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• Reigning With Christ On Earth

              One day soon, the Kingdom of the Babe born over 2,000 years ago as foretold in Bethlehem, Israel will be the only one on earth left standing (Psalm 47; Micah 5:2-5).  I joyfully explore this prophetic truth in this edited 2013 blog repost.  Merry Christmas indeed for those that are waiting for Christ to come again as it is written in God’s Word of truth (Psalm 119:41-44; Hebrews 10:37-38)!

   

  Originally Posted June 9, 2013

   

              Flying up through the clouds “to meet the Lord in the air” is not only our first exciting experience as immortals in new spiritual bodies (1 Thessalonians 4:17, NKJV), but the event also serves to glorify us before and remove us from the world that is about to endure the full outpouring of God’s wrath brought immediately thereafter by Christ and finished at Armageddon (Revelation 6:12-17, 14:14-16, 16:12-21, 19:11-16).  From our vantage point in the sky, we will watch the cataclysmic convulsions and upheaval of the earth that destroys all of its cities except Jerusalem; bringing forth new mountains where there were valleys and valleys where there are now mountains (Isaiah 40:3-5).

   

              Then the Lord will give the command sending forth His angelic armies to battle at Armageddon thoroughly defeating the evil, immortal pretender to His world throne and Satan along with their armies (Revelation 14:17-20, 19:17-21).  So, what is next?  We would have no idea if it were not for the revelation of God through Israel’s prophets, our Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles written in Scripture.  According to the prophet Zechariah, at the end of that first day of the Lord, Christ will stand victorious on “the Mount of Olives” in Jerusalem ready to fulfill all that has been foretold concerning His Kingdom reign and work of restoration (Zechariah 14:1-11, NKJV).

   

              With us as His co-laborers, the curse of sin and death will be lifted from the earth and the universe which is the major reason the physical creation is waiting for the liberation of God’s eternal sons first from the same curse (Genesis 3:17; Romans 8:19-22).  Then the Lord by the Word of His power will begin to restore the earth and all of creation (Isaiah 35:1-2, 49:8, 65:25).  Even now, we mortals in Christ are enjoying “the firstfruits of the Spirit” as part of this future creation wide restoration (Romans 8:23, NKJV).  And we shall reign with Him on the earth!  The eternal sons of God will rule and have supernatural strength like the angels to enforce the Lord’s righteous program as each is assigned (2 Kings 19:35; Psalm 149:5-9; Luke 22:29-30; Revelation 2:26-27, 5:9-10). 

   

              Why does God debut His Kingdom on the destructive ashes of His wrath poured out with very few survivors?  Why not destroy everything as will be eventually done and bring on the brand new eternal creation right then?  The intermediary step of restoring the earth and all creation in the aftermath of God’s wrath at the Second Coming of Christ is about vindication, rewards and promises!  The Lord vindicates the suffering of His saints that waited millennia for His overthrow of the earth’s wicked oppressors as well as His righteous Word and wisdom (Psalm 37:7-10; Romans 12:19; 2 Thessalonians 1:3-10).

   

              He also rewards His saints that served Him faithfully during their mortal lives with possession of this present earth liberated from the wicked (Psalm 37:11, Matthew 5:5).  Finally, the Lord’s return to and restoration of the earth is tied directly to fulfilling the divine promises made to Israel for the restoration of the nation and kingdom under the rule of the Davidic dynasty which He does as a descendant in the royal line (Matthew 1:1-2:12, 21:1-11, 27:11, 37; Luke 3:23-38).  To reject that Christ returns as Israel’s long awaited King-Deliverer to keep God’s promises to restore the nation and the glory of the Davidic kingdom is to willfully reject huge portions of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation including Isaiah 11:10-16, 35:3-10, 44:21-23, 49:1-26, Zechariah 12-13, Acts 1:6-7, 3:11-21, 13:13-41, Romans 9:1-11:36, Revelation 1:7 and 7:1-8. 

   

              This is in fact, what a small group of professing Christians called amillennialists do that not only reject God yet has any literal future dealings with ethnic Israel or a reign on earth, but also the express revelation given to the apostle John that presents the time period for the reign of Christ and the saints over Israel and this current earth as “a thousand years,” (Revelation 20:4-6, NKJV).  Another group called post-millennialists rejects the literal millennial reign of Christ and His saints preferring instead to believe the present churches will make the world better and the Lord will come after this.  Are you kidding me?  On both accounts this is what happens when men start outside of and reject God’s Word!

   

              With application to all Scripture but in context, God’s prophetic Word, the apostle Peter writes, “knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit,” (2 Peter 1:20-21, NKJV).  Since God does not intend for us to have private interpretations of His prophetic Word that confuse and divide His people (everybody with divergent interpretations cannot be right), all professing believers need to purposely stick with the interpretation the Holy Spirit will give if we start humbly in the Word, not outside of it (1 Corinthians 1:4-10; Ephesians 4:4-6).

   

              Scripture is consistent and unequivocal; God still has plans for His people, the Jews, and our resurrection to immortal glory as eternal sons at Christ’s return are part of them (Jeremiah 3:14-18).  And while according to His Word we will spend the first thousand years of our immortality reigning with Christ on this present earth restored, know that our ultimate goal is not Heaven separated from earth, but a new, eternal Heaven on a new earth God will create before our very eyes (Isaiah 65:17-19; 2 Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 21:1-22:7). 

• Earth As An Eternal Inheritance

              As God would have it in His prophetic Word, the triumphant possession of and reign by the saints under Christ over this present earth restored is not the end of the matter glorious as this is.¹  Their reign is temporary; limited to a millennium by the continuing presence of sin in mortal man and God’s planned eternal order restoration with new cosmic and earth designs.  It is sin in mortals that requires the use of a “rod of iron” in the mix of methods the Lord and the saints use to rule during the millennium (Psalm 2:6-9; Revelation 2:26-27, 12:5, 19:15, NKJV).²  Even so, God said long ago “My Spirit shall not strive with” sinful mortal “man forever,” (Genesis 6:3; Isaiah 57:15-16, NKJV).

   

              Under the just and peaceful reign of Christ and the saints mortals will experience unparalleled blessings from God.  Not the least of these blessings will be free, universal healthcare since naturally occurring mental torments, diseases and sicknesses will not be present except as permitted for punitive purposes on sinning individuals.  They will not be demonically initiated because Satan and his hordes will be confined to the “bottomless pit” under the earth (Revelation 20:1-3, NKJV).  The perfect health of mortals will be as God promised Israel for obedience in the Promised Land and when Christ came to them in the first century A.D. (Exodus 23:20-26; Matthew 15:29-31).

   

              Truly, it is in critical part for Israel’s sake and the covenants God made with their fathers and especially king David that the intermediary millennium earth reign of Christ with the saints over mortal sinners takes place!  David had presided over Israel as king before God at its pinnacle; ushering forth a covenant from God with him to seat a descendant on his throne as an everlasting kingdom which Christ fulfills (2 Samuel 7:8-17; Matthew 1:1; Luke 1:26-33; John 18:33-38, 19:17-22).  Righteous Jews and His disciples had been waiting for the Kingdom which after His resurrection, the Lord Jesus indirectly affirmed would come in God’s timing (Luke 23:50-24:12; 36-49; Acts 1:4-11).³

   

              Now, at His return finally, the Kingdom comes to earth and Israel!  The elect remnant of mortal Israel and surviving Gentiles live long in prosperity and peace under the rule of Christ and the saints (Isaiah 65:20-25).  After a millennium of no birth control, miscarriages, abortions and limited death from natural, purposeful or accidental causes, the earth is filled with humanity from all nations.  All is well until in the sovereign God’s perfect timing and will, Satan and his hordes are released from their prison.  They waste no time deceiving and stirring up vast numbers from the Gentile nations to rebel and amass for suicidal war against Christ, the saints and Israel (Ezekiel 38:1-17; Revelation 20:7-8).⁴

   

              However, no war takes place.  As soon as the legions of demons and deceived mortals are positioned around Jerusalem, “city of the great King” and royal home base of the saints (Psalm 48:1-3), the Father rains down holy fire from Heaven upon them (Revelation 20:9).  It is a consuming fire like, but exceedingly greater than that which consumed Sodom and Gomorrah, Nadab and Abihu and the offering of Elijah in days of old (Genesis 19:24-25; Leviticus 10:1-3; 1 Kings 18:30-39)!  For not only will this fire from God consume every single assembled rebel mortal where they stand, but the whole physical universe and earth right down to microscopic particles and invisible elements.  Indeed, for this cause sinful mortals have been on notice until now (Hebrews 12:25-29; 2 Peter 3:10-12).

   

              In the divine initiated conflagration, Satan and his kingdom of fallen angels will be thrown into the eternally burning “lake of fire,” originally “prepared” just “for” them (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10, NKJV).  Moments before His holy fire consumes every vestige of this present creation tainted by sin, God will transform elect Jews and noncombatants from mortal to immortal as protection and cause them to stand before the “throne” and “Judgment seat of Christ” with all raised from the dead for that purpose (Isaiah 66:22; Daniel 12:2-3; Matthew 25:31-46; John 5:24-30; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23, 50-51; 2 Corinthians 5:9-11; Revelation 20:11-13, 15).  For the Lord Jesus “must reign” until every enemy of God’s Kingdom is eternally put down (1 Corinthians 15:24-28; Revelation 20:14, NKJV)!

   

              Standing with the Lord Jesus Christ and the holy angels in the eternal spiritual environment of divine righteousness, all written in His Book of Life will witness the amazing power of God as the promised new heavens and earth are brought forth (Isaiah 65:17; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1).  There is no sun or moon and a newly designed earth is without oceans.  Out of Heaven God places His built “holy city, New Jerusalem” on the earth as the apostle John was shown.  Then he heard this loudly spoken: ‘“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people.  God Himself (the Father) will be with them and be their God’” to the joy of His eternally reigning sons who will inherit it all (Isaiah 65:18-19, 66:24; Revelation 21:2-22:5, NKJV).⁵

   

  1 This post is the final of a total of three presenting and exploring the Lord’s promise that The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth posted on July 12, 2020 under the categories,

     Black History and Encouragement.  It was followed by the July 19, 2020 post, Ruling The Earth Under Christ, under the category, Bible prophecy.

  2 Shepherds  have used a wooden rod with sheep to guide, coral or redirect the wayward back into the fold and as a weapon to repel predators from ancient times (Exo-

     dus  3:1,  4:1-2).  Whether  understood literally or figuratively, the “rod of iron” wielded by Christ and the saints is surely intended to convey firmness in righteous gover-

     nance and severity of retribution upon rebels.

  3 Read  the  January  28, 2014 two-part post, Jesus: The Jewish Messiah, under the category, Holidays.  Also, see the December 20, 2015 re-post, Reigning With Christ

     On Earth and The Day Of Israel’s Comfort posted on June 12, 2016 both under the category Bible Prophecy.

  4 Clearly, the Lord demonstrates His infinite knowledge, wisdom and righteousness in allowing us to see for a millennium the amazing difference for good a world without

     the  kingdom  of darkness holding sway makes.  Tragically, we also see as He foreknew how susceptible imperfect mortal mankind as sinners are to the deceiving work

     of  the  deceiver  and  his  demon  minions upon their return from below the earth!  Finally too, between the first coming and return of Christ we understand why God re-

     quired fallen mortals to “be born again” so, they might receive a new nature (John 3:1-8, NKJV)!

  5 To  learn  about  aspiring  strong  men  and great women of God in the image of Jesus Christ as eternal sons, get my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics.  A

     print  copy or digital download of the book 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.  From the book as the Lord led, I also wrote a 2013 blog re-posted on June 19, 2016 you can read entitled, E-

     ternal Sons Of God, under the category, Instruction.

• Christian Television: Purveyor of Babel

              After addressing the strategic use of television specifically to advance the evil cause of rebellion against God and His Anointed, He now leads me to speak to the use of the medium by professing Christianity.¹  With a degree in Radio and Television Broadcasting, graduate degree in Communication and over thirty-five years in the field mostly heading up a small media ministry in the express will and facilitation of the Lord, He has qualified me to speak and so, I do in this urgent latter day post.  In days soon to come, Christian broadcasting will be globally targeted for eradication which is why it must be maximized now in its use for God’s causes in the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

   

              To the credit of the initial Christian visionaries that understood God’s purposeful, creative hand in, vision for and use of the unfolding means of mass communication over the past century, there is such a thing as Christian broadcasting.  For while the pioneers of radio and television broadcasting desperate for program content were initially welcoming of what was called religious programming mostly from Christian churches and their denominations, by the middle of the 1960s this began to slowly change due to the rising costs of production and air time and commercialism as well as the cultural shift toward secularism hostile to Christianity.

   

              Television in particular--which provides pictures and sound--had such potential for good in the Kingdom cause of God to disseminate the Gospel of His Son and biblical instruction throughout the earth.  This meant not only the opportunity to have men stand to preach and teach God’s Word, but to also be creative through such arts as drama.  I feel blessed to be part of a unique generation that grew up watching the low tech clay animation of Davey and Goliath that presented important high moral lessons.  The show was produced by the United Lutherans and featured the memorable hymn, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, written by their famous founder, Martin Luther, as the theme music.

   

              Nevertheless, the staple of Christian television fare has been worship services by large churches along with the preaching and teaching of their well known clergy.  These churches and their denominational entities also provided holiday specials and helped to sponsor the televised specials of Evangelists such as the now departed Billy Graham, who was a trailblazer in the use of radio and television.  Others in the Christian television vanguard include the also departed Paul Crouch, founder of the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) and Pat Robertson, founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN).  Together, these have all given Christian television its global presence. 

   

              Christian television’s global presence has not come without some scandal.  Most Christian television networks feature so-called televangelists that dominate their programming schedules because they pay for the air time.  But this has led to much and in some cases, questionable fundraising due to extravagant lifestyles bred of success.²  There has also been sensational heretical and conflicting teaching as well as sinful cultural compromises such as with feminism that allows women to take authority over and teach men.³  Nondenominational stations and networks that dominate the Christian broadcasting landscape are hesitant to deal with these issues (if they in guilt too will at all) because of the loss of income involved in removing paying customers from the air.

   

              While all of the foregoing damages the integrity of Christian television, the continuing Babel and cultural compromises undermine what is supposed to be its unified message and imagery of the Christian Gospel in action (1 Corinthians 1:10; Ephesians 4:1-6)!  The biblical Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) is not heard enough, though, the Christian programmers, television stations and networks all claim they exist to preach it globally; endlessly raising money supposedly to this end.  Instead, unlike worldly programmers of sin who do all say and show the same thing, many professed Christian preachers pitch their own conflicting takes on the Gospel and God’s Word as they compete for followers and dollars (Acts 20:30); exporting their Babel and unbiblical compromises to the nations!

   

              As television is supposed to do, this televised unbiblical and confused state of affairs precisely mirrors the spreading harlotries and spiritual dysfunction in American Christianity; a situation that no one of sound mind and Word should attempt to defend.  For whatever good there may currently be in Christian television, it has so much greater potential in saying the same thing as it concerns the soul saving Gospel message and being consistently biblical as a divinely useful tool of dissemination.  It is to the glory of God that there is indeed, some good on Christian television.  Of late, TBN, for example, has made major creative inroads in children’s, youth and ethnic programming on several dedicated networks.⁴  CBN has the only major professionally produced Christian News program on television.

   

              Even so, repentance from tolerating Babel and compromise is absolutely needed to most effectively use the medium now.  Enemies of the cross are shortly to target Christian television and all Christian media in the ramping up of foretold global persecution (Matthew 24:9).  This is because in modern warfare, the means of mass communication are seized or knocked out as a priority.  Christian persecutors up to and including the Antichrist will be allowed by God to finally silence all means of humanly communicating the Christian message (involving the Gospel, biblical truth and prophecy) in opposition to their own (Daniel 8:23-26; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12; Revelation 13).  But God will get His message to the world by an angel one last time before bringing His wrath (Revelation 14:6-7)!⁵  The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"

   

  1 See the October 14, 2018 post, Grasping For Normal, under the categories, Bible Prophecy and Call To Repent.

  2 Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker with their PTL empire at its height in the mid-1980’s have been among those so charged and are a tragic and globally known example.

      Learn more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_PTL_Club.

  3 The  Lord  leads me to explain why this compromise has been disastrous in the churches and for the Christian witness among the unsaved in many posts especially

     under  the  categories  Call  To Repent, God’s Creatures, Instruction and The Cause as well as my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics.  It is available at

     all major internet booksellers, by order at your favorite brick and mortar bookstore or in the Strong Man Store.

  4 The  leading  Christian network in the world shows flashes of the creative possibilities in television with original programming such as productions Drive Thru History

     that  has  its host travel to key New Testament locations in the expansion of 1^st century Christianity to explain events in an entertaining way and Creation In The 21^st

      Century  upholding a biblical worldview of creation by interviewing Christian men and women of science and using well done displays,  graphics and on location foot-

     age.  The  Gospel  is  preached  by  such  heavy  hitters as Billy Graham in a “Classics” program that replays his crusades, Dr. Charles Stanley, Dr. David Jeremiah,

     Greg Laurie and Dr. Michael Youssef to name some of the relative few that stand flat footed to regularly include it in their preaching and teaching.  Learn more about

     TBN at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity_Broadcasting_Network.

  5 Read the September 13, 2015 post, Praise For The Lord God Almighty!, under the category, Glory To God!

• Persecution Of American Christians Intensifying

              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.

• Last Chance For Conservative White Christians?

              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 21^st 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.

   

• Christianity In Black And White

              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!