The Scourge Of Racism
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Released October 5, 2023
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It is truly unfortunate, but not surprising that with all else our nation must deal with at this hour, unresolved racial issues have recently come to the surface again through the citizen and police murders of black Americans, freshly proving racism is not a past thing. The incidents and resulting explosion of initial violent rioting, looting, protest marches and rallies not just by black Americans, but Americans from every hue were sparked by the recorded video of a Minneapolis, MN police officer’s murder of black American male, George Floyd. I wrote about this incident as the Lord led June 21, 2020 in a post under the category, Black History, entitled Has Racial Justice Arrived in America?
This time, among the early voices speaking empathy and counsel into as well as engaging with the crisis are a number of especially younger conservative white Christians. Along with the manifold increase of white Americans across the political and social spectrum in general, conservative white Christians as America’s “moral majority” speaking anything but condemnation into a riotous racial crisis is recent. While there have been apologies for slavery and Jim Crow segregation and endless talking by white conservative Christians with amicable black clergy about racial reconciliation since the 1960s, as I have written in other posts, there has not been any real, widespread progress.1
Our majority white society as a once professed Christian nation propped up supposedly by morals and ethics drawn from the Bible, has far too long tolerated the abuse of its black and other citizens of color in many forms that actually run counter to it (Zechariah 7:8-12; Mark 12:28-34; Luke 10:25-37; Romans 13:8-10). Not biblical Christianity as the order of the day since the nation’s founding, but corrupt, counterfeit manmade forms of it that even allowed for slave owners to commit adultery on their wives with their female slaves; church pastors, deacons and congregants to brutalize and terrorize blacks using burning crosses as a symbol of hate among many other evil acts.2
Such deeds were done while police, judges, educators, businesses, legislators (often as active participants) along with the larger white society through silent indifference were complicit.3 Over the past hundred years the most vocal champions of maintaining the morality of the Bible among professed Christians has been white Americans that self-identify as conservative in their religious, social and political convictions. Many are also intensely patriotic, devoted Americans who ascribe to the phrase “God and Country” as their motto though, on such issues as allowing systemic racism in their churches and other entities, God’s will in Christ has clearly been secondary (John 13:34-35).
However, at this strategic moment during God’s Coronavirus judgment when the festering sore of racial injustice has ruptured once more, younger conservative white Christians are speaking up perhaps finally perceiving, God Himself keeps bringing up the matter because those professing to know Him among their ranks have not dealt with it in accord with His written Word! After all, as I have offered in other posts, a “biblically conservative Christian” is supposed to be about objectively interpreting, applying and preserving the whole Word of God as it is written! In no place does it advocate for or tolerate hating a brother in Christ for any reason (1 John 2:7-11, 3:10-15, 4:20-21).4
Besides being and presenting the world a corrupt if not outright counterfeit form of biblical Christianity, guilty conservative white Christians (to include those calling themselves “Evangelicals”) have been hypocritical by insisting “our nation” uphold their cherry-picked morals and ethics from the Bible while they undergirded its systemic racism to this hour. This reality has been among the chief reasons many former biblically conservative black American Civil Rights activists searching for righteous allies over the years have abandoned the effort among their ostensible like-minded white brothers. Instead, those that are guilty through lack of faith in and impatience with God have to their shame taken up with rebels against Him for help (Psalm 2:1-3; Isaiah 30:1-5; Philippians 3:17-21).
The guilty among de facto apostate black Americans will give an account to God, but so will conservative white professed Christians who have been more loyal to a humanly invented religious, social and political philosophy that permits such sins as racism under the guise of Christianity than to the Lord who calls all to repent! Indeed, why but for sin am I as a black Ministry leader who has remained faithful as a biblical conservative not fully embraced and supported by conservative white professed Christians? Your sinful flesh built conservative philosophy does not welcome those of any race much less inferior black males who speak biblical truth challenging the wicked status quo; one white church elder once intimating this to me by essentially saying I needed to shut up!5
Now, though, the Lord during His Coronavirus judgment is plainly showing racism is one of the issues He is calling the guilty to repentance from among professing Christianity emptied out of its buildings. The authentic younger conservative white Christians coming forth repentant and in the power of the Holy Spirit to actually take a stand with their black brothers are representative of those I spoke of in my June 21st post.6 May the Lord bless you and all others to follow in what is very likely a last chance for conservative white Christians to get on the right side of the Bible and help forestall the eruption of greater ethnic conflict awhile longer in America; conflict ongoing in many parts of the world that fulfills another of the Lord’s foretold occurrences to precede His soon coming (Matthew 24:7a).
1 See the posts, Moral Pressure Rightly Applied, May 4, 2014, Biblical Equality And Equity, July 5, 2015 and Professing Christian Racism Is Sin Too, December 11, 2016
all under the category, Call To Repent.
2 Read the two-part post beginning August 21, 2016, Christianity The Religion Of Men, under the category, Instruction followed by Christianity The Religion American
Style (which shows how even many black religionists to this hour mimic the practice of it by their former masters so pervasive is it) posted on September 4, 2016 and
the two-part post beginning September 11, 2016, American Culture’s Religion, all under the category, Call To Repent.
3 Read the August 9, 2015 post, Silent Endorsers Of Evil, under the category, Instruction. Whether Christians or not, like the white pre-Civil War Abolitionists, it has been
heartening to see current white protest marchers for racial justice carrying signs with wording like “Silent no more” and “Not silent and complicit.”
4 See footnote #9 in the two-part post, The Racial Divide, under the category, Call To Repent, that begins July 29, 2018 to see how the Lord led me to make a distinction
between “conservative” and “biblically conservative” to avoid any confusion about the Christians faithfully obeying His whole Word as it is written! Also, read the April
19, 2015 post, On The Lord’s Side, under the category, The Cause, cited in the footnote for a discussion of why all professed Christians ought to be standing with the
Lord Jesus as Bible conservatives!
5 Get my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics to understand why aspiring strong men of God in the image of Jesus Christ from every hue must be willing to
stand and speak as He commands (Matthew 10:24-33)! 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 purchase a print copy in the Strong Man Store.
6 I invite those that are biblically conservative from all hues to stand with and support us at this like-minded Christian black American founded Ministry! The Ministry is cur-
rently engaged in a campaign to raise my 2020 full-time salary and is 63% there. Learn more at https://fundrazr.com/salarycampaign1. I am also seeking to raise the
funds necessary to license the music used in and Webcast our still relevant 1994 radio docu-drama, From Slavery To Victory: One Man’s Journey that presents a biblical
worldview of the black American experience from West Africa on our From Slavery To Victory Education Project Web Site, https://fromslaverytovictory.org.
Liberal professed Christians (many calling themselves progressives) at war with God and the absolute authority of Scripture He has inspired for men to know Him, His will, way, eternal truth and salvation are going to lose and if the current state of our crumbling society is any indicator, already losing (Psalms 2:1-6, 119:1-16, 89; John 14:4-6, 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:14-17)! All who have abandoned the literal, plain, objective reading, interpretation and application of God’s Word as it is written are not only seeing some of the resulting darkness, lawlessness, chaos and calamities now, but are in for even greater disturbing days ahead that will cause men to perish where they stand (Luke 21:25-26).
For over the past two hundred years liberal professed Christians have been more influenced by a sinful man centered worldview than one that since Moses has been God centered rooted in Holy Scripture. Beginning with liberal minded whites some of whom were former abolitionists, human reason that called itself “Higher Criticism,” the advances of science and an excessive concern for the secular political-social welfare of mankind to the near exclusion of God’s priority of salvation from sin caused them to challenge the Bible where the absolutes of divine will are articulated.1 They were more inclined to accept racial diversity and see racism with other human sins as social justice issues.
Because of the warmer acceptance of white liberal professed Christians and their view of the nation’s bigotry, discriminatory acts and oppressions flowing out of systemic racism as a social justice issue demanding a fight, it is easy to see why many blacks largely ignored by white conservative evangelicals were attracted to them and their emerging form of Christianity. Indeed, it was liberal white professed Christians in largest numbers that stood with blacks during the heady days of the Civil Rights Movement led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from 1955-1968. Tragically, their support for black civil rights came at a price as it also later extended to rebel movements against the Bible’s God.
Make no mistake about it, the fight for an end to the unrighteousness and injustice of racism in our nation could and should have been carried out within the framework of biblical conservatism.2 It was not because it failed to express God’s concern for the oppressed, but white conservative evangelicals abdicated their biblical responsibility in it as I write in my first posts of this year.3 This left the historically morally conservative blacks who did so after King’s death feeling as if they had no option but to abandon biblically conservative Christianity and align with liberal allies; degrading themselves in asserting their just racial cause had equal merit with those in rebellion against God.4
Today, having been deceived, liberal black professed Christians are updating a God, Bible and Christian religion out of step with the ostensibly superior modern times of sinful human invention;5 deluded as all others in the liberal Christian camp that somehow what is being done will endure. Not! You err as did the first century Sadducees religious party that came against the Lord Jesus on the biblically conservative issue of the resurrection they rejected. He told these men to their faces: ‘“You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God…,’” (Matthew 22:23-33, NKJV). So, you are not regarding the hundreds of Bible prophecies pertaining to the first coming of Christ.
Every one of those prophecies was fulfilled to the letter. In deadly unbelief, you are also disregarding the many Bible prophecies foretelling the literal return and Kingdom of Christ (Hebrews 10:37-39)! Truly, at His return Christ will crush every form of rebellion against Him (Psalms 2:7-12, 110; Isaiah 63:1-6; Revelation 6:12-17, 19:11-20:3). Repent therefore, for even before the awesome Day of Christ’s return, God has foretold He will not leave the world without warnings and a witness of His great power in judgments to commence sooner than any might expect (Revelation 8:1-9:21)!6 Look at the world of darkness, lawlessness and chaos you have helped create in your rebellion against God and His Word with the attending calamities. Does it really seem to you God is pleased?
Do you not realize when you break from Scripture as it is literally, plainly, objectively read, interpreted and applied listening to demons, you are rejecting divine instruction and truth as well as putting yourself in the way of the apostate (Psalms 117:2, 119:151-152, 160; 1 Timothy 4:1-5; Titus 1:10-16)? The eternal truth of God’s Word cannot be abandoned without consequence! Those who do not repent now will join with the apostate ranks of your liberal allies deluded by lies and “the lie” to help persecute God’s faithful to the death (Mark 13:9-13; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-17, NKJV). But as foretold too, the faithful will be preserved and vindicated by having loved the truth through faith embedded in the Gospel and the whole of God’s Word (2 Thessalonians 1:3-12; Revelation 20:4-6).
1 Use your favorite search engine for articles on the origin of Liberal Christianity. In addition to books I was compelled to read during past college religious studies courses discussing the topic such as Dillenberger, John and Welch, Claude, Protestant Christianity, Copyright 1954, Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, an article I read as a re- cent historical overview was featured on the National Humanities Center Web Site. Bateman, Bradley W. “The Social Gospel and the Progressive Era.” Divining America, TeacherServe©. National Humanities Center, February 19, 2024.
2 The Scourge Of Racism, Copyright 2023, ODCM Publishing Division, Portland, OR, p. 15-18. The printed book is available in the Strong Man Store, all major internet booksellers and brick and mortar bookstores. The E-Book is available at major E-Book sellers. Watch the book trailer.
3 Read the January 7, 2024 post, God A Party To Racism? Also, see the January 14, 2024 post, Racism’s Oppressions A Divine Priority and the one on January 21, 2024, Not Heeding God’s Word On Racism Consequential, all under the category, Call To Repent.
4 See the June 28, 2020 post, Last Chance For Conservative White Christians?, under the category, Call To Repent. Nowhere in the Bible does a literal, plain, objective reading, interpretation and application of it present for examples, God’s acceptance of rebellion by feminists against His design and order of the family embodying patri- archy or any practice of sexual immorality that includes same sex relations (Genesis 2:7-25; Romans 1:18-32). There was another option available to those blacks that would engage in the fight for Civil Rights after the death of Dr. King: remain faithful to God as the only absolutely needed Ally and biblically conservative Christianity. ‘“For the battle’” was never ‘“yours, but God’s,’” (2 Chronicles 20:1-30; Psalms 103:6, 146:1-7, NKJV)! Having abandoned Him for wicked arms of flesh as allies, you for- feited the opportunity to experience His righteous and just victory over the many evils of America’s systemic racism this side of Christ’s return (Isaiah 30:1-5, 31:1-3; Jere- miah 5:20-25, 17:5-6; Luke 19:41-44)!
5 Read the two-part post that begins February 21, 2021, Willful Ignorance Destroys, under the category, Black History.
6 If your heart has not yet fully hardened into apostasy, assuming you were a real Christian in the first place the Lord bids you return from rebellion against Him before it is everlasting too late (Hebrews 3:7-19)! Watch this Ministry’s Strong Man Of God Online Rally, Return To The Lord, the Lord has led us to prepare for you on YouTube.
Having just spent time giving serious thanks to God for all of His blessings this Thanksgiving, the Lord again directs my attention to the persecution being suffered by my Christian brethren among many nations. Though I do not write a lot about the ongoing persecution of Christians, I stay regularly informed and prayerful for all. The aforementioned “all” includes not just the suffering faces of those in faraway lands such as North Korea and Nigeria, but increasingly, those enduring persecution in this Western hemisphere and our own nation. Truly, growing hostility toward and persecution of Bible believing Christians in America is a reality that can no longer be dismissed as only isolated.
As a supporter of similarly named, but organizationally unrelated Open Doors USA, our Ministry regularly receives their reports on what is happening among our persecuted Christian brethren around the world.1 Not only are our brethren suffering from family and community exclusion within the nations they live, but government harassment, arrests, unfair trials, incarceration, legally sanctioned mob violence and martyrdom. When the Christian men are targeted for incarceration or murder, it leaves their families to suffer. While Communist and Islamic run nations fill the list of persecutors, nations such as Christian Eritrea, Hindu India and Buddhist Bhutan are also prominent.2
It is about to get really real for those of us that profess to be Christians in America too. Intensifying opposition to the biblical faith once on the fringe of American society is going mainstream. Moral tenets of the faith once taken for granted as absolute and bedrock to American society are not only being challenged, but cast down as no longer acceptable. These are not just tenets governing marriage and family for example, but definitions of objective truth, right and wrong, good and evil as well as justice and injustice. In the wake of this swiftly moving river of moral upheaval, Christians that would dare stand firm for the moral tenets of our faith are suffering varying degrees of persecution.
Besides the “in-your-face” government policies and litigations to remove crosses and nativity scenes as public displays of Christianity to implement falsely believed constitutionally mandated church and state separation, some Christians have suffered being demoted or fired from employment because they had Bibles at their work stations or read them on breaks. And because many secular entities have a “corporate culture” now, that does not tolerate religious expression (though, they publicly trumpet “inclusion” and “diversity” as values), being hired a Christian with a social media presence may be very difficult and once hired, witnessing Christ to co-workers is out.3
American secular colleges and universities that have historically celebrated tolerating various viewpoints as a means in the process of vigorous, but polite debate to sharpen the thinking of young minds have in too many instances today, hung out the “not welcome” sign to a biblical worldview. Biblically conservative Christian students are routinely singled out and held up to ridicule for their faith. Christian professors do not escape either.4 The secular media regularly ignores and mocks Christians that hold to a biblical worldview being quick only to report on high profile “Televangelists” and “Megachurch Pastors” whose sins come to light, while social media giants resist them.5
As I have also commented in other posts, a number of American Christians have been purposely targeted and martyred in mass shootings such as the one at Columbine High School in 1999 along with churches as occurred in Charleston, SC in 2015 and Sutherland Springs, TX in 2017.6 In agreement with all other observers here, none of what American Christians have suffered to date compares with the daily egregious and violent persecution our overseas brethren endure--yet! Praying for “the persecuted church” like it is some disconnected entity that exists only in non-exceptional, often impoverished nations of the world is about to change as persecutors intensify their efforts in America.7 And why? It is their “hour and the power of darkness,” (Luke 22:52-53, NKJV).
For this reason, beyond seeking to sensitize us to the ongoing suffering of our brethren wherever they are as a primary reason for this post, exhorting faithful American Christians to spiritually, mentally and emotionally prepare for the kind of hatred fed persecution our overseas brethren experience is an important secondary reason since our Lord has warned it is to occur in “all nations,” (Matthew 10:16-39, 24:9, NKJV).8 Now, is the time to awake from arrogance and apathy to get ready for what our Lord foretells and assures will take place. Among the equipping resources available is my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics and related group studies.9 The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
1 The organizational parent of Strong Man Ministries is Open Door Communication Ministries, Inc. I was led by the Lord to found August 12, 1985. Read some of the
stories of persecuted Christians among the many countries on the 2020 World Watch List of Open Doors USA.
2 What many of our brethren overseas “normally” suffer from their persecutors has been intensified during the Lord’s Coronavirus judgment. As we are banding together
with other Christians to help and encourage one another here at home, the Lord would have us remember our suffering persecuted brethren in those faraway lands
with tangible support as well (1 John 3:16-18).
3 Sadly, our military as a work place is no exception. Read about the case of Chaplain Curt Cizek.
4 To learn more about the experience of Christians on American campuses read the following ACLJ, Beliefnet and IsChristianityTrue articles.
5 I can attest to the heavy-handed resistance of Facebook to biblically conservative ministries such as this one among the social media giants. “Likes” to our pages by
Christians mysteriously dwindle after I write blogs or make posts on their platform that are not politically correct, tolerant etc. which the Lord has had me call them on.
They want me to believe that just making better posts and spending more money to “boost” them will remedy the situation though, such has not been the case since
they also limit the reach of the same. For the record, I do understand a to be expected number of professed Christians that formerly liked our Facebook pages are sub-
ject to “unlike” them at any time as a show of disagreement with me. I get that, but not what Facebook is doing which lately has even taken away page likes whenever
someone has liked a post! I urge Christians that have liked our pages and those of other ministries to check back periodically especially if you have not received a post
in your newsfeeds for a time and re-like the pages if necessary. Also, enlist other Christians on Facebook to like our pages after you have done so.
6 Read for example, the June 8, 2014 post, And Then There Is The War, under the category, instruction. Revisit the cited respective church shootings at the following
links Charleston, SC and Sutherland Springs, TX.
7 See the November 12, 2017 post, God’s Throwaways?, under the category, Bible Prophecy.
8 Read the two-part post beginning May 17, 2020, Persecution, Hatred And Betrayal, under the category, Bible Prophecy.
9 A print copy or digital download of the book published by the Publishing Division of Open Door Communication Ministries, Inc. with fresh editing in 2019 for greater clari-
ty and updated web addresses in the footnotes is available at major internet booksellers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ChristianBooks.com and Apple (digital only).
You can also purchase a print copy in the Strong Man Store. Too, leaders can teach, disciple and equip through The Strong Man Of God Men’s Group Study and The
Great Woman Of God Women’s Group Study also in the Strong Man Store.
While the living God of the Bible objectively read, interpreted and applied has never been or could be a party to racism as affirmed in last week’s post, many professed to be His people over the centuries certainly have!1 Here in America over four centuries many whites in the majority have silently tolerated, openly practiced and endorsed racism and its oppressions among non-whites beginning with the indigenous peoples of the land and continuing very severely amidst those of my black slave forefathers and thereafter. Because God does not give endorsement to oppression on any basis, all American professed Christians should have been standing against racism to this hour.
However, the historical truth is that relatively few white professed Christians and particularly among conservative evangelicals--people of the Book--have been identified as leading out against America’s systemic racism and oppressions of blacks and other minorities. On this Sanctity Of Life Sunday spearheaded by white conservative evangelical Christians to stand for human life as of God our Creator and against the murder of the unborn as the most feeble through abortion, it is clear they with all of us in the divine image restored through and claiming love for Christ can represent God’s “righteousness and justice” as He expects (Psalms 82:1-4; 103:6, NKJV). The issue is which issues?
How about all of the moral and ethical issues God in the “whole counsel” of His Word as it is written calls out as human sin that oppresses and/or harms a neighbor in any way no matter their skin color (Matthew 22:34-40; Luke 10:25-37; Acts 20:27; Romans 13:8-10; Galatians 5:13-15; James 2:8-9)! Every biblically conservative Christian plainly sees God’s concern for the poor, widows, orphans, and even prisoners in His Word (1 Samuel 2:6-8; Psalm 68:5-6; Isaiah 61:1-2a; Galatians 2:10). But the guilty among white conservative evangelicals have largely chosen historically to ignore God’s expressed concern for the oppressed in many ways and especially through racism (Luke 4:16-21).
Indeed, it is not just the unborn oppressed by the denial of life by parents in the only recently evolved culture of death I as one unsaved once participated in that need defending. It is also those oppressed by race and ethnicity over the past four hundred years in America. To ‘“deliver’” Israel from such ‘“oppression’” is the reason God states He had ‘“come down,’” (Exodus 3:6-9, NKJV). Knowing of God’s famous act in history to deliver His oppressed people should have been enough for any professed Christian not to oppress anyone. But many of them were at the forefront of carrying out the well documented oppressions of racism in our nation among the oppressors God condemns.2
Of the notable very few white conservative evangelicals that gave some support to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as he led what was thoroughly a spiritual fight during the height of the 1955-68 Civil Rights Movement to extricate blacks from America’s systemic oppressions of racism was Dr. Billy Graham. While he was not known to be among the marchers, he spoke out against and wrote a tract condemning racism. He was criticized by some fellow white conservative evangelicals in a display of total disregard for “the Book” they claimed to revere whatever all of the motives including being full on racists and the fear of man (criticism, ostracism and violence) rather than God (John 12:42-43).3
Now, while we each cannot possibly personally take on every single instance of unrighteous and unjust oppression in our land, we can and should seek the Lord about His priorities among the most egregious, long standing and urgent without neglecting others (Luke 11:42).4 The deafening historic silence and outright wicked support for oppressing blacks and other minorities through racism by whites professed to be Christians fits this bill since this has also been grave sin in the Lord’s sight from which the guilty must repent (1 John 1:5-9)!5 Denying and minimizing the oppressions of racism as some white conservative professed Christians are doing believing it negatively portrays their white heritage is evil and makes the Lord our Judge “a liar,” (Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:10, NKJV).6
Born again biblically conservative Christians must come out from among professed Christians that approve of the unrighteous, unjust oppressions of racism and are unwilling to obey God in serving as He intends to avoid their judgment (Psalm 82:5-8; Proverbs 24:21-22)!7 For such persons truly show that they do “not know the Lord” and are corrupt in their practice of Christianity as with Judaism the two sons of Eli, a priest of Israel, were (1 Samuel 2:12-17, 22-25, NKJV). The Lord was wroth with Hophni and Phinehas for their contempt of Him and sent a prophet to tell their father of His judgment that included their deaths on the same day as occurred (1 Samuel 2:27-36; 4:1-18)! If you know Him, the Lord expects obedience to His will and priorities (Matthew 7:21-23; John 14:15).
1 Read the January 7, 2024 post, God A Party To Racism?, under the category, Call To Repent.
2 Scripture is unequivocal: God has no regard for oppressors who are very often among the rich though, practicing oppression is not exclusive to them as American history can attest; filled as it is with the abundance of racially oppressive acts of guilty whites from all socio-economic groups threatened by any advance of minorities that might surpass them (Job 27:13-23; Psalm 12:3-5; Jeremiah 22:11-19; James 5:1-6).
3 See the February 22, 2018 article by John Blake for CNN, Where Billy Graham ‘missed the mark.’ I acknowledge Dr. Graham’s efforts--minimal to whatever extent in the eyes of some--addressing racism that included hiring black staff evangelists such as Rev. Howard O. Jones in my book, The Scourge Of Racism, Copyright 2023, ODCM Publishing Division, Portland, OR, p. 16-17. The printed book is available in the Strong Man Store, all major internet booksellers and brick and mortar bookstores. The just released E-Book is available at major E-Book sellers. Watch the book trailer.
4 As He leads, we are to give at least moral support to our brethren laboring in God’s causes we are not engaged with.
5 Read the September 24, 2023 post, Racism In Christ’s Church A No-No, under the category, Instruction. Also, view this Ministry’s Strong Man Of God Online Rally, Return To The Lord, on YouTube to consider the Lord’s call to return to Him.
6 While it may be true that American history among other subjects is being presented with a decidedly politically liberal worldview in the nation’s public schools which is un- righteous and unjust, for political conservatives--some calling themselves Christians--to do the same is just as wrong. Two wrongs still do not make a right! What is righteous and just before God is not to present either a politically liberal or conservative view of history to our children in our public schools, but just the facts however painful they may be to one group or another so they can learn the truth and from it.
7 Let any white conservative evangelical pastor now, losing church members no matter how much they gave because you have taken a stand against more than the social justice issue, but the sin of racism be encouraged. You have courageously done the righteous and just thing and the church the Lord has entrusted you to shepherd un- der Him has become closer to being His (Matthew 16:13-18; John 6:52-66, 21:15-17). Courage is of the character of Christ aspiring strong men and great women of God are to display in His image I write about in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. It is available in the Hard or Soft Cover or E-Book Editions in the Strong Man Store, all major internet booksellers and brick and mortar bookstores.
I wrote to guilty pastors, elders and churches in a January 27, 2019 post footnote, “How can you seriously expect the world to hear you from God’s Word and you do not even obey it?”1 The fact of the matter is blatant disobedience to God’s Word has characterized many professed Christians, their churches and other ecclesiastical bodies reaching back to the apostles (Romans 16:17-18; 1 Corinthians 5:1-2; Galatians 3:1-4). During the past 500 years, breakaway European Protestants protested the disobedience and corruptions of Catholicism only to find themselves in independence doing all of the same things as their mother (Revelation 17:1-6).
Both groups wickedly gave religious undergirding to the bigoted, violent and dehumanizing form of slavery my forefathers endured while passing down to them their manmade forms of Christianity the religion corruptly drawn from the Bible.2 Thanks to the continuing support of its many powerless manmade forms extant like yeast throughout American Christianity, racial bigotry and discrimination also remains a foil to the realization of a widespread display of biblically commanded, Holy Spirit fired love and brotherhood.3 This is to the glee of Satan who along with racial bigotry has initiated all of the deceitful strongholds of sin among the many harlot churches today God in His wrath will destroy (Amos 5:16-27; Revelation 16:17-19, 17:15-18:8)!4
Like our nation at this moment, American Christianity in the main is a racially divided house about to fall as I write in this edited 2013 Commentary.
Originally Published February 2013
The now deceased Rodney King's appeal, "Can we all get along" was moving, but not realistic for worldly men. His appeal came in the face of rioting after a 1992 trial acquitting white Los Angeles police officers of beating him that was captured on video and seen globally. For professed Christian American men, getting along in racial harmony is supposedly not to be the problem it is for worldly men since we have God resident in us. However, the nearly four centuries Christianity has been in America tragically presents contrary evidence. Aspiring strong men of God in the image of Christ celebrate diversity in His Body; fostering unity, harmony and where needed, healing.5
It is Black History Month again. The occasion may seem to be a purposeful discomfiting reminder to white Americans of the racism that once ran so deep among their forefathers, an attempt was made to destroy black contributions from American history. However, to prevent the loss of our history, help build appreciation in blacks and willing others, black educator and historian Carter G. Woodson created the special emphasis last century that now spans all of February. Nevertheless, as the uproar in Rodney King’s beating twenty years ago and subsequent events such as last year’s killing of black teenager, Trayvon Martin, show, racial tensions remain skin deep.6
Tensions are apparent too in churches that are racially homogeneous and wish to remain so. How could racial segregation as initiated by whites during slavery and continued by many of their descendants along with reciprocating black and other minorities professing to be Christians remain to this hour? Why can’t we come together in our racial diversity as Christians? As the Lord led, I explored this issue through a booklet I wrote in 2005 entitled, The Scourge Of Racism.7 In it, I conclude racism in the churches is a failure by professed Christians to obey the Lord's command to love one another (John 13:34-35).
I also write about the failure to love one another in a number of blog posts.8 This failure is tied to America's brand of Christianity the religion where impostors devoid of the Holy Spirit and weak believers quenching His fire in willful sin, practice all manner of evil including racism. America's Christian house is divided in defiance of the Lord all claim to follow and His teaching that "a house divided against a house falls," (Luke 11:17; NKJV). If the guilty do not repent from the toleration of racism and other sins that divide, the Lord's teaching will soon be fulfilled since it can be no other way (Luke 11:23, 21:33)!
As I assert in The Scourge Of Racism, God our Creator from the one man, Adam, has made us all different by purposeful design that mankind in all of their diversity might with common heart seek Him (Acts 17:24-28)! Our diversity of gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, language, body size, abilities etc. is all to the glory of God in this present age and to be celebrated.9 This, the aspiring strong man and great woman of God in the image of Christ do! For we all in Christ have been brought together in our diversity as sons by God through Christ, the blood He shed to save us on Calvary's cross and the new birth by the Holy Spirit. In Him, men are God's household and forever family held together in divine love (Galatians 3:26-29; Ephesians 2:11-22, 3:14-21)!
This is biblical Christianity that will only continue to seem as high idealism and deluded wishful thinking to professed Christians in divided churches until authentic repentance and revival sweeps through. In repentance, professed Christian white men must cease assuming they are superior to their brothers of color; that every way they see things or idea they propose is right because of their self-appointed standing as superior. They must also give up the notion that men of color should despise themselves and embrace every white value to gain acceptance. Truly, all are to be like Christ and obey His command to love each other as He has loved us (1 John 3:10-24, 4:20-5:3).
Professed Christian black and other men of color in repentance must let go of legitimate anger not just for past, but God knows about the ongoing racial injustices we suffer among many of our white, ostensibly Christian brothers. Bitter victimization is appealing, but is not God's way of love that forgives rather than keeps records of wrongs suffered (1 Corinthians 13:4-5). Also, stop looking for sinful men to fully vindicate your suffering. As aspiring strong men of God in the image of Christ we are waiting for divine vindication that will occur when Christ soon returns--unless you scoff at His coming (2 Thessalonians 1:3-12; 1 Peter 2:19-23; 2 Peter 3:1-9)?10 The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
1 The quote is found in the eighth footnote of the post, Contending For God’s Design Of Masculinity In Men, under the category, The Cause.
2 Read the two-part, August 2016 post, Christianity The Religion Of Men, under the category, Instruction.
3 See Christianity The Religion American Style posted September 4, 2016 under the category, Call To Repent.
4 Much of Western Christianity (my fellow black Americans well represented) continues to want to idolatrously recast God away from His eternal holiness, righteousness,
justice and enduring commands for this mortal age with ear scratching preaching (2 Timothy 4:1-4) and emotion charged, supposedly loving, female led so-called wor-
ship in sin. The worshipper may have “enjoyed” what was taking place, but the issue is did God? The God of the Bible’s ancient rebuke stands as declared by the pro-
phet Amos in the Scripture listed to which this footnote refers. He does not accept nor is He pleased with worship no matter how sincere or emotional that is mixed with
sin! Truly, before Amos, the prophet Samuel proclaimed, “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice…” and the Lord Jesus: “If you love Me, keep my commandments,”
(1 Samuel 15:22-23; John 14:15, NKJV). Read the three-part series of posts beginning January 4, 2015, Worshipping God Without God, under the category, Call To
Repent. The Lord’s judgment of the unrepentant is just!
5 Learn more about the aspiring strong man and great woman of God in the image of Jesus Christ from my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics and compan-
ion instructional resource, The Strong Man Of God Men’s Group Study. They are available in the Strong Man Store.
6 Read the two-part post beginning on July 29, 2018, The Racial Double Standard, under the category, Call To Repent.
7 The booklet is available on the Resources Page of our companion Web Site, https://fromslaverytovictory.org.
8 Read the four March 1-22, 2015 posts on love as an inescapable requirement of biblical Christianity under the category, Instruction.
9 See the December 6, 2015 post, Celebrating God’s Racial Diversity Initiative, under the category, Call To Repent.
10 Read When The Glory Comes, posted on November 29, 2015 under the category, Glory To God!
As the Lord led me to write about in the previous week’s post, we in these times are not only living in the last days of this present world and age, but the latter part of them.1 God has openly foretold many things about these latter days in the Bible, His Word, including personages, nations, places and events that unfold in His prophetic timeline bound up in the plan He prepared before there was ever a creation.2 The specificity of detail in the millennia old prophecies about these latter days and even the very last day that ends this present world and age is staggering! This reality is an important proof of God’s superiority over idols or any other so-called gods (Isaiah 41:21-24, 44:6-8)!
The last day of this present world and age all by itself is a perfect example of the many moving parts and specific details God in His prophetic Word presents to readers. For on that single day a number of significant events take place. Sinners violently angry over what they have suffered to the moment and deluded by demons will actually assemble in Israel to war “against the LORD and against His Anointed,” the Lord Jesus (Psalm 2:1-3; Joel 3:9-14; Revelation 16:10-16, NKJV). He will suddenly make His glorious return on this day as well (Joel 2:31, 3:15-16a; Matthew 24:29-30; Revelation 1:7, 6:12-17). The Father also pours out His long held wrath on the day (Isaiah 42:14-15)!
Backing up to the interval when the Gentile nations assemble in Israel to war against God and Christ, during it, the Lord issues a warning alert to be watching for His sudden appearing not to the elect Jewish remnant or those unsaved from among the Jews and Gentile nations, but to Christians because only we wear the “garments of salvation” and “robe of righteousness” by grace “through faith” in Him during this mortal age (Isaiah 61:10; Philippians 3:8-9; Revelation 16:15, NKJV).3 This warning is consistent with those He gave any would be follower in the Gospels and now, commends a blessing upon the faithful (Matthew 10:16-39, 24:36-44, 25:1-13; Mark 8:34-38, 13:32-37).4
The Lord’s warning is absolutely timely at that moment for persecution and world disaster weary saints waiting for Him especially since I have heard professed Christians in these days express faithless exasperation with evil’s apparent triumphs and asserting God is losing. Such faithless talk is for example, behind the uptick in those falling away from Christ in the aftermath of the global Coronavirus pestilence with others like it still to come plainly foretold by Him (Luke 21:11).5 The blessing persevering saints receive on that last day of God’s planned end to this present mortal world and age is beyond awesome for it is nothing less than seeing the Lord’s Second Coming!
Seeing the moment the brilliant glory of the Lord Jesus Christ bursts into the completely darkened sky is just the beginning of the blessing. On this day He Himself declared as “the last day,” the initial act of the Lord will be to gather His elect by first raising those who have died believing on Him from the dead (Matthew 24:31; John 6:39-40, 44, 52-54; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-16, NKJV)! His teaching about raising those from the dead who had believed on Him for salvation affirmed the belief of Old Testament saints about this as an event of the end (Job 19:23-27; Psalm 17:15; Isaiah 26:19; Ezekiel 37:1-14; Daniel 12:1-3) and His hearers in John 6, its last day in particular (John 11:21-24).
Thus, it is on the last day that the Lord first resurrects those who have died waiting for His one and only Second coming. Beloved, there can be no resurrection of the saints in a prior presupposed secret, invisible coming of Christ if He explicitly and solely states this occurs “at the last day!”6 Then, with the still living remnant He translates, He gathers all to Himself in the sky (1 Thessalonians 4:17-18). This in gathering event is the end of the mortal Church age and the beginning of “her” glorious immortal eternity and reign with Christ as “His wife” by all “the saints” who make “her” up (John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:50-57; Revelation 19:7-8, NKJV). Gathered to Him above the earth, we wait briefly for the next last day event: God’s judgment in wrath (John 12:42-50; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11)!
With the elect of Israel protected (Joel 3:16b), God from His throne in Heaven cries out, ‘“It is done!’” Following that, as He had repeatedly foretold through Israel’s prophets, God sends His mortal enemies scurrying as He shakes the entire universe and earth in the full outpour of His righteous wrath upon sinners (Isaiah 13:9-13; Haggai 2:6; Hebrews 12:25-29; Revelation 16:17-21, NKJV)! After this, Christ with the saints will descend to assert God’s Kingdom rule; the Lord taking on and destroying the assembled Gentile armies led by the Antichrist and false prophet and bringing an end to the kingdoms of men. Then, He will end Satan’s rule over the world and vanquish him temporarily to prison under the earth (Daniel 2:44, 7:13-14; Zechariah 14:1-9; Revelation 11:15-18, 19:11-20:3).7
1 Read the July 30, 2023 post, There Is An End!, under the category, Bible Prophecy.
2 See the January 30, 2022 post, The Right Side Of History, under the categories Bible Prophecy and Biblical Worldview.
3 Only after receiving Him at the visible return of Christ will Isaiah 61:10 apply to the Jewish mortal remnant for which in context, they were intended in the first instance!
4 Being overly devoted to life in this wicked world and age or backslidden in sin are two key ways not to be ready for the Lord’s return. He bids all such professed Christians to turn back to Him in this Ministry’s thirty minute Strong Man Of God Online Rally, Return To The Lord, now, available to view on our dedicated YouTube Channel.
5 Here is what is fully behind the issue of strength the Lord leads me to write about in portraying the aspiring strong Man of God in His image in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. Solomon makes it clear, “If you faint in the day of adversity, your (spiritual) strength is small,” (Proverbs 24:10, NKJV). To endure to God’s end will require His strength! Purchase a personal copy of my book in the Hard or Soft Cover or E-Book Editions; pastors get the companion Strong Man Of God Men’s Group Study to equip the men you serve in the Strong Man Store, among internet booksellers and brick and mortar bookstores.
6 Read the two-part June 26, 2022 post, Made To Order End?, under the category, Bible Prophecy.
7 See the two-part February 13, 2022 post, War Of The Ages End, under the category, Bible Prophecy.
It should go without saying that if the living God is calling professed Christians as followers of His Son to repentance, then, non-Christians ought to be on notice too! Indeed, it is written: “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now ‘“If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear,”’” (1 Peter 4:17-18, NKJV)? Because God in holy character operates in perfect justice (Deuteronomy 31:30-32:4), nobody gets away with anything; sin must be judged and punished (Genesis 2:16-17, 3:17-19; Psalm 62:9-12; Ezekiel 18:4; Matthew 12:33-37).
Unless therefore, God had sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to take on man’s judgment and punishment for sin, none would be saved (John 3:16-21, 36). Again, without God having taken the initiative out of His great love, grace, mercy and righteousness to make a way of salvation from sin for mankind through repentance and faith in the Gospel of Christ--that He died on the cross for our sins, was buried and rose again on the third day, this fallen world and mankind as sinners after giving an account for every sin committed would have long ago endured His wrath and been eternally destroyed (Genesis 6:5-8; John 8:21-24; Romans 1:16-17, 3:9-31, 5:6-9, 10:4-13)!
Instead, those of us who have repented of our sins and believed the Gospel of Christ have been forgiven, indwelt and brought to eternal spiritual life by the Spirit of God as well as reconciled to Him after being enemy combatants (Acts 2:36-39; Romans 5:10-11; Colossians 1:19-23). The foregoing is supposed to be the result in every case. But keeping it real, in addition to many who are weak in the faith, there have been numerous rebels, impostors and apostates who have dwelt among the Church the Lord has been building from the first century A.D. and misrepresented it to the on looking world (Acts 2:40-47, 5:1-11; Romans 16:17-20; Galatians 2:1-5; 1 John 2:18-23; Jude 3-19).
For this cause, God is righteously at work in His house through judgment calling His weak in the faith, backslidden and rebel professed people to repentance; testing and disciplining even the faithful to conform us fully to the glorious divine character resident in Christ (Hebrews 12:1-17). He is also exposing and separating out of His house the false, unrepentant disobedient and fallen away since Christ in all sobriety returns for a bride He sacrificed Himself to “sanctify and cleanse,” that does not have “spot or wrinkle or any such thing,” but is “holy and without blemish,” (Ephesians 5:25-27; 2 Peter 3:14, NKJV). Professed Christians thinking otherwise are deceived (Galatians 5:19-21, 6:7-8)!
Thus, if it is all like that for professed Christians as the apostle Peter serves up in his warning I quoted in the first paragraph of this post, then, the non-Christian is truly in grave peril. For God’s command to ‘“all men everywhere to repent’” is so ‘“because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man (Jesus Christ) whom He has ordained;” giving “assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead,’” (Acts 17:30-31, NKJV). The Lord led me to end my last post confirming He has not turned from His day of wrath upon all of those who have disobeyed His Gospel command to repent! It is coming more certainly than tomorrow’s sunrise!1
As I also recently briefly wrote about discussing these days of increasing post-Christianity unbelief in God,2 like ground with its overgrown weeds removed as preparation for planting, but after a delay grows back, so, the world has had a brief moment when the bright promise of Christianity filled it with the knowledge of God enough for many at least to believe in His existence. Now, helped in part by the willful neglect of guilty professed Christians and their churches in sin, compromise and corruption, all of the weeds of wickedness seen historically in secular atheism, false religions and the deeds of the flesh are growing back exceedingly worse than before (Luke 11:14-26).3
Refusing to believe in God does not dismiss Him from existence as He led me to state another way in a 2022 post!4 His steadily intensifying judgments in these latter days besides being remedial are warnings intended primarily to cause all to recognize His reality and repent before it is too late. However, because of proudly refusing to believe in the Judeo-Christian God of the Bible who warned millennia ago through His prophets about the escalating severity of the calamities we now, see coming upon the world, non-Christians (and many biblically ignorant professed Christians) are foolishly attributing them all to manmade climate change in the false hope they can fix things. Not! Surely, climate change is occurring, but it is not exclusively due to human cause (Amos 3:6-7, 5:8-9).
1 Read the April 23, 2023 post, A Word To God’s Faithful, under the category, Encouragement.
2 See the September 25, 2022 post, The Epidemic Of Unbelief In God, under the category, Encouragement.
3 The faithful and devoted heart of the aspiring strong man and great woman of God in the image of Christ is required to stand firm against this never before seen spiritual tide as I write about them in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics! You can pick up a Hard or Soft Cover Edition of the book as well as companion Strong Man Of God Men’s Group Study and Great Woman Of God Women’s Group Study in the Strong Man Store, among internet booksellers and brick and mortar bookstores.
4 Read the October 2, 2022, Unbelief In God Has Consequences, under the category, Instruction.
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