Strong Man Of God Blog

          To all of the mothers reading this post, Happy Mother’s Day!  Though she has gone to be with the Lord, as my brother, Richard, reminded me a year or so ago at this time while we talked about our mother, the song performed back in the day by The Intruders, I’ll Always Love My Mama, well captured the truth about her.¹  Motherhood is a female’s greatest gift to the world because as that very simple, but powerful song says, “She brought me in this world” and “you only get one.”  A biblical worldview of female design and purpose confirms motherhood as her greatest gift.²  The older we get, the more we appreciate what our mothers taught and sacrificed working to help provide for us.

          If a female is never recognized for anything else in this life, her greatest gift and contribution to the world is in having been or being a mother of (or to) children!  Even in the twisted soap opera-like drama of Jacob, Rachel and Leah I touched on in a post earlier this year, the positive biblical worldview of motherhood shines through.³  Jacob’s uncle, Laban, had two daughters.  Leah was the oldest, had “delicate” eyes and given the description of her younger sister, Rachel, as “beautiful of form and appearance,” was not as pretty.  Laban deceived Jacob on his wedding night he had worked seven years to have with Rachel by switching out the women (Genesis 29:15-25, NKJV).⁴

          The matter was resolved by Laban promising to give Rachel to Jacob if he would serve him another seven years.  Jacob agreed to do so and took Rachel to himself; loving her “more than Leah,” (Genesis 29:26-30, NKJV).⁵  In the rivalry for Jacob’s love (attention, affection, affirmation etc.) that ensued between the sisters, a core value of their existence as females and greatest gift to him as well as the world by divine design came to the forefront as they vied for who would first bear him children and the most.  On that score, Leah prevailed because God had compassion on her though, it is sad to see her using childbearing in attempts to gain Jacob’s love (Genesis 29:31-30:24, 35:16-20).

          Many females, of course, down through history have had Leah’s motive for getting pregnant and in no less of a time than our own especially among teenagers.  Most females feared pregnancy enough to at least offer initial stiff resistance to intercourse back in the time of my late 1960s-mid 70s teens.  But because of the competition particularly for popular males, they would abandon their fear of pregnancy for typically the short-lived or shared love of their suitor with another female.  Many still got pregnant with the appearance of birth control pills and even after legalized abortion, kept their children largely because like Leah with her husband, they wanted baby daddy’s love.⁶

          While Scripture does not tell us if Jacob ever came to love Leah as he did Rachel, it appears he had a very high regard for her at the end.  This is seen in Jacob referring to her as “your mother” to Joseph in an incident long after the death of Rachel, his mother, and the act of burying only Leah of his wives in the burial plot of his “fathers” Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 37:9-11; 49:29-33, NKJV).  No doubt Jacob’s high regard for Leah is tied in some measure to the many sons and a daughter she bore him which men of ancient times up until these latter days greatly appreciated (Psalm 127:3-5).⁷  Indeed, without authentic females of God’s design and creation, motherhood as their greatest gift to husbands and the world would not be nor any of us (Genesis 1:26-28, 2:18-25, 3:20, 28:1-5).

1 The 1973 song released near the close of the message music era was written by Gene McFadden, John Whitehead, Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff who were among the
   leading  and  prolific  contributors  to  the  genre  at  The Sound Of Philadelphia Record Label.  Back then and to us baby boomers and older still to this day, the song reso-
   nated because very few did not have a mother or grandmother for which the song’s lyrics did not ring true.  Tragically, this is not the case today for many children born and
   raised into a time of widespread parental self-preoccupation and selfishness.

2 Read the May 9, 2021 post, Mothers Are A Design Marvel Of God, under the category, Glory To God!

3 See the January 15, 2023 post, Rachel’s Children Live!, under the category, Instruction.

4 Lots of wine, face covered veils and darkness easily makes Jacob’s failure to notice the switch plausible.

5 In those days still close to the aftermath of Noah’s flood when genetically, family intermarriage was safe and before His Law to Israel, the Lord in His perfect will did not pro-
   hibit  Jacob’s marriage to his two cousins (Genesis 9:1, 7, 18-19, 11:27-30, 20:1-13; Leviticus 18:1-18).  In His permissive will, God permitted Jacob’s polygamy and did not
   hide in it or that of any others, the inherent pitfalls of this arrangement.  God’s perfect will for marriage is monogamy (Genesis 2:24).

6 Keeping  it  real,  a  number  also  wanted  and felt secure in the government assistance they would receive!  Bringing children into the world for any other motive or circum-
   stance  than  married  parental love is not only wrong-headed, but detrimental to the spiritual, mental and emotional well being of all concerned, but most especially the chil-
   dren.  As  I  write  in The Strong Man Of God; Back To Basics, aspiring strong men and great women of God in the image of Christ have their children in the context of mari-
   tal  love  and  to  please  God  for  the  best hope of healthy families.  Pick up a Hard or Soft Cover or E-Book Edition of my book as well as companion Strong Man Of God
   Men’s Group Study and Great Woman Of God Women’s Group Study in the Strong Man Store, among internet booksellers and brick and mortar bookstores.

7 Every male on the planet ought to appreciate the mother who bore him and any woman that bears him children!

          Long before The 1619 Project, 2021’s The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song television documentary and conservative white Christian accusation of revisionist slander through Critical Race Theory, God in the mid-1980s had birthed in my spirit a creative radio project that would even-handedly and accurately present the facts and a biblical worldview of black history.  It was in the aftermath of asking Him the question, why; why slavery and the historic suffering of my people?  As I relay in a 2019 two-part Blog, the radio project came into full length existence as the From Slavery To Victory: One Man’s Journey (FSTVOMJ) Radio Special.¹

          The just under one hour radio special was first broadcast on a Dallas, Texas station February 20 and 21, 1993.  Open Door Communication Ministries, Inc. is marking that occasion and continuing to conduct The From Slavery To Victory Education Project the program anchors with plans thirty years later to Webcast it for one year or more on the project Web Site as funding permits.²  As the writer, producer, narrator and dramatic voice in the program, I am very grateful to God to have allowed me to be His vessel in its concept and production as well as to live to see it still be relevant thirty years later!³  For the FSTVOMJ is truly of His biblical and prophetic working in these latter days.

          To be sure, the Lord leads me to draw the historical facts of the radio program from reputable scholarly American history sources black and white.  I provide a Bibliography for the program on the J-Card insert of its collectable Commemorative Cassette that includes among other well known names, Carter G. Woodson, the Founder of Black History Month.⁴  However, the biblical and prophetic content come exclusively from the Lord’s instruction in His Word and revelation since He is an Eye Witness to all of history (John 1:43-51)!  As a result, the biblical content is easily verifiable by the simple objective reading for oneself of the Scriptures cited during the program.

          The words of prophecy the Lord gave me to declare in the program have been testable all along, but especially now, thirty years later!  Briefly, God is the One who introduced the office of the prophet to Israel as His designated way for them to receive directives, information, instruction and knowledge whether past, present or future.  This was so that the holy people would not follow after the ways pagans sought information He called “an abomination,” (Deuteronomy 18:9-14, NKJV).  The Lord formally instituted the prophet’s office by promising Israel to “raise up” “a Prophet like” Moses “from your midst, from your brethren.  Him you shall hear,” (Deuteronomy 18:15-19, NKJV).⁵

          Very importantly, God also made clear how serious the office and work of the prophet is.  He made death the penalty for being a false prophet and taught the means by which the people could know whether a word of knowledge or prophecy was from Him or not.  He said, “when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him,” (Deuteronomy 18:20-22, NKJV).  Knowing all of this, I made my case for fearing God and will not be among today’s doomed false prophets (Jeremiah 23:9-32; Matthew 7:15-20)!⁶

          As the Lord gave me utterance in the FSTVOMJ radio special, I declared to black American listeners its primary target audience that beginning only a generation after slavery and in the face of His works through Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., many failed to recognize and appreciate His favor in our historical experience.  A number in selfishness and greed set about to enrich themselves and turned away from God.  Some no longer taught their children His way and others even exalted their African heritage in blasphemous idolatry.  Scores in the churches too, were disobedient to God and His Word; establishing their own righteousness, traditions and worldly priorities.  Thirty years later, the consequences have been more devastating despite the best efforts of many sinful human entities.

          Indeed, in 1993 I spoke of the sons of our community murdering each other, unwed mothers with fatherless children, drug abuse and deadly pestilence such as AIDS destroying many.  In 2020, black males were the second highest number of those murdered and fear still grips our cities.⁷  Black female headed households increased and “fewer than two-fifths of Black children were living with two married parents” according to US Census data.⁸  Fatal drug abuse continues as do HIV infections.  Too, mental illness is on the rise as are an unheard of number of black suicides.⁹  Mortal entities are powerless to reverse black America’s self-destructive course for good reason.  As the Lord led me to declare in FSTVOMJ, it is permitted by Him as judgment for rebellion and apostasy.

1 Read the two-part post that begins June 2, 2019, Message From A Redeemed Black Man, under the categories Biblical Worldview and Black History.

2 Prospective contributors can make designated gifts for the FSTVOMJ at https://fromslaverytovictory.org/Donate.  Interested advertisers reach out to us on the Contact Us
   Page.  The Webcast beginning date and time are still to be announced.

3 Why  me?  You  will have to ask God who calls and uses the one He wills without first getting the consent of sinful mortal flesh (Jeremiah 1:4-5; Galatians 1:15-16; 1 Tim-
   othy 1:12-14)!

4 Get one of the last 100 of the Commemorative Cassettes on The From Slavery To Victory Education Project Web Site.

5 The  “Prophet”  of course, is the Lord Jesus Christ, who first century Israel was still waiting for as seen in their questions of John the Baptist and his replies (John 1:19-28,
   NKJV).  Note carefully the consequence for not hearing Christ or by calling, any authentic prophet representing His office in Deuteronomy 18:18-19.

6 See the February 19, 2023 post, What Makes You Right?, under the categories Black History and God’s Glory!

7 Black male murder victims numbered 8,469 in 2020 according to statista.com.

8 See  the  2020  black  female head of household graphic at statista.com and census data US Census Bureau.  Black Americans have the highest number of single female
   parented households while paradoxically the greatest number of abortions in America as seen in KFF’s State Health Facts!

9 Concerning  drug  abuse,  see  the SAMHSA  2018 National Survey.  For HIV infection rates and deaths see the CDC and KFF Fact Sheets.  The OMH provides statistics
   on black mental health issues.