The Scourge Of Racism
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Mankind have been sinners so long, we cannot wrap our brains around a perfect, sinless man as Adam was before he sinned. This is why even with Jesus, Son of Man, many attribute His sinless life to His deity. This is the second of two common misconceptions of His Humanity mostly well meaning Bible teachers have and teach. However, to any way have used the powers of His divinity in the conduct of His mortal sojourn would belie the apostle Paul’s inspired declaration, “who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men,” (Philippians 2:6-7, NKJV).
Also, Scripture teaches that the Lord Jesus in the body of Mary, the virgin had a perfect, sinless body “prepared” for Him or else being holy God, He could not have entered it (Luke 1:31, 34-35; Hebrews 10:5, NKJV)! The net result of this mostly unintended second misconception of Jesus, Son of Man is the implication that He through His deity cheated somehow in keeping Himself in perfect obedience to and sinless before God. But, of course, this would be sin and scandalous! This is why once again my God demonstrates His infinite wisdom in what is recorded in three of the New Testament Gospel accounts of Jesus being put to the test before He began His ministry.
The Father having declared loving affection for and full pleasure in His Son at His baptism by John, the Holy Spirit who had descended upon Him is seen to even push Jesus into the wilderness to fast forty days and afterward become ravenously hungry; then, be tempted by the devil to act in this weakened state three ways. First, he tempted Him to use His own power as the Son of God to meet His physical needs. Second, Satan tempted Him to put the Father’s promise of protective care to the test. Lastly, the tempter offered Jesus a path to world rule through bowing to him. The Son of Man refused every temptation and prevailed (Matthew 3:13-4:11; Mark 1:9-13; Luke 3:21-22, 4:1-13)!
This was surely not the first attempt by Satan to seduce Jesus into sin from His age of accountability to that moment or after during His ministry years. But in the barren wilderness temptation of Jesus as with Adam in the paradise garden, God the Father sought to reveal His only begotten Son’s heart; His willingness to please the Father even over Himself and do His will as He avowed coming into the world (Hebrews 10:6-7). Adam failed in the garden, but Jesus marvelously succeeded in the wilderness and thereafter since it is written of Him that He “was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin,” (Hebrews 4:15, NKJV).
Jesus, the Son of Man maintained His perfection from a Boy the same way Adam could have out of faith in and love for His Father along with the pure, Selfless ambition to please Him and do His will (Genesis 2:15-17, 3:6, 17a; Luke 2:41-52, 8:19-21; John 14:31). The Gospels record that Jesus kept emphasizing repeatedly how He had come to do His Father’s will in all that He taught as His message and the deeds He carried out in the Father’s power by the Holy Spirit (John 8:25-29, 12:42-50, 14:7-11). Beyond ambition as a Man, He perfectly displayed authority, leadership, courage, zeal, physical and spiritual strength, toughness and forcefulness in His mission (Luke 4:31-44; John 2:13-22).
Along the way, He forthrightly spoke of greatness in the glory the Father had prepared for Him; the life cause and mission He was willing to suffer and endure death for in carrying out (Matthew 16:13-17:13). He took what most mortal men would certainly agree were risks in His ministry while traveling throughout Israel and decisive actions that relieved human suffering (Luke 4:16-30; 5:12-26). He followed His Father’s instructions and plans wholly to the death as an obedient Son; the distinctive Strong Man of God (Philippians 2:8)!2 Truly, He learned obedience (God does not learn, man does) in all that He suffered on the way to and on the cross (Isaiah 50:4-6; Matthew 26:36-46; Hebrews 5:5-8).
Even with the impending abandonment of His “band of brothers,” Jesus copiously “loved them to the end,” (John 13:1, NKJV).3 Before entering His final trials, He interceded for them and all of us that would be the beneficiaries by faith of His sacrifice (John 17); a sacrifice that made a way of eternal deliverance from sin and death for the first time since Adam’s fall (Isaiah 53; Romans 3:10-31; Ephesians 2:1-10). Again, Jesus, Son of Man did this to restore fallen man the creature in the divine purpose of creation-wide governance, bring many sons to eternal glory with Him, help the faithful in our earthly sojourn and remove the fear of judgment (Hebrews 2:5-18, 4:14-16, 5:9, 9:22-10:18). The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, “Who is on the Lord's side?”
2 Obeying God to the death is one of four distinctive characteristics of Jesus as the Strong Man of God I am led by the Holy Spirit to write about in my book, The Strong
Man Of God: Back To Basics available in the Strong Man Store.
3 I gratefully acknowledge here David Murrow and his book, Why Men Hate Going To Church as a reference source for presenting part of Jesus’ masculine checklist
(i.e. aspiration for greatness, a cause to die for, risk taking, adventure, action taking and problem solving, following a leader and the love of a “band of brothers”). I
have shown Jesus as such a Man in this blog and will do so in upcoming blogs to relate this partial masculine display to His disciples and very importantly, as typical
of males presently and man the creature made in the image and likeness of God. Other characteristics of masculinity displayed by Jesus, Son of Man will also be
presented in upcoming blogs as they are by Murrow in his book and me in The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics.
A man’s Man to be sure, but God’s Man all the more, Jesus, Son of Man displayed the masculine traits that have long been considered solidly male. Clearly, however, this was not the extent of His eternal masculinity and Manhood as He also displayed traits that have been wrongly associated uniquely with femininity and weakness. Such traits as grace, mercy, compassion, humility, gentleness, kindness, empathy, longsuffering, forgiveness and consoling were displayed in Jesus too (Matthew 9:9-13, 18-36, 11:25-30; Luke 6:1-11, 7:1-17, 9:37-42; John 8:1-12, 16:16-33). Thus, He fully exhibited man as the masculine being he is as I have been proclaiming in this blog!
Contrary to what sin has corruptly worked in fallen man as male and female by God’s perfect, purposeful design and division, they in their marital oneness were to operate cooperatively in a complementary relationship. Their intrinsic masculinity was “fleshed out” by God in their natural bodies in such a way as to foster understanding, appreciation and harmony for each other’s roles and responsibilities in the divine assignment to rule and fill the earth.4 As a result, males in general as His chosen heads and initiators of the family with the help of hormones have emphasized those parts of masculinity that are strongly linked to their tasks such as authority, ambition and strength.
Hormonally aided, females in general as helpers to their husbands in the management and expansion of the family through childbearing, display more of such masculine traits as compassion, gentleness and consoling suited for those responsibilities.5 Nevertheless, as demonstrated by Jesus, Son of Man, these masculine traits are not intended exclusively for feminine ends and in fact, now, His male and female followers are being restored inwardly to conform to His image and example of eternal masculinity in becoming like Him in every way, but without conflict with their respective temporary gender body designs, roles and responsibilities (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18).
As great as Jesus is, He still presented Himself a “bondservant,” (Mark 10:45; Philippians 2:7, NKJV). John the Baptist described Him as “the Lamb of God” which spoke to His mission to take “away the sin of the world,” (John 1:29, NKJV)! But calling Jesus, Son of Man “the Lamb of God” also speaks to His eternal attitude and posture of humility to please the Father in all submission that led to His offering Himself on the cross to take away sin and bring forth the restoration of willing mankind. Therefore, again, submission as taught and displayed eternally by Jesus is not something exclusive to femininity and negative, but well pleasing to God since it is directly tied to the proper loving response to greater authority as in the divine Father and Son relationship above all other examples!
The foregoing is certainly the reason Jesus does not attempt to fix God’s order of mankind as it concerns the headship of a man over his wife and family--there is nothing wrong with it, but mankind as sinners! Instead, as the consummate Man and our Head (1 Corinthians 11:3), Jesus teaches us men how to treat women (Luke 7:36-50) and His apostles our wives with love, dignity, compassion and true equality as fellow man (Genesis 2:23; Ephesians 5:28-29); leading, teaching, providing for and protecting them as God has done for man since Adam in the garden (Genesis 2:7-17). God’s restoration of man in Jesus makes better male and female relations in this age possible!
Man is a ruler by divine design and created to rule God’s creation under Him. As I wrote in another place, as fully restored in Jesus Christ we are eternally destined “a race of rulers.”6 God did not create man to rule in any way that he pleased, but to do so in the divine image and likeness. Jesus, Son of Man showed us what kind of a ruler man is to be in perfect masculinity, nature, tested character and balanced demeanor as a lion and a lamb as I describe in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. Having ended the first part of His work to restore man crying out from the cross, “It is finished“ (John 19:30, NKJV), He rose from the dead and ascended to His Father who “exalted Him” “Lord” to which every created knee bows to God’s glory (Philippians 2:8-11, NKJV)!
In the meantime, He continues seeking willing men among Adam’s fallen sons to restore in salvation and spiritual regeneration so they may be deployed and labor too in His present Kingdom cause (Matthew 4:18-19, 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Titus 3:3-7). Truly, the second and consummating part of God’s restoration work draws near; Jesus, the Son of Man’s declared return to earth when He will immediately raise the dead and transform the bodies of those living that have waited for Him (Matthew 26:63-64; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17)!7 He with His fellow glorious immortals as God’s eternal sons will reign over an eagerly waiting creation beginning then and forever (Romans 8:14-25)! The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, “Who is on the Lord's side?”
4 Read my May 1, 2016 post, Natural Bodies By Divine Design and others referenced in it under the category, God’s Creatures.
5 Read the June 19, 2016 post, Eternal Sons Of God to learn more about how eternal, spiritual masculinity transcends and informs that which is displayed in the human body by gender under the category, Instruction.
6 Read the September 19, 2014 post, A Race Of Rulers under the category, God’s Creatures. Also, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics referenced in this blog can be purchased in the Strong Man Store.
7 See the July 10-31, 2016 posts that discuss the immortal bodies of the eternal sons of God!
It is the question of millennia that haunts fallen mankind disconnected from God to this very hour. Ignorant in sin and spiritual darkness, they have groped about wildly grasping unsuccessfully for a fully satisfying answer to the question, “What is man?” Their literary philosophical and poetic musings and empty speculations fill libraries. Self-deification, thrones, empires, absolute authority and control over people, places and things, unlimited pleasure, wealth, accomplishments, building cities and towering edifices all brought some measure of gratification, but still most that have done it all would probably agree with Solomon, ‘“All is vanity,’” (Ecclesiastes 12:8, NKJV).
In light of his conclusion, Solomon did wisely urge that men live to their Creator from their youth and in fear of Him, “keep His commandments” to experience a life beyond futility before inevitable death and certain judgment (Ecclesiastes 12:1-7, 13-14, NKJV). Made temporarily mortal and perfect by way of the first man, Adam, men die since him because Adam disobeyed a very clear command from his Creator after being warned death would be the result (Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-11, 17-19; Romans 5:12). Solomon’s wise and general counsel speaks more to how a man should live in the face of death and judgment, but still does not address the question, “What is man?”
Framed as it is, the question is hopelessly without answer by sinful men who cannot even all agree they have a Creator! However, Solomon’s father, David, asked the question framed appropriately in Holy Scripture after considering the greatness of God and His awesome work of creation that surrounded him when he wrote, “What is man that You are mindful of him and the son of man that You visit him,” (Psalm 8:4, NKJV)? The inspired king understood men are made just a “little lower” as mortals than the ageless angels to rule over God’s creation (Psalm 8:5-8, NKJV) starting with the earth. Overwhelmed by sin, though, the earth rule of fallen man has been and is corrupt.
Nevertheless, man must be very important to God, his Creator, since before there was ever a creation and knowing what would befall His planned creature, the eternal Son and Word of God consented to do the unfathomable to the fallen, finite mind of His creature. He would submit to being incarnated a mortal Man; a Son of Man, one of and with His highest creature (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:26-38, 2:1-20; John 1:1-5, 14; Philippians 2:6-7; 1 Peter 1:20)! So beyond natural human mental grasp is this staggering reality, many men for centuries have rejected it, while even some that profess to believe it have looked for ways to diminish the blinding light of its truth.
Not being willing to think of much less repeat the many diabolical heresies concerning Jesus, the Son of Man which He called Himself more than anything else in the Gospel accounts, my focus here are two of the most common misconceptions of His Humanity. First, though solid Bible teachers correctly declare that the Lord is “fully God and fully Man,” often lost in the instruction is the important truth that He is “fully Man” as God originally envisioned and designed from eternity! Thus, like the first Adam, Jesus the Son of Man and second Adam came into the world in completeness of masculine form inwardly and bodily as mortal Man (Genesis 2:7; John 1:15-18). Indeed, Adam prefigures Him in “type” (Romans 5:14, NKJV) as I teach in The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics.1
As the Lord also leads me to teach in the book, Adam spent only a short time as one, whole creature before he was divided into two with the creation of his helper. The Lord put Adam and his wife back together in marriage to make one complete man again and fulfill His priority purpose of procreation out of this union despite their later disobedience (Genesis 1:27-28, 2:18-25, 3:20). Fully Man, the celibate Jesus in splendid perfection was not androgynous, but all male which His circumcision and presentation to God proves (Luke 2:21-24). In Him, we are able to see what man the creature is supposed to look like in unspoiled glory of nature, character and demeanor made in the image and likeness of and surpassingly greater as God (Genesis 1:26; Colossians 1:15-16, 2:9)!
This business today of putting men down by all that are guilty is of Satan, not God who sent His Son into the world to become one of and restore us. For truly, men as sinners are light years from what God intended by design, but He cared enough; thoroughly loved enough not to disparage or abandon His creature, but make a way to restore him forever through Jesus (John 3:16)! Jesus not only is that way for the restoration of fallen man (John 14:6), but the eternal Man (never again to be solely God), Ruler and Judge of all mankind (Isaiah 9:6-7; John 5:24-30); founding Head of those that by faith in Him have embraced an eternal destiny with Him (1 Corinthians 15:45-49)! The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, “Who is on the Lord's side?”
1 The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics in print and e-book formats along with my new Strong Man Of God Audio Release, four part CD message, Fishers Of Men are available in the Strong Man Store.
Today too, the biblical picture of following Jesus from His own teaching and example as well as that of His apostles flies in the face of teaching from many pulpits that narcissistically and falsely make Christianity all about the follower! Yes, Christ suffered, died and rose again to save me, but not so I can go off selfishly to do my own thing and only receive from Him what is in my narrow self-interest. No longer preaching the Gospel of Christ, repentance from sin and faith in Him to be saved and become His disciples, many to their destruction preach this other gospel of narcissism to attract the attention, attendance and affections of followers for themselves (Galatians 1:6-10, NKJV).
Here is God’s reality check for the preachers and professed Christians of these self-absorbed and materialistic latter days: it is not about you! It is about Jesus Christ crucified, buried, risen, ascended and returning soon! Lining up behind Christ as our Savior and Lord through faith, He still expects us to follow His example in everything (John 13:12-17; 1 Peter 2:21-25). This being so, love of Christ who died for our sins is to be our deepest layer of motivation after faith and thanksgiving for following Him. And just as He modeled, we are to also be willing to go where He sends us, speak and do what He commands, forsake all, suffer and die for Him if required (Matthew 10:16-39).3
Moreover, in accord with His Father’s will, the Lord was quite intentional about giving us an exemplary display of His nature, character and demeanor we are to exhibit. Indeed, there are four distinctive characteristics of Christ His followers as aspiring strong men and great women of God in His image are to commonly exhibit I write about in my book. Like Him, we accept the roles God assigns, obey God to the death,4 rely on God for everything and trust God for vindication. Even the most casual reading of the four Gospels plainly show Christ walked out these characteristics in His life and service as a Disciple of His Father.
In His role as “the Lamb of God” in particular, He powerfully displayed all four characteristics at once! Again, moved by love for God and us He accepted this role, obeyed His Father’s will to the death, relied on Him to care for His soul in death and trusted that God would vindicate His sacrifice as He did first by raising Him from the dead to immortal glory (Isaiah 50:5-9; John 1:29; Acts 2:22-36, NKJV)! Sinful human love is incapable of reproducing Christ’s required example. No doubt, for this reason and anticipating the coming of the Holy Spirit to help, the Lord queries Peter who had denied he knew Him three times: “do you love Me,” (John 21:15-17; Romans 5:5-8, NKJV)?
The Lord’s demand to be the highest recipient of our love is not just a means to secure our sold out devotion, but also to help us keep our priorities straight with a Kingdom perspective and avoid becoming distracted and divided in heart, unfaithful, unwilling to suffer for His cause and coldly religious (Luke 9:57-62, 12:35-48; 2 Timothy 4:9-10; Revelation 2:1-7).5 Not following the Lord in sold out love and devotion causes a man to develop blind spots in his life that Satan comes by stealth and exploits to seduce him into various sins. For example, greater love for a wife or other family member can lead a man to disobey the Lord’s commanded will or allow them to take liberties that do so.
As well, absent the motive of love for Christ first it is easy to give oneself permission to mistreat others or be dishonest. If the man in these examples is in church leadership, Satan’s end game of scandal and profaning the name of Jesus in the wider world will be exponentially realized. Church history is replete with instances of such failed professed Christians to this hour many of whom for whatever all of the secondary reasons besides being impostors, fall away from Christ as foretold because they quench the Holy Spirit their source of love for Him (Matthew 24:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:19, NKJV). Only sold out love first for and faith in Christ will overcome Satan and cause a man to stand faithful and true to Him to the end (John 14:15; 1 John 5:3-5; Revelation 12:11).
Finally, if we will really line up behind Christ, it must be in accord with His written Word, interpreted and applied not as we wish, but as it is objectively understood! This is critical since God has allowed these foretold times of “testing” to be seductively filled with the purposeful deceit and falsehood of demons leading to the Antichrist as a final exam (Deuteronomy 13:1-4; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12; 1 Timothy 4:1; Revelation 3:7-11, 13:1-18, NKJV). God’s Word as it is written must be fully anchored in our hearts, loved and obeyed in order not to be deceived (Psalm 119:11, 97). Otherwise, God warns of the eternal consequence of failing His final exam--a likely prospect for the many rebel professed Christians now deceived in so many ways (Jeremiah 12:5-6; Revelation 14:9-13, 22:11).
(I will be enjoying a Labor Day rest on September 1st. The Lord willing, look for my next post on Sunday evening, September 8th. Have a great Labor Day!)
3 If a man is not willing to do these things, then, as Christ warned he cannot be His disciple since he will not line himself up behind Him in the full commitment He requires
(John 12:25-26; Galatians 2:20) or follow His example as He wills (Philippians 2:5-8, 3:7-14).
4 I urge readers who have not to read and those that have to re-read the July 14-28, 2019 posts to honestly evaluate the objections you have to what is written in light of
just these first two distinctive characteristics of Christ God wants also displayed in us. If you are a professed Christian male or female refusing to accept the roles, rank
and responsibilities God has assigned and are in fact a disobedient to the Word rebel doing Christianity your own way, are you really a biblically defined disciple of Je-
sus Christ (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46; Hebrews 3:7-19)?
5 A Kingdom perspective pays attention to the will of Christ the King contained in the written Word and views all of life through that prism; staying also prophetically aware
and alert. Read the October 19, 2014 post, Sons Of The Kingdom under the category, Instruction and Out Of Step With The Times?, posted on May 5, 2019 under the
category, Bible Prophecy.
Many today falsely claim to be followers of Jesus Christ, the Man from Heaven I wrote about in the August 11, 2019 post under the category, Glory To God! This is nothing new, of course, since those that are false or apostates have been present in all of the history of the Church on earth from the first century (Galatians 2:1-5; Philippians 3:17-19; Titus 1:10-16). But just as the Lord and His apostles foretold, these latter days overflowing with deception, falsehood and apostasy are especially filled with those that deceive themselves and anybody gullible enough to believe or worse, imitate them in their folly as professed Christians (Matthew 24:4-5, 11; 2 Timothy 3:1-9, 13; 2 Peter 2).
Exactly what does it mean to follow and be a follower of Jesus Christ?1 First, a basic understanding of each word to help get to what the Lord means by them. Webster’s Dictionary defines “follow” with several layers of meaning to include: “To come or go after; to chase, pursue; to attend, accompany…to comply with, obey and to come after in time, order or position.” It defines a “follower” as “One that follows--especially a pursuer; an attendant; a subordinate; an adherent of the methods or teachings of another.” In or about AD 30, Jesus of Nazareth began calling Israelites to repent, believe in and follow Him as the sign God’s promised Kingdom was near (Matthew 4:12-17).
He also directly and authoritatively called specific men to follow Him to do as He was doing (Matthew 4:18-22, 9:9). With the specific men, multitudes responded to His preaching and miraculous works of healing power to become His followers or disciples (Matthew 4:23-25) and gathered together to Him to hear Him teach (Matthew 5:1-7:27). It was not unusual for a Teacher or Rabbi to have a following and be popular in Israel in those days (Acts 5:34-39). However, none performed the miracles of Jesus or taught with His commanding authority (Matthew 7:28-29)! He taught those that gathered to Him what He required to be His disciple as He did on one occasion.
The Lord first told the twelve men He was equipping to be apostles He must suffer death and be resurrected (Luke 9:18-22). “Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me,’” (Luke 9:23, NKJV). A faithful and true follower of Jesus Christ is to disown his life for the sake of chasing after, pursuing, being with, obeying and lining up behind Him to suffer death if necessary; filled with faith that just as God raised Christ from the dead, He will raise him too (Luke 9:24-26). Thus, the Lord plainly and firmly teaches there is a cost one must be willing to pay to be His disciple which He has never walked back!
This cost involves a giving over of self to following Christ so completely, He becomes the uppermost love of a man’s life. Too, there is a willingness to carry an assigned cross to the death and to “forsake all that he has” or he, says the Lord, “cannot be My disciple,” (Luke 14:25-33, NKJV). Nothing of Christ’s requirements to be His disciple is missing from His own life and example as the Disciple of God the Father (Isaiah 50:4; John 5:16-20, 6:38, 8:29). As a result, love for His Father above all others was Christ’s deepest motive for following Him and doing every single thing He had been shown and commanded to do without deviation (Mark 3:31-33; John 14:31).
Love for God the Father led to Christ’s resolve to bear and endure His cross as intensely difficult as it was to get there (Mark14:32-42; Hebrews 5:7-8). Nevertheless, He went to the cross forsaking any yearning for or claim to mortal pursuits; suffering its agony to please His Father and save fallen mankind (Isaiah 53:1-6; John 3:14-17, 19:17-18). He loudly cried out to His Father from the cross before yielding His spirit into His care at the finish of the mission (Matthew 27:45-46; Luke 23:46; John 19:30). He was buried with no one really understanding why He died, but at His resurrection on the third day after it was made plain to His followers (Isaiah 53:7-12; Luke 24:1-49).
At His command, His apostles went forth preaching the Good News about Him. Hearers through repentance and faith were and have been made new disciples of Christ from that time until now in nearly every nation on earth (Matthew 28:18-20)! They were all supposed to be taught the same instruction and requirements of following Christ as those in the first century.2 But even before that century ended satanically inspired deceit and falsehood to include religion invented by men began to arise and threaten the faith “once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3-4, NKJV). Following Jesus as He taught became the experience of but a remnant that God preserved in every generation.
1 Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is one of the important eternal roles of Christians I write about in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. Get a print copy or
digital download of the book at major internet booksellers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ChristianBooks.com and Apple (digital only). You can also get a print copy
of the book in the Strong Man Store.
2 This is one of the common sense reasons God had the requisite teaching and commandments of Christ written down so they could be perpetually and accurately pre-
sented (Luke 1:1-4; 2 Peter 1:1-15). Oh, how clever the deceiver and evil the guilty human hearts that have twisted and corrupted even the straightforward teaching and
commandments of Christ over the centuries to this very hour! And you do not think you will have to give an account to God for that?
I had hit a brick wall in early 1986 attempting to write what was supposed to be a spiritual interpretation of the first of several planned black historical fact segments for a radio program this Ministry was airing and abandoned the effort titled, From Slavery To Victory: One Man’s Journey. As I wrote in a 1995 Op-ed distributed nationally by Religion News Service, “I retreated to determined prayer and Bible study.” I asked God why and as I learned, the sovereign God who is a Participant in and trustworthy Witness of human affairs, really will give wisdom and understanding to His people that but ask (Psalm 33:10-15; Proverbs 2:1-9; Luke 11:9-13; 1 Corinthians 2:6-16; James 1:5)!
In my child-like faith over the next seven years, little by little the Lord not only gave me an understanding of the major facts of black history from a biblical worldview, but also led me back to pen and paper to write then finally, produce the just under one hour From Slavery To Victory: One Man’s Journey Radio Special.4 In the docu-drama, the Lord uses me as He did Ezekiel, the exemplary prototype of my gifting and ministry, to communicate through narration, dramatic sound effects and music the major facts and biblically grounded understanding of the historic black American experience along with a prophetic warning against rejecting it (Ezekiel 4-5, 33:1-9).
The Word of God that undergirds the Lord’s instruction and my understanding of His involvement in the history of black Americans is so obviously strewn about the entire Bible the question begged to be asked, so I asked, “Why don’t we all see it?” Tragically, it is because the vast majority of black Americans to include many professed Christians have chosen--some out of fresh wounds--to be victims and see our experience entirely from that perspective. However, Psalm 107 is one of the many Bible passages that clearly show God behind the deliverances of suffering men brought about by natural circumstances and calamities that befall them as judgment from Him.
The Psalmist urges men delivered out of both natural situations of distress and those brought about through divine judgment to “give thanks to the Lord for His goodness and for His wonderful works to the children of men,” (Psalm 107:8, 15, 21, 31, NKJV). Among the natural distresses in Psalm 107 are homeless folk faint in wilderness wandering (vs.4-9), mariners facing the challenges of an angry sea (vs. 23-32) and the hungry from parched land (vs. 35-38). God’s works of judgment are seen upon men in shackles (vs. 10-16), stubborn transgressors near death (vs. 17-22), the wicked in a fruitful land made barren (vs. 33-34) and in His contempt on oppressive rulers (vs. 39-41).5
Surely, black Americans that will be honest see our historical experience in Psalm 107:10-16! The reason the men pictured in this passage are sitting “in darkness” “and the shadow of death, bound in affliction and irons” is “because they rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High,” (vs. 10-11, NKJV). But someone will ask, “when did West Africans receive the ‘words of God’ to rebel against them prior to the arrival of the Europeans in the 14th century AD?” Did they not begin to hear the “words of God” in warnings passed down to them from our forefather, Ham, son of Noah, in the day of wrath through the global flood (Genesis 6:9-13, 9:1-19, 10:6-20)?
Did not the Good News of Jesus Christ crucified, buried and risen to save men from our sins travel naturally throughout all of the ancient trading caravans and intentionally by way of His apostles and disciples of that first century AD (Mark 15:21; Acts 2:1-16, 8:1-8, 26-40)? The apostle Paul also preached that neither prior to that time nor after has God left “Himself without witness,” (Acts 14:8-18, NKJV). He later boldly asserts, however, that wrath is again upon men who “are without excuse” because they willfully refuse to give heed to all of the various ways God has testified to them over the centuries to this hour (Romans 1:18-32, NKJV). The West African arrival of European missionaries to preach a largely rejected Gospel was the last chance for our forefathers (Psalm 107:12).
The From Slavery To Victory: One Man’s Journey Radio Special that first aired in the Dallas, TX, radio market during Black History Month 1993, became the flagship program piece in the full on FSTVEP launched Juneteenth 1994 to widely proclaim the biblical worldview of the black American experience as of God not only in the judgment of bondage, but freedom (Psalm 107:13-16)! For truly, rather than painful bondage, the Lord would have been within His sovereign right to destroy us, but instead, in His mercy and (plainly with hope) plans for us, spared our people!6 The redeemed of the Lord; the righteous in wisdom “see” and “rejoice” over “these things” understood (Psalm 107:42-43, NKJV). Failure to see from “God’s eye view” has brought forth disastrous consequences to many.7
4 I am eternally grateful to the then Vice President of the Southern Baptist Radio and Television Commission in Fort Worth, TX, Ed Malone, and the team of producers
under him that gave guidance and technical assistance to me in producing the Radio Special.
5 Let all that would oppress and afflict others be fully warned! Or, what was the American Civil War but divine contempt for the Southern oppression and affliction of my
slave forefathers; worldwide condemnation of the brutally violent reaction to the peaceful, nonviolent protests of slave descendants nearly a hundred years later still
seeking complete, unimpeded and tangible freedom from a professed Christian nation?
6 Click through The Journey on the FSTVEP Web Site for a more thorough presentation of the biblical worldview of the black American experience. Also, read the
February 26-March 19, 2017 four-part series, God Of Restoration And Judgment, under multiple categories.
7 In spite of the consequences of rejecting a biblical worldview of our experience by many to date, there is still hope and help the FSTVEP offers for the willing to pur-
posely include our men who are God’s chosen leaders beginning in the home. The strong man of God cause to restore men and my book, The Strong Man Of God:
Back To Basics have their origin in the FSTVEP. The book is available at all major internet booksellers, by order at your favorite brick and mortar bookstore or in the
Strong Man Store.
As the 25th Year Anniversary of The From Slavery To Victory Education Project (FSTVEP) conducted by the organizational parent of Strong Man Ministries, Open Door Communication Ministries, Inc. (both of which I have been blessed to lead) draws near on Juneteenth this year, I am filled with excitement and gratitude to God.1 I write this post as the Lord leads in obedience to the instruction of the ancient Psalm writer He commissioned to exhort “the redeemed” above all to give thanks to Him for His goodness (Psalm 107:1-3, NKJV)! As well, with that Psalmist’s heart, to express the spiritual “what for” of the FSTVEP to the children of men among fellow black Americans.
Talk about amazing confluences. I write this realizing that it will be fifty years ago this upcoming September that I was asked by my no longer standing Fremont Junior High School, Seaside, CA, English teacher, Mr. Earle Rosenberg, to write a column reporting on our flag football teams. I have not stopped writing since and am overjoyed to have done so in the Lord’s cause for nearly forty of those years! As it turns out, 1969 was also another of a long string of great years for Rhythm and Blues or if you will, Soul Music. On September 23rd that year, the Temptations released their Temptations Puzzle People on Motown’s Gordy label with a number of impressive songs.
One of those songs composed by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong was entitled, Message From A Black Man. Arriving as it did just over a year after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the bold and yet reasoned lyrics of the song directed to white America were delivered deftly by the singing of the Temps as well as the catchy, forceful rhythms of the band. Bold were such lines as, “Yes, my skin is black, but that’s no reason to hold me back…I have wants and desires just like you. So, move on the side ‘cause I’m comin’ through. No matter how hard you try, you can’t stop me now.” Call to action words for a thirteen year old who had been angrily watching the revolution on TV.
Even today, it is hard to honestly refute the logic in the lines, “Black is a color just like white. Tell me: how can a color determine whether you’re wrong or right?” Whitfield and Strong wrote and the Temptations delivered Message From A Black Man as decent “every black man” who were still coming out of the shell shocked silence of intimidation caused demoralization to firmly, yet, peacefully stand up to their oppressive and abusive intimidators. This is not unlike women today who are applauded for standing up to their abusers. While the message from a black man was certainly cathartic and necessary at that moment in 1969, it needed to also be given biblical feet and built on.
I carried the raw message throughout the rest of my secondary education and the first two years of college; leading out as a Black Student Union President giving speeches, helping to organize events, engaging white authorities, publishing materials and writing editorials. At Monterey Peninsula College (MPC) I also began to take the many newly rolled out Black Studies Courses offered and did well because of my intense interest. A desire to attend historic Howard University in 1976 was fueled by my interest in all things black. But as I have testified in other places,2 my passion for pursuing an education began to lose steam as I lost my way at Howard--itself a serious reality check.3
Coming to Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord who redeemed me from a life that had become empty, without purpose and meaning began to change me as a person to include my thinking and worldview after full surrender to Him. Now, for example, nobody could ultimately stop me from being who God created me to be and doing what God wanted me to do with Him working on my behalf (Romans 8:28-39; Philippians 4:13). Moreover, being black skinned in the human skin color spectrum was not a curse or something contemptible, but a blessing because God made me this way (Acts 17:26). Indeed, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made” by God (Psalm 139:14, NKJV)!
After receiving the Lord’s call to serve Him in broadcasting in August 1979, I returned to school at MPC that spring, then San Jose State University in San Jose, CA in fall 1980. There, I celebrated God as the inspirational, sustaining hand among black Christians in a radio documentary on the history of Black Gospel Music I wrote and produced. Inevitably, though, even after seminary studies I was stuck attempting to understand why the black American experience beginning with slavery was so in the first place. I had all of the major facts of our historical experience, but of themselves, they brought no satisfying appreciation for why. Instead, as is the case for so many black Americans, the painful facts of our history alone brought nothing but hopeless futility, grief and anger.
1 Too, I am grateful to the 1993-94 Ministry Board of Directors, Rev. Ira Gay, Jr., Rev. Richard Young (with the Lord), Rev. Ron Oliver and Mrs. Linda Beard that gave unanimous approval for the project and the 2018-19 Directors, Messrs. Alvin Johnson, Richard Anderson and Philip Lovings who also in one accord approved this year’s anniversary celebration. Not to be left out is my wife, Mary, and our three daughters Sherie, Roberta and Patricia at home at the time as youth and having to bear with my very involved work on the project. You can learn more about the FSTVEP along with its flagship national Radio Special and now Webcast, From Sla- very To Victory: One Man’s Journey, to be rolled out Juneteenth 2019 on its newly revamped Web Site, https://fromslaverytovictory.org.
2 For my most recent sharing on this aspect of my testimony, read the February 17, 2019 post, Surrendering All To Jesus, under the category, Glory To God!
3 Howard brought me face to face for the first time with the full mix of socio-economic classes, their divergent political thought and corresponding worldviews in what I soberly learned was truly not a monolithic black community. Among other sobering realities, I especially had my conscience awakened to the contradictions inherit in my chosen field of Marketing and the black struggle after spending an afternoon giving away free, addictive and destructive cigarette samples in Southeast DC--its most economically challenged section. I also had to face my own hypocrisy in personally contributing not to the uplift of my community as I loudly called for, but its destruction through abusing drugs and alcohol, sexual promiscuity, mistreatment of our women in that lifestyle and practical abandonment of two children I had fathered.
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