The Scourge Of Racism
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In this final edited 2012 repost for Black History Month 2018, the Lord leads me to give sober warning to a new generation of black Americans and their leaders (Ezekiel 33:1-9). Their alignment and participation with those of the wider culture rebelling against God and the historic Christian faith of the Bible held to by our faithful Christian forefathers from slavery has not uplifted the entire community in a righteous and lasting way. It will not end well for the guilty since God shows “no partiality” and judges all in accord with their deeds (Romans 1:18-2:11, NKJV). My hope, then, is that rather than anger and resistance, this post will provoke heartfelt repentance to the saving of many!
Originally Posted September 30, 2012
As the Lord has led, I conclude my recent barbershop encounter with articles in the monthly Ebony Magazine by offering the following comments. First, Ebony (and its weekly little sister, Jet1) Magazine came into being only a short time ago when neglected by white owned media, black Americans needed an unbigoted window on themselves and their circumstances in a brutally oppressive and segregated nation. Founded by deceased black entrepreneur, John H. Johnson, in 1945, the nationally distributed magazine was a great encouragement and source of inspiration to black Americans; many of whom still believed God would make a way (Psalm 33). He did!
Ebony chronicled the black experience capturing the passion and suffering of our leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during the Civil Rights Movement and the tiniest of moral victories as blacks began to successfully cross color lines into previously restricted areas of participation in American society. We needed that then and I am one that was greatly inspired in my youth. However, my second comment is this. Just as a new generation “who did not know the Lord nor the work He had done for Israel” arose after the death of Joshua and the elders that outlived him, so, now, among black Americans a new generation in like manner has risen up (Judges 2:7-13, NKJV).
The top, mostly female leadership at Ebony is representative of the new generation that has risen up and it appears, wholeheartedly adopted the secular worldview of political correctness, tolerance, equality, fairness, sexual immorality, feminism, narcissistic ambitions, materialism, self-serving religion, situational ethics, pragmatism and the edict, “don’t judge.” They are joined by many other black owned and operated media outlets, businesses, politicians, educators, sports and entertainment stars and religious leaders with their churches in this worldview. Though until now, politely tolerated as I know from experience, a biblical worldview2 is not considered “in touch,” “relevant,” “realistic” or welcome among this new generation of black movers and shakers.3
Yet, the liberalized trend away from the faith of the Bible that many of our Christian slave and segregated forefathers had is not bringing something better to our community, but worse if statistics on the disproportionately high rates of black male incarceration, for example, are taken seriously. All of the things supposedly gained by aligning with those in rebellion against God are not benefitting the whole community, but only the relative well connected few. Apparently, forsaking faithfulness to the God of the Bible is having the same result in negative consequences for this new generation as it did Israel’s new generation after Joshua and the elders that outlived him died (Judges 2:14-15).
Indeed, the once inspirational presentation of blacks in Ebony “that had made it” into the “Promised Land” of success is now a sickening, self-indulgent, sinful celebration of covetousness fulfilled and idol worship of the privileged successful relative few. A generation after the unofficial end of the Civil Rights Movement and Ebony’s ongoing crusade to hold up and re-make our collective self-image as a race into the middle and upper class success stories of the likes of fictional George Jefferson in television’s, The Jeffersons, impoverished, underachieving, female led single parent households are still the predominant reality of black America.
The success idols today are led by President Barack Obama who has been and will be supported by a large number of blacks that see especially all opposition to his leadership by whites as just “hatin” (racial resentment, envy). No doubt, some of the President’s white opposition is due to racism. He however, should not get a critical pass by Ebony and other black owned media because he is the vaunted lead success idol to be protected in the black community. Truly, he personifies their liberal trend away from the faith of the Bible in his social policies. Even so, to them his success at attaining the office of President of the United States serves as a not so subtle ratification of the trend.
But not so fast. My final comment is this. The problem with the liberal trend away from the faith of the Bible embraced by the new Ebony generation is not just its obvious failure to bring about a tangibly brighter day for or even superior hope to the entire black community. Pressing this trend by advocating sin (all rebellion against the written Word of God is sin), the new Ebony generation in its narcissistic now, is actually hastening community degeneration; failing as they have to consider that the God they still attempt to acknowledge is real and calls for an accounting! When (not if) the unchanging God of the Bible judges this nation, wealth, power, achievement and success will be of no avail to anyone as a bargaining chip to escape (Ezekiel 7).4
In that day very near, without repentance this new Ebony generation will painfully learn too late that success by any means necessary including abandoning the faith of our Christian slave and segregated forefathers was not worth it (Mark 8:36-37; Hebrews 12:16-17). They may have been impoverished materially, but they were rich spiritually and in Christ-like character--the stuff God eternally recognizes! This is the most important take away lesson the new Ebony generation should have received from the experience of those that went before them. Therefore, judgment day will be even more painful for them as they remember how nostalgically, yet blind and deaf spiritually they sang James Weldon Johnson’s hymn, Lift Every Voice And Sing especially missing the prophetic warning of its last stanza.5
1 Jet Magazine ceased print publication in June 2014 and Ebony was sold to a black owned equity firm in June 2016.
2 Most faithful Christians would define this worldview with me as preserving, applying, living out and proclaiming the historicity, prophetic declarations and transcendent
spiritual truths as well as Christian specific instructions and commandments of God’s Word in the Bible as written! The fact pastors and professed Christians in what-
ever numbers are among those holding a secular worldview is clear evidence of unfaithfulness to God and the need for biblically defined revival at best--see my Jour-
nal article series, A True Revival Of The Heart on The From Slavery To Victory Education Project Web Site; at worse, the foretold apostasy in progress (1 Timothy 4: 1-2).
3 Consider Ebony’s content in the Black History Month 2018 posts that precede this one.
4 The nondiscriminatory, calamitous impact of 2017’s hurricanes and wildfires more than adequately demonstrate this truth.
5 View the lyrics on The From Slavery To Victory Education Project Web Site.
As Daniel represented his generation in his heartfelt prayer of confession and repentance before the Lord in Daniel 9:3-19,1 so, after similar prayers over the years I write now, to my fellow baby boomers with a heart yearning for those of our generation who have not, to turn to Christ before it is too late! The foregoing “too late” is not intended so much to be apocalyptic as much as it is keeping it real about the fact that we are moving fast into the categories of higher death rates among senior adults. Though this is so, many still eat what they foolishly believe is the free lunch of rebellion against God they have also passed on to their progeny. I remind you, this belief is completely false!
Baby boomers are the many post-World War II children born from 1946-1964. I was born in the middle of that range and lived the “wonder years” of the 1960s and early 70s in their full rebel splendor with some of the greatest particularly message music ever; some of which I was privileged to perform.2 Following hard after women’s suffrage begun in the mid-19th century during this Christian era, our generation openly rebelled against biblical social mores governing marriage, family and sexual conduct pursuing free love. We pressed beyond alcohol to experiment with and use drugs to free our minds and in free expression, flooded the streets with “anti-establishment” protests.
Too, many boomers turned their backs on the Christianity of their parents.3 A number did not even care to make a proper distinction between the Christianity of Scripture and that of organized human invention pursuing personal freedoms. Our generation abandoned the faith and churches we attended as youth in droves because it is what we wanted to do and could. Hostile attitudes toward Christianity were communicated in words and deeds by many boomers to their children and the generations that have followed. Indeed, the trend to reject Christianity and its practices among baby boomers has not abated to this hour according to Christian researcher, George Barna.4
As New Age religionists, secularists, agnostics and self-proclaimed free thinking atheists who have made science their god and final authority in large numbers, the hostility of baby boomers especially toward the moral standards of biblical Christianity has helped to bring our nation to its post-Christian posture where abortion is legal, truth relative; political correctness and tolerance facilitates sexual perversion and gender identity confusion in the generations that have followed. Needless to say, evil rebellion against God is not what a generation is supposed to pass on to those that follow it. Ours, consequently fulfills the wise observation of Agur (Psalms 2:1-3, 78:1-8; Proverbs 30:11-14)!
In the catch phrase of our generation credited to economist Milton Friedman, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.”5 The costs of rebellion against God, His will, way and Word in the Christianity of the Bible are severe and many as warned, but have not always been immediate or foreseen. This is just as Israel’s prophets warned them and Daniel acknowledged in the day his generation endured God’s judgment for their and their fathers’ rebellion against Him (Daniel 9:5-12). Now, nearly 2,000 years after the first appearing of His Son, Jesus Christ, to bring salvation from sin to the world, He who holds the generations accountable assigns the guilt of rebellion in every generation since to baby boomers and its rising severe costs on the horizon to our progeny (Luke 11:46-51; Revelation 8-9).
For our generation knew the truth of the Gospel, but willfully spurned it (John 3:16-21, 36)! Many of our baby boomer generation pass from this life already seeing too late, the harvest of natural and divine imposed consequences our rebellion has brought upon the world and our progeny of generations X, Y and Z.6 Beyond the lyrical and melodic message music of our day warning as the Bible does of future calamity for rebellion and poor stewardship (Isaiah 24:1-6), it has been painful listening to the children of generation Z such as Climate Activist, Greta Thunberg of Sweden, call their parents and baby boomers out for our selfish lack of foresight and empathy for them as they fearfully and angrily communicate their concern about the degenerating state of the planet being left to them.7
However, climate change is not the worst of the many tragic consequences of baby boomer rebellion. Eating what was believed to be the free lunch of rebellion against God, a consequence not foreseen by unrepentant baby boomers is the warning from Bible prophecy our unsaved progeny making up generation Z that lives to be senior adults may well endure the foretold awesome outpour of God’s wrath upon all of earth’s sinners (Isaiah 2:10-22, 13:6-13, 24:17-20; Romans 1:18-32; Revelation 6:12-17, 15-16)!8 Therefore, I first urge every unsaved fellow baby boomer reading this to repent and believe the Gospel to be saved or return to Christ. Then, care enough about your progeny to proclaim the Gospel and witness to them while you have the opportunity (2 Corinthians 6:2).9
1 See the two-part post that starts January 16, 2022, Arriving At These Times, under the categories Bible Prophecy and Call To Repent.
2 I am thankful to God for the privilege I was granted to start the original Sounds Of Persuasion band in Seaside on the Monterey Peninsula, CA and to make music as well as have friendships with all of its members from 1970-73.
3 As dead manmade religion in many cases, this was actually understandable. Woe to guilty religionists! Read the two-part post beginning August 21, 2016, Christianity The Religion Of Men, under the category, Instruction. Also, read the two-part, American Culture’s Religion starting September 11, 2016, under the category, Call To Repent.
4 Examine his report at Barna Research.
5 Milton Friedman Quotes. Brainy Media Inc, 2022. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/milton_friedman_141778.
6 See the article by Veronica Thompson, Generation Names Explained.
7 View the YouTube excerpt of then, 16 year old Greta’s address to the UN to see this child’s angry intensity. Let every neglectful pastor still rebelling against God after two years of His Coronavirus judgment to build your local church empire while not preparing those you serve for the coming persecution take a close look at Greta's face as you hear her anger. Baby boomers turned their backs on the churches; generation Z in their time will destroy them and persecute faithful Christians to the death (Daniel 7:23- 25, 8:23-25; Revelation 17:12-18)!
8 Read the February 6, 2022 post, The Divine Delay, under the category, Bible Prophecy, giving special consideration to footnote three.
9 To receive a fresh, clear biblically grounded presentation of the Gospel for yourself or someone you care about in whatever generation, please view one or both of our 30 minute videos on this Ministry’s Strong Man Of God Online Rally YouTube Channel.
I rejoice to notify our readers about the roll out yesterday, July 30, 2022, of this Ministry’s latest Strong Man Of God Online Rally on its dedicated YouTube Channel.1 The theme of this Online Rally is Reconciled To God! The audience this rally seeks to reach is primarily males born between 1993 and 2009 which takes in the latter end of Generation Y (Millennials) and most of Generation Z. I have children in Generation Y, grandchildren and great-grandchildren in Generation Z. I am greatly concerned for Generation Z that has suffered most of the many mass school shootings and from which lately has also come the male shooters--recently at a school in Uvalde, Texas.
Besides the mental health issues such as depression many experience due to the unsettling worry and fear about their safety at school and out in a world filled with hate and lawlessness, Generation Z is caught up in the midst of cultural turmoil created by morality and values confusion and conflict. Additionally, as I wrote about in a previous post this year, Generation Z is deeply troubled about their future on a planet that is polluted and undergoing destructive climate upheaval.2 The generation is not keen on religion either which does not bother us in our cause to proclaim the Gospel to them since we through it are not preaching religion, but reconciliation with the living God!
While in its opening, this Online Rally acknowledges the raw negative feelings of the young persons it reaches out to, it boldly asserts there is a positive answer from the overflowing love of the God who wills to connect to and be reconciled with those that are willing and proved it by sending Christ to die for us as “sinners” and His “enemies,” (Romans 5:6-11, NKJV)! Being reconciled to God provides comfort and an anchoring hope for the soul through His promises in Christ beginning with salvation that go beyond the foreboding realities of this world present and future (Hebrews 6:13-20). A born again believer of any age can effectively cope in this world through faith and hope in Christ!
This is my firm conviction from God’s Word as it is written, my own experience as a born again believer since 1977 and apparently even some in the generation behind Generation Z represented as an example by nine year old Uvalde shooting victim, Eliahna (Ellie) Garcia. She had posted a brief video to her social media platform talking up the Lord Jesus shortly before she was martyred. Though the biblically foretold trajectory of the world toward God’s wrath cannot be averted, we can and this Ministry will continue to proclaim His call to be reconciled to Him and saved through the Gospel to all mankind young and old. For truly age has nothing to do with the ability to receive it.
Indeed, what matters for anyone that will have an open heart to the Gospel is hearing the pure message from the Bible even from an aging Baby Boomer like me (Romans 10:13-15) as the Holy Spirit does His work (John 16:7-11). Since 2006 I have seen Him bring many young males to Christ and salvation through our youth outreach, Strong Man Academy.3 Without compromise on biblical propriety, this Online Rally presents energetic worship, a testimony from a Generation Z male and features a pre-message rap song holding up Christ as “the perfect sacrifice.” After this the Lord uses me to preach His message of reconciliation and present an invitation to salvation and rededication!
I urge every fellow parent and grandparent of Generations Y and Z as well as those coming after who might engage for thirty minutes to encourage them to watch this Online Rally. Watch it with them if possible so, you might answer questions generated or discuss any issues that are raised. Know that if nothing else, something in the Online Rally presenting God’s call to be reconciled to Him will serve as seed planted in their hearts for the Holy Spirit to cultivate at a later time especially if now, they are put off by church or religion in general. Otherwise, I ask all of our readers to watch the rally and put the word out about it as far as your social media and other means of influence extends.
1 View the rally and subscribe to the channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwOtdk7KRwcQG0tOpZGI7-w.
2 See the March 27, 2022 post, No Baby Boomer Free Lunch, under the categories, Biblical Worldview and Call To Repent.
3 Learn more about Strong Man Academy on our Web Site.
The stirring John Legend written song, Glory, he and rapper, Common, perform with a little help from a choir as the theme of the movie, Selma, has risen up in my heart again in the present version of the ongoing black American quest for racial acceptance. Well captured in the song and the current news images of students passionately protesting long tolerated systemic patterns of racial mistreatment in American society, its campuses and streets is the deeply troubling pathos involved in continuing to fight the many centuries long battle that cannot seem to be finally won. Even so, as the song asserts, the fight continues to be won at last when the Glory comes.
Glory is a fitting close to the film biopic, Selma, that chronicles the challenges and adversities slain Civil Rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. dealt with to safely and peacefully complete a march over the Edmond Pettus Bridge into the now famous Alabama city in 1965. Such marches were the cornerstone of King’s purposeful strategy of nonviolent resistance to America’s legally sanctioned racial discrimination against blacks that also involved students peacefully sitting in at segregated eating establishments across the South. The marchers and protesters stood up carrying in their hearts the long held aspiration of our slave forefathers for freedom, equality and justice.
Recently seeing tears on some faces of University of Missouri black students as they sang, prayed and expressed themselves vocally to protest incidents of racism they felt were ignored or not considered important enough by school officials to investigate coupled with the sometimes very angry marches of those that protest under the banner, “Black Lives Matter,” caused me to easily and compassionately empathize with them. Transported to my childhood a generation ago when the activities of the Civil Rights Movement unfolded in real time on my family’s black and white television screen, I too began to tear up at the sadness that this seemingly easy to resolve struggle continues.
While I do not find every single sentiment expressed in Glory biblical, I nevertheless, greatly appreciate Legend’s recognition and incorporation of the predominant Christian faith of our people going back to slavery. Also, his song includes the fight for what should be common human decency as just, an encouragement to peaceful protest, respect for Jesus Christ as victorious after a public crucifixion and of course, the exclusively Christian hope of His glorious return to make things right as themes. In my mind, these themes enable the song to be an appropriate final anthem for the struggle to a generation forced to face the reality this fallen world will not of its own do right.
Indeed, since Legend’s song invites the wisdom of the elders into the continuing struggle in this generation, I step up. I qualify to do so now after nearly sixty years of experience being black and having the requisite mental and emotional battle scars from wounds suffered in the struggle with secular white as well as professed Christians that practice racism. First, understand as God has judged and declares in His Word, all human beings are sinners unwilling and unable to line ourselves up with His perfect standard (Romans 3:9-20). Nevertheless, God in love, grace and mercy has provided deliverance and help for the willing in Jesus Christ (John 3:16-21; Romans 3:21-26).
Obstinate white men guilty as sinners have resisted doing right from slavery because racism is not just about skin color, but guarding selfish privileges and opportunities--economic and otherwise. In light of this, consider also your generation’s wholesale embrace of the world’s sinfully invented political correctness, tolerance, multiculturalism, gender and sexual equality and how these concepts have not brought the long quest of our slave forefathers to full realization. In fact, in spite of these concepts and a very morally tolerant African-American President, your generation is still marching to protest racism! A holy God is constrained to help because so many marching are in rebellion against Him as willful sinners (Proverbs 14:34; Jeremiah 5:20-29; Romans 1:18-2:11).1
Second, understand that the resistance in guilty white men to do right and your own rebellion is not only driven by sin within, but outside forces are at work too. Ultimately, the struggle of our and all people that long for a world of love, acceptance, peace and justice is opposed by fallen angels led by Satan (Ephesians 6:12). This is why finally, the struggle will continue until the Day I am pleased to say is near; the Day when Jesus Christ, the Glory of God comes in wrath to insert Himself and His Kingdom into this world (Revelation 1:7-8, 6:12-17, 11:15-19, 19:11-16)!
Wholeheartedly come back to the biblical faith of our Christian slave and free forefathers so that you will not suffer the fate of those who mistreat you and all sinners before it is too late! For the kingdoms of fallen men and angels will be destroyed, the victory of Heaven justly won and His righteous reign rolled out! 2 Those who waited on Christ living as it pleases Him (1 Thessalonians 1:6-10, 2:10-12) will joyfully stand in that Day with elect Jews in His triumphant, eternal Kingdom (Isaiah 25:6-10a).3
1 Read the June 2015 blogs under the category, Black History.
2 Read the July 26, 2015 blog repost, Final Deliverance From The Evil Oppressor under the category, Encouragement.
3 With a learner’s heart, I challenge my fellow black American readers to set aside the convictions you may have from the worldview of a victim, to consider a biblical worldview of the enslavement and suffering of our people presented on our From Slavery To Victory Web Site; reading all the way through the brief presentation to the Victory Page. Follow this link, https://fromslaverytovictory.org/Healing/The-Journey to be taken directly to the presentation.
Covert sexual promiscuity among black Americans and the paradoxical moral conservatism that developed along with it from slavery through the Civil Rights era is well known. However, what is now, quite overt sexual promiscuity has evolved with the “sexual revolution” of the wider culture since and is plainly seen consequentially, for example, in the high number of single parent households many have mostly attributed to the unsaved and nominal Christians. But as I was shocked to learn and wrote about in this edited two-part 2012 repost, a growing number of sexually active young blacks are boldly declaring their faith in Christ while also openly practicing what they fully know is sin!
Deeply troubled about this very apparent misunderstanding of who He really is, I also wrote to this group as the unchanging God full of grace and mercy led to give warning and helpful instruction. I make this repost hoping again to be heard at a time when the wider culture is attempting through media to make all manner of sexual immorality normal. So much is this the case, that in the January 30, 2018 episode of a new black American themed CW show called “Black Lightning,” the main character’s lesbian daughter is consoled in a hospital setting by her mother over the break up with her lover while the Gospel Music classic, “Mary Don’t You Weep,” plays in the background.
Surely, all of us over fifty remember either our mothers and/or grandmothers weeping to this song a generation ago not only as they thought hopefully for Mary overcome with grief for her dead brother, Lazarus, but cathartically, the plight of their own children facing the sometime deadly challenges of growing up black in an oppressive and segregated America. For the show’s producers, the network and black cast to allow this mockery of Christianity and the Christian black experience in the cause to further sexual immorality is wicked beyond words and marks the arrival of the next clear consequence of trying to have God and sin too! The guilty must snap out of satanic delusion and repent before it is too late; realizing the immutable, holy God never embraces, but judges sin.
Originally Posted September 16, 2012
One more article published in the May 2012 Ebony Magazine that caught my attention focused on Christian black American singles and their attitudes toward having sex outside of marriage. Entitled, Single, Saved--and Having Sex, the article written by Chevonne Harris appeared in the Love And Relationships Connect section of the magazine.1 A set up tag line reads: “A Majority Of Young Christians Are Foregoing Abstinence, Even As They Keep The Faith.” While a few men are cited in the article, it is written with a decidedly female audience in mind right down to the graphic art seemingly showing two females embracing on a bed while in shadow a solitary woman is draped over a pew in apparent sadness.
This article showcases again the liberalizing trend of especially many young black Americans away from the historic faith of the Bible and our faithful Christian slave forefathers. To struggle with sex as a Christian is not new. I confess my own struggle (key word here is “struggle”) with living celibate as a young Christian in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics.2 So, let no one read me as unsympathetic. However, it is one thing to struggle and another to just flat out go for it without concern about biblical prohibitions or consequences. This is a new attitude among historically morally conservative blacks claiming to be Christians the article is reporting on as a current trend.
Citing Relevant Magazine as its source, the article states, “As many as 80% of young, unmarried Christians have had sex.” In Ebony’s own polling at one Ohio church, 54% of 192 single Christians were practicing abstinence while 46% were not doing so even as they retained their belief that sex before marriage is a sin. The attitude of the Christians represented in the new trend of unapologetic sexual promiscuity is expressed well in the article by 34 year old Yolanda Jordan when she is quoted as saying: ‘“Just because I have a Bible on my nightstand and condoms in the drawer doesn’t mean I love God any less or that He doesn’t love me.’”3
Professed Christian John Fitzgerald has “ended relationships because of the woman’s decision to remain abstinent.” He adds, ‘“Yes, it’s wrong, [but] I’m still doing it.’” Author, Sophia Nelson, admits the Bible’s clarity about abstinence until marriage, then offers, ‘“that is not the reality of what’s going on.”’ Moreover, she says, “‘It is unrealistic in the 21st century to expect celibacy until marriage.’” She cites how sexualized society is, the trend to marry later and the “double standard” of tolerating Christian male sex outside of marriage that is unfair to women to support her claim.
Ebony’s article did reference a Creflo Dollar publication explaining the world’s turn away from honoring God’s Word on abstinence until marriage as due to “selfishness.” I would generally agree with this assessment and remind struggling Christian singles as a result, it is not about you. God knows all about your physiology--He gave it to you! He has also given you ready access to His power to be the master over your own body (Galatians 5:22-25; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8). God has given Christians no commandment that He has not also given us the power through the Holy Spirit to obey (Ephesians 3:14-20; Philippians 4:13; Colossians 1:9-12).
However, you must have a made up mind as an aspiring strong man or great woman of God to please Him in obedience, not yourself in sexual gratification. As it concerns the times, you have been called out of the world to Christ and no longer are to follow its thinking and practices (Romans 12:1-2). Regardless of the culture or century, the will of God in Christ remains the same. Every type of sex outside of marriage between a man and woman is sin for all time and all who willfully practice disobedience to this, will eventually be visited by God with judgment (1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 5:1-5, 6:9-11; Galatians 5:19-21; Hebrews 13:4, 8). Why would you foolishly put God to the test (Acts 5:1-11)?
1 Find the article at Ebony.com.
2 The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics is available through all major internet booksellers, by order from your favorite brick and mortar bookstore and in the Strong Man Store.
3 A footnote informs readers names in the article had been changed.
I open Black History Month 2018 as the Lord leads yet again to speak the truth from His Word to professed Christian black Americans to inform our ongoing uplift in this and the three reposts that follow. Having been publically upbraided many times for speaking the truth in love, I do not relish naming names to address grave spiritual error that exists as impediments to our progress. However, in these instances, it was unavoidable. My Christmas Eve 2017 post entitled, “Hedging One’s Religious Bets,” under the category, Instruction serves as the general backdrop for this edited 2012 repost warning specifically about abandoning the faith that has brought us this far.
Originally Posted September 9, 2012
While awaiting my turn at the barbershop recently, I picked up Ebony Magazine--that ubiquitous print icon of the black community from my childhood--and once again encountered an approach to Christianity that has clearly become a liberalizing trend away from the faith of the Bible and our faithful Christian slave forefathers. Oh, the magazine still features prominent black religious figures and churches. However, as in most Western societies over the past generation, there has been an unmistakable shift away from honoring the unique message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the absolute truths and morality of biblical Christianity.
Today, what is frequently offered is a more generic, politically correct and culturally tolerant form of the faith as one of many possible means a person choosing religion as a path can make it work for them. As historically, pastors and churches are leading the way. A case in point is the May 2012 issue of Ebony I was browsing through that featured an article by Rev. A.R. Bernard, the founder and senior pastor of Christian Cultural Center out of Brooklyn, N.Y., entitled, 9 Habits That Lift The Soul.1 According to its set up information, the article is intended to help those wanting to “breathe new life into your spiritual journey” to do so.
This was a great set up and I actually began to read the article with hopes this “Christian” preacher would share some great biblical insights for those seeking what can only come from a personal relationship with the One, true God through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God alone (John 14:6). But alas, in the opening sentence my discernment warning lights starting flashing off the charts. In introducing the nine principles to “keep stress and chaos at bay” he has taught members of his congregation, Rev. Bernard writes, “Although these principles are God-centered and Biblical, they apply in general, no matter what your belief system is,” (emphasis mine).
His nine principles are prayer, spiritual study, worship, solitude, giving and service, fasting, reflection, discernment and sharing your story. I will not go through them all, but the first three certainly do speak in a general way to persons of any religious persuasion, but makes some incorrect assumptions in a biblical worldview. He says, for example, “daily prayer is a way to practice an awareness of God.” On the surface, of course, this is true of praying to God. The problem here is with thousands of religions in the world, it appears this “Christian” preacher is falsely assuming as many non-Christians do that all of them really have the same deity or the deities are all equal.
He goes on to counsel not just talking, but listening to “God.” For Christians who take the God of the Bible at His Word that He is the only true God, this is excellent counsel (Isaiah 43:10-13, 44:6-8). But who will everyone else be talking and listening to? Of spiritual study Rev. Bernard says, “Every religion is based on its writings. Whichever faith you subscribe to, become intimately acquainted with the writings that inspire it.” Has God truly made thousands of religious texts among different peoples that all harmoniously present His essential truths and bring them closer to Him? No (Deuteronomy 4:5-14, 32-35; Psalm 147:19-20; Romans 3:1-2, 9:1-5; 2 Timothy 3:14-17)!
Concerning worship, Rev. Bernard writes, “This means practicing the sovereignty of God over your life. It’s a reminder that you’re part of something much greater than yourself.” Even atheists can get in on this since they “believe in the universal moral principles that govern humankind.” “Worship,” he goes on to say, “is about acknowledging the power of that which rules your life.” But while this all sounds noble, Jesus Christ says worship of God the Father is done in “spirit and truth” exclusively through Him (John 4:23-24, 14:6, 17:17, NKJV). What then are those outside of Christ worshipping?
No doubt for the sake of the liberal minded inventions of political correctness and tolerance in this 21st century, Ebony Magazine as so many other Western media and institutions of men feel obligated to speak broadly to the widest possible swath of humanity without offending anyone--anyone except Bible believing Christians anyway. However, for the record and those professed Christians that for whatever motive would attempt to create a generic Christianity for mass consumption, the Scripture is plain that Christianity is not a religious invention of man that is generic enough for non-believers to live out bypassing Christ, His cross and the empowering work of the Holy Spirit. To teach so is heresy and a doctrine of demons (Galatians 1:1-10; 1 Timothy 4:1-2)!
We preachers especially walk in Christ’s footsteps heralding the message He brought from Heaven to proclaim to humanity (Matthew 4:23). We do not have the right or authentic release ever from Christ to preach our own or any other message. If you are doing so: fear (2 Corinthians 5:9-11)! Our faithful Christian slave forefathers as aspiring strong men and great women of God did not practice some generic version of Christianity.2 They “got over” trusting solely in the God of the Bible and His Son, Jesus Christ.3 They prayed to Him; they stood on His Word; they turned from idols, witchcraft and ancestor worship among other religious practices to worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob alone.
“We have come this far by faith” in the Lord God of the Bible and no-one else!4 Are we now so free and in with the world so good we can turn our backs on Him? Repent anyone who thinks so (James 4:1-10)! Or, do you also despise the example and lessons God has given through the written experience of Israel in the Bible (1 Corinthians 10:1-11; Hebrews 3:7-19)? And with regard to enjoying real peace in a chaotic, trouble and stress filled world, let every seeker find it where it can only be found in Jesus Christ who is the “Prince of Peace,” (Isaiah 9:6; John 14:27, 16:33; Philippians 4:6-7, NKJV). The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
2 Learn more about strong men and great women of God in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics available through all major internet booksellers, by order
from your favorite brick and mortar bookstore and in the Strong Man Store.
3 Read a previous Black History Month post, How We Get Over published on February 16, 2014 to understand what is meant by “got over.”
4 Step through the short presentation giving a biblical worldview of the black experience on The From Slavery To Victory Education Project Web Site Home Page at
www.fromslaverytovictory.org.
Why is there still apparently so much angst and now, tumult among many that are politically conservative and profess to be Christians including those self-identified as evangelicals after this year’s Presidential election? Is it not because a year after the Coronavirus pandemic that persists, social unrest and political losses many are squaring up with the reality conservatism as it has been practiced in America may not endure? This is truly a frightening prospect to those that have rested their hope in this life almost exclusively on the control of human institutions of society to perpetually ensure their religious, moral, social and political values, dominance as well as prosperity. I get it.
Indeed, this line of thinking is by no means unique to American conservatism. It has been displayed by the peoples, nobles and royals of every nation and kingdom of men since the beginning. However, from the beginning also, the Almighty God, man’s Creator has been involved and at work in the affairs of men as His Word affirms (Genesis 3:9-11, 17-24, 6:5-22; Job 12:13-25). It is certain that neither Adam nor the people of Noah’s day that perished in the flood wished for an end; nor did king Nebuchadnezzar to whom God through the prophet Daniel revealed the future of His work to raise up and bring down kingdoms starting with Babylon until the coming of His own (Daniel 2:14-45).
The sovereign God has been in charge of the rise and fall of kingdoms up until now, and still is! Grasping this truth, the faithful in Christ understand our times are in His hand and accept His will to move them along even with judgments in accord with His plans and timing no matter how inconvenient, troublesome or adverse to our own plans, hopes and dreams (Psalm 31:14-15).1 While in general it is not wrong to pray for God to continue His gracious and merciful acts to preserve our nation and way of life as they are, it is to pray at cross-purposes with Him if it is abundantly clear as it is today, that the early warning judgments of His foretold end have begun to come upon the earth!
The generation that perished in Noah’s day had 120 years of his preaching as warning to prepare (Genesis 6:3; 2 Peter 2:4-5). Israel had all of the prophets from Moses and finally, Jesus of Nazareth, God’s Son--some 1,400 years--to warn them before their nation was destroyed and the people scattered a generation after His death, burial, resurrection and ascension (Ezekiel 7; Luke 19:41-44, 21:5-6, 21-24). Now, God has patiently given the world nearly 2,000 years since those days; time lengthy enough that some foolishly dare to scoff at us who continue to steadfastly wait for Christ’s promised glorious return and wrath as foretold (2 Peter 3:1-9; Revelation 6:12-17).
That a holy God has given sinners even one day is gracious and merciful (Ezekiel 18:4), but almost 2,000 years with the preaching of the Gospel (Acts 17:30-31)? As the Lord led me to write last year, the prayers of those professed Christians that He move His Coronavirus judgment and save our republic for among the emotionally manipulative and selfishly hypocritical reasons “the sake of our children and future generations” will not be answered by Him the way they want.2 If you truly cared about the children’s future, then, you would have fully repented from all of your biblically defined sins, rebellion and wickedness by now as God calls for (Numbers 14:1-3; Jeremiah 8:4-7).
Instead, by your refusal to repent, cavalier attitudes about and disbelieving denial of the consequences until now, it is too late to delay His on the way judgments more severe than losing elections, a nation and way of life (2 Kings 20:12-19; Ezekiel 12:21-28).3 And though they will suffer short-term, the eternal fortunes of our saved children will be infinitely greater than the inheritance of a crumbling nation and world facing divine wrath (Numbers 14:26-33; Hebrews 3:7-19). This is why the best inheritance to give our willing children is the Gospel of Jesus Christ that they might be saved and instruction about how to faithfully endure suffering persecution to the end (1 Corinthians 15:19)!4
It is time to stop denying the present and warnings about what is coming we Christians have as a legacy of hope from God through His prophetic Word; His plans and purposes now, in play! Therefore, let those that repent of all selfishness and rebellion pray in accord with His will for God to restore you through the Holy Spirit. Pray for strength and wisdom to be a bold witness for Christ. Pray to stand firm in faith throughout all that is unfolding against believers in the darkness as trouble and be encouraged in it (Psalm 46; John 16:33; Philippians 4:4-6; 1 John 5:4-5).5 Pray for all your sustenance. Pray for and support fellow persecuted brethren everywhere. Pray for the expeditious coming of our God’s Kingdom to the earth (Matthew 6:5-15; 1 Peter 5:5-11; Revelation 6:9-11, 7-8:6)!
1 This is a reality the Lord had me address early on during the spread of His Coronavirus judgment in a May 3, 2020 post, Why Now, Lord?, under the category, Encour-
agement.
2 See the April 5, 2020 post, God Is Speaking and that of April 19, 2020, Does Anybody Repent Anymore?, both under the category, Call To Repent.
3 In a chapter aptly titled, God And Politics in his 1989 book, Against The Night, (Vine Books, Ann Arbor, Michigan), political and biblical conservative, Chuck Colson, is
unambiguous in asserting the 80’s Reagan Presidential era and height of evangelicalism’s Moral Majority had “failed” in the attempt to effect a swing in our nation to a
decidedly Christian morality. Religious conservatives, he contends, ignored “two key truths” as reasons writing: “first, the solutions to all human ills do not lie in political
structures; and second, it is impossible to effect genuine political reform solely through legislation,” (p. 117). Colson ought to have known since he came to know Christ
while incarcerated for crimes committed carrying out political dirty tricks in the cause of a conservative President. Too, the historic sinful duplicities of religious conser-
vatives such as upholding systemic racism also contributed to their failure. The failure of the 80’s continues into the present hour where a divided nation is crumbling
into ruin as the Lord led me to warn in a two-part post beginning September 11, 2016, American Culture’s Religion, under the category, Call To Repent. Consequently,
Colson also affirms my conviction from the Lord that any real national reformation would have begun with individuals which only He can effect through Holy Spirit em-
powered salvation (Titus 2:11-3:8).
4 My book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics can help in this instructional effort. A print copy or digital download of the book published by the Publishing Division
of Open Door Communication Ministries, Inc. with fresh editing in 2019 for greater clarity and updated web addresses in the footnotes is available at major internet
booksellers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ChristianBooks.com and Apple (digital only). You can also purchase a print copy in the Strong Man Store. Too, parents
and church leaders can teach, disciple and equip the next generation through The Strong Man Of God Men’s Group Study and The Great Woman Of God Women’s
Group Study also in the Strong Man Store.
5 Colson in his book earlier referenced and others that followed is not calling for disengagement from culture, but for the Church to be the Church as salt and light serving
God’s Kingdom purposes which include holding up “the blood stained banner” of Christ and His transcendent morality, (pp. 118-121, 135-137). This is not possible to
any effective extent of course, if the many that profess to be Christians are corrupt and complicit with this dark world in its rebellion against God. For this reason, Colson
also calls for repentance among guilty professed Christians and their churches, (Chapter 15 and beyond).
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