The Scourge Of Racism
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James, pastor of the first century Jerusalem Church writes, “to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin,” (James 4:17, NKJV). While the context involves doing the good of properly respecting the reign of God over our lives in considering any plans for a tomorrow (vs.13-16), the spiritual truth James declares can and does also more broadly apply to all similar evil instances including partial obedience by professing Christians. The repost of my 2013 blog series on obedience continues today with part one of a blog exploring the sin of partial obedience to God. Originally Posted August 4, 2013
Equally sinful as selective obedience in the eyes of God is partial obedience. Anyone that has parented children is well acquainted with the less than full compliance with a command or instruction given they can serve up out of willful disobedience. While today’s humanistic parenting requires giving children fully reasoned back stories for commands or instructions accompanied by insistent pleading, God the Father and perfect Parent is hardly seen in the Bible at all providing any explanations for His. In fact, the Lord Jesus ties the faith that pleases Heaven directly to a willingness to receive and carry out divine commands and instructions in obedience without question when He commends the Roman centurion (Matthew 8:5-13). Rather than hearts devoted in love to pleasing God the Father and Jesus as Lord in obedience to the Word, many 21st century Christians and leaders behave as children willfully seeing just how little they can obey and get away with; foolishly testing the limits of divine longsuffering and patience. In The Strong Man Of God, I write about the partial obedience of pastors in the churches they serve that for the sake of placating feminists and their sympathizers have sought to go as far as they can in putting women into men’s roles and responsibilities not only in worship, but throughout the church’s programming. I spent a brief time among them until the Lord showed me I was in sin and called me to repentance (get more details in the book). What does the Word directly and without equivocation say? The truly anointed apostle to us Gentiles, Paul, wrote: “Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression,” (1 Timothy 2:11-14, NKJV). The instructions of the great apostle to his son in the ministry, Timothy, and to us are given to uphold the divine instituted mortal, human order for this age which was expressly affirmed by God to Eve in Eden (Genesis 3:16b). God’s order of the home does not end at the church steps (which is supposedly His house) or into the larger community for that matter. Therefore, for any pastor to take it upon himself to change God’s express command to Eve and the women coming after her in these latter days is willful sin indeed. Even when a pastor as I once did puts the women at a different podium to speak to honor the divine will (so we think) because she is not technically preaching or teaching or barking out commands to the men at the pastor’s pulpit, it still violates the spirit of God’s Word from Genesis to Revelation; it is a less than full hearted obedience to what we know God has commanded. Many pastors attempt to justify their partial obedience by convincing themselves there are no men that can do what needs to be done. But that does not fly with God since you can do it yourself, go get and train the men you need or eliminate the chore--much of what we do in the churches is of manmade tradition in the flesh (this includes what passes for worship and the making of announcements) not divine will and we sin putting our stuff before His commandment (Mark 7:5-13)! There are, of course, some pastors that are unwilling to obey God’s Word as it is written because they believe it is wrong and unfair to women.
I want to apologize to anyone that sought to read last Sunday’s post anytime between Thursday, September 18th and Friday the 19th. This past week we experienced a satanically instigated abrupt knocking offline of our Web Site through human agency. We had to repost all of our blogs from the end of June through last Sunday. This is the second time this year the enemy has attacked us in this way. Please pray for us as we continue to repair our Web Site as well as press on declaring and teaching God’s Word! The following blog is the conclusion of a blog repost in my 2013 blog series on obedience. Originally Posted August 4, 2013 In my book, the Lord leads me to warn that partial obedience is total disobedience in His sight. I cite the example of king Saul in 1 Samuel 15. He was commanded by God to completely destroy the people of Amalek including women, children and their animals (vs. 1-3). Please note that Saul did not demand that God explain why, but rightly “heeded” (NKJV) as the prophet Samuel directed without question in starting out (vs. 4-5). This is because he and every Israelite knew of God’s long standing declaration of judgment on the Amalekites for an unprovoked attack on Israel when they came out of Egypt (Exodus 17:8-16; vs. 6). Saul went forth on the divine mission but did not destroy everyone and everything as God commanded because he and the people were “unwilling” (vs. 7-9, NKJV). God’s reaction was one of regret that He had made Saul king and assessed his actions as unfaithful and disobedient (vs.10-11). In spite of Saul’s self-congratulatory and deceptive insistence that he had been obedient but only kept some choice animals to sacrifice to the Lord, Samuel disagrees (vs. 12-21) and confronts him with the Lord’s displeasure. Let every pastor and Christian fully hear what Samuel says to Saul in the face of his partial obedience: “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king,” (vs. 22-23, NKJV). Not only did God through the prophet condemn Saul’s partial obedience as complete disobedience, but He also judged it as though it was too since He took the kingdom from him. While Saul finally conceded he had disobeyed God because he said, “I feared the people and obeyed their voice” (sound familiar?) in what for him was a little thing, God did not rescind His judgment and remained displeased with Saul the rest of his life (vs. 24-35, NKJV). From Adam in Eden and forever, obedience to God’s will is mandatory not optional or contingent on whether we get the full back story (you already know God has made men leaders in their house and His) or agree with it or not (God has not asked any man for his opinion--see Job 38-42:6 and consider afresh Romans 9:20). Therefore, every pastor and church that believes they have found a loop hole in or a place of permission through corrupting God’s Word to put women in the places of leadership God in accord with His order from the creation of man has ordained for men only are deceived and standing in the place of His severe judgment for your total disobedience unless you repent! Truly, king Saul and Israel in the Bible serve as a sober warning and our example in everything concerning rebellion (1 Corinthians 10:1-11; Hebrews 3:7-19). And foolish and deceived are those that teach that because of the cross, God no longer punishes His people. You deserve every bit of time you spend in God’s woodshed for telling that lie (Proverbs 3:11-12; Hebrews 12:3-11) instead of teaching, exhorting and warning Christians that the immutable God will allow no one professing to be a Christian to long make a mockery of the cross through willful sinning. If however, temporal discipline will not lead to your repentance, then He who judges His people will bring on you His eternal judgment (Proverbs 29:1; Hebrews 10:26-31)!
Obedience is a distinctive character trait of the aspiring strong man and great woman of God in the image of Jesus Christ I write about in my book, “The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics” (view, like and share “The Strong Man Of God Book Trailer” now on God Tube). God is so serious about obedience, all disobedience is sin (Genesis 2:16-17, 3:6-11, 17-19)! Not even the Son of God got a pass on being obedient (Hebrews 5:8). Yet, many professing Christians are in rebellion against God’s Word and order as though He that is immutable has changed His mind about obedience. Over the next few weeks, I am re-posting a blog series that challenges such deceit and continues God’s call to repent in His house for the sake of restoring men and saving rebels that obey (Jude 20-23)! Originally Posted July 28, 2013
I know well the pain of disobeying God not just long ago but this past week. Every day in some way I come short of God’s glory and miss the mark of His perfect righteousness and on some days willfully disobey a clear directive of His Word. I also understand very well the continuing struggle faithful believers have to resist being selective in our obedience to certain spiritual, moral and ethical demands of Scripture such as loving neighbors or forgiving our brothers when you don’t feel like doing so or it is culturally acceptable to ignore them (“nobody obeys that”). However, the aspiring strong man and great woman of God in the image of Christ has no option but “to press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” even after failure upon failure (Philippians 3:14, NKJV). Indeed, it is our heartfelt resolve to please God and do His will (Colossians 1:9-12)! We are called to obey the whole Word of God as it concerns His commandments, spiritual, moral, and ethical imperatives as well as principles, precepts and exhortations. We cannot pick and choose what we will obey as it suits us. To be purposely selective in our obedience to God’s Word as so many have throughout Christian history, is to set ourselves up as superior judges of God passing judgment on His perfect righteousness. The Lord Jesus rebuked Israel’s religious educated elite for practicing selective obedience and no one will convince me He at any time has given His followers a pass (Matthew 23:23). The apostles presented us the “whole counsel of God” in Christ and we are to honor it in our lives by obedience even stumbling and fumbling in sin weakness through the flesh as we go for He has provided help through the Holy Spirit and continuing forgiveness upon our proper confession in genuine repentance (Acts 20:26-27; Romans 8:1-4, 26-27; 1 John 1:5-9, NKJV). Willful, selective obedience has stunted the spiritual growth of so many professing Christians as well as hurt their witness and the cause of Christ on earth from the first century until now. Truly, enabling societal racial double standards is among a long list of many permitted ungodly attitudes and behaviors that have been carried on with impunity by professing Christians in direct disobedience to the teaching of God’s Word. We try to pretend like all of this has really done no harm, but according to the apostle Paul speaking to proud and failed law keeping Jews, we are deceived (Romans 2:24). As one case in point, over the past century we have had many pastors willfully and defiantly disobey God’s command through the apostle Paul concerning the role and conduct of our sisters when the church is before Him in the worship assembly. One falsely held reason for this is that these men act as owners of God’s house rather than the stewards like Moses in it they have only been called to be since God in Christ is the Builder/Owner (Acts 20:28; Hebrews 3:1-6)! And like Moses, pastors too as stewards are to be found faithful in their Master’s house obeying His commands without deviation (Luke 12:42-48; 1 Corinthians 4:1-2). Paul teaches that our sisters are not to assert any form of leadership--preaching, speaking, teaching, leading worship etc.--in church assemblies out of reverence for God’s long standing command in the Garden of Eden that transcends the legal code given to Israel and was honored by Christ since there is no recorded instance in the Gospels where He put women in authority over men (Genesis 3:16b; Matthew 5:17-20; 1 Corinthians 11:3, 14:33-38). No matter how they arrive at giving themselves permission to do it, pastors and churches that put women into the exclusive leadership roles and responsibilities of men in whatever other ways they are obedient, have selectively chosen to disobey the consistent instruction of the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation not to do so. And now, as a result of this disobedience, churches not only showcase women Scripture readers, worship leaders and preachers, but have graduated to allowing them to serve as pastors along with those that are gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender! As I write in The Strong Man Of God, many churches are today so compromised as a result of this particular act of disobedience, they are also seen as an ally to the world in its all out rebellion against God and are proud of it. To the women that truly love and would please God: do not follow after the way of selective obedience that is finally leading to severe judgment in His house (Isaiah 1:10-20; 1 Peter 4:17-18; Revelation 2:18-29). Also, do not let anyone lead you into disobedience whether it be a so-called apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, theologian, other teacher--no matter how credentialed, father or husband (Matthew 10:34-39; John 12:26, 14:15, 15:9-11). To the pastors and all professing Christians that willfully practice selectively obeying God’s Word: repent! For neither God nor His Word changes nor did He suddenly in the 20th century begin to look favorably upon disobedience (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8). Also, selective obedience is not the mind nor does it in any way honor the example of Christ who was “obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross,” (Philippians 2:5-8, NKJV). Do not be deceived. The Lord does not treat our sins as they deserve, but is longsuffering and patient with us (Psalm 103:10; Romans 2:4). Finally, however, if we will not repent, He will deal with us as our Lord Jesus declares in Revelation 2:21-23. I know these truths personally, intimately and painfully as I hope I made clear in the opening of this blog. Too, as an aspiring strong man of God in the image of Christ, I also know the joy of pleasing God with faithful obedience in the strength He supplies.
Among the absurdities of secular humanism’s defiant, religious sounding theory, Evolution (last century’s Carl Sagan and now his protégé, Neil deGrasse Tyson both view a suddenly exploding out of nothing cosmos as now an eternal, living thing to which they impart god-like qualities and admire to the point of worship), is man’s mysterious appearance in and ascendency from primordial waters to the top of the food chain after millions of years. Since it is a matter of faith, I and every aspiring strong man of God in the image of Jesus Christ choose to believe the testimony of God in His Word that He purposely created man from the dust of the earth to rule over His creation (Genesis 1:26, 2:7)! Truly, man was created in the image and likeness of God as a race of rulers to rule as God does (Psalm 103:19) and with the divine nature and character (Exodus 34:5-8; Deuteronomy 32:4; Isaiah 6:1-5; 1 John 4:7-8; Revelation 4). This purpose of God for His creature remained intact as man in mortal form was divided into male and female for the purpose of procreation (Genesis 1:27-28, 2:18-25, 3:20, 5:1-2) and after their sin induced by Satan since in judgment, God also announced a Deliverer (Genesis 3:1-19, 21-24). He came as foretold to save and restore the fallen race of rulers: God the King and Savior in mortal flesh (Isaiah 7:10-14; Matthew 1:18-25, 18:11)! Save and restore the Son of God who is “the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person” did for those who believe by His sacrificial death, burial and resurrection from the dead in which after, He bodily returned and took His seat “at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” (Hebrews 1:1-4, NKJV). Why all of this to-do over man? Because God loves man and would not be thwarted in the divine purpose that man should rule over the creation (Hebrews 2:5-15)! Where Adam had failed in disobedience, Jesus Christ succeeded in perfect obedience after being tempted and tested in every way possible as a Man (Hebrews 2:16-18, 4:14-16). Jesus Christ, the unique God-Man has fully earned the right to rule under the Father both in Heaven, the heavens and earth (Matthew 28:18; Philippians 2:6-11)! He has replaced the first Adam as the federal head of mankind and is its Judge (Matthew 25:31-46; John 5:24-30; 1 Corinthians 15:21-28, 45-49; Revelation 20:11-15). Those that have looked to Christ in faith for salvation have been brought into the divine family as sons (John 1:12-13; Romans 8:14-16, Ephesians 2:19-21), are destined to reign with Him (Luke 22:28-30; 2 Timothy 2:11-12) and share in His glorious, eternal inheritance guaranteed by the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:17; Ephesians 1:11-14). Indeed, in Christ and after His image, we who belong to Him completely fulfill the original divine plan that man be king/priests--a holy race of rulers (1 Peter 2:4-5, 9-10; Revelation 1:4-6)! It is our destiny to implement the righteous Kingdom rule of God with Christ beginning in the physical creation with this earth (Revelation 1:7-8, 2:25-29, 5:8-10, 20:4) and reaching into the spiritual realm since we will also judge angels (1 Corinthians 6:1-3). Therefore, Jesus Christ is called “King of kings and Lord of lords” to the glory of God the Father (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 19:16, NKJV)! In the divine nature and character of Christ God crafts in us, our rule will and is to be now just and merciful. Supposedly superior to the present mortal rule of men from Adam’s seed still bound by sin and satanic shackles, the rule of professing Christian men at this hour in three major areas important to God comes up short. In God’s plan to restore men, He equips His sons first to rule self (Proverbs 16:32; Galatians 5:16-25; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8), then to become outstanding husbands and fathers in the home our second rule which is also the preparation ground finally, for rule in God’s house churches are to recognize (1 Timothy 3:1-13). However, as He is shown in Psalm 82, God stands in the midst of us to judge and what does He see? Men who profess to know and be related to Him by faith as family refusing to obey His Word. Instead, every man does what is right in his own eyes as if we had no King, (Judges 17:6). They rule unjustly and show partiality. As the authors of confusion, they are to the letter as foretold in 2 Timothy 3:1-5. Therefore, be warned: the Judge of judges shows no partiality. While He has promised the destiny of eternal rule to His sons related to Him by faith at present, it will come only to those that persevere in pleasing Him out of that faith as seen in their deeds not the words of a profession long ago made (Romans 1:16-17, 2:5-11; Galatians 6:7-10; Hebrews 3; James 2:14-26). The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, “Who is on the Lord’s side?”
Without equivocation or apology for over fifteen years I have stood and stand on God’s Word as it is written to call all professed Christians that are guilty and assemble weekly ostensibly as His house to recognize and repent from the satanic stronghold of deceit embodied in worldly feminism they have welcomed in their midst. As the Lord has graciously directed, since July 2011 at the end of my last pastorate I have been winning men and boys to Christ, teaching and urging them with others to go or return to local churches as I wrote in a March 2019 repost.1 I knew in the grip of Satan’s feminist stronghold many would tear down what I had biblically taught as well as spiritually emasculate them! However, I was hopeful with the Lord for repentance as I was in this edited 2011 post (Luke 13:6-9).
Now, I have heard from the Lord that it is enough (Revelation 2:18-29)!2 I am announcing this day that in obedience to the Lord I will no longer send men and boys I reach for Him and teach to churches that are in willful rebellion with the world against the plain teaching of His Word from Genesis to Revelation on the roles, rank, responsibilities and order of mankind. By the express will of Christ I am also again adding to my ministry responsibilities shepherding of willing men I find anywhere in the Portland/Vancouver Metropolitan area that are disconnected from Him, disaffected from Christianity and discontented with hypocritical and disobedient local churches; pastors and elders that do not truly care about them as men (Ezekiel 34:1-11; Matthew 9:9-13; Luke 19:1-10).
Therefore, if you live in the Portland/Vancouver Metropolitan area and what I have written resonates with you, I am seeking at least five men to start meeting with me to be taught, mentored and equipped to join me in the work of fishing for and restoring men, their families and communities! Write to info@thestrongmanofGod.org by November 17th to express your interest; arrange to meet with me at a time and place we by consensus agree on to hear my vision and learn more.
Originally Posted October 16, 2011
At the risk of overdoing it, I must make a final application of the truth I have presented over the last two blogs specifically concerning fathers to the broader role of leadership men have assigned to them by God beginning in the home. It is very clear in this 21st century that our secular society is on a quest to totally destroy God’s order for the family through the implementation of its version of equality. Re-define a man here, a woman and a family there and presto, it’s done! The only problem is the social experiment is not working so well. I cite statistics in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics that reveal just how badly the experiment is failing.3 But that is not the worst of it.
I see and hear of churches all of the time proclaiming the responsibility of men to be the heads of their households. But then, they turn right around and trample upon that responsibility by putting women over them in God’s house in clear disobedience to His Word. If God is the One that made men leaders in the home, it stands to reason in consistency that He would require their leadership in His own house too. Indeed, the apostle Paul shows how the home is even the first stage of leadership training for men as they prepare to serve God in His house (1 Timothy 3:1-7).
The local church is not a worldly institution which mimics and reflects the world’s values. It is the redeemed of God assembled together on purpose to honor Him, His will, way and Word! You cannot call a man to biblical leadership in his home and then disregard what the same Bible teaches about his place of leadership in God’s house. There is no one without the other as so many churches are attempting to accomplish. The result is that those churches are sending mixed and confusing messages to their men and boys as well as teaching there is a place to disobey the plain teaching of God’s Word.4
In my book, the Lord uses me to call pastors and their churches to repentance from their partial obedience reminding them of how He responded to king Saul for the same sin (1 Samuel 15:1-23).5 What hope is there for restoring men and their families if the folks with the right answers from God’s Word do not honor it themselves (Luke 14:34-35)?
1 See the introduction of the March 10, 2019 repost, Appeal For Incarcerated Christians, under the category, The Cause.
2 Jesus Christ is Lord and Judge of the churches! Like Father like Son, so, the Holy God who judges sin does so now because there is no repentance! Before He
fully judges the world, He judges the churches already in progress (1 Peter 4:17-18). Read my June 10, 2018 post, God’s Judgment Upon His House, under the
category, Bible Prophecy. Unless you do defiantly share in the sins of the guilty church without opposition, I suggest you depart so as not to also share in its judg-
ment (Revelation 18:1-8). Yeah, that is how serious it all is at this late hour!
3 The book is available in print or digital download formats at major internet booksellers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ChristianBooks.com and Apple (digital only).
You can also get the Hard or Soft Cover print versions of the book in the Strong Man Store.
4 See the July 20, 2014 post, Confused Men, Compromised Sons, under the category, Call To Repent.
5 Additionally, read the series of blogs the Lord led me to write on the topic of obedience and addressing the sin of partial obedience beginning September 7-October 5,
2014.
Among other things, this edited 2013 repost is a real world illustration of just one evil done by those that have practiced loveless Christianity the religion of men in America from its founding.6 That its practitioners and churches have helped to morally undergird and maintain the nation’s racial double standard is the focus of this part two. An appropriate call to repent is made to the guilty.
According to Microsoft Encarta Dictionary, a double standard occurs when a principle, rule, or expectation is applied to some people, but not others in a way that is unfair. America’s historic racial double standard where its laws, system of justice, morals and rules of social conduct were unfairly applied to blacks in favor of whites is perceived by many to remain largely, though covertly intact. So, while the American justice system is supposed to be blind, given the history and present hour realities, most honest Americans must concede that the tables being turned and a black man killed a white man, they would be shocked if he were to be found not guilty--“stand your ground law” or not.
It is a fallen world--you know I get that. However, keeping it real and straight to the point of our strong man of God cause, white men weak in the sin of racism professing to be Christians and operating out of churches claiming to represent Christianity have for centuries been the enabling moral force behind America’s racial double standard.7 Because of that fact, to this day in many predominantly white churches a white man’s word or teaching still carries more weight than a black man’s no matter how biblically sound. Too, a white man’s evil deeds will be reflexively excused or explained away, while a black man guilty of the same behavior would be more severely dealt with.
I know this because I have been part of predominantly white denominations since 1980 and am presently a member of a predominantly white church where I have experienced the racial double standard.8 Indeed, because of it, some of the white readers of this post that are guilty will automatically dismiss what I am saying in denial rather than taking it to heart and repenting! Some of my black brothers will say, “Get out of there!” But if professed white and black Christians never interact, how will we ever resolve issues like the racial double standard; as brothers, presenting to the world the commanded, superior way of Christ (John 13:34-35; Romans 15:1-7)?
Safely retreated into segregated camps apathetically retaining the racial double standard status quo is not now nor was it ever God’s solution! Truly, it is a state of sinful defeat that especially professed Christian conservative white Americans live in that tolerates all of the racial negatives including the double standard in the camp without any serious attempt to remove them.9 As I have already alluded to as a reason, many practice counterfeit Christianity the religion of men. It allows one to profess being a Christian without having to demonstrate any real “fruits” of repentance so that impostors proliferate within their ranks (Luke 3:7-14; Galatians 2:1-5; Colossians 2:16-23, NKJV).10
Corrupting Scripture to arrogantly rationalize redefining men of color as sub-human and inferior, the majority of their forefathers as professed Christians established the racial double standard; upheld to this hour if not overtly in word, covertly by deeds. Falsely believing God shared their wicked view of non-white men, they failed to realize (or care) their sin with disobedient others cast shame upon Christ’s name among its consequences (Romans 2:17-24; 1 Timothy 5:14-15, 6:1; Titus 2:1-10)! Using double standards falls biblically into the category of showing partiality which God does not do and condemns as sin (Deuteronomy 10:17; Acts 10:34; Galatians 2:6; James 2:1-9).
Therefore, let every professed Christian be warned from the sinful issue of racial double standards raised again in the tragic killing of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman: repent if you are guilty lest the God who shows no partiality you claim to serve deals with you personally as your sins deserve (Romans 2:1-11; Galatians 6:7-8; Colossians 3:25; 1 Peter 1:13-21). Moreover, recognize this and every effort to communicate God’s call to repentance to you rebuffed for whatever reasons including racism, serves as a witness against you “before the judgment seat of Christ,” (2 Corinthians 5:9-11, NKJV). God in wrath will also destroy your religion (Revelation 16:17-21). To the relative few faithful working to repair racism’s damages: your reward awaits you; keep working!
Nonetheless, the work of the faithful will not forestall God’s coming wrath upon this and all nations guilty of prolonged and severe oppression of subjugated peoples. For just as Judah, what God allowed as punishment for ancient sin in the case of my people and all surviving minorities from America’s colonial times was only to be for a little season. As He did to Babylon, His vengeance is about to fall on the nations “at ease” that unmercifully lengthened their pain. This will be followed by His mercy extended to Jerusalem and the lowliest of souls waiting in faith for Him (Isaiah 47:1-7; Jeremiah 25:8-33; Zechariah 1:12-17, 2:6-13; Luke 1:46-55, 6:20-23; 2 Thessalonians 1:3-12, NKJV).11 The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
6 See the two-part post, Christianity The Religion Of Men beginning August 21, 2016 under the category, Instruction.
7 Read my September 4, 2016 post, Christianity The Religion American Style and those that follow that month under the category, Call To Repent.
8 Once, in a one on one meeting, the pastor had a knife under his leg that was revealed when he rose up out of his chair to leave the room briefly. Upon his return,
I asked about the knife since there was no reason to fear me. I was told it must have fallen out of his pocket and was carried only out of the norm of his cultural up-
bringing. After sharing the incident with church elders that included a police officer, it was dismissed as my misperception--an outcome most blacks are familiar with.
Perhaps so, but because of the racial double standard also practiced in many predominantly white churches, I have no doubt that had it been me with the knife, the
incident would have been seen and handled differently.
9 I make a distinction between “conservative” Christians which tend to be white and those souls from every hue like me that are “biblically conservative” in likeness to the
Lord Jesus (Matthew 5:17-20) as I discuss in an April 19, 2015 repost, On The Lord’s Side, under the category, The Cause. Though there is generally an overlap in
some shared morals, in contrast to conservative Christians who are more worldly political and patriotically intense, biblical conservatives have as our uppermost con-
cern love for Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit preserving, applying and living out the eternally transcendent truths and instruction of God’s Word as it is written!
As a result, there is no tolerance of or accommodation to the sin of racism in our ranks. Read my December 11, 2016 post, Professing Christian Racism Is Sin Too,
under the category, Call To Repent.
10 Read the July 8-22, 2018 posts that discuss biblical faith, false and real Christians as well as authentic Christianity.
11 For a summary historical examination of the rise and fall of Christianity as a manmade religion along with God’s foretold judgments on the nations, read the February
24-March 17, 2017 four-part blog series, God Of Restoration And Judgment, under the category, The Cause.
Of the many sins that professing Christians of all American hues that are guilty must repent from before experiencing authentic, Holy Spirit fired revival is the practice of racism. Founded upon the twin evils of human arrogance and showing partiality, the American legacy and reality of racism and all of its related evils has been shamefully intertwined with and sanctioned by that which is outwardly professing Christianity from colonial times. If the proclamation of the Gospel will bear the greatest possible fruit in souls saved during the temporary door of opportunity God is opening, then the true nature and character of biblical Christianity must be put on display by us.
Catholicism by way of Georgetown University currently on the hot seat within professing American Christianity does not bear alone the institutional shame of being fully engaged in the business of slavery which was completely predicated on the presumed racial inferiority of my black forefathers. To this hour, many conservative white evangelicals still believe themselves racially superior. And though there have been many welcome public apologies for and denunciations of past racially based sins by evangelical leaders, the evil is so systemic and culturally entrenched, many especially in the rank and file carry on in their ways as if no apologies had been made.
Being a black American, of course, I am an experienced witness to the still practiced racial arrogance, discriminatory attitudes and conduct of many of my white brothers that profess with me to be Christians. I have written about some of my experiences in a booklet entitled, The Scourge Of Racism.1 For this blog, though, the Lord has led me to pinpoint from my experiences how progress toward real, biblical brotherhood is stymied primarily due to the typical white evangelical’s natural presumption of racial superiority. This attitude persists in spite of Scripture teaching the rise, fall and wisdom of peoples and kings is the sovereign work of God (Psalm 75:4-7; Daniel 2:20-23, 4:28-37).
Many of the even well meaning white evangelical brothers I have known over the years do not see how the presumption of superiority is deeply embedded in them through cultural conditioning. By default as a result, these brothers cannot begin to accept, for example, that the way they see a matter or a solution they have may not be right compared to what is offered by their brother of color. To this day, a once close brother expects me to apologize to him for the hurt he experienced because I told him the truth about his presumption of racial superiority and how it had influenced his judgment. Tangible evidence then and since proved he was wrong.
In denial (and pride), he not only maintains his position, but clearly does not appreciate how I may have been hurt by having my sound judgment from God rejected in his false presumption of superiority. He believed he had moved beyond racial bigotry. He had to a degree, but in his heart where self-perception and worldview reside, he still needed repentance and the Holy Spirit’s renewing work to transform and empower him to see me as his equal in Christ subject as he to error. Now, expand this brother out to the many well meaning evangelical Christians also with the same need along with the smaller, but still significant number that are racially bigoted and proud and you have this planet sized elephant seated in the midst of professing American Christianity.
To be sure, we Christian black Americans deeply wounded from four hundred years of America’s racism are a piece of work in glacial progress too. Add to all of this the deceitful work of demons through manmade Christianity the religion widely practiced by men operating in both camps and one that is willing can easily see how the Lord’s call to repentance is justified. Indeed, biblical Christianity is founded upon and driven by the love of God which brought Jesus Christ into the world to die for, save and reconcile fallen mankind as sinners back to God. That same love of God is poured into the hearts of those that repent and believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit who also renews our minds and regenerates our souls (Romans 5:5-11, 12:1-2; Titus 3:1-6).
The Holy Spirit so transforms us that as new creations, we think and act as our Redeemer. God is love! Christ commands us therefore, to love and make Him known by our love for each other (John 13:34-35).2 And since love does no harm to a neighbor and in His perfect character our God shows no partiality, the arrogant mindset, attitudes and acts of racism are incompatible with biblical Christianity--period (Romans 13:10; James 2:1-10; 1 John 4:20-21).3 It is not possible that the world should out love us who profess to know God intimately is it? Yet, media images abound with young white, worldly faces taking a stand with blacks and other minorities against racism among their other social justice causes, while historically silent and aloof evangelicals largely remain so.
In the Donald Trump era made possible by an over 80% evangelical vote, the Lord calls all professing to be His followers to repent from any willful and lingering practice of racism. The Gospel message and witnessing of Christ can no longer stand to be tainted as it has been historically by the hypocritical practice of racism among professing Christians if we will be fruitful in this temporary door of opportunity God opens for us. The world saw enough of this a generation ago and rejected it; they will rightly continue to do so. Only Holy Spirit fired love for each other as our Lord Jesus originally commanded and His power will authenticate our message and witness going forward. The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, “Who is on the Lord's side?”
1 This booklet is available in the FSTVEP Resource Store.
2 Read my March 8-15, 2015 blog, Known By Our Love, Pt. 1&2, under the category Instruction.
3 Read the December 6, 2015 blog, Celebrating God’s Racial Diversity Initiative, Call To Repent.
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