The Scourge Of Racism
E-Book Availability 4/12-26
Released January 5, 2024
Download Your Copy
Now In The Strong Man Store!
After foretelling ‘“the end of’” Jerusalem and the Temple in desolation ‘“with’” the overflowing ‘“flood’” of Roman military might in 70 A.D. (Daniel 9:26b, NKJV), the angel, Gabriel, sent to help Daniel understand makes the astonishing assertion, ‘“and till the end of the war desolations are determined’” plainly by God (Daniel 9:26c, NKJV). No specific war is named as any next prophetic timeline event prior to or slated for the final seven of the seventy sevens in the vision.1 Indeed, nothing like what is spoken of in Daniel 9:27 for the final seven of the seventy sevens has taken place after Messiah came or could since Israel’s Temple as a required prop lies in ruins to this day!
There is only one biblically sound and historically accurate conclusion to be drawn from the foregoing: there has been a delay or timeout inserted by God into His prophetic timeline vision! After the cutoff of Messiah and the sixty-ninth seven, God paused the ticking clock leaving the remaining seven years of the total four hundred and ninety to be fulfilled suspended until He in sovereignty chose the precise moment to restart it. First among His purposes in the delay, God would allow the ongoing spiritual war between Satan and Himself to continue with desolations in the earth until He brings it to His preordained from eternity end and that include the events of Daniel 9:27!
Meantime, of the many prophecies the Lord Jesus spoke before His death, burial, resurrection and ascension many calculate was in 33 A.D.,2 He foretells two other purposes for God’s delay that has now, lasted nearly two millennia. Second then, the Lord declares this delay before the final seven years of God’s prophetic timeline ‘“are the days of vengeance’” upon the Jewish people for their transgression to include rejecting Him to His face and afterward, the Gospel about Him by His apostles ‘“that all things which are written may be fulfilled,’” (Hosea 3, 5:8-6:3; Luke 13:34-35, 21:20-24a; Acts 3:1-4:22, NKJV).3 Third, the delay is ‘“the times of the Gentiles,’” (Luke 21:24b, NKJV).
God’s gracious purpose for the Gentiles during our times is the salvation of many. To this end, the Lord Jesus instructs His apostles about the scope of their mission and work when meeting with them after His resurrection (Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:14-16; Luke 24:46-49; John 20:19-23; Acts 1:4-8). Thus, though He was cutoff and left with nothing concerning His reign as the King of Israel at that time, with His resurrection predetermined from eternity the Lord immediately took charge to command the preaching of the Gospel about Him for salvation as well as still to come visible reign over the nation and entire earth from it as the priority message of His disciples until He returns!
Paul, the Jewish apostle to us Gentiles affirms the foregoing about God’s purposes for delay in completing the prophetic timeline vision given to Daniel as he carried out the mission and work after being rejected by many of his fellow Jews (Acts 13:26-47). Empowered by the Holy Spirit he was so bold as to preach in the heart of pagan idolatry declaring God’s call “to repent” to the Gentiles as both John the Baptist and the Lord before him did among the Jews (Matthew 3:1-2; Mark 1:14-15; Acts 17:16-34, NKJV). He also pointedly instructs and warns Gentiles about the two purposes the Lord gives for God’s delay in a strategic letter to believers at Rome (Romans 9-11).
This leads to a fourth purpose of God in His delay during these times of the Gentiles. It has been and is that while laboring to save the willing from among the Jews and Gentiles, He also brings warning judgments on the unsaved world. This is so they might have a foretaste of His coming wrath, perhaps, reconsider their wicked ways and repent! Consequently, Jews in unbelief and violent opposition to the Gospel from the first century have suffered greatly (1 Thessalonians 2:13-16, NKJV) as have Gentile nations still drinking fully from God’s ‘“cup of fury’” with many calamities, conquerors, wars, conflicts, violence, murders, economic hardships and widespread death from various means to include famine and pestilence as foretold (Jeremiah 25:15-31; Revelation 6:1-8, NKJV).
A final purpose in God’s delay tied to the message of the Gospel, the mission and work to proclaim it is to allow Messiah time to ‘“build’” His Church composed of Jews and Gentiles; God’s glorious “mystery” from eternity unfolded during this, Messiah’s epoch who lives forever (Matthew 16:13-20; Ephesians 2-3, NKJV)! We who make up His Church are equipped by God to “stand” in the ongoing spiritual war Satan presses against us too (Ephesians 6:10-18, NKJV).4 God waits for His redeemed through the generations in gracious longsuffering until the Gospel is ‘“preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations’” and every last soul foreknown to Him is accounted for; ‘“and then,’” to the horror of every scoffer, ‘“the end will come,’” (Matthew 24:14; 2 Peter 3:1-9; NKJV).
This being so, ‘“the end’” the Lord speaks of is also the end of God’s delay to proceed with the last seven of His seventy sevens prophetic timeline vision and its events given to Daniel (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15). We are not there yet, but necessary props for this final dramatic period are being put into place by God. Israel back in the land as a nation since 1948 is the single most prophetically vital prop He has put into place to date since this will be followed by the building of a third Temple. In fact, Temple construction will come about due to never before seen severe judgments by God that convince the world He is and to leave Israel alone in their quest (Revelation 8-9).5 After this, Christ’s apostle, John, hears an angel say ‘“that there should be delay no longer,’” Revelation 10:1-7, NKJV).
1 This does not mean that until the end there would be no wars and desolations on earth as Bible prophecy even cited later in this post foretells and history easily shows has been the case. However, read the January 9, 2022 post, Easier To Read Bibles, under the categories, Bible Prophecy and Instruction where the Lord leads me to write about "the overarching spiritual war" in back of all human wars as well as The Right Side Of History, posted January 30, 2022, under the categories Bible Prophecy and Biblical Worldview discussing the “seventy weeks” prophecy.
2 Bible students have long wrestled with the correct way to reconcile up to eight years being off in the dating of Christ’s birth and death based on God’s prophetic timeline. The issue turns on whose calendar dating method is used: the Jewish 360 day year or the Catholic Gregorian 365 day year that replaced Julius Caesar’s calendar in the the 16th century. Accepting He was born sometime between 6-4 B.C. during Herod’s reign as Scripture indicates (Matthew 2:1; Luke 1:5) and after making adjustments for the transition year from B.C. to A.D., using the Jewish calendar one comes to A.D. 33 for the chronology of events attending to Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah of which I find no biblical reason to contest.
3 In stating, ‘“that all things which are written may be fulfilled,’” the Lord continues the thematic thread of hope by the prophets who after declaring God’s judgment, also spoke of His future blessing of Israel. Thus, note how the passages of Hosea and Luke 13:34-35 I cite end. Hosea 6:1-3 in context even gives the general time frame of two thousand years for how long Israel’s punishment and God’s delay presented in this post would be starting from when He began to “tear them” in A.D. 70. Obvious- ly, more than two literal days have passed since then. This span is calculated as uniquely used in the eternal perspective of God elsewhere in Scripture (Scripture inter- prets Scripture) based on one day being the equivalent of one thousand years (Hosea 5:14-15; Psalm 90:1-4; 2 Peter 3:8, NKJV).
4 The Lord’s charge through the apostle Paul “to be strong” in Ephesians 6:10, NKJV is made throughout the Bible to men. He led me to write the book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics to instruct Christian men about the absolutely essential need we have to know all of what God has in mind for us commanded by Him to be strong in the image of His Son, Jesus Christ! Read the sample chapter on our Web Site. Then, get the book in the Strong Man Store, at your favorite internet bookseller or brick and mortar bookstore.
5 See the September 29, 2019 post, God Almighty In A 21st Century World, under the category, Bible Prophecy.
On the heels of such an incredible journey through God’s Word tracking Christ’s post-cross activity and resulting promise of the Christian’s glorious destiny in Him just concluded in the April 2016 blog reposts, my great desire is to continue on. Lord willing, I will return soon to the subject of the resurrection and immortality of faithful Christians. However, my focus has been painfully diverted momentarily from the glories to come to the currently escalating rebellion against God that is participated in even by many professing Christians and their churches falsely claiming He has changed His program for mankind in this present, mortal age (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8).
Amazingly, from the question of to whom does it belong to what one’s rights are with it, the human body is at the center of this very open rebellion against God in these latter days. And why would this not be so? If human beings are going to rebel against their Creator, then it stands to reason that everything, absolutely everything including the human body tied to His will for them would be the object of resistance as is fully implied in His foretold Word about this rebellion (Psalm 2:1-3). I have been down this road a few times in my blogs, but the May 2014 posts, "The Body Beautiful," Pt. 1 and 2 under the same category as this blog, God’s Creatures, serve as excellent related posts.
Those posts and this edited 2013 repost are intended to state again briefly what God from His Word instructs as a foundation about males, females, their natural, mortal bodies and corresponding roles and responsibilities in this present age written not for worldly rebels as a first priority, but those professing to be Christians in the churches so they might repent before it is too late. For if we as fallen creatures are ready to visit punishment on our children for rebelling against our instructions, how much more the living, just and holy God our Creator (Isaiah 13:11-12)? This repost also forms the basic underpinning for next week’s blog and those to come discussing the immortal body.
Originally Posted May 5, 2013
Men and women have natural bodies designed by God to fulfill the divine will and purposes for this present, mortal age. Their bodily forms follow the respective functions male and female have in the divine purposes of governance and procreation (Genesis 1:26-28). God created Adam the male first making him the federal head of the human race. He then created the woman by taking a rib from Adam and dividing him functionally into two, bringing them back together as one in marriage (Genesis 2:7, 21-24). From His actions as Creator, clearly, God is the Owner of the human body and the soul that inhabits it! As a result, human beings cannot just do as they please with their bodies and lives in opposition to the divine will without consequences (Genesis 2:16-17; Ezekiel 18:4).
Concerning men as males and women as females, as I write in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics, they are “different by design.” For example, in general historically, men are geared in brain function toward logic, reason and objectivity critical for problem solving, take charge leadership. Women, on the other hand, major in multi-tasking as managers and are more subjectively inclined. These and all other seemingly distinctive behavioral characteristics of males and females are those of the one man, Adam, divided and accentuated in each by God’s intentional design of their respective natural bodies in accord with His will. Thus, individually and together male and female are man (Genesis 2:23)!
In the image and likeness of God who alone "gives life to all things" (1 Timothy 6:13a, NKJV), Adam as a male was equipped in his body with the means to initiate human physical life. The testicles of man produce, store and deliver living seed that not only initiates human physical life, but also powerfully determines whether that life will be male or female. God gave the man a sex organ which is a perfectly designed instrument for the pleasurable delivery of his seed during the course of intimacy with his wife. While biologically it is possible for unmarried males and females to procreate, this occurs outside of God’s will that children be conceived in the context of marriage (Genesis 4:1).
So concerned was God that a man be interested in sex that leads to procreation, He also designed his testicles to produce a hormone called testosterone that in cooperation with his brain gives him a highly intense desire to have intercourse with his wife. Barring reproductive issues in either the man or his wife, lots of sex would yield lots of children in accord with the divine purpose for fruitful procreation affirmed after Noah’s flood and again following the wrath of Christ’s Second Coming among surviving mortals beginning with the Jewish remnant (Genesis 9:1; Deuteronomy 30:1-10; Isaiah 65:20-25; Jeremiah 31:1-9, 27-28; Ezekiel 36:7-15, 37-38; Romans 11:25-27; Revelation 7:1-8).
The reproductive system in the natural body of the woman is more involved than the man’s. God designed her body to enjoy intimacy with her husband and to also produce hormones that heighten her sexual interest. Not only does she receive her husband’s sex organ by way of a special body cavity that dually serves as a birth canal, but God gave her the apparatus to produce living seed to conceive after mingling with his. When a woman of childbearing ability does not become pregnant, her seed dies and God designed her body to expel it during a menstrual cycle.
God designed the woman’s body to have a womb in order to host a newly conceived human being for nourishment and development in its protective walls until time for birth. Upon birth, God designed the woman to be able to feed up to two babies at once with milk from her breasts that have been awakened for service by hormones in her body. Plainly, to the glory of God as the male body is purposely constructed to initiate human physical life, the female body is purposely and intricately built for conceiving and bearing that life! In the image and likeness of God too, the woman as a mother bonds with and nurtures her children (Genesis 3:8-9; Deuteronomy 32:9-12; Matthew 23:37).
Tragically, because of sin, the natural body does not always form as designed nor does it or the human soul that inhabits it function perfectly. In fact, the body begins to undergo decay leading to death after only a relatively short time (Genesis 3:16-19). Males with no or malfunctioning testicles and women that have been barren, missing reproductive parts of the body or that miscarry are seen throughout history. Too, in willful rebellion against God’s purposes men and women driven by a corrupt lust for pleasure have selfishly misused the sexual function of their natural bodies and murdered its fruit justly bringing divine wrath upon themselves (Romans 1:18-32). The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, “Who is on the Lord’s side?”
While the living God of the Bible objectively read, interpreted and applied has never been or could be a party to racism as affirmed in last week’s post, many professed to be His people over the centuries certainly have!1 Here in America over four centuries many whites in the majority have silently tolerated, openly practiced and endorsed racism and its oppressions among non-whites beginning with the indigenous peoples of the land and continuing very severely amidst those of my black slave forefathers and thereafter. Because God does not give endorsement to oppression on any basis, all American professed Christians should have been standing against racism to this hour.
However, the historical truth is that relatively few white professed Christians and particularly among conservative evangelicals--people of the Book--have been identified as leading out against America’s systemic racism and oppressions of blacks and other minorities. On this Sanctity Of Life Sunday spearheaded by white conservative evangelical Christians to stand for human life as of God our Creator and against the murder of the unborn as the most feeble through abortion, it is clear they with all of us in the divine image restored through and claiming love for Christ can represent God’s “righteousness and justice” as He expects (Psalms 82:1-4; 103:6, NKJV). The issue is which issues?
How about all of the moral and ethical issues God in the “whole counsel” of His Word as it is written calls out as human sin that oppresses and/or harms a neighbor in any way no matter their skin color (Matthew 22:34-40; Luke 10:25-37; Acts 20:27; Romans 13:8-10; Galatians 5:13-15; James 2:8-9)! Every biblically conservative Christian plainly sees God’s concern for the poor, widows, orphans, and even prisoners in His Word (1 Samuel 2:6-8; Psalm 68:5-6; Isaiah 61:1-2a; Galatians 2:10). But the guilty among white conservative evangelicals have largely chosen historically to ignore God’s expressed concern for the oppressed in many ways and especially through racism (Luke 4:16-21).
Indeed, it is not just the unborn oppressed by the denial of life by parents in the only recently evolved culture of death I as one unsaved once participated in that need defending. It is also those oppressed by race and ethnicity over the past four hundred years in America. To ‘“deliver’” Israel from such ‘“oppression’” is the reason God states He had ‘“come down,’” (Exodus 3:6-9, NKJV). Knowing of God’s famous act in history to deliver His oppressed people should have been enough for any professed Christian not to oppress anyone. But many of them were at the forefront of carrying out the well documented oppressions of racism in our nation among the oppressors God condemns.2
Of the notable very few white conservative evangelicals that gave some support to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as he led what was thoroughly a spiritual fight during the height of the 1955-68 Civil Rights Movement to extricate blacks from America’s systemic oppressions of racism was Dr. Billy Graham. While he was not known to be among the marchers, he spoke out against and wrote a tract condemning racism. He was criticized by some fellow white conservative evangelicals in a display of total disregard for “the Book” they claimed to revere whatever all of the motives including being full on racists and the fear of man (criticism, ostracism and violence) rather than God (John 12:42-43).3
Now, while we each cannot possibly personally take on every single instance of unrighteous and unjust oppression in our land, we can and should seek the Lord about His priorities among the most egregious, long standing and urgent without neglecting others (Luke 11:42).4 The deafening historic silence and outright wicked support for oppressing blacks and other minorities through racism by whites professed to be Christians fits this bill since this has also been grave sin in the Lord’s sight from which the guilty must repent (1 John 1:5-9)!5 Denying and minimizing the oppressions of racism as some white conservative professed Christians are doing believing it negatively portrays their white heritage is evil and makes the Lord our Judge “a liar,” (Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:10, NKJV).6
Born again biblically conservative Christians must come out from among professed Christians that approve of the unrighteous, unjust oppressions of racism and are unwilling to obey God in serving as He intends to avoid their judgment (Psalm 82:5-8; Proverbs 24:21-22)!7 For such persons truly show that they do “not know the Lord” and are corrupt in their practice of Christianity as with Judaism the two sons of Eli, a priest of Israel, were (1 Samuel 2:12-17, 22-25, NKJV). The Lord was wroth with Hophni and Phinehas for their contempt of Him and sent a prophet to tell their father of His judgment that included their deaths on the same day as occurred (1 Samuel 2:27-36; 4:1-18)! If you know Him, the Lord expects obedience to His will and priorities (Matthew 7:21-23; John 14:15).
1 Read the January 7, 2024 post, God A Party To Racism?, under the category, Call To Repent.
2 Scripture is unequivocal: God has no regard for oppressors who are very often among the rich though, practicing oppression is not exclusive to them as American history can attest; filled as it is with the abundance of racially oppressive acts of guilty whites from all socio-economic groups threatened by any advance of minorities that might surpass them (Job 27:13-23; Psalm 12:3-5; Jeremiah 22:11-19; James 5:1-6).
3 See the February 22, 2018 article by John Blake for CNN, Where Billy Graham ‘missed the mark.’ I acknowledge Dr. Graham’s efforts--minimal to whatever extent in the eyes of some--addressing racism that included hiring black staff evangelists such as Rev. Howard O. Jones in my book, The Scourge Of Racism, Copyright 2023, ODCM Publishing Division, Portland, OR, p. 16-17. The printed book is available in the Strong Man Store, all major internet booksellers and brick and mortar bookstores. The just released E-Book is available at major E-Book sellers. Watch the book trailer.
4 As He leads, we are to give at least moral support to our brethren laboring in God’s causes we are not engaged with.
5 Read the September 24, 2023 post, Racism In Christ’s Church A No-No, under the category, Instruction. Also, view this Ministry’s Strong Man Of God Online Rally, Return To The Lord, on YouTube to consider the Lord’s call to return to Him.
6 While it may be true that American history among other subjects is being presented with a decidedly politically liberal worldview in the nation’s public schools which is un- righteous and unjust, for political conservatives--some calling themselves Christians--to do the same is just as wrong. Two wrongs still do not make a right! What is righteous and just before God is not to present either a politically liberal or conservative view of history to our children in our public schools, but just the facts however painful they may be to one group or another so they can learn the truth and from it.
7 Let any white conservative evangelical pastor now, losing church members no matter how much they gave because you have taken a stand against more than the social justice issue, but the sin of racism be encouraged. You have courageously done the righteous and just thing and the church the Lord has entrusted you to shepherd un- der Him has become closer to being His (Matthew 16:13-18; John 6:52-66, 21:15-17). Courage is of the character of Christ aspiring strong men and great women of God are to display in His image I write about in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. It is available in the Hard or Soft Cover or E-Book Editions in the Strong Man Store, all major internet booksellers and brick and mortar bookstores.
Surely, especially the young souls of this 21st century will ask me, “What is the big deal about women leading men in the churches? They are doing so everywhere else in the world. Aren’t you just being sexist, legalistic and judgmental?” If the matter of divine order was not to be taken seriously, then I am thoroughly convinced God would not have me wasting my time bothering with it as it concerns restoring men or for any other reason. However, divine order is the critical issue of this present age. Since fallen angels and mankind have rebelled against it, the Holy God has pronounced judgment on both! God is a God of order throughout all of existence (Jeremiah 23:24). As the Lord led me to write about in The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics, the divine Family of Father, Son and Holy Spirit have order within their triunity and equality as God. God the Father reigns as absolute supreme, sovereign with the Son and Holy Spirit in joyful submission. The Holy Spirit carries out the will of the Father and the Son. From eternity, the triune God has reigned over the environs and creatures of the spiritual realm (Exodus 3:13-14; Psalm 90:2). Led by a single rebel, some of the holy angels created in the order of their domain and ranks rebelled against God to be condemned to everlasting fire (Ezekiel 28:11-19; Matthew 25:41; Revelation 12:3-4, 20:10). It is written: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” (Genesis 1:1, NKJV). With that statement as the opening of the divine commissioned written communication to mankind through Moses, God makes the unequivocal declaration that God is the Creator of the entire physical creation or what is called today, the cosmos which according to the Encarta Dictionary is “the universe considered as an ordered and integrated whole.” Indeed, the order that exists in the universe from the smallest particles to the largest galaxies in the billions filled with solar systems and planets such as our earth in orderly procession is mind boggling (Psalm 147:4-5; Isaiah 40:25-26)! Clearly, the God of order created the cosmos with order! Even the most cynical fools among scientists today that say “there is no God,” must acknowledge the staggering order of the cosmos (Psalm 14:1-3, 19:1-6, NKJV). Our Creator even created His cosmos, the earth and its contents in an orderly fashion leading to the apex and ultimate purpose for the divine work: the creation of man to rule over all that God had created (Genesis 1:2-26; Psalm 8; Hebrews 2:5-8a). God gave mortal man purpose and order (Genesis 1:27-28, 2:7). Man dwelt in a body of order and could appreciate not only the technical wonder of the creation that surrounded him, but its beauty (Genesis 2:8-14). In the order God gave man, God retained the right of sovereign Headship as Creator giving him tasks and a commandment (Genesis 2:15-17). After creating his female companion from him for him in accord with the divine order of marriage, she led them to rebel against God (Genesis 2:18-3:6). Nevertheless, their sin did not cause God to change the divine order of marriage. As I wrote in an April 2011 Commentary for another platform, “Man as male and female in marriage is God's orderly program for them to fulfill His purposes in this age. Man the male as the head of his family--even after falling in sin--is so by divine will, design and order (Genesis 3:16b).” We now exist in and observe a cosmos as well as earth with all of its many systems of order after their ruin at the rebellion and fall of man (Genesis 3:17-19). As God did not change the divine order of marriage after man sinned and the pre-announced judgment was carried out, neither did God alter the ultimate divine purpose for mankind to rule over the cosmos. In accord with the foreordained divine plan, the Son of God came down to make atonement for our sins in His death on the cross, burial and resurrection so that God might righteously forgive and fully restore men that believe (Hebrews 2:8b-18). After redeemed men, God will also restore the cosmos (Romans 8:18-22). Truly, the Lord Jesus and His apostles joyfully heralded God’s good news! The apostle Paul in particular sent to the Gentiles taught the will, instructions and commandments of God’s order faithfully (1 Timothy 2:11-15). But now, knowing the plain warning of the apostle Paul that applies to all men (Romans 1:18-2:16), many professing Christians are participating in the world’s rebellion against God’s order of marriage and that of His house with women leading and taking authority over men. Therefore, as only a foretaste and warning of the wrath to come, the whole world that banks on the dependable order of time installed by God at creation will experience among other of His judgments very near, its abrupt disruption as humanity has known it on earth (Revelation 8:12-13). Again, as I wrote in that 2011 Commentary, “If the fixed order of day and night that God has established were to be disrupted, chaos on earth would ensue. So it is now with human rebellion against His fixed order of the family” and I add for this blog, His house. But no one seems to care about this except the faithful--every aspiring strong man and great woman of God! Since the world and many professing Christians in rebellion believe that casting aside the divine order is no big deal, God is about to show them as a consequence how wrong they are. Let the faithful saints be comforted in their foreknowledge and understanding of why the Lord’s judgment suddenly falls. The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, “Who is on the Lord’s side?”
Happy Father’s Day first and foremost to my heavenly Father who has taught me from His Word and perfectly modeled what He the original Father designed us men in this present mortal age to be after Him and then to every human father that will read this edited 2013 blog repost. On this same day this year, I also celebrate Juneteenth with fellow black Americans. God the Father has big and eternal plans for all mankind that are His adopted sons by faith in His only begotten Son revealed in His Word and which we begin to examine in this blog.
Originally Posted May 19, 2013
On top of all else being done in rebellion against God, His Anointed and Word in these latter days, professing Christian women as feminist rebels and their male sympathizers are re-translating the Bible to make it less offensive to females written as it is by men inspired of God to men as its first audience. These new translations of the Bible have ranged in their changes from the use of gender neutral words to diminish male references all the way to the blasphemous and idolatrous re-casting of God as either feminine or androgynous in Person and voice. To say this is grave iniquity is understatement to the extreme!
The Bible is the special record of God’s Self-revelation to and purposeful acts in dealings with His creature, man. As such, the Word of God is sacred and forever settled (Psalm 119:89; Matthew 24:35; 1 Peter 1:22-25). Therefore, why would anyone not fear to tamper with it? Rather than waiting until the end of this writing, in accord with the warnings of God in His Word, let every person be warned now that all efforts to change or twist the Scriptures (even for the cause of the Gospel) are evil in His sight and the guilty will not go unpunished (Deuteronomy 4:1-2; Jeremiah 23:33-40; 2 Peter 3:14-16; Revelation 22:18-19)!
Knowing then, that I too must fear corrupting the Word of God, receive the following instruction which in some instances expands what is presented in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. God is the Author and Editor of the Bible that used men as inspired writing instruments by way of the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21). God used men in writing the Bible and targets them as His first audience because they are His chosen leaders in the home, the service of His house and larger society (Genesis 1:26, 2:7; 17:1-14; Exodus 28:1, 40:12-16; Deuteronomy 6:1-9, 16:16-17; Matthew 1:1-25, 4:18-22; Luke 6:12-16; 1 Corinthians 11:1-3; 1 Timothy 2:12-14, 3:1-7).
Many professing Christians will and should accept the foregoing without question because it is God’s Word! However, for any number of worldly reasons with fear of feminism’s rebels, some stumble over and resist the Bible’s presentation of the culture and creatures of Heaven along with God and man in the masculine and masculinity as the source cause of the divine paternal interest in eternal sons. Truly, masculinity is the norm of spiritual reality, existing eternally without physical form. Angels in Scripture called “sons of God” are always referred to in the masculine and with appropriate names,” (Job 1:6; Luke 1:19, NKJV). They never appear as females, engage in romantic relationships or procreate. Interestingly, fallen angels that breached divine restriction long ago took only human male physical bodily form as a preference (Genesis 6:4; Jude 6).
God has descriptive names such as “Lord of hosts” suitable to the ancient masculine business of battle (1 Samuel 17:45-47, NKJV). Heaven’s worship culture heaps expressions of praise upon God fitting to the divine masculine Person (Revelation 4:9-11)! The One God of Scripture is revealed to us in three Persons: Father, Son (Word) and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; John 1:1-2, 14-18, 14:16-17). The three Persons of the triune God are purposely represented to us in their masculine Person and voice since from eternity this is who God is (Psalm 90:2)! If this is how God is revealed to us, then who are we for any reason to make the divine over as we want (Exodus 3:13-15)?
Man in person is made in the masculine image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26). Man as male and female share the masculine image and likeness of God divided in physical body by divine design and order (Genesis 1:27; 1 Corinthians 11:7-9). Thus, the natural inner qualities of females historically considered uniquely feminine are actually those embodied in masculinity. For example, generally speaking, human females are more empathetic and tender hearted than males. However, Jesus Christ, God and fully male in mortal, bodily form thoroughly empathizes with sin weakened humanity and describes Himself as “gentle and lowly in heart” toward us (Matthew 9:35-38, 11:28-29, NKJV). Was He presenting Himself as a female or quite naturally displaying the masculine nature of divinity?
The Father is the original Father figure, Supreme Head and Chief Ruler of His forever family as well as all existence (Ephesians 3:14-15)! The Son of God joyfully submits to and expresses the Father’s will while the Holy Spirit (referred to in Scripture as “He”) in power gladly carries out the unified will of God (Genesis 1:1-3; Psalm 33:6). The divine Father-Son relationship from eternity continued after the Son added Man the creature to His being and dwelt among 1st century Israel. Their relationship is plainly as well as repeatedly presented throughout the New Testament (Matthew 3:13-17, 17:1-5; 2 Peter 1:16-18; 1 John 1:1-3). Indeed, the Lord Jesus did not flinch or shrink back from publically asserting His familial relationship to God the Father.
I write in my book that Christ, the eternal Son of God, honored His Father in everything to the death (John 14:28-31; Philippians 2:6-8)! He revealed how as a Son, His Father had taught Him to perform in His many responsibilities including that of raising the dead and judging men (John 5:16-30). He also spoke only the things His Father taught Him to say; looking up to, honoring and loving His Father (John 7:15-19, 8:26-30, 37-59). The Lord taught His disciples to relate to God as Father in the same way He did (Matthew 5:16, 48, 6:1-18; John 16:25-28) for He had come to bring those who believe in Him into the divine family (John 17:20-26; Hebrews 2:5-18). Hallelujah!
As adopted sons by faith, the male and female disciples of Christ become real spiritual sons of the family unlike angels who as servants to the heirs of salvation were honored with a title only (Galatians 4:1-7; Hebrews 1:13-14). On this side of Christ’s return, His men and women disciples without discrimination are being made over into His divine masculine image in nature and character as sons of God (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18). The transformation of the eternal sons of God will be completed in their bodies at the resurrection to immortal glory when Christ returns. Whoever stumbles over and resists these truths, stumbles over and resists God’s Word and should repent (Psalm 119:128)! The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
In the midst of teaching “The Character Of The Strong Man Of God” which is Unit Two of The Strong Man Of God Men’s Group Study1 to locally incarcerated inmates as basic instruction for biblical manhood, I remain amazed at the lack of godly character among professed Christian men out here in the “free” world. From pastors to men in the pews over my forty year journey I have dealt with many that have no shame in being faithless, proud, disobedient, disloyal to God, weak in sin, dispassionate and cowardly about Kingdom causes, spiritual slackers, impatient, ungodly, dishonest, liars and unmerciful.2 Their lack of godly character is not even an issue for these men.
Here’s where I get accused of being a “goody two shoes,” “idealistic,” “too serious,” “super religious,” “unrealistic” and “legalistic” as a “self-righteous Pharisee” since God does not require perfection or that kind of “extreme” devotion. Instead, as I hear so much in Christian media and the churches today, God is more concerned with what He can do for us; how He can make us happy, healthy and wealthy. When character is mentioned, it is only as a means to the end of manipulating God into doing what we want, rather than what the Bible actually teaches as His priority will for our development and regeneration as eternal image bearers of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29)!
Faithful Bible students know that in point of fact God cannot be manipulated and that these mostly spiritual charlatans are deceived and deceivers as false teachers who will meet their just end (Galatians 1:6-10; Philippians 3:17-19; 2 Timothy 3:1-9, 13; 2 Peter 2:1-3, 3:14-18). And if you are one following after them, you will also receive their reward unless you come to your spiritual senses and repent before it is too late in having become hardened into resisting the truths of God’s Word (2 Timothy 2:22-26, 3:14-17). We were redeemed through the blood of Jesus to the divine end of being “transformed” into His image which includes His godly character (2 Corinthians 3:18, NKJV).
What is Christ-likeness but God-likeness since He is the very “image of the invisible God,” (John 14:7-9; Colossians 1:15, 2:9; Hebrews 1:1-4, NKJV)? All of who God is in nature and character Christ is! For example, in nature God is love and so is Christ. In character, God is holy, righteous, just and true and so is Christ. Man was designed and created by God to uniquely display the divine image in nature and character, but sin was the foil through our first forefather, Adam (Genesis 1:26, 3:1-11). Christ the eternal Word and Son of God took on mortal flesh and came as a second Adam to redeem the willing and restore the divine image in us (John 1:1-18; 1 Corinthians 15:47-49).
Now, God renews the divine image in those who become Christians by the Holy Spirit who indwells and brings us to spiritual birth with a new nature (John 3:1-8; Titus 3:4-7). The sanctifying work of God through the Spirit thereafter is to effect and perfect the renewing of the divine image in us with our cooperation by purposely transforming and conforming us to the image of Christ as was earlier stated. Select attributes of the divine nature such as love, joy and goodness are displayed in us through His inner presence as natural fruit. We cooperate by being willing at all times to crucify the deeds of the flesh (Romans 12:1-2; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 5:8-12; Colossians 3:1-17).
A number of the unique divine attributes of character and those otherwise that are desirable by Him, God must construct in us. Christ--who is our example in all things--through His mortal sojourn among us fully demonstrates this reality. In divine character, for example, He was perfectly faithful to God (1 Corinthians 1:9; Hebrews 3:1-6). As I write in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics3 and teach in the men’s group study from Scripture, the Lord Jesus as a Man had to learn obedience through all that He suffered (Hebrews 5:8).4 Preceding obedience certainly was faith and humility as traits of divinely approved character He would have to put into practice which we are also called to do and grow in (Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 12:1-2; 2 Peter 1:1-11).
Indeed, contrasting every sinful way of professed Christian men in character defect I listed at the beginning of this post, Christ perfectly displayed what pleases God even as the Father proclaimed of Him on the mountain (Matthew 17:1-7; 2 Peter 1:16-18). So, having repeatedly affirmed my own failure to yet arrive at perfection in Christ, I nevertheless, share in common with all God’s sold out aspiring strong men of history a daily yearning to do so (Philippians 3:12-14). And though it is quite painful at times, I understand God must chisel, hammer and nail in my life to construct the godly character of Christ in me because it is absolutely essential to holy living if men will see Him in peace and rule now as well as in His Kingdom come like Him (Hebrews 12:3-17; Revelation 1:4-8, 2:26-29)!
1 Learn more about the Strong Man Of God Men’s Group Study and how you could possibly have me come teach it with the men of your church or men’s organization through
the Strong Man Institute on the Strong Man Of God Web Site.
2 Each of these ungodly character traits is the polar opposite of what God wills for His aspiring strong men as I teach in the Strong Man Of God Men’s Group Study.
3 The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics is available through all major internet booksellers, by order from your favorite brick and mortar bookstore and in the Strong Man Store.
4 Walk through a short presentation about what the strong man of God is and even read a chapter of The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics for a fuller explanation on our Web Site.
While no one earns the salvation of God, surely our Christian sisters have a sweet deal with Him in that after continuing faith in Christ, immortal glory is theirs for simply submitting to His will to be helpers to their husbands as child bearers in all love, holiness and self-control (1 Timothy 2:15). If they do nothing else in a lifetime, they have well pleased God in carrying out this assignment alone. But alas, faithful men and women in gratitude to, love and zeal for the Lord always want to do all that is possible in service to Him within the boundaries of His order and gifting to please Him as Tabitha and Phoebe in the New Testament demonstrate (Acts 9:36-41; Romans 16:1-2)!
Tragically, many contemporary professing Christian females in the sinful defiance of worldly feminists, selfish ambition and lack of self-control are out of divine order and disqualify their works however great in human eyes that might otherwise please God through pursuing authority over their husbands along with other adult men in His house. They in unbelief and disobedience impetuously act before the time God has prepared for all of His eternal sons as immortals to reign with Christ over every created thing and therefore, receive their reward now while bringing judgment on themselves with the men who enable their sin (Genesis 3:1-13, 16-19, 4:3-7; Numbers 12, 15:30-31; Matthew 6:1-4; John 14:15; 1 Timothy 2:8-14; Hebrews 10:26-31; Revelation 2:18-29).
This is part two of a three part celebratory treatise briefly exploring the resurrection to immortal glory first accomplished by the Father in His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and promised also to His followers at His return to earth! While there is some repetition, for additional supporting content I recommend the reader refer to my May 2014, “The Body Beautiful”, Pt. 1 and 2 along with the more recent May 1, 2016 “Natural Bodies By Divine Design” posts under the same category as this and all the blogs that follow on the topic of immortality.1
Originally Published May 2013
The promise of immortal glory through faith in Jesus Christ is to say the least, mind-boggling but not inconceivable. Truly, who could imagine that all of the wonder and complexity of the human body could come from simple dust? Yet, here we are; eternal creatures made on purpose for God's purposes from dust (Genesis 1:26, 2:7)!
In outfitting man for this present mortal age, God created him a natural body from the earth from which it was taken; by divine decree that same body returns to the dust upon death because of sin (Genesis 3:17-19). Nevertheless, the natural body of man is a marvel of divine design and creation. For example, made in His image and likeness, the God who speaks, hears and sees, gave man a mouth to speak, ears to hear and eyes to see (Exodus 4:11; Psalm 94:9). As surely as men have come to learn that “form follows function” as a principle of building and industrial design, so, the Creator of man designed his natural body to fulfill functions tied to His will and purposes.
Keeping with the earlier example, it was the express divine will that man speak, see and hear in order to interact with God, the creation and soon to come, others of his kind (Genesis 2:8-19, 3:6-13)! Of course, God's image and likeness as well as purposes for mortal man designed in the functions of his natural body are much more than those three abilities. In chapter two of my book, The Strong Man Of God, Back To Basics, the Lord leads me to re-state plainly from His Word that Adam as the first and only man stood before Him a total, perfect creature. If it had not been for the divine will that man be many, Adam would have stood alone before God as the only man forever!
This means that a female version of man was not an imperative for him to exist. However, since along with ruling the divine mandate was for man to procreate, God chose the method to be cooperative effort by man as male and female (Genesis 1:27-28). Not back to the dust, but from man's side did God take living bone to purposely construct his female version; a "helper comparable to him" for him, which greatly pleased Adam (Genesis 2:20-23, NKJV)! Very important to emphasize in this is the fact that the female version of man is man for she was taken out of him and bears his glory in accord with the will and purposes of God in this mortal age (1 Corinthians 11:7-9).
Moreover, since every facet of man's inner person is masculine in the image and likeness of God, so equally is woman's. Truly, Adam prefigured Christ who is God in the flesh (John 1:1-5, 14-18; Romans 5:14; 1 Peter 1:17-21)! God sanctified the relationship of the man and his wife as marriage. Within it, they in their equality of person but complementary division of roles and responsibilities are put back and work together as "one flesh;" one whole man to His glory (Genesis 2:24, NKJV)! God perfectly divided the makeup of the man with his wife as seen in their respective dispositions influenced by and shown in their bodies. Thus, their gender differences are a matter of divine chosen emphasis "fleshed out" in each by form, genetics and hormones (Psalm 139:14).
The mortal lives and relationship of the man and his wife in their natural bodies became temporary as has already been stated because of sin and death. Sin corrupted their original perfection introducing conflict, pain, perversions and divorce. Their bodies reach a peak of maturity in function then decay sets in until apart from disease and calamity, death arrives (Psalm 90:1-12). The Bible is clear that death eternally severs the marital relationship (Romans 7:1-3; 1 Corinthians 7:39). Religious men tried to test the Lord using levirate marriage to discredit resurrection and Him if He endorsed it. The Lord first affirms marriage and procreation are for this mortal age only (Luke 20:27-35).
The Lord goes on to teach that the resurrected, immortal sons of God are "'equal to the angels,'" (Luke 20:36, NKJV). Being equal to the angels speaks not only to the reality that they do not die, but also to the function of their bodies (Psalm 104:4); by divine design they cannot procreate. For this reason, there are no angels that are female and none that will be human in the resurrection since femininity is a special construction of God tied to procreation. Our bodies will necessarily undergo change to fit their form to God's planned stage two functions ultimately in a new, eternal creation (2 Corinthians 5:14-17)! The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
1 The Strong Man Store has available a four message audio CD series, Christ’s Resurrection, Death’s End the Lord led me to proclaim as another resource on the topic
of the coming resurrection to immortality.
Join The Strong Man Of God Resources Conversation!
Get Your Copy Of The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics Today!
Your purchase supports restoring men, families and communities through Strong Man Ministries!
Purchase It Now