There’s probably no better way to realign our hearts and attitudes in our perverse generation than to enter God’s presence with thanksgiving on our lips.
Why should we all give thanks to God?
Psalm 95:2 tells us: “Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving…” But why?
Like the separatist Pilgrims who fled religious persecution in their homelands to courageously face an untamed wilderness 400 years ago right now, we are facing a challenge of giant proportions. Can we dare to proclaim, “Thank you Almighty God for your abundant mercy and your grace to lead us on?”
When I asked the Lord – in view of our historic atmosphere of national and global anxiety and fear – how then shall your people pray and think and act, He led me immediately and serendipitously to a historic event in the leadership of His people. I believe He wants to talk with us about that today.
Let’s set the stage a bit
There is no way that anyone can convince you that we are not living in what is probably the most universal time of chaos, uncertainty, deception and tragically painful human suffering since God’s interruption at the tower of Babel, over 4000 years ago. Even in our affluent North American experience of relative freedom, which is another world to billions of the human family, we see all around us devastating struggle between good and evil. We are at war for the future of our children. Many Christians are saying in their feelings of desperation, “certainly, the coming of the Lord must be near.” The conflict of the ages between the Devil’s kingdom of darkness and God’s Kingdom of light have been drawn into sharper contrast than perhaps any time in our lives.
Despite the dismal failure of our generation’s Christian leaders to teach us to disciple our own nation and amplify the knowledge and authority of God’s Holy Word in our current society, God is working behind the scenes. It appears that He is using the multi-faceted crisis whirling around us to inspire His true disciples to seek the face of God more fervently than ever. This is good.
Have you ever caught yourself tolerating an annoying irritation for many moons sometimes before finally stopping to take the time to fix the problem? The classic example is tolerating a small pebble in your shoe while you limp along for many steps before finally removing it.
The Holy Spirit is particularly good at reinforcing to us God’s eternal principles that are relevant to our immediate situations when we take the time to prioritize personal intimacy alone with God and His word. As you look into His word for guidance, correction, and instruction in how to lead a life of living in right standing with your Creator/Savior, meditate on the plain meaning of the words you read and hear yourself say out loud.
“I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”
Romans 16:19-20
Before we look at some of the specifics about the things that are causing the epidemic of fear and confusion in our world, why not pray to God right now – a prayer that you know is divinely perfect? And while asking God for the supplications of your prayer and declaring the confessions of your prayer, let Him adjust your thinking and your feelings to bring them into harmony with the way that you can absolutely know is God’s perfect will.
Psalm 31:14-24
14 “O Lord, You are my God.”
15 My times are in Your hand; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me.
16 Make Your face to shine upon Your servant; Save me in Your lovingkindness.
17 Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I call upon You;
Let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol (Or the nether world).
18 Let the lying lips be mute, which speak arrogantly against the righteous with pride and contempt.
19 How great is Your goodness, Which You have stored up for those who fear You,
Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, Before the sons of men!
20 You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man;
You keep them secretly in a shelter (Or, pavilion) from the strife of tongues.
21 Blessed be the LORD, For He has made marvelous His lovingkindness to me in a besieged city.
22 As for me, I said in my alarm, “I am cut off from before Your eyes”; Nevertheless, You heard the voice of my supplications when I cried to You.
Then our prayer ends with an admonition – an invitation – that gives us a model of what to declare to others around us as we walk our path with the Lord.
23 O love the LORD, all you His godly ones! The LORD preserves the faithful and fully recompenses the proud doer.
24 Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in (Or, wait for) the LORD.
God is just… and He expects us to pray according to the patterns of His word. His word gives us a perfect pattern of how to pray. And yes, you need to pray that God would cut off, from before your eyes, those who would be alarmed and those hiding from His justice.
How many times have we heard our mothers and others who love us, like Jesus Himself, warn us to not listen to those subtle voices that try to tempt us to sin morally or even sin by giving in to fear, rather than staying on target with God’s voice of peace and wisdom? And fear is a sin. We need to face that. Let’s stay on target with God’s voice. It’s always a voice of peace and wisdom.
Now, let’s be honest. We can’t stop our ears from occasionally hearing the loud noises of evil in our world. But we CAN choose whether or not we will continue to voluntarily turn on those channels of destruction. Why not ask God for His help to courageously stand firm against the emotionally persuasive wiles of the Devil. If we are truly owned by Christ as His bond-servants, we’re supposed to not let Satan take advantage of us, nor be unaware of his devices (Or schemes) 2 Corinthians 2:11. So, just decide now to stop listening to evil reports from those who have proven to be enemies of God.
Yes, you will be a “peculiar people.” You’ll be thought by the carnal ones as being strange. So what? Get over it. What is being proclaimed in your real home? Your eternal home? Do you suppose that is why Jesus said “I only do and speak what I hear my father say?” Is He helping us take this walk of serving Him more seriously than before? If we’re willing, do you just suppose He is able to keep you steady on that path?
I asked the Lord: What’s true and critically important for us to know about our chaotic times that make us feel so uncertain and troubled? I listed a few of them, and you might have a similar list.
The instability of human governments
The plague that surrounds us
The choices we each have for our health and safety
The plans you expect us to participate in for the world you have redeemed
The priorities for the community of your chosen followers with whom you have assigned us to dwell
The confidence with which we must pray in praying according to your will
Here is the prayer that the Lord opened serendipitously for me as I began to write down these comments. It’s from the man whom God’s word declares was given greater wisdom than any natural man who has ever lived, Solomon. And he uttered this prayer at the dawn of Israel’s golden age… at the dedication of the place where God chose to make His earthly home in the very heart of His world… the temple in Jerusalem. It had taken 7 years to construct that temple… and this is what King Solomon prayed…
Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication
12 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the entire community of Israel, and he lifted his hands in prayer.
13 Now Solomon had made a bronze platform 7½ feet long, 7½ feet wide, and 4½ feet high and had placed it at the center of the Temple’s outer courtyard. He stood on the platform, and then he knelt in front of the entire community of Israel and lifted his hands toward heaven.
14 He prayed, “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven and earth. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion.
15 You have kept your promise to your servant David, my father. You made that promise with your own mouth, and with your own hands you have fulfilled it today.
16 “And now, O LORD, God of Israel, carry out the additional promise you made to your servant David, my father. For you said to him, ‘If your descendants guard their behavior and faithfully follow my Law as you have done, one of them will always sit on the throne of Israel.’
17 Now, O LORD, God of Israel, fulfill this promise to your servant David.
18 “But will God really live on earth among people? Why, even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this Temple I have built!
Think about that. God, will you really live on earth among people? Of course Solomon couldn’t see it, but we realize that God, through Jesus, is actually living through His Holy Spirit IN us. Solomon went on in his prayer.
19 Nevertheless, listen to my prayer and my plea, O LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is making to you.
Do you think that God is hearing your prayer? Really, even Solomon was asking God, beseeching Him, to hear his prayer.
20 May you watch over this Temple day and night, this place where you have said you would put your name. May you always hear the prayers I make toward this place.
21 May you hear the humble and earnest requests from me and your people Israel when we pray toward this place. Yes, hear us from heaven where you live, and when you hear, forgive.
Now we understand that the place that he was focusing on was the temple. Now, it’s the place where God is right here in our in our presence. He’s among us. Listen to what Solomon prayed and described some things, very much like what we see going on in the world in which we live. See if it doesn’t resonate in your own heart as an adequate and appropriate prayer for us in some ways.
22 “If someone wrongs another person and is required to take an oath of innocence in front of your altar at this Temple,
23 then hear from heaven and judge between your servants—the accuser and the accused. Pay back the guilty as they deserve. Acquit the innocent because of their innocence.
24 “If your people Israel are defeated by their enemies because they have sinned against you, and if they turn back and acknowledge your name and pray to you here in this Temple,
25 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and return them to this land you gave to them and to their ancestors.
Doesn’t it seem that that would be an appropriate prayer? Of course, taking into consideration that we live in a different environment today, but certainly we can expect that God would be merciful if we will repent and ask Him to return us to the land of our ancestors. In other words, the land that our ancestors have spent these last centuries building and developing, even though they’ve gone astray many times? Listen to what the prayer goes on to say.
26 “If the skies are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and if they pray toward this Temple and acknowledge your name and turn from their sins because you have punished them,
27 then hear from heaven and forgive the sins of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them to follow the right path, and send rain on your land that you have given to your people as their special possession.
Now again, can we justly and in faith, ask God to do similarly for us today, as He was, through Solomon’s prayer, was imploring God to do for the nation of Israel. As God’s own people, we are grafted into the nation of Israel and we can certainly appropriate God’s grace and mercy, can we not?
28 “If there is a famine in the land or a plague or crop disease or attacks of locusts or caterpillars, or if your people’s enemies are in the land besieging their towns—whatever disaster or disease there is—
29 and if your people Israel pray about their troubles or sorrow, raising their hands toward this Temple, 30 then hear from heaven where you live, and forgive. Give your people what their actions deserve, for you alone know each human heart.
31 Then they will fear you and walk in your ways as long as they live in the land you gave to our ancestors.
Now, stop right there. When you look at that prayer and pray it from your own fervency, doesn’t it make complete sense that God in his biblical honest mercy and consistency… doesn’t it stand to reason that he will answer our prayer. And when you see millions of people across our land, praying … fervently calling on God for his mercy. Yes, we don’t deserve it. Yes, we’ve gone astray as a culture. But certainly, there are more people in our nation than the 10 that Abraham asked God if He would spare Sodom because of those 10 righteous. Listen to what Solomon continued to pray…
32 “In the future, foreigners who do not belong to your people Israel will hear of you. They will come from distant lands when they hear of your great name and your strong hand and your powerful arm. And when they pray toward this Temple,
33 then hear from heaven where you live, and grant what they ask of you. In this way, all the people of the earth will come to know and fear you, just as your own people Israel do.They, too, will know that this Temple I have built honors your name.
Can we pray that God would use our nation, once again, to be a beacon of light to the world? Why not? Can God give us the faith to do that?
34 “If your people go out where you send them to fight their enemies, and if they pray to you by turning toward this city you have chosen and toward this Temple I have built to honor your name,
35 then hear their prayers from heaven and uphold their cause.
36 “If they sin against you—and who has never sinned? — you might become angry with them and let their enemies conquer them and take them captive to a foreign land far away or near.
37 But in that land of exile, they might turn to you in repentance and pray, ‘We have sinned, done evil, and acted wickedly.’
38 If they turn to you with their whole heartand soul in the land of their captivity and pray toward the land you gave to their ancestors—toward this city you have chosen, and toward this Temple I have built to honor your name—
39 then hear their prayers and their petitions from heaven where you live, and uphold their cause. Forgive your people who have sinned against you.
Can we not pray that? That God would have that same mercy and forgiveness for His people, even now?
40 “O my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to all the prayers made to you in this place.
41 “And now arise, O LORD God, and enter your resting place, along with the Ark, the symbol of your power. May your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation; may your loyal servants rejoice in your goodness.
I look at that closing part of Solomon’s prayer, and I can’t help but see that God is saying to us – we are a kingdom of priests, you know – may your priests be clothed with salvation, and may they rejoice in your goodness. May we make that a constant confession and dedication of our lips, to rejoice in God’s goodness… and at this time of thanksgiving, how can we not be thankful to God? And say openly to God, expressing to anyone even those on the street who may not know God, ‘god is so good.’ At this season of the 400th anniversary of the providential orchestration of our nation’s millions of families. We must remind ourselves that God is rich in mercy.
42 O LORD God, do not reject the king you have anointed. Remember your unfailing love for your servant David.”
2 Chronicles 6:12-42
“I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”
At this season when our attention is drawn to the 400-year American tradition of giving thanks for God’s providential orchestration of our nation’s millions of families, we must remind ourselves that God is rich in mercy
1 Peter 2:10 “for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.”
We are at a historic moment in our republic and many people are about to understand increasingly that this present battle between honesty and treachery is a nationwide assault on the integrity of our system. The thoroughly corrupted corporate media maggots are doing all they can to ignore the crisis in our election system, but the crisis is speaking very loudly to citizens.
The more important reality is the increasingly obvious nature of the conflict between good and evil. Our country has been gripped by apathic disinvolvement that has produced our current surreal dystopian crisis, the source (or cause) of which they simply don’t understand. As conservative news reporter, Lou Dobbs, asserted so well, “We have a fierce demand in the leftist establishment for conformity and silence. If that is not resisted, we lose the republic.”
Thanksgiving today, gives us an opportunity to thank God for what is happening now. By God’s mercy, He is giving us all a wakeup call, without which we would continue to sleep.
When people on the left sneer at us, it tells you some things. They are less than polite. They think they are superior to us. The first test for any American is, “do you believe every citizen of America has equal rights and is deserving of equal respect?” The answer is absolutely, because that concept is enshrined in the constitution. And that constitution is God-sent. It’s that straight forward and why we must fight this fight with every ounce of energy and courage we can muster. It’s a fight we cannot afford to lose. As we know, as sinners, we don’t deserve to win. But that isn’t the reason we win.
We have been a nation of nations for others – that’s what has made the United States of America great.
We must first look to ourselves. We’ve lost almost 70 million babies to abortion since Roe v Wade. We are a nation who talks about the family but we don’t always support the family – whether R or D. We must be a nation who asks, do I mean what I’m saying and will I stand up for what I mean. And this is the time to do so.
Remember that Joshua’s conquering army 3500 years ago was commissioned by God to destroy the exceedingly wicked occupants of God’s promised land to Abraham. God would accomplish the victory, but the heirs of the promised land had to valiantly fight for every inch of it with their wholehearted personal commitment.
Witnessing is work. Disciple making is even tougher. But in order for a free people to have a just society to do the work of discipling the nation?… Now, that’s risky business. And it’s downright warfare – spiritually, emotionally, mentally and even physically. We must throw off the deceptions of our misguided traditions and alliances with ungodly institutions that embrace secular humanism – the number one idolatry in our nation that has displaced wholehearted commitment to our One True God.
“I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”
Romans 16:19-20
The Holy Spirit is breaking through fears and doubts as we meditate on His Word and truly take it to heart. But we need to take action. Do our part. Parents need to be the primary influence in their children’s training and discovery of what is true. Listening to the corrupt media’s evil reports and constant assault on divine truth and morality has NO PLACE in the life of ANY follower of Christ. There are many good news sources if you care to be informed and encouraged. Start with people like Jay Seculow of the ACLJ, and Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA. You can see them on YouTube and their web sites. Get more links on our website ReclaimYourLegacy.com.
If you know someone who you think might be encouraged by hearing or reading this program, copy the link for today’s program at ReclaimYourLegacy.com. And if the Lord impresses you to help keep us proclaiming the truth of our hope in God, your ONLINE financial donation of thanksgiving is sincerely needed, and will be greatly appreciated.
Bonus Segment
This episode of Reclaiming Your Legacy was first broadcast for Thanksgiving week in November of 2020. I thought it timely to share again now as we continue a time of historic uncertainty, when assessing things with a natural mind. I hope you joined me in mentally praying through the Bible prayers of Psalm 31 and 2 Chronicles 6. Like many of the prayers we find in our Bibles, they are taking on more profound applications in today’s times than perhaps we’ve ever imagined before.
I want to add an extra bonus for you today that I believe you’ll find useful in times to come.
For many listeners who may not be familiar with finding various recordings they’d like to access on the Internet, it’s helpful to have a list of favorite sources handy. That’s why I’ve posted an alphabetized list of some of the key content providers in the transcript for today’s show at ReclaimYourLegacy.com. I invite you to look it over. And copy and paste it into a document that you can print out if that helps you to find these websites later on. Most of these gifted speakers, presenters, authors, and podcasters were completely unknown to most of us before the 2020 Plandemic. Now, many of them are becoming household names… especially to God-fearing believers who love their country and want to do everything possible to share the truth with the next generation. I’ve highlighted some that I particularly appreciate for the profound insights they’ve enabled me to discover through their determined efforts.
Print this out – File it – Keep handy for later access to your favorite shows.
Check out websites and commentary Channels that I highly regard:
Clearly, there are many more podcasters and good sources of information to find, but these are some that I’ve especially appreciated in recent times. I invite you to browse through these channels and ‘like’ the shows you want to be reminded of again. Subscribe to those you particularly find helpful. As the world’s traditionally respected channels for newsworthy information have degraded to a state of complete untrustworthiness, these citizen journalists, most of whom are independent of any corporate sponsorship, have become notably crucial for all people to be truthfully informed.
Proverbs 29:2 observes a fact about the result of influence in a culture for good or bad. It says, “When the righteous are in authority and become great, the people rejoice; but when the wicked man rules, the people groan and sigh.”
After living through the social and political roller coaster of the last decade of American society, that Scripture passage in Proverbs 29 certainly bears witness for all of us, doesn’t it? Let me read it again with some amplification…
“When the (uncompromisingly) righteous…” (i.e. those who are godly and in right relationship with Almighty God)… when that kind of people “flourish by increasing in number and in authority over the land, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan as if in mourning.”
We’ve all endured a lot of groaning and complaining going on particularly about the wicked corruption in the ruling class, haven’t we? People have good reason to complain about the compromised morality of all kinds that goes on at every level of society.
It’s natural to look at that, as most of us always have, and complain about the influence of wicked rulers, but isn’t it interesting to reflect on that proverbial insight in light of the contrasts that we’ve seen under the dramatic differences in federal administrations of the past 8 years.
There’s another timely observation in Proverbs 28:1. It tells us that “The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” … It goes on to say in verse 2, “When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers, but a ruler with discernment and knowledge maintains order.”
What a thought-provoking observation of contrasts! Do you see it? The upstanding Righteous leaders who are bold as a lion… are as different from the wicked who are fearfully looking over their shoulders because of all the wicked deeds that have earned them many enemies… as the wise, discerning, and organized ruler is peculiarly distinct from the multitude of bureaucratic rulers of a land of cowering rebels.
Benjamin Franklin wrote that “A nation of well-informed men who have been taught to know and prize the rights which God has given them cannot be enslaved. It is in the region of ignorance that tyranny begins.”
When you return from a day at work, or out shopping, or driving on the highways, or just interacting with the general public, would you say that the God-fearing, morally pure population of your country is “flourishing” and increasing in authority over the land?
Remember… all that must happen for evil to flourish in a culture is for the good people to keep quiet and do nothing. Light dispels darkness. It’s not the other way around.
It’s no wonder the enemy of humankind successfully deceives so many to think they should just let their little light be hid under a ‘basket’ and cower in the shadows of the evil influences. That’s how to keep low-information voters in the dark, ignorant, and fear-filled by whatever demonic deception they think they can’t overcome by faith in the Giver of all good things from above.
A 2020 Barna survey of Americans found that while 51% of American adults said they have a “biblical worldview,” only 6% of American adults actually hold this worldview with core Biblical beliefs… You know… basic things like:
Jesus is the sinless and eternal Son of God,
the Bible is totally true in all its moral principles, and
salvation is on the merit only of Christ’s sacrifice.
Yet, a 2020 Pew Research study discovered nearly two-thirds of Americans (65%) actually believe that UFOs are really proof that intelligent life exists on other planets. So, did you catch that? A whole lot more Americans believe in extra-terrestrials than believe in the God of the Bible! What have they been listening to? How could they be so off track?
[For the purposes of the Barna survey, a “biblical worldview” was defined as believing that absolute moral truth exists; the Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches; Satan is considered to be a real being or force, not merely symbolic; a person cannot earn their way into Heaven by trying to be good or do good works; Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth; and God is the all-knowing, all-powerful creator of the world who still rules the universe today. In the research, anyone who held all of those beliefs was said to have a biblical worldview. the Barna website: www.barna.org .
By the way… if you want to get Biblical perspective on that topic – UFOs and E.Ts – it’s really pretty simple. There are only two possible explanations. And neither of them fit with the delusions of the Star Trek fantasy that created conscious physical beings from some faraway planet are probing Earth from millions of miles out in space. There’s a section in my book, Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation, that helps simplify that confusion.
In a 2020 interview on CBN news with pollster, Dr George Barna that was recorded early in the Covid pandemic crisis, it appeared most American Christians were motivated by fear, and seeking solutions from government rather than from God or the Bible (see the report at https://youtu.be/oRYVEdnWKWY).
Hearing that, do you think God’s providential appointment and removal of national rulers, like the Bible says in Daniel 2:21, might correlate with the spiritual and moral temperature of the population base? History has tended to reflect that a generation gets the leadership of its own making. Yet, you’d find it difficult to find even 10% of our nation’s church leaders laboring to influence their congregations with Biblical insights to inform their decisions on how to vote in local and national elections. Perhaps the ‘groaning’ and complaining we’re experiencing these days should be more appropriately directed toward those we’ve entrusted for our spiritual education. What do you think you could do differently to make a difference in your own community’s backyard? Maybe you could put in a good word to your pastor for starters. Why not ask him to give you his thoughts after listening to a four-minute YouTube on why Christians should vote? Here’s a summary of what he will hear.
You’re in a conversation and someone says why vote? Politics is ugly and God is Sovereign no matter who’s in office. What would you say?
It’s true that God is always in charge. Scripture is clear that nothing can ultimately derail God’s plan. But does that mean we don’t need to care about what happens in government? No. And here are three reasons why.
Number one… Freedom isn’t normal! Even if you’re not a political activist, my guess is that you’re probably grateful that you live in a place like the United States rather than Venezuela or North Korea. But we often don’t understand why our experience has been so much different and better than people in other parts of the world. Freedom from tyranny, constitutional rights and civil liberties are all we’ve ever known. We tend to forget how rare and abnormal our experience is.
Most people throughout history never experience the kind of freedom Americans have taken for granted in our lifetimes. In fact, the majority of people around the world do not live freely today. Those of us who were born into Freedom didn’t do anything to earn it. But even if we didn’t do anything to earn our freedoms we are responsible for what we do with them.
To whom much is given much is required. Will we leave our country as good as we found it? Can we make it even better for future generations? That leads to the second point.
Governments, like everything, require maintenance! If we decide to never again mow the lawn, replace the brakes on our car, or fix the leak in our roof… God is still in charge and he will still accomplish his purpose. But, we still do those things because we don’t want to live our life surrounded by lawns, cars, and houses that were never maintained. That’s how it works with governments too. By educating ourselves, voting, and running for office… free people do the work necessary to maintain our freedom.
Our commitment to these things doesn’t demonstrate a lack of trust in God’s sovereignty. It’s really the way we steward what God has given to us. And it’s the way we show kindness to our neighbors… which leads to the third point.
Well-maintained governments make life better for everyone. Ideas are not neutral. Ideas have consequences! And bad ideas have victims. When bad ideas take root in government, people get hurt. By taking care of our government we don’t just fulfill a civic duty… we make life tangibly better for other people. Babies who would otherwise die… get to live. People who would otherwise be punished for speaking the truth… get to speak. Parents who would otherwise lose the right to direct the upbringing of their children… get to have the final say. Communities that would otherwise be unsafe… are able to thrive. Justice exists where it didn’t before. These decisions are not simply a matter of taste like vanilla or strawberry. In some cases it could be life or death.
Yes, God is in charge. And we can trust him. But God has placed us on Earth to care for the world He created… including the government. He didn’t create any of us for indifference.
So, next time someone says it’s not important to vote because God is in charge anyways… remember these three things.
Number one – Freedom isn’t normal! What we enjoy as Americans is a gift. Squandering gifts isn’t trust it’s ungratefulness.
Number two – governments, like everything, require maintenance. We should vote for the same reason we mow our lawn. Things get worse if we don’t personally take care of them.
Number three – well-maintained governments make life better for everyone. Voting isn’t simple a duty. It’s a chance to tangibly improve other people’s lives. When we have those chances, we should take them.
Jesus said “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16.
How many people aren’t able to give glory to God who is in heaven… because we are not doing our job of maintaining our government by voting? The righteous are bold as a lion and willing to vote.
Could it be that God, himself is allowing modern idolatry to run its course until the people cry out for God’s intervention? If we honestly think that might be even remotely possible, then what are we doing – in faith – to prepare for the harvest of souls who will need to be discipled much more Biblically than the traditional churches have done in recent generations? This is something worth serious ongoing discussion and prayerful planning in every congregation of true believers… but wise builders must lead the way… not just those gifted with gifts of exhortation and academic instruction. We need gifted men… Bold men… courageous men… strong men… with many different gifts working together. And that’s the way our Creator made “the body” to have interactive dependence on all its various members.
Are there indications that God is using the current crisis of dictatorial governmental intrusion into the lives of citizens to urge His people to declare all the word of the Living God more boldly? And by declaring the word, I don’t mean only shouting John 3:16 to a crowd, overwhelmed by an ocean of worldly noise! I mean every true follower (disciple – mathētēs) of Jesus (Mat 10:25), personally getting their ministry assignment (diakonia in 2 Co 5:18) from the Holy Spirit and strategically working in fellowship (koinonia in 1 Jo 1:7) with their local assembly (Ekklesia in Rev 2:29) of every true faithful believers (pistos in1 Co 4:2) and doing it with courage and action. (see an example in Act 9:6)!
Without the help of the mainstream news, you’ve probably heard reports about the most amazing public display of unity for a cause – in Canada. Cheerful, freedom-loving, hard-working, and determined truck drivers rallied to do more than voice their dissent. Investing days of tireless journeying across sub-zero prairie, over 50 thousand truckers and hundreds of thousands of fellow Canadians did what every faithful father and mother would do for their family. They dared to peacefully express their demand for truthful honest integrity from their nation’s leadership. They fought to preserve their God-given freedoms. Many of them were God-fearing believers, unashamed to declare their love for Christ out in the open.
There is no doubt that public demonstrations like the Canadian trucker’s convoy displayed a righteous kind of courage that alerted many God-fearing citizens to pray for their country and to vote.
It became painfully obvious to masses of the public that the mainstream Media doesn’t want you to know this even happened… And the government showed their shockingly clear disdain for the freedom-loving citizens of Canada also.
Trucker convoys in Canada, massive protests through the streets of Europe, and large rallies in Washington D.C. — The widespread public protests that have voiced strong disagreement with governmental policies… like the mandates for all people to get injected with highly questionable, experimental chemicals …have erupted across the entire world. They have made up the largest protest movement in human history. They dwarf ‘Black Lives Matter’ & the so-called ‘Woman’s March’ by tens of millions.
If you want updated insight on current world news events that you’re not getting from the highly censored MSM, I think you’d like to check out a podcast from a committed Christian who’s seen a lot of life as a retired marine? His moniker is “AWK.” It stands for “And we know,” as in Romans 8:28… that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. His name is L.T and he’s a citizen journalist who really knows how to scour the internet for important content to help destroy vain speculations and high-sounding arguments raised against the knowledge of God. A lot of believers have found here, honest and down-to-earth reporting on a lot of issues that they’re not getting elsewhere. You’ll find And We Know on Rumble because it’s too filled with awkward truths to be allowed on YouTube.
Why is it important for Christ-followers to realize what has been happening with events like the truckers’ convoy in Canada and the huge fleet of Dutch farmers with their tractors, protesting scandalous government actions in the Netherlands?
Do you think God might be using these colossal events to alert many people to a reality much farther reaching than the events themselves? That should be something we could easily pray for, shouldn’t it?
Like all of you, I was spiritually blind to many things before Jesus healed my disability and opened my spiritual eyes to the discernment of Godly wisdom found in His word. None of us know the things we don’t know. How will we ever escape from the paths of destructively dangerous and hidden deceptive potholes in the road of life if someone doesn’t put some light on our pathway?
Why would otherwise quiet citizens jump into the public fray by joining a Freedom Convoy or attending a Trump rally in Madison Square Garden?
How can we pray God would “deliver us from evil” if we’re not willing to pray that God would use a not-so-righteous judge like Samson to deliver us from the evil of our day… AND do our part to make it possible by exercising our privilege to vote?
There are all kinds of reasons why millions of busy, law-abiding citizens at their own expense would stick their physical necks out into the dangerous storm of controversy. Can you think of a few?
They not only want to express their opinion about unlawful government actions over the citizens of their nation, they want to make it clear that they will not bend any further in capitulating to those who think they can demand worshipful obedience as if those tyrants were gods. Natural rights are God-given rights. Common sense doesn’t need scientific consensus to make it true. When the proverbial “emperor has no clothes,” then somebody with child-like observational skills and the courage of a faithful soldier has to stand up and refuse to bow… Are not the righteous bold as lions? Don’t lions vote with their actions?
We may live in what academics like to call a “post-modern” or “post-Christian” era of history… but the politically IN-correct foolish academics have been dead wrong for decades. We’re seeing an AWAKENING in this generation that will build upon and enlarge the awakening that birthed the first God-orchestrated constitutional republican nation in history. Freedom is not a gift from the hands of an earthly king…one who can take it away again. Freedom is a spiritual gift from the only wise and transcendent Creator who sustains the entire universe and whose kingdom will never end.
The freedom to live can only come from the Giver of life… and it’s not the government.
The freedom of liberty to speak one’s thoughts can only come from the One making it possible for us to think those thoughts.
The freedom for humans to choose what they allow into their homes, their thoughts and their bodies can only come from the Redeemer who gives His created beings the choice to accept or reject His wisdom and gift of eternal relationship with Him.
The freedom to express God-fearing religious convictions can only come from the Grace of the One who created such awe-inspiring wonders as the starry heavens and conscious ability to honestly worship the One who made them all.
The freedom to peaceably assemble with other humans and petition their government to correct misguided grievances can only come from the One who commanded His assembled ‘ekklesia’ of two or more of His faithful creatures to proclaim His kingdom and authority to the whole world.
If we really believe that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and ever heart shall confess that He alone is Lord – Master – Sovereign – over all… then don’t we have an obligation to Him to proclaim liberty throughout the land? Shouldn’t we do as Proverbs 24:11 directs and “Deliver those who are being taken away to death, and those who are staggering to slaughter…?”
Shouldn’t we call upon God in the day of trouble? Can’t we trust in Him to fulfill His promise to rescue us when we faithfully commit to honor Him?” (Psalm 50:15)
The founders of our unique American nation determined in cast bronze metal the words on the liberty bell for a reason – you shall proclaim liberty throughout the land…
It is written in the Scripture given to Moses in Leviticus 25:10… “And ye shall … proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof…”
Through many dangers, toils, and snares God’s amazing grace has led us as a nation. He’s done it even through trials – trials that could have been avoided. How? Only if we, His people, had diligently hearkened unto Him and faithfully done what we were commissioned to do. But God is always faithful.
His prophet Malachi says (in Malachi 3:7):
“Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.”
America’s Condition is pretty bad.
We now have a political party in America that is willing to allow thousands of terrorists, murderers, rapists, thieves, brutal gangs, and poisonous drugs into America in exchange for votes. We have a political party that has “lost” over 300,000 children – one can only imagine the suffering many of them are enduring – in exchange for votes. One of the first things Biden did when taking power four years ago was end Trump’s policy of DNA testing to see if those bringing in children were truly related to them. This party’s lust for power and to see America transformed into a weak, globalist nation is literally insatiable. It is hard to imagine that their collective conscience could have become so seared.
It is also hard to imagine that such a large portion of America’s media would become complicit in such heinous activity. They know it is occurring; the sad truth is that they don’t care about these children, the fentanyl deaths, and the inevitable suffering from the criminal portion of the illegals that have come in. Obviously, their ideologies matter more than the children.
And it is hard to believe millions of Americans choose to look the other way. What has happened to our nation?! I don’t hate any of these people; I want to see all of them saved. I do, however, hate what they are doing. A true revival, transforming the hearts of millions of Americans, is necessary to change these things. How is that going to happen? Having the right people in government is important, but as we know, they cannot transform hearts, and America is sick at a heart level. Government leaders can and must reform America, but will only be able to do so after God revives it, transforming hearts.
This is why we pray for both. We must continue contending for revival; and we must continue to contend for reformation in our government, praying that evil is removed and God-honoring patriots are elected. This upcoming election is crucial beyond words. We would not survive four more years of woke, Marxist, antichrist leadership. Very few people are capable of leading us in the level of reformation needed. Keep praying that they are elected.
And, for now, let’s all do our part to help whomever we can to get to the voting booths… to muster up the boldness of a righteous lion… to vote… and vote for those who will govern in respect to our God-given constitution so we all can have another chance to be the salt and light to preserve the right to disciple our nation for Christ’s kingdom.
Bonus Segment
And certainly, we must pray for an awakening in the church, God’s instrument to provide salt (preservation) and light to the earth. A large percentage of the American church lost its savor, and the light grew dim. And regarding her assignment of being a voice for truth and morality? Well, let’s just say her silence screams, “Lukewarm, irrelevant, and cowardly!” God, however, knows how to restore and revive His people. He is doing so, and is about to rain fire on them – FIRE!
Be encouraged, praying Christian. The God who has motivated our prayers is answering them. Many American people are now seeing our fallen condition, making them ripe for revival. Corruption and evil are being exposed in our government, setting the stage for reformation. Many in the church are tired of complacency, compromise, woke leaders, and lack of power, which is creating a hunger for true presence and power. All is ready. Keep praying!
And finally, pray for the protection of President Trump. I know in my heart that many – here and abroad – want him dead. God works through our prayers. The prayer that allowed for his protection on two occasions – that we know of – must continue. Pray for Trump, his family, and those around him. Pray that evil plans will be exposed, and that every plan fails.
Declare that no weapon formed against him will prosper. And pray that he will be drawn into a very close relationship with God – Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Spirit-anointed, and Spirit-empowered. Pray these things DAILY!
And I want to leave you today with a message of hope that I heard from our good podcasting friend, Dutch Sheets on his podcast called “Give Him 15.”
“Toward the end of the 19th century, Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel awoke one morning to read his own obituary in the local newspaper: ‘Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, who died yesterday, devised a way for more people to be killed in a war than ever before, and he died a very rich man.’
“Actually, it was Alfred’s older brother who had died; a reporter had botched the obituary! However, the account had a profound effect on Alfred Nobel. He decided that he wanted to be known for something other than inventing the means for killing people in war, and amassing great wealth in the process. So, he initiated the Nobel Peace Prize, the award for those who foster peace. Nobel said, ‘Every man ought to have the chance to correct his epitaph in midstream and write a new one.’”(1)
I guess you could say that we are re-writing America’s epitaph.
Pray with me:
Father, we Americans have modeled greatness, and a loss of greatness. We now exemplify weakness, depravity, greed, pride, and so much more. You said, “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches” (Jeremiah 9:23). We have done all of the above.
And yet, Your mercies are great and endure forever. You are turning our nation, awakening us to our nakedness, and have raised up much intercession to fuel this. We thank You. Continue this, Father, allowing us to write a new epitaph.
We pray for the safety and protection of President Trump, his family, and those around him. Stop EVERY plan to take him out. Expose all of those endeavoring to do so.
And give us the leadership we need at this time in history. Motivate people to vote, and to do so based on biblical values. Cause them to see that their actions are writing America’s epitaph.
We ask all of this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Let’s continue to ask our Father to give the world of true proclaimers of God’s liberty the opportunity to step up to the spiritual battle. It’s going to be won through prayer and the declaration of truth over evil powers that naturally-minded people aren’t expected to understand.
Scott Lively’s newsletter of Oct 26, 2024 quoted his website at ScottLively.net, saying: Christians who can’t balance the aspirations of Christianity with the realities of politics sabotage their own interests by imposing an unrealistic standard of moral perfection on people who run for office: a standard God Himself never imposed on the people that He raised up as Judges during the 400 year Israelite Republic that America is modeled upon.”
This is what King Solomon was talking about when he wrote…
“The wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the godly are as bold as lions.”
Solomon went on to say, in a different translation, that…
When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability.
A poor person who oppresses the poor is like a pounding rain that destroys the crops.
To reject the law is to praise the wicked; to obey the law is to fight them.
Evil people don’t understand justice, but those who follow the LORD understand completely.
Proverbs 28:1-5
As always, King Solomon declares some important wisdom for us all to apply today to give us guidance for prayer and action so that we can encourage others to have hope.
Indeed… God’s righteous servants are as bold as lions… and while evil people don’t understand God’s justice… those who follow the LORD understand completely.
So, let’s all learn from this and boldly… prayerfully… and faithfully share these treasures with others as God gives us providential opportunities.
With the free-flowing exchange of ideas, the public discussion inevitably enlarges. More and more people discover logical, technical and biblical validity for rejecting government leaders and policies that shamefully scorn the Most High God and support actions that ‘steal, kill and destroy’ our Creator’s image bearers. He loved them enough to redeem them through death on the cross. Will we love them enough to bear our cross daily and live our remaining days sacrificially in His service? And don’t forget that common sense doesn’t need scientific consensus to make it true.
** If you have gained benefit from this report, you will appreciate browsing our other posts at ReclaimYourLegacy.com… and sharing them with loved ones. Your support financially and in prayer is deeply appreciated. Please consider clicking on the ‘donate’ button on the website to find the method that best works for you. If God leads you to be one of our dedicated recurring support team members, your decision is a high honor for us as we continue in this work together to “destroy speculations and every high thought raised against the knowledge of God.” Thanks so very much… and may God’s providential blessings go before you all the days of your life.
From Scott Lively’s newsletter of Oct 26, 2024 rec’d at my Gmail.
From his website at ScottLively.net, “Christians who can’t balance the aspirations of Christianity with the realities of politics sabotage their own interests by imposing an unrealistic standard of moral perfection on people who run for office: a standard God Himself never imposed on the people He raised up as Judges during the 400 year Israelite Republic that America is modeled upon.”
From Dutch Sheets’ Give Him15 for October 29, 2024
Could you imagine how the enemy of humanity might possibly scheme to deceive the masses by employing professional institutions that were once trusted to be a friend?
If there exists one clearly understood fact about the devil, of which practically every true follower of Jesus is very aware, it’s his number one characteristic – he’s the master deceiver. Revelation 12:7 identifies that serpent of old as “Satan, who deceives the whole world.”
Can you imagine… tricking the whole world of humanity to almost universally believe in a lie?
Are you ready to help people rediscover America’s covenant with God?
America’s people have been dumbed down deliberately by a secular and demonic agenda to make us all ignorant of truth, ignorant of common sense, ignorant of Scripture, and particularly ignorant of our own history. We should all know the fact that God’s prophet clearly prophesied that His own people (“My people” He said) “are destroyed for a lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). When we speak that message, it can be a prophetic wake-up call for those who might be listening closely to what we’re saying. But another problem is that many, in the true Ekklesia of God, lack the mature personal mentors who can coach them to be guided by the Holy Spirit. We all need that guidance to discern what is true, and to learn from the events and lives of the past that are able to witness to the incredible grace and power of God.
God’s People are Rediscovering their Divine Legacy in such a time as this by Dennis Petersen
You’re not alone if you feel horrified by the perverse and corrupt wickedness being exposed openly in our society’s mountains of influence.
Truly, the manufactured political crisis of a highly questionable health emergency is tragic. But God has been using it to expose unimaginable corruption and ignorance. Now, He’s using all of it to generate awakening and repentance.
In the post-Civil War generations, Christian pastors en masse, began failing their Biblical assignment. What’s that? Ephesians 4:12-14 tells us. It’s for…
“…the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ…” And that is expected to result that we would all grow up to maturity… no longer children… being tossed around by the trickery of deceitful men.
Doesn’t it make sense that should mean that the saints should all be actively prepared to disciple their own young people to be the influencers for righteousness in THIS nation?
But think of what happened. The generation that survived the Civil War created the industrial revolution, ushering humanity into the Space Age. It took only a century of growing, but eventually unimagined national prosperity reduced a spoiled and entitled generation to face the possible disaster of becoming another third world socialist country.
This is Time to Prepare for coming Storms – every leader Needs to be a vocal watchman (vigilant sentry).
Like Esther, you fathers, elders, deacons, ministers, and bishops… must respond to the compelling message of Mordecai in the Bible book of Esther. And almost nobody has yet told us what that ‘compelling message’ is.
Various kinds of unbelievably insane eras like ours today, have happened many times before on this earth. We’re not the first. But in previous generations of mankind, the craziness was typically more localized in a certain region or empire – like crazy Caesar Nero’s Rome near the end of Christ’s Ekklesia’s first generation, or Bloody Mary’s medieval England at the dawn of the Reformation, or the murderous regime of Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. Today, it seems to be the whole planet Earth is under an evil spell of wicked forces in high places. It’s been that way all along of course, only now, lots more people are realizing that the evil is a direct war against the Creator and His set-apart people, Christ’s Ekklesia, the kingdom of God’s blood-redeemed family.
The fact that the battle to preserve our society of liberty is a spiritual war against demonic principalities in high places is more evident now than ever before in our lifetime. The question is – will God’s people who are called by His name not only humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways, but will they be the preserving salt of influence on our society or will they continue to be ‘trampled’ by society’s mountains of influence?
The Power of Keeping People in Darkness (ignorant)
The gross darkness of ignorance that prevails in today’s world results from one thing: deliberate re-education. Historic disciples of Marx, Lenin and Mao know very well that society-wide ignorance depends on the perversion of true history, and the censoring of moral truth found in God’s Word. Paul insisted that Christ followers “prove all things.” Why? Faith (in God, the Bible or all truth) comes by hearing the Word of God! Without a clear and spoken declaration of relevant, Christ glorifying words (Rhema) of God’s timeless truth, people are lost in confusion, deception, and pop culture entertainment. It’s all devoid of substance that challenges us to seek God.
We’re going to discover today… some of how God’s Light is exposing the Darkness of Medical Deception in our world.
God uses faithful Truth tellers to deliver His people from harm If they will listen.
If you have loved ones with whom you like to share valuable, life-saving information, you’ll appreciate the sensible insights you’ll hear on today’s show. My family and I have been greatly informed and physically benefitted by the insights we’ve heard from a Texas doctor who has helped millions of people with his research into the medical disasters of recent years and his study of natural medicine.
We’re all surrounded by the darkness of evil deception that continues bringing death and suffering to many people because of their “lack of knowledge.” The truth, delivered by the prophet Hosea (Hosea 4:6), is painful to all of us who are trying to be protectors, like watchmen on the walls of our community of friends and family. But there IS a hope for those who allow their God-given curiosity to move them to “test all things.” (1 Thes 5:21)
More and more people in our country and in the world are awakening to the reality that we are all on the stage of the greatest spiritual battleground imaginable.
As the darkness of evil becomes increasingly invasive, the brightness of the Light of God’s Truth and Righteousness becomes all the more apparent to those who have eyes to see. Unfortunately, we realize from recent history that people who have been pickled in mass-media deception and coddled by a public indoctrination mindset that coddles the stubbornness to cling to their self-serving idolatry and wicked passions… those people are often too hardened to hear God’s invitation to repent and receive the peace of eternal life.