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You would think the awful toll the Coronavirus pestilence from God, unrest and increased lawlessness is taking on our nation would be enough to bring especially all Christians that claim to love it to their knees in complete humility, brokenness, repentance praying like Daniel of old and grief as called for by God (Daniel 9:1-19; Joel 2:12-14). But while this Ministry and no doubt a few others also have called for this, you do not hear much about it in Christian media as the television networks for example, continue with their usual programming and messaging focused on what God wants to do even now, to positively impact the dreams, ambitions, wealth and health of their audiences.5
Regular readers know the Lord has not led me to anchor His call to repentance and true Holy Spirit fired revival to 2 Chronicles 7:14. It has been repeatedly and hypocritically quoted by many sincere looking Christian leaders and others for years in times of national crisis as though America is Israel of old to whom the verse speaks. America is not Israel that is God’s one and only “everlasting love” among the nations (Deuteronomy 4:32-40; Jeremiah 31:1-3, NKJV)! Among the founders of America and to this day there have been individual faithful Christians including those of my black forefathers for whose sake God has graciously and richly blessed our nation in the past.6
Now, however, as should be abundantly clear to all but the most willfully dull-hearted professed Christians, the Coronavirus pandemic is not just a national crisis, it is so globally as judgment from God! Quite as expected, 2 Chronicles 7:14 uncoupled from the preceding verse that gives rise to it has been trotted out again. If professed Christians would rightly interpret and apply the two verses together as they ought, then, there is an important spiritual application for us as individuals living in a time of divine judgment. For if the guilty as God’s people would truly “humble themselves, and pray and seek” His “face,” and “turn from their wicked ways, then...,” (2 Chronicles 7:13-14, NKJV).
But God will not hear petitions, forgive or heal the land we live in because the folk that are supposed to be His people in it will not repent from their wicked ways; denying that they have any ways that should invite His judgment! However, as I wrote earlier, so-called Bible teachers that for financial gain fixate those they teach only on what God wants to do for them materially now, are teaching falsehood which in God’s view is wicked and sin! They and academic religionists may also tolerate as equally valid corrupt personal interpretations of and opinions drawn from Scripture, but as the Lord showed with His rebuke of Israel’s religious elite and His apostles, the false preachers and teachers, God does not (Matthew 22:23-33; Mark 9:42-48; Galatians 1:6-10; 2 Peter 2:1-3)!
The false presumption one can teach whatever he or she pleases is among many wicked ways professed Christians have that are also idols they have set up in their hearts (Ezekiel 14:1-5). Other idols are success and the pursuit of it through realizing personal dreams and selfish ambitions, the attainment of wealth by covetousness and greed and health involving body and fitness obsession along with the purchase and consumption of related products. Also, there is materialism, racism, sexual immorality, worldly compromise and rebellion entailing the embrace of feminism for example, and its corollary, gender equality as the world defines it contrary to the divinely set order of mankind.7
All of the foregoing idols of the heart and more must be fully repented of by guilty professed Christians for true revival (Ezekiel 14:6-11), to give the nation a temporary reprieve from judgment and forestall that which is greater God holds back to the end more of our fellow citizens might be saved!8 Otherwise, as with ancient Israel our biblically prescribed example, God must judge the “persistent unfaithfulness” of those insisting they are His people (Ezekiel 14:12-13; 1 Corinthians 10:1-11, NKJV). For apart from repentance and true revival, they are flavorless salt that cannot be re-salted; worthless to God and “good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men” according to the Lord Jesus (2 Chronicles 36:15-21; Matthew 5:13b, NKJV).
Consistent with His longsuffering nature, God has given professed American Christians as false prophets, teachers, scoffers, religionists, rebels and de facto apostates plenty of remedial judgments and time to repent (Isaiah 1:1-9, 9:13-17; Jeremiah 5:1-9; Luke 13:1-9). But now, striking to the very pride-filled hearts of these stubborn men and women that do not fear Him, God is bringing unmistakable judgment from Him upon the land. ‘“Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job, were in’” the land, ‘“they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,’ says the Lord GOD,” (Ezekiel 14:14-20, NKJV). It is therefore, as the Lord has had me warn, only the repentant and Holy Spirit revived will emerge as His people after His judgment (Ezekiel 14:21-23)!9
5 The welcome exceptions have been the networks’ special programming to address the needs of people created by the Coronavirus and the nation’s freshly opened
racial wounds in the aftermath of the George Floyd murder back in May. Regarding the latter, seasoned, sound and articulate national Christian black leaders with
biblical solutions, but that do not espouse the popular prosperity messaging championed by most of the networks are rarely heard from which calls into question just
how serious they are about ministering healing into the crisis. Interestingly too, picking who will speak for and to blacks to their liking, Christian white media owners
continue employing yet another of the historic tools used to create and sustain systemic racism.
6 America is not a Christian nation just because all of its founders tipped their hats to God, sought to include Christian principles in their founding documents and rightly
asserted every citizen must have a moral heart to make it all work. As I wrote in a previous post, while this was all noble, real biblical Christianity is empowered by the
Holy Spirit, not the well intended attempts to live out its precepts and morality through the sinful flesh! Not for the sake of being a “Christian nation” or its high ideals,
but His born again faithful in the midst has God preserved and blessed America! Read the two-part post beginning September 11, 2016, American Culture’s Religion,
under the category, Call To Repent.
7 Siding with the world against God to reject His perpetually standing order of mankind that defines male and female roles for this present, mortal age is not just over the
top, but open, brazen in God’s face evidence of rebellion (Ezekiel 8)!
8 True, biblical revival only results from soul deep repentance from all breaks with God’s Word which is sin. This sharply contrasts with what professed American Chris-
tians usually serve up as revival. Read the August 14, 2014 repost, The Sham Cry For Revival, under the category, Call To Repent. Also, here is where the implica-
tions of viewing America as a secular or Christian nation get real. For if America is a secular nation as from the Word of God I contend, there is hope for a great har-
vest of souls in the aftermath of true revival and God’s judgment of His people though as part of all this, the unsaved realize disobedient Christians have been a major
cause of their pain and react (Jonah 1:1-16; 1 Peter 4:12-19). But if as many contend from their hearts America is a Christian nation, then, its current wicked condition
and refusal to repent is evidence of apostasy with no hope of a temporary recovery or reprieve (Hebrews 6:1-8, 10:26-31)!
9 Most assuredly these will be the aspiring strong men and great women of God He led me to write about in 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.
I trust God last month’s trilogy of posts presenting and exploring His future promise to us who are the meek, His faithful saints and eternal sons were a source of encouragement and uplift.1 This is a major purpose of Bible prophecy besides glorifying God who knows all things and the reason it along with the whole of His Word should be treated with the utmost reverence and care in objectively reading, interpreting and applying it as the Holy Spirit leads (Isaiah 41:21-24, 43:8-13, 44:6-8; John 13:19, 14:25-29; 2 Peter 1:16-21)! For our best days are not found in this present life and world, but all that God has yet planned for us in Christ Jesus contrary to popular teaching today.
Popular teaching today focuses primarily on what “God wants to do for you materially now.” But while God with Fatherly love and wisdom provides all of our needs and some wants according to His will (Matthew 6:24-34; Philippians 4:19), our salvation completed and glorious eternal future with Christ is the major thrust of the Bible’s New Testament all hinged on His finished work on Calvary, death, burial and resurrection (1 Timothy 6:6-16). The apostle Paul is very direct and clear on this when he writes defending Christ’s resurrection and empty implications of a future without it: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable,” (1 Corinthians 15:19, NKJV).
The apostle Peter, who writes in his second epistle to condemn and warn about false teachers along with scoffers, also exhorts us to be guided in our living by God’s planned future following the fiery end of this present creation in the “day of the Lord,” (2 Peter 2:10-13, NKJV). He writes, “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless,” (2 Peter 2:14, NKJV). The Lord’s “longsuffering” “is salvation” (ours, having already come to Christ and those still to come the Lord foreknows and waits for) he writes, which the apostle Paul too, wrote about and “untaught and unstable people twist” (2 Peter 3:15-16, NKJV).2
Despite Peter’s solemn warning that such people distorted Paul’s writings “to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures” (saying this, Peter elevates Paul’s writings to the level of Scripture as he earlier does his own--2 Peter 3:1-2), has not been enough to deter others from doing so to this hour (2 Peter 3:16, NKJV)! Knowing the end of such people “beforehand” he has written and warned about starting at 2 Peter 2:1, the eyewitness apostle further soberly warns: “beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked.” Instead, “grow in the grace and (true, biblically sound) knowledge of Christ,” (2 Peter 3:17-18, NKJV).
It is purposefully corrupt teaching that the Lord has had me crying out against and calling the guilty to repentance from with true revival; teaching that has spiritually ill-equipped a generation to face biblically foretold times such as we are in right now, and that will only grow progressively worse until the glorious return of our Lord. Indeed, because the guilty from many different ethnicities and socio-economic groups profess so loudly to be bona fide Christians, it has been amazing to see their incredible obstinacy I have witnessed during most of the thirty-five years of this Ministry the Lord led me to found and that officially came into existence on August 12, 1985 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Surely, if God has used any man as a prophet among the churches to hew the unfaithful with His Word since the prolific pens of the reformers, I am among them by His will as many in Dallas/Fort Worth for twelve years and here in the Northwest throughout the past twenty-three can attest (Hosea 6:4-6)! Over three hundred posts since 2014 in this forum alone; closing in on seventy “Call To Repent” posts that include several this year before and after God’s Coronavirus judgment and this two-part post.3 And why is this so? The Lord who gifted and called me loves you, is gracious, merciful, forbearing, patient and eternally consistent in His actions (Luke 3:7-9, 11:47-51).4
In obedience, I have sounded the Lord’s call to repent and will as often as He directs going forward to deliver the willing from judgment (Jeremiah 7:21-27, 8:18-22, 25:1-7, 26:1-6; Ezekiel 2:1-3:7, 33:1-9; Jude 20-23)! As I spent all of these years warning with the Lord’s leading, the days of His escalating warning judgments have come with the Coronavirus and there will be no going back to “normal.” Still, many remain obstinate as was ancient Israel; the Lord sending plague after serious plague upon His stubborn, unfaithful people who refused to repent as He speaks through the prophet (Amos 4:6-13). How long though, will the Lord hold back greater judgment upon guilty professed Christians who are supposed to be “the salt of the earth,” (Matthew 5:13a, NKJV)?
1 The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth posted on July 12, 2020 under the categories, Black History and Encouragement. It was followed July 19th by Ruling The Earth Un-
der Christ and on the 26th, Earth As An Eternal Inheritance both under the category, Bible Prophecy.
2 Many Bible teachers today regularly distort Scripture by reading into and using it out of context to support their own ideas rather than going to it to objectively pull out
what is there in a straightforward manner. Beyond this is their accurate reading of Scripture, then, corrupt explaining away of the plain truth or command in it to justi-
fy their disobedience. Our Ministry offers a sound Bible Interpretation summary document for free download in the Strong Man Store to help those who want to pro-
perly interpret “the word of truth,” (2 Timothy 2:15, NKJV).
3 Read the April 5, 2020 post, God Is Speaking and Does Anybody Repent Anymore? posted on April 19, 2020 both under the category, Call To Repent
4 I can only shake my head with sadness when I hear renowned conservative pastors and Bible teachers arrogantly dismiss the spiritual gift of prophecy and ministry of
prophets from operation today in the Body of Christ so plainly taught by Him and His apostles in the New Testament. If this gift was only for the first century and until
the cannon of Scripture sealed as they presumptively supposition with no support whatsoever from Scripture itself, then, tell me why is church history filled with pro-
phets (to include many reformers) if not in name, function to this hour? Also, tell me how to escape the move of the Holy Spirit to speak and write what He puts in my
mouth of things present and future completely consistent with the Word written--not that I want to escape since His Word is joyful fire in my belly, but I call out the in-
ferred slander that I am self-called and deluded (Jeremiah 20:7-10; Matthew 10:27; Luke 24:30-32)? Scripture does declare when prophecy will cease and God stops
using prophets: at the Second Coming of Christ (Zechariah 13:2-6; 1 Corinthians 13:8-12)!
Patriotism is found among individuals in all of the nations on earth! It becomes idolatry when the love for and devotion given to one’s nation including service and gifts exceeds that which is given to “the only true God,” (John 17:3, NKJV). This prescription for idolatry also applies to anyone or thing that we may become devoted to beyond our nation. For the first commandment of ten proclaimed by God to and written for Israel that also embodies the uppermost of His eternal transcendent spiritual principles is ‘“You shall have no other gods before Me,’” (Exodus 20:3, NKJV).1 Excessive devotion to a nation in idolatry is as precarious and detrimental as it is with any other god of this age!
Adam at the beginning and all mankind thereafter in whatever ethnic and/or national groupings were supposed to exclusively bow to and worship the God of the Bible as our Creator and sovereign Ruler (Genesis 2:7-9, 15-17; Acts 17:22-28). However, Satan, that fallen angel, worked to turn the first man’s heart from God by successfully enticing his wife, then he, to disobey Him (Genesis 3:1-11). Later, God did what He had never done or would do again. He purposely formed a nation through the elect men Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and Personally acted to bring them out of bondage to another nation to be His own people, Israel (Exodus 2:23-25; Deuteronomy 4:32-40; Romans 3:1-2, 9:1-5).2
It is in the context of making a covenant with Israel that God gave them His Law contained in Ten Commandments He audibly spoke to them then, along with Moses wrote them and related ordinances, statutes and judgments (Deuteronomy 5:1-22, 9:9-11, 31:24-29; Psalm 147:20). I opened this post quoting the first commandment. The second is related. It prohibited the making of and bowing to an image of anything in the sky, earth or water. In it God transparently declared He is “a jealous God” as the reason (Deuteronomy 5:8-10, NKJV). Not the nation as a first priority, but God was to be the primary object of loving devotion by every individual Jew and the nation as a whole.
The Lord Jesus Christ affirmed the foregoing when He quoted from the written Law answering a question about the chief commandment saying, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength,” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Mark 12:28-30, NKJV). Clearly, the Lord also applied His answer to Himself as the Son of God (Luke 14:25-26). Despite this, many professed Christians revere and exalt our nation to such an extent as to easily be idolaters and offensive to Heaven. Some even attempt to justify their excessive devotion by asserting America is “a Christian nation” and imply God established it as He did Israel.3
If in fact America is a Christian nation it has apostatized and will suffer fully as Israel over the millennia, but with no hope for a future recovery through deliverance by Christ since the nation now, willfully rejects Him they once all believed in (Hebrews 6:4-6, 10:26-31)!4 And as it concerns the good intentions of the professed Christian founders of the nation to anchor it to the Bible’s morality, the guilty began the slide to where we are today by retaining slavery. Others even corrupted the Bible by ripping out pages to take the hope of freedom away from slaves.5 Besides this, a Christian nation apart from all being born again Christians precludes submitting to God’s moral Law (Romans 8:6-9).6
In a prophetic context that announces the time near at hand when God in majestic greatness will show up in Person to “comfort” His doubly punished people, Israel, with all of the accompanying upheaval on the earth and in the universe, He makes known in no uncertain terms what He thinks of the Gentile nations formed by men (Isaiah 40:1-14, NKJV). The prophet declares, “Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, and counted as the small dust on the scales…All nations before Him are as nothing, and they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless,” (Isaiah 40:15-17, NKJV). The normal meaning of “all” here would have to include our nation too. In His sovereign will and for His temporal purposes, “He makes nations great, and destroys them,” (Job 12:23a, NKJV).7
“To whom” or what can God be compared to? Surely, nothing in creation or made by men in idolatry will do which is another reason God forbids making images of anyone or thing and worshiping them; nation worship being no exception since you insult the only living God (Isaiah 40:18-20, 44:6-8; Romans 1:18-23, NKJV)! He looks down from Heaven on the earth and “its inhabitants” in the midst of the universe He in wisdom and power created (Isaiah 40:21-26, NKJV). He rules the nations as He raises them and their rulers up and brings them down (Psalm 22:27-28; Daniel 2:20-21).8 “Blessed” indeed, “is the nation whose God is the LORD,” (Psalm 33:10-12, NKJV)! Yet, God is also gracious to rebel nations; giving them opportunity and time to repent if they will (Jeremiah 18:7-12).9
1 Faithfulness to God is one of several eternal character traits of Christ He forges in the hearts of His aspiring strong men and great women in His Son’s image I write about in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. I invite you to pick up a Hard or Soft Cover or E-Book Edition of the book as well as the 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.
2 Read the July 2, 2023 post, Christians Are To Fulfill God’s Written Law, under the category, Instruction. Continuing His original intent with Israel under the New Covenant still to be fully realized by them at Christ’s return, God has included Gentiles at present in fulfilling His creation of a “holy nation,” (Matthew 22:1-14; 1 Peter 2:4-10, NKJV).
3 I have already asserted directly from Scripture why such a thing could not be the case in the second paragraph of this post and others previously. See for example, part two of the two-part post that begins August 2, 2020, Flavorless Salt Is Worthless, under the category, Call To Repent.
4 An apostatized America is preposterous! Read footnote 8 of the above cited post.
5 See and learn more about The Slave Bible on this Ministry’s The From Slavery To Victory Education Project Web Site.
6 Here is absolute truth from apostolic instruction that cannot be brushed aside without seriously corrupting the faith. The Lord recently led me to warn that the attempt to force obedience to His moral law upon our secular nation through legal means will be disastrous. Read the August 7, 2022 post, Saving Souls Not Nations, under the cate- gory, The Cause.
7 In the eyes of God, America is not exceptional or too big (important) to fail! Rather than the arrogant stance of exceptionalism, professed Christians holding to this belief should be humbled and petitioning God not to righteously destroy our nation for its wickedness while repenting from their sins displeasing Him beginning with arrogance as well as those of the nation’s fathers with it idolatrously venerated! Watch the Strong Man Of God Online Rally, Return To The Lord, on our YouTube Channel and consider this from His Word along with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
8 God is not being capricious, but is working all things toward His predetermined end in Christ (Daniel 2:44; Ephesians 1:7-10)! See the January 10, 2021 post, Praying At Cross-Purposes With God, under the category, Bible Prophecy.
9 Israel is the poster child for the nation both blessed of God and punished for rejecting His call to repentance from sinning against Him (Jeremiah 18:13-17; Ezekiel 36:16-38).
Some in Christian media are doing a great disservice to those they claim to care about by desperately seeking to provide proof God is doing only positive things in America. This they do to blunt the truth He is also at work in the negative from their human perspective judging His people and a nation in rebellion against Him! Why is it so important for the self-serving pastors, false teachers and prophets as media personalities as well as Christian media entities that are guilty to continually spin God at work in the positive? Isn’t it for the same primary reasons the false prophets of ancient Israel and every historical milieu sought to do the same: self-preservation and profit!
Rather than a healthy regard for the truth positive or negative in nature, a large number of professed Christians in America has been conditioned over this past generation to believe God is about doing them good at all times without any concern for their sins. Consequently, every effort is made by guilty media personalities and entities to seek out and report on anything they can find to prove God is at work doing positive things for their benefit and in the world. With this mindset, these modern day traffickers in falsehood narrowly focus on and celebrate the numbers involved or impacted in evangelistic outreach events and purported revivals as though this is all God is doing.
While folks getting saved and revived are incredibly positive works of God to be celebrated, He does these as He is also judging sin in His house and the world to the end (Isaiah 63:1-6; Matthew 28:18-20)!1 Is the Almighty God of the Bible not capable of doing more than one thing at once? Did He not judge Eve and Adam and then provide them with a temporary covering for sin (Genesis 3:16-21)? Did He not also destroy the world in the flood as well as Sodom and Gomorrah with holy fire, but save Noah and his family and “righteous Lot” respectively (2 Peter 2:4-10a, NKJV)? Did He not severely punish Judah in 586 B.C. by expelling the majority from the land, but save a remnant in it?
The remnant of Judah in the land included God’s faithful prophet, Jeremiah, who prophesied His judgment and a terrified Ethiopian eunuch that had helped him (Jeremiah 38:1-13, 39:11-40:6).2 And though many Jews were saved by grace through faith in Christ at the outset, did not God in wrath scatter the unbelieving majority at the hands of the Romans nearly two millennia ago, but also preserve their existence and save among them at the same time until now, back in the land (Luke 21:20-24; Romans 11)? Hasn’t the Cosmos been given over to ruin and disorder, but sustained as well by Christ as Creator until the day of restoration (Romans 8:18-25; Colossians 1:16-17)?
Let purveyors of the God only in the positive false narrative hear the naked truth: God is a work all over the earth both saving and reviving souls while at the same time judging sinners in and out of His house and wicked nations as long ago foretold (Isaiah 49:1-6, 57:15-21, 61:1-2; Jeremiah 25:15-29; Luke 13:1-9; John 3:16-21, 36). And to be very clear as the Spirit leads, the salvation of souls in great numbers is not automatically indicative of biblical revival which becomes necessary when those already saved backslide on God. Refusing to repent or receive correction, they diminish in “flavor” as “salt” and dim as “light” practicing sin (Matthew 5:13-16; Romans 8:6-13; Galatians 5:16-21, NKJV)!3
Otherwise, God’s faithful regularly enjoy help in times of weakness from the Holy Spirit’s “intercession” and fresh fillings of His power to live and serve the divine purposes (Romans 8:26-28; Galatians 5:22-25; Ephesians 5:1-21, NKJV). There is also forgiveness of confessed and repented of sin in accord with Christ’s advocacy by way of His finished work on Calvary (1 John 1:9-2:2) as in all of the foregoing we abundantly reap the harvest of riches in God’s gracious New Covenant!4 Is this not positive enough in a dying world under God’s righteous judgment and soon to face His coming full on wrath (John 12:27-33; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31, 15:19; 1 John 2:15-17; Revelation 6:12-17)? Yes and we who walk by faith in and faithfulness to Christ have a robust hope now, and for the future!5
However, guilty media personalities and entities contrary to God’s whole Word promote their positive false narrative as though they have impetus from Him and enough political will to perpetually reverse His judgments for their children’s sake they say. But it is your own children among others you are deceiving to your destruction rather than equipping with the truth God saves while judging in this age and hence, His call to repentance (Jeremiah 23:16-22; Amos 6:3-7; Zephaniah 1:12-13; Romans 1:18-2:11).6 You walk in fear not of God, but your livelihoods! Just as kings of old killed their phony soothsayers that did not tell them what they wanted to hear, you seek to please your audiences so they do not kill your livelihoods by withdrawing support (Daniel 2:1-12; Micah 3:8-12).
1 Read the four-part post that begins February 26, 2017, God Of Restoration And Judgment, under the categories Bible Prophecy, Biblical Worldview, Black History and The Cause.
2 Another Ethiopian eunuch and black skinned man in the Bible (Acts 8:26-40)? Yes, just as it is written, ‘“God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him,’” (Acts 10:34-35, NKJV). For this cause, the Lord is greatly displeased with the historic practice of racism among many evils within His Church; something He has led me to address in a soon to be released updated publication.
3 See especially part two of the two-part post that begins August 2, 2020, Flavorless Salt Is Worthless, under the category, Call To Repent, where the Lord leads me to also implicate guilty Christian media outlets as a foil to biblical revival in America through pushing the God in the positive only false narrative.
4 The “riches of His grace” in God’s New Covenant overflowing to us who have believed the Gospel of His Son are not just excellent in their untold number reaching into eter- nity, but quality of which “forgiveness of sins” is in no way inferior to any (Ephesians 1:3-7, NKJV)! See the January 2014 posts, God’s New Covenant, under the category, Holidays and the two-part, Party Of The Second Part, under the Category, The Faith to learn more about the New Covenant.
5 In the time of God’s judgment and all other times, “…the just shall live by his faith” as the prophet wrote and joyfully applied during his day (Habakkuk 2:4, 3:17-19, NKJV). So it is for aspiring strong men and great women of God I am blessed of the Lord to write about in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. You can obtain the Hard or Soft Cover or E-Book Edition of the book as well as the 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.
6 Hear the Lord’s call to return to all professed Christians at this hour by watching the 30 Minute Strong Man Of God Online Rally, Return To The Lord, on our dedicated You- Tube Channel in the hope perhaps, among other things of even a temporary reprieve from the many calamities as His remedial judgments presently ravaging our nation (Joel 2:12-14).
I ended my last post of 2021 citing Daniel 9:26c of two prophetic Scriptures supporting the truth “things are not going to get better before the glorious Second Coming of Jesus Christ, but worse.”1 The content of Daniel 9:26c is near the end of four pure prophecy verses out of twenty-seven that make up a powerful chapter as context. The prophecies are delivered to Daniel in answer to his prayers by the angel, Gabriel, and are intended to give him the ability “to understand” further and more deeply from God about what He intended for Israel after their Babylonian captivity (vs. 20-23, NKJV). It was not an easier to read Bible, but God’s help he needed to get that understanding!
As Daniel 9:26c objectively and literally read in the immediate context of the verse asserts, destruction that brings “desolations” to cities such as did happen to Jerusalem and the second Jewish Temple at the hands of the Romans in A.D. 70 “are determined” by God “till the end of the war,” (NKJV). What war? In the larger context of the whole Bible, the war is the one ongoing in the spiritual and breaking into the physical realm; Satan and his angels warring against God after their rebellion, eviction from residence in Heaven, conquest and conscription of man and ultimate eternal sentence to Hell by His decree (Genesis 3:1-15; Ezekiel 28:11-19; Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10).
The ongoing war of the ages as a spiritual and historical context was important for Daniel (and us) to have to understand what God is doing in the world. In Daniel’s specific case, knowing about the overarching spiritual war would help him understand more deeply the why and what for of future events impacting his people, the Jews. Indeed, as recorded earlier in chapter nine, Daniel’s heart to understand the future of his people beyond Babylon was triggered by his having read and “understood by the books” prophecy God gave Jeremiah the prophet that “He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem”--a span then, near its end (Daniel 9:1-2, NKJV).2
Clearly, Daniel read the Old Testament scrolls containing Jeremiah’s prophecy from God objectively and literally as God expects all of us to do who know and love Him unless the text itself suggests we do otherwise such as with figurative language, symbols or metaphors often used in parables.3 He understood the plain reading of the text in his Hebrew language. He did not need to consult any number of translations--none were even available until the third century B.C. well after his time--for easier reading and a better understanding.4 Daniel took God’s Word at face value as it was written in the Old Testament books that were copies of the originals!
As I discovered to my horror while researching what extant Bible translations Martin Luther may have used when he uncovered again God’s salvation by grace through faith alone plainly stated throughout the New Testament, there are today, over nine hundred (900) just English language translations of the Bible in whole or in part!5 This is a recipe for destructive confusion in great spiritual desolations as Satan has already wrought among so many in the war as ostensibly under the guise of easier reading and a better understanding, many of these translations corrupt God’s Word. A number of the translators wickedly seek not to offend people and pander after what they want, not God.6
I realize my New King James Version Bible of choice (updating the 17th century King’s English) is a translation as are all Bibles apart from the original manuscripts. I consult a few other modern translations (which is how I know what they say) and teach others--aspiring strong men and great women of God--to do the same for possible greater language clarity.7 However, over nine hundred different English translations each with their unique selling points is overkill. Besides, whether easier to read or not, it is the truth in direct assertion, transcendent eternal principles, morality and ethics along with any deeper meanings in application embodied in the Scripture that we students like Daniel are after. These come only from God in the way He in sovereignty chooses to reveal them.
It may be an angel as Daniel experienced, but most commonly as Christians it is the Holy Spirit with Christ resident inside of us that reveals the truth of God in Scripture and anything deeper related to us (John 14:15-18, 16:12-15; 1 Corinthians 2:6-16)! If you are not understanding what you are reading in the Bible, pray and ask God to help you since it is His will in general that you understand what is written though, some prophecies remain closed for now (Luke 24:44-45; James 1:5-8; Revelation 13:18). As the Lord leads, I will continue working through chapter nine of Daniel in each of the posts this month to the end someone else will be helped as we receive understanding of the times Daniel was told of in advance that we are now, living in and which approach their climatic end!
1 See the December 19, 2021 post, Christmas: Love, Joy And Peace, under the category, Holidays.
2 Dating from the year of Babylon’s first invasion of Judah and taking of captives (such as Daniel) in 605 B.C. to 539 B.C. the first year of the Medo-Persian conquest of Babylon as Daniel historically notes in vs. 1, would have been nearing the end of the seventy years pro- phecy.
3 Daniel’s approach to objectively reading, literally interpreting and applying Scripture is that of every godly person in the Bible to include the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 4:1-11)! For help, download the free one page document the Lord led me to create summarizing Seven Principles of Bible Interpretation in the Strong Man Store.
4 See the Encyclopedia Britannica article on the Septuagint--the earliest Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures.
5 Read the 2017 Christianity Today article, The Most Dangerous Thing Luther Did by Ben Witherington III.
6 Woe to those who seek to deconstruct the Bible to make it more amenable to people! Your actions are instigated by Satan as one of many stratagems he is using in his war with God. If he could widely corrupt the Book with God’s direct revelation, expressly stated will and mes- sage of salvation as he has done, the resulting confusion would destroy many souls as it is doing. For this reason, God holds account- able and destroys the corrupters of Scripture as it is written (2 Peter 3:14-16)! See my August 2, 2020 post, Flavorless Salt Is Worthless, under the category, Call To Repent along with part two in particular of Daughters Of This Age, posted April 25, 2021 under the category, God’s Creatures.
7 This approach is especially helpful to all of us that do not normally read, write or speak Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek. Learn about aspiring strong men and great women of God in Christ’s image in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics along with companion works The Strong Man Of God Men’s Group Study and Great Woman Of God Women’s Group Study at your favorite internet book seller and in the Strong Man Store.
In light of what the Lord led me to write in the two-part post, Flavorless Salt Is Worthless, under the category, Call To Repent beginning August 2, 2020, He has given me a word of exhortation and encouragement for all of us that will be His faithful during these times of spiritual confusion, apostasy and His judgment. We or our faithful spiritual descendants that endure until the Lord comes as promised are not the first to have to live through such days waiting on Him to bring about deliverance and reversal. God’s faithful are a who’s who on His roll call of faith in the Bible that surround us as “so great a cloud of witnesses” headed up by our Lord Jesus Himself (Hebrews 11:4-12:2, NKJV)!
Among God’s faithful listed by the writer of Hebrews and inspirational to me personally serving by appointment of the Lord, are the Old Testament prophets in whose office of responsibility I also serve according to Ezekiel 33:1-9 during this New Testament era (Ephesians 4:11-16). One of the major Old Testament prophets was Isaiah who was called and used mightily by God to speak, write and act out His Word amidst the divided house of Israel, though, his messages were primarily to the two southern tribes and kingdom of Judah (Isaiah 6). Over 2,700 years later, those messages for the people and personalities of his times are saturated with prophetic import that reaches us today.
Up through the eighth chapter of his book, Isaiah foretells the judgment of God upon Judah for sin and imminent invasion of the northern kingdom’s ten tribes by the dominant power of the day, Assyria, for the wickedness of spiritual confusion and apostasy fed by idolatry. In that eighth chapter too, he is instructed by God about how he and all the other faithful to Him were to handle themselves during the times of spiritual confusion and apostasy that continued and while His judgment was taking place. For the faithful are not so by title or conferral of men, but as the very real description of their lives, words and deeds lined up with the character of God and His Word (Deuteronomy 7:9-11)!1
Like Isaiah and the faithful of his day, God first instructs us to “not walk in the way of this people;” the disobedient and unfaithful that in their spiritual blindness get caught up in the confusion of speculative conspiracy theories about the times. This is evidence that people have spun conspiracy theories from ancient times! The only difference today is the technology leap that has allowed the innumerable and rapid proliferation of these conspiracy theories and opinions. God also instructs Isaiah and us not to be terrified by or live in dread of the people or the content of their conspiracy theories, but fear the holy God alone and take refuge in Him (Isaiah 8:11-14a, NKJV).
To the unfaithful that choose not to fear God and let Him be their “sanctuary,” He will be “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense” as in Jesus Christ, His Son, He has been “to both the houses of Israel” in unbelief; “a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem” to this hour! The unfaithful “stumble” (fall away) and become captives to Satan for destruction because of their unbelief fed disobedience to “the Word,” (Isaiah 8:14b-15; 1 Peter 2:6-8, NKJV).2 Seeing the end for the unfaithful, Isaiah exhorts his “disciples” as also God’s to “Bind up the testimony, seal the law among” themselves; “wait on the Lord” in the time of judgment and “hope in Him,” (Isaiah 8:16-17, NKJV).
Isaiah presented himself and his two sons with God given names of prophetic significance that when fulfilled, would be additional affirmation of the right choice the faithful make to trust in God and His Word (Isaiah 8:18). We have the joy of that additional affirmation of God’s prophetic Word fulfilled in experiencing the power of the first coming of Christ through the Holy Spirit as testified to by His eyewitness apostles (Acts 2:1-39; Hebrews 2:10-18; 2 Peter 1:16-21; 1 John 1:1-4)! So, as Isaiah admonishes, we do not consult with psychics or the occult; nor do we trust in “lying wonders” Satan will soon be allowed to perform or blindly stay tethered to local churches under judgment where false teaching is going forth (Isaiah 8:19; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; Revelation 18:1-8, NKJV).3
Indeed, many of the elder faithful in this generation rightly understand their faithfulness has been displayed in part by their attendance, participation in and financial support of a local church. However, as God has had me warning many years, not only can a local church become corrupt, but He shuts them down in judgment as thousands per year have been before His Coronavirus judgment.4 Now, in His Coronavirus judgment where most churches have been temporarily closed by government safety decree, we are to clearly understand it is not attendance and participation at buildings God values above all, but obedience!5 Therefore, if a local church is not being obedient to God’s Word, the faithful are to leave after lovingly attempting to urge repentance if possible.
For the faithful in all epochs the rallying cry is “to the Word of God” as it is written--undiluted, uncorrupted and uncompromised (Isaiah 8:20)! Even knowing there were some minor human copyist errors in the Old Testament scrolls He read and quoted from that adversaries love to point up, the Lord Jesus staked His life and teaching ministry on the Word of God (Matthew 4:1-11, 5:17-48; Luke 4:16-21); His apostles, its perpetual trustworthiness and value to believers (2 Timothy 3:13-17). In a time of spiritual darkness, confusion, apostasy and God’s judgment (Isaiah 8:21-22), the faithful look to, trust in and stand on the Word of God to endure to the end He has prepared; for we have seen and know the “great light” that has dawned and is soon to overspread the earth (Isaiah 9:1-7, NKJV).
1 Because of this truth, in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics, I am led by the Lord to teach faithfulness as a fruit of the Spirit and required character
trait of aspiring strong men and great women of God in His image! 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.
2 Read the February 2, 2014 post, The Falling Away, under the category, Bible Prophecy.
3 See the two-part post that begins May 21, 2017, Beware False And Deceitful Brethren, under the category, Bible Prophecy.
4 Read the reposts chronicling my own experience with the judgment of God upon local churches and prophecy He gave me concerning them beginning on August 30,
2015 with When Strong Men Of God Weep, followed by Death Of A Church--One Year Later and Praise For The Lord God Almighty! These were all posted under the
category, Glory To God!
5 This being true as the whole Bible teaches, a number of pastors are bringing shame on Christ and the faith by insisting on holding gatherings at their buildings in dis-
obedience to the government. This is not about Constitutional rights and government intrusion into religion, but righteous submission and obedience to a secular
government’s best effort to fulfill its divine mandate to protect its citizens from harm. And professed Christians that ostensibly answer to the God that brought the pes-
tilence are being disobedient claiming a right to worship? If we really want to worship God that bad, have we forgotten the individual Christian in any circumstance
always can since our bodies are His temples (John 2:19-21; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 6:19-20)? Also, God is not doing a new thing in our not being able to assemble at
buildings. He has reminded us of the old thing from His Word where the smallest corporate form of the local church is a family in a house with teaching and worship
led by men as His chosen heads if there (Acts 2:44-47; Romans 16:3-5; 1 Timothy 3:1-7). Get the free download, Men Leading Family Worship At Home in the
Strong Man Store for such times as these and till the end. Otherwise, we know what is really behind the pushback by some pastors and churches to the point of
being willing to put people in harm’s way: the loss of income. Rather than disobeying the governing authorities trying to protect people, I exhort all to take their instruc-
tions on public gatherings as from God and His call to repent seriously during His Coronavirus judgment (Isaiah 26:20-21; 1 Peter 2:11-17)!
Even now, thirty years later as the Lord had me assert in the 1993 From Slavery To Victory: One Man’s Journey (FSTVOMJ) Radio Special,1 there is still one last hope for a curtailment of black America’s self-destruction as judgment from Him. That hope is biblically defined repentance leading to the spiritual revival and salvation of many which the radio program seeks to spur in line with the mission and objectives of The From Slavery To Victory Education Project it generated in 1994.2 Over the past thirty years there has been no nationwide repentance to God’s satisfaction among black Americans professing to be Christians to date. Time for repentance and hope is running out!
Curtailing God’s judgment upon black America must begin among those who profess to be Christians because such ones knew (and know) better than to disobey Him in the first place as backsliders and rebels (James 4:17)! This is exactly why God on the occasion of the dedication of the Temple Solomon built gave him a warning. He would bring judgment upon Israel for their sins that could only be turned back by humility, seeking prayer, repentance, His forgiveness and restoration (2 Chronicles 7:12-14).3 Otherwise, though pleased to dwell at the Temple, in wrath for persistent disobedience God would remove it and the people from the land (2 Chronicles 7:15-22).
This latter thing God did to Israel twice; once in 586 BC as the Babylonians destroyed the Temple and carried the people away captive and again in 70 AD when the Romans burned the rebuilt Temple down and scattered most of those they did not kill to the nations. In the parlance of black culture, “God don’t play!” So, why are so many acting like God is playing with regard to judging sin among those professed to be His people? It can only be the devil’s inspired delusion of entitlement to sin out of being victims at work among many unsaved and professed Christian black Americans along with the lie God is no longer serious about or judging it (John 8:44; 1 Corinthians 15:33-34)!
Clearly also, many professed Christian black Americans among those choosing to be secular atheists, agnostics and apostates have decided no longer to believe the truth God is the One that brought our forefathers from West Africa to the New World in chains. Though as victims most do not want to hear it, in accord with His purposes the way our forefathers came and their enslavement was punishment from Him for sin (Lamentations 3:37-39).4 As well, it was so the willing might be humbled and in honest confession and repentance “turn back to the LORD” through the Gospel of His Son, Jesus Christ, as many did (Lamentations 3:40-42; Acts 17:22-31; Romans 1:16-17, 10:11-13, NKJV).
Too, it was God who brought our people out of bondage and into the opportunities to be unimpeachable “witnesses” of His grace, mercy and power to save, preserve as well as deliver souls from any adversity (Deuteronomy 6:20-25; Psalm 124; Isaiah 43:8-13, 61:1, NKJV). We owe God an incalculable debt of gratitude, loyalty and devotion! But the many to include every guilty professed Christian in their churches have repaid Him instead with narcissism fed rebellion; playing the harlot with other gods in idolatry, the cruel sacrifice of unwanted children and trusting more in sinful mortals, their governments, institutions and alliances than God to advance in the world (Jeremiah 2:26-37).
Yet, as He declared to Solomon, God who is longsuffering and merciful is ready to ease up on His ongoing judgment impacting all with only the humility, seeking prayer of sincere confession and repentance of the guilty majority among those who profess to be Christians rebelling against His will, way and Word as it is written! This is to be a full confession of and repentance from every spiritual, moral and ethical departure made from His Word.5 If you don’t know what all of that might be, ask the Holy Spirit to show you with your Bible open. To repent is to change one’s mind about his sins viewing them as a holy God does--not self, neighbor or a so-called “progressive” culture that includes numerous religionist and corrupt pastors with the churches they lead, false prophets and teachers.
Unless there is a turning back to God in full confession and repentance, there can be no forgiveness or hope of revival from Him that temporarily eases back on His judgment just as He had me declare in the FSTVOMJ Radio Special thirty years ago. Indeed, His judgment is to intensify going forward as God moves to consummate His plans to end this current evil age and bring forth the Kingdom of His Son!6 Therefore, time is running out in these latter days to get right with God and stop following the crowd in continuing rebellion and sin against Him. Every guilty professed Christian must decide for themselves whether to turn back to God or not. Those who refuse will personally endure His intensifying judgment and coming wrath (Romans 1:18-2:16; Hebrews 3:7-19; Jude 5)!
1 The starting date and time for the Webcast of this historic docu-drama will be announced in select media and on social media. Prospective contributors can make designated gifts for the Webcast at https://fromslaverytovictory.org/Donate and receive one of the last number of Commemorative Cassettes.
2 Learn more about the project on its Web Site.
3 See especially the second part of the two-part post that begins August 2, 2020, Flavorless Salt Is Worthless, under the category, Call To Repent, to understand why as the Lord has led me, I do not overuse 2 Chronicles 7:14.
4 I still remain amazed at how so many do not finish reading through our brief presentation, The Journey, on The From Slavery To Victory Education Project Web Site. The primary reason no doubt, is that most view it through the deadly worldview of victimization. I challenge all serious black American seekers of truth to read and soberly consider each of the five stops on The Journey unapologetically presenting a sound, biblical worldview of the black American historical experience as has been done in this and the preceding February 26, 2023 post, Thirty Years Later…, under the categories, Biblical Worldview and Black History.
5 Read the August 31, 2014 post, Soul Deep Repentance, under the category, Call To Repent.
6 Believing this truth from God’s Word, the aspiring strong man and great woman of God in the image of Christ I write about in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics, prays accordingly (Matthew 6:9-13). Get a copy of my book at your favorite internet bookseller or brick and mortar bookstore, the Strong Man Store and the FSTVEP Resource Store on The From Slavery To Victory Education Project Web Site.
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