“Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote…that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country.” ~ Samuel Adams, Founding Father, United States of America
How I praise God for His great blessing upon America. In many countries around the world, citizens cannot elect their own leaders, but are forced to live in the tyranny of evil dictators. We are greatly blessed, but are most definitely accountable to God in how we vote and how we govern. I hope you fulfilled your God-given privilege of voting.
Having said that, the election is now over. Citizens across our great nation have spoken via their vote, and our elected leaders now have the sobering responsibility to govern in a way pleasing to the Lord. It is our responsibility to pray for them.
Whether our favored candidates won or lost, our hope is not in a Congressman, a Governor or any other elected official. Our hope is the Blessed Hope…and our “voting district” is ultimately our heavenly home. Democrats and Republicans may battle over earthy power, but King Jesus still reigns overall! Therefore, we can say, “It is well with my soul!”
(Recorded at the Tower of David, where King David himself also bowed to our Lord in worship.)
“The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” ~ Proverbs 21:1
Welcome back friends! I want to pick up where we left off this morning, then move toward a truth I believe is so critical to the world in which we live. If you missed Why You Won’t Read this Article this morning, please review it in order to understand the context of this post.
So, do you agree? Is our society becoming desensitized to atrocities in our world today? Well, we shouldn’t be surprised. Deuteronomy and Judges make reference to mankind doing what is right in his own eyes, resulting in foolishness, according to Proverbs. (See this search.) It seems we have become foolish enough to act as though our foolish ways either don’t matter or are somehow wise. When society begins to devalue life, it is foolish.
That foolishness extends much further than simply devaluing life, however. Society as a whole seems to have taken a collective eye off of morality, appropriate authority, Godly family structure, kindness and righteousness of all kinds. But I recently heard a man with great wisdom, indicating these are “cultural issues” that must be addressed if we have any hope of changing society.
He then spoke of a “higher authority.” This man, Governor Matt Bevin of Kentucky, is a strong evangelical, so the “higher authority” he refers to is undoubtedly God our Father. While the point here is NOT about politics, I hope you glean the truth shared by Governor Bevin:
(Franklin Graham reports likewise in this March 2018 article in Decision magazine. In it, Graham recounts Bevin’s initiative in Louisville to call Christians to walk the blocks of troubled neighborhoods praying.)
Here’s the point: our world is in desperate need of God, through His Son Jesus Christ. If we heeded the guidance of our Highest Authority, would we constantly deal with murderous regimes killing and maiming? Would we have school shootings, rampant abortion, gross immorality and other social ills? Would we as Christians miss opportunities to show the love of Christ and to pray for those in need?
Indeed, all that ails people, nations and the world is a result of man’s rebellion against God.
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
~Jeremiah 17:9
But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power. ~2 Timothy 3:1-4
The global society certainly seems to be characterized with what 2 Timothy describes as the last days. More than ever, it’s time to heed our Highest Authority…God the Father!
Hi friends! I’m going off the beaten path today, but I want you to understand why. Though no one knows the day or the hour in which our Savior will return, we are told to be ready (Matthew 24:36-50, Matthew 25:1-13). Jesus also taught the principle of knowing and understanding the times and the seasons in which we live (Matthew 24:32-35, Luke 12:54-56). 2 Timothy 3:1-5 even gives us a list of characteristics we will find to be true on a very broad scale in the last days.
We are in those days.
One of the most horrific things I can think of to grieve the heart of God is the mass murder of unborn children in their mothers’ wombs. Abortion continues to be rampant in our world, and embarrassingly so in the United States where the rights of those children are brutally trampled under foot.
Jesus lived out, and passed on, a very specific principle regarding “being about His Father’s business” (Luke 2:49, for example). We would be wise to live out the same principle. But how? Many ways…some simple, some not so simple…and God’s call is different for each of us.
However, I think we can all do the simple things, such as fight for the lives and rights of the unborn. So, here is an opportunity to faithfully “be about the Father’s business” as it pertains to that battle.
Please sign a petition to defund Planned Parenthood. According to information from Senator Ted Cruz’s office (R – TX), that organization alone is responsible for 300,000 abortions per year, and is funded by $500 MILLION of taxpayer money annually. Though PP ads come across as working for the interests of mothers, you must know that PP executives have been caught on video negotiating prices for baby body parts, discussing how to more efficiently harvest organs (for sale), and bragging about the profit from the sale of those baby body parts. Don’t believe me? See those videos here.
With the current majority in Congress who campaigned on conservative platforms, now is the time for our Senators and Congressmen to take action. In these last days, let’s be about our Father’s business. Let’s speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves (Proverbs 31:8-9). Let’s tell our elected leaders that we expect them to stand for righteousness. Let’s bombard Congress with petitions stating our position. It will take you less than 20 seconds.
Hi friends! Today, I want to go where I have not gone before. If you have followed this blog, or have read The Passion Behind the Project (my explanation for why I write this blog), you likely know that my passion for Israel drives the content. I consider this blog, as well as the Bible studies I write and lead, to be my ministry. Unofficially, the ministry is known as “Looking for the Blessed Hope.”
Often, friends encourage me to expand the ministry in various ways (writing more, speaking more, developing curriculum, coordinating conferences, etc), but time is a fleeting commodity! Doing more ministry around a very full-time job is a challenge, and the study and research required to stay abreast of current events relative to God’s plan for Israel and the nations is daunting. Yet, it is what I love! It is where my passion lies.
Recently, I have been presented with possible opportunities to expand ministry in exciting ways. Because of the blessing of many people around the world following Looking for the Blessed Hope and communicating with me in various ways, I want to reach out to request your prayers. I long to know God’s desire for the direction of ministry. What (if any) opportunities should I pursue, and how does He want me to be involved? If adjustments are needed, what does that mean for life and ministry as I know it today?
I don’t have specific details to share with you at this point, but I do cherish your prayers and will keep you posted if/when details come into view. Will you join me in the journey of seeking Him?
Petition the Lord for wisdom and discernment as I consider which opportunities to pursue. (James 1:5)
Ask the Lord to make clear to me the next step. (Proverbs 3:5-7)
