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Rather than fear of judgment where there is mental and emotional torment, God would have His sons relate to Him in “perfect (complete) love” that involves full obedience to His will, way and Word (John 14:15; 1 John 4:17-19, NKJV). This is also the heart of godly fathers toward their children. However, if His sons who claim to love Him do not obey, then as the perfect Father, God who loves us, chastens us as even we human fathers do out of love for our children (Job 5:17; Proverbs 3:11-12, 13:24; Hebrews 12:3-11). Therefore, if a man wishes to minimize the fear of God’s judgment as chastening in his life he should repent from sin and live in obedience (Revelation 3:19). For this reason, pastors, elders and leaders that bristle at God’s call to repentance from your compromises and defiant corruptions of His Word to have your own way in putting women in authority over men in the churches should reflect deeply on God’s advance announcement of judgment. If not impostors, are you not sons of God too with those you shepherd supposedly under Christ in the churches? If you are so big in your own eyes the judgment of God elicits no fear in your heart when you know that you are guilty, then, you are too big! As it is written, ‘“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble;’” the humble submit to God in repentance (James 4:6-10, NKJV). Pastor, elder, and leader: your proud resistance of the Holy Spirit is not only bringing judgment on you, but also ultimately--if you care--all of the men and women of the church who are following your compromised lead. Consequences for your disobedience are already negatively impacting the few men in the church you are supposed to be serving. Indeed, because of you they are confused and compromised! They are confused because if they are students of God’s Word to any extent, they read and plainly understand what it says concerning the service of women in the local church. But you are clearly not obeying it for any number of fallacious reasons--if you have said anything at all. Many of these men have such a regard for their pastor (or their positions) they will tolerate without open question his disobedience in putting women in authority over men as pastors, deacons, worship and ministry leaders. At once such men become compromised by their silence or enthusiastic support for their pastor’s disobedience. They know what the Word says, but most just simply look the other way assuming God must be okay with it. Some comfort themselves that God will deal with the pastor if he is wrong. In truth though, God holds us all accountable for what we know. Therefore, pastors, elders and leaders too are to be rebuked even publically for “sinning” and we are not to share in another man’s sins (1 Timothy 5:19-22, NKJV). In line with the apostle Paul’s instruction, of course, a number of men who want to be true to God and obedient to His Word feel forced to leave the church after properly confronting their pastors and there is no repentance. This is very sad since these men are being demanded to choose between submission to disobedient pastors and the Word of God. Ironically, nearly all of the disobedient pastors will attempt to force submission to themselves by misapplying the Scriptures that righteously teach submission to church leaders. However, undoubtedly, Scripture is assuming the obedience of the pastors. When they are not obedient, God is to be obeyed (Acts 4:13-31, 5:17-32). I sorrow greatly for the sincere men that become disillusioned because of pastoral disobedience to the point they leave churches and many never return. These are grown men not fools or children easily duped. And while they should continue to seek out other local churches where the leadership is submissive and obedient to Christ and God’s Word, those churches are getting harder and harder to find! I sorrow also for the confused men and compromised sons of God still in the churches where God’s Word about the order of His house is not obeyed because it opens the door to their willful disobedience in other areas, more compromise and perpetual weakness in Christ. Truly, both Christian men and women that look the other way in the face of clear pastoral compromise of God’s Word because “we love our pastor,” are allowing themselves to be led astray and are opened to still greater corruptions from such men. For if a man will compromise one part of God’s Word to serve his purposes, what other parts of the Word will he not fear God enough to avoid compromising? On top of this, these church members become followers of the pastor in a cult of personality and idolatry instead of Jesus who is Lord of His Church and governs it in accord with the written Word (Psalm 40:6-10; Matthew 5:17-20; Colossians 2:6-10; Hebrews 10:5-7). We have seen the scandalous ruin of pastors and collapse of churches time and again in these latter days that have been caught up in the cult of personality. Not even the godly pastor can follow behind to clean up the mess without great difficulty lest he run off the many that became complacent under the previous leadership believing the new leader leads them astray though he teaches the Word of God uncompromised. Therefore, from the pulpit to the pews our strong man of God cause and message calls for soul deep repentance in God’s house to properly and fully restore men in order, peace and obedience as befits the lives and assembly of the sons of God.
I am pleased to share this week that the special Crowdfunding Campaign for our Books To USA Prisons Project I spoke of in my January 24, 2016 blog entitled, God Cares For The Incarcerated under the category, The Cause, will launch tomorrow, February 1st at 10AM PST on the Christian run, We Raise Web Site. Our campaign goal is to raise $9,000 in 45 days to send 2 copies of my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics to over 800 select State and Federal prisons across the United States. Our board of directors as well as every part of Open Door Communication Ministries, Inc. is involved with Strong Man Ministries leading out.
We need as many Christians as possible to help us who remember what it was like to be a lost sinner and all of the many ways God used (including books) to tug at your heart and present the Gospel to you. We are especially appealing to those that have read The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics to step up and help us since you know firsthand not only that the Gospel is plainly and purely presented, but also God’s design and program for biblical manhood throughout eternity! Just this past week I received a letter from an inmate quoted from previous correspondence he sent and presented on the We Raise Web Site. In his new letter Troy Bayless writes: “I truly believe the message of the book is foundational and needed for all men.”
Troy is an example of an inmate we have corresponded with after his initial contact letting us know he had read the book. We have also sent him with others our printed Strong Man Of God Monthly Newsletter as a form of continuing ministry into his life. Here is what he had to say about that:
I want to thank you for continuing to send me the Strong Man Of God Monthly
Newsletters. They have been a source of strength and understanding of who
God calls me/men to be, incarcerated or not.
Having read about the Books To USA Prisons Project in the newsletter, Troy also offers his sincere commitment to pray for and when he is able financially, to support it as he has previously done in making a small, unsolicited donation to help underwrite the cost of mailing out the newsletter to him. Troy and many other inmates who have come to or rededicated themselves to Christ as a result of what He is doing through Strong Man Ministries and my book, are the fruitful reasons I am boldly asking for your help not only to raise the funds we need to carry out the Books To USA Prisons Project, but also all of our continuing God ordained work as a faithful partner or friend of the Ministry! Learn how to do that on the Give Page.
This project is definitely not about my ego as the book’s author, but another way to reach the many incarcerated men like Troy with the Gospel and the Lord’s foundational instruction on biblical manhood as I wrote in the already referenced blog! Willing men in prison can be saved and their lives turned around by the Lord! If you doubt that, I have to wonder how it is you believe you were saved since as a sinner in the sight of a holy God, you stood no more worthy of salvation than the worst incarcerated offenders (Romans 3:9-20, 23)? Indeed, the Lord Jesus came to earth to call lost sinners to repentance and salvation, not the righteous (Luke 5:27-32, 19:1-10)!
Because they fully know they are sinners, amazingly, I have witnessed more hearts among the incarcerated ready to receive God’s grace in the sweet Gospel than in most of the churches I have been in over my lifetime! Therefore, in remembering where God has brought you from as a “redeemed sinner,” I appeal to you in His love and all care for the lost everywhere including the prisons largely neglected by professing Christianity, stand with us to pledge your support in funding our Books To USA Prisons Project beginning tomorrow. While you can make a pledge as low as $5, I want to challenge you to pledge the largest possible amount not thinking that many others will also be making pledges.
Your pledge can only be made by credit card because no charges are processed until our fundraising goal is met. In fact, if we do not reach our fundraising goal, we will not receive anything and your credit card pledge is cancelled. At first glance, this policy by We Raise might seem to be unfair. However, they believe and I do too that we are raising funds for a project in which we have already counted the cost. If our fundraising comes up short of what the project requires, then it cannot be done. Because they have strict accountability, investigated us and required that we submit a budget, you can be assured your support is going to go fully to support the Books To USA Prisons Project.
You can investigate We Raise and their operating organization, Wheat Ridge Ministries out of Itasca, IL as we did to learn more about them and how they securely handle your credit card as a donor on their We Raise Web Site. After you have done what you need to do including sought the Lord in prayer, make your pledge as early as possible since the sooner we reach our fundraising goal the better--the end of the 45 day fundraising period on March 18th will be here before you know it! Thank you in advance for any consideration you give or pledge made to help us with our Books To USA Prisons Project.1
1 As of the close of the Crowdfunding Campaign March 18th, we did not reach our goal. However, a Designated Gift Campaign on this Web Site is underway until we reach our goal. For More Information Go to the Books To USA Prisons Project Page.
I am intrigued and staggered every time I read in God’s Word how all of what we have as history, taking place today and foretold for the future is the manifest unfolding of His sovereign purposes and plans prepared before such a thing as time--His purposeful construct for this present age and creation (Genesis 1:14-19; Joshua 10:12-15; Isaiah 38:4-8; Ephesians 1:3-14, 3:1-13; 2 Timothy 1:8-12; Titus 1:1-3). This continuum of purposes and plans originating with God the Father from eternity is all about His will to have sons after the image of God the eternal Son (Daniel 3:24-25; Luke 1:30-35; John 1:1-5, 14-18, 34, 8:54-58; Romans 8:28-29; Colossians 1:13-17)!
Sent to us from Heaven by the Father with His message, God the eternal Son and Word is Himself “the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person;” “upholding all things by the word of His power,” (Hebrews 1:1-3a, NKJV). The Father’s message to mankind through His Son, Jesus Christ, is His love, grace and mercy motivated Good News of sin remission through forgiveness for all who will repent, believe in Him and His finished work of salvation on the cross (Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:46-47; John 3:16-18; 1 Timothy 2:1-7; Hebrews 1:3b). He, as also the firstborn Son of the sons of God from among mankind stands greater than angels (Hebrews 1:4-12).
Though the holy angels were once titled sons of God for their devotion and loyalty to God (Job 1:6, 2:1), they were not created for this purpose. They were created to be servants of God in all of the divine will including ministering to His only begotten and “for those who will inherit salvation,” (Psalms 103:20-21, 104:4; Matthew 4:8-11; Luke 22:43; Acts 5:17-23, 27:22-25; Hebrews 1:13-14, NKJV). It is solely the inheritors of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God from eternity and Son of Man by incarnation that receive adoption and relationship with God the Father as eternal sons (John 1:10-13, 3:1-8, 14:6; Romans 8:14-15; Galatians 4:4-6).1
Indeed, from the dust God formed and gave life to Adam created in the divine image and likeness to be the first man and eternal “son of God” in mortal form to whom the Lord Jesus as a Man in the natural flesh is related (Genesis 1:26a, 2:7; Luke 3:23-38, NKJV). From Adam through his seed all to follow were intended to be eternal sons of God, but he sinned incurring God’s promised consequence of physical and spiritual death along with alienation from the Father upon himself and his progeny (Genesis 2:15-17, 3:6-11, 17-4:10). Now, sin was unleashed and permanently resided in mortal man’s nature. Only those with a heart for God called upon His name (Genesis 4:16-26).
This is how it was for millennia until at His perfect pre-planned moment God sent His eternal Son, Jesus Christ, into the world a second Adam to save the willing from among fallen mankind. And why? Again, is it not because of His intent in love from the beginning that man from the dust should be exalted to the glory of eternal sons of God? Yes and so, Christ came to suffer and die on the cross to atone for man’s sins and reconcile us back to God (Romans 5:6-21; 2 Corinthians 5:17-6:2). After His resurrection He brings “many sons to glory” from among those who believe to share in His (Hebrews 2:5-10, NKJV) and with Him receive God’s inheritance (Romans 8:16-17; Galatians 4:7)!
Only born again male followers of Jesus Christ have the experience of being both mortal and eternal sons of God in the image of the first Adam and Him, the second during this present age by His purposeful design.2 As I have repeatedly written, this does not make males better than our female counterparts, but all the more accountable to God for fulfilling His assigned roles and responsibilities as sons of this age. Males in the image of God the Father are His elect leaders and are to govern accordingly. This is no easy task when you are a sinner by nature and come up woefully short of His glory in character. In fact, without God’s help it would be impossible to do His will and please Him!
For this reason, I praise Him as a redeemed fallen son and aspiring strong man of God in the image of Christ I write about in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics;3 who among His tasks during His first coming was to show males how to be men and sons in His eternal image as the Son as well as help us (John 5:16-20, 8:25-30, 13:12-17, 14:12-26, 15:1-8; Ephesians 4:17-24; Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 2:11-18, 4:14-16). In my journey since 1977 I have needed and repeatedly called upon the risen Lord Jesus in weakness, sin and failure for His help to be the man and carry out the roles and responsibilities our Father has assigned both for this mortal age and the endless eternal ages to come. If you profess to know Him, sir, I urge you to also do the same!
1 Read the three-part post beginning January 29, 2017, Jesus, Son Of Man, under the category, The Cause.
2 See the July 3, 2016 post, Man As God Designed Him, under the category, God’s Creatures.
3 The book is published by Open Door Communication Ministries, Inc. and available in print or digital formats at major internet booksellers. You can also purchase a print
copy in the Strong Man Store.
In the aftermath of the blog series the Lord led me to write on obedience, He gave me a word of instruction to rebuke the emotional but false notion among many professing Christians today that being called sons of God is His irrevocable pledge to bring all so named into glory without any regard whatsoever to their lives (James 2:14-26). Persistent disobedience in sin is a deal breaker! Professing Christians are not the first people ever to have familial relation to God (Isaiah 63:16; Hosea 1:10) nor to dishonor Him as Father through sin and be judged (Malachi 1:6-2:9). Or is God the delighted Father of disobedient sons? Not according to the only begotten Son (John 8:37-59). Originally Posted August 30, 2013 In my blog entitled, Whose House? on August 25, 2013 the Holy Spirit led me to write about how God’s Kingdom--His governing rule, authority, will, way and Word--becomes living spiritual reality (as opposed to mere theoretical principle) in the hearts of those that experience the new birth through faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:3-7)! When born again individual believers assemble together, the parenting of God the Father and Lordship of Christ extends into our corporate relations and activity as well. In other words, as I write in The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics, every believer and local church are “supposed to be advanced outposts of” the Kingdom of God extant here and now on earth since the Father and the Son are submitted to as the ruling authorities by them. This is a marvelous thing to us who genuinely experience this spiritual reality in our persons and understand it as the incredible answer to the first part of the type of prayer (Matthew 6:9-10; Luke 11:2) the Lord taught His disciples to pray (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:1-4). In contrast to the often written out and showy prayers of hypocrites whose goal it is to be seen and heard by men in order to impress them with their eloquence, the Lord teaches a prayer template that when God answers, powerfully shows He was listening! As sons of God by spiritual new birth, we acknowledge in prayer “our Father” whose governing throne is in Heaven, yet, is brought into our lives. We pray conscious of this truth daily and moment by moment to intentionally affirm for Him as well as ourselves His continuing welcome in our lives as ruling Head since Satan, sin and self do not cease attempting to get us to turn back to them. We therefore, also purposely hallow or consecrate His name representing the surpassing greatness of His glorious being (take your pick of the exalted biblical names God Himself gives us to describe His Person) in our hearts, minds and lives. ‘“Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is Heaven”’ (Matthew 6:10, NKJV) is not just meant as a petition for future fulfillment, but a very present, right now request for God’s rule to be carried out in our mortal lives as also His meeting of our needs for daily sustenance, forgiveness and deliverances from Satan. When the mortal sons of God on earth submit to His will, way and Word in seeking to please Him--the heart of every aspiring strong man and great woman of God in the image of Christ, the superior greatness of divine rule in nature (ex. love, joy and peace), character (ex. holiness, righteousness and justice), power and glory to be seen fully when the eternally enduring Kingdom is finally revealed at Christ’s Second Coming, shines out from us now as a foretaste! As is true for the individual sons of the kingdom, so, the local churches they assemble in. Again, this is what is so diabolical about professing Christians and their churches being selectively, partially and willfully disobedient to God’s Word since they are faithfully reflecting not the reign of God, but that of His enemy, Satan, who is the original rebel and uses their sin to blaspheme God’s name (2 Samuel 12:13-14). Thus, when disobedient professing Christians and their churches reject as of the most basic of biblical instruction, God’s order of creation in the roles and responsibilities of men and women for example, it is a rejection of God’s rule; a siding with the world controlled by Satan and a cause for their blaspheming of His name and Word (Genesis 3:2-4; 1 Samuel 8:1-8; Titus 2:1-5). If the sons of the Kingdom do not remain true--God is not honored as Father, nor is His name set apart as holy, nor His Kingdom displayed or His will done in that man or church as it is in Heaven; if the churches as advanced Kingdom outposts on earth holding ground until the Kingdom is fully revealed at the appearing of Christ rebel, then finally, what is their value to God (Luke 14:34-35; John 15:4-6; James 4:4-5, 17)? For this reason we pray and labor for repentance fueled revival; we proclaim and teach the strong man of God message bound up in the Word of God uncompromised; we rebuke, we exhort with all urgency since the Judge and King, Jesus Christ is right at the door (2 Timothy 4:1-2; James 5:9b)! And do not say to yourself in deception, “I am a son of the Kingdom, therefore, I can never be lost; God does not abandon His family.” Hear the Word of the Lord not foolish men with their endless sectarian speculations. We stand as sons of God at present only by faith and the continuing, blazing presence of the Holy Spirit within us (Romans 1:16-17, 3:21-26, 8:1-17; Galatians 3:1-9, 26; Ephesians 1:13-14). But if we willfully embrace sin in disobedience without repentance are we acting in faith? God does not think so and after much grief, many fruitless rebukes and calls to repentance (Ephesians 4:30; James 4:6-10) as well as the prolonged quenching of the Holy Spirit, He gives such a one over to his way and judges accordingly (Exodus 4:22; Ezekiel 9-10; Luke 13:6-9; Romans 1:18-2:11; 11:13-22; Galatians 5:16-21; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; Hebrews 3:7-19, 6:1-8, 10:26-39). Faithful sons of the Kingdom and aspiring strong men of God in the image of Christ know that only faith displayed in love motivated obedience pleases our Father and stand in it accordingly to the death as all who were before them (Hebrews 11)!
As a follow up to the just concluded three part formerly published Commentary series, “Raised To Immortal Glory” and especially part three, the Lord has led me to repost this edited June 2013 blog that originally posted in the same month as the series. All are now in this same blog category, God’s Creatures. This repost seeks to extract more details from Scripture about the glorious, immortal spiritual bodies God is to provide His eternal sons after the likeness of Christ’s.
Originally Posted June 2, 2013
The bodies of the dead in Christ are raised up and those of the living remnant are transformed in less than the blink of an eye at His coming according to 1 Corinthians 15:51-52. The form and function of their bodies will be like Christ’s own glorious, immortal spiritual body which is equipped for God’s purposes through the endless ages of eternity (Philippians 3:20-21)! And while John in His epistle is clear we on this side of glory will not have a precise picture of what we as glorified immortals will look like until Christ is revealed, he too assures us that we will be like Him (1 John 3:2).
Based on the revelation of the glorified Christ John later saw (Revelation 1:10-17), there are some similarities between the natural body we now have and the glorified spiritual body in the masculine likeness of Christ we will receive at the resurrection. There will also be some tremendous qualitative differences with a few new (to us) features included! With all praises to our God, we do not have to guess or fill in the blanks with a lot of wacky speculation about the immortal spiritual bodies He has prepared for His eternal sons; what He wants known now is in His Word! My mission is to only briefly examine what God’s Word says about our future glorious, immortal spiritual bodies to inspire our further study, reflection, excitement and praise to God!
Scripture gives three sources of knowledge about the future immortal spiritual bodies of the eternal sons of God: our present natural bodies, Christ and the angels. From our natural bodies and Christ’s glorified likeness seen by John, we understand that along with a head featuring hair, a chest, arms, hands, legs and feet, the general frame and form characteristic of the natural human body are to be preserved as will ethnicity (Revelation 21:22-26) in our spiritual bodies. Also, we will retain the five senses of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching with all of the corresponding body parts to include teeth. Raised in His immortal spiritual body that had not yet been glorified, our Lord interacted with His disciples normally using the senses.
He used His and invited His disciples to use their senses and associated natural body parts in His company (Luke 24:36-43; John 20:24-29). In a third post-resurrection meeting with His disciples recorded in John 21:1-14, notice in verse 9 how smell would have played a role in the experience of everyone present including the Lord who cooked breakfast. Indeed, the prophets and the Lord speak of eating and drinking as a fixture in the Kingdom of God (Isaiah 25:6; Luke 22:14-18, 28-30). Of the fruit eaten will be that of the “tree of life,” (Revelation 2:7, NKJV). Now, consider how superior your sensory abilities and experiences will be in perfect spiritual bodies where every sense and body part functions perfectly!
It was our Lord that taught in the resurrection to immortal glory the sons of God will be “equal to the angels,” (Luke 20:34-36, NKJ). In likeness to the eternal existence of God’s spirit creatures, angels, the sons of God will never again marry, procreate or die. Unlike in their previous natural, mortal bodies, there will be no more hormones or bodily features that arouse sexual desire leading to proper sex or that which in sin leads to evil seduction, promiscuity or perversions (Hebrews 13:4). However, this will not be the end to pleasure. By divine design, in immortal spiritual bodies with form and functions fitted to a new, eternal creation, the righteous in Christ will experience new kinds of pleasure in the presence of our holy God forever (Psalm 16:11, 36:7-9; 2 Corinthians 5:16-17)!
As with the holy angels too, the new spiritual bodies of God’s sons will be indestructible as well as impervious to physical pain, sickness, disease and calamity (Revelation 21:4). Like our Lord and angels, the sons of God will be able to appear and disappear (Judges 13:1-14; Luke 24:28-31). We will also be able to fly without wings (Psalm 104:1-3; Isaiah 60:8; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) as well as travel back and forth between the spiritual and physical dimensions (Judges 13:15-21; Acts 1:9-11; Revelation 11:11-12). We will travel between two dimensions only until the day our God makes the two dimensions, one (2 Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 21:1-3)!
The Lord Jesus instructs it is the divine intent that the Holy Spirit should be with the sons of God forever (John 14:16-17)! For faithful Christians, then, the same Holy Spirit who has been our Companion in this life will be with us when these natural bodies die and forever! At the moment of death, whatever have been limits to the Holy Spirit’s display of the eternal divine life and power in the inner man of our mortal experience (Ephesians 3:14-16; Hebrews 6:4-5) are removed. We will henceforth enjoy the overflowing outpour of His life into us up through our embodiment into immortal spiritual bodies and evermore (John 3:34, 6:63, 7:37-39, 10:10; Revelation 21:6, 22:1)!
We will also have direct access, be perfectly attuned to, enjoy and express the inexhaustible riches of God’s knowledge and wisdom. And as we had to be equipped by the Holy Spirit with enabling power in spiritual gifts on this side of glory to do God’s will, in the day of our immortal glory we will also be outfitted by Him with supernatural abilities to carry out the purposes, assignments and work of God for eternity (Ephesians 3:20-21)! Too, well beyond the limitations of the mortal body in sin, doubt and fear, we will routinely do things like walk on water as Peter did and as our Lord showed, exercise the power of God to move mountains in accord with His purposes (Matthew 14:22-33; Mark 11:20-24).
Finally, because of the indwelling presence of God in us, like our Lord the glory of God will shine out from our immortal spiritual bodies as His eternal sons and with even new names, we shall reign with Christ forever (Daniel 12:2-3; Matthew 13:43; 2 Timothy 2:10-13; Revelation 2:17, 3:12-13, 21-22, 21:5, 22:3-5)! 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?"
Rachel, the mother of Israel, has much to instruct aspiring great women of God in the image of Christ. She was central in last week’s Mother’s Day post as she was too, when the Lord first led me to write about her back in January of this year.1 Unfortunately, the positive lessons Rachel has to teach are from her less than admirable character and bad behavior. Her historical appearance in the Bible serves as a cautionary tale for all women, but especially those that are Christians and would live on purpose to please God and do His will as is the heart of the aspiring great woman of God in Christ’s image.2 Rachel is famous in Israel because of God’s acknowledgment and in spite of her.3
Rachel bore Jacob two sons: Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph grew up to become an outstanding example of a spiritually gifted aspiring strong man of God, ruler (under Pharaoh in Egypt) and deliverer of Israel in the image of Christ. From Benjamin’s seed came Israel’s first king, Saul. Like too many men today Christian or not, Jacob was initially enraptured with Rachel’s beauty, not her character. As it turns out, it appears that Rachel’s descendant, Saul, and his half-hearted commitment to God, contrary and independent spirit originated with her in the biblical narrative;4 being displayed first in her choice to shepherd sheep among predominantly males.
Examine Genesis 24:1-28 and 29:1-12 to compare Rachel’s assertive insertion into what was typically a male vocation (she had brothers--Genesis 31:1) to the servant’s heart of her aunt Rebekah in her youth who was also “beautiful,” but carried out the usual tasks women had in those days (NKJV).5 She clearly had been accepted and was respected by the males because they waited for her as part of the community rules for when flocks could be given water. However, as is the case for guilty females in today’s feminist driven world where Rachel’s assertive insertion into the traditional occupation of males is applauded, that spirit reveals some deeper, underlying character flaws of sin.
Accustomed to having her way since clearly her father, Laban, permitted Rachel to be a shepherdess despite having wealth enough to give maids to his daughters when they married Jacob and sons that did not require it, she was also envious, demanding, impatient, competitive, self-willed, selfish, self-deceived in attempting to make God a party to sin and conniving (Genesis 30:1-8, 14-16). Though she had prayed to Him for children and was heard in His timing with the birth of her firstborn, Joseph, she hoped would lead to another son (Genesis 30:22-24), Rachel did not exalt God in gratitude or truly reverence Him thereafter seeing as she stole her father’s idols (Genesis 31:17-21).6
Whatever Rachel’s motives for stealing her father’s idols, the act not only made her a thief, but also one that did not highly regard the living, “only true God” her husband, Jacob, spoke to and heard from as did her father (Genesis 31:2-16, 22-29; John 17:3, NKJV). Wicked in idolatry with her father, Rachel became a deceiver as he demanded to know who had stolen his idols he searched for she had hidden and prevented their discovery underneath her (Genesis 31:30-35). She clung to those idols while hearing of Jacob’s encounter with angels and name change along with seeing the result in his body after wrestling with “a Man” he identified as “God,” (Genesis 32:1-2, 22-32, NKJV).7
If Israel did not know about the idols Rachel stole from her father before this point, he most certainly learned about this after he commanded all his household to “put away the foreign gods” and collected the idols in preparation for leading them to meet with God at “Bethel,” (Genesis 35:1-15, NKJV). Rachel’s last act of selfishness was as she died naming her child translated, son of my sorrow, which Israel changed (Genesis 35:16-18). No doubt, he was heartbroken as before and at her death he saw the woman he had loved so deeply in true spiritual, moral and ethical character that over twenty years had never changed while he drew closer to God and did. Not in the family plot of his fathers, but a marked grave near Bethlehem by herself he buried Rachel (Genesis 35:19-20).
Rachel’s lessons for every aspiring great woman of God in the image of Christ should be heeded. First, outward beauty impresses men, but not God. Second, separated from God as a sinner, you are inwardly grotesque and dead in spiritual death! There is no make-up or pretense to hide the real you that will eventually show through. Third, Rachel was so close, but failed to reach out and come to know God as did her husband so she could be transformed inwardly in character.8 No one who comes to truly know God remains the same! For this cause, if you want a life blessed of God, well lived with a godly husband and family, then press into and submit fully in all obedience to Christ (Proverbs 31:30; Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:1-10, 4:17-24; 1 Timothy 2:8-15; 1 Peter 3:1-6).
1 See the January 15, 2023 post, Rachel’s Children Live!, under the category, Instruction.
2 I am led by the Lord to first introduce the aspiring great woman of God in the image of Christ in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. More biblical details and instruction about her are later presented in a companion women’s group study. Get a Hard or Soft Cover or E-Book Edition of the book as well as the Great Woman Of God Women’s Group Study in the Strong Man Store, among internet booksellers and brick and mortar bookstores.
3 As noted in my January post, Rachel had standing with God because the patriarch, Jacob, son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham loved her deeply. Her burial off a major north-south connecting road near Bethlehem gave rise to the Lord using her in two prophetic instances (Jeremiah 31:15-17; Matthew 2:16-18).
4 Read 1 Samuel 9-15 to see the character and ways of Rachel’s blood descendant, king Saul, God rejected.
5 In her later years Rebekah refused to patiently wait on God to work out the prophecy of Jacob’s family standing and convinced him to follow her lead in using subterfuge to gain it with his father’s blessing. This created a murderous family rift and she never again saw Jacob as outcomes. After those days, she disappears from Genesis being only mentioned when her nurse died and as buried in the family plot with Isaac near its end (Genesis 25:19-28, 27-28:5, 35:8, 49:29-31).
6 In Rachel’s defense, she had only the superficial knowledge of God retained in the years following Noah’s flood and as her father and other spiritually duplicitous Mesopota- mians, practiced syncretism (Genesis 11:1-9).
7 The “Man” is plainly a pre-incarnate appearance of Jacob’s future Descendant, Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ!
8 Character matters to God! The Lord leads me to write about the character He seeks to construct in His great women in my book, group study and exclusively in the Strong Man Store, the Audio Resource, The Character Of The Great Woman Of God available on CD or for Download. The character God builds in both His aspiring strong man and great woman begins with faith and humility which if Rachel had had, her fame would have been so much nobler and eternally excellent as well as worthy of imitation.
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