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The holy days of Passover, Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday have come and gone now, and the Coronavirus pestilence has continued to take its toll in human suffering and death across the earth as many in the medical community feared. The frantic hunt for a remedy continues also though, it has actually been available from the outset. However, the world in sinful pride and obstinacy does not want to seriously consider it. Like it or not this is due in some measure to especially professed Western Christians not being willing to implement the remedy themselves and credibly proclaim it to the world or in follow up to my April 5, 2020 post, did anybody repent as called upon by God?1
Since the Coronavirus is not His ordained end for mankind, let the scientists keep working for a cure and vaccine that God in grace and mercy may grant them to finally obtain though, this pestilence will remain with others to follow. That said, I understand why the unsaved wicked have an aversion to repentance from sin having once been among them. But I confess to continuing amazement that this is the case among professed Christians to whom at the Lord’s command since 1986, I have been blowing the trumpet of warning He gave me and sounding His call to repentance (Ezekiel 33:1-9)! Professed Christians have ostensibly only gained entry into Christ through repentance and faith.
Supposedly, the Gospel was to them as it should have been the joyous announcement that God is willing to forgive all of the past transgressions, sins and iniquities of fallen sinners that repent and believe in the atoning death, burial and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. Those that did so were supposedly brought to new birth and eternal life by the Holy Spirit as He indwelt them and reconciled to God in New Covenant relationship (Acts 2:36-39; Romans 1:16-17, 3:21-26, 5:6-11, 8:1-6). Knowing salvation’s cost and our Holy Father’s eternal hostility to sin, supposedly they were regularly confessing and repenting from it to avoid breaking fellowship (Romans 6; 1 John 1:5-2:2).
Alas, though, in the likeness of my ministry predecessors I have been blowing the trumpet in futility to a professed people of God that refuse to hear! From the leaders to the people the many are open rebels against the will, way and Word of God as was ancient Judah right up to and during His judgment that sent them to Babylon in 586 B.C. Indeed, as with Judah in those days so, the wickedly bold in the churches today answer God’s call to repentance with ‘“What have I done,’” (Jeremiah 8:4-7, NKJV)? Consequently, the prophet Ezekiel was commissioned and sent to Judah labeled a “rebellious nation” and “house” as captives in Babylon (Jeremiah 10:17-18; Ezekiel 1:28-2:5, NKJV)!
I learned to read the old fashioned way using simple books with simple phrases like, “See spot run.” The accompanying picture helped me understand what I was reading. Now, God has made the commandments of His Word plain enough as written for the simplest minds and hearts to understand (2 Corinthians 1:12-14). He has also given us the Holy Spirit as our Teacher to make things even plainer (John 14:15-26, 16:12-15; 1 John 2:26-27). Thus, when Christ, for example, commands with supporting doctrine through His apostle that women are not to stand in usurpation “to teach or have authority over a man,” it is plain enough to understand as “See spot run” (1 Timothy 2:11-15, NKJV)!
But like the rebels of ancient Judah, after a century of incremental disobedience many in the churches today have fully cast off what the Word of God says about women teaching and taking authority over adult men; attempting with the world to re-define sin and sign God’s name to it in the process (Psalm 2:1-3).2 They also insist the teaching of Christ’s handpicked apostle was parochial, wrongheaded and uninspired personal thinking not proper for a more enlightened time.3 Instead, what they think, feel and believe has taken priority.4 As a result, they do not answer God’s call to repent because in their eyes and that of the god they have invented in idolatry, they have not sinned!
As He spoke to Israel’s tribes, God would know what else can He do and what He did to you that you spurn His love and great salvation (Hosea 6:4-6; Micah 6:1-5)? In His Coronavirus judgment where you cannot go to church (Isaiah 1:10-14; Amos 5:21-24), you cajole and hope speaking to God of His love and mercy. You also fast and make prolonged public prayers for the pestilence to end and revival. But the Lord does not hear you because there is no soul deep repentance or turning from sin (Isaiah 1:15, 59:1-8) like king David (Psalm 51:1-17) and when we first came to Him (Acts 19:18-19; 2 Corinthians 7:10-11).5 There will be no revival except among those individual Christians that have met with God and thoroughly repented from their sins (Isaiah 1:16-19)!6
Evidence of His reviving work is men restored in the Body of Christ as the whole of God’s Word instructs.7 Without complete soul deep repentance and Holy Spirit fired revival that comes to individual believers and sweeps widely across Western Christianity, expect more severe judgment for all the world to see as befell Jonah who also rebelled against God (Isaiah 1:20; Ezekiel 33:10-11; Jonah 1:1-16). Afterward, those restored in revival will be wholly obedient to the Lord as was Jonah after his time in “the fish’s belly,” (Jonah 1:17-2:10, NKJV). Too, the world’s resistance to repent as ancient Nineveh once did at the preaching of Jonah will be briefly, but fruitfully overcome (Jonah 3).8 The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
1 The post is entitled, God Is Speaking, under the category, Call To Repent.
2 See the November 9, 2014 post, Re-defining Sin, under the category, Call To Repent. Not doing what the Word as it is written says is willful disobedience; hypocrisy
and self-delusion if one also claims to love the Lord (1 John 5:3).
3 This is all biblically refuted by me as the Lord leads in the second Appendix of my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. Get a print copy or digital down-
load 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.
4 Read the May 31, 2015 post, What Does God’s Word Say?, under the category, Instruction. It culminates a month of posts in which the Lord led me to take on the ar-
guments of “I think (which includes the popular, but unbiblical construction of personal theologies and truth statements), I feel and I believe.” It does not matter what
you or I think, feel or believe about God and His Word no matter how educated. Only what God’s Word objectively and honestly interpreted and applied actually says
matters (Proverbs 3:5)! This is a point the Lord also led me to stress in posts directed to the religious educated elite within Christendom. See the October 18, 2015
post, Pursuing Credentials And Authority and the two-part, Religious Educated Elite Wiser Than God? beginning October 25, 2015 all under the category, Call To Re-
pent.
5 See the August 31, 2014 post, Soul Deep Repentance, under the category, Call To Repent.
6 Read The Sham Cry For Revival under the category, Call To Repent, posted on August 17, 2014. Spiritual revival from God is not a public event though it may take
place in such a setting. It is the aftermath of soul deep repentance in the individual hearts of believers that have totally forsaken their rebellion and turned back to God!
Guilty women, for example, would renounce their transgressions and iniquities involved in serving the worldly feminist cause; voluntarily walking away from pastorates,
leading worship and all positions where they take authority over and teach adult men in the churches and related entities. Guilty male pastors would completely re-
nounce their pride, ego and selfish ambitions that have led to phony, entertainment rooted so-called worship with lights and smoke to attract a crowd not to God, but
their churches.
7 This is in accord with the three-part post the Lord gave me that began on January 8, 2017, In God’s Revival Men Are Restored, under the category, The Cause.
8 Read the six-part post that begins July 30, 2017, Restoring Men In the Two Minute Drill, under the category, The Cause.
Why is it so hard for folk that profess to know and love Jesus Christ to own and repent from their transgressions, sins and iniquities when confronted by Him about these from His Word? From what I have seen of myself, guilty professed Christians and humanity prominently including Israel in the Bible over the years, there are at least five key reasons I will address in this post to help anyone willing. Meanwhile, we are not to deceive ourselves as many do. “God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” leading to eternal death or life (Galatians 6:7-8, NKJV). Too, Christ returns for a “holy” bride (Ephesians 5:27; Revelation 19:7-9, NKJV). So, where does that leave you?
As the Lord led in 2020, I again announced His call to repent to professed Christians on Palm Sunday in light of His Coronavirus judgment starting to surge globally and followed it after Resurrection Sunday with a post entitled, Does Anybody Repent Anymore.1 In the latter post, I marveled at the lack of repentance among the millions that profess to be Christians in our nation as the Holy Spirit gave perception and Christian media no indication of any biblical signs of it--you know, confession like David when confronted by Nathan, brokenness over, renouncing of and turning from sin in godly sorrow (2 Samuel 12:1-15; Psalm 51:1-17; Acts 19:11-20; 2 Corinthians 7:6-12).
By the fall of 2020 various prayer and revival events (which have become the norm) were ostensibly held for the purpose of calling Christians and the nation to repentance. However, as the Lord has led me to write many times over the years, such events are a sham when some of the sins that He calls for repentance from such as defiantly allowing women as a show of worldly equality to stand with the men to lead out are put on display!2 For this reason, the Lord who has seen this movie before with Israel does not answer in the macro (Malachi 2:1-16), but only the micro among those sincere individuals who humbly come to Him as He requires (Psalm 130; Isaiah 57:15; Daniel 9:1-19).
Pride therefore, is the number one reason many smug, professed Christians refuse to humble themselves before the Lord to fully confess and turn in repentance from all that is defined by Him as sin in His holy Word (Jeremiah 6:16-17)! “Been there, done that!” However, the Lord most excellent Father that He is continues to lead me to trust Him that His forgiveness obtained through confession and repentance is better than guilt in proudly refusing to own my sin. He may not remove all the consequences, but His peace, presence and power operative in my life is more than what I deserve for the sin I was forgiven of.3 This leads to the second key reason many refuse to repent: shame.
Bound up in the pride of refusing to repent is shame at and for our sin failure. We are ashamed at the fact we were wrong--no, not me. But yes, like Nathan told David, “You are the man,” (2 Samuel 12:7a, NKJV)! Guilt and shame go together and is the reason Adam and Eve in this cause were covering up as the Lord exposed them (Genesis 3:6-11). Herein is yet a third key reason many professed Christians find it hard to repent of sin: fear. After the Lord exposed their disobedience, the first couple started the blame game out of fear of consequences. So, we fear not only the Lord’s just judgment, but the loss of status and reputation since we are not as perfect as we have put on.4
Because of the latter statement, I have sought to keep it real about myself without going into graphic detail of every flaw, fault and failure.5 I am a sinner under construction in righteousness and so are you if you are in Christ! I shamefully sin against the Lord and get it wrong sometimes and so do you! The Holy Spirit and God’s Word objectively interpreted and applied are reliable guides for making our sins known to us. Thus, our greatest fear should be of not being transparent with God who sees us as we are, what we do and judges (Psalms 32:1-5, 94:1-11, 135:13-14, 139:1-12)! Nevertheless, much of professing American Christianity refuses to repent because of the fear of man.
This brings us to a fourth key reason many professed Christians refuse to repent: love of family. The world ruled by Satan has deceitfully made standing against sin in its eyes hatred for the guilty person. So, from worldly feminism to sexual immorality in the name of loving and accepting their family members, many Christians to include even conservative evangelical leaders across the nation no longer concur with God’s Word that their ungodly behavior is sin and are unwilling to call it out it for what it clearly is because they now, permit it.6 You can and will not repent from anything you do not believe is sin! Hence, the many call to repentance events where not all sin is repented of. Here finally then, is the fifth key reason many professed Christians are refusing to repent: obstinacy.
The unwillingness at this hour to call out biblically defined sin and refusal to repent of it where guilty is leading to the natural spiritual consequence of hardened hearts (Jeremiah 5:3). I personally thought (hoped) this was still far down the road. But the doubling down and digging in to resist a need for any further talk about repentance or to be concerned about God’s continuing judgment beyond the Coronavirus pestilence I see and hear taking place among those who lead is telling. Rank obstinacy is evidence of a hard heart or did you first get saved with such a heart? I don’t think so! All God wants from the guilty in humility and fullness is five words: “I have sinned, I repent” so, He can forgive. His judgment continues as I have been warning (Proverbs 29:1; Jeremiah 14-15:9).7
1 See the April 5, 2020, God Is Speaking, followed by Does Anybody Repent Anymore? on April 19th both under the category, Call To Repent.
2 The display of self-satisfied obedience to righteousness with open sin at these events is as pitiful to the Lord as the “bleating of the sheep…and the lowing of the oxen” Samuel heard while king Saul insisted he had done His will (1 Samuel 15:10-23, NKJV). You cannot put on some contrived, superficial event and expect God the “great King” to be appeased (Malachi 1:6-14, NKJV). How little regard indeed, you have for Him! Read the August 17, 2014 post, The Sham Cry For Revival under the category, Call To Repent, also cited with related commentary in the sixth footnote of 2020’s, Does Anybody Repent Anymore? In 2014 as well, see the August 31 post, Soul Deep Repentance, under the category, Call To Repent.
3 The Holy Spirit would not have me fail to mention here another great motivator to help us be dislodged from our pride: God’s judgment for it on top of the sin(s) we are guilty of (Proverbs 3:34, 16:18-19; Jeremiah 6:18-21; James 4:1-10).
4 Here is where many pastors, elders, other church and ministry leaders live as I know from painful personal experience. What won’t sin laden, success driven, reputa- tion protecting and face saving men in the flesh do to protect their carefully crafted image of righteousness? See the October 26, 2014 post, Saving Face, under the category, Instruction.
5 Among the many places including years of this Blog and public articles one can see what God has been working in me as a redeemed sinner, is my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. It is available at your favorite internet book seller and in the Strong Man Store. Also, I commend to you the testimony of my fellow as- piring strong man of God in the image of Christ, Larry Lugo, a Northwest Native American, you can view in this Ministry’s first Strong Man Of God Online Rally, Gospel Reset, on its YouTube Channel.
6 They have not only permitted sin, but profited financially from it as in the case of replacing God’s order of mankind with their own to accommodate professed Christian women in their worldly feminism (Mark 7:5-13).
7 Read the two-part post beginning August 2, 2020, Flavorless Salt Is Worthless, under the category, Call To Repent and The Churches Under Judgment in two parts that begins August 23, 2020 under the category, Instruction.
Confusion in God's house is of such an extent in these latter days, many no longer preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ as commanded much less that soul deep repentance from sin and faith in the message is required (Mark 1:14-15). It is impossible to make the Gospel any simpler and easier for people to digest than the way it is plainly stated in the written Word without corrupting it. The same holds true for God's one and only way for already saved folk to get right after we sin. Again, the written Word contains God's simple and easy direction for what a professing Christian that is guilty of sin must do. Without soul deep repentance from sin, there can be no forgiveness for anyone! So, first, what is the Gospel of Jesus Christ? According to the apostle Paul through whose preaching of the message we Gentile believers exist, the Gospel is "that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures," (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, NKJV). It is not enough to believe Christ died on the cross. One must believe He died "for our sins." It was our sins that separated us from God and condemned us. But Christ, "The Lamb of God" came to endure God's wrath on the cross for our sins and make possible through His blood their removal by forgiveness (Isaiah 53:1-12; John 1:29, 3:13-21, NKJV). When the New Testament speaks of believing in Christ in the context of salvation, it is not only belief that He is a historical Person, but always with the understanding that men believe the Gospel in which He and His sacrifice are central. Just believing Jesus is a real Person cannot save you. Our faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ centers on His sacrifice to save us from our sins. This faith is preceded by a conviction we are guilty of sin before God and stand in great peril since we have no remedy unless He should act to save us (Isaiah 6:1-7; Romans 7:14-8:1). Leaving sin out as the key issue of the Gospel is another, false gospel and condemns its preachers (Galatians 1:1-10)! Soul deep repentance is spawned by the exclusive work of the Holy Spirit to convict us of our sins that have offended God and include heretofore refusing to believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ (John 16:5-11). In the midst of guilt, shame and an overwhelming regret accompanied by real sorrow in the depths of the soul, the sinner turns from rebellion against God to Him and His help in the Gospel. Hence, in accord with Christ’s command (Luke 24:46-49), at Pentecost Peter answered the men of Israel in their anguish of sin guilt, "Repent…," (Acts 2:36-39, NKJV); Paul assuming conviction of sin and soul deep repentance as immediate antecedents to faith writes Romans 10:6-17. After becoming Christians, we continue to sin against God as He foreknew. In His infinite wisdom and unique greatness, God moves in several ways at once to help us from the moment of salvation. Through the Holy Spirit we are set apart as holy and holiness is worked in us daily as an intended lifelong process leading to glory (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14). The Father begins to father us with loving instruction and discipline (Hebrews 12:3-11). Among the things we are taught is to reflexively confess and repent from our sins trusting in God’s faithful and just character to forgive us because of the finished sacrifice and continuing advocacy of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 1:5-2:2). Christians can and many of us do stubbornly resist the convicting work of the Holy Spirit in refusing to confess and repent from our sins. We have varying reasons, but the bottom line is we are loving and preferring our sin to God. The Holy Spirit in grief continues to reach out to us while we shrug Him off in resistance with all manner of deceitful rationalizations and justifications for our sin (Ephesians 4:30). During this time which may be many years, we are certainly in rebellion and not walking by faith. Also, in love the Lord painfully chastens us to the end of finally bringing us around to a “godly sorrow” and soul deep repentance like David (Psalm 51:1-17; 2 Corinthians 7:9-11, NKJV) leading to a purge of sin from our hearts as Josiah purged Israel if we will (2 Chronicles 34:1-7). To see such godly sorrow and soul deep repentance among professing Christians currently in rebellion against God, His Word and order is my hope from the heart of God in writing and speaking with directness (Ezekiel 33:1-9). For the immutable God longsuffering and merciful does judge His people though He desires not to (Ezekiel 18:23, 30-32, 33:10-11; Hebrews 10:26-31; Revelation 2:4-5, 14-16, 20-23, 3:1-3, 15-20). Therefore, let the disobedient of God’s house carefully consider that Daniel voiced prayer in soul deep repentance on behalf of his people from the judgment of captivity looking toward restoration (Daniel 9:1-19); not so for you, but eternal disgrace and ruin await unless you repent now (Hebrews 3:7-19, 12:12-17; Revelation 13, 14:8-11, 16:17-19:4)!
A final audience of the From Slavery To Victory: One Man’s Journey (FSTVOMJ) Radio Special is all other Americans professed to be Christians not of African or European descent.1 What God calls out as sin to be repented of by His professed people among black and white Americans, He also calls out among all for He “shows no partiality,” (Deuteronomy 10:17; Romans 2:1-11, NKJV). Thus, FSTVOMJ speaks to all professed American Christians as each has need to humble ourselves, seek God in sincere prayer fully confessing and repenting of sin! Perhaps if many do, as Scripture and FSTVOMJ assert, God may relent and give temporary relief from judgment (Joel 2:12-14).
If any of us professed Christians say “we have no sin” requiring repentance and that certainly should not be a factor in God judging our nation, the apostle John is used of Him to declare “we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us,” (1 John 1:8, NKJV).2 Such a one not only shows he has no ongoing fellowship with God who as absolutely holy is totally set apart from sin, but no regard for how serious it is to Him; condemning Adam for only one act of disobedience and decrying several of sin’s deeds with the strongest possible human word of revulsion saying He “hates” them (Genesis 3:17-19; Proverbs 6:16-19, NKJV). Such a one also calls the living God “a liar,” (1 John 1:10, NKJV).
The same eyewitness apostle to the sufferings of the Lord Jesus speaks to believers making it abundantly clear our fellowship with God can and will be severed at least temporarily when we walk purposely in the darkness of sin. If we say to the contrary, again, “we lie.” Otherwise, walking “in the light” (signifying holiness, spiritual, moral and ethical purity) of His Person made possible by the blood of Christ, we enjoy continuous fellowship with God (1 John 1:1-7, NKJV). When we sin and we do, John instructs, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” because of Christ’s atoning sacrifice (1 John 1:9, 2:1-2, NKJV).
John does not leave out repentance in his instruction as though it is not required with the act of confessing sins. He assumes his convicted readers know it has been required from ancient times among those that know God and as when they first came to Christ (Job 42:1-6; Acts 2:36-39)! Now, those who participated in the latest event at the Non-Denominational Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky purported to be a “revival” saw many students, staff and others who came to the campus appear to get real with God about their personal sins and that’s good; an exemplary step in the right direction for all since among the large number of whites, there was also a sprinkling of other hues.3
As it is written, the God of the Bible “is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit;” testifying, ‘“I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones,’” (Psalm 34:18; Isaiah 57:15, NKJV). Only God knows who walked away from Asbury fully revived by Him.4 Indeed, unless any did meet God there or going forward do so in complete humility, grief over, confession of and repentance not only from all of their own sins, but those of the fathers and entire Body the Lord also grieves over, no spiritual revival everyone claims to want took or will take place.
The Lord has led me in several posts during this New Year and many over the years to well express His displeasure with the proud refusal of guilty professed Christians to repent from every sin written in His Word.5 From the nation’s founding by professed Christians in the majority until now, there has been unbelief, divisions, racial and ethnic bigotry, oppression, violence, murders, idolatry, sexual immorality, adultery, divorce, shacking, rebellion against God’s set order of mankind, thefts, falsehoods, coveting and greed to name some. He expects the world governed by Satan to rebel against His Word, but not those called out of it to Him (John 17:6, 14-16)! And yes, scores practicing these sins have been religionist impostors and apostates (Matthew 7:21-23; 1 Timothy 4:1-5).
Give Him some credit; ‘“the Lord knows those who are His’” and they do not practice ‘“iniquity,’” (2 Timothy 2:19-21, NKJV).6 However, when they do, He is grieved and seeks for their repentance even through judgment--no exceptions! Therefore, judgment in part has come upon the great numbers of professed Christians in America who faddishly follow after the sins of the unsaved and nation as a whole many revere to the point of idolatry because such sinning is completely willful.7 In doing so, the guilty purposely trample upon “the truth” of salvation and “the Son of God,” consider His blood initiating the New Covenant as something “common” and insult “the Spirit of grace.” As it is written, ‘“The Lord will judge His people,’” (Hebrews 10:26-31, NKJV). Let His people then, repent!
1 The radio special Webcast begin date and time will soon be announced in select media and on social media. Interested contributors can make designated gifts for the Webcast at https://fromslaverytovictory.org/Donate and receive one of the limited collectible Commemorative Cassettes.
2 It is one sad thing to lie to one’s self about not having sin, it is a whole other wicked thing to judge God gracious and merciful on His punishment of it in a nation of sinners (2 Chronicles 12:1-12; Psalm 103:8-10; Romans 3:10-20, 23)!
3 I rejoice that professed Christian college age and younger students of various ethnicities were together turning to the Lord with a more sincere and deeper devotion which I pray will endure since it is their generation that faces so much of the evil that is coming! Read the October 23, 2016 post, Revival For Seeking Saints, under the category, Bible Prophecy.
4 See the article, The Aftershocks Of The Ashbury Revival, Inside Higher Ed for what surprisingly appears to be a good faith secular effort to understand what was happening as the author cites several Christian sources.
5 See for examples, The Sham Cry For Revival posted August 17, 2014 and on September 26, 2021, I Have Sinned, I Repent, both under the category, Call To Repent.
6 In only the short time I have been on earth (less than seventy years) I can say with certainty it used to be widely understood authentic Christians do not practice iniquity. This is the main reason my book, The Strong Man Of God has added to it, Back To Basics because in so short a time the basics of biblical Christianity have been abandoned. Get the book in the Strong Man Store, among internet booksellers and brick and mortar bookstores.
7 It is worth repeating. The professed Christian men in the majority who founded America cautioned that apart from holding to the morality and authority of God’s Word, the experiment with nationhood in which they sowed the first seed of failure by not extending God’s gift of freedom to all, would fail as it is now, doing with its divided corrupt sec- ular and spiritual houses. In this regard, the founders unknowingly spoke prophetically from God as did the first century Jewish religious leader who warned fellow rulers the way to halt the popularity of Christ was to kill Him not realizing His death was in God’s will (John 11:45-53). All that they feared because of Him came upon them anyway (Luke 19:41-44, 21:20-24)!
God warns ancient Israel about their sinful and evil ways in rebellion against Him because He does not want to punish them (Ezekiel 33:7-9). He shows this in a heart rending response through the prophet to their complaint. ‘“Say to them: “as I live,” says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel,’” (Ezekiel 33:10-11, NKJV). The same holds true today for backslidden and rebel professed Christian Black Americans because the holy God does not change in nature or character (Malachi 3:6). It is repent or die in His judgment and approaching wrath!
Thirty years later, the 1993 From Slavery To Victory: One Man’s Journey (FSTVOMJ) Radio Special continues to bear the heartfelt appeal of God for the guilty among black Americans professing to be His people to repent from every way He calls sin in His Word as it is written!1 The Bible is still the final authority for the faith and practice of it by Christians when we read and apply it objectively. Thus, for quick examples, worshipping anyone or thing besides God, having sex outside of marriage between a biological man and woman, feminism, stealing, lying and murdering transgresses, sins against and perverts God’s spiritual, moral and ethical Word written (Romans 1:18-32, 13:8-10).2
Now, I know that Satan has craftily incited some rebels to throw God’s Word into confusion during these latter days by questioning if it is still relevant thousands of years after being written and brazenly corrupting it through subjectively reading into and changing its words supposedly for a better understanding.3 But even if every Bible on earth were corrupted and cast aside, not to be outsmarted by any of His creatures God put a conscience in man that acts as a moral compass either affirming or condemning our actions in this life and which are also recorded on high for the day of judgment all must face to give an account as the apostle Paul instructs (Romans 2:12-16; 2 Corinthians 5:9-11).
From His commanding position and authority as the “Prophet” to Israel (Deuteronomy 18:15-19, NKJV), the Lord Jesus Christ out of His overflowing love for the nation and righteous indignation at their religious leaders for their hypocrisy, spiritual blindness and hard hearts publicly and severely upbraided them (Matthew 23:1-36). Among the things He declared to them that day was He would “send” them “prophets” with other gifted men they would “kill,” mistreat and “persecute” to “fill up” their cup of guilt before God (Matthew 23:32-35, NKJV). From the first century until now, He has done the same within professing Christianity with similar results (Revelation 1:9-3:22, 17:1-6, 18:24).
Indeed, as with Israel of old the Lord has even punished His followers for their sins to the end the guilty might repent (1 Corinthians 11:23-32). No one is saved from sin to “live any longer in it,” (Romans 6:1-14, NKJV). So, the Lord calls the guilty to repent from not only personal, but corporate sin too, such as the practice of Christianity as religion manifested in various powerless manmade forms or that becomes cold and mechanical apart from Him like it did the first of seven churches He sent a message by the apostle John as a prophet. The church at Ephesus had “left” their “first love” and this was enough to destroy them as it is guilty churches today (Revelation 2:1-7, NKJV)!
Therefore, it is high time for professed Christian black Americans that are guilty to sober up about the worsening state of our community the Lord led me to warn about thirty years ago in spite of the sincere and dedicated labor of some to reverse our self-destructive course. It is the holy God that must be approached in the ancient, biblical way prescribed for any hope of a temporary reversal (His foretold end is even nearer today than thirty years ago!).4 In all humility and brokenness, the guilty must seek God in prayer fully confessing and repenting from every kind of transgression, sin, rebellion, iniquity and wicked backsliding. Confession too, must acknowledge God has been right to judge and will be apart from His professed people doing as He wills (Nehemiah 9:33; Hosea 14:1-3).
Though the hour is late, spiritual revival from God among those that turn back to Him will save many lost souls as in obedience, His people again proclaim the Gospel and witness the biblical faith to family, neighbors and even haters; joyfully fulfilling the original assignment He gave us as His slaves during and after being shackled by men.5 Newly restored fathers would turn back to their children and their children to them. Females restored would no longer use sex as a means to get a male’s interest, bear children without husbands or murder them because of inconvenience as they renounce feminism.6 Self-destruction by any means would again be taboo. Otherwise, it continues as God’s judgment who brings His wrath after there is “no remedy,” (2 Chronicles 36:15-16, NKJV).7
1 The start date and time for the Webcast of the radio special will be announced soon in select media and on social media. Interested contributors can make designated gifts for the Webcast at https://fromslaverytovictory.org/Donate and receive one of the last number of collectible Commemorative Cassettes.
2 Read the March 5, 2023 post, Thirty Years Later, Still One Last Hope, under the categories Black History and Call To Repent.
3 Even so, I stand by my Holy Spirit directed exhortation to seek Him with the Bible open to learn in what ways one that is guilty has gone away from God’s spiritual, moral and ethical instruction. See the January 9, 2022 post, Easier To Read Bibles, under the categories Bible Prophecy and Instruction.
4 Read the two-part commentary beginning May 2004 in The From Slavery To Victory Monthly Journal Archive, Come Let Us Return To The Lord.
5 Our Christian slave forefathers left us and the world more than 4,000 spirituals and work songs testifying to their faith in the Bible’s God and His Son, Jesus Christ, while non-violent souls during the 1955-68 peak of the Civil Rights Movement did the same through their courageous examples. Should we, their descendants as Christians, be doing any less?
6 In hope of such a day as the Lord has led, I have written The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics along with the companion Strong Man Of God Men’s Group Study and Great Woman Of God Women’s Group Study to help equip restored men and women to function as He designed. These resources are available in the Strong Man Store, among internet booksellers and brick and mortar bookstores.
7 God is not unjust to “destroy the righteous with the wicked,” (Genesis 18:22-25; Psalm 145:17-21; Romans 5:6-11, NKJV). So then, those unsaved or professed Christian individuals now, in sin that repent and turn to God through faith in Christ will live eternally with Him. This is as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. prophesied in his final sermon be- fore his death. After declaring he had been to the mountain top and seen the Promised Land, he said: “I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land.” Those black Americans who are faithful Christians will be among all of the redeemed of God just as I am also led by Him to as- sure concluding FSTVOMJ.
Since I can remember from my youth marchers protesting injustice of some kind have loudly chanted, “No justice, no peace!” No doubt they are serious about what they chant. Also sincerely stated is what I have heard from the Lord and must declare in accord with my calling (Ezekiel 33:1-9) concerning the guilty among my fellow countrymen that are not Christians and those professing to be who obstinately refuse to repent from their iniquity driven rebellion against Him: “No repentance, no peace!” This word from the Lord is easily and powerfully verifiable in His written Word for those wanting proof God would say such a thing. Otherwise, open your eyes and look around you!
The standing judgment of God Almighty has been upon this world since the excruciating death on the cross, burial and resurrection of His Son on behalf of all sinful mankind in 33 A.D. just outside of Jerusalem, Israel as the Lord Jesus announced (John 12:27-33). But for God’s plans from eternity to punish Israel for her greatest sin of all in being the driving force behind His suffering and have the Gospel of His Son preached in every nation, the fullness of His judgment in wrath would have come upon this world long before now (Luke 19:41-44, 21:20-24, 24:46-49; Acts 2:1-40). Truly, the rebellion against God is not just from among the Gentiles, nor did it start recently (Acts 4:1-31).
Some fourteen hundred years before Christ came at first, during and since the days of Moses and the Exodus, God has had to deal with even foretold rebellion from among those He called to be His chosen people (Exodus 19:1-6; Deuteronomy 4:25-40). Now, the Lord spoke repeatedly to them through His prophets calling the guilty to repentance and carrying out increasingly severe remedial judgments among them warning there would be no peace unless they did repent (2 Chronicles 15:1-7; Isaiah 57:14-21, 59:1-8; Amos 4:6-11). Why is this so? Why doesn’t the Lord just let rebel humanity have its way, go away and leave them alone since they don’t want to do His will?
Surely, beginning in 70 A.D. Israel with the destruction of Jerusalem, the Temple, the dispersion of the people to the nations and desolation of the land, the Lord within measured restraint left them and the world to their own devices and no peace in judgment until now, as the prophets and He Himself foretold (Hosea 3, 5:8-15; Matthew 10:34-39, 24:3-8; Luke 13:34-35; Revelation 6:1-8). He restrained lawlessness until recently for the preservation of the Jews many of whom are back in the land since 1948 and sake of the spread of the Gospel.1 But seen at this hour in our nation and around the earth, His restraint is easing as the demonically instigated lawlessness of mankind upticks as a precursor to the coming of “the lawless one” again, as foretold (2 Thessalonians 2:6-8, NKJV).2
Too, is it not because the universe, the earth and man are of the creative handiwork of God? He created all to be in harmony with Him in holiness and righteousness. But man’s sin corrupted and brought the whole creation down into a state of ruin. God has never renounced ownership over His creation even as He has allowed fallen man and angels to temporarily hold sway in it until He would save willing men and restore it! This world ultimately belongs to the sovereign God who created it and retains His right of say so in it. Thus, the wicked kingdoms of fallen man and angels are about to give way to His Kingdom and Anointed King (Psalms 2:6-12, 97, 98; Revelation 11:15, 19:11-20:3)!
The foregoing is the ominous lesson of His wrath in the day of Noah’s flood and fiery destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Though in these mortal days of man we do not typically behold Him in His awesome glory, God reigns enthroned from Heaven and judges the affairs of men in the earth (Psalms 29:10, 33:10-11; Jeremiah 50:35-40). Concerning God’s wrath upon and destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, He did not do it without prior longsuffering and even grace toward the wicked men (Genesis 13:13, 14:1-24) as well as careful consideration of the gravity of their sin and persons. Indeed, the Lord disclosed His deliberations and negotiated with Abraham about what He would do.
Having appeared with two angels as men, the Lord’s first stop on a Personal visit to earth in Human form was to His “friend,” Abraham, to deliver a word of prophetic assurance to him concerning the son He had promised him (Genesis 18:1-15; 2 Chronicles 20:7; Isaiah 41:8; James 2:23, NKJV). Then, the Lord’s attention turns to the other matter for which He was making a Personal appearance on earth in Human form and determines to disclose to Abraham (Genesis 18:16-19). Speaking to him He says, ‘“Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to Me; and if not, I will know,’” (Genesis 18:20-21, NKJV). From where was the outcry coming?
1 Read the four-part post beginning February 26, 2017, God Of Restoration And Judgment, under multiple categories starting with Bible Prophecy. In the face of calamities
natural and brought by God during this period until now, unbelievers always demand “where is God” as though He only exists to prevent these, not realizing that humanity
lives on borrowed time graciously provided by Him to repent and be saved from His far worse wrath and Hell if they will (Luke 13:1-9).
2 Besides wanting Him to produce for them a calamity free world, God’s doubters, scoffers, critics and angry haters also want Him to deliver one without the kind of grow-
ing lawlessness we now, see. Ah, but what they fail to appreciate is that they can only perceive the uptick in lawlessness because in former days it was not this bad due
to His gracious restraint of it! Now that the Holy Spirit sent to restrain lawlessness fomented by demons is stepping back out of the way to allow its rise with warning
judgments, the godless world the rebels against God clamor for is unfolding leading to the coming of a lawless global ruler. Speaking from former experience, rebels
never think through the ultimate end of their rebellion!
The great outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah’s grave sin came from at least four sources: God’s holiness, the holy angels, the physical creation and Abraham’s nephew, Lot, caring for his own soul, his family, unsuspecting strangers and those injured by the iniquity of the cities. All sin offends the holiness of God and demands His righteous and just action upon it. He, however, has very often borne with His holy offense and graciously suffered long with the sinner(s) as He did in Noah’s day and with Israel until there is “no remedy,” (Genesis 6:5-8; 2 Chronicles 36:15-16, NKJV). As earlier noted, God had already been gracious to the wicked cities, but there was no repentance!
The holy angels fully loyal to God are as advertised, holy; having no fellowship with or delight in sin! Myriads of them surround His throne to declare and guard God’s holiness (Isaiah 6:1-7). They watch the activity of fallen angels opposing God and engage with them in accord with His purposes and at His directive (Daniel 10:4-14). They also watch sinful men and carry out judgments upon them in line with God’s will as took place with the king of Babylon (Daniel 4:13-17). God’s holy angels most assuredly cried out to Him continually concerning the grave sin of Sodom and Gomorrah. As such, it is no surprise two angels accompanied the Lord to “see” their grave sin for Himself.
We know on a basic level that the earth is filled with life and living things. However, God’s Word would have us to understand that not only the earth, but “the whole creation” is alive to Him and now, even “groans” waiting for its promised restoration after that of His sons at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:18-23, NKJV). Operating with His firm laws of physics such as gravity, the physical creation retains the original moral order God created it with though, for now, it is under His temporary curse for man’s sin (Genesis 3:17-19). The physical creation is repulsed by the iniquity of mankind who are supposed to be its holy and righteous rulers (Genesis 1:26; Hebrews 2:5-8).3
Finally, the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah came as it turns out from the only righteous man that lived in Sodom, Lot. He was so morally offended by the wicked deeds of his fellow citizens, he sat in the city gate as one of the judges to intercept and if possible protect unaware travelers while his own righteous soul Scripture says was “oppressed” and daily “tormented” “by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds,” (Genesis 19:1-3; 2 Peter 2:7-8, NKJV).4 But even though His own holiness, the holy angels, the physical creation and righteous Lot truthfully, vehemently cried out to the Lord who is Omniscient and Omnipresent about the grave sin of the cities, He still came down for a Personal look.
This tells us how reluctant God in love, grace, mercy and longsuffering is to destroy even the most wicked of human beings. This becomes clear in His exchange with Abraham. From where the Lord stood before Abraham He saw as close as His holiness would allow that all that had been reported to Him in the great outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah was so (John 1:43-51) because the destroying angels started out on their mission while Abraham questioned Him as though the matter was settled. Concerned for his family (Lot) and the people he once went to war to rescue, Abraham wanted to know if God would “destroy the righteous with the wicked,” (Genesis 18:22-23, NKJV)?
The character of God and Abraham shines in their exchange (Genesis 18:24-33). The Lord displays His eternal mercy by being willing to spare Sodom if just ten righteous persons were found in it; Abraham, great humility and reverence for God referring to himself as “dust and ashes,” (Genesis 18:27, NKJV).5 The far gone wickedness of the men of Sodom was shortly confirmed (Genesis 19:4-11). Lot and his family would be delivered from God’s wrath if they were willing to heed and follow him (here again is shown the weight of male headship as God designed). Some were not willing and perished as did Lot’s wife after setting her affections on the city while fleeing it (Genesis 19:12-26).
Saints, take note Lot was moved out of the way of God’s wrath immediately before it fell (Genesis 19:27-29). We are still here now, and remain during all of His warning judgments (Joel 2:30; Revelation 8-11:14) that include allowing Satan to bring his “great wrath” upon our number in such persecution and tribulation by the hands of his emissaries that relatively few saints--a mortal remnant--are left on earth (Isaiah 57:1-2; Daniel 7:15-25; Matthew 24:15-22; Revelation 6:9-11, 7:9-17, 12:7-13:18, 14:9-13, NKJV). Persecutors should know that reducing our number hastens the one and only coming visible, audible Day of the Lord and evacuation of His righteous remnant just before He pours out His full wrath (Psalm 50:1-6; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11; Revelation 6:12-17, 15-16).6
Therefore, let all the guilty especially among professed Christians repent before the Lord now, since He will not grant peace through any means but Himself going forward until after His wrath is fulfilled (Ezekiel 33:10-11; John 14:27, 16:33; Romans 5:1-2). For no one will escape the judgment of disobedience to the call to repent in the Gospel at Christ’s return; judgment that is already underway in the “house of God,” (2 Thessalonians 1:3-12; 1 Peter 4:12-19, NKJV)!7 The wrath of the “Prince of Peace” is perfectly just because as He did at Sodom and Gomorrah, He came in Human form and had not only His Personal look at, but experience with the grave sin of this world when He suffered by our hands for us leading up to and on Calvary’s cross (Isaiah 9:6-7, 11:1-10, 53, 57:3-13, NKJV).
3 Those that may feel like the creation seems to be acting against mankind in recent years are on to something and it will get worse before it is all over! Truly, the polluting
physical activity of man such as burning fossil fuels is only an infinitesimally small contributor to the unusual weather patterns, storms, intensifying heat, droughts, sea
rise etc. compared to their flagrant transgression, sin and iniquity that defile the earth (Isaiah 24:4-6). Under His sovereign oversight and as warning judgments, God is
allowing the earth (including its wild animals) and soon the whole cosmos to register their displeasure to man’s defiling sin (Leviticus 18, 20; Jeremiah 23:18-20, 25:32-33,
30:23-24; Luke 21:25-26)! Surely, the proponents of global warning do not believe green house gases on earth directly impact the moon, sun or stars light years away, do
they? Rather than green new deals, let the children cry out for their guilty parents to repent!
4 See my Independence Day 2021 post, under the category, Biblical Worldview, where I liken my reaction to the wickedness of our times to that of Lot. Truly, any professed
Christians supposedly sanctified to God that are not disturbed in some measure by the blatant display of human depravity we see and hear everywhere in our day, plainly
show they are false or apostate!
5 O, that such were the case among the many of us professing to be Christians who supposedly in like faith and character are Abraham’s spiritual descendants! This being
so, there is no way that I continue to cry out for repentance at the Lord’s directive among you who claim to know Him. Humility is one of the common character traits of
the image of Christ the Father builds in genuine Christian men and women as I write in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics and draw out in The Strong
Man Of God Men’s Group Study and Great Woman Of God Women’s Group Study. These resources are available at your favorite internet book seller and in the
6 Conversely, our large number on the earth forestalls the coming Day of the Lord’s wrath as He assured Abraham in their exchange about His destruction of Sodom and
Gomorrah. And as the destroying angel instructed Lot, we saints are to know the full outpour of God’s wrath will not occur until we are out of the way (Genesis 19:22-24;
Luke 17:26-37; Revelation 16:17-21)!
7 Attend this Ministry’s 30 minute Strong Man Of God Online Rally at https://thestrongmanofGod.org/Webcast for a fresh, biblically grounded presentation of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ!
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