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• Has Racial Justice Arrived In America?

              Two days after celebrating the one hundred and fifty-fifth year since the end of slavery here in America on Juneteenth and now, for Father’s Day, I write as the Lord leads to speak to the globally seen first degree murder of black American male, George Floyd, by a white male Minneapolis police officer as three other officers watched back on May 25, 2020.  All of the men have since been fired and brought up on charges in the case which is righteous.  In the meantime, violent rioting, looting and protest marches broke out in cities across America.  While the rioting and looting have calmed down, protest marches demanding the end to national systemic racism and police reform persist.¹

   

              I have said little publically as is typical when these all too frequent events occur since I am not my own, but the Lord’s watchman/prophet speaking what He puts in my mouth and at the time He wants it spoken (Ezekiel 33:1-9).²  What I have written in social media posts as the Lord led has been directed to black and other angry protesters calling for peaceful protest and thoughtful consideration of the fact the problems of racism and police misconduct are larger and more difficult to overcome systemically than a few changes in laws, policies, procedures and in the extreme, defunding the police which no society built on the rule of law as ordained by God can afford to do (Romans 13:1-7).

   

              To be sure, as with the Law of God, so, the laws of man are made not for those that are righteous, but those that are “lawless,” (1 Timothy 1:8-11, NKJV)!  To keep order, the police are hired among other reasons as agents of society to enforce its laws amid those that for whatever reasons break them.  Depending on the law, an encounter with police can occur for those that are otherwise law abiding.³  For credibility, the police are expected by God if not the governments that hire them or the people they serve to be law abiding--the same as us preachers who supposedly discipline ourselves so, after preaching to others, we are not “disqualified,” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27, NKJV).

   

              Without a doubt though, in only the news clips I have viewed the white police officer that kept his knee on the neck of George Floyd cold-heartedly murdered him.⁴  It was shocking, sickening and infuriating to watch as it surely has been for blacks since our forefathers as slaves began to make their inhumane voyages from West Africa to this land.  For as in those days among heartless slavers and on May 25^th, the evil eyes of that white police officer displayed utter contempt and disregard for George Floyd as a human being; the same contempt and disregard for human life that is in the thoroughly evil heart of Satan who hates all (Genesis 2:16-17, 3:1-11, 17-19; John 8:44, 13:21-30).

   

              It is therefore, understandable that most black Americans are outraged.  What has been new and amazing to see is the unprecedented numbers of white, other Americans of color and those around the world that have risen up in protest too.  Watching a man being murdered as he pleads that he cannot breathe while the police officer responsible and those with him ignore this, should be more than any normal human being can take without some kind of moral offense and need to act!  For this reason, I appreciate the largely peaceful uprising that has occurred in the stand many are making against systemic racism and for police reform in our society.

   

              I am also glad my children and grand-children old enough get to see this brief moment when all but a relative few willful white Americans that refuse, finally understand our righteous cry to end the bigoted, contempt driven mistreatment of black Americans and especially our men who have been strategically targeted since slavery.⁵  Nevertheless, I urge that all move away from the street protests for your health since God’s Coronavirus judgment remains and because you have the attention of the nation and world--changes man can make are taking place!  Keep vigilant through every legal means to hold government authorities accountable.  Lastly, check yourself too, as I have urged in social media posts--racism is an issue and evil of the human heart (Mark 7:20-23)!

   

              As such, not only our police officers that are guilty, but you also need what only God has the power to do and that is transform hearts.  He has made His power available to all through repentance and faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for our sins, was buried and rose again the third day; sending His power through the Holy Spirit into the hearts of those that believe to make loving our neighbor possible--or if you are white, do you only intend to march for, but refuse to love your black neighbors (Matthew 18:1-5; John 3:1-8; Titus 3:1-7)?  This is a clarion call for authentic Christian white Americans to redeem the failure of your forefathers to be true ambassadors of reconciliation and represent biblical Christianity as God intended to all (2 Corinthians 5:17-6:2).

   

              Still, I must caution particularly my fellow Christian black Americans that will please God and do His will biblically not to walk again into the snare of believing we have arrived at what we have waited for so long: a widespread permanent change of heart among and acceptance by our white neighbors.⁶  Indeed, we have seen this movie before and already the call to defeat is being sounded by those who lead the Civil Rights Movement today; who make our righteous quest for racial, morally equivalent to gender and sexual justice.⁷  The dream of racial harmony well articulated by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1963, yet awaits the Second Coming of Jesus Christ because as He foretold, even natural human love that could get us close is diminishing as lawlessness increases (Matthew 24:12). 

   

  1 Before I could begin to reflect good before the Lord about this post, another black male, Rayshard Brooks, was shot in the back in Atlanta, GA by another white officer

     while fleeing arrest on Friday, June 12th.  That officer was fired immediately and has since been charged with murder. 

  2 See the July 29, 2018 two-part repost addressing the Trayvon Martin tragedy, The Racial Double Standard, under the category, Call To Repent.

  3 I  have  had  a  few traffic violations over the course of my more than fifty years of driving, for example, and a couple of incidents that brought me into direct encounter

     with  the  police.  Most officers were professional and courteous.  But as a black male, I have also had the humiliating experience of being disrespected by a few arro-

     gant white police officers that were overbearing in wielding their authority.

  4 Those that have watched the entire video time out the episode at eight minutes and forty-six seconds.

  5 Read  especially part two of my 2015 Father’s Day post, Mama’s Boys, under the category, Black History that began on June 21^st.  While it is an ancient tactic of war-

     fare  to  target  men  for  death when subduing peoples because of their natural will and ability to protect their families if given the opportunity, the prolonged and cruel

     acts  of  guilty  white males from slavery to thoroughly oppress, humiliate, dominate and demoralize black males with religious sanction surely ranks high among all of

     the  evil  acts  of  mankind.  I urge all men to read my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics to understand how to handle our business in the image of Jesus

     Christ  as  God  wills.  Get a print copy or digital download of the book at major internet booksellers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ChristianBooks.com and Apple

     (digital only).  You can also purchase a print copy in the Strong Man Store.

  6 Does  anybody  remember the 1978 Allan Bakke Affirmative Action Reverse Discrimination case and the Supreme Court decision?  Also, see the November 29, 2015

     post,  When  The  Glory Comes, under the category, Glory To God!  The counsel the Lord gave me in this post stands and will be fulfilled sooner than anyone reading

     this can imagine!  However, ‘“the just shall live by faith,’” (Hebrews 10:35-39, NKJV).  We do not wait for sinful man, but the living God!

  7 A  man  I  have  deep  admiration  and respect for as one of the heroes of the Civil Rights Movement, Congressman John Lewis, expressed the politically and socially

     liberal  heart  of  today’s  leaders  and  participants in an interview on June 7^th while visiting the DC street painted “Black Lives Matter” with its Mayor and reported by

     BET.com.  Search  the  Bible from Genesis to Revelation to see if God ever sanctions racial injustice (Deuteronomy 1:17, 10:17-19), calls mortal man other than male

     or  female  (Matthew 19:1-4) or sexual perversion righteous in His sight (Romans 1:18-32).  You automatically kick the God of the Bible to the curb and assure certain

     eventual defeat when you advocate for and make coalitions with those in active rebellion against Him (Psalms 2, 33:12-22; Isaiah 31:1-3; 1 John 5:4-5). 

  
  

   

• Made To Order End?, Pt. 1

            It is only fitting coming to the end of the made to order considerations built on falsehood within professing Christianity the Lord has led me to address over the past weeks, that I conclude for now, with a false doctrine of the end.  As with the Bible, divergence and confusion surrounding the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and gathering of His followers to Him unnecessarily exist within professing Christianity because many have developed their own made to order end.¹  This would not be so if everyone would start in the Bible, interpret what it says about the matter in its wholeness using the same principles and event chronology with which it is written!²  The confusion is destroying some.

   

            As with all other sound doctrine, addressing the end of this present age and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ must begin with what the Bible actually says, not falsehood or sinful, mortal presupposition!  The teaching that Christ returns secretly to quietly fulfill 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 before the beginning of the last seven years of God’s seventy weeks timeline vision He gave to Daniel is not stated anywhere in Scripture.³  It is presupposed by those that remove the passage from its natural connection to and contextual flow with 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11.  Also, all of what takes place as tribulation during God’s final seventieth week is wrongly considered His full-on wrath at work.

   

            The secret rapture as a made to order event taking place before the onset of God’s seventieth week is largely and forcefully espoused as an end time doctrine by many evangelical Christians.  I wrote about the recent origin of this doctrine launched by a false prophecy as the Lord led in a 2014 post.⁴  So, I will not address that again here.  However, it is important to know that where you start in interpreting Bible prophecy is absolutely essential for accuracy.  God has wonderfully given His people knowledge about the future only He has had from eternity!  So, we must always start with what He actually says or is deduced contextually in His written prophetic Word about future events.

   

            The fore stated is well known by scholars, prophets, pastors and Bible teachers, but for whatever all of the reasons they do not always follow this common sense principle when it comes to end time doctrine.  One major reason, of course, is loyalty (publically at least) to denominational and sectarian employers or donors that will separate them from their income for deviating from the party line which is righteous if the party line is entirely biblical (1 Timothy 6:3-5)!  Another is a compromising tolerance many engage in because of the prevalence of so many end time scenarios that include those that reject even the prophesied millennial reign of Christ plainly written (Revelation 20:1-10).⁵

   

            The ancient Jewish sect of the Sadducees missed the awesome instruction of God revealed in the resurrections He performed plainly written in the Old Testament as well as reality of Christ’s because they chose to reject all but the first five of its books and the possibility of resurrection.  The Lord answered them directly: ‘“Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God,’” (Mark 12:18-27, NKJV)?  If there is any place to be doctrinally dogmatic it is where the Word of God is plain regardless of whether or not it fits comfortably into one’s or someone else’s carefully constructed theology.  As the Lord showed, error is to be confronted!

   

            For this cause, I rejoice in the memory of and pay tribute to godly men like Marvin Rosenthal, a Messianic Jewish brother and Founder of Zion’s Hope Ministries who departed home to the Lord earlier this year, but not before some years back publically changing his mind about the timing of the rapture.⁶  As a typical evangelical Christian he had towed the party line from his conversion that the event would occur suddenly and secretly prior to God’s final seventieth week.  But after studying Scripture more closely as a lifelong dedicated Bible student, he realized such a thing did not arise naturally from an objective, straight forward reading of prophetic texts and reversed himself. 

   

            He very humbly, graciously and respectfully made his personal findings public in the magazine his Ministry publishes, Zion’s Fire, speaking opportunities and a book he wrote titled, The Pre-Wrath Rapture Of The Church.  He was ostracized.  His book’s title accurately presents what would be the outcome of objectively interpreting the words of our Lord Jesus in the Gospels as He answered His disciples about the “sign of” His “coming, and of the end of the age?”  This should be everyone’s starting place!  He gave several signs to precede His return and the end including “tribulation” and martyrdom (Matthew 24:3-14, NKJV).⁷  The Lord’s broad event summary to the end links with the first six seals fastening a “scroll” of prophecy God later gives Him to open (Revelation 5:1-10, 6, NKJV).⁸

   

      1 Read the May 29, 2022 post, Made To Order Bible?, under the category, Instruction.

      2 As I also footnote in the Made To Order Bible? post, there are an excellent set of uniform Bible interpretation principles widely taught in reputable seminaries the world
         over.  Scholars,  pastors  and  teachers  to include those that major on Bible prophecy however, do not always apply the principles.  As the Lord has led, I have put the
         major  Bible  interpretation principles and other information in our new Fruitful Bible Study Self-Paced Video Course now, featured on our Strong Man Virtual Institute’s
         YouTube Channel.  The  video  course  and  optional (but recommended) Study Guide available for free download in the Strong Man Store replace and expand upon a
         free one sheet document this Ministry formerly offered.

      3 See the January 30, 2022 post, The Right Side Of History, under the categories Bible Prophecy and Biblical Worldview for an introduction to God’s seventy week time-
         line vision given to Daniel.

      4 Read the two-part post that begins March 16, 2014, The Prayers Of The Saints, under the category, Bible Prophecy.

      5 Though  a  millennial reign of Christ is not specifically stated anywhere else in Scripture, it is strongly hinted at through the prophets (Psalm 90:1-4; Isaiah 65:20-23; Ho-
         sea  6:1-3).  Since  “The  Revelation  of Jesus Christ” is “prophecy,” we should not be surprised that God includes details and events in it never before revealed (Revela-
         tion 1:1-3, NKJV).

      6 Out  of love for and desire to see the Jewish people come to their own Messiah, our Ministry has been a supporter of Zion’s Hope Ministries for many years.  Learn more
         about it at https://www.zionshope.org/.

      7 The  fact  the  Lord  gives signs He instructs to watch for clearly indicates they do occur before His return contrary to the secret rapture doctrine.  These signs in Matthew
         are also found with little variation in Mark 13:3-13 and Luke 21:7-19.

      8 The  total  of seven seals that fasten the scroll are not judgments as some teach.  Instead, they affirm and preview what has already been foretold about divine permitted
         or  initiated  future  events  while in some cases disclosing new details.  For example, the first seal in line with the proclamation of the Old Testament prophets and Christ
         in  the Gospels, confirms again man’s violent conquering will continue until the end of the age.  This is seen historically, now, in Russia’s war with Ukraine and on through
         to the last evil conqueror, the Antichrist (Daniel 7:1-8, 15-27; Matthew 24:6-7a)!

• Made To Order Bible?

            Divergence and confusion unnecessarily attend to God’s written Word within professing Christianity during these latter days in part because many have developed their own made to order Bible.  As the Lord led me to write about in my first post of the New Year, there are over nine hundred just English language translations of the Bible in whole or part today as evidence of the problem.¹  A related cause are the falsehoods involved in lying on the Holy Spirit as the source in every case for that many translations rather than owning what it is in ego and the presumed divine concurrence with the right of American free enterprise to produce and bring them to the marketplace.

   

            Surely, it is not God behind the multitude of English language translations, their divergences, resulting confusion and desolation of souls as well as humiliating scorn of the Christian faith by the watching unsaved world or would someone really try to convince me the Holy Spirit is the “author of confusion” contrary to what Scripture as it is written says (1 Corinthians 14:33, NKJV)?²  Indeed, would He who inspired Scripture millennia ago now, in these latter days actually cater to individual preference in doling out interpretations of it after having the apostle Peter emphatically write, “no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,” (2 Peter 1:20-21, NKJV)?³

   

            No, but the same folk that have historically lied on the Holy Spirit otherwise, have not been afraid to tamper with and alter the written Word inspired by Him to benefit all mankind and especially those that are saved through repentance and faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Deuteronomy 31:9-13, 24-26; Psalm 102:12-22, Romans 15:1-6; 2 Timothy 3:14-17)!  The Word of God is “life” to those who love it (Deuteronomy 32:44-47; John 6:63, NKJV).  Consequently, the Lord has commanded that no one should “add to” or “take away from it” without punishment for causing His people to “stumble,” (Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 12:32; Proverbs 30:5-6; Mark 9:42-48; Revelation 22:18-19, NKJV)!

   

            The ultimate source and beneficiary of the resulting divergence and confusion from the made to order Bible is Satan as I wrote in that January 9, 2022 post!  Moved to gain successes by any means in his war of hatred against God, Satan has deceived and taken advantage of persons as individuals or through sectarian organizations to follow their egos and selfish ambitions to create the many types of English language translations that exist.⁴  Ostensibly however, their objectives are the benevolent good of making the Bible easier to read, understand or less offensive pandering to worldly desires.  Naturally, a number of these such as cults, wittingly produce corrupt, self-serving Bibles. 

   

            The solution for the time left is for biblically conservative leaders to come into consensus that word for word translations from the original Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic languages be the standard Bibles of primary authority and use.  After this, encourage other types of translations vetted for accuracy and free from modern cultural influence, bias, corruption of or compromise with the plain meaning of word for word translation texts be only supplemental.  Finally too, dissuade the marketing of any new designer translations that cater to vanity, personal preference or present the interpretive slants of preacher media stars as so-called “study notes” that engender divergence and confusion.

   

            Alas though, fallen, sinful flesh being what it is, the foregoing is just too easy and fraught with unthinkable injury to ego, selfish ambitions, carefully crafted legacies and income.⁵  The kind of doctrinal divergence and confusion that exists within professing Christianity not only from the made to order Bible, but the pride of self-exalted hearts is not new, but a continuation from the time of the Lord’s apostles in the first century when they had to contend sometimes with each other to bring the truth of God’s will in His Word to light with it (Acts 8:9-25, 11:1-18, 15:1-29; Galatians 1:1-10, 2:11-21)!  Shamefully, divisions rooted in narcissism, human loyalties and profit remains prime obstacles to leaders saying “the same thing,” (Acts 20:28-31; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13a, 3; 1 Timothy 6:3-10, NKJV).

   

            While we live in a nation of freedom, Christians are not free to opinion or teach what we please from God’s Word!  Our first citizenship is in Heaven where we answer to our sovereign Lord reigning with absolute authority (Colossians 3:1-2).  What is written in the Word He Personifies, authenticated, taught and obeyed during His sojourn on earth as well as had the Holy Spirit further disclose to His apostles for us, we are expected to fearfully treat as sacred and live out (John 1:14, 8:13-20, 16:13-15, 17:17; 1 Peter 1:13-21)!⁶  Doing so will give rise to a biblical worldview toward all of this mortal life.⁷  Free enterprise may grant the right to create the made to order Bible, but this does not mean God does or that it will be “helpful,” (Proverbs 14:12; 1 Corinthians 6:12-13, 10:23-24, NKJV).

   

  1 See the January 9, 2022 post, Easier To Read Bibles, under the categories Bible Prophecy and Instruction.

  2 Read the May 22, 2022 post, Made To Order Spirit?, under the category, Instruction.

  3 There is an excellent set of uniform Bible interpretation principles that are well presented by Dr. R.C. Sproul in his book, Knowing Scripture, and widely taught in reputable
     seminaries  the  world  over.  Sadly  though,  even  many  of the scholars, pastors and teachers that are taught these principles do not apply them!  For this reason, as the
     Lord  has led, I have sought to put the principles and other information into the hands of ordinary Christians to help the willing properly interpret the Bible and get the most
     out of their study of it in the Fruitful Bible Study Self-Paced Video Course now, featured on our Strong Man Virtual Institute’s YouTube Channel.  The video course and op-
     tional (but recommended) Study Guide available for free download in the Strong Man Store replace and expand upon a one sheet document this Ministry formerly offered
     also as a free download.

  4 As I asserted in the sixth footnote of that January 9^th post, Satan’s attack on the Bible is a very important strategic move meant to undercut the good God intends through
     its purity (Psalm 19:7-8) and destroy the corrupters along with those corrupted by its altered content (2 Peter 3:14-17)!

  5 I have repeatedly and painfully not only witnessed this truth, but experienced it among church pastors, elders and other religious authorities during my born again journey. 
     Most  recently,  I  could not in good conscience join or accept the pastorate of a church because the pastor’s legacy tainted by disobedience to God’s Word they expected
     me to uphold, was deemed more important than the repentance that would have allowed me in.  In all of my similar experiences over the years, the religious have chosen
     to  view me as lacking the requisite humility to pay my dues and follow leadership rather than see the biblically taught priority behind my choices and actions (Acts 4:7-19,
     5:26-29).

  6 This is the heart of every aspiring strong man and great woman of God I write about in my book, The Strong Man Of God Back To Basics.  It is available with the compan-
     ion  Strong  Man  Of  God  Men’s Group Study and Great Woman Of God Women’s Group Study in the Strong Man Store, at your favorite internet bookseller or brick and
     mortar bookstore.

  7 A  biblical  worldview  stands  on  the  foundational practice of objectively reading, understanding and purposely applying God’s Word as it is written just as the Lord Jesus
     and  every  godly  person  named in the Bible does.  Once again, it is not what you or I think, feel or believe, it is what does God’s Word say?  See my May 31, 2015 post,
     What  Does  God’s  Word  Say?, under  the category, Instruction.  At this hour lack of a biblical worldview is widespread in professing American Christianity and among its
     leaders  as  a recent study by the Cultural Research Center directed by Dr. George Barna at Arizona Christian University reports.  This means that many are already com-
     promised  and  ill-equipped  to make a faithful stand for Christ in a culture that is intensifying its hostility toward our God and His Word they are failing to fully love and em-
     brace as “the truth,” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12, NKJV).

• Made To Order Church?

            Today is Pentecost calculated by Western Christianity as fifty days after the Sunday of our Lord Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead and return to Heaven to be glorified.  As the Father promised, the Lord sent the Holy Spirit on this occasion to come upon and indwell His disciples He had commanded them to wait to receive in Jerusalem (Luke 24:49-53; John 7:37-39, 14:15-17, 20:19-23; Acts 1:4-14).  Accordingly, when the Holy Spirit dramatically arrived on Pentecost among around 120 of Christ’s disciples assembled to Him, He came upon and filled them giving birth to the Church the Lord builds, not sinful, mortal flesh as an historic and ongoing falsehood (Acts 1:15, 2:1-4)!

   

            This day then, is the birthday of the Church of Jesus Christ He plainly declared, ‘“I will build,’” (Matthew 16:16-18, NKJV).  His intention to be actively engaged in His building project is asserted after His resurrection in the many commands and instructions given to the apostles; ending one instance stating, ‘“…and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age,’” Matthew 28:18-20, NKJV).  He also made it very clear who the converts to faith in Him belonged to as He commanded Peter to ‘“Feed My lambs,’” ‘“Tend’” and ‘“Feed My sheep,’” (John 21:15-17, NKJV).  On Pentecost and going forward, Christ began building His Church (ex. Acts 2:5-47, 4:1-4, 5:14, 6:7, 9:31-43)!

   

            The Christian and Jewish calculations of Pentecost which means fiftieth in Greek differ due to dating methods.  Interestingly, it is also known as The Feast Of Weeks or Harvest and was instituted by God as one of seven required feasts for the Jews to observe (Leviticus 23).  Shavuot in Hebrew was also one of three feasts that all of the males were to assemble “before the Lord,” (Exodus 23:14-17, 34:18, 22-24, NKJV).  The feast celebrated the firstfruits of the wheat harvest.  Prophetically in the commanded wave offering of the feast, the priests offered two loaves of bread “baked with leaven” always associated with sin and picturing Jew and Gentile as the Church (Leviticus 23:17, NKJV).¹

   

            Despite being indwelt by the Holy Spirit, the reality of Christ’s mortal Church He builds on earth is that sin still resides in us even though He made perfect atonement for it.  My continual praise to God the Father with thanksgiving is that He keeps on forgiving our sins as we confess and repent from them according to His plan from eternity and righteousness to do so through the finished work of Christ until we depart to Him or He returns to perfect us (1 John 1:5-2:2, 3:1-3)!  Too, all throughout history some as gullible brethren, impostors, dead religionists, rebels and apostates used of Satan have dwelt in the midst of the mortal Church (2 Corinthians 11:1-21; Galatians 2:1-5; Titus 1:10-16).

   

            Knowing the reality of sin in His mortal Church, the Lord and His apostles gave warning and instructions about how to deal with it and wicked infiltrators of its authentic local assemblies (Matthew 18:15-20; Romans 16:17-20; 1 Corinthians 5; Titus 3:9-11; 2 John 7-11).²  Now, this all presumed such men were not pastors, elders and other leaders in the main!  For we are to submit to and obey “overseers” the Holy Spirit assigns to lead us who do the same toward Christ the Head of His Church “as those who must give account;” following their instruction and example (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 1:15-23; Colossians 1:15-18; Hebrews 13:7, 17; 1 Peter 5:1-4, NKJV).

   

            However, when these men are “savage wolves” as foretold and readily identifiable by their failure to submit to and obey “the whole counsel of God” embodied in His written Word if one knows it through regular, fruitful study, we are not expected by the Lord to follow them to their certain destruction without repentance (Acts 20:25-27, 29-31; Philippians 3:17-19; 1 Timothy 5:17-22; 2 Peter 2; Jude 3-19; Revelation 18:1-4, NKJV).³  Yet, because many do not study God’s Word or really care about what it says as gullible brethren, impostors, dead religionists, rebels and apostates in their assemblies of manmade Christianity the religion, the savage wolves devour them by every carnal means as they build their doomed made to order churches (Habakkuk 2:12-14; Revelation 18:5-8)!⁴

   

            Some have deluded themselves into believing the means however unbiblical with marketing gimmicks and entertainment is justified by the end of multiple church campuses and large numbers filling Sunday services.⁵  Others are well intended in their desire to make the local church appealing to the surrounding community and culture to attract prospective members.  They do so though, by purposely choosing not to preach or obey God’s whole Word; allowing women for example, to take authority over the men (1 Timothy 2:11-15).⁶  But on this birthday of His Church, the Lord reminds all He is her Builder, not sinful, mortal men with their selfishly ambitious visions, plans and failures.⁷  Faithful believers are only granted the privilege of working alongside of Him as He does the building!

   

  1 See The Feasts of the Lord, Kevin Howard and Marvin Rosenthal, Thomas Nelson Inc., Nashville 1997, 22, 89-100.  The Lord used the two authors to fully open my eyes
     about  this prophetic assertion of Jew and Gentile assembled before Him as wheat in a future harvest of souls pictured in the Old Testament’s Feast Of Weeks.  They fur-
     ther  well  present  His  work  as  the  Messiah  to  make it so in the New Testament citing the “mystery” of His Church revealed and explained by the Jewish apostle Paul
     (Ephesians 2:11-3, NKJV).

  2 Read  the two-part post beginning January 5, 2020, Revelation’s Seven Churches In Time, under the category, Bible Prophecy.  The Lord leads me to make it clear in this
     post that membership in a local church is not necessarily equal to membership in His Church!

  3 No  professed  Christian  that knowingly followed and endorsed church leaders in their disobedience to God’s written Word will be able to claim innocence before the Lord
     in  the  Judgment.  You  had  a  choice  (1 Timothy 5:24-25; James 4:17)!  A Christian that will recognize and faithfully stand against evil in these latter days must know the
     whole  Word  of  God attained through the spiritual discipline of Bible study and understanding He provides!  To help you, the Lord has led me to produce the Fruitful Bible
     Study  Self-Paced  Video  Course  now,  featured  on our Strong Man Virtual Institute’s YouTube Channel.  The video course and optional Study Guide is available for free
     download in the Strong Man Store.  It replaces and expands upon the one sheet free document download this Ministry formerly offered.

  4 See  the  September  27, 2015 post, Empire Building On God’s Program, under the category, Call To Repent.  Many of those that build their made to order churches today
     are  of  my baby boomer generation that stayed put under the tutelage of corrupt and compromising leaders building theirs back in the day I said nothing about in a recent
     post--read  the  March  27,  2022 post, No Baby Boomer Free Lunch, under the categories Biblical Worldview and Call To Repent.  They stuck with the manmade religious
     systems  of  rules,  rituals,  priorities  and activities in Christianity the religion and paid their dues.  But if the religious systems of manmade Christianity the religion are cor-
     rupt, what really has been achieved in the sight of Christ who judges in accord with righteousness (Isaiah 11:3-5; Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46-49, 12:35-48)?

  5 Read the September 16, 2018 post, Justifying The Means By The End, under the category, Instruction.

  6 If  God  in  His  Word commands the leadership of men as pictured in His perpetual requirement on Pentecost of three times a year they were to assemble to Him in Israel,
     then, by what authority are guilty pastors and elders rejecting it?  The Lord leads me to deal with this willful act of disobedience nullifying His commandment (1 Corinthians
     14:34-37)  in  many blog posts (type “feminism” into the blog search window).  I also address the issue in my book, The Strong Man Of God Back To Basics.  It is available
     with the companion Strong Man Of God Men’s Group Study and Great Woman Of God Women’s Group Study in the Strong Man Store, at your favorite internet bookseller
     or brick and mortar bookstore.

  7 Operating  in  the  flesh  as  it is, no one should really be surprised at the extent to which pastors of churches large and small are falling like dominoes in moral failures and
     ethical  scandals  particularly  those  that enabled them as objects of their idolatrous worship; the cult of personality worship saturating the surrounding culture extant in the
     churches too!

• Made To Order Man?

            As a black American and male especially on this Father’s Day, I rejoice to have the eternal spiritual freedom I enjoy in God through His Son, the God-Man, Jesus Christ, and the physical freedom which came graciously from His hand to my slave forefathers celebrated today too, on this national holiday, Juneteenth.  The overlapping commemorations are not unrelated since slavery did much to negatively impact slave fathers and subsequent male descendents.  A lasting harmful effect upon black fathers that has now, spread to all in our land is the feminist driven societal attitude of contempt for and effort to redesign them in their God designed leadership of the family from creation.¹

   

            Happy Father’s Day to all of the fathers reading this!  This redesign of men is part of the fashionable though, rebellious worldly falsehood also taken up among many professed Christians in their churches that man is whatever he says about himself and can be made to order.  Another of the many deceitful “doctrines of demons” in these “latter times,” (1 Timothy 4:1, NKJV), this humanistic philosophy boldly and defiantly as in Eden challenges what God his Creator has to say in His Word, about man the creature (Genesis 3:1-6).  If in fact as the Bible teaches, he is the creation of God, then, man has no authority or right to redesign himself and cannot be made to order apart from sin.

   

            Indeed, the Bible teaches man is what God his Creator says he is both in terms of original divine intent, design and destiny as well as present circumstance of being fallen into sin with the consequence of death!  For man is the purposeful creation of God in the eternally perfect divine image and likeness with the assignment to rule initially over the earth and fill it with his kind through procreation.  God also provided sustenance for man and all of earth’s creatures before looking over what He had created and declaring it, “very good” then, resting (Genesis 1:26-2:3, NKJV).  God intentionally gave this creation account to Moses to convey to Israel as real history (Genesis 2:4-25)!²

   

            As the foregoing attests, mortal man was created faultless!  There was no sin in him at all.  That permanently changed however, the moment the first man and his wife disobeyed God’s one, very direct and specific command as evidenced by their guilt and shame (Genesis 2:16-17, 3:7-13)!  Mortal man was now, fallen; perpetually indwelt bodily by sin and a sinner by nature with no hope of self-extrication.  In order of their transgression, the Lord judged the serpent and Satan used by him to deceive Eve, then, her and finally, Adam who as promised in the day of his disobedience died spiritually in separation from God later to also die physically (Genesis 3:14-24, 5:3-5; Isaiah 59:1-2).

   

            Mortal man’s existence and rule on earth from the fall has been very wicked.  Separated from God’s life and power, abuse, perversions, lawlessness, oppressions, cruelty, violence, brutality, murders, wars and all manner of other evil impacting God’s original intent and design for man as male and female in their respective roles has characterized history to this hour.  Fallen males as family leaders and fathers have certainly been far from God’s perfect design and example (Genesis 2:7-17).³  God gave His corrective response in wrath once over the whole earth promising “Yet once more” and many times regionally (Genesis 6:5-7:24, 19:1-29; Jeremiah 25:1-29; Hebrews 12:25-29).

   

            Even so, as purposely asserted in His judgment upon Satan, God with a plan from eternity would send a Deliverer; the “Seed” of the “woman,” (Genesis 3:15, NKJV).  He would be born of a virgin and sinless; the eternal Son and Word of God incarnated Jesus Christ come to save those who look to Him from their sins (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38, 2:1-20; John 1:1-18).  Rather than a made to order redesign of man by sinful mankind, Christ is God’s perfect second Adam made like the first for whom He was the prototype!  He successfully brought forth salvation and transformation to us along with reconciliation to God (Romans 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 15:12-23, 35-57; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21).  Transformation by God is restoration to His image with Christ’s as Man too (Romans 8:29).⁴

   

            It is because of Jesus Christ I am no longer a slave to sin (its power, pollution, penalty and ultimately, presence) and have every prospect today of continuing to grow into becoming more like the father in image and likeness of God the Father He intended and designed (John 8:34-36; Romans 6:1-8:11; Ephesians 3:8-12, 6:4; Colossians 1:3-23).  And not only this, but great is my destiny as a redeemed son of God with eternal life and immortal glory as well as restored ruler under Him through Christ (Romans 8:12-25; 2 Timothy 1:8-12; Hebrews 2:5-18)!  All of the foregoing is discoverable by any believer who will be a “diligent” student of God’s Word eager to receive His approval and who will not suffer shame from ignorance as they “rightly” interpret and apply it (2 Timothy 2:15, NKJV).⁵ 

   

  1 I write about the attempt to redefine and design men in my book, The Strong Man Of God Back To Basics.  It is available with the companion Strong Man Of God Men’s
     Group Study and Great Woman Of God Women’s Group Study in the Strong Man Store, at your favorite internet bookseller or brick and mortar bookstore.

  2 All throughout the rest of the Bible God affirms the historicity of His acts as Creator including by the matter of fact statements of Christ (Genesis 5:1-2, 6:7; Deuteronomy
     4:32-40;  Isaiah 44:24, 45:12; Zechariah 12:1; Mark 10:1-9, 13:19; Revelation 4:11)!  Therefore, those that reject God as Creator are calling Him a liar and the testimony
     of His Word, lies!

  3 As  the  Lord  leads  me to write in my book and many blog posts (type “father” into the blog search window), from Genesis 2:7-17 God the Father perfectly modeled the
     unique role and responsibilities of fathering when He initiated the first man’s existence, led, taught, provided for and protected him in Eden.

  4 Christ’s  image as Man beyond nature, exemplary deeds and demeanor is summed up in His character traits forged and proven in His mortal life experiences.  In God's
     transformation  work,  Christ’s  followers  have  His  character  traits  of  faith and humility for example, also forged and proven in them over time (1 Peter 1:3-9, 5:5-11).
    Self-reformation  nor  the  limiting  shackles  of  manmade religion can accomplish God’s transforming work which is done exclusively in the freedom of relationship with
     Christ and biblical truth!  Learn more about Christ’s character in my book and respective group studies.

  5 Helpful  Instruction  on  how  to  get the most out of your study of the Bible is available through the free Fruitful Bible Study Self-Paced Video Course the Lord led me to
     produce on our Strong Man Virtual Institute’s YouTube Channel.  An optional (but recommended) Study Guide is available for free download in the Strong Man Store.

• Made To Order God?

            Let me begin by wishing any mother reading this a blessed Mother’s Day!  In spite of the successful work of feminism over the past half century to diminish the high view of motherhood God instilled in humanity from creation, an aspiring great woman of God in the image of Jesus Christ especially that has fully devoted herself to His assignment is still blessed by Him (Luke 7:11-17).¹  Indeed, a mother’s love historically self-denying, patient, kind, sacrificial and protective to name a few excellent qualities is patterned after God’s own.  Historical motherhood is remarkable given the intrusion of sin by Satan’s deceit, God’s judgment, life and death in a fallen world (Genesis 3-4).

   

            In God’s image and by His design, a mother’s natural love for her children provides and cares for, manages, nurtures and protects them.  It is typically a mother’s protective love that can cause her to stand up for and defend her children against harm at the risk of her own life though, this facet of love is plainly not active when she decides to abort her unborn or otherwise murder her child outside of the womb--instances of which fill these latter times.  Jochebed, the mother of Moses in the Bible, is an outstanding example of a mother’s protective love as is a harlot in Solomon’s dilemma of wisdom.  Both sought to protect the lives of their children (Exodus 1:22-2:10; 1 Kings 3:16-28).

   

            No doubt, it is protective love that would cause a mother who does not truly know God or His nature and character presented in the whole Bible to react against the truth of His coming wrath upon her progeny as I was directed by Him to warn about in a recent post.²  While a mother’s protective love is commendable and appropriate in the right situations as we saw in the earlier biblical examples, to be willing to lash out against sound doctrine to the point of corrupting God’s Word to redefine Him and revise the truth is a great evil that without repentance, He will not leave unpunished.  For in the falsehood, such a mother is seeking to create a made to order god of her own liking!

   

            As I have encountered this diabolical falsehood inspired of demons and cherry picked from God’s Word, it insists that since God is love, He cannot possibly bring wrath upon any human being, but particularly children.  Now, this statement sounds good at first glance because there is the New Testament passage that declares truthfully, “God is love,” (1 John 4:8, NKJV).  In context, the apostle John is asserting the source and standard of love in the eternal nature of God that ought to exist in and among born again Christians because He lives in us by the Holy Spirit.  We know Him so intimately and completely in love, “the day of judgment” holds no fear for us (1 John 4:4-19, NKJV).

   

            The foregoing exclusively involves born again Christians who have been delivered from God’s coming wrath through repentance and faith in the Gospel of His Son, Jesus Christ!  His sacrifice to save us from our sins and wrath is a clear display of God’s love as John reminds us in the passage cited.  But God in nature has other attributes besides love.  Among His eternal attributes are also holiness, righteousness and justice from which flows His condemnation of and wrath toward mankind as sinners.³  His love delays carrying out the fullness of His wrath to give time to repent as in the days of Noah, Sodom and Judah (Genesis 6:5-22, 7:11-24, 14:1-17, 18:16-19:29; 2 Chronicles 36:15-21).

   

            In the latter instance of His wrath, children are specifically mentioned among those that would perish as the Lord Jesus also warns the women weeping for Him on the way to the cross.  This happens as God comes against the sin of their parents (Ezekiel 8-9; Luke 23:26-31).⁴  No mother could possibly love her children more than God does mankind or His Son yet, He gave Him up to His wrath and death on the cross for us all (Isaiah 49:5-6, 14-16; Jeremiah 31:1-3; Matthew 3:16-17, 27:45-50; Romans 5:6-11)!  In His image (fallen as it is), mothers that love their children have had to discipline them for cause after any number of warnings.  Surely, you understand God made His own Son to suffer His wrath so we would not have to and has graciously given the world time to repent!

   

            God’s offer of pardon and a free pass from His wrath to mankind through repentance and faith in the Gospel of His Son is now, reaching its expiration date.  Whether it is my progeny or yours (God does not show favoritism) all need to take full advantage of His grace.  Otherwise, “the wrath of God abides on” them and no mother’s protective love can prevent this by force of will or corrupting Scripture to propagate a falsehood to somehow make Him over and take it away (John 3:36, NKJV).  Just as there can be no made to order salvation, neither is there a made to order God!⁵  He is who the Bible as it is written fully says He is!⁶  For this reason, every professed Christian must study His whole Word for themselves to know what it actually says in totality to avoid being deceived.⁷

   

  1 The blessedness of motherhood as the purposeful and exclusive assignment to females by God is taught from His Word by me in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back
     To  Basics  and  its  companion  Great Woman Of God Women’s Group Study.  Both are available in the Strong Man Store, at your favorite internet bookseller or brick and
     mortar bookstore.

  2 Read the March 27, 2022 post, No Baby Boomer Free Lunch, under the categories Biblical Worldview and Call To Repent.

  3 See the March 28, 2021 post, The Righteous Wrath Of God, under the categories Bible Prophecy and The Cause.

  4 God  is not out to get children or anyone else for that matter!  However, taking Him seriously as they ought in His Word, parents are warned in the context of His prohibition
     of the practice of idolatry deeply offensive to Him: ‘“I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth gen-
     erations  of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments,’” (Exodus 20:3-6; Deuteronomy 5:7-10, NKJV).  Sin-
     ning  parents  are  the  ones  that  in  reality  show  a  lack  of  love and regard for their own progeny by thumbing their noses at God’s Word and warnings about the conse-
     quences  of  disobedience  (Ezekiel 18:30-32)!   If  you  do not wish for your progeny to endure God’s coming wrath, be and live saved yourself.  Then, proclaim the Gospel
     and witness Christ to them in the prayerful hope of their repentance, faith and salvation to escape!

  5 See the May 1, 2022 post, Made To Order Salvation?, under the category, The Faith.

  6 Read the May 31, 2020 post, Keeping It Real About God, under the category, Instruction.

  7 Get sound help and encouragement to engage beneficially in the spiritual discipline of Bible Study by taking the Fruitful Bible Study Self-Paced Video Course on our Strong
     Man Virtual Institute YouTube Channel.  A Study Guide is available as a free download in the Strong Man Store to help follow along with the series of short videos.