Category Archives: Christianity

What do you know about Amram and Jochebed? Probably not much, right?

Yet, God certainly knew who they were because He blessed the Levite couple with three gifted children – Miriam, Aaron, and Moses. All three grew up to be prophets who had important roles in Israel’s history.

Besides the obvious gender differences, their unique prophetic identities resulted more from their environments where they grew up, rather than from any other reasons.

Miriam and Aaron lived in Egypt as slaves for over eighty years before the exodus. Although the two faithfully reminded Israel of the promises of God, both lived under a spiritual atmosphere controlled by an evil principality – the spirit of slavery – and never really saw God’s power at work in Egypt.

But the power Miriam and Aaron did witness was demonstrated by their masters, the Egyptians, who brutally abused and murdered Israelites. These slave masters believed in a variety of Egyptian gods, such as sacred bulls and cows which were represented by golden idols. Not only that,  the Egyptians had sorcerers and magicians who conjured signs and wonders.

Thus, in Miriam’s and Aaron’s minds, God was a God who had power in the long ago past, but the Egyptian gods had power in their present day lives.

Moses had none of the problems of his siblings. He was separated from the family and raised in Pharaoh’s palace compound, away from the evil principality’s control. There he also had a behind the scene’s view of the Egyptian gods and knew they were powerless.

At the age of forty, Moses fled to Midian where he grew in the grace of God and lived in peace for forty years. Then, he had his burning bush experience, saw his rod turned into a snake, watched his hand become leprous, and then healed. Along with all this, he heard the voice of God. So Moses was primed and readied in the power of God to return to Egypt.

He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. (Psalm 103:7)

It was God’s decision where each of the three prophets lived.

He stationed Miriam and Aaron in Egypt to remind the Israelites of the promises of God and prepare them for their eventual deliverance.  Both received special grace to perform their callings.

But it was Moses who God specifically chose to lead Israel out of Egypt and to the Promised Land. Why did God choose Moses, rather than Miriam or Aaron? Because it was His sovereign decision. Period.

Miriam and Aaron did suffer a sibling moment when they looked down their noses at their baby brother, Moses.

So Miriam and Aaron said, “Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” And the LORD heard it.

“I speak with Moses face to face, even plainly and not in dark sayings; and he sees the form of God. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?” (Numbers 12:2,8)

God quickly dealt with Miriam’s and Aaron’s rebellion to Moses’ leadership authority. But I believe God remembered the pair’s faithfulness in Egypt when He corrected them.

A little later, Korah, Dathan, Abiram, On, and two hundred fifty other leaders rebelled in much the same way as Miriam and Aaron had against Moses’ authority. This group did not receive slaps on their wrists like Miriam and Aaron suffered, but instead, they and their families were killed by God.

These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age. (1 Corinthians 10:11)

I believe the Lord is ready to send apostles and prophets into the inner cities of America to help set black people free. The apostles and prophets will be mainly white males, because for the most part, whites have grown up outside of the inner cities and away from the spirit of slavery’s control. And males? The spiritual warfare will be physically tough and demanding, with possible riots and jail cells awaiting the participants.

I believe this is the Lord’s plan, but we whites need to guard our hearts and walk in humility. Because eventually out of the inner cities will come a black river of apostles and prophets flowing to the cities and towns of America to deliver our nation from the spirit of religion.

So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.” (Matthew 20:16)

(Conclusion)

God helps those who help themselves.

75% of American Christians believe the above phrase is one of the central themes of the Bible. Plus a majority of believers even rank the phrase as one of the best known Bible verses.

Yet, both assumptions are false. Thus, the above popular phrase reflects the unfamiliarity we Christians have with the Bible and the God of the Bible.

You see, without the Father’s grace and mercy, we believers are helpless weaklings, able to accomplish little in the world. We can’t save ourselves. We can’t deliver ourselves from the kingdom of darkness. In fact,  what can we do without God’s help?

“Stupid is as stupid does,” said the mother to little Forrest Gump in the movie by the same name. Her words accurately state what we can do without God’s help.

Yet, not only are we believers dependent on God’s help, but we also need God’s chosen representatives to help us.

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:20)

For which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. (Ephesians 6:20)

The Greek word presbeuō is used only twice in the New Testament and is translated into the English word ambassador both times.

Now, I know most of us look at the word ambassador in these two verses and think all Christians can be described as such. In the general sense, this is probably true, but Paul did not use the term in a general sense. He specifically used it to describe himself and his group.

What was Paul? He was an apostle.

The Greek word apostolos is translated into the English word apostle. It actually means a person sent on a mission with orders, an emissary, or envoy.

Ding! Dong! The meaning for apostolos and the two synonyms – emissary and envoy – also describe perfectly the word ambassador.

Thus, when Paul said he was an ambassador, he was referring to himself as an apostle and that he had specific orders backing his mission.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)

In the above verses of Ephesians, Paul spoke to all of us Christians, saying our main battles are not against other people, but against Satan and his horde of demons. Paul then gave instructions on how we could stand in battles through the armor of God, the shield of faith, sword of the Spirit, helmet of salvation, and prayer.

But nowhere in Ephesians 6, does Paul state how we can win the battle, only how to stay strong in battles, which speaks more about our defensive strategies.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. (2 Corinthians 10:4-6)

In the above passage in 2 Corinthians, Paul relates how to win spiritual warfare battles in regions, but his use of the pronouns we and our do not refer to all of us Christians. The pronouns specifically referred to Paul and his apostolic group, and by extension to all apostles.

Ambassadors? Apostles? Inner Cities? White men? How will all this work out?

(Continued in Part 5)

Four years ago, I had an online discussion with a well-known leader in the social justice Christian movement. The exchange resulted from an article I had written, suggesting someone, like a Priscilla or Aquila, needed to mentor this leader in the ways of the Lord. He commented on my article and thus our discussion began.

He was a great guy, loved the Lord, lived in an inner city black community, and used his earnings from book sales and speaking tours to fund inner city works. So, unlike most of us Christians, he not only talked the talk, but he walked the walk.

Our big disagreement was not over whether or not we should help inner city blacks, but instead, on how it should be carried out.

His major points centered on:

1. Large corporations, from 1619 until today, have caused irreparable damages to generations of blacks. Thus, these corporations should be held accountable for their actions and pay financial reparations to blacks.

2. The American government has a racist history and also needs to offer financial reparations to inner city blacks.

“Okay,” I wrote back to him, “if your two major points are carried out, will the problems of the inner cities be settled once and for all?”

He believed most problems would be handled and that abortion – the number one killer of African-Americans – would also drop significantly because poverty would be lessened.

I disagreed.

Sadly, large corporations, governments, and whites have crippled inner city blacks throughout American history. But even so, I do not believe that enacting his two major points will change inner city lives much at all. Oh, the blacks may be more comfortable for a period of time, but the core problems will still remain.

You see, the inner cities’ main problem is not poverty, but instead, it is iniquity.

Unlike sins or transgressions, iniquity is a second-nature sin which has become a part of the people’s personalities and attitudes. It is often passed down to the children through ancestral lines or it may be received by surrendering oneself to the evil principality over that region.

The only way to remove iniquity is to have a deliverance move of the Holy Spirit whereby people accept the truth and God’s mercy, and also embrace the fear of the Lord.

And to have a deliverance move of the Holy Spirit in the inner cities of America, it is going to take believers who are willing to engage in spiritual warfare the spirit of slavery, which controls America’s inner cities.

Okay, let’s say I know what I am talking about. How can it be successfully done?

Here is the fly in the ointment. You see, it will mostly be white males who are qualified to help deliver the inner city. That’s right! The same race and gender who enslaved blacks in the first place.

Why? How? What?

(Continued in Part 4)

With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and collapse of Russia in 1991, some interesting facts were eventually learned about KGB disinformation attacks on America. Two notable ones stand out.

First, during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s, KGB agents in America sent racist letters to newspapers and African-American leaders to stoke racial fires. All it cost the KGB was a little time reading the newspapers, typing paper, envelopes, and stamps.

Second, the KGB helped fund and back the anti-Vietnam War movement. They spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on this effort.

So, two of America’s biggest wounds – still open and bleeding today – were aided and effectively undermined by Russia, our Cold War enemy at the time.

Sadly, if this happened back in the low tech days of the 1960’s and 1970’s, how much easier would it be to do something like that today?

We are in the midst of what many proclaim is the most important election cycle in the history of the United States. Both parties are spending at least $6 billion to elect their candidates to various offices. Supposedly, each candidate has his voting constituents in mind, right?

Well, which presidential candidate has talked about possible upcoming race wars? Which party has given it voice? What about the media? What about white preachers? Or black preachers? Or anybody?

The answers to all of these questions are – with rare exceptions – none.

Why?

Because if anyone takes a stand on possible race wars, he will be labeled as a racist and his name will be smeared throughout the media. What politician or religious leader is willing to suffer such pain to his reputation and billfold?

Yet, hundreds of incidents by flash mobs filled with black youths have happened over the last few months in major cities throughout America. They have robbed stores. They have beaten up whites. And they have succeeded without ever being held accountable by the media, by political leaders, or anyone.

The black flash mobs are the result of rebellion, which is a sin, much like witchcraft.  Sin, like fire, is never satisfied because it always hungers for more and more.

And who knows? Maybe these young blacks are being stirred up by Al Quaeda, Hamas, or some other terrorist groups through the internet, Facebook, or Twitter to start up race wars.

All of this really enraged me the other day as I remembered the following:

In 1998, I had a vivid vision of an upcoming race war between African-Americans and white Americans. The war did not take place, at first, in the inner cities, but rather, it occurred in the suburbs, the bedrock of white America.

It began with bands of rage-filled black youths attacking suburban areas with AK-47s, grenades, bazookas, and other weapons, killing white people indiscriminately. I saw bodies of white children, mothers, fathers, and seniors lying on the ground, their blue eyes staring upward and blood oozing from wounds. The young blacks stood over the bodies waving their AK-47s in the air and giving each other “high fives” for their successful outpouring of wrath.

In the next part of the vision, I watched white armies and bounty hunters tracking down and slaughtering black youths. The African-American rage and hatred toward white America was finally appeased when that generation of black youths was buried and gone. (How to Defuse the Upcoming Race War, March 28, 2012)

What can we – especially us men – do to help stop race wars from happening in America?

(Continued in Part 3)