to prepare for and gloriously pass His final exam!
Originally Posted August 26, 2012
How grateful I am to God that in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics, I am enabled to foretell that in His mercies the mightiest revival ever is coming! However, as an event, it will be brief, serving primarily as strengthening to do the work God has ordained until the end and preparation for the saints to glorify Him in the foretold war of the night against us that is near.1 The prophet Daniel speaks of this war against the saints as occurring during the time of the final world kingdom led by the one identified in the New Testament as the “son of perdition,” lawless one,” “Antichrist,” and “beast” (Daniel 7:1-8, 11-12, 15-25; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12; 1 John 2:18; Revelation 13:1-10).
In the context of the already growing global hatred and persecution of Christians, the mortal man to become the Antichrist will rise from the dead immortal after a deadly wound. Thereafter, in their mutual opposition to God and His Anointed, Jesus Christ, the Antichrist will be aided by Satan in declaring open, global warfare on the saints and prevails as Daniel sees in Daniel 7:21 and the apostle John in Revelation 13:7. The initial victory of the Antichrist has only to do with muting the voice and influence of faithful saints through arresting and killing most (Daniel 7:25, Revelation 13:10, 14:12-13). He will reign and enjoy his short-lived triumph over the saints (and seemingly our God) for three and one half years.
Yet, as both Daniel and John see, the saints are made the ultimate victors by our God in His promised and just verdict on our behalf (Daniel 7:18, 26-27; Revelation 11:15-18, 19:7-16). That anyone in his right mind could believe weak and withering American Christians are ready in the majority at this moment to stand in the patience (perseverance) Bible prophecy declares will be needed for victory in the night that is falling is beyond me. I am sure this is one reason the doctrine of a quick evacuation out of this world prior to the night is so popular.2 However, severe persecution of Christians someplace on this planet has been going on since Stephen almost 2,000 years ago (Acts 7:54-60) and continues to this hour through the night’s end (Revelation 6:9-11, 7:9-17).
What has made American Christians in the main over the last 200 years believe with a passion that they are so much more worthy of deliverance from severe persecution than the tens of thousands who have already suffered (and suffer) for the faith including my Christian slave forefathers who waited patiently hundreds of years in great tribulation for Christ to come and deliver? It is the same old arrogance I have repeatedly referred to in the Western religious educated elite who have invented any number of confusing end time scenarios of escape while corrupting God’s Word to support them. Scripture gives only one way prior to the Second Coming of Christ that faithful saints may escape being touched at all by the night that is falling: death in advance of it (Isaiah 57:1-2)!
Otherwise, the Lord Jesus has promised to keep or preserve as through the fire (Daniel 3:1-28) only a select group of faithful saints through the night until His coming to include in particular, Jewish believers that have already been severely tested and persevered. It is their reward for faithfulness previously demonstrated through persecution from among their fellow Jews and Gentiles (Revelation 3:7-13). This remnant of faithful saints will be granted to see with mortal eyes the earliest moments of the sudden, glorious appearing of our Lord, then immediately after advance past death by being made immortal and take flight to Him (Daniel 7:9-14; Matthew 16:28-17:9; 24:29-31, 1 Corinthians 15:50-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 1:7, 16:12-16)!
In light of the foregoing, once again every aspiring strong man of God in the image of Christ can see why Holy Ghost fired renewing revival is desperately needed among American Christians. God has required of His people that are willing to seek it with all of our souls in heartfelt confession, repentance and petition. In any assemblies this certainly means business as usual flesh orchestrated, run on the clock prayer meetings will not cut it. Those that really want God sent revival will seek after it with fasting, tears and in assemblies that operate without time constraints (Isaiah 55:6-7; Joel 1:13-14, 2:15-17). The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?”
1 To understand the term, “night” as used in this blog, read the 2012 repost of November 15, 2015, Your Kingdom Come! It is also under the category, Bible Prophecy. For an even more detailed explanation of the prophetic landscape involved in the "night," the Strong Man Store has a Strong Man Of God Audio Production available for purchase of a teaching the Lord gave me entitled, The Night Is Almost Here. 2 For a more detailed discussion of “the secret rapture” and the assured divine response to the saints praying at this hour, read my two part blog post of March 2014 en- titled, The Prayers Of The Saints in this same category.
Arising from the midst of the Lord’s permitted severe adversities as judgment upon along with grace, mercy and revival in His American Church are men; men who aspire to be “strong” as described of old by Daniel the prophet and in Christ’s image (Daniel 11:32-35; Romans 8:29, NKJV).1 Such men are supposed to be well represented in the Church. However, in these latter days they have been made rare by a multitude of Church sins including the toleration and practice of racism. Restored in their sold out devotion and obedience to Christ, aspiring strong men of God in His image are the only ones that can stand to lead the Church out of racism and into modeling racial harmony!
All men are weak in sin before God (Psalm 6:1-2a, 51:5; Luke 5:4-8; Romans 3:9-18, 23)! Our thinking, attitudes, words and deeds fully display the sin nature that resides within us (Mark 7:21-22). Indeed, racism is but one of many sins men practice that flow from our sin nature and the arrogance with pride spawned by it in the heart.2 With all other sins men commit, racism too, is not only a display of the sin nature, but spiritual weakness. Consequently, as the Lord leads me to write in The Scourge Of Racism, those who practice racism whether they profess to be Christians or not and whatever their hues are also showing spiritual weakness only He can deliver a man from.3
Jesus Christ, God “the Word” and “Son,” came into the world from Heaven by the express will of “the Father,” (John 1:1-2, 14-18, NKJV). He taught with “authority” and did mighty works in the power of God (Mark 1:21-28, 4:35-41; John 20:30-31, NKJV). He was also tested in every manner as we are to the death, but no sin was found in Him for He was perfect in all of His ways (Matthew 4:1-11, 26:36-46, 27:35-54; Hebrews 2:18, 4:15). Without dispute, Jesus Christ is the Strong Man of God He wants all willing men to look to as the role model for what being a man is about, follow and imitate to the end of bearing His image forever (Luke 9:18-36; 1 Corinthians 11:1, 15:47-49)!4
While the Father does allow for the reality of sin weak Christ followers, this is not His perfect will (1 Corinthians 11:23-32). Every man that repents of his sins and believes on Christ for salvation is called by the Father to become a strong man in His Son’s image and purposely set on a path to spiritual maturity to that end by Him (Matthew 10:24-25; Ephesians 4:11-16; Hebrews 12:1-11). In seeking to please Him and do His will, Christian men as aspiring strong men of God in Christ’s image submit to and obey His commandments as taught (Matthew 28:18-20). Chief among the Lord’s commandments is for His disciples to “love one another” as He exemplified (John 13:34, NKJV).5
Not only would the world know the reality of Christ by His disciples’ display of love for each other, but they by their obedience to His command would be showing Him love the way He requires (John 13:35, 14:15). As a result, they most assuredly would not be tolerant of or practicing the loveless sin of racism! For besides disobeying the Lord’s command to love each other practicing racism, they know this sin wickedly does harm to its object whether a fellow believer or not (Romans 13:8-10). Too, they understand themselves to be sons of God who behaving in righteousness and love, are distinct from the devil’s children and their hurtful conduct toward others (1 John 3:10-15).
The men I am describing--aspiring strong men of God in the image of Christ--are not more evident in the Church at this hour because many have been left ignorant of their calling attending churches where it or anything like biblical manhood is not taught. Also, men are marginalized in the Church due to another sin, capitulation to feminists for the sake of their definition of equality. Nevertheless, Christ Lord of His Church is restoring willing men through Ministries like ours!6 They are being purposely taught the way of Christ as the Strong Man of God so in being personally restored, they might also restore their families and communities to include local churches as needed.7
As I write in The Scourge Of Racism, whatever their hue aspiring strong men of God in Christ’s image do not tolerate, practice or in silence endorse the sin of racism, but call it out while modeling the Lord’s commanded love.8 As it should be, these aspiring strong men of God in the image of Christ are local church leaders as well as those rising up from the pews to display the solution to racism in His Church and to a skeptical, hostile watching world to His glory as we are called to do! Truly, standing against racism and all biblically defined sin in the midst of intensifying adversities and persecution from Christian impostors and the world will be challenging; they will have the experiences of the men in Daniel’s prophecy already cited as they serve in Christ’s strength (Philippians 4:13).
1 Read the October 15, 2023 post, In Judgment, Grace, Mercy And Revival, under the category, Glory To God!
2 See the September 17, 2023 post, Racism A Two-Fold Scourge, under the category, Biblical Worldview, for a definition of racism.
3 The Scourge Of Racism, Copyright 2023, ODCM Publishing Division, Portland, OR, p. 64. The book can be purchased in this Ministry’s Web Site Stores including the Strong Man Store, all major internet booksellers and brick and mortar bookstores.
4 Learn more about Jesus Christ as the Strong Man of God in my previously published book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics! The Hard or Soft Cover or E-Book Editions are available in the Strong Man Store, all major internet booksellers and brick and mortar bookstores.
5 The Lord knows His commandment is impossible without the indwelling power and help of the Holy Spirit and spoke in anticipation of His coming to equip us to obey (John 3:1-8, 14:16-17, 26; Romans 5:5; 1 Peter 1:22-25).
6 Since 2005 Strong Man Ministries has been carrying out the Lord’s mission to restore men, their families and communities despite actual opposition not only from the world, but local churches! Learn more about our work on our Web Site and courageously consider supporting it.
7 Restoration through returning to the Lord is an important first step for professed Christian men who know they are far from anything like His image in their walk. Our on- going Strong Man Of God Online Rally, Return To The Lord, seeks to facilitate that restoration. Your soul, sir, is worth the thirty minutes it takes to watch the rally on our YouTube channel.
8 The Scourge Of Racism, op. cit., p. 64.
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