Faith

Lead On, O King Eternal

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“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” -Psalm 90:12

Thousands gathered on Sunday at the State Farm stadium in Arizona to remember Charlie Kirk. More were across the street in an overflow location, while the rest of us watched from our living rooms. The scene displayed worship of God and patriotism for America, neither of which we are to be ashamed of. There is room to have a high view of God and gratitude for the country we live in without it becoming idolatrous.

When someone young dies, it makes people stop and consider their own mortality. “If he died so young, then it can happen to me too”. The reality of living under the curse of sin is that death doesn’t have an age number. So the question to consider is, what will we do with the time God has given us?

In Psalm 90, the first psalm written and the only one penned by Moses, we are encouraged to consider how to live our lives well. Moses is writing this at the end of his full 120 year life. He has witnessed an untold number of deaths as an entire generation died in the wilderness. He understood life is short and filled with pain. His prayer is to have wisdom while on earth and to live out the beauty of holiness. The answer to his prayer comes at the end when he pleads, “Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as You have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble. May Your deeds be shown to Your servants, Your splendor to their children. May the beauty of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us- yes, establish the work of our hands” (vv. 14-17). The way to live our lives with wisdom instead of wasting it is to learn how to be satisfied in God alone. This is what enduring joy looks like.

No matter what circumstances we face, enduring joy comes from remembering God’s presence with us always and standing upon the promises of the Bible. For the Christian, the bedrock of His presence and promises came from Calvary. When we live with eternity in view and can say Jesus is enough for us, humility and boldness for Christ will follow. A friend of Kirk’s who is not a professing Christian commented that Charlie was a “joyful warrior”. When you die, will others have to speak of Jesus when they talk about you because He was in everything you did and said?

My prayer is that spiritual revival will spread in this nation and across the world. Seeds were planted on Sunday as the gospel was shared by many speakers. I pray it will take root. The death of Charlie Kirk is an eye opener that this war is spiritual, masked in culture and politics. It is bigger than us, but we serve a big God. We can be faithful to do the works God has prepared for us by simply doing the next right thing out of love for Jesus. My personal world is very small, homeschooling my son with autism. Part of God’s plan for me is to teach him the truth about Jesus through songs of praise, Bible stories and even by my flawed example. Whether you are constantly surrounded by people or less visible in the world, God can and will use you if you surrender to His will of obedience. I pray God gives us more opportunities to share the gospel, encourage other believers to persevere, and disciple those in our sphere of influence.

You were made for such a time as this. It is not an accident that you live where you live, have a certain job or know the people you know. In Kirk’s last interview, just an hour before he was shot, he was asked what life quote he lives by. He answered with Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” The Lord is at work. Let’s join Him as He leads on. Matthew Henry in his commentary on Psalm 90 notes, “Let us pray that the work of the Holy Spirit may appear in converting our hearts, and that the beauty of holiness may be seen in our conduct.” Our enduring joy for now will one day lead to eternal joy if we do not give up. Keep going beloved Christian, imitating the faith of saints who have gone before us.

Grace upon grace,

April

A helpful understanding of Psalm 90 🙂

Psalm 27:1-3

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“The LORD is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life- of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.” -Psalm 27:1-3

Psalm 27 contains two of my favorite verses: verse 4 and verse 13. Recently I sat with this psalm longer, to meditate on David’s experience as he wrote it, God’s character throughout, and the Lord’s promises which anchor the hope of every Christian. It has blessed me to stop and consider the truths laced with David’s prayer of need and deliverance. David shows a confidence in his God despite the circumstances. He was all too familiar with danger and foes, yet it was in those times he learned to seek the Lord as his defense. Every attack whether to cause bodily harm or wreck his reputation was an opportunity to trust in God’s wisdom and providence.

Afflictions are the Christian’s badge of honor when responded with faith. It is not David who will ultimately fall, but his enemies. The shepherd king rests in this confidence, assured that Jehovah Yahweh will guide, sustain and deliver him throughout his life. When God is our refuge, our stronghold in the days of disaster, the believer can have peace. Keeping an eternal perspective outweighs the temporal situation, even if that affliction were to last our entire earthly life. It is still not the end of the Story. God is victorious, therefore, you too will see your enemies, seen and unseen, crushed underneath the feet of King Jesus (Romans 16:20).

Lord Jehovah, the Great I AM over all creation is the One who condescended to humanity, lovingly shining the truth on our darkened minds. The Lord God has delivered the soul of every Christian, past, present and future, once for all eternity. He keeps our feet from slipping into the eternal abyss of Hell because none of His children will be taken from Him! Therefore, all fear should be gone- banish the unknown of tomorrow, the slanderers, evil plotters, and critics. Anxiety for the Christian is the fruit of unbelief in God’s promises. Go in peace, humility and boldness, because you are dearly loved, Christian. A believer can have confidence like David did, since we are co-heirs with the Lord of our salvation. What have you to fear with God as your guard and guide?

Grace upon grace,

April

Some thoughts on Advent and the Resurrection

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“There will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust.” -Acts 24:15

One of the reasons I like Christmas is the focus on Advent. Advent means “coming”. We know Jesus has come once to earth, born as a baby like the rest of mankind, except for our first parents Adam and Eve. He in every way knows what it is like to be human as we are. He grew up with parents and siblings. Jesus experienced temptation to sin just as we do, yet He never sinned. Only Jesus is worthy to be the Spotless Lamb of God for the sake of our souls. Yet the rest of the story still includes Advent. As Christians we know Jesus is coming again. His Second Advent will be different from the First, but it is the hope and glory for God’s people. We who know Christ and have made Him our Refuge wait for the blessed hope- the glorious appearing of our Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

I want to share with you my devotional reading from this morning. It focuses on the Christian’s resurrection when Jesus comes again. This is worth meditating on as an encouragement to persevere in the temporary and wait in joyful expectation of what is to come. It is written by John Bunyan, also the author of the famous Pilgrim’s Progress. Bunyan writes,

When we rise and live we shall be changed into a far more glorious state than when we were sown in the grave. It will indeed be the same body though raised in great splendor. We will not change our nature, but our glory. Our earthly bodies without sin and infirmity shall inherit the kingdom of God. They will be raised with no weakness or sickness, but in glory. Glory is the sweetness, comeliness, purity and perfection of a thing. Light is the glory of the sun, strength is the glory of youth, and grey hair the glory of old age. To rise in glory is to rise in all the beauty and utmost completeness that is possible to possess as a human creature. Sin and corruption has made a mad work in our bodies and souls. But, in glory there shall be no lame legs, no crumpled shoulders, no bleared eyes, and no wrinkled faces- He will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body (Phil 3:21). 

Souls now in Heaven will in a moment come into their bodies again and inhabit every member and vein just as they did before their departure. Their bodies will be raised in power. Death quakes, and destruction falls dead at our feet. We shall stand with grace and majesty and our countenances shall be like lightning. It will be raised a spiritual body. It is this body, and not another. We will have the same human nature in every way though changed into a far more glorious state. Otherwise, it cannot be us in Heaven, but something besides us. If we lose our proper human nature, we lose our being, and so are annihilated into nothing. Therefore, it, the same it, that is sown a natural body, will be raised a spiritual body (1 Corinthians 15:44).

I have often pondered what my son Jesse will be like in Heaven. He has autism and developmental delay. What will his glorified state look like? I still believe Jesse will be Jesse, just without certain struggles he faces now. I have had people say they pray for my son to be normal. First of all, what is normal anyway? I know what they mean, but it isn’t a helpful comment. I pray for my son to be whole and complete one day. I look forward to the day when his disability does not hold him back but serves as an asset in Glory. But I believe his glorified body will not change his personality. I will still recognize him in Heaven and give him hugs and kisses. Ultimately, I trust God in how He has designed what Heaven will be like for His children. He loves Jesse better than I do. He loves each of His sons and daughters better. So this is where I rest. I hope for loved ones who have gone before you there is comfort in reading what we do know of Heaven and our resurrected bodies. Believers still grieve when we lose someone we love but we do not grieve as those without hope. There is brokenness in this world that also grieves us but it is not the end of the Story, praise God. As you close out this year and reflect, I pray you remember the Lord’s future graces. Meanwhile, there is strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. Blessings all ours, with ten thousand beside. Great is His faithfulness.

Grace upon grace,

April

Growing deeper: 1 Corinthians 15; Philippians 3:20-21; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11; Revelation 20:11-21:8

 

 

Ode to Joy

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I stumbled upon a video the other day of something I have never seen before. It appears to be just one musician in a public square, playing for a little girl who places a coin in his hat. He begins to play Beethoven’s Ode to Joy and what happens in the next few minutes is beautiful. I won’t spoil it for you, except to say it reminds me a bit of what Heaven is like. The Christian hymn Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee, written by Henry Van Dyke, is set to the music from Ode to Joy. I couldn’t help but think of those words during this video. Think of it, one day thousands upon thousands of Christians will lift up our voices in song to praise our Heavenly Father. Heaven is not at all boring contrary to the lies we’ve been sold in our culture. We won’t be sitting on marshmallow clouds plucking harps, yawning away the day. Heaven is one big adventure without sin entangling us. Like Adam and Eve in the Garden, we too will enjoy sweet, unhindered fellowship with our Creator. I believe we will get to explore the new Heaven and new Earth, just as our first parents had free reign over God’s Creation except of the one tree. But I digress…

Even though this video is an orchestrated ad for a Spanish banking company, I was moved to tears nonetheless. 

Here is the video: Ode to Joy

Grace upon grace,

April

Love and Respect

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“My flesh trembles in fear of You; I stand in awe of Your laws.” -Psalm 119:120

In light of God’s coming judgment on the unrepentant, the psalmist lovingly fears the Lord. He is in awe of Who God is. Even though His wrath is fitted for unbelievers, the writer reverences God’s authority and power. It makes me question if I fear the Lord in this way? Yes I love Him, but how do I respect Him? Love and respect are two sides of the same coin. You cannot have one without the other in relationship to God. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15). We show our love for God by obeying His Word. Sincere obedience comes from a posture of submission to His authority over us. A good servant will respect their master by obeying His will. Children of God reverence Him by submission, born out of a love relationship with our Savior. It is not from compulsion or guilt, but a desire to give back the life we owe to Christ. Gratitude over God’s mercy, love over His grace toward undeserving rebels. This is our motivation in fearing God our Creator.

The more we know of Him the more our reverence for God Almighty grows. The Lord is our Shepherd and a Humble Warrior. He cannot be contained to one characteristic. Incomprehensible. Knowable but not fully known within our finite minds. In God there is Perfect Love, Perfect Justice, Perfect Mercy and Perfect Holiness. He is for His people and not against them. These truths should prompt every believer into worship because it isn’t a fairytale. God is present- the same yesterday, today and forever. His character nor have His promises changed.

One day we will all stand before His Throne. For those who already know Jesus as Savior, they are covered in His righteousness, justified forever. All our judgments were laid on Jesus at the cross. Dear Christian, your sins are paid for, the debt is cleared. You are free. What is our response then? Stand in awe of His mercy and grace and worship.

Grace upon grace,

April

‘I Stand Amazed’ hymn by Rosemary Siemens

Standing on the Promises

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“If Your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.” -Psalm 119:92

The psalmist is honest with the two choices he saw before him: life or death. If he had not loved God and clung to His promises, the psalmist would have been crushed under heavy anguish. But Hope is his friend, faithfulness a companion. God has given us tools to combat spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:10-18). All affliction is a type of spiritual warfare, whether the battle rages in the dark places of the inner man or external circumstances threaten our firm foundation. We have means of grace to carry us through affliction such as fellowship with other believers, prayer, lifting our voices in songs of truth, baptism, the preaching and teaching of God’s Word, the Lord’s Supper, and the Bible. Scripture revives our weary hearts, becoming a delight because of Who these words speak of. The God of grace and mercy is found within these pages. Nothing else matters when we possess absolute truth, words of eternal life. The soul which cherishes the Word of God loves the Author, believing the Gospel to be true. The soul which believes, hopes, loves and obeys Jesus Christ will not perish but have everlasting life, dwelling in the house of the Lord forever. 

 

Grace upon grace,

April

Growing deeper: Ephesians 6:10-18

Standing on the Promises hymn

The Obsolete Man

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“Throughout the history of the Christian church, Christianity has always stood over against all forms of statism. Statism is the natural and ultimate enemy to Christianity because it involves a usurpation of the reign of God.” -R.C. Sproul

During the Covid lockdown in 2020, my husband and I began watching old episodes of ‘The Twilight Zone’. It seemed appropriate. The irony of some of them connected to our current events struck me. One in particular titled ‘The Eye of the Beholder’ is interesting.  But the one that left us astonished is called ‘The Obsolete Man’. The main character in the story, Mr. Wordsworth, is a librarian and also a Christian. Books are no longer allowed by The State so his profession is “obsolete”. The fact that he is a Christian is also a crime, since Bibles are illegal to have and all truth is an enemy to The State. I was flabbergasted by some of the dialogue used because it unapologetically connects Christianity and God to truth which must be erased with an edict. The State has said there is no God, therefore all must conform to this idea. Favorably arguing there is a God and that He is Truth (like Mr. Wordsworth does) is not something you will likely see in mainstream entertainment today. 

Sadly, we are seeing a tyrannical form of government at our doorstep, in similar fashion to the t.v. episode I just mentioned. If a citizen does not agree with the narrative of Critical Race Theory, Covid19, or comply with a vaccine mandate then you are in fact, obsolete. Or to use today’s term, “cancelled”.  I don’t think we have to worry about being liquidated any time soon like in ‘The Obsolete Man’, but we may lose our livelihood because of a different belief system than The Government. This is happening now to a lot of responsible, thoughtful citizens who have weighed their decision to not get vaccinated. Lives are being ruined over matters of conscience. Isn’t it ironic that just last year at the beginning of this virus, the world told us who was “essential” in the workplace? Now some of those same people who have convictions over whether or not the vaccine is helpful to them are seen as expendable, promptly fired. 

The late R.C. Sproul had thoughts on government that steps outside it’s God given jurisdiction. He wrote an article back in 2008 on Statism, when another reality (like the government) becomes supreme, replacing the authority of God. It’s a helpful article as Christians hopefully think through what our response should be in these times. I don’t believe all will come to the same conclusion either, which is not necessarily sinful as long as we each understand the responsibility we have as pilgrims on Earth. Those convictions will vary, but I don’t think it is helpful to separate us into camps, unwilling to speak about or help a brother or sister in Christ who feels equally as strong in their convictions. We divide ourselves even further into groups of vaccinated vs. unvaccinated. Sproul gave wisdom concerning the relationship between the Church and government. It is worth regarding. 

Christians who defy a government not operating within their lane and consequently, causing some to sin because of personal convictions are not wrong to push back. A helpful example would be to consider the authority given to a husband over his wife. If the husband decides to abuse his God given responsibility and cause his wife to somehow sin, then she must submit to the Lord instead, not her husband. Likewise, when a tyrannical government oversteps its jurisdiction to dictate what a citizen injects into their bodies, you and I have a right to call out abuse of power. Not only is it a sin for us to operate against personal conscience, but the government is sinning against the people they were meant to serve and help. If a Christian is fully convinced in his or her mind that taking a Covid vaccine cannot be done in faith then it should be honored, not questioned or condemned (Romans 14:23). Christians take submission seriously, which is why when a power like the government does not submit to its own rules of authority, then Christians may act (with a clear conscience) in civil disobedience. Owen Strachan has a much more helpful and thorough podcast episode related to this subject called ‘Biblical Truth for Bad Times: Seven Realities of Christian Citizenship in a Fallen World’.

If you are interested in watching ‘The Obsolete Man’, you can find the whole episode here. If you don’t have a lot of time, I would encourage you to watch until minute 7:07. I appreciate how on occasion the entertainment world can provide insight to a deeper truth. The dramatic, outrageous and sometimes sarcastic, can have a useful function in making a point that serves the audience. 

 

Grace upon grace,

April 

 

Our words matter

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“The Revolution will be complete when the language is perfect.” -George Orwell

During Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation hearing last year she used the term “sexual preference” when responding to a question about a sex-same marriage ruling in the Supreme Court. The next day, Meriam Webster changed their definition of sexual preference describing it as an offensive term. This was done to characterize Barrett as out-of-date, bigoted and hateful. If it sounds eerily familiar to Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four its because it is. Doublespeak is a deceptive (and powerful) tool used to distort words of any real meaning. Truth is defined by the individual or an oligarchy meant to control people through the power of language. In our post modern society our words are relative, with truth determined by “what it means to you” instead of absolute truth according to God.

This is why Christians must define terms by God’s Word, not our culture. Not only do we defend the truth through apologetics, we have to preserve it by speaking plainly. Our conversations should leave no room for misunderstanding. The culture uses a word that sounds good, like social justice, and twists it to promote an agenda of progressivism that is anti-Christian. Believers must understand that social justice is the gateway for Critical Race Theory and Marxism, not for upholding righteousness. Yet words that sound harmless, even virtuous, are deceptively taught in universities, high schools, corporations and the military as a means to educate and break down barriers. Yet social justice promotes partiality which is a sin and creates divisiveness not unity. Christians are to view all people as created in God’s image and therefore deserving of respect. Ironically, Martin Luther King Jr. said to judge others on the content of their character, not the color of their skin. Who cares what your melanin count is? If someone is purple, but qualified in their job then that should be the criteria used, not because of an immutable characteristic. Along with treating all persons with value, under Biblical justice, God calls each believer to defend the vulnerable, not the government. Godly leaders can use their influence for good in the government realm, but it is ultimately up to God’s people to use discernment and promote mercy through our everyday ordinary lives with the people we meet (Micah 6:8).

Lately the term equity is another word weaponized against those who disagree with CRT. Equity is concerned with equal outcome for all. Equality promotes equal opportunity for all. The difference lies in those who are willing to work for their personal goals in life versus those who expect to have the same end result without working for it. This is detrimental to a society that depends on handouts rather than sacrifices, creating a generational cycle of sin and a victim complex.

Even sexuality is up for debate as transgenderism, the focus of the Biden administration, infiltrates our schools and hospitals, forcing teachers and doctors to educate and mutilate minors who are sincerely confused with their own biology. God is clear on the definition of a man and a woman (Genesis 1-2) yet perversion of God’s design is rampant. The reason transgenderism is a topic we have to address at all is because everything these days is fluid, not concrete. The biggest lie in this endeavor is telling kids that they can reverse the courses of action they take if later on down the road Sally decides she likes being Sally and not Harry. However, a pre-pubescent girl taking hormone blockers could have long term damage related to infertility, permanent hair or body changes that make it hard to distinguish whether an individual is male or female. Not to mention the emotional and psychological harm this does. Speaking plainly with compassion can actually help and should not be considered hate speech when the truth is what someone crying out for help needs. Lets consider sharing the love of Christ first with Biblical counseling.

When President Biden calls for unity in our country it sounds good. Who doesn’t want peace and unity? However, the message underneath reveals what he actually means in ‘unity’. The way Biden defines ‘unity’ is for everyone to agree on the narrative he promotes. Anyone who disagrees or thinks for themselves by simply asking a question can be labeled a bigoted, racist, homophobe to name a few of the slanderous terms. Unfortunately infantile name-calling produces results in our cancel culture.

It will become increasingly hard to stand firm in Biblical truth in a country seeped with lies. Yet this is to be expected. The world hates the truth as it exposes their false reality, forcing them to confront their own sin (John 3:19-21). Do not be afraid when the pressure intensifies to conform to the world’s standard. The 21st century witch hunt on truth tellers and plain speakers is here. Yet, as Orwell put it, “in a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” He was not a Christian, but this idea applies most appropriately to believers. Speak the truth we know, and stand firm. Since all truth is God’s truth we can also rest assured that the truth we obediently speak will not return void (Isaiah 55:10-11). Exposing lies and shining the light of truth will either heap judgment on the unrepentant or bring a repentant soul to Jesus. We just have to be faithful because what we say and how we say it, matters to the Lord.

Grace upon grace,

April

A Call To Repentance

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“This was evil’s hour: we could not run away from it. Perhaps only when human effort had done its best and failed, would God’s power alone be free to work.” -Corrie Ten Boom ‘The Hiding Place’

Since homeschooling my son this last year, we begin each day with The Pledge of Allegiance. In the pledge we recite “one nation under God” and we talk about justice and liberty for all. Unfortunately this isn’t true in today’s America. We have taken God out of our schools, businesses, homes and in some cases, our churches, replacing God with government instead. Justice and liberty are terms twisted to define them as we see fit instead of submitting to the Lord’s definition. The results are playing out in real time with homosexuality and transgenderism not just to be tolerated, but as something which must be applauded by all with the Equality Act Biden is pushing through Congress.

Under the Equality Act, LBGTQ “history” will be taught in public schools, men who identify as women have access to girls lockers rooms and restrooms, doctors will be forced to perform sex operations even for minors without parental consent, gender identity will become part of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and those seeking religious exemption will no longer be protected under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993. Christian business owners or anyone with a moral conviction on these issues will have no choice but to provide services or hire individuals that are practicing homosexuals or transgender. On the surface this seems mostly like matters that won’t affect us personally, but the tentacles are far reaching in its effects. For example, should a Christian baker make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple even though this goes against God’s command of what marriage is? If the baker or florist or minister even, refuses to comply, they are no longer protected by any sort of religious exemption. Pastors will not be allowed to uphold God’s Word and speak against these issues. Your convictions are now obsolete and even criminal.

Or what if a man who decides he’d like to be a female goes into a salon spa and requests a bikini wax? This is gross but not unlikely since this is where we are today in putting blinders over our eyes in biology. The woman who is forced to give the bikini wax to a confused man pretending to be a girl is victimized in this case. It is interesting that the Democratic party celebrating the #MeToo movement, and has been the face of feminism since the 1960s now decides they will no longer protect women. Women’s sports are at an unfair advantage as transgender men seek to compete against females and will dominate since biologically speaking, men are stronger then women in most cases. We are sexualizing our children by allowing them to choose their own gender, teaching them in public schools that their biological sex can be disregarded, aiding even more gender dysphoria. But none of this matters to the Left. Tolerance is an antiquated word from their past which must embarrass them in 2021. Truthfully, it was only a gateway word for demanding acceptance to their ideology anyway.

Even though the current times should grieve Christians, it can also be a time to praise God. The next few years will bring even more clarity, contrasting true believers from the unbelieving. One good thing that can come from the rise of a new pagan political religion is the middle of the road, lukewarm, cultural Christianity will evaporate. This will be one less deceptive tool used to lull souls into spiritual dormancy. Our post-Christian nation is a time for God’s people to persevere in His strength and wisdom. We have ample opportunity to proclaim the gospel with our lives and words. Lately it seems to be a radical act just by going to church in person! Believers can no longer afford to be passive, convinced this is the same as gentleness. This is an error that must be corrected. It is not sinful to call out sin- Jesus did this, as did John the Baptist and also Peter (Matthew 23; Matthew 3:1-12; Acts 2:36-41). Speaking against lies and sin, is an act of mercy as the goal is to cause the individual or group in sin to be confronted with their sinfulness, repent and turn to Christ. The difference is in how we say God’s commands are good, His mercy is enough to cover even the most vile sinner, and God’s grace abounds. Uncompromising Christians will need to be the standard. We show others the redeeming work of Christ in our own lives, calling the lost to repent of their sin and turn to Jesus.

As Romans 1 plays out before us, Christians must also examine our part in how we got here as a nation. This is a spiritual battle manifested in the political sphere. Whenever the news is distressing we need to remember this. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of the dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). Yet we must also repent of our own spiritual complacency, apathy, fear of man, lack of courage, or plain ignorance in how to communicate eternal truths.

In Daniel 9:1-19, Daniel learns the judgment against Israel would last seventy years through reading Jeremiah’s prophecy (Jeremiah 25:11). He immediately goes into prayer. There are 3 things to notice in his prayer- Daniel’s prayer consist of adoration, confession and petition. The chunk of his prayer is confession- his own sin and for the nation of Israel. It is a helpful template for how we can repent and pray for these times.

Christian, we do not have to lie down and fold our hands. We mustn’t fall asleep. God’s Sovereignty works with man’s will, not excusing man from his responsibilities. We need personal and national repentance from our complacency and rebellion. In John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress there is man named Honesty. Mr. Greatheart is the guide for Christiana and her sons, and they meet Honesty on their pilgrim journey:

“Soon they came to a large oak tree, and saw under it an old pilgrim fast asleep. They knew he was a pilgrim by his clothes and his staff. Mr. Greatheart awoke him. At first he was frightened, and asked, “Who are you? What do you want? What is your business?”

Greatheart: Calm yourself, my good man, we are all your friends. (The old man’s name was Honesty.) My name is Greatheart; I am the guide of these pilgrims who are going to the Celestial Country.

Honesty: I beg your pardon. I was afraid you might be of the gang who sometime back robbed Little-Faith of his money; but now I know you are honest people.

Greatheart: Why, what could you have done if we had been robbers?

Honesty: Done? Why, I would have fought like a tiger, as long as I had any breath. And had I done so, I am sure you never could have conquered me, for a pilgrim can never be defeated unless he yields himself.

Greatheart: Well said, my brother, now I know you are a good soldier.

Honesty: And by this I know you are informed as to what a true pilgrim is, for all others think that we are the easiest to overcome of any.”

Understanding sin, the freedom of the Gospel of peace, and the realities of spiritual warfare should make us a people of prayer. We don’t wish to see any perish into eternal Hell. So the answer is to examine our own hearts, repent, and stand firm in the truth we know without fear of being canceled, villainized or even criminalized. God’s truth will stand no matter if we decide to uphold it or not. This is the beautiful call we have as believers. Show Christ to the world even if it costs us everything.

“Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil of comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:13)

Grace upon grace,

April