Strong Man Of God Blog

          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.

          The binding tie of addiction Satan uses to bind men up is especially effective and devastating in helping him plunder their lives, families and communities.  While this tie has varying degrees of strength and impact, at whatever degree it is ruinous and without being delivered, many work their own destruction leading to death in some manner every day.  As a former captive of addiction bound by drug and alcohol abuse, I write with great empathy for those that are now, bound to commend my Lord Jesus Christ to you as the way to complete deliverance and permanent freedom.  Indeed, I have been free from cigarettes my last drug of choice 36 years; other drugs and alcohol over 42 years!¹

          According to Bible prophecy, drug abuse with the accompanying tie of addiction is going to be an issue in the world until the Lord returns.  Of the deeds men will refuse to repent of in the face of severe divine warning judgments and preliminary displays of wrath is their sorceries (Revelation 9:13-21, 16:10-11).  Sorcery is not only associated with witchcraft, but the admixture of chemicals of various kinds to achieve an altered state of mind (which illicit and many legal drugs can also do) during or in performing it with the aid of demons.  Indeed, many Bible students have duly noted how sorcery in the Greek language is “pharmakeia” from which we get our English word, “pharmacy.”²

          One reason drugs and alcohol will continue to be widely used and abused in these latter days is because of their false value as a means to cope with the unprecedented stresses of reality (such as what many have felt dealing with God’s Coronavirus judgment), political instability, intensifying lawlessness, murders, economic upheaval, hardships created by the quickly moving times along with afflictions and widespread death (Isaiah 24:7-13; Revelation 6:1-8).³  However, producing more powerful prescription drugs, legalizing those that are or were once illicit such as marijuana as a gateway drug that leads to those more addictive or making alcohol plentiful are not the right solutions.

          Repentance and faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ as I am a witness is the healthy right answer for everyone!  For He not only releases those captive to addiction through drugs and alcohol (or whatever), but walking by faith in Him, those set free are able to enjoy the fullness of His love, peace and eternal life in themselves and effectively cope in this turbulent world under approaching divine wrath (John 7:37-39, 10:10, 14:15-27, 16:33; Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17)!  Satan’s aim with every tie he uses to bind men is to destroy us, our families and communities as I point out in our second Strong Man Of God Online Rally.⁴  Christ though, came to set us free from all satanic ties beginning with sin and make us eternally strong in Him.⁵

1 Read Part Four of the Releasing The Strong Man Commentary where by way of testimony I discuss the origins of my drug and alcohol abuse also cited in the footnotes of
   the February 17, 2019 post, Surrendering All To Jesus, under the category, Glory To God! 

2 Use  your  favorite  search  engine  to  verify  what  I have written and delve deeper into the word.  Knowing what I know spiritually and from my former drug abuse experi-
   ences,  I have limited my acceptance of legal and safe prescription drugs offered by doctors and those from over the counter to only what is absolutely necessary.  For ex-
   ample, rather than pills to treat high blood pressure, the Lord has helped me be free of it through a healthier low salt diet, exercise and walking.

3 What started out as teenage exploration and recreational “fun” became young adult addiction as I found myself needing these items to help me cope better--I thought--with
   life and its troubles.  It was and is a lie!

4 View the rally and subscribe to the channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o13NjNpNexg.

5 Learn  about  becoming  a strong man of God in Christ’s image in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics along with companion works The Strong Man Of God
   Men’s Group Study and Great Woman Of God Women’s Group Study at your favorite internet book seller and in the Strong Man Store.