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I took my stand at the outset of 2017 as commanded by the Lord and empowered by the Holy Spirit to “wage war against and pull down strongholds of deceit” in arguments raised up to redefine and marginalize men.1 After this, I held up Jesus, Son of Man and declared the value of men.2 Continuing now in steadfast resistance to deceitful, worldly feminism and compromising churches attempting to placate and accommodate it, I again hold up Jesus Christ and show the value of men at this moment in 2018. Beginning with this edited 2011 Commentary and posts to follow leading up to Resurrection Sunday, I declare with clueless Pilate: ‘“Behold, the Man,”’ (John 19:5, NKJV)!
None of this is about marginalizing women as some mistakenly surmise. But in the face of a world defying and many in the churches corrupting and even wickedly rewriting Scripture to sustain deceitful feminism, God Almighty seeks to fully portray the truth of His salvation and restoration that is both corporate for His creature “man” as well as individual among mankind that are willing to embrace them through faith in Jesus, Son of Man! Because of what man the creature by divine design is embodied in the first and second Adams, delightfully known to Satan, but unforeseen to human rebels are the many ruinous consequences of marginalizing men in the wrap up to this present age.
Originally Published November 2011
The rebellious attempt by radical feminist besieged Western cultures to eradicate gender distinctives in mankind is leading to a severe, unintended consequence. Short of this severe consequence is the unfolding lack of employment for men in jobs that capitalize on their divine design to envision and boldly embark on the risky venture to construct or accomplish what they saw in their minds. Such men sit on the sidelines while what jobs are available in the service sector, for example, go to women in the name of a twisted, worldly brand of equality. Without a change of some kind soon, distraught unemployed family men that understand their responsibility to provide will revolt.
The phrase in Genesis 1:26a is brief, but thoroughly pregnant with instruction: "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness,'" (NKJV). God, Creator of the heavens, earth and all they contain, on purpose made only one creature specifically named to be man in the image and likeness of God. Among the many transmittable attributes of deity man was to enjoy from the stated intent of God is the visionary leadership of his Creator. According to Webster’s Dictionary, a visionary is one marked by foresight and has visions. His visions are of fantasy and dreams; existing only in the imagination and not very practical or I might add, always doable.
How do we know God is a visionary leader? From cover to cover the Bible declares the visionary leadership of God! For example, Isaiah the prophet writes, "For thus says the Lord Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: 'I am the Lord, and there is no other,'" (Isaiah 45:18, NKJV). When and where did God envision His creation along with His purposes for it? From eternity where He dwells and in His own mind which He has gladly revealed to His sons in Christ (Psalm 90:2, 93:2; Isaiah 57:15a, 64:4; 1 Corinthians 2:6-16).
Genesis 1:1 is the declarative statement of God acting to bring His creative vision to fulfillment. For while men may have many great visions and dream fantastic dreams, only God can and has brought all of His to pass. Even so, God has willed to impart His visionary leadership ability to man and particularly in this age, men. As I write in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics, men and women are different by divine design with men made to prominently display God’s ruling function.3 Men are wired in every part of their existence right down to hormones to fulfill this function. This important ruling function in the image and likeness of God includes visionary leadership.
The history of mankind cannot be revised on this score. It is the visionary leadership of men from Adam to this hour that has conquered lands, built civilizations, dared to walk on the moon and pushes the boundaries of cyberspace. This historical reality is so in spite of the presence of sin in men. Rather than limiting a man's desire to dream and bring to reality, sin with the help of Satan has only corrupted and deceitfully influenced his imagination. As a result, God has stepped in at times to judge the vision inspired works of men and redirect their efforts such as at the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9).
The point is that while in general women by divine design are excellent managers of what exists, men have been the historical practitioners of visionary leadership that dreams and brings what does not exist into reality. Properly informed by the Holy Spirit an aspiring strong man of God in the image of Christ exercises his visionary leadership first in the home, then the local church and beyond. What is the "Great Commission" of Jesus Christ first given to 1st century men but the continuing fulfillment of God's vision to finally have saved mankind dwell with Him forever (Matthew 28:16-20; Revelation 21:1-8)? Truly, wired for visionary leadership mostly men from that time until now have bought into and risked their lives to fulfill God's vision to the ends of the earth!4
Certainly to unemployed men the truth of God given visionary leadership should inspire a turning to Him for an entrepreneurial vision that will enable you to support your family. But soberly, this truth is also a warning to our rebelling nation: stop the evil experiment of redefining men and women! Not only is this leading to an eventual revolt by beleaguered men, but the severe, unintended consequence of our nation's economic ruin in the shadow of God's coming wrath (Proverbs 29:18; Isaiah 3:12, 24:1-13; Revelation 6:5-6). Professed Christians and their churches that have supported this feminist led rebellion against God will not escape (1 Peter 4:17-18). The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
1 See the January 22, 2017 Blog, In God’s Revival Men Are Restored, Pt. 3, under the category, The Cause.
2 Read these series of posts under The Cause category January 29-February 12, 2017 and June 4-25, 2017 respectively.
3 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.
4 Such a man in modern times was Dr. Billy Graham who departed home to the Lord this past February 21, 2018. Read my November 4, 2016 post honoring him.
The Lord’s call to passionately return to the work He originally commanded His disciples as one of the major outcomes of repentance and revival is to guilty Christian leaders too so they can get out in front and lead the way! For it has been the failure to faithfully lead God’s people by biblical precept and example that has brought them, the churches and the nation to the present crisis.1 Passivity on the one hand and the pursuit of selfish ambitions on the other in satanic captivity to religion has caused these leaders to stubbornly resist God’s longsuffering call to repentance and revival until now as I have seen and is historically displayed by ancient Israel’s leaders in His Word.
Generally speaking, intense enthusiasm or passion for a cause is a common trait among men from ancient times and certainly the majority of godly men in the Bible to include, of course, Jesus Christ, the Strong Man of God they unknowingly or knowingly sought to emulate (John 2:13-17)! To lack zeal for the Lord’s cause is one of those clear indicators of being devoid of the Holy Spirit in either never having had His indwelling presence or in quenching His fire through unbelief and disobedience (John 3:1-8; 1 Thessalonians 5:19). Both cases exist among professing American Christian leaders because the Holy Spirit is largely irrelevant to the existence and activity of manmade Christianity the religion.
As I have witnessed and found validated by research, the typical American church is led and attended by men that can only be described as passive. Passionless leaders routinely go through the motions of conducting services and presiding over the traditional annual whatever activities mostly women enjoy, while the relatively few men that attend or participate mimic their disposition. David Murrow calls the situation a “leadership crisis” and cites a 2002 George Barna survey that showed that while 92% of 2,400 Protestant pastors called themselves leaders, a specific definition of leading and having spiritual gifts tied to it or a vision dropped the percentage down to the single digits.2
I have also witnessed and read the statistics many times over of Christian pastors that are filled with energetic passion to fulfill their visions of achievement and greatness in raw selfish ambition. Not souls for the Kingdom, but warm bodies to fill seats and offering plates to enable these men to realize their definition of success (which is typically to gain recognition and a brick and mortar legacy by exceeding the congregation size and empire expanse of another pastor) is their priority. Never mind there is no divine mandate whatsoever for pastors to do this in the New Testament, though this sinful ego pride of leaders is portrayed in Scripture (1 Samuel 15:10-12; 2 Samuel 18:18).
Both passive dispassionate and energetic selfishly ambitious pastors have equally resisted the Lord’s call to repentance and revival through me because many say, “the Lord has not said anything to me.” Of course, historically, the prophet comes mostly after God cannot get through to the people and their leadership because they have resisted Him first (Ezekiel 2:1-5, 3:4-7)! The leaders do offer guidance that is supposed to help me gain their ear such as abandon the Lord’s futile calling and carry on as they do to have success. But if I do that, would I not foolishly become guilty of the very things the Lord sent me to cry out against and warn about the consequences (1 Kings 13:1-32)?3
Indeed, it is for the Lord today among church leaders that are guilty as it was in days of old among Israel’s flesh driven religious leaders. Those weak and passive leaders too caused the people “to err” (you consider it a good thing that women rule over men, but the Almighty regards this as utter weakness--Isaiah 3:12, 9:13-17, NKJV) and looked upon their service to God with contempt (Malachi 1:6-14). The selfishly ambitious back then as well were always seeking for a way to fulfill their desires for success and wealth by laying out self serving visions and protecting evil rulers in their sin to be king makers and for gain. They also schemed to bilk the people and profaned God and His service as though He was unable to see any of them (Psalm 94:4-9; Ezekiel 13:1-7, 22:23-29).
The failure to lead as Holy Ghost gifted and called visionary leaders with ambition to fulfill the divine cause in the churches is truly a long standing crisis that has now brought the whole nation to the brink of sudden, catastrophic judgment! Therefore, professing Christian church leaders that are guilty must lead the way in all heartfelt repentance and plea for revival (Joel 2:12-14). Those that do not will suffer with all and endure complete humiliation in their experience of God’s wrath when it falls upon the nation (Ezekiel 13:8-16). You were given the opportunity to “stand in the gap” when God called, but you refused bringing not rapture, but wrath to yourselves (Ezekiel 22:30-31, NKJV). The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
1 See the September 20-November 1, 2015 blog posts addressing pastors, other church and wider leaders.
2 David Murrow, Why Men Hate Going To Church, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2005), p. 71.
3 Related snares set out by these leaders include the counsel to “get to know” each one personally so that supposedly they can discern my authenticity (which in the
end, does not seem to matter since they still refuse to repent or support the Ministry) and using the old adage, “you catch more flies with honey than you do with
vinegar.” To both the Lord’s Word shows neither He nor any of His faithful prophets in any generation ever sought the approval of men for the privilege of communi-
cating the divine message or softened it for the sake of acceptance. Truly, their harshest words were reserved for Israel’s religious leaders (Matthew 3:1-10, 23:27-
33). God validates His sent ones and with His Word, confirms their message to be either accepted or rejected! Yes, I painfully know this means a hard road for
the faithful prophet to the shame and condemnation of unrepentant, professing Christian religionists and their leaders.
With this edited 2013 Commentary, I launch the New Year by connecting back into the one just ended to wrap up the Lord’s charge to pastors for now, while also speaking to men in the pews. Of my saddest experiences serving the Lord in local churches over the years has been the countless times I have witnessed professed Christian men fail to accept calls to leadership; instead, letting our sisters (some sensing the inappropriateness of this; others like Eve caring nothing about divine order) take them. Worse, naturally, has been seeing men be purposely overlooked for leadership in favor of women by pastors for any number of reasons to include rewarding faithfulness to them, not God.
Originally Published January 2013
A pastor friend recently suggested that perhaps a reason many women are more visible in church leadership roles today is because they are eager to step up while the men lay back. In a complicated mix of sound reasons including rank rebellion against God's Word, no doubt, my friend is right. Indeed, as the Lord has led, I have spent the last two Commentaries speaking to pastors and Ministry leaders about our stuff.1 But make no mistake about it; the men in the pews are the objects of God's concern too. Surely, our God is not pleased that professed Christian men are refusing to step up and take hold of leadership responsibilities in the home and local church.
In support of faithful pastors everywhere and the righteousness, instruction and truth of God’s Word, I am challenging the professed Christian men reading this who are guilty to repent from every self-permitted reason in disobedience for not stepping up to lead as God has called you. For our Creator made the divine intent very plain from the beginning in Word and deed that men are purposely chosen to lead among equals (Genesis 1:26-28, 2:7-3:21; 1 Timothy 2:13). To refuse to lead as God has ordained is sin as seen in how the Lord spoke to Adam at his fall and because it is the creature rejecting his Creator’s will to His face (Genesis 3:17a; Isaiah 29:16, 45:9-10)!
While it is evident women are also eager and ready to lead, God has elected men to do so in this present age beginning in the home. After this, men are to lead at every level of human social organization and exclusively of those who approach to minister to God in leading public worship (Genesis 8:20; Exodus 28:1; 1 Chronicles 23:13; 1 Corinthians 14:26-40; 1 Timothy 2:11-14; Hebrews 5:1-6).2 Why God has done this is bound up first in His sovereign will that none of us creatures has any standing to challenge (Romans 9:20). As well, He has done this because the leadership of men is tied to the eternal destiny of man as the highest creature of God and ruler over all the works of His hands (Hebrews 2:5-13).
No secular or religious authority on earth has the right to change God's election of men to lead. Therefore, those that have undertaken to do so have put themselves on a collision course with the already simmering wrath of God. Pastors and elders, this means every one of you also no matter how much you call yourself after the rebellion of this world system "setting things right in equality and fairness." As I write in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics, you have no authority to ignore or change God's Word.3 You must obey it as supposedly you are teaching others to do or like all of the disobedient, suffer the consequences too (Isaiah 24:1-6; Jeremiah 25:30-38; Romans 2:5-11).
I fully feel your pain as it concerns the tug and pull of the hostile world culture surrounding us that is constantly calling into question the will, way and Word of our God. They may say His Word is outdated, but you, man of God and faith, shepherd under Christ of His flock are to stand faithful. Or did you not know from the beginning that you were called to war and the rank of a captain in God's army at that (2 Corinthians 10:3-6; Ephesians 4:7-16, 6:10-20; 2 Timothy 2:3-4)? Certainly, you are not ashamed of Christ and our peculiarity as the people of God are you (Mark 8:34-38)? Therefore, you capitulate and surrender ground to the enemy every time you pass over a man reluctant to lead and instead call on the eager woman causing both to sin (Matthew 18:6-9).
As for the professed Christian men in the pews, do not wait, but hasten to your pastor and elders seeking assignments of leadership responsibility; being willing to train appropriately as preparation.4 No more laying back in fear like the men in Deborah's day when it was time for war; step up boldly to read Scripture or pray (Judges 4:4-10). A pastor should be overwhelmed with the ardent response of men aflame, ready to serve for Christ! Woe to him if he does not call upon or permit such ones to serve that seek to obey God in motive and gifting (1 Corinthians 12:18-21; 2 Corinthians 5:9-11). Also men, no more passive labor in the Gospel cause of Christ, but diligent effort to witness and win souls because the Holy Ghost empowers your own (John 20:19-23; Acts 1:8, 2)!
Your experience then, sir, should be like that of Job's reflection of his own in Job 29 before his trials. In the grace and strength God supplies to your life, you are blessed above all of the unsaved. In your irrefutable standing as a godly leader, you are respected in the public square and looked well upon by the less fortunate whose cause you have served. As a man of royal command possessing God's wisdom, your counsel is sought and your words are waited for. Such men aspire to be strong men of God in the image of Christ (Matthew 4:23-25)! Oh, that this were so! The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
1 Refers to the December 3, 2017 post, Pastors And Developing Men, under the category, The Cause originally published as a November 2012 Commentary and the
September 27, 2015 post, Empire Building On God’s Program, under the category, Call To Repent originally published as a December 2012 Commentary. For the
point being made, the December 2017 blog reposts directed to pastors, Developing Men: The Equality Trap and Pastors As Developing Christian Men both under the
category, The Cause, are also now included in this reference.
2 Read the three part January 2015 blog series, Worshipping God Without God and the post that follows it, Final Considerations On Worshipping God all under the cate-
gory, Call To Repent.
3 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.
4 This statement is made with the presumption that Kingdom activity and ministry is involved. Frankly, I do not blame men for not being interested in leading some of the
self-serving, non-Kingdom related programs and activities the churches of manmade religion come up with.
It is said of Jesus Christ, He was “born to die.” Consider that as a man’s life ambition for a moment. No, we cannot even fathom such a thing since most of us spend our lives doing everything possible to stave off the inevitable. However, the Son of God and Man came into the world with the express ambition to secure salvation for fallen mankind by the only means possible: the shedding of His own sinless blood culminating in death (Mark 10:45, 14:32-42; Luke 24:44-47; Hebrews 9:11-22). As this edited 2011 Commentary shows, ambition is of God and can drive men in noble and ignoble activities. Marginalizing men demoralizes them and chokes off their natural ambition.
Originally Published December 2011
Tied directly to visionary leadership is the necessary drive to fulfill what has been envisioned. This drive is called ambition. Without this drive no man would have ever set out to achieve or accomplish anything. The so-called advance of civilization never would have occurred nor buildings that touch the clouds, sports records, great musical compositions, technological breakthroughs or sea voyages to the earth's edge. Ambition is the natural companion to visionary leadership and like it, is another of the transmittable attributes of God imparted to man made in the divine image and likeness. Therefore, of itself, ambition is not evil. Men on the sidelines stifle human achievement.
As it originates in God, ambition is a marvelous quality of the divine nature. Indeed, not only does God envision the thing to be done, but He also exerts the drive and power to make it happen! In the case of the universe, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands,” (Psalm 19:1, NIV). The perfect ambition of God acted to bring forth the physical creation with a joyful ultimate purpose: the creation also of His image bearer, man. Even when it appeared that this act of love was a bust because of man's sin in the garden, God announced His plan to help him (Genesis 3:15). From the Seed of the woman would come hope and deliverance.
Package it any other way you want to, Christmas for Christians celebrates the unbridled ambition of God Almighty to save the creature of His love. For this plan of His was not hatched in a “fly by the seat of the pants” moment of inspiration when His creature fell. But He foreknew man's failure and planned from eternity to send His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to be our Savior and Champion (Matthew 1:18-21; 1 Peter 1:20-21)! Seven centuries before His birth the prophet Isaiah ended an inspired utterance announcing it saying, "The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this," (Isaiah 9:6-7, NKJV). What is the Lord's zeal but His passionate ambition for His causes?
What is the joy of the mother of Jesus, a virgin that miraculously carried Him in her womb if not at the ambition of God fulfilled in her centuries after the promise (Luke 1:46-55)? What is the joy of the angels if not at seeing the unshakable will and ambition of God to save lowly mankind take another step closer to realization (Luke 2:8-14)? Moreover, what is this ambition in the Son of God to serve His Father as a youth (Luke 2:41-52); this Son of Man too who upon reaching the prime of adulthood, began His fulltime service to God? His genealogy through His mother goes back to the first man and historically demonstrates the longsuffering ambition of God to save (Luke 3:23-38)!
"Like father, like son," the saying goes. Thus, Jesus Christ spent the next three and one half years of His life consumed with the ambition to please His Father and do His will which preeminently involved the salvation of lost mankind (Luke 19:9-10; John 6:38-40). In His ambitious warfare and work He victoriously contended with "that serpent of old" for the liberation of His people from prisons of darkness, torments and afflictions of every kind including death. In the process, He fulfilled His personal ambition born of love for His Father to seek His glory (John 8:48-50, 12:27-28, 15:8, 17:4). Finally, in His death on the cross He completed His ambition and mission to save (John 19:30)!
The excellent divine virtue of ambition is nearly impossible to see in its purity in fallen men. Influenced by sin and often deceived by Satan, fallen men dream dreams and pursue them with the most selfish of motives. Truly, what evil men in their selfish ambitions will not do even persecuting the righteous (John 11:45-53; James 5:1-6). The chief end of ambition in sinful men is personal pride of achievement and glory from other men. This is true too for no small number of those professing to be Christians and working in ministry. The aspiring strong man of God in the image of Christ takes to heart the apostle Paul's instruction to do nothing out of selfish ambition, but all for the glory of God (2 Corinthians 10:17-18; Philippians 2:3-11). Such men give us our fleeting look at noble ambition.1
Nevertheless, men sidelined because their historical visionary leadership and ambition are no longer valued is leaving its mark. Many decry the loss of American ingenuity that once dreamed never before imagined inventions, built companies to produce them and created jobs. The News is filled with stories of suffering families and disillusioned, out of work men. Many churches have few men and a number of them suffer the inability to fulfill their divine design because of oppression by threatened leaders that pander to the women. Like a bizarre nightmare, the very group that claims to know God cooperates with the world in deconstructing men as He designed (1 Timothy 4:1-2). The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
1 Learn more about the aspiring strong man of God by getting a copy of my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. It is available through all major internet
booksellers, by order from your favorite brick and mortar bookstore and in the Strong Man Store.
Without equivocation or apology for over fifteen years I have stood and stand on God’s Word as it is written to call all professed Christians that are guilty and assemble weekly ostensibly as His house to recognize and repent from the satanic stronghold of deceit embodied in worldly feminism they have welcomed in their midst. As the Lord has graciously directed, since July 2011 at the end of my last pastorate I have been winning men and boys to Christ, teaching and urging them with others to go or return to local churches as I wrote in a March 2019 repost.1 I knew in the grip of Satan’s feminist stronghold many would tear down what I had biblically taught as well as spiritually emasculate them! However, I was hopeful with the Lord for repentance as I was in this edited 2011 post (Luke 13:6-9).
Now, I have heard from the Lord that it is enough (Revelation 2:18-29)!2 I am announcing this day that in obedience to the Lord I will no longer send men and boys I reach for Him and teach to churches that are in willful rebellion with the world against the plain teaching of His Word from Genesis to Revelation on the roles, rank, responsibilities and order of mankind. By the express will of Christ I am also again adding to my ministry responsibilities shepherding of willing men I find anywhere in the Portland/Vancouver Metropolitan area that are disconnected from Him, disaffected from Christianity and discontented with hypocritical and disobedient local churches; pastors and elders that do not truly care about them as men (Ezekiel 34:1-11; Matthew 9:9-13; Luke 19:1-10).
Therefore, if you live in the Portland/Vancouver Metropolitan area and what I have written resonates with you, I am seeking at least five men to start meeting with me to be taught, mentored and equipped to join me in the work of fishing for and restoring men, their families and communities! Write to info@thestrongmanofGod.org by November 17th to express your interest; arrange to meet with me at a time and place we by consensus agree on to hear my vision and learn more.
Originally Posted October 16, 2011
At the risk of overdoing it, I must make a final application of the truth I have presented over the last two blogs specifically concerning fathers to the broader role of leadership men have assigned to them by God beginning in the home. It is very clear in this 21st century that our secular society is on a quest to totally destroy God’s order for the family through the implementation of its version of equality. Re-define a man here, a woman and a family there and presto, it’s done! The only problem is the social experiment is not working so well. I cite statistics in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics that reveal just how badly the experiment is failing.3 But that is not the worst of it.
I see and hear of churches all of the time proclaiming the responsibility of men to be the heads of their households. But then, they turn right around and trample upon that responsibility by putting women over them in God’s house in clear disobedience to His Word. If God is the One that made men leaders in the home, it stands to reason in consistency that He would require their leadership in His own house too. Indeed, the apostle Paul shows how the home is even the first stage of leadership training for men as they prepare to serve God in His house (1 Timothy 3:1-7).
The local church is not a worldly institution which mimics and reflects the world’s values. It is the redeemed of God assembled together on purpose to honor Him, His will, way and Word! You cannot call a man to biblical leadership in his home and then disregard what the same Bible teaches about his place of leadership in God’s house. There is no one without the other as so many churches are attempting to accomplish. The result is that those churches are sending mixed and confusing messages to their men and boys as well as teaching there is a place to disobey the plain teaching of God’s Word.4
In my book, the Lord uses me to call pastors and their churches to repentance from their partial obedience reminding them of how He responded to king Saul for the same sin (1 Samuel 15:1-23).5 What hope is there for restoring men and their families if the folks with the right answers from God’s Word do not honor it themselves (Luke 14:34-35)?
1 See the introduction of the March 10, 2019 repost, Appeal For Incarcerated Christians, under the category, The Cause.
2 Jesus Christ is Lord and Judge of the churches! Like Father like Son, so, the Holy God who judges sin does so now because there is no repentance! Before He
fully judges the world, He judges the churches already in progress (1 Peter 4:17-18). Read my June 10, 2018 post, God’s Judgment Upon His House, under the
category, Bible Prophecy. Unless you do defiantly share in the sins of the guilty church without opposition, I suggest you depart so as not to also share in its judg-
ment (Revelation 18:1-8). Yeah, that is how serious it all is at this late hour!
3 The book is available in print or digital download formats at major internet booksellers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ChristianBooks.com and Apple (digital only).
You can also get the Hard or Soft Cover print versions of the book in the Strong Man Store.
4 See the July 20, 2014 post, Confused Men, Compromised Sons, under the category, Call To Repent.
5 Additionally, read the series of blogs the Lord led me to write on the topic of obedience and addressing the sin of partial obedience beginning September 7-October 5,
2014.
The historic value of men as intentionally designed by God to the world is such that on the authority of His Word I have declared it along with guilty professed Christians and churches following suit as foolish for marginalizing them! Truly, nowhere is this foolishness more plainly seen than in the sinful re-defining of men in their roles and responsibilities as husbands and fathers in the divinely ordained, foundational family unit. In marginalizing and re-defining men as I write in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics, the world is sowing the seeds of its own destruction as in the mix of negative consequences, families--the basic building blocks of societies--are being devastated.1
The value of men to families in their God designed temporary (due to death) roles and responsibilities as husbands and fathers in this present age are absolutely critical to their creation, effective functioning and wellbeing. The first man had God bring him the first woman and his wife (Genesis 2:18-23). After this, in God’s perfect will a man has typically taken the initiative to leave out from his parent’s household to find a wife, unite to her in marriage and create a new household (Genesis 2:24). Men alone have been equipped by God in their bodies with the seed necessary to initiate new human life and follow the first man in doing so with his wife (Genesis 4:1-2, 25-5:5).
By God’s express design, order and purposes of mankind men are His elect heads of their families. This is shown by Adam being created first, the command God gave Eve after she sinned in usurping her husband’s headship and His rebuke of Adam for following his wife’s lead while judging him (Genesis 2:7, 3:1-6, 16-17; 1 Timothy 2:12-14). The authority and responsibilities of headship in the family have been exercised with only occasional historic challenge until these latter days of all out rebellion against it (Esther 1; Psalm 2:1-3)! Even many Christians seek to dilute the headship God has given men not believing abusers will give an account to Christ, their Head (1 Corinthians 11:3).
In God’s design of the human family reflecting His own, the effective functioning of it requires the leadership and management of a chief authority. In the God Family where all three Persons that have eternally made it up are equally God, nevertheless, the Chief Authority is the Father (Luke 3:21-22; John 3:35, 10:30-33, 14:7-28). So, in the human family while each person of the unit is equal in person, the husband and father has been assigned chief ruling authority as the head by God! And though the family rule of men corrupted by sin has been less than perfect, nowhere in Scripture does God diminish or revoke their chief authority assignment.
Indeed, the divine expectation of the family rule and stewardship of men is maintained by speaking of them first in the fifth of the Ten Commandments and addressing them as the first audience throughout the pages of Scripture (Exodus 20:12; Acts 1:15-16; 1 Corinthians 10:1)! The chief ruling experience of men in their families has also been transferrable and beneficial to human social units beyond it to include the Lord’s Church on earth (Exodus 18:13-27; Acts 15:1-22). Besides ruling authority, God expects men to give visionary leadership to their families ideally listening to Him for the best outcomes (Genesis 11:27-12:9; Matthew 1:18-25).
God has assigned men three other equally important roles and responsibilities He holds them accountable for. Men have the lead role and responsibility for teaching their families by precept and example (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Ephesians 6:4). So influential is a man as the lead teacher, his family is instructed even by his failure to teach because they watch him! Men are most known historically for and relied on as material providers for their families as another important role and responsibility (1 Timothy 5:8). Finally, men are also assigned by God to protect their families from spiritual and physical harm though they are most known for their physical protection (Proverbs 6:20-35; Matthew 2:1-18). The value of men to families in God’s design, order and purposes for mankind is truly great!
However, rejecting God’s design, order and purposes of mankind by marginalizing and re-defining men to fit a rebellious, feminist worldview is not fixing anything, but confusing everything! For example, many sinful men now passively, routinely and irresponsibly allow their wives to be the chief authority, visionary leader, teacher, provider and protector in the family if there is marriage at all. Divorce is common because unless the man does submit to his wife, there is no chief authority, harmony or coherent family vision as each selfishly does as they please. Fatherlessness is rampant as irresponsible men create children, but have no widely accepted moral imperative to father them except by the payment of child support. Anarchy is already underway; social collapse follows!
(Happy Father’s Day to all of the fathers reading this.)
1 The Lord leads me to deal frankly with the world’s confused, 21st century frontal attack on His design of men and the irreparable (in some cases) damage being done to families until the restoration of all things at His coming in chapter two of the book aptly titled, What Is A Man? The book is on sale in the Strong Man Store digitally as an E-Book in two formats and special for Father’s Day, the print Soft Cover Edition with free shipping though June 20th.
Following up my last post in the Good News and compassion of Jesus Christ who judges and is coming to judge (Psalm 96),1 I see fields of men in our nation still ripe for harvest at this hour!2 The lack of laborers He observed in first century Israel remains valid in our land today as does His remedy to “pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest,” (Matthew 9:35-38; Luke 10:2, NKJV). The Lord immediately appointed laborers He sent out to the harvest (Matthew 10:1-16; Luke 10:1, 3-16). However, in our day not only are the laborers few, but biblically sound churches where men made Christ’s disciples can be sent for proper equipping as men and laborers of God’s design!
This is a great evil! Like the literal fields of ripened produce that rot where they stand because of not being harvested, so, many men in our nation marginalized by secular society and numerous local churches following after it rather than Christ are perishing daily where they stand. Where I live here in Portland, Oregon is no exception. Our city is globally known for lawless streets not just due to a lack of police officers who are doing their best in the situation, but the widespread darkness that fills many hearts separated from the “light of life” in Christ Jesus (Mark 7:21-22; John 8:12, NKJV). This reality is “spiritually discerned” and why unsaved city leaders don’t get it (1 Corinthians 2:14, NKJV)!
I will never be made to understand why so many professed Christian church leaders within the city limits don’t get it either and are powerless in the face of the darkness having its way except to the extent they are afraid or part of the problem. Jesus is Lord of His Church! Since when do those assembled to Him as Lord fear the darkness or look to “an arm of flesh” for leadership to stand against it (2 Chronicles 32:1-8, NKJV)?3 They do not look to the Lord as they ought because they are alienated from Him through their corrupt compromises with the darkness or how is it that the biblical Gospel of repentance from sin and faith in Him is no longer preached for salvation by not a few?
How is it too, what Christ has commanded His followers to do in the Bible is not done (Matthew 28:18-20) or God’s creation of man as male and female and order of mankind in roles He designed abandoned (1 Corinthians 11:1-3; Ephesians 5:22-33; 1 Peter 3:1-7)? I know of not one church in this city that I can safely send men and boys led to Christ that will teach them biblical manhood; their roles and responsibilities in a biblical worldview.4 If you are out there, reach out to me with men for the sake of working together under the leadership of Christ to help deliver men in our city from hearts overcome by darkness through preaching of the biblical Gospel and witnessing of Him!
Using men as laborers to reach men and the world with the Gospel is the example and intended enduring primary methodology of Christ recorded in the Gospels (Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20; Luke 5:1-11; John 1:35-51, 20:19-23). He hand-picked no women to represent Him as apostles nor were any displayed in all of the rest of the New Testament. The Lord’s exclusive use of men in the apostolic mission and leadership of those assembled to Him as His Church had nothing to do with chauvinism or any notion of innate male superiority, but their suitability according to His election of order and roles of His design from creation as sovereign Creator (Genesis 1:26-27, 2:7-8, 18-25; 1 Corinthians 11:8-9, 14:34-37; 1 Timothy 2:11-13)!5
While the foregoing offends the rebel feminist men and women in and outside of professing Christianity who have abandoned the Lord’s Word and its purposeful examples during these latter days, it and He remain unchanged (Psalm 119:89; Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8)! Therefore, without repentance by guilty professed Christian leaders and churches, as the Lord led me to write similarly in another post their labor in cooperation with secular allies will continue to be ineffective at diminishing the lawless violence and murder by those with sin darkened hearts prevalent in the city.6 Meanwhile, let any churchless or otherwise interested Christian man in Portland reading this that is zealous for the Lord and His causes reach out to me for instruction, fellowship and ways to serve Him with us!7
1 Read the August 7, 2022 post, Saving Souls Not Nations, under the category, The Cause.
2 My phrase, “still ripe for harvest” reflects all of my Holy Spirit led intentional labor to restore men beginning with preaching the Gospel and witnessing Christ to them since 1998. See the July 9, 2017 post, Laboring To Restore Men, under the category, The Cause.
3 Consulting with and relying on human wisdom, efforts and power to engage the darkness as only the Church of Jesus Christ has uniquely been equipped and empowered by Him to do is a sure sign of spiritual impotency at best, apostasy at worst; either is characteristic of those practicing Christianity as manmade religion (Luke 10:17-20; 2 Timothy 3:1-5)!
4 The subtitle of my book, “Back To Basics” is a summons to return to and gives biblical instruction on God’s mortal order of mankind as well as male and female roles from creation! The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics is available with the companion Strong Man Of God Men’s Group Study and Great Woman Of God Women’s Group Study in the Strong Man Store, at your favorite internet bookseller or brick and mortar bookstore.
5 Read the June 2017 posts presenting the value of men.
6 See the August 12, 2018 repost from 2012, Curtailing Gang Violence, under the category, Call To Repent.
7 We are always on the lookout for Christian men on fire for the Lord that are wanting to serve Him outside of the limiting box of manmade religion that exists in too many churches! Express your Portland area interest in connecting with this Ministry to me using our information e-mail address, info@thestrongmanofGod.org.
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