There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. —Soren Kierkegaard. "…truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity–it is simply true and that is the end of it" – Os Guinness, Time for Truth, pg.39. “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” – Blaise Pascal. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. We live in a “post-truth” world. According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Going beyond the MSM idealogical opinion/bias and their low information tabloid reality show news with a distractional superficial focus on entertainment, sensationalism, emotionalism and activist reporting – this blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
When crisis comes, it is a natural instinct to reach out to others to ask them to pray for us. We are told to pray for each other in the Scriptures. There is power in prayer. But there is a subtle lie that the enemy tries to tell us. It is easy to slip into agreement with it because it feels true. The lie is this: “Your prayers aren’t powerful enough.” This often leads us to believe that we need to find someone “super spiritual” who has a “better connection to God” in order for our circumstances to change.
But that is not true! Each of us has the best intercessors that will ever exist. Jesus intercedes on our behalf to the Father (Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25), and the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf to the Father (Romans 8:26-27). It is the beauty of the Trinity. God is one, but He is also three. So, Jesus, who is God, is praying to the Father, who is God, along with the Holy Spirit, who is God. They are praying with understanding of our weakened state and with perfect knowledge of God’s will.
Our role in intercession is to get ourselves aligned with what Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are already praying on our behalf.
But they are not just an intercessory team to fix things for you. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are Persons to be known, cherished, adored, and worshiped. In the Trinity we see perfect unity in relationship. From the beginning they said, “Let us made man in our image.” The fullness of God was present when you were created and is available to you today.
There is no way we can comprehend everything about who God is. John Wesley said, “Bring me a worm that can comprehend a man, and I will show you a man that can comprehend the Triune God.” Even though God cannot be fully comprehended, He can be known. There is much written in the Scriptures if we take the time to look for it. There is such richness and depth to who God is as Father, as Son, and as Holy Spirit.
What difference would it make in your situations if you see them through the perspective that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in their uniqueness and unity, are available for you to lean into and draw on?
Triune God, I want to seek You and find You in all things. I want to be with You, listen to You, and get in sync with Your heartbeat. Father in me, Jesus in me, Holy Spirit in me, let me live with Your reality very near, filling my spirit. Amen
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful that promised.
HEBREWS 10:23
At first thought it may sound strange to you—but I cannot recommend that we have faith in “faith.”
There is a good deal of preaching that is devoted only to faith. As a result, people have faith in “faith”—and are inclined to forget that our confidence is not in the power of faith but in the person and work of the Saviour, Jesus Christ.
We have full confidence in Jesus Christ—and that is the origin and source and foundation and resting place for all of our faith. In the kingdom of faith, we are dealing with Him, with God Almighty, the One whose essential nature is holiness, the One who cannot lie.
Our confidence rises as the character of God becomes greater and more beautiful and more trustworthy to our spiritual comprehension. The One with whom we deal is the One before whom goes faithfulness and truth.
Actually there is a great difference between believing God and having confidence in Him because of His character, instead of believing that the things of God can be proven and grasped by human reason.
So, this is the confidence we have in Him. Faith mounts up on its long, heavenly boots—up the mountain top, up toward the shining peaks, and says in satisfaction: “If God says it, I know it is so!”
It is the character of God Himself—the One who cannot lie—that gives us this confidence!1
In counseling session, I inadvertently lean on a pillow that emits a faint electronic warble. I only hear it subconsciously, as I am deeply engaged in the conversation. Then it happens again and I look down and discover my pillow is screaming at me. An electronic chip inside is responding to the pressure of my elbow. On the face of the pillow is a rendering of Edvard Munch’s famous 19th century expressionism painting, “The Scream” that wavy image of a wide-open mouth and gaunt, skeletal face cradled in the hands of its own desperation. You may have seen it rendered as a popular Halloween mask. It has become a universal depiction of the cry of the human heart.
In the painting, the screaming victim is standing on a bridge with a red, turbulent sky behind him and two figures in the background. In the artist’s own words, the inspiration for this painting came when an unexplainable sense of dread overcame him while out walking with two of his friends. “My friends walked on, I stood there, trembling with fear. And I sensed a great, infinite scream pass through nature.”
Until I read this description, I saw the figures as approaching and for some reason coming after the screaming victim, but according to the artist, the two figures have passed on ahead, seemingly oblivious to whatever it was that gripped him with fear. This underlines even more the loneliness expressed. His companions have their backs turned on his desperation. They are no help to him. Only he can hear the scream; and their apparent disinterest makes you feel the scream is silent.
This is not a painting of a human being on a bridge surrounded by landscape; it is an abstract capturing of the human soul. It is a painting of the state of mind that people are in today. We live in a time of momentous fear. Terrorism and economic hardship grip many people, but their screams are mostly silent. Those who could help are walking away.
Prayer is the never-failing resort of the Christian in any case, in every plight. When you cannot use your sword you may take to the weapon of all-prayer. Your powder may be damp, your bow-string may be relaxed, but the weapon of all-prayer need never be out of order. Leviathan laughs at the javelin, but he trembles at prayer. Sword and spear need furbishing, but prayer never rusts, and when we think it most blunt it cuts the best. Prayer is an open door which none can shut. Devils may surround you on all sides, but the way upward is always open, and as long as that road is unobstructed, you will not fall into the enemy’s hand. We can never be taken by blockade, escalade, mine, or storm, so long as heavenly succours can come down to us by Jacob’s ladder to relieve us in the time of our necessities. Prayer is never out of season: in summer and in winter its merchandise is precious. Prayer gains audience with heaven in the dead of night, in the midst of business, in the heat of noonday, in the shades of evening. In every condition, whether of poverty, or sickness, or obscurity, or slander, or doubt, your covenant God will welcome your prayer and answer it from his holy place. Nor is prayer ever futile. True prayer is evermore true power. You may not always get what you ask, but you shall always have your real wants supplied. When God does not answer his children according to the letter, he does so according to the spirit. If thou askest for coarse meal, wilt thou be angered because he gives thee the finest flour? If thou seekest bodily health, shouldst thou complain if instead thereof he makes thy sickness turn to the healing of spiritual maladies? Is it not better to have the cross sanctified than removed? This evening, my soul, forget not to offer thy petition and request, for the Lord is ready to grant thee thy desires.1
“You do not know about tomorrow. What is your life like? For you are a puff of smoke that appears for a short time and then vanishes.” James 4:14
Recently, as I walked along the streets of Seattle, I became intrigued with the golden inserts in the sidewalks. As I stopped at one intersection, one in particular caught my attention. It said:
“I always knew that someday I would travel this road but yesterday I did not know it would be today.”
It reminded me of how casually I live my life, not considering that tomorrow could be totally different than anything I could have ever expected or for that matter, for me, tomorrow might not even exist. James tells us that my life is like a puff of smoke that appears for a short time and then vanishes. John Wesley said that life is like an arrow shot from a bow and passing swiftly over the sea of time.
Life is short and fragile and everyday is a gift. No one has ever gotten out of this world alive. We indeed all know that someday we will travel that road, but as the plaque in the sidewalk inferred, we know not when.
As an attorney, I have written hundreds of wills for clients and their focus is usually on what will happen with their estate when they die. I remind them that estate planning does focus on death, but it also ought to focus on life planning as well.. what you will do and how you will use your resources for your remaining days, however many that may be.
So, it is a reminder to live our lives more focused on the limitation of time we have on earth and how we can best use it for good and for God. Here are some thoughts and suggestions:
Live each day as if it were going to be our last. Never go to bed without resolving internal turmoil of external relationships that need to be resolved with others.
Be prepared to meet God face to face at any time by making sure you have made the right decisions about your relationship with Jesus and your salvation is secure. After all, the next life will be a lot longer and more important than this one.
Make sure that each day you live and love life the way God would want you to.
Live, laugh and experience each day to the fullest, so that when you die, you will have no regrets, no reservations and that you will be prepared to receive the greatest revelation of your life.
Take your eyes off your circumstances and focus on your relationship with God.
And, above all else make sure that you live each day with praise on your lips, love in your heart and worship in your soul and make sure that when the roll is called up yonder you will be there.
AND certain men which came down (to Antioch) from Judæa taught the brethren, and said, except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.
It was time that this question was settled once for all, before division grew up as the result of it. The first question—“Can the Gentiles be saved?” had been answered; the second was the one before us—“Must they not be circumcised?”
4 And when, they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.
5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. (The old leaven showed itself. How closely do old ways and thoughts cling to even regenerate men!)
6 ¶ And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.
7–11 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe, And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith, Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. (This is the vital doctrine of Christianity—salvation by grace, and that grace revealed in our crucified Lord. Luther says, “We must not yield nor give up this article though heaven and earth should perish.” Peter’s short and telling speech was a noble contribution to the Gentile cause.)
12 Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. (These addresses would have great weight in the discussion.)
13–17 ¶ And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.
18, 19 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:
20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. (Thus James summed up the evidence, and the brethren saw their way clear to a decision which was hearty and unanimous. Barnabas and Silas were sent to Antioch with a letter containing the opinion which had been so ably stated by James and supported by the whole body of disciples. Oh, that all disputes among Christians could be settled in such a manner!)
30, 31 So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle: Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation. (And a great comfort it was, for the saints were confirmed in their freedom from the Jewish yoke, those who troubled them were silenced, and the Gentiles were still further encouraged to receive the gospel. The Antioch Christians had done well to seek a settlement of a vexed question.)
“He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.” Psalm 18:17-19
Recently friends of mine said goodbye to their baby girl. She had been fighting a hard battle and God chose to heal her in Heaven rather than here on earth. Like David in Psalm 18, they faced the day of their disaster. Also like David, they have found that even though the foe was too strong, God was their support.
I don’t know what your life looks like today. You may be facing a situation that is too strong for you. Perhaps you feel like you’re standing on one leg and just one more thing will tip you over. Maybe you feel like your feet have been kicked out from under you. If that sounds familiar, take another look at
Psalm 18:27, “the Lord was my support.”
Be assured that God will rescue you. He sees you where you are today. He hears your prayers. Deliverance and redemption are coming. He will rescue you because He delights in you.
Psalm 18:6 says, “In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.”
If you are crying out to God today, know that He hears you. He will respond and he will not abandon you.
God, Thank you for this promise that You hear me. You will respond and You will deliver me. I may feel overwhelmed, but I will not be overwhelmed. You are the God who calms the storm, the One while brings me back to a safe harbor. Thank you for loving me far more than I can understand. Calm my beating heart today. Thank you that You are ‘the strength of my heart and my portion forever’. In Your name I pray, Amen
Thought: Is there someone in your life who is facing a strong foe today? Take some time to pray for him or her. Ask God to show you additional ways that you can encourage their family.
61:10I and the parallel My soul refer to personified Zion. Rejoice is translated “joy” in v. 3 (65:18). Clothed signifies the Servant’s new glorified status or condition (47:2; 52:1; 59:17). Ornaments is translated “beauty” in v. 3. bride: For a similar image, see 49:18.1
61:10 clothed me … wrapped me. Here is the OT picture of imputed righteousness, the essential heart of the New Covenant. When a penitent sinner recognizes he can’t achieve his own righteousness by works (see notes on Ro 3:19–22; 2Co 5:21; Php 3:8, 9), and repents and calls on the mercy of God, the Lord covers him with His own divine righteousness by grace through his faith.2
61:10 The church as Christ’s bride is given beautiful clothing (Rev. 19:8; see Eph. 5:25–27).3
61:10I will rejoice greatly in Yahweh The speaker shifts from Yahweh to either Zion or the Servant. If it is Zion, it is rejoicing in the salvation Yahweh has brought. If the Servant, he is rejoicing over the salvation made possible through him.
as a bridegroom adorns himself with a head wrap like a priest The bridegroom and bride imagery is later used to describe Christ and the Church. Here, the speaker identifies with both bride and bridegroom; the analogy focuses on the care and attention that went into the adornment.4
61:10 I. Zion is represented here as having received the blessings described in v. 3, for example, joy and the garments of praise. To be “clothed” with something is a common figure for a change in status or condition (52:1; Zech. 3:3–5; Matt. 22:11).5
61:10 Isaiah broke out in a hymn of praise in response to the pronouncement he had just delivered. He used the theme of clothing to describe his taking on God’s salvation and righteousness. These were not just any clothes but the clothes of a bride. This image implies the metaphor of God as husband of his people.6
4 Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Is 61:10). Lexham Press.
I’ve felt overwhelmed a few times this past while – caught in the too little, too late, too many, too much syndrome. More than once, my time or wisdom or energy or patience seemed sorely outmatched by the need of the moment. It’s like trying to extinguish a forest fire with a garden hose, fight a war with a pea shooter, navigate chaos in a row-boat.
Can you relate?
What do you do when that happens?
Here’s what I do: run around in rapid circles and scream like a 4-year old.
But that never seems to work (though the screaming brings minor and short-term relief, and has the added benefit of terrifying my neighbor’s cats). So my next and better resort is to sit down and shut up. I am learning (ever so slowly) to convert my inadequacy into fresh dependency on God and, through that, a fresh discovery of God’s sufficiency. God is in the habit of calling us down into valleys deeper and darker than our courage can bear, out onto waters rougher and wider than our stomachs can handle, up atop mountains taller and steeper than our strength can endure. It’s in those places where we expend the last ounce of our own courage and calm and strength, and either fail miserably or come face-to-face with the living God.
I met this week with a friend who two years ago failed miserably. He got out on the water, panicked, and sank. But even in the depths, God was there. He came face-to-face. It is making all the difference.
I think when Peter walked on the water, Jesus knew full well what would happen: first he’d do fine, pirouetting on the waves, and then he’d lose nerve and start plummeting. The bigness of the waves overwhelmed him. But I think Jesus set it up for Peter to learn afresh his complete inadequacy in order to admit his utmost dependency in order to discover God’s total sufficiency.
So if you’re running around in rapid circles and screaming like a 4-year old (or your version thereof), try this instead: shut up, sit down, and rediscover the living God. Convert your inadequacy into your dependency and there find His sufficiency.
Ezekiel 12:28 — Interesting to compare this to Peter’s words in 2 Peter 3:4.
Ezekiel 13:6 — The sin of presumption to speak on God’s behalf is quite serious. I was reading a book on Christian ministry leadership, and it shared that leaders need to be careful in saying “God told me that we need to do this” because when presenting an opportunity to your trusted counselors (Proverbs 15:22), it’s hard to argue with God. And if God didn’t tell you this – “But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die” (Deuteronomy 18:20).
Ezekiel 13:18 – What’s all this about pillows? From the Pulpit Commentary:
Ezekiel’s minute description, though it is from a different standpoint, reminds us of that in Isaiah 3:18-26. In both cases there are the difficulties inseparable from the fact that he had seen what he describes, and that we have not; and that he uses words which were familiar enough then, but are now found nowhere else. so that (as in the case of the ἐξουσία of 1 Corinthians 11:10) we have to guess their meaning. The picture which he draws of a false prophetess is obviously taken from the life, and the dress, we can scarcely doubt, was one that belonged to her calling.
Ezekiel 14:1 — Just what every religious leader wants: high ranking political figures to schmooze with … right!? This isn’t a group of religious leaders with the President, but a group of political leaders sitting before one religious leader.
Ezekiel 14:6 — No warm platitudes for the political figures of ancient Israel! They are idolaters (Ezekiel 14:3), they were warned by God (Ezekiel 14:4) Who called for their repentance (Ezekiel 14:6) and threatened them with divine excommunication (Ezekiel 14:8).
Ezekiel 14:11 — Why does God judge His people? So that they may be His people, and He can be their God. God is a jealous God (Exodus 34:14). He will not share His glory (Isaiah 42:8).
Hebrews 7:3 — Was Melchizedek a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ? Or … was he shown to be a type of Christ because his lineage wasn’t recorded? Hard to say.
Hebrews 7:8 — The Israelite priests were mortal (Hebrews 7:8), “better” than the people (Hebrews 7:7), and they received the tithes (Hebrews 7:5). But there is someone greater than the Levitical Priests because Abraham paid tithes to this person (Hebrews 7:9). In effect the Jews were paying tithes to the priests in exchange for a blessing. But the priests (through great Father Abraham) paid someone else for a blessing. Because Jesus was the King, he must be of the tribe of Judah. To be the Priest, though, he did not have to be from the tribe of Levi; He only needed to be from the tribe of Melchizedek.
Psalm 105:37 — Notice God’s abundant provision for those who lack:
money – silver and gold (Psalm 105:37)
light – fire in the night (Psalm 105:39)
food – quails and bread (Psalm 105:40)
water – gushing from the rock (Psalm 105:41)
property – lands of the heathen (Psalm 105:44)
Let’s join with the Psalmist and shout Hallelujah! Praise ye the LORD!
Proverbs 27:3 — Got the idea that Solomon did not suffer fools? Don’t let your “mentorees” grow up to be fools!
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My father was raised in a “Churched” family and my mother was not. She knew nothing about spiritual things until late in life. It wasn’t until after Dad had passed away that we found out about his spiritual life. He had been very involved in the church. Because he could read and write Finn as well as English he did a lot of translating for the church and even wrote articles for their church magazine. Yet the only spiritual leadership my father gave was in allowing us the freedom to go to Church or Sunday School but there was never any mention of God in our house.
Uncle Ike, Dad’s brother, showed us several of the articles that Dad had written and went on to say that Dad had been very much involved until he went into the army. For whatever reason this changed him and he turned his back on the Church.
Mom never gave any instruction because she had none to give. But I remember Aunt Jessie, Dad’s sister, writing letters every once in awhile that would include some encouraging words from the Bible. Mom would tell Dad, “It’s from your religious sister!!” He would just say, “Uh.” But Mom would read them and she would let us read them too if we wanted to. I would read them and always found them to be comforting. Although I wouldn’t tell anyone else that. They might call me a ‘religious nut’ too!
And I wonder how many people are the same way. If there was no spiritual instruction in the home where would the spiritual teaching come from? How do we react to ‘religious nuts’. Are we being ‘nutty‘ enough to give comfort to those around us? As a pastor I am always meeting people needing comfort. As a Christian, I know that the only real comfort comes through knowing Jesus. He is the one that calms the raging storms that come in our lives. It is through our faith in Him that we find true comfort.
My Prayer for you this week:
“Lord I pray that you would rebuke the wind and the raging waters; that the storms will subside, and all will be calm. Give us faith. Amen” Luke 8:24 & 25
When called to serve or to suffer, we take stock of our strength, and we find it to be less than we thought and less than we need. But let not our heart sink within us while we have such a word as this to fall back upon, for it guarantees us all that we can possibly need. God has strength omnipotent; that strength He can communicate to us; and His promise is that He will do so. He will be the food of our souls and the health of our hearts; and thus He will give us strength. There is no telling how much power God can put into a man. When divine strength comes, human weakness is no more a hindrance.
Do we not remember seasons of labor and trial in which we received such special strength that we wondered at ourselves? In the midst of danger we were calm, under bereavement we were resigned, in slander we were self-contained, and in sickness we were patient. The fact is that God gives unexpected strength when unusual trials come upon us, We rise out of our feeble selves. Cowards play the man, foolish ones have wisdom given them, and the silent receive in the self-same hour what they shall speak, My own weakness makes me shrink, but God’s promise makes me brave. Lord, strengthen me “according to thy word.”
“Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life.Isaiah 38:5 (NIV)
Judy’s brother died unexpectedly of cancer. Feeling sad and lonely Judy spent a lot of time crying, worried about her own mortality. One night during a time of many tears, she awoke from a sound sleep. She sat up in bed and said, Isaiah 38:5
She laughed and spoke aloud to herself, Did I just sayIsaiah 38:5?
She lay back down, intending to fall back to sleep. Then the thought came, ‘Was this from God?’
Judy didn’t even know how many chapters were in the book of Isaiah!
So she found a Bible and read, ‘I have heard your prayer and seen your tears.‘
Oh, what comfort!
Judy said, ‘I don’t have to cry. God has already seen my tears.’
Yes, friend, God knows all about your trials. He will comfort you if you’ll go to Him in prayer.
I will call upon the Lord Who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.
Refrain The Lord liveth and blessed be my Rock And let the God of my salvation be exalted! The Lord liveth and blessed be my Rock And let the God of my salvation be exalted!
“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”Zephaniah 3:17
The temperature was just right, a summer evening like I love them. My pal and I sat outside with our friends, amused, as they bombarded us with questions they couldn’t keep to themselves. “You are young and healthy, you’ve got your life ahead of yourself. What is it that you need in this Jesus thing?” They couldn’t grasp how we could find joy in Christ, nor what pleasure we could take in our new-found faith.
Christianity, contrary to what some may think — or even practice — is not about a stack of religious instructions that promise to make you pious. Following Christ is a privilege developed out of a relationship of love, freedom, passion, and joy. When you recognize your need for the Savior, and accept His sacrifice for you, it is far more than anything this world can offer.
This powerful relationship goes both ways. In the third chapter of the book of Zephaniah, we read of the people of God who turned away from their Father. But then the prophet explains what happens when His children return to Him: “He will take great delight in you. He will rejoice over you with singing.” He promises to forget your wrong doing, and marvels over you with loving tenderness, singing His joy over your coming back to Him.
Look no longer to your past. Move forward with Jesus. Rejoice in the God who rejoices in you when you place your faith in Him. Whether you have been a believer for five seconds or five decades, this promise applies to your life, daily.
God, I want to learn to rejoice in you every single day. Joy and peace are not created by circumstances, but by faith. Set a fire and a joy in my heart for all things concerning you. My life is yours. Amen.
I try to keep an eye out for any podcasts that look really good, and when I saw one of our former Knight and Rose Show guests (Dr. Luskin) being interviewed by another former Knight and Rose Show guest (Dr. Frank Turek) on a very interesting topic: the shortcomings of the Darwinian theory of origins. In this post, you’ll find a YouTube video, a link to the MP3 file, and an outline of topics.
In the episode, they discuss the change of heart that some evolutionists are having as the evidence turns against their theory. We talked about the evidence from junk DNA with Dr. Luskin, but he talks about a bunch of different topics in this episode with Dr. Turek.
Stay tuned, because we have a guest scheduled to discuss another topic in the design vs evolution debate. That episode will probably be out in January, though. We got the best guest that you could possibly get on this topic! And we have a couple more topics and guests in mind for later.
“Honor Christ and let him be the Lord of your life. Always be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about your hope.” 1 Peter 3:15 (CEV)
Most of us have long time friends we really want to talk to about our faith in God.
It seems hard to bring up the topic. Here are some suggestions:
First, pray: Bill Bright once said, “Talk to God about people before you talk to people about God.” Pray that God would prepare their hearts. My mom did not become a Christian till she was 54. One of her friends prayed for 25 years.
Second, ask questions: One of my favorite is, “I’m curious do you ever think about God or the spiritual side of life?” A few others… “Do you have any kind of religious background? If you could know there is a God and know him personally, would you want to? Do you think there is life after death? What would be your hope of getting into heaven?”
Third, tell your story: A clear simple testimony of the reason faith in Christ is significant to you is hard to beat. Here’s my story. Notice its short, 4 minutes. It’s not preaching it’s telling the story of my experience with Christ and the specific impact on your life.
Fourth, take them to things and introduce them to people that might help them connect with Christ: The more people that they meet who are genuine Christ followers, the greater the chance they will understand how Christ changes lives. For example, if they are into sports take them to hear a Christian athlete. If a student, meet other students, if a business person, someone in business…
Fifth... Pray some more! Don’t be afraid to give them an article to read. One of my favorites is, “Would you like to know God Personally? By Bill Bright.
In times of disaster, crisis, or emergency, God is with us. Pray His Word as He meets us where we are.
Give thanks to God in every circumstance. He is always good. (Phil 4:4) (Ps 34:7-3) (7 Thess 5:18)
Pray for people to reach out to God in times of crisis, to seek God in prayer, to see their need for God, and ultimately be saved. (Jn 3:76-77)
Pray for human life to be spared. (Ps 34:4-7) (2 Cor 7:10)
Pray that people would ask God about the situation-“ls God telling us something?” (7 Sam 3:10)
Pray that citizens would help each other prepare before the crisis and after. (Mt 5:42) (Mt 25:35-36)
Pray for peace for residents who are hopeless, scared, alone, or mourning. (Ps 23:4) (Ps 46:7-3)
Pray that there would be no price gouging or scams, but instead generosity. (Ps 3127)
Pray for first responders-for their safety and families-they often have crisis situations of their own. (Ps 97)
Pray for wise decisions by local government about aid, evacuation plans, safety directions, and law enforcement. (I Tim 2:1-2) (Pr 19:8)
Pray for law enforcement who keep the peace, rescue, assist, and comfort residents. (Mat 5:9)
Pray for organizations who help in crisis-for wise use of funds and for the ability to meet critical needs. (Phil 2:7-4)
Pray for open hearts of people around the nation-to give, to help, and to pray for those who are in crisis. (Pr 22:9) (Ps 86:6-7)
Pray for doctors, nurses, and health care professionals who are treating patients. (7 Thess 7:2)
Pray for healing of the sick and injured. (Ja 5:73-74)
Pray for the elderly and for children-the most vulnerable among us. (Ps 82:3-4) (Lk 70:25-37)
Pray for churches and leaders reaching out in times of crisis. Ask God to give them grace and opportunities to be the hands and feet of Christ at a time when people need help. (Mt 9:37-38)
Pray for businesses who are affected. Pray for hope, swift recovery, and for the will to rebuild and provide for their families and others. (Ja 5:7-8) (Phil 4:19)
Pray for the community. Pray for citizens to rebuild; schools, stores, and businesses to reopen; and for order to emerge. (Heb 13:18)
Pray for God to be glorified. Pray for the crisis to bring opportunities for Christians to share their faith, see God move, tell others about answered prayer, and build faith in the community. (Ps 40:7-5)
“Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8
In our well-intended effort to protect our children from the effects of an increasingly secular and self-absorbed culture, I wonder if we are growing spindly saplings instead of sturdy oaks?
Children are naturally curious about anything they perceive as ‘forbidden fruit‘. Have you ever watched a toddler who has been told ‘don’t touch‘. As soon as the parent’s head is turned, little fingers reach toward the hot oven door, wet paint or sharp knife.
How much better it would be to read together the questionable book, sit side by side during the dubious movie or television program, and then discuss the subject in light of our being called citizens of the Kingdom of God.
First-century Christ followers were not all adults. Children also lived under the reign of godless tyrants. They, too, were slandered for their faith. Entire families lived in caves. They were stripped of the support of extended family as they became ‘scattered exiles‘. (1 Peter 1:1).
It is wise to support seedlings fresh out of moist earth, but robust trees are formed when they learn to bear the hot sun, drenching rain and howling winds. Only then do the trees create seeds which abundantly reproduce.
Lord, you know how much I want to protect my children from all harm and evil. You understand how my heart breaks when they make poor choices. Teach me how and when to intervene so they will be strong enough to withstand all that life throws at them.
How should Christians think about the upcoming elections in America?
Christians can differ on all sorts of things, and that includes how we might deal with politics and elections. But as even non-believers understand, the November 5 election in the United States will be hugely significant – for good or ill. Believers especially need to think clearly and biblically about all this.
What I have to say here will not be anything radically new, and will be all rather familiar to even irregular readers of mine. But it is worth writing this piece anyway, and for several reasons:
Repetition of ideas can be good and helpful.
Some of my newer readers might benefit from it.
Restating basic biblical truths never goes astray
This election will be very important indeed, impacting not just America but the whole world.
So, let me offer a list of vital realities that must be remembered as we approach this momentous election. And let me state at the outset that I write as a Protestant evangelical. So that is where I am coming from. That is my ‘bias’. But what I say here should be of value to all Christians of all stripes.
With each of these points, I will also offer a link to an earlier article of mine that sought to make my case in much more detail, so feel free to check those out as well. Here then, are ten key points that we all need to keep in mind as we approach this election:
One. Sadly, there are too many Christians who foolishly think that politics and political involvement really do not matter. They think they should have nothing to do with the political process, and they are somehow being spiritual for doing so. This is a recipe for disaster, and it is wrong on so many levels.
We are called to be salt and light. We are called to see the Lordship of Christ extend over every area of life. We are called to see God glorified in all things. This includes the political realm. And as has been said so often, if we take no interest in politics, that does not mean it will take no interest in us. Politics and elections matter, and we need to be faithful stewards in this area as in all others.
Two. Related to this, some Christians – far too many, in fact – actually think that they can just sit this one out. They are not thrilled with either candidate, and will simply not bother to vote. As I said in an earlier piece, one report found that 32 million regular churchgoing Christians will not vote this time.
But not to vote is to vote. If millions of evangelicals – who tend to be more politically conservative, and for good reason – refuse to vote, then that will just hand the election to Kamala. Their non-vote really will be a vote – for the other side. And God will hold us accountable both for what we do and what we do not do. Sins of omission are just as serious as sins of commission.
Three. No perfect candidates exist. If you are waiting for a perfect marriage partner, you will never marry. If you are waiting for a perfect pastor, you will never attend church. The same here: if you are waiting for a perfect political candidate, you will never vote. All this is obvious. In a fallen world, there are no perfect people, and there are no perfect institutions and no perfect anything.
Perfection eludes us in this life, so we must make do with what is at hand. Perfectionists and purists might think they are on the high moral ground here, but the opposite is true. Their faulty views mean that much worse can and will happen.
Four. Related to this, we must remember that the best is often the enemy of the good. Because every candidate, politician, political party and policy is flawed and imperfect, we are simply living in dreamland, and not biblical reality, if we expect otherwise. Forget about sitting around waiting for a perfect anything to come along. The perfect just will not be coming in this world. Only in the next world will we find perfection.
Sadly the purists among us – including the Christian purists – are part of the problem here. Because they demand perfection or nothing, then end up getting nothing. A lot of good that does. See more on this here.
Five. Because of those above truths, we are only left with choosing between the lesser of two evils in an election like this. The reason is clear: only evil people exist. Yes, some sinners have come to Christ in faith and repentance and are seeking to become more Christlike and less evil – it is the lifelong process of sanctification. So to disparage the idea of ‘the lesser of two evils’ is to flee from biblical realism and to engage in wishful thinking.
It would be nice if only the most pure, the most ideal, and the best forms of anything and everything were available to choose from. But that is seldom the case in most areas of life. As such, it is NOT unbiblical or unchristian to run with a relative evil that is clearly better than a much worse evil.
Six. We must always keep in mind that prophetic, inspired truths were presented by God’s prophets in the Old Testament as they discussed what God was doing with not just individuals and leaders, but with nations as well. People could know exactly what God was up to because of these divinely inspired prophetic words. Thus a prophet could say, ‘This is that.’ A prophet could say, ‘This is happening because…’ Ordinary people could know the mind of God on national and international events, and they could respond accordingly.
But today, we do not have this same inerrant and inspired prophetic word, so we need to be a bit more cautious in any commentary we make on such matters. We can seek to be wise and discerning as we read and study Scripture and seek to apply it to current events, but we must do so carefully and humbly.
Seven. In light of this absence of a clear divine word on the events of the day, we can only surmise whether something like a Kamala win will in fact be the judgment of God on an ungodly and wicked nation. At times in ancient Israel the prophets told the people not to resist an invading foreign pagan army. That was because God had raised them up as instruments of his judgment on a sinful and idolatrous Israel.
But this was not always the case. Sometimes, Israel was to go out and meet their enemies in the field of battle. Again, God told them what to do. Because we do not have that same sure word, we can only guess if the actions of nations and rulers and the results of elections should be seen as divine judgment or not. We do know, however, that the words of Calvin about wicked rulers being the judgment of God do have some validity.
Eight. Whatever the outcome of this election, the biblical Christian understands that the Kingdom of God will not be ushered in as a result. I happen to think that a Trump victory will overall be good for the nation and good for Americans. But I am under no illusion that a Trump win can be equated with the messianic rule.
He is not the Messiah, just as no politician is. So while a Trump presidency will certainly help to stop the rot, further drain the swamp, and put a hold on the destructive efforts of the secular left machine that we face, it will ultimately not be what all true Christians long for: the great and glorious Day of the Lord.
Nine. If, heaven forbid, Kamala was to win, it would make an already damaged and declining America much, much worse. With her and Walz’s hyper-radical left policies, things will go downhill really fast. Such deterioration might be irreversible. Time would tell.
But even here, we must see that God is still at work in America and the world. They will go on for as long as God intends them to. We know that evil and diabolical regimes have existed before, and more will do so in the days ahead. But not one of them has lasted, nor will they last. One day all nations and governments and regimes will come to a halt when Christ returns and his eternal Kingdom is established.
Ten. Prayer is our essential default position here. We, of course, need to pray much before the election. We need to pray for ourselves as we carefully and thoughtfully seek how best to vote in this election. We need to pray for the various candidates, including, of course, Trump and Harris. I pray daily for both of them.
Prayer for America is vital. In so many ways, this has been such a great country and such a force for good in the world. Much of that is due to its Christian past and its large Christian population. But as the nation gets increasingly secular and anti-Christian, it can not long last. Pray that God’s purposes are done with the USA, and pray that it undergoes major revival and reformation.
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