The Scourge Of Racism
E-Book Availability 4/12-26
Released January 5, 2024
Download Your Copy
Now In The Strong Man Store!
The righteous are only ever trouble to religionists when they refuse to indulge selfish motives with them in sin, go along to get along tolerating or covering up evil or corrupting and compromising the clear teaching and truth of God’s Word applied to every situation! In consequence, as I have experienced, religionists will even lie on God’s faithful stewards and misconstrue their words (Amos 7:10-11).3 Already an outsider “for the truth” (2 Corinthians 13:8, NKJV),4 because of such treachery I am an exiled Pastor too! Historically, religionists have also physically assaulted and murdered faithful stewards while deceitfully claiming to serve the same Master (John 16:1-4; Revelation 17:1-6).
Nevertheless, in accord with my calling, gifts and ministry I am not silent; proclaiming God’s will, way and Word as it is written because this is the example of every faithful Old Testament prophet, the Lord Jesus Christ, His apostles and prophets in the New! They did not shrink back from speaking truth to their religious antagonists because it was their stewardship responsibility from God (Luke 11:37-54). Opposition from religionists is not the fault of the righteous that stand up to and cry out against their wickedness. Religionists are at fault since they willfully choose to oppose God who knows their hearts and His plainly written eternally standing Word as the Lord taught (Luke 16:15-18).
Contrary to the convenient misapplication of Scripture actually intended for corrupt religionists concerning what to do with “those who cause divisions,” (Romans 16:17-18, NKJV), God expects His faithful stewards to speak up and out about sin. Paul did so with Peter who did not resist him (Galatians 2:11-21). Yet, loud and prolonged quarreling is not the Lord’s will. If submission to the Word is not forthcoming as is typical with proud religionists (Luke 16:19-31), then, the righteous without giving ground and continuing to faithfully teach gives them over to God if He might bring them to repentance, knowledge of the truth and deliverance from Satan’s control (2 Timothy 2:24-26).
During my Christian journey to date, I have painfully been aware of many men in the churches that with proud religious leaders have not chosen to make the Lord Jesus their Master to serve Him alone. If it is not the love of money that prevents this, it is wife, children, parents, siblings, friends and self invested in personal vanity, job, recreation, hobbies, cars, yards and social clubs to include the local church which is seen and treated as such; differing from those secular only in that it gives a man the outward appearance of being religious and dispatching some duty to God in his attendance, practice of traditions and involvement. To be sure, many of these men are deceived and not saved!
In defiance of Scripture, such men are impossibly attempting to be saved by keeping religious traditions and doing church works (Romans 3:9-31; Ephesians 2:8-9). Religious leadership--many not saved themselves, wickedly insist the men obey them as wise masters in their deadly deceit as they exploit them for their money and labor (Mark 7:1-23).5 A smaller number of other men are saved, but make very little progress in spiritual maturity for lack of instruction in sound doctrine and biblical manhood. They never sell out completely to the Lord as Master of their lives because they do not know it is required of them as religious leadership demands to be served as master instead.
A still smaller number of men in local churches ruled by religionists are more serious about the Lord, but for lack of a made up mind wholly given over to serve Him are torn between two masters. While the other master can be anyone or thing of those already stated, it is typically the local church and the religious requirement of leadership to be more faithful to them in service and doctrine than to the Lord--His will, way and Word as it is written! My heart has gone out to these men over the years many of whom have been dear brothers and personal friends because as others of old, their torn state is filled with fear of their religious leaders and secrecy (John 7:13, 9:13-22, 12:42-43, 19:38-39). They need repentance and courage to serve Him alone from the Lord if they are willing!6
While I too, have had a few moments over the years when fear of religious consequences have caused me to be careful of what I said and to whom I said it, I have sought the Lord for the courage needed to follow His example and that of His apostles as faithful stewards of God. Absent the Holy Spirit leading, controlling and empowering them, the disciples all ran away in fear at first in the face religious men (Mark 14:43-50). After their new birth, however, they became courageous, sold out to and stood firm as apostles and faithful stewards of Jesus Christ, their Master (Acts 4:1-22, 5:17-42). If a man has been truly born again and loves the Lord, he is never to be torn between two masters. He is loyal to Christ as his Master alone and true to His Word (Acts 4:19-20, 5:27-29)!7
3 And no wonder since they lie on God too saying, ‘“The Lord says,’” but He had not spoken (Ezekiel 13:6-7, NKJV)!
4 Truly, how can one that is a faithful born again believer in Jesus Christ and member of His Church universal ever be an “outsider” to any professed Christian local
church where He is really honored as Lord? Sin in all of its forms, unbiblical, cliquish membership requirements and nepotism through Christianity as manmade reli-
gion forces Christ and His faithful stewards to be outsiders (Colossians 2:16-23; 1 Timothy 4:1-5; Hebrews 13:9-13; Revelation 3:20)!
5 How wise really are these men since they reject and refuse to obey God’s Word as it is written? Consequently, His judgment of them is just (Jeremiah 8:8-12)!
6 The Lord calls you to repent from fear of sinful men, unwillingness to stand on the truth of His Word as it is written not as it is corrupted to accommodate religious a-
gendas or suffer as He and all of the saints before and around us! Too, He would have you repent from divided loyalties and double mindedness (James 1:5-8, 4:
7-10). If the Lord is Lord, then serve Him as Master remembering religious leaders did not die for nor do they have a Heaven or Hell to put you in. If to you Jesus is
not Lord, why torment yourself trying futilely as He taught to serve two masters? Understand though, that rejection of Jesus as Master leads to no good end now or
in the day of accountability (Matthew 7:21-23, 10:16-39, 12:30).
7 This is the heart of every aspiring strong man and great woman of God I write about in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. Get a print copy or digi-
tal 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.
The Lord Jesus Christ is just as plain as He can be in His teaching declaring: “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon,” (Luke 16:13, NKJV). While mammon represents money in applying this passage, the other master besides God can be anyone or anything! In this post as the Lord leads, I write to remind myself and other men that He “ain’t playing” about His requirement that those that would follow Him be exclusively devoted to faithfully serving Him as Master of our lives contrary to what is seen in many churches today.
Contextually, the Lord’s principle of faithfulness to one Master comes near the end of His teaching targeting the issues of the cold hearted Pharisees and scribes that had mingled with the tax collectors and sinners drawn close to hear Him beginning in Luke 15. These religious men could not understand why Jesus representing God would be concerned about sinners and were purposely seeking for an opportunity to discredit Him. So, as He said He would, He taught them in parables about God’s love for sinners (Matthew 13:10-17). Then, directly to His disciples, but with the religious leaders still listening in the Lord begins to teach on stewardship in Luke 16.
In His parable of the unjust steward, the Lord rebukes the Pharisees and scribes in their failure as stewards while warning His disciples at the same time about the requirement of God that His stewards be completely faithful to Him (1 Corinthian 4:2). Every man beginning with his life, in his home and into God’s house has a stewardship responsibility He holds them accountable for (Matthew 12:36-37; Romans 14:12; 2 Corinthians 5:9-11). In their love of money (not to mention position, power and recognition among other selfish motives), Israel’s religious leaders were unjust as stewards before God their Master just as the man in the Lord’s parable was to his (Luke 16:1-2).
As in the parable, Israel’s religious leaders had mismanaged what God had entrusted to them due to having a greater devotion to money than to Him. Blinded by their devotion to money and hearts made hard through the deceit of sin intrinsic to manmade religion, they did not even have enough fear of God in them to try to do something about their failure, day of impending accountability with and certain judgment by God (Luke 16:3-9). The Lord further teaches that if a man will be faithful with a little to manage, he will also be in more; unjust in minor matters, also those great. Proven unfaithful, such a man disqualifies himself from bigger stewardship responsibilities (Luke 16:10-11).
Moreover, if a man is unfaithful in managing another man’s affairs, the Lord would know “who will give you what is your own” to manage (Luke 16:12, NKJV)? This brings us to the famous dilemma of the one who would serve two masters. No one can successfully serve two masters at once because again the Lord concludes, “either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other,” (Luke 16:13, NKJV). While they may not have fully understood all of what the Lord was teaching up to this point, the religious leaders present got the message about the unjust steward and forthwith ridiculed Him (Luke 16:14).
Israel’s religious leaders hated, despised and persecuted the Lord Jesus because in contrast to them as unfaithful stewards, He was completely faithful! He was gathering sinners to Himself, preaching the Gospel to, teaching and serving them through mighty miracles because that was His stewardship assignment from God. And God made it known He was pleased with His stewardship to include His death on the cross (Luke 3:21-22; John 8:28-29, 11:38-44, 19:28-30, 20:11-18)! Now, that unfaithful religious stewards persecute the faithful is from the beginning (Genesis 4:1-8), why the Lord was persecuted and any of us too who will be faithful to our Master (2 Timothy 3:12). Indeed, for this reason I have been persecuted by those of manmade Christianity from my infancy in Christ!
As Joshua’s charge and the Lord’s sober instruction on being His authentic disciple have echoed down through the centuries, I heard them and made my choice to serve Him alone in the day of my wholehearted surrender (Joshua 24:14-15; Luke 9:18-26, 14:25-35).1 Since those days in 1979 until now, I have been repeatedly told in word and deed by leaders in churches divergent in geography, ethnicity and size that God’s will, way and Word does not apply in every situation. Also, religious traditions and activities are necessary to be in effect, an “opiate” to “the people.”2 Finally, I was warned not to challenge disobedient leadership or the wicked status quo or be considered what one dear Southern Baptist sister once playfully called me, but others consider true, “trouble.”
1 Read the February 17, 2019 post, Surrendering All To Jesus, under the category, Glory To God!
2 19th century Communist thinker, Karl Marx, wrote in an article: “Religion is the opiate of the people.” Biblical Christianity is far removed from such a notion being as it
is the salvation, eternal way, life and Kingdom of God in Jesus Christ and every one of His genuine “born again” followers in relationship with Him (John 3:1-8, NKJV)!
The New Testament of the Bible is absolutely clear and unequivocal: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,” (1 Timothy 1:15, NKJV). Whoever among males and females of mankind repents of their sins and believes the Gospel of Christ that He died on the cross for our sins, was buried and rose again on the third day will be saved (John 3:16-17, Acts 2:38-39; Romans 10:10-13; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4)! So then, God makes no distinction between male and female in the means of obtaining His free gift of salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone. Even so, the Christian female is uniquely shown to be saved in childbearing according to Paul, the apostle to us Gentiles.
God in sovereignty established His order of mankind at creation. The apostle Paul instructs Timothy, his son in the faith, about how this foundational truth works itself out in the way women were to perpetually conduct themselves in God’s house during this mortal age. Silence and respectful submission was to characterize their demeanor in the mixed assembly of men and they are not “to teach or to have authority over a man” because in God’s standing order of mankind “Adam was formed first, then Eve,” (1 Timothy 2:11-13, NKJV).1 He also cites the fact the first woman was the one “deceived” when she usurped her husband and “fell into transgression,” (1 Timothy 2:14, NKJV).
Apparently, Paul and God inspiring his pen took the first female’s status as the first sinner and how she became one very seriously unlike many in the churches at this hour. Typically, the first to do something is considered a trail blazer, noble and good. However, to be the first human sinner is eternally ignoble in the sight of the holy God! Truly, the fact the immediate punishment of Eve (and her daughters to follow) was only “greatly” intensified grief while pregnant and “pain” in childbirth is amazing grace indeed (Genesis 3:1-7, 13, 16a, NKJV)!2 That guilty females would instead of humility, in pride today, openly rebel against God who has shown such grace is very wicked.
Whatever circumstances may have led to the apostle’s specific instruction about women (such as perhaps having some at Ephesus attempt to teach or take authority over men), the instruction is rooted in God’s design, assigned roles, responsibilities and order of rank for man as male and female. So, the saved, Christian female purposely designed by God to bear children is to please Him above all and be content with His will to do so as a wife and mother.3 This assumes of course, she gets married and is physically able to bear children.4 Her submission to God in this is proven salvation “if” she continues “in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control,” (1 Timothy 2:15, NKJV). The latter trait is needed to help avoid the first female’s impulsive act to usurp her husband, be deceived and sin.
1 Read the July 28, 2019 post, Roles, Rank And Responsibilities, under the category, God’s Creatures.
2 The grace of God also encompasses not only being willing to save females, but to redeem their purpose in His design of them by sending Christ our Redeemer into the
world through the seed, womb and birth canal of a woman as He spoke before ever announcing Eve’s punishment (Genesis 3:15; Luke 1:26-38, 2:1-14).
3 This is the heart of the aspiring great woman of God in the image of Christ I am privileged of Him to elaborate about in The Great Woman Of God Women’s Group Study
drawn from two important chapters in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. The book and group study are available for purchase in the Strong Man Store
or by order through your favorite book seller. Please note that neither the apostle Paul or I are saying women as wives cannot engage with their husbands in Bible discus-
sion or together in the manner of Aquila and Priscilla with Apollos as an uncle and aunt (the husband leading) teach the faith to a singular man in private (Acts 18:24-26)
or finally, be a gifted teacher of women as well as male and female children (Titus 2:1-5).
4 There is no specific instance of a call from God to any woman in the Bible to lifelong celibacy. As such, a Christian female that takes it upon herself to do this is to keep
her vow to the Lord. Otherwise, she is to wait on God in all purity to send her a husband. After marriage, adoption is certainly an option if either spouse has reproductive
issues.
The suffering and death the Coronavirus pandemic will have caused the world by its end is tragic. It is though, the beginning of God's next level judgments that vindicate His warnings through us crying out to the world about sin and churches their rebellion against His Word, toleration of falsehood and worldly compromises.1 Indeed, the rapidity by which the pestilence spread throughout the earth, came upon our nation and overtook my January through March 2020 posts calling yet again for repentance among guilty churches and warning of coming judgment will be among my most powerful memories of the event. As I warned in the opening of a March post, the Lord “ain’t playing.”2
God’s Coronavirus judgment among other things is to also be considered another significant paradigm shift in His program for Christians and churches of similar end as that which occurred with the Jerusalem church after the stoning of Stephen (Acts 8:1-4). Negatively, the stoning of Stephen led to a severe persecution breaking out against the Jerusalem church causing “all” but the apostles to be “scattered” in every direction out of the city (Acts 8:1, NKJV). In the positive, the Jerusalem saints getting run out of town led to their beginning to fulfill the next phase in the Lord’s preannounced will and plan for how He was to be witnessed geographically (Luke 24:46-49; Acts 1:8, 8:4).
Negatively, the Coronavirus pandemic has closed the doors of many churches; some that will never open again. All Christians have suffered and suffer to various degrees through the challenges created by the pestilence; some have the illness and a relative few have died. Others are enduring the illness of loved ones sickened by the virus and the grief of loss. Many have failed the test of faith through fear in the event; some are rebounding through repentance. Some in despair walk away from churches. Others, called again to repent, continue to rebel in unbelief to their destruction shared in common with apostates who walk away from Christ never to return (Hebrews 3:7-19, 10:35-39).3
In the positive, the Lord through the Coronavirus pandemic has only mercifully chastened us to whatever extent any surviving Christian and church has suffered (Proverbs 3:11-12; Hebrews 12:3-11; Revelation 3:19). Guilty where sin has been involved up to the swift onset of the pestilence, the repentant and humbled are freshly giving themselves in fidelity back to God--His will, way and Word! And while a number of pastors and churches have been creatively maintaining some form of corporate connection to members in the crisis, it should be clearly understood God’s one will, way and Word as it is written involves equipping men to lead His worship at home and in His house!4
Truly, Christian men new and seasoned restored in God’s revival stemming from all of this are to be in the vanguard of a renewed and final push by the Holy Spirit to preach the Gospel and make disciples of the nations using mortal flesh (Matthew 24:14, 28:19-20; Mark 13:10, 16:15; Acts 26:8-20)!5 Our restored sisters are to be just as God designed: helpers and supporters of their husbands and men as they go forth (Luke 8:1-3; Romans 16:1-2); leaders in the cause to reach fellow women and children (Acts 9:36-42). If that sounds beneath you as a woman and insulting, you still need to repent from the stronghold of pride filled worldly feminism that retains its grip on your heart!
On this point as with every other matter the Bible plainly commands and teaches we should all be on one accord. For God does not have a multitude of wills, but there is only one declared consistently and without ambiguity on every issue in His Word as it is written! Passionately honoring this truth going forward as those revived by the one Holy Spirit, we fulfill Christ’s will delivered by His apostle, Paul, that walking “worthy of the calling” upon us in all “lowliness and gentleness with longsuffering” and forbearing “love” for one another, we strive hard “to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,” (Ephesians 4:1-3, NKJV). Over the past 500 years many professed Christians and their churches have striven for just the opposite and we see the result in ungodly divisions!6
However, if it must be as foretold that we go out as “sheep for the slaughter” for Christ’s sake, then, let us go out in unity faithfully pleasing Him and doing His will as we ought--the heart of every aspiring strong man and great woman of God in His image (Matthew 24:9-12; Romans 8:36, NKJV)!7 For “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all and in you all,” (Ephesians 4:4-6, NKJV). At the moment, we “hide” ourselves physically until the Lord’s indignation passes; laboring using media and waiting to emerge to zealously get after it (Isaiah 26:20-21, NKJV)! The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
1 God’s vindication in my lifetime of the word of warning and judgment He assigned in 1986 (Ezekiel 33:1-9) is deeply rewarding to me and I am sure all of His other
faithful servants. Many of the Bible’s prophets did not have this experience speaking as they did of events far removed into the future (1 Peter 1:10-12). To be sure,
the Lord’s vindication has nothing at all to do with those of us faithfully laboring, but a timely birth and nearness of His glorious Second Coming (Psalm 102:16; 1 Co-
rinthians 1:16-31; 2 Corinthians 10:17-18)! Glory to God!
2 See the March 15, 2020 post, Torn Between Two Masters, Pt. 1, under the category, Call To Repent.
3 Read the April 19, 2020 post, Does Anybody Repent Anymore? under the category, Call To Repent.
4 Pastor, it never did nor will it serve any good biblical end going forward to reserve the church house with its buildings and programs (which God has now, powerfully
shown He can do without and does not absolutely need especially when things are not going to be done His way) as the exclusive place of instruction, worship, fel-
lowship and ministry. In the wisdom of God from the beginning every man was assigned by Him to be the spiritual leader of his house (Genesis 2:16-17, 3:1-3, 21,
4:1-7, 8:20; Deuteronomy 6:1-9; 1 Timothy 3:2-5, 12). While you can easily teach the men of the church you lead to do as I have instructed in the free document, Men
Leading Family Worship At Home, save yourself some time since it has already been prepared. Download it from the Strong Man Store and use it!
5 Read the more thorough six-part treatment of this reality that begins July 30, 2017, Restoring Men In the Two Minute Drill, under the category, The Cause.
6 The apostle Paul, who wrote of divisions in the church at Corinth numbering just a handful, would be astonished to find them in the tens of thousands throughout pro-
fessing global Christianity today! Too, he would marvel that few consider this state of affairs abnormal and wicked in the sight of God who now, judges; calling guilty
leaders to repentance (1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 3:1-4). While Paul’s focus in the passages just cited was on divisions created by personality loyalties, all should be clear
the great apostle would not condemn them caused by the faithful standing firm in disallowing the biblically defined sin of those that insist for example, on practicing all
forms of sexual immorality--a reason God Himself will exclude all such persons from the Kingdom (1 Corinthians 5:9-13, 6:9-20; Galatians 5:19-21).
7 I write about the aspiring strong man and great woman of God 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.
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.
As a follow up to the just concluded three part formerly published Commentary series, “Raised To Immortal Glory” and especially part three, the Lord has led me to repost this edited June 2013 blog that originally posted in the same month as the series. All are now in this same blog category, God’s Creatures. This repost seeks to extract more details from Scripture about the glorious, immortal spiritual bodies God is to provide His eternal sons after the likeness of Christ’s.
Originally Posted June 2, 2013
The bodies of the dead in Christ are raised up and those of the living remnant are transformed in less than the blink of an eye at His coming according to 1 Corinthians 15:51-52. The form and function of their bodies will be like Christ’s own glorious, immortal spiritual body which is equipped for God’s purposes through the endless ages of eternity (Philippians 3:20-21)! And while John in His epistle is clear we on this side of glory will not have a precise picture of what we as glorified immortals will look like until Christ is revealed, he too assures us that we will be like Him (1 John 3:2).
Based on the revelation of the glorified Christ John later saw (Revelation 1:10-17), there are some similarities between the natural body we now have and the glorified spiritual body in the masculine likeness of Christ we will receive at the resurrection. There will also be some tremendous qualitative differences with a few new (to us) features included! With all praises to our God, we do not have to guess or fill in the blanks with a lot of wacky speculation about the immortal spiritual bodies He has prepared for His eternal sons; what He wants known now is in His Word! My mission is to only briefly examine what God’s Word says about our future glorious, immortal spiritual bodies to inspire our further study, reflection, excitement and praise to God!
Scripture gives three sources of knowledge about the future immortal spiritual bodies of the eternal sons of God: our present natural bodies, Christ and the angels. From our natural bodies and Christ’s glorified likeness seen by John, we understand that along with a head featuring hair, a chest, arms, hands, legs and feet, the general frame and form characteristic of the natural human body are to be preserved as will ethnicity (Revelation 21:22-26) in our spiritual bodies. Also, we will retain the five senses of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching with all of the corresponding body parts to include teeth. Raised in His immortal spiritual body that had not yet been glorified, our Lord interacted with His disciples normally using the senses.
He used His and invited His disciples to use their senses and associated natural body parts in His company (Luke 24:36-43; John 20:24-29). In a third post-resurrection meeting with His disciples recorded in John 21:1-14, notice in verse 9 how smell would have played a role in the experience of everyone present including the Lord who cooked breakfast. Indeed, the prophets and the Lord speak of eating and drinking as a fixture in the Kingdom of God (Isaiah 25:6; Luke 22:14-18, 28-30). Of the fruit eaten will be that of the “tree of life,” (Revelation 2:7, NKJV). Now, consider how superior your sensory abilities and experiences will be in perfect spiritual bodies where every sense and body part functions perfectly!
It was our Lord that taught in the resurrection to immortal glory the sons of God will be “equal to the angels,” (Luke 20:34-36, NKJ). In likeness to the eternal existence of God’s spirit creatures, angels, the sons of God will never again marry, procreate or die. Unlike in their previous natural, mortal bodies, there will be no more hormones or bodily features that arouse sexual desire leading to proper sex or that which in sin leads to evil seduction, promiscuity or perversions (Hebrews 13:4). However, this will not be the end to pleasure. By divine design, in immortal spiritual bodies with form and functions fitted to a new, eternal creation, the righteous in Christ will experience new kinds of pleasure in the presence of our holy God forever (Psalm 16:11, 36:7-9; 2 Corinthians 5:16-17)!
As with the holy angels too, the new spiritual bodies of God’s sons will be indestructible as well as impervious to physical pain, sickness, disease and calamity (Revelation 21:4). Like our Lord and angels, the sons of God will be able to appear and disappear (Judges 13:1-14; Luke 24:28-31). We will also be able to fly without wings (Psalm 104:1-3; Isaiah 60:8; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) as well as travel back and forth between the spiritual and physical dimensions (Judges 13:15-21; Acts 1:9-11; Revelation 11:11-12). We will travel between two dimensions only until the day our God makes the two dimensions, one (2 Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 21:1-3)!
The Lord Jesus instructs it is the divine intent that the Holy Spirit should be with the sons of God forever (John 14:16-17)! For faithful Christians, then, the same Holy Spirit who has been our Companion in this life will be with us when these natural bodies die and forever! At the moment of death, whatever have been limits to the Holy Spirit’s display of the eternal divine life and power in the inner man of our mortal experience (Ephesians 3:14-16; Hebrews 6:4-5) are removed. We will henceforth enjoy the overflowing outpour of His life into us up through our embodiment into immortal spiritual bodies and evermore (John 3:34, 6:63, 7:37-39, 10:10; Revelation 21:6, 22:1)!
We will also have direct access, be perfectly attuned to, enjoy and express the inexhaustible riches of God’s knowledge and wisdom. And as we had to be equipped by the Holy Spirit with enabling power in spiritual gifts on this side of glory to do God’s will, in the day of our immortal glory we will also be outfitted by Him with supernatural abilities to carry out the purposes, assignments and work of God for eternity (Ephesians 3:20-21)! Too, well beyond the limitations of the mortal body in sin, doubt and fear, we will routinely do things like walk on water as Peter did and as our Lord showed, exercise the power of God to move mountains in accord with His purposes (Matthew 14:22-33; Mark 11:20-24).
Finally, because of the indwelling presence of God in us, like our Lord the glory of God will shine out from our immortal spiritual bodies as His eternal sons and with even new names, we shall reign with Christ forever (Daniel 12:2-3; Matthew 13:43; 2 Timothy 2:10-13; Revelation 2:17, 3:12-13, 21-22, 21:5, 22:3-5)! The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
God’s promises to Jacob were unconditional, but his to Him made on the condition God would keep His.7 Such is the baby, but heartfelt faith of 77 year-old Jacob beginning his life journey with God as he traveled to the land and people of his mother he had undoubtedly learned most about from her. Though the Lord initiated the relationship with and conveyed the covenant promises of his fathers to Jacob, just as with baby Christian men aspiring to become strong in Christ’s image, God would begin working with him to dislodge his grip on sin and self-reliance in using deceit to gain his way in conjunction with molding his character through the crucible of painful life experiences.
Reaching near to his destination after about ten days or so, Jacob confirms his uncle, Laban, is still alive with men from the same area of Haran. The men point out Laban’s daughter, “Rachel,” was coming toward them at the well they stood next to (Genesis 29:1-6, NKJV). Beyond the joy a close relative approached, it must have been love at first sight for Jacob since he immediately tried to move the men along so he could talk to her alone, but they declined. Then, as any love struck male, he set about helping Rachel until he could contain himself no more and tearfully kissed and loudly told her who he was; she ran and told Laban who came to welcome his nephew (Genesis 29:7-14).
At the end of a month in which Jacob served in the family business voluntarily, his uncle asked him “what should your wages be,” (Genesis 29:15-17 NKJV). Without seeking God in prayer and moved by love for Rachel, Jacob blurted out, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter,” (Genesis 29:18-19, NKJV). Let every aspiring strong man of God in the image of Christ recognize Jacob’s error and first hard lesson about relationship with God: take everything to Him in prayer (Luke 6:12-16; Philippians 4:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Hebrews 5:5-7)! As it turns out, Jacob the deceiver was deceived by his uncle with painful and enduring consequences (Genesis 29:20-30).
Among the natural consequences of his failure to consult God about Laban’s offer was the reality he had two wives to be a husband to. Out of marital obligation he slept with the first one, Leah, who desperately wanted from him the kind of loving devotion he was giving her sister, Rachel. Also, while Leah bore him children, the love of his life he surely prayed for God to bless bore him none. Her unfruitfulness frustrated and created conflict between them (Genesis 29:31-30:2). The sinful competition between Jacob’s first two wives and their remedy for unfruitfulness (it was only a lull for Leah) added two more wives to him; no doubt causing him to pray regularly (Genesis 30:3-21)!
Jacob’s regular consultation with God becomes very evident at the end of the fourteen years he had spent working off the bride-price of his wives and finally, Rachel having her first child, Joseph. He was ready to leave and told Laban so (Genesis 30:22-26). His uncle, however, after acknowledging “the LORD has blessed me for your sake,” talked Jacob into staying or so it seemed. For his wages, the ability to “provide for” his “own house” and ultimately ‘“Return to the land of’” his ‘“fathers and…family’” as God commanded, Jacob presented a plan he later tells his wives came from Him (Genesis 30:27-31:16, NKJV). Jacob was now, fully trusting in, relying on and obeying God!8
Twenty years after his departure from Canaan, at God’s directive Jacob with all his family, servants and possessions pulled up stakes to return. He does so without telling Laban (who was warned by God “in a dream” about how he should “speak to” him) for fear of losing his family he tells him at his query after catching up to them (Genesis 31:17-31, NKJV). God at times directs His aspiring strong men to do things that in the natural produce fear. But just as He promised Jacob to be with and protect him in his journey, so, we are to trust God will do as promised us! Jacob in anger at Laban’s pursuit and (unknown to him) true accusation of theft of his idols by Rachel, rebukes him and testifies to God’s involvement in his life leading also to peace (Genesis 31:32-55).
Even after the good end with Laban and seeing angels along their travel route, great fear would again rise up in Jacob with severe distress at the prospect of seeing his twin brother, Esau, who despite the elapsed time, might still bear a murderous grudge. So, he took natural action (Genesis 32:1-8). Then, as he had learned, Jacob prayed with experiential knowledge of, humility before and faith in God seeking His deliverance from Esau while also afterward hoping to persuade him from doing harm with a gift (Genesis 32:9-21). As he waited for Esau, Christ pre-incarnate wrestled with him and changed his name to “Israel,” (Genesis 32:22-32, NKJV). Esau came and brothers tearfully reunited.9 As his God had promised, Israel was back in the land (Genesis 33).
7 See the end of the June 4, 2023 post, Jacob, God Named Israel, Pt. 1, under the category, The Cause.
8 Jacob’s remarkable spiritual maturation shows the consistent end of God’s training program for His sons throughout the Bible since aspiring strong men of God in the image of and as Christ have the four distinctive characteristics of accepting the roles God assigns, obedience, reliance on and trusting Him for vindication (note God says to Jacob in Genesis 31:12, ‘“I have seen all that Laban is doing to you,’” NKJV). Also, let every man reading this see how Jacob assertively embraced his God assigned responsibility to provide for his “own house” and through his own enterprise; not being content to live off of his father-in-law (Genesis 30:30-31, NKJV). This is not to say every man is to have his own business, but to be willing to labor by whatever honest means to provide for his own without mooching off of others in- cluding the government (2 Thessalonians 3:6-15).
9 Scripture does not tell us whether Jacob ever went to Seir to visit with Esau. It does inform us that the brothers came together again to bury their father, Isaac (Gene- sis 35:27-29). The genealogy of Esau as Abraham and Isaac’s descendant, the reason he and Jacob did not reside together in Canaan and his ruling descendants of the land they dwelt in called after him, Edom, are also given (Genesis 36:1-19, 40-43). While Esau may have personally reconciled with his brother as a good thing, his descendants did not follow suit and are under the prophecies and curse of God that He began to speak when he was still in the womb with his brother (Genesis 25:22-23, 27:36-40; Exodus 17:8-16; Numbers 20:14-21, 24:15-20; Isaiah 34:5-17; Ezekiel 25:12-14, 35; Obadiah; Malachi 1:3b-5). Esau’s lasting legacy as a wild man is that of a sober warning not to imitate his godless way and experience its end (Hebrews 12:12-17)!
Join The Strong Man Of God Resources Conversation!
Get Your Copy Of The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics Today!
Your purchase supports restoring men, families and communities through Strong Man Ministries!
Purchase It Now