The Scourge Of Racism
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The celebration of Halloween a few days away is the eve of All Saints’ Day. It is supposed to be a night of scary fun for children of all ages to be followed the next day by veneration of the relatively small number of persons forms of Christianity the religion of men have traditionally determined meets their criteria for what a saint is. Never mind Holy Scripture clearly defines the saints as all of those God declares righteous by faith (not works) and sets apart to Himself (Psalm 34:8-9; 1 Corinthians 1:2). Be that as it may, the idea of a night engaged in cultivating fear, fright and terror that precedes a day supposedly devoted to religious solemnity is diabolically bizarre.1
Fear, fright and terror from demonic and manmade sources are all too real in this world and not fun. Maladies from fear dominate the mental health profession and are a boon to pharmaceutical companies. Whole nations such as Israel must live under the constant duress of terror violence in and from outside of it. But since mankind in these latter days loves fear, fright and terror so much, the Lord in warning judgments is about to take them to never before known proportions complete with hideous looking creatures in hope some might repent (Revelation 8-9)! There is only one righteous and eternally beneficial fear; the fear of the Lord as He leads me to write in this edited 2012 repost.
Originally Posted November 18, 2012
Some men now foolishly teach God’s people not to fear Him. They say the cross of Jesus once and for all delivers believers from any concern about judgment from God. While this is true as it concerns the faithful and Hell (John 5:24), the unfaithful will stand in terror among all before Christ to receive for their deeds (Luke 12:35-48; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 2 Corinthians 5:9-11)! The fear of the Lord is an important component of our walk with Him. Yes, we fear God in reverence and awe of His majestic greatness (Psalm 33:8-9)! But we also fear Him in the many painful ways He as our Father has to chasten His disobedient, sinning children (Deuteronomy 28:58-59; 1 Corinthians 11:27-32).
Finally, there is too, the fear of the Lord in the consequences the Bible teaches awaits any unfaithful, stubbornly rebellious, unrepentant professed Christian and the apostate (Ezekiel 18:24-26; Hebrews 10:26-39). Since Scripture teaches the latter scenario, we are not to come along lately and arrogantly to refute it through sinful human systems of thinking (Proverbs 14:12, 16:25). The apostle John teaches it is a complete love for God involving obedience and faithfulness alone that cancels out the fear of judgment in chastening or eternal condemnation, not simply knowledge of what Christ accomplished on the cross. Such knowledge should inspire loving obedience (1 John 4:7-19)!
This same principle of obedience to keep away fear of consequences holds true whether it is the rules of our parents or life in a world of laws. Obedience under normal circumstances cancels out the fear of consequences (Romans 13:1-4)! Some say, “You cannot both love and fear God at the same time.” We feared our earthly parents without any diminishment of our love for them. In fact, in a strange way, our love for our parents that loved us enough to set boundaries and consequences for crossing them intensified our love for them. How much more then, God our Father who even disciplines us as sons for our eternal good as the writer of Hebrews points out (Hebrews 12:3-11)?
The aspiring strong man of God in the image of Christ operates and delights in the fear of the Lord as He does (Isaiah 11:1-3a)!2 The fear of the Lord is wisdom and knowledge (Job 28:28; Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7, 9:10). The fear of the Lord is without spot and endures forever (Psalm 19:9). The fear of the Lord is “strong confidence” in Him (Proverbs 14:26, NKJV). The fear of the Lord is health and long life (Psalm 34:11-14; Proverbs 3:7-8, 10:27, 14:27). The fear of the Lord is eternal life satisfying the soul (Proverbs 19:23). The Lord Jesus taught we ought to fear God above all (Matthew 10:27-31) and the early Church experienced it both as a warning and blessing (Acts 5:1-11, 9:31).
Of the many things I am grateful to the Lord for it is the fear of Him that has taught me humble submission to Him, kept me in the way of obedience and when I have failed, led me to quickly confess and repent to obtain His forgiveness (1 John 1:9). I love and fear my God in all of the ways the Bible teaches and reap the harvest of benefits and blessings it promises! Do not listen to sinful men no matter how well intended who teach God should not be feared. Fear of the Lord is your salvation according to His written Word which trumps anything men may think or say (Proverbs 16:6)! The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
1 Google All Saints Day to learn more about its history and practice.
2 Get my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics to learn more. It is available at all major internet booksellers, by order at your favorite brick and mortar bookstore
or in the Strong Man Store.
My mother used to steadfastly resist my beggarly appeals to go do what the other kids were doing with, “If all the kids go jump off a cliff, are you going to do it too?” Of course, I said “no.” However, for all of the sinful things I did do following after the crowd as a youth, I may as well have said yes. Similarly, many pastors, elders, church leaders and professing Christians as members shamefully follow after each other’s breaks with God’s Word and worldly compromises in sin. Like the carnal Corinthians of old, contemporary professing Christians have even divided themselves up with short hand labels (1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 3:1-4).
The Lord’s call to take His side in these latter days has nothing to do with the carnal divisions and labels of sinful human invention--or is the Lord to be blamed for this evil as some would have us believe by the fanatical loyalties they display to their political, social and theological factions? No, but it is the Lord Jesus who dogmatically declared, “…every city or house divided against itself will not stand,” (Matthew 12:25, NKJV). Clearly, the many in the divided house of American churches have decided an apparently dead Jesus was wrong on this point though the evidence of collapse to the contrary is all around us. In this blog, the Lord leads me to briefly talk about what His side looks like.
Originally Published January 2011
In these days of tolerance and avoiding even the appearance of being divisive, calling for Christians to take the Lord's side sounds extreme. However, those who think this act as if the Lord Jesus is dead. Such persons show their willful disregard of Bible truth and the reality that if Christ is proclaimed as risen from the dead, He is in fact, alive right now! This is exactly the truth and reality that is intended to be communicated in the post-resurrection and ascension descriptions of encounters the apostles had with the Lord (Acts 9:1-6, 10:9-16, 18:9-10, 23:11; Revelation 1:9-20).
If the Lord Jesus is alive as Scripture testifies and every truly born again believer knows from personal experience, then He knows the contemporary condition of His churches. If the Lord knows the contemporary condition of His churches, then He as Lord would speak to and deal with them in perfect consistency with the whole counsel of God found in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. This is what He is shown to be doing in Revelation 2:1-3:22 among seven churches of Asia Minor. As He did not speak to those churches in terms of worldly political labels such as conservative and liberal, so He does not speak to us this way either.
The Lord has His own side that stands in judgment of our sin driven divisions in and among the churches. Indeed, as the Strong Man of God, Jesus Christ perfectly models the divine heart plainly laid out in Scripture which those bent on corruption distort to their shame and destruction (2 Peter 3:14-16)! He is neither politically conservative nor liberal. He is however, biblically conservative in preserving God's Word as it is written and therefore, simultaneously liberal in love. His biblical worldview colors every aspect of His dealings with this world. He calls every aspiring strong man of God to embrace His example as those taking His side.
The Lord made it clear to even the strictest of Pharisees shackled by legalism and manmade religion, He did not come to destroy the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17-20). In preserving God’s will in His written Word for example, the Lord Jesus (our Creator in the flesh) is completely opposed to murder. Human life is sacred and so it is written in the Ten Commandments, '''You shall not murder,'" (Exodus 20:13, NKJV). By His design human life begins at conception (Psalm 139:13-16). Therefore, to forcibly terminate a human life in the womb after conception is murder in the eyes of the Lord. Professing Christians that support abortion for any reason are not on the Lord's side.
The Lord Jesus taught and put the love of God on display through forgiveness, a myriad of healing works and His death on the cross for our sins. Tragically, Satan has deceived many that call themselves liberal Christians into believing that the Lord's acts of love were done outside of the Law. They were not. The love displayed by the Lord Jesus was in concert with and fulfilled the Law as He had declared (Mark 12:28-34; Romans 13:8-10). Consequently, those calling themselves conservative Christians that tell a man to get a job, but then with cold hearts block his way through racial discrimination are not on the Lord's side.1
The scribes and Pharisees of Israel were meticulous observers of the Law and yet, were called hypocrites by the Lord because they pursued minor elements such as tithing, but neglected the weightier provisions of justice, mercy and faith. Jesus said they should have done both (Matthew 23:23). Many conservative Christians in like manner fail to display God's love poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5) while upholding His Word. Many liberals with fallen human love fail to uphold God's Word (1 Corinthians 13:4-6). Sin is never downplayed in the Bible at the expense of being loving or socially concerned (Isaiah 1:16-17; John 8:2-12). The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
1 See my booklet, The Scourge Of Racism, (Portland, OR: Open Door Communication Ministries, Inc., Publishing Division, 2005), p 57. Purchase the booklet on the Resources Page, www.fromslaverytovictory.org.
Seeing the images from Bible prophecy of faithful born again Christians, the saints of God Almighty in Heaven at the end of last week’s post was deeply encouraging to me and I hope you also if you are a fellow believer.1 They are victorious over the treachery and violence of the most evil man to ever walk the earth and all other haters! How God loves us and cares for our encouragement to present these images to us in advance over nineteen hundred years ago. Indeed, the images convey the tender love God has for all who believe in and follow Christ very powerfully displayed to His eleven disciples as He prepared to make His departure back to Heaven in the Gospel of John.
Under the Holy Spirit’s inspiration, this episode I am permitted to title, “The Lord’s Long Goodbye,” begins at John 13:1, the apostle writing: “Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end,” (NKJV). From that launch point, the final Passover meal and evening together with what began as His twelve apostles proceeded with Him washing their feet and identifying Judas Iscariot as His betrayer he left to fulfill. Alone fully grasping the moment’s significance, the Lord began to declare His and the Father’s glory in it (John 13:2-32)!
Then, the Lord makes a shocking announcement saying, “‘“Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, “‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’” so now I say to you,”’” (John 13:33, NKJV.) From here there is His “new commandment” (John 13:34-35, NKJV), instruction, dialogue with the disciples and prayer to the Father that ends His long goodbye at John 17:26. All of what is said during this time hangs on and is tied to the announcement of His impending departure which is my focus in this post. As such, speaking from the heart “Simon Peter said to Him,” ‘“Lord, where are You going,’” (John 13:36a, NKJV)?
Peter’s question had all of the astonishment, emotion, disappointment, fear of loss, change and the future we all have when confronted with the sudden news someone we care deeply about is leaving for whatever reason. The Lord already knows every one of the other ten men feel the same way as Peter and answers him: ‘“Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward,’” (John 13:36b, NKJV).2 Not satisfied, Peter in all sincerity is insistent. He wants to know “why” he cannot “follow” Him “now” and asserts his willingness to die for the Lord which He rebukes; revealing Peter will in fact “deny” Him “three times” before sunrise (John 13:37-38, NKJV).
With great empathy the Lord Jesus begins to comfort the hearts of His eleven that have become deeply saddened by the announcement of His departure. First, He encourages their faith in Him to be on par with their faith in God the Father (John 14:1). Second, He assures, “In my Father’s house are many mansions” or rooms and He goes “to prepare a place for” them (John 14:2, NKJV). Preparing a place has to do with paving the way and readying the rooms where they will live with Him in the “heavenly Jerusalem” though, final fulfillment awaits the New Jerusalem constructed in Heaven and brought down on “a new earth” by God (Hebrews 12:18-24, 13:14; Revelation 21, NKJV).
Final future fulfillment in the New Jerusalem is made all the more sure by what the Lord says in John 14:3a. If He is going to go to the trouble to prepare a place for His disciples, He will “come again and receive” them to Himself (NKJV). What they did not grasp at the time was that the Lord’s departure and return had two parts. His departure from them initially would be by way of death near to being carried out by crucifixion, but He would return on the third day after through resurrection in God’s plan for their eternal redemption (John 14:15-18, 16:16-22)!3 After this initial brief, but all important departure and following instructions He gives making plain why they could not go with Him, the Lord would ascend to Heaven and the Father before their eyes then, come again (Acts 1:4-11).
Third and last, telling about the Lord’s love for His disciples in His long goodbye are the words, “that where I am, there you may be also,” (John 14:3b, NKJV). This is clearly very important to Him for He petitions His Father for the disciples’ union as and with Their Own plus reunion with Him (John 17:20-24). As He taught, His disciples knew where He was going and the way and were enabled to follow Him to the Father (John 14:4-6).4 Once more, this was so they could be with Him there and wherever He was to be thereafter; never to be separated again! This is why in His coming again to earth He brings with Him the spirits of His disciples to resurrect and gather them with the living to Himself as His first priority act (Matthew 24:29-31; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 19:9-16).5
1 Read the October 23, 2022 post, Revenge Of Those Without God’s Mark, under the category, Bible Prophecy.
2 With this statement, the Lord assures He was only leading out first. His eleven would follow after Him to where He was going at a later time as millions have done until now, through death!
3 The Lord’s resurrection after securing the eternal redemption of His followers made possible the reality of Him, the Father and Holy Spirit taking up residence in them so that even though physically He would return to Heaven, He could still be with them as He explained (John 14:19-24). Later, the apostle Paul celebrates being used of God to re- veal “the riches of the glory of this mystery…which is Christ in” us who believe, “the hope of glory,” (Colossians 1:24-27, NKJV).
4 This truth taught by the Lord is why no aspiring strong man or great woman of God in His image is found among the religious seeking to connect to the Father through any manmade religious means! As the Lord leads I write about essential relationship with Him in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. Get it along with the com- panion Strong Man Of God Men’s Group Study and Great Woman Of God Women’s Group Study for the equipping of the saints in the home and churches in the Strong Man Store, at your favorite internet bookseller or brick and mortar bookstore.
5 The Second Coming of Christ for the saints then, is not about rescue from tribulation as much as it is the union of Christ with His bride and their final reunion as eternally living, glorified immortals (1 Corinthians 15:20-23, 50-57)!
I wrote the following on my salary fundraising campaign platform back on March 19, 2020. “During this very difficult moment in our world and nation’s history, my heart goes out above all to those actually sickened in the Coronavirus global pandemic and laborers like myself facing layoff. I am doing as I urge you to do if you are a Christian: stand in confident assurance (faith) praying for God’s already prepared provision and protection during events such as this He has brought or permitted that will become common going forward until the Day of the Lord and Christ’s return (Psalm 33:18-22)!” Nothing in time with the Lord or Bible study since has convinced me of a need to repent.
The same goes for this statement I wrote at the time that followed: “Now, I know far too many that profess to be Christians do not want to hear talk like that because they are so deeply rooted in this world, their routines, life plans and dreams.” I get it. I was already walking and continue to walk by faith in God for my salary; layoff looming on the horizon without His provision (Philippians 4:19). Too, like everyone else I have had plans, engagements and commitments cancelled; my routines altered. Only my dreams of Him have been untouched since they are firmly rooted not in this world, but the Lord and His Kingdom; His calling, gifting and ministry!
As is popular, but not biblical today in much of professing Christianity, at no time during my surrender or after did I get to go to the Lord and dictate personal dreams I wanted His help to fulfill without rejection by Him. Instead, when I surrendered to the Lord, He began to speak His will to me in accord with the spiritual gifts He gave needed to do it as it is written in His Word (Luke 9:23; Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; Ephesians 4:7-12).1 Because they have been built up on the false doctrine (whatever deviates from truth is false) Christ exists to fulfill all of their selfish desires and dreams, some professed Christians have become disillusioned with Christianity at this hour.
The Coronavirus pandemic has messed up a whole lot of folk’s theologies that were mere sinful human presuppositions, inventions and demonic deceit in the first place. Not so, the Lord’s faithful that objectively interpret and apply God’s Word as it is written in righteousness! For this reason, during the Coronavirus the faithful have continued walking by faith as always; having fear only of God as Scripture teaches which many that are so wise in these latter days have decided is no longer His will (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14; Luke 12:4-7; Hebrews 10:30-31). “Perfect (complete) love” for God in obedience “casts out fear” of His judgment (1 John 4:17-5:3, NKJV) and from the world!
So, why has the Lord brought His Coronavirus judgment upon the world at this moment in time? Several reasons are biblically clear to me. On April 5, 2020 He led me to write of His corner turn on “forbearance with mankind" and repost '"Time is about up!"'2 On April 19, 2020 I wrote about how this Coronavirus judgment is intended to be a painful wake up call to Christians and the churches that He means business about repentance from all of what He defines as and is plainly sin in disobedience to His Word! Soul deep repentance is to turn completely from, forsake and renounce what many are doing in sin however they have arrived at giving themselves permission.3
This past April 26, 2020 I wrote that the Lord’s Coronavirus judgment has initiated “another significant paradigm shift in His program for Christians and churches.”4 This shift birthed in repentance and true spiritual revival involves a return to the original doctrines of our faith “once for all delivered” (Jude 3, NKJV) and includes restoring men and women to their assigned roles and responsibilities in the divine order of mankind. The shift also redirects Christians and churches made spiritually leaner and intense through repentance and revival back to His commissioned Kingdom mission, messaging and work (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 1:17-25, 15:1-4) as priorities. Finally, the Lord has moved as He has now, staying on track with His prophetic calendar!
The foregoing is what is so troubling about any professed Christians being upset with God for ruining their plans. Supposedly, we with joyful anticipation await the coming of Christ and the open display of God’s Kingdom on earth which is infinitely better than any there is, have ever been or will be or do you not think so in unbelief (Psalm 145:10-13)? Too, as I also wrote on the fundraising platform: “God is not just concerned about us here on earth now, but there are innumerable saints in Heaven that have been and are waiting for the Day of the Lord and His Kingdom to come so, they might attain to the glory and rewards He has promised (Hebrews 11:8-16, 23-26, 39-40).”
The Day of the Lord and His Kingdom not only encompasses His wrath poured out on sinners and creation-wide reign from earth, but the fulfillment of all of His prophetic promises made to Israel--her Messiah come and restoration of the Davidic kingdom (Isaiah 2:1-4, 9:6-7, 11:1-10).5 After a millennium, God will destroy this present creation and its sinners and bring in His righteous eternal order restored where all the saints will live with Him forever in heavens and on a earth made new (2 Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 20:7-21:8)! To these ends we are to be encouraged as I wrote again on the fundraising platform: “the Lord moves the world along toward His predetermined end in accord with His plans and schedule, not ours.”
1 Read the February 17, 2019 post, Surrendering All To Jesus, under the category, Glory To God! Learn more about being an authentic disciple of Jesus Christ 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 in the Strong Man Store.
2 See the April 5, 2020 post, God Is Speaking, under the category, Call To Repent.
3 See the April 19, 2020 post, Does Anybody Repent Anymore? under the category, Call To Repent.
4 See the April 26, 2020 post, There Is Only One..., under the category, Instruction.
5 Read my September 29, 2019 post, God Almighty In A 21st Century World, under the category, Bible Prophecy.
On Palm Sunday nearly two millennia ago the Lord Jesus Christ began purposely moving toward His foretold appointment with the cross as God’s provided Passover Lamb for the world (John 1:29, 3:12-21, 12:12-36). In light of this historical reality and its fulfillment just days later, I rejoice to be among the millions of those from that time who have benefitted from His sacrifice through being saved from and no longer “glorying” in my sins (1 Corinthians 5:6-8, NKJV). Indeed, I heard and believed the Gospel of Christ on Resurrection Sunday 1977 that He died on the cross for my sins, was buried and on the third day after rose again as it is written (Isaiah 53; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4)!
While every day of my life since being saved I have sinned in some manner coming short of God’s glorious perfection, as He has directed me, I have taken full advantage of His instruction through the apostle John and the writer of Hebrews to confess my sins in all repentance; “boldly” coming “to the throne of grace” through our “great High Priest…Jesus the Son of God,” to receive the “mercy” and “grace” of forgiveness and “cleansing” “to help,” (Hebrews 4:14-16; 1 John 1:9, NKJV). As a result, I have not had the need of returning to the Lord after straying in rebellion for long periods, though, I have had some emotionally intense times of godly sorrow for sin while repenting!1
Thank God, thank God, He has been gracious and forbearing with even the consistently rebellious among His people; not treating our sins as they deserve in every instance. However, such times are coming to an end as disobedience and straying from the Lord in rebellion against His will, way and Word becomes more and more costly in the dark times the world is moving into. It is time for each one of us that profess to be authentic Christ followers to search ourselves to see what God sees in our hearts as sin that needs our attention to the end of conviction and turning or returning to Him in all humility, confession and soul deep repentance (Psalm 139:23-24; Jeremiah 17:9-10).2
Some need to actually look at themselves to see if they are truly Christians as the apostle Paul urges sinning believers in the church at Corinth (2 Corinthians 13:1-6). All considering themselves to be real Christians that are guilty of any wicked ways and unrighteous thinking as a habitual lifestyle need to “Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.” Yes, “return to the LORD” as we once came to Him before salvation with a whole heart and desire for His revival as I have been writing about.3 As it is written, “He will have mercy…He will abundantly pardon.” And again, He says, “Seek Me and live” to escape His “fire,” (Isaiah 55:6-7; Amos 5:4-7, 14-15, NKJV).
Let this season of commemorating the Lord’s sacrifice to save us from our sins which launches today on Palm Sunday motivate you to return to Him; coming humbly before Him in all “godly sorrow” making full confession of and thoroughly repenting from sin in thinking, attitudes, manner of speaking, deeds of lifestyle and habit as well as omission and every moment failure to measure up to the perfect “upward call of God in Christ Jesus,” (2 Corinthians 7:9-11; Philippians 3:12-16, NKJV). Also, as needed, forsaken the pride of racial, ethnic or national heritage since God is not impressed and instead, acknowledge the sins of our fathers along with His righteousness to judge both them and us to the extent He has thus far (Ezra 9:5-7; Psalm 106:6-7; Jeremiah 3:21-25)!
Finally, as an additional help this season and going forward, this Ministry is pleased to roll out its fourth Strong Man Of God Online Rally on Good Friday, April 7, 2023 at 3PM--the hour our Lord “breathed His last” declaring immediately before, “It is finished;” completing in that triumphant moment what was ordained from eternity and needed to secure our salvation (Mark 15:37; John 19:30; 1 Peter 1:13-21, NKJV)!4 The rally theme is Return To The Lord. It has been created with the leading of our risen, living Lord Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit exclusively for all who profess to be His followers as Christians and if true, are also His Body He bids return after having grieved Him through straying away in disobedience (Revelation 2:4-5, 14-16, 20-23, 3:2-3, 15-22).
(By the grace of God I will be taking Resurrection Sunday off to celebrate my 46th spiritual birthday and enjoying some rest. The Lord willing we see it, my next post will be on April 23rd. I appreciate all of our regular readers and pray the Lord has met you here each week in life changing ways. Whether you think you need it or not, I urge you to watch “Return To The Lord” because it is for all of us who believe and so you in good conscience can invite other Christians to watch it too. He is risen!)
1 Because maintaining consistent fellowship with God is of such a high priority for Christians, I am led by the Lord to teach men what He has taught me about it from His Word in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. You can pick up a Hard or Soft Cover Edition in the Strong Man Store, among internet booksellers and brick and mor- tar bookstores.
2 Read the August 31, 2014 post, Soul Deep Repentance, under the category, Call To Repent.
3 See for example, the March 26, 2023 post, God Calls All To Repent--No Exceptions!, under the categories, Black History and Call To Repent.
4 View this latest Strong Man Of God Online Rally when it debuts on the Ministry’s dedicated Strong Man Of God Online Rally YouTube Channel.
If the cities or names of the seven churches of Asia addressed by the Lord Jesus Christ have any importance at all as to why He chose them, surely, the church at Philadelphia does as a name. Most commentators translate Philadelphia from the Greek as “brotherly love;” a name given to the city by an ancient king to honor his brother. Consistent with this, the Lord’s message to the church there was to His faithful Christian brothers that included those of His Jewish heritage. This is clear to see in the message that would have excited a Jewish Christian more than any Gentile given its quote of Scripture with Jewish specific application, experiences and prophetic references.
The Lord opens His message: “These things says He who is holy, He who is true....” Though all Christians would (or at least should) perk up with a message from the Lord opening like that, the Jewish Christian with joy immediately understands Him to be authenticating Himself as the promised Holy One of God, His Anointed, Son and Himself true God (Psalm 16:8-11, 20:6-9, 89:19-37; Isaiah 7:10-14, 9:6-7, 10:20, 12:4-6; Luke 1:30-35, 2:8-11; John 1:1-9, 14-18, 17:1-3)! Further, to ensure His identifying credentials were not missed, He quotes from Scripture: “He who has ‘the key of David,’ He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens,” (Isaiah 22:22; Revelation 3:7, NKJV).
In quoting from Isaiah’s passage originally spoken about the man that controlled access to king Hezekiah, the Lord instantly affirms its prophetic application to and fulfillment in Himself as the One who exclusively controls access to God His Father (John 14:6). All Christians are supposed to understand why He is the only way to God, but only Jewish saints painfully appreciate how important this is when their own heritage is attempting to block access to God through their common historical and traditional means such as worship at the Temple (destroyed by this time) and the synagogue.5 As in all of the churches, the Lord knew the individual works of those at Philadelphia.
The Lord greatly encourages the individual saints and especially His Jewish kindred of this church by setting “an open door” before them He says, “no one can shut” in applying His quote from Isaiah 22:22. He is doing this He says because they “have a little strength, have kept My Word, and have not denied My name,” (Revelation 3:8, NKJV). As I wrote earlier, historically, the wide river of the Jewish “remnant according to the election of grace” the apostle Paul wrote of (Romans 11:1-5, NKJV) narrowed to a tiny brook with very little influence in Christianity after the 1st century as the Lord here acknowledges and appears to prophetically forecast as their foreseeable future.
The historically oldest of Christians, though tiny, faithful Jewish saints were and would be dogged in displaying spiritual strength, keeping the Lord’s Word and not denying Him through the unimaginable pressure of persecution from family, community and the Gentile nations into which they were scattered with their unbelieving fellow Jews. In what should stagger no one, the Lord lets the Jews that believe in Him know, He sees and is watching them! As a result, His encouragement turns to rewards for faithfulness: future vindication and reversal in the form of former persecutors being forced in the manor of Haman of old to worship His faithful saints (Esther 3, 5:9-6:14; Revelation 3:9).
But His rewards do not end there. The Lord says “Because you have kept (past tense) My command to persevere, I also will keep (future tense) you from the hour of trial (testing) which shall come upon the whole world, to test those (all others) who dwell on the earth,” (Revelation 3:10, NKJV).6 I concur with all that interpret the “hour of trial” the Lord speaks of here as one and the same as “the great tribulation,” (Matthew 24:15-21, NKJV). This being so, His promise of protection cannot be “the rapture” as is taught since Christians are foretold to go through and many suffer martyrdom during it (Revelation 7:9-14).7 In context and consistency with who He is addressing, the Lord’s promise of protection is intended for Jewish Christians primarily living back in Judea at that time!8
Though the Lord’s promise of protection during the hour of trial speaks to the proven Jewish faithful believers in Israel at the time it occurs, this does not preclude Him in sovereignty extending it to select other faithful followers likewise proven throughout the earth. Together they will form the small number who are “alive and remain” at Christ’s Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, NKJV). For this reason, the Lord warns He is “coming quickly” and exhorts the faithful to tightly grasp what they have in strength, obedience to His Word and loyalty to Him, so, “no one may take your crown;” unmistakably asserting that even with protection, there will still be persecution pressures (Revelation 3:11, 16:15, NKJV).9 The Lord’s rewards are still not done for those that overcome.
With yet more Jewish significant implications is the Lord’s promise to make him that overcomes “a pillar in the temple” of His God adding, “and he shall go out no more.” Also, He declares, “I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem...And I will write on him My new name,” (Psalm 48:1-3, 137:4-6; Isaiah 66:5-11; Revelation 3:12, 21:1-22, NKJV). Contrary to the lying deceit of these latter days, keeping His Word as it is written remains a critical part of the faithfulness Christ rewards! Those who are not doing so, put themselves in grave peril since disobedience is nowhere rewarded in the Bible (Revelation 3:13). The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
5 Jewish persecution had led to those that were Christians being barred from entering or cast out of the Temple in the 1st century and it will be so again briefly when it is
rebuilt (Acts 21:15-30; Revelation 11:1-2).
6 The Lord led me to proclaim a timely six message series, The Hour Of Testing, now available in the Strong Man Store that instructs Christians on God’s biblically
taught purposes behind why He tests His people and fully explores the prophetic implications tied to the coming hour of trial our Lord speaks of in this post. Listen
to the series sample.
7 Faithful to the death as those at Smyrna, having overcome they will not be touched again by death; raised as they will be to eternal life and glory by Christ at the first
resurrection (John 5:28-29; Revelation 2:11, 14:12-13, 20:4-6, 11-15)!
8 What an amazing affirming prophetic disclosure by the Lord to Jewish Christians and all the church at Philadelphia, His faithful! Dispersed to the nations, as the Old
Testament prophets and He foretold, the Jews would one day return to their land and among them would be those that are followers of Him as Messiah (Matthew 24:
15-16; Mark 13:16). This prophecy of a return to the land became reality in 1948 when Israel once again became a nation with Jews from all over the world streaming
home since. Here again is the immutability of God on display to the world before our eyes (Malachi 3:6)! During this period of the return, growth in the number of
Jewish followers of Christ--many calling themselves Messianic--in Israel (still with hostility and persecution) and around the world has exploded though, their numbers
are still relatively small compared to the larger number of all Jews and their professed Gentile Christian brethren (Psalm 118:23-24)! Thank you, my brethren, for
your millennia long perseverance under trial in obedience to your Messiah--longer than any other ethnic group and an example to all in His Body! We who love you
rejoice in His righteousness of rewarding you in every way He will! Stay faithful through all that is yet to shortly come. To learn more about them, type “Messianic
Jews” into your favorite search engine.
9 Those who doubt the Lord can protect and preserve His people during times of persecution as well as His own acts of judgment should again acquaint themselves
with His Word as it is written (Exodus 8:20-24, 10:21-23, 12:21-23; Psalm 5:11-12; Joel 3:16; Matthew 2:7-15; Acts 12:1-11 as samples)!
Looking back over everything the Lord has led me to post this year thus far, I am struck by how many bedrock New Testament commandments and instructions are being blatantly trampled upon by the many leaders and people that profess to be Christians in the churches they make up. I wrote about how as “ambassadors” of the “one Lord” Jesus Christ we are all supposed to be saying the same thing (2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Ephesians 4:1-6, NKJV).1 Ambassadors represent a country or kingdom and speak and do among those in the nations they are assigned what their leader that appointed them has commanded. Not to do so is to invite certain consequences including dismissal!
The apostle Paul rhetorically asserts our Lord Jesus Christ is not divided (1 Corinthians 1:13), but we are and willfully so as each theologian, denominational leader, pastor, etc. teaches his following in accord with what is right in his own sight in spiritual lawlessness rather than what the Lord has purely declared in His Word; not “repeating God’s words after Him” as the religious educated elite are fond of saying (Judges 17:6; Proverbs 14:12). Paul also tells us why this is all so. In fulfillment of his prophecy each one teaches with a nuance that attracts followers to his wisdom and himself, not God and His wisdom in the Gospel resulting in followers for Christ (Acts 20:26-30; 1 Corinthians 1:17-25).
Because His program matters as I write in this edited 2012 Commentary, God’s judgment of the errant, disobedient and usurping ambassador/teachers is just (1 Corinthians 3-4:13; 2 Peter 2:4-11).
Originally Published March 2012
As I remind pastors in the closing chapter of my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics,2 Scripture plainly holds Jesus Christ up as Lord and Head of His Church (Ephesians 1:15-23). Christ presents His will (God's program) for those that belong to Him through new birth and supposedly make up the churches in the same Scripture He is proclaimed Lord! The local churches therefore, are not free to do as they please apart from the will of Christ. Yet, the evil spirits of disobedience, heretical corruption and apostasy that well began their work before the passing of the 1st century eyewitness apostles have brought their efforts in these latter days to a near frenetic intensity.
The aspiring strong man and great woman of God in the image of Christ delight to honor Him as Lord. They honor Jesus as Lord in their personal lives, in the local churches and before a watching world. They willingly honor Jesus as Lord out of their embrace of that factual truth from Scripture, the reality of meeting and walking with Him in His Lordship (John 14:18-20) as well as the joy of Holy Ghost fired affirmation (1 Corinthians 12:1-3)! As a result, they are not rebellious against or selective in their obedience to the Lord as the normative experience of their lives. When they sin, they do not delay to confess and repent before the Lord in all sincerity (1 John 1:5-2:6).
In the churches aspiring strong men and great women of God eagerly seek to fulfill His program to preach the Gospel to and make disciples of the nations; baptizing and teaching them to obey all of His will expressed in commandments communicated by His eyewitness apostles (Matthew 28:19-20). They do their part in God's program according to the gifts, calling and ministries they receive from the Lord through the agency of the Holy Spirit. They fully understand the Church is the Body of Christ and He the eternal Head. They labor in love to faithfully serve the members therein; being careful to obey the Lord's order of His assembly presently on earth (1 Corinthians 12:4-14:40).
Too many times I have heard preachers, teachers and professed Christians dismiss obedience to God's Word as an unimportant side issue to relationship with God. They portray God the Father as some benign, doting grandfather, Jesus as a cool, anti-rule keeping hippie sage and the Holy Spirit as a feel good force that just want us to love the Lord. However, Christ died to reconcile us back to God who had breached the relationship beginning with the disobedience of our forefather, Adam (Romans 5:6-21). Willful disobedience is not to characterize the New Covenant relationship of the Christian with the Lord he loves (John 14:15, 21-24; Hebrews 10:15-22; 1 John 3:4-10, 5:3).
The apostle Paul upbraided the Jews of his day for their hypocritical conduct that caused the Gentiles to blaspheme the name of God. How much more would he upbraid Christians in likeness today (Romans 2:17-24)? Indeed, the name of our God and His Son are regularly blasphemed in the media and on the streets of our nation due to the hypocritical conduct of professed Christians and churches that have no shame. The Gospel is maligned because racial division and bitterness mark the churches more than love. God's Word in the Bible is maligned because proud church leaders and teachers in disobedience will not say the same thing doctrinally (1 Corinthians 1:10; 1 Peter 3:8).
If professed Christians and their churches will not honor Jesus as Lord and obey the divine will revealed in Scripture, then who else on the planet will? If professed white Christians and those of color refuse to love one another in disobedience to Christ, then how will the world know that we are truly His disciples (John 13:34-35)? If professed Christians regard the instruction of Scripture on God's family order, gender roles and responsibilities as dated, then how valid is Scripture as a continuing source of authority for other aspects of our faith and practice?3 Clearly, the foretold latter day apostasy and deception are upon us to the eternal detriment of the guilty (1 Timothy 4:1-2; 2 Timothy 4:3-4)!4
God's program matters because men are saved and built up when we who say we love Him remain true to it. Moreover, God's program matters because Christians as aspiring strong men and great women of God in the image of Christ are the living signs of His Kingdom coming to earth; lights shining in a dark world (Philippians 2:14-16). Finally, God's program matters because the Father, Son and Holy Spirit share a holy disposition and wrath toward unrepentant sinners including those that profess to be Christians (Psalm 2:7-12; Isaiah 63:7-10; Matthew 7:21-23; John 8:21-29; Acts 5:1-11; Hebrews 10:26-31; Revelation 19:11-16). Repent! The time is nearer than you think. The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
1 See the opening of the March 31, 2019 post, Technically Speaking…, under the category, The Cause.
2 The book is available at all major internet booksellers, by order at your favorite brick and mortar bookstore or in the Strong Man Store.
3 As the Lord led, I wrote the following as an addendum to this Commentary in our March 2012 Strong Man Of God Newsletter: “The final source of Christian authority is
the unchanging Word of God contained in Bible translations that are true to the earliest preserved manuscripts (2 Timothy 3:14-17). It is not what fallen men say or
even say about the Word no matter how credentialed who easily read into the texts and twist the Word to say what they want bringing judgment on themselves (James
3:1; 2 Peter 3:14-16).”
4 In the same addendum I concluded: “Christians have been forewarned by the Lord Jesus and His apostles that false messiahs, prophets and teachers would rise up
to deceive (Matthew 24:4-5, 11; 2 Peter 2:1-3). It is so. They also warn about latter day apostasy (as the Commentary above references) that is very unambiguous in
its full blown form (Matthew 24:9-10; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3). It has been unfolding in earnest for a generation complete with outrageously deceitful teachings and
growing hostility toward the faithful. If the Lord Jesus and His apostles warn that falsehood and apostasy are to typify the days leading to His return, then professing
Christians need to snap out of their worldly slumber, strengthen their resolve to stand firm on God’s Word alone and prepare for worse (2 Timothy 3:1-13).”
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