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Once more in 2019 the Lord would have me uphold marriage as He designed it as a first priority to professed Christians who are supposed to be showing the world how it works to His glory (Matthew 5:14-16)!1 But as the world knows all too well, professing Christianity as a “pot” cannot call “the kettle black” on the issue of marriage and divorce. Attempting to obscure the naked reality of the tarnish to Christianity with smooth sounding psychological and sociological explanations that undermine biblical instruction as well as the truth of divine grace in forgiveness does not remove it. Total repentance from the sin of mocking marriage is required throughout professing Christianity!
Oh, or am I now by voicing God’s displeasure as all of His preachers are supposed to do, actually only attempting to destroy someone’s reputation that is guilty? Or is sin still sin as the Bible plainly lays it out no matter who is guilty? Or did Christ come only to die for sin in vain? Or is anyone in the Body of Christ above His Word; possessing a complete pass from guilt just because of who they are and it might make them look bad? Repent those that think so; God shows no partiality and all will reap what they sow no matter who they are (Romans 2:4-11; Galatians 6:7-8)! Let every aspiring strong man and great woman of God who reads this edited 2011 repost answer the Lord’s charge to honor and uphold marriage as He designed it.
Originally Posted November 6, 2011
Not only the strong man, but the great woman of God has a responsibility to uphold the dignity of marriage as an institution from Him. In a day when marriages are ripped apart on the slightest pretext, God’s original design even among many professed Christians is a fading landmark in the rearview mirror of our world’s ever accelerating press toward its own dark, design. Not the so-called stars of entertainment and sports as authorities on the subject, but Jesus Christ the Star of David who is God’s appointed Judge! He has affirmed that marriage is not only of divine origin, but sacred and precious to God until it shall be no more in His plan (Matthew 19:1-6; Luke 20:27-36, 21:33).
Quickie marriages and divorces therefore, are an affront to God and mock marriage as He designed it to be a lifelong relational commitment between a man and woman exclusively. Learn more about the mutual responsibility the aspiring strong man and great woman of God share to honor and treat marriage as holy in living to please the Holy One in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics.2
1 Read the March 17-31, 2019 reposts dealing with marriage under the category, The Cause and the April 7, 2019 post, The Glory Of Marital Oneness, under the category,
Glory To God!
2 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.
First it was the humiliation of missionaries coming from the former imperial possessions of Western nations including America in recent years to evangelize them. Now, in a stunning and decisive stand, United Methodist Christians from largely African nations recently stood against the formerly dominant Western denomination’s insistence on sanctioning the ordination and same sex marriage of LGBTQ persons within its ranks.1 Such is the intense spiritual warfare of these latter days as those that would be faithful to God and His Word as it is written not only must stand against a secular world in rebellion, but those that have infiltrated and would foment it in God’s house!
As a Christian descendant of African slaves in America, I am pleased in the Lord to have founded this Ministry and to be leading its Kingdom cause to restore men, families and communities also standing firmly on God’s Word!2 Surely, it was ‘“for such a time as this’” (Esther 4:13-16, NKJV) in the Body of Christ that God has touched many hearts among those once considered of no account and inferior by their former masters to stand with the faithful of all hues against the “madness” of rebellion and apostasy now underway in the West and a large number of its churches as I write of my own labor in the Preface of my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics; with joy replacing a “dumb donkey” for Christ’s sake (1 Corinthians 1:27-29; 2 Peter 2:12-16, NKJV).3
Prior to the book’s first publication in 2011, the Lord led me to write this edited 2010 Commentary contending for lifelong marriage as He designed it.
Originally Published March 2010
As an institution, marriage is under attack as never before as humanity in rebellion seeks to loose itself from all of God's program laid out in His Word (Psalm 2:1-3). Not only is marriage on the decline due to abandoned moral standards that permit temporary relationships of casual sex and living together, but it is being outright corrupted by those who want to legitimatize their same sex relationships. Destroying marriage as the Bible knows it too is the incredible divorce rate both in and outside of the churches. These divorces occur for many reasons beyond what the Lord Jesus Christ has permitted.
Marriage as God designed it is foundational to human existence and the oldest of all forms of human relationship. Indeed, before God introduced marriage, mankind was bottled up in the seed of the first man. The Bible does not glamorize God's purpose in creating the female version of man; it was to facilitate His will that the earth be filled with humanity through procreation (Genesis 1:27-28a). However, as a blessing to humanity and to sweeten the means to His end, the Lord gave us the gift of marital relationship. Thus, marital relationship exclusively between a man and a woman is of the purposeful construction of God, not society or the State since neither yet existed.
In the presence of Adam God declares, "'It is not good that man should be alone,'" (Genesis 2:18a, NKJV). God already knew that He was going to create a female for the man, but Adam had to know that being alone was not good. Adam also had to appreciate the value of relationship with another creature like him. If relationship for its own sake had been His sole purpose, then God was more than enough! However, procreation as He designed it would require Adam to have a suitably created, committed companion and helper with whom he could relate to for life.
God proclaims, "'I will make him a helper comparable to him,'" (Genesis 2:18b, NKJV). This helper God has in mind would not be an exact duplicate of Adam, but correspond to him as no other creature on earth (Genesis 2:19-20). After putting him to sleep and removing one of his ribs, the Lord God purposefully fashioned a woman and presented her to Adam. As evidenced by his joyful words, this woman corresponded to Adam in every way human--spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically (Genesis 2:21-23). They were equal in their humanity, but had different roles and responsibilities as plainly seen in their order of creation and the unique construction of their bodies.
Adam and his wife had a basic and functional relationship built upon their correspondence that would be mutually satisfying and endure for a lifetime apart from the romanticized notions of love we have today in which an estimated 40-50% of marriages fail in divorce.4 This does not mean they would not enjoy romance. However, this was only a small part of a total relationship that would be sustained in the main by a committed love for each other in unity and their Creator whose purposes they gladly sought to fulfill.
The Lord Jesus Christ, our Creator in the flesh declares, "'What God has joined together, let not man separate,'" (Matthew 19:4-6, NKJV). In God's design of marriage, it is permanent! While because of men's sin hardened hearts He allowed the concept of divorce to enter human experience, the Lord makes it clear before sin "'from the beginning it was not so.'" He permits divorce only after sexual immorality, which is already a break in the marital covenant (Matthew 19:7-9, NKJV). The Lord's apostle, Paul, later addresses the de facto divorce that occurs when an unbelieving spouse permanently deserts the marriage (1 Corinthians 7:10-16).
Aspiring strong men of God in the image of Jesus Christ living to please Him and do His will, must labor vigorously to restore marriage as our God designed it. This means that we have to first be sure we are honoring His marital design.5 Then we must lock arms with our pastors that are faithfully holding the line on marriage as God designed it. Unless God's design of marriage is restored, we can count on seeing the rapid fracturing and decay of our society along with its descent into social chaos continue to the point there is “no remedy”6 and in the end, “wrath” (2 Chronicles 36:15-16, NKJV).
1 View the short news story produced by CBN News on its Christian World News program starting 13 minutes and 40 seconds in that interviews a Liberian leader in the denomination.
2 See the April 26, 2015 repost, Obeying God’s Word On His Side, under the category, The Cause and many others among my blogs using the search word, “marriage.”
3 The book is available at all major internet booksellers, by order at your favorite brick and mortar bookstore or in the Strong Man Store.
4 Google “2018 divorce rate.” Some social scientists actually see a downward trend in divorces driven by millennials for such reasons as marrying later in life (which still
does not conform to God’s will) according to a Bloomberg article.
5 As I discuss in my book, this means among other things marrying “only in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 7:39, NKJV), loving his wife in the sacrificial, constructive and es-
teeming care displayed by Christ for the Church (Ephesians 5:25-33a) and honoring the vow of marriage as God intends for men to honor all of our vows (Numbers 30:
1-2; Matthew 5:33-37). Christian women too, must marry only in the Lord and honor the wedding vow as well as love their husbands as Christ loves the Father and the
Church, Him, in all submission and respect (John 6:38, 8:48-49; Ephesians 5:22-24, 33b).
6 A point which since I wrote this in 2010, the Lord led me to proclaim has arrived! Read the first mention of a “point of no return” in the July 15, 2015 part one 2012 re-
post, Powerlessness Of Being The Minority, under the category, Encouragement. A second mention follows in the October 22, 2017 part two 2013 repost, Mocking The
Rainbow, under the category, Biblical Worldview.
This edited 2010 Commentary followed immediately after one I wrote as the Lord led challenging men as fathers to step up and accept the divine assigned responsibility to protect our children starting as they are unborn in the womb.1 Transparently owning my own shameful failure to do so as an unsaved teenager, I also urged fellow aspiring strong men of God in the image of Jesus Christ to stand up for and defend the right of the unborn to live.2 Continuing in that vein, this post puts the failure of men guilty of not protecting our children in its proper spiritual context as part of the ongoing rebellion against God, His design and order of the family. It also warns about the unfolding consequences that will continue to intensify and calls professed Christian men to the cause and work of restoring men.3
Originally Published February 2010
A man's responsibility to protect his children from conception to the age of majority is bound up in God's design of the human family. We do the mothers of our children no favors to remain with them--it is God's will that we do so! He holds us accountable to walk in His design and fulfill the purposes of our creation plainly spelled out in His Book of beginnings. There, it is written: "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it…,'" (Genesis 1:27-28a, NKJV).4
Man and woman as husband and wife in the lifetime bond of marriage is God's original and enduring context for the bringing forth of children. Formal marriage of the first couple took place after God created the woman and brought her to the man (Genesis 2:18-23). He then presented His will through Moses: "Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh," (Genesis 2:24, NKJV). Any doubts about whether the first couple was truly married or not is dispelled in the next verse, "And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed," (Genesis 2:25, Emphasis mine, NKJV).
In the rebellion against God and His Anointed that has intensely gripped our world over the last generation, living together without formal marriage has become so common we have considered it normal. But man's rebellion does not alter God's original design. Therefore, every man and woman living together without the benefit of formal marriage is sinning against the Lord. Every man and woman having sex outside of marriage is also sinning against the Lord. This is so, whether they consider themselves Christians or not!5 Since God will never let sinful men mock Him, the harvest of consequences from the seeds of rebellion have long been showing themselves in our nation and world.
Never before heard of sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS sprang up in the latter third of the 20th century in the heat of the so-called "sexual revolution." The trail of broken relationships and shattered lives through break up and abandonment circles the globe at this hour. Irresponsible men now, even brag about the number of children they have by different mothers. Meanwhile, fatherless children bear more fatherless children that are deeply bitter, hate-filled and ready to make everybody feel their pain! And this is all good? I don't think so! We are killing ourselves doing things our way and it is time to admit failure.
To reverse the present course of self-destruction we are on, mankind must turn back to God, our Creator and Judge--His will, way and Word while there is still time (Acts 17:24-31; 2 Peter 3:7-9)! This, of course, includes restoring marriage and family as He designed them. Whatever God does in the original is "very good" by His own testimony (Genesis 1:31). What we have done in one generation rebelling against God's very good way of marriage and family is not good at all. In fact, it is plain evil! Leading out in this turn back to God must be every man that calls himself a Christian and that aspires to be a strong man of God in the image of Jesus Christ (Titus 2:11-15).
Indeed, if you are like me, you had your time in the rebellion, contributed to the folly of today by fathering children out of wedlock and are filled with deep regret over the burgeoning consequences. I began to turn away from my participation in the rebellion when I became a Christian on Easter 1977 (Romans 6:21; Titus 3:3-8). Now, it's time we Christian men man up and lead the repentance charge back to God in all understanding that unless we do, our children may well be the generation that experiences the full outpouring of His foretold wrath on those in rebellion against Him (Psalm 2:1-5; Isaiah 13:11-13; Romans 1:18-32; Revelation 6:12-17). I am doing my part through this Ministry in seeking to restore men and their families as God designed. I challenge you to join me!
1 See the January 21, 2018 repost, Protecting Our Children, under the category, Biblical Worldview.
2 Learn about the strong man of God in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. It is available at all major internet booksellers, by order at your favorite brick
and mortar bookstore or in the Strong Man Store.
3 Read the July 27, 2014 post, God Of Order and November 16, 2014, Christian Women And Restoring Men, both under the category, Instruction.
4 God’s purposeful design of male and female bodies to procreate is incontrovertible evidence of procreation being a part of mankind’s purpose shared in common with all
of the other creatures of this physical creation after their kind. See the May 1, 2016 post, Natural Bodies By Divine Design, under the category, God’s Creatures.
5 Read the two-part repost beginning February 11, 2018, Christian Singles Having Sex, under the category, Black History.
As the Lord led me to make clear in my April 8, 2018 post, "The Second Adam Rules And Judges,"1 worldly concocted feminism is not a social-political ideology that can be safely tolerated by or integrated with biblical Christianity in the churches. Its origin is demonic, strategically deceitful and destructive; viewed on High as rebellion against God! For God purposely designed and created man and woman with roles and responsibilities in an order where they cooperatively fulfill His will for them in this mortal age.2 However, the 20th century rise of feminism blatantly challenges God’s will. Along with many other associated evils, puffed up feminists have created a “battle of the sexes.”
In this now, generation long battle as enemy combatants, women have struggled against men for power and position. Under withering true and false accusations of failure, shamed men have been yielding ground in ancient places of governance such as the family. The ruinous fruit of backing men down can be everywhere seen in the breakdown of the family and gender confusion in the wider culture, for example, as well as in the churches with professed Christian women in defiance of Scripture pursuing roles of authority over men in God’s house. In this edited May 2012 Commentary, I again summarize God’s design of woman and in four posts to follow, present her value to the continuing end of pulling down feminism as a stronghold of deceit in the churches (Philippians 3:1b)!
Originally Published May 2012
One of the things you learn right away as a maturing Christian is that Satan and his kingdom do not play fair. How ironic, since one of the enemy's major allegations in these last days concerns how unfair God is in many things, but especially His design of male and female roles and responsibilities.3 So persuasive is Satan on this issue that professing Christians, churches and related entities in growing numbers are abandoning God's biblical ship to embrace his lie. With his instigation, faithful teachers of God's Word on the issue are barely tolerated any longer and considered extreme. Nevertheless, God is judging rebels on this issue of rebellion as He is all others.
The Lord leading, I have written often over the years warning professing Christians not to believe Satan’s lie that God is somehow unfair (which attacks His character) or even worse has made a mistake (which questions His perfection as deity) on the issue of male and female roles. Be reminded and warned again that the issue has only come up because Satan has been successfully using this tact of attacking God’s character and questioning His Person from Eden (Genesis 3:1-5). It worked with a perfect woman; it has worked all the more with sinful humanity since then who in our fallen state are primed to rebel against God and seek to justify it by identifying supposed flaws in Him!
Satan has once again in these last days gone to the woman as he did in the beginning to stir up women and sympathetic men over God's apparent unfairness in making the man first and the head in human families (1 Timothy 2:13-14). But even if the accusation had some basis in fact (I feel ridiculous writing this), the greater issue is the defiant act by the creature to rise up in revolt to question its Maker (Romans 9:20) and declare war on His chosen head. As it is captured in the 1946 Irvin Berlin song used in various TV commercials, "Anything you can do, I can do better." Moses' sister expressed a similar mind and was immediately, severely rebuked by God (Numbers 12).
As I write in The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics, our Creator did not set out to create a rivalry between men and women when He created them.4 In His perfect design, men and women were to work in harmony to fulfill His will for them in the earth. The man was created first because he is the eternal creature, "man" in mortal form! To satisfy His plans for man to reproduce, God reached into him and made another of equal person, but with some important differences. Woman is taken out of the man as a female counterpart to be put back together with him in marriage so she might help fulfill God’s will for them to govern and fill the earth with mankind (Genesis 1:22-28, 2:18-24).
In the eyes of Adam and every aspiring strong man of God in the image of Christ, woman is an absolute wonder to behold (Genesis 2:23)! In general, woman is smaller and softer with beauty of face, longer hair and a body that by God's purposeful design excites her husband's sexual interest leading to procreation.5 She also corresponds perfectly to him in spiritual, mental and emotional make up complementing their relationship. Clearly, she is no afterthought or cast off left over from God's creation of man. But as man is the glory of God in image, she truly is his glory (1 Corinthians 11:7) to be loved, nourished and cherished as he does his own body (Ephesians 5:28-29).
To say that woman is the glory of man is not to suggest she bears nothing of the image and glory of God. Truly, God has caused woman made from man to equally radiate the divine image and glory including the impulse to lead and rule. This is shown in Eden when the serpent brings his case to the woman and she leads out in disobeying God (Genesis 3:6). In doing so, she willfully usurps her husband's prior standing as God's chosen head and is corrected (Genesis 3:16b). Later, in judging Adam, God integrates into his sin of failing to obey Him, the fact that he temporarily abandoned his role as God's chosen head to follow his wife's leadership instead (Genesis 3:17a).
God has designed woman on purpose with unalterable purpose for this present age. Every Christian woman who will live as God designed must resist embracing Satan's lie that either God or His Word are flawed on the issue. We are flawed in sin and inability to function as God designed in His ordained order, roles and responsibilities! Therefore, aspiring great women of God that would please Him and do His will joyfully submit to His will for them as a woman.6 You are granted of the highest honors to cooperate with God in being a wife and mother; fruitfully filling the earth with humanity (1 Timothy 2:15). Otherwise, as a rebel, His judgment will find you too (Hebrews 3:15-19). The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
1 Find it under the categories Call To Repentance and Bible Prophecy.
2 Read the related July 3, 2016 post, Man As God Designed Him, under the category, God’s Creatures.
3 See the May 15, 2016 post, God Unfair?, under the category, God’s Creatures.
4 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.
5 Read the May 1, 2016 post, Natural Bodies By Divine Design, under the category, God’s Creatures.
6 I devote two full chapters in my book to defining and instructing on the great woman of God from the Bible. Additionally, the Strong Man Store now has available the
newest Strong Man Of God Audio Resource, Great Woman Of God Mothers, an expository message from the Lord I was blessed to proclaim. Check it out and listen
to the sample provided.
(Editing of this 2013 repost has included adding content freshly inspired by the Lord and current events most fully seen in the fifth and seventh paragraphs as well as the footnotes of this part two.)
Indeed, it is an awesome marvel of God that He has made it mechanically possible for elements of creation to mimic in any measure what is unique to His own eternal glory; for the light phenomenon called a rainbow is of the signature display of the glory that surrounds His throne (Ezekiel 1:26-28; Revelation 4:1-3)!3 So, now, in these latter days, the signature display of God’s glory that surrounds His heavenly throne; the rainbow meant compassionately by Him to assure all creatures of His promise never again to destroy the earth by a global flood, has been co-opted and corrupted by the small group of sinful men and women that use it to symbolize their part in the growing global rebellion against Him.
According to Wikipedia, while there is a long history of rainbow flags representing various cultures, causes and movements, today the rainbow flag of those embracing the cause of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and now, Q for Queer or Questioning one’s sexual identity) is the best known in the world. It was introduced in 1978 by Gilbert Baker and has undergone some color modification, but remains a symbol of the pride and diversity (the mixed practice of biblically defined perverted sexual behavior) of the LGBTQ movement along with now, its apparent rise to power as societal influencers in causing same sex marriage to become legally accepted.4
That those of this movement should blasphemously mock the rainbow of God by making it their own, clearly is of Satan and shows the depth of their depravity along with why it will be so easy for the Antichrist to rally them to his cause in days soon to come (2 Thessalonians 2:3-12; Revelation 13:1-6). Still, God loves those of the LGBTQ movement as all other sinners (John 3:16-21; Romans 5:6-11)! Faithful Christians must continue to proclaim the Gospel and witness Christ to them (that He died on the cross for our sins, was buried and rose again on the third day; whoever repents and believes this will be forgiven and saved--Romans 1:16-17, 10:6-13) during these ever darkening days.
Truly, while the Supreme Court decisions and increasing anti-Christian political environment signal the passing of the point of no return to a welcome acceptance of biblical Christianity and morality by our nation, we are nevertheless, to continue our commanded mission “to make disciples” until the end (Matthew 24:14, 28:19-20; Acts 1:8, NKJV). God’s love of the lost and certainty His foretold end for this present world will be as He says drives us; for while He promised never again to destroy the entire earth and its air breathing creatures by a global flood, He did not promise never again to judge the earth and its sinners (Romans 1:18-32).
This is why I also strongly exhort all that profess to be Christians and cling to sin including the practice of whatever forms of sexual immorality to repent (Romans 2:1-11)! You are operating in complete self-deception to believe you get a pass from judgment by the holy God even if it is “love” as I once foolishly rationalized as an unsaved fornicator with women. “The unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God,” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21, NKJV). Authentic Christians5 have been “washed,” “sanctified,” and “justified” in the name and blood of Jesus and by the Holy Spirit; being taught by Him to purposely “put off” the old self in deceitful lusts and “put on” the new to walk as imitators and children of God and light (1 Corinthians 6:11; Ephesians 4:17-24, 5:1-14, NKJV).6
Therefore, as the flood of Noah’s day over several months brought a temporary end to the evil deeds of men, the resurgence of those deeds since in knowing rebellion and blasphemy to include rejecting the Gospel as well as mocking the rainbow among many more in these latter days, is leading to another cataclysmic outpouring of God’s wrath upon evil humanity. It shall come by way of a global storm, earthquake and plague of hail occurring over a few hours in one day with only a small number of elect Jews and unsaved Gentiles as survivors (Isaiah 10:20-23, 13:6-13; Zephaniah 1:14-18; Revelation 7:1-8, 16:17-21)! All of the wicked will meet their final, eternal end at the judgment seat of Christ (Revelation 20:11-15).
It being all like that, from the unsearchable depths of God’s love, grace and mercy I implore all that are guilty once more to repent and believe the Gospel while there is still time; or has not the dramatic uptick in catastrophic hurricanes with major flooding (and rainbows), earthquakes and other calamities so far this year yet convinced you the end of God’s longsuffering with human wickedness is near? This is God’s day of salvation; tomorrow has been promised to no one! Stop listening to “deceiving spirits” seeking your destruction (1 Timothy 4:1-2, NKJV). You are hearing God’s voice right now; don’t harden your heart (2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2; Hebrews 3:7-13). In this too, the risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
3 On this point and explaining other such things from a scientific and biblical worldview is where Ken Ham in his work has done his greatest service to the Body of Christ and the world. As God surely intended, Ken is the scientist par excellence that considers his work not to disprove, but to joyously discover and glorify his Creator in “the works of His hands,” (Hebrews 2:6-7, NKJV). I thank God for and salute him! Learn more about rainbows and other exciting facts about God’s creation from Ken Ham and others at https://answersingenesis.org/answers/.
4 Read the article.
5 See the March 1, 2015 blog repost, The Mark Of A Genuine Christian under the category, Instruction.
6 I understand that sexual issues of all kinds can be very difficult to overcome and empathize with those struggling to be free in Christ. Help is available through various authentically Christian entities and I encourage those dealing with same sex attraction, for example, to visit Focus On The Family for some possible resources to help. Men dealing with sexual addiction can learn about gaining deliverance from the counseling team at Pure Heart Ministries featured as a link on our Ministry And Church Link Web Site Page.
In my book, “The Strong Man Of God, Back To Basics,” I write in some detail about the temporary roles and activity God has assigned men and women in this present mortal age. Satan, sin and self has done so much to corrupt the understanding of those roles and activity that in these latter days a “battle of the sexes” not sanctioned by God is underway creating confusion and destroying lives. This evil battle will end forever at Christ’s coming, but the eternal roles and activity God has designed for man, His creature, will continue solely with His saints. As I point out in this edited 2012 Commentary, this eternal design is exceedingly greater than that which is mortal!
Originally Published June 2012
Many professing Christian men live as though their present mortal experience is the greatest of all possible experiences in their eternal existence. While they claim to believe in "life after life," they live like "this is as good as it gets." As a result, they deny themselves nothing that they desire and are too focused on and consumed by the temporary experiences of this life including the over acquisition of material things. Teaching in many churches and Christian media are responsible in major part because prosperity is their emphasis. Even those concerned with helping men speak almost exclusively to their mortal roles as husbands and fathers. But man as God designed him is more.
That God has greater plans for man than his mortal existence is hinted at in Eden and loudly heralded by Jesus Christ (Genesis 1:26, 2:7-9, 3:17-19, 22-24; Luke 20:27-40; John 10:10, 11:25-26, 38-44, 14:1-6). Mortality was always only intended to be a temporary, stage one of human existence. The "tree of life" which in its fruit provided instantaneous immortality among the trees of Eden could have been accessed by Adam. In his mortality, however, the man was tested as to his willingness to obey his Creator, failed and was driven from the garden (Genesis 2:16-17, 3:6, 22-24). But God was not done with man for He had created him to live in a body and serve His purposes forever!
Millennia later, out of the context of unrestrained praise to God for the excellence of His name in the whole earth and glory beyond the physical universe (Psalm 8:1-3), Israel's king David marvels and asks Him the rhetorical question of creation's ages. He wants to know, "What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit (give attention to, care for) him," (Psalm 8:4, NKJV)? The question is followed by David's recognition of man's exalted role and responsibility in God's created order as ruler over all the works of His hands and a restatement of praise for the excellence of God's name in the whole earth (Psalm 8:5-9). Truly, man's eternal destiny is great!
While being a man as God designed does involve for most being husbands and fathers in this present age, these roles are temporary; partial preparation for and a foreshadowing of the ultimate rule to which God created us to serve. To that end sin and death did not alter God's purpose that man should be immortal. Bodily resurrection is now God's primary bridge to immortality. It is about rising to die no more. This is stage two of human existence leading to rule over all the works of His hands. All who ever lived and died will be raised from the dead to immortality, but not all will enjoy God’s eternal life and glory brought to light by Jesus Christ (John 5:24-30; 2 Timothy 1:8-10).
Every aspiring strong man of God should be fervently living out our mortal lives to please God while eagerly looking forward to the hope of immortal glory through Christ who has gone on before us and is soon to return (Colossians 1:9-18, 24-28; Titus 2:11-14)! Our mortal experience swallowed up in immortality will be in time by roughest comparison like a grain of sand at the universe’s center; in quality, no comparison! The apostle Paul teaches us to live now as if Christ has already raised us to immortal glory. This being the case, we are to set our minds on and value the things important to Heaven where Christ is already seated in immortal glory (Colossians 3:1-2).
This does not mean as some charge teachers like me teach that to please God we must withdraw from the world and take a vow of poverty. Conversely, it certainly does not mean that we sell our souls out to pursuing pleasure, money and things to the point Kingdom priorities in the Gospel and this life are lost to us (Luke 12:15-21; Colossians 3:3-6). I have known too many professing Christians that have allowed the pursuit of riches to ruin their otherwise promising spiritual walk as the Bible forewarns (1 Timothy 6:6-10). Nevertheless, I am a living witness of the gracious provision God extends to the man who puts Christ and His Kingdom first (1 Timothy 6:11-16).
Therefore, let every aspiring strong man of God in the image of Christ be the husband to his wife, father to his children and son to his parents God's Word requires in the power that our eternal Companion, the Holy Spirit supplies. However, know He is not just concerned for our fruitfulness in those temporary roles, but also as God designed in our eternal roles as sons, disciples and servants of God and fellow man. In all our roles the Spirit prepares us for eternal service as rulers with Christ over every creature and created thing our God has made as part of our glorious inheritance in Him (Romans 8:15-23; Revelation 22:1-5). Do not miss out seeking after yours now! The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
From antiquity armies have conquered lands and signified their triumph by either destroying or parading captured idols as gods or symbols such as flags. While I admire and spiritually stand on principle with both the Creation and Ark Encounter Museum Founder, Ken Ham’s campaign to take back the rainbow which has been for a time triumphantly co-opted and paraded about by the LBGTQ movement as their symbol, I do not believe it in splendid singularity is a hill to die on (2 Samuel 2:24-28). Given the nearness of Christ’s return, I urge to let the Lord reclaim the emblem of His throne!1 For it is sufficient that we who know God love all those who hate Him enough to proclaim the Gospel to and warn them standing firm on His Word, they have gravely erred in defiantly mocking Him!
To that end, the Lord has led me to repost the following edited 2013 two-part blog today. The act to commandeer God’s rainbow is only a tiny fraction of the acts of rebellion against Him and His Word in these latter days; an act that does not actually yet or ever will signal God’s defeat! In the face of such blasphemous rebel conduct God sends us to extend His gracious offer of restoration in the Gospel and cogent explanation of the offense fearfully knowing that the unrepentant will endure His just wrath and judgment. For this reason, we also warn professed Christians in their churches that side in great deceit with those mocking God’s royal emblem (Psalm 50:16-23; 2 Timothy 2:19-22).
Originally Posted July 14, 2013
Denial is a powerful, negative mental and emotional defense mechanism we humans employ in situations we face that are overwhelming, shocking, threaten consequences, our sense of ordered reality or accepted thinking to name some. Many Christians, no doubt, are tempted to retreat into denial again over the recent Supreme Court decisions essentially establishing a legal status for same sex marriage as they once did when the same judicial body a generation ago decided to remove prayer from the schools.
Denial was not the right response back then--look at the anti-Christian attitudes that have been spawned and are displayed in every facet of our society from that one decision after a generation because many Christians were in denial until too late--and it certainly is not the right response now. A hard, cold, shocking reality must be soberly faced by faithful Christians: the once favorable place Christianity had in American society is being systematically destroyed as a result of a full on rebellion against God, His Son, Jesus Christ and the divinely inspired Word of the Bible (Psalm 2:1-3). Moreover, the rallying symbol for a small, but vocal and disproportionately influential segment of this rebellion is God’s own rainbow!
In the aftermath of the global flood He brought in judgment upon the earth for human wickedness (Genesis 6:5-7:24), the Lord who had spared righteous Noah, his wife, three sons, their wives and two of every creature made a covenant of promise with them all. ‘“And as for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ark, every beast of the earth. Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth,”’ (Genesis 9:8-11, NKJV).
After having safely come through the then worst divinely brought cataclysmic disaster in human history, God compassionately seeks to reassure fallen man (see Genesis 8:20-22) and all other earth creatures by a covenant of His making that they should not fear the sight of rain clouds as the coming of another global, catastrophic flood that destroys all air breathing life. Though it was not necessary since it was the perfectly trustworthy and righteous God making the covenant, He chose to provide a visible sign to all of His earth creatures that would remind everyone including Himself of His promise never to destroy the earth again by flood.
He says, ‘“I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh,”’ (Genesis 9:12-17, NKJV). Science can say whatever it wants about the mechanics of how rainbows appear by sunlight refracted and dispersed through rain drops,2 but the fact remains God declares the rainbow is His and appears ultimately as the result of His creation of and sovereign control over earth’s atmospheric conditions.
1 See the CBNNews.com article, Ken Ham’s Ongoing Quest to ‘Take Back the Rainbow’ published October 1, 2017.
2 See “How Rainbows Work” on the Web Site, howstuffworks.com.
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