From Fruitless Faith to Miraculous Manifestations

During 2020, I've done a lot of thinking and praying about the future of our nation. For many people, it has been difficult to be a witness to the division and the disparity among our fellow Americans. And it has been troublesome to see the loss of hope and peace in the lives of so many. It has been a battle for Christians to stay focused on fighting in the spirit when they see so much defeat in the physical world. Our younger generation is fearful that the "American Dream" is going to be gone before they have a chance to experience it, while our older generation mourns the loss of their "golden years". We tell ourselves that this can't be happening; that this is not what America is all about; and surely the Lord will deliver us from this assault upon our Christian nation.

The truth is that we are not the first prosperous nation in the history of the world [who has built an empire for itself] to then find itself sliding into decline and destruction. I discovered a 2010 article, titled The Decline and Fall of the American Empire, written by Alfred W. McCoy, an American historian and educator who specializes in the history of the Philippines, foreign policy of the United States, European colonization of Southeast Asia, illegal drug trade, and Central Intelligence Agency covert operations. 

Mr. McCoy knows whereof he writes, and this particular article was so prophetic in nature, I wanted to share its premise with you. Here is some of what Mr. McCoy wrote: "Despite the aura of omnipotence most empires project, a look at their history should remind us that they are fragile organisms. So delicate is their ecology of power that, when things start to go truly bad, empires regularly unravel with unholy speed: just a year for Portugal, two years for the Soviet Union, eight years for France, 11 years for the Ottomans, 17 years for Great Britain, and, in all likelihood, 22 years for the United States, counting from the crucial year 2003. Future historians are likely to identify the Bush administration’s rash invasion of Iraq in that year as the start of America’s downfall. However, instead of the bloodshed that marked the end of so many past empires, with cities burning and civilians slaughtered, this twenty-first century imperial collapse could come relatively quietly through the invisible tendrils of economic collapse or cyberwarfare."

I won't go any further into Mr. McCoy's prognostications for the future of America, because to be frank, it's predictions are dismal and disheartening. He saw it coming 10 years ago, and it appears to be unraveling before our eyes. Instead, I would rather address what Jesus has to say about how our faith could be the key to avoiding our inevitable decline. You will find His advice in Matthew 21:18-22. In this passage, Jesus happens upon a fig tree by the wayside. Scripture says He went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And He said to it, May no fruit ever come from you again! And the fig tree withered at once. 

It was common knowledge in Jesus's time that if you saw leaves on a fig tree, you could expect fruit, unless the tree was barren. The evidence of leaves tells us that the fig tree should have been bearing fruit. As the Creator of the fig tree, Jesus expected it to be producing fruit. And as its Creator, He was justified in condemning it and cursing it to never bear fruit again. This was not only a declaration against the fig tree, but also against the Jews, who had become spiritually barren before the Lord. Just as the tree should have been bearing fruit, so should the people be bearing fruit for the Kingdom of God. The tree had the form of a fig tree, but not the reality -- it bore no figs! So it was with the Jews. They had the form of religion, but not the reality of faith. They knew the right words to say, but their hearts were far from God and they bore no fruit for Him.

The disciples are astounded! How could the tree wither so quickly and at once? But instead of answering that question, Jesus points them to the matter of their faith. He tells them if they have faith, and do not doubt, they will not only be able to do what He did to the fig tree, but they could tell a mountain to be moved and thrown into the sea, and it would happen. You see, they did not remember that God had once given man dominion over the earth and everything on it, in it, and under it, and that Adam and Eve had surrendered it to Satan. But now Jesus was there to reclaim it and restore it to His creation called man. They were to rule His creation according to His governing principles and to rule in His absence. In essence, He was telling them that if they had true faith, they could pray and receive the mind and thoughts of God [to do to the fig tree what Jesus did, as well as tell the mountain to move, and it would]. That means they were to have no doubt that by praying and submitting to God's will, they would hear His desires and receive the means [and the power] to achieve it. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.

So, I ask you ... do you have that kind of faith? Or do you doubt? Do you believe that when Jesus came to earth He took back the dominion of the earth from Satan and handed it over to us? Because it's going to take that kind of faith to overcome the predicament we find ourselves in today! I believe that like the fig tree, for a long time we Americans -- and that includes Christians -- have practiced a fruitless faith. We have portrayed the form of a righteous nation and a religious people, but we have not borne the fruit of true faith. We have not believed in our power and authority to represent God's Kingdom government in our nation. So, we have stood by and watched as fig trees full of leaves grew among us, and did not demand that they bear fruit or be cut down. We did not have the faith to believe that we could have the mind of God and do anything about it. Even when we discerned our Enemy's plan to destroy us, I'm not sure we even believed our faith could guarantee us a victory.

But true faith knows how to win because it is borne in the mind of God and transferred to us when we pray. True faith has never lost a battle, because we discern God's strategy to defeat the devil and we follow that plan in obedience. Moses and the nation of Israel faced the Red Sea with the Egyptian army at their back. David, on the run, defeated Saul's plan to defeat him and take his life. Daniel faced a pride of lions in their den and didn't back down. And they were all able to be victorious in their battles because they walked in true faith and believed that their prayers could manifest the divine purpose of God. 

It now appears to the world that our precious nation is on the precipice of defeat. Many of you may feel it looks hopeless. But don't listen to the lies of the devil that tell us we can't overcome these obstacles. Our faith is more than just a formula to get what we want. It must become active in believing that we are who Jesus says we are ... citizens of Heaven placed here in this place and this time to manifest God's divine purpose for this nation. Our God is the same God that divided the Red Sea; the same God that delivered David from the long arm of Saul; and the same God that rescued Daniel from the jaws of the lions. He is the same God who won our infant nation's victory against the British Empire and who is returning the Jews to the Holy Land. And in all these examples, victory was won through persistent prayers of faith -- faith in God alone to see His sovereign will be done. That kind of faith is not limited to history. It is real and it is possible for us today. That kind of faith will fight for you because it is in divine relationship with God. Let us overcome our faith-killing doubt and pray sincerely, fervently, and persistently as we await the miraculous manifestations of deliverance that I truly believe is God's will for our nation!

1 John 5:14-15     This is the [remarkable degree of] confidence which we [as believers are entitled to] have before Him: that if we ask anything according to His will, [that is, consistent with His plan and purpose] He hears us. And if we know [for a fact, as indeed we do] that He hears and listens to us in whatever we ask, we [also] know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted to us] the requests which we have asked from Him. 

The American Mind (Revisited)

Back in 2012, I decided to take part in a 10-week online course on our Constitution, offered by the respected and distinguished Dr. Larry Arnn, President of Hillsdale College. Since this founding document -- and foundation -- of our country is under unparalleled assault, I thought it might be a good idea to revisit what I learned and what I wrote to see where we stand today. The title of the course was Constitution 101:The Meaning and History of the Constitution. 

I began that 2012 post by saying, "Dr. Arnn started his lecture with the simple question, 'Why study the meaning and history of the Constitution?'  His answer, at the time, was simple and erudite:  there are two reasons:  1) How did these men come to the conclusion that all men are created equal, and that checks and balances were a good thing?  and  2) It is URGENT that we know the meaning and history, because we are about to discard these principles and institutions and adopt others. There is a vast difference between our founding principles and the new ones we are considering, and they are highly incompatible.  We'd better know how they are different!" 

Sadly, we have come a long ways down that road in 2020, and we haven't shown any evidence that we plan on protecting the Constitution. If anything, we have let the founding principles slip even further away.  Dr. Arnn commented that knowledge of our country (and the meaning behind its founding) was rare in 2012. Eight years have seen further deterioration of that knowledge; in fact, there is outright disdain for who we are as America and Americans. All you have to do is compare a speech given by Thomas Jefferson with a modern-day politician, and you can see how far we have wandered.  In his overview of the lesson, Dr. Arnn stated, "America's Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson said, was the product of  'the American mind.'  Our Constitution was made with the same purpose as the Declaration -- to establish a regime where the people are sovereign, and the government protects the rights granted to them by their Creator."

But what do you do when half the country's idea of what that government should look like is the polar opposite of the other half?  And what do you do when half the country wants to destroy the Constitution, doesn't think the people are sovereign, and has no desire to protect the rights granted by God? They don't even understand that the word "constitution" means "to ordain and establish something."  It also means "to set a firm thing strongly in place." It is also linked to two other words that give it meaning: statute and statue.  "Statute" means a law; ordained and established by a government upon a people as a practice that is mandatory. "Statue" connotes a work of art; something a human being makes, that is firmly established, intentional, and deliberate.

The Constitution of the United States is a work of art; something lasting and beautiful.  It gives America its form.  And it matters what a work of art is made of!  Dr. Arnn used the statue of Michelangelo's David as an example.  This exquisite statue is made of marble, and it would change both the structure and the nature of the statue if it was made of bronze or wood or plastic.  He emphatically states that marble is one of the "causes" of the statue of David.

So what is one of the "causes" of the United States?  IT IS THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE! And it is uniquely crafted; it is like no other nation on earth! This land was founded by people who were willing to leave one of the most advanced civilizations of the world, with all its sophisticated law, art, music and literature, to come to a wild, untamed place.  It is important to note that this experiment called America revolved around this vast, wild, and untamed land being discovered by a people who came from a highly developed and civilized place --- it had never happened before, and it is hard to imagine that it could ever happen again.  That's what makes America so unique!  

One can never understand the making of America without understanding the land and the people; and you'll never understand the people without grasping what they thought and what they believed. And it is a miracle, in my mind, that all those people who came from distant lands were able to recognize the concept that America was indeed founded with a unique and distinctive identity, and they all agreed on its exceptionalism. But now we stand at a crossroads. The Land and the People are losing that remarkable identity. No ...it's even more than that! There are vast majorities that want to deliberately cast it off! And we are not in agreement on what America should look like, or her purpose.

But back to Dr. Arnn's imagery of the statue of David ... Our Republic, like the statue of David, was deliberately made; it is a work of art.  What gives America its form?  Anytime America acts as a nation, it acts through the Constitution.  We seem to have forgotten that the President holds his office through the Constitution; the Congress is established through the Constitution; and the Courts are answerable to the Constitution.  The way the United States proceeds as a nation was very deliberately designed to be influenced by the Constitution. 

But, here we are in 2020, and it seems as if most of our government is treating the Constitution as if it's irrelevant; that there is no place for the Constitution in our national dialogue, or in our governmental processes. We seem to have forgotten that our Founding Fathers were educated men; schooled in the wisdom of history and able to discern the dangers and possibilities of losing their God-given freedoms.  It was these ideas that were part of the founding of America; these ideas that made up the American people and constituted our American ideals. Does that still hold to be true?

In concluding his lecture in 2012, Dr. Arnn pointed out that we were close to a time when we would live under a different Constitution than the one we were bequeathed.  He stated we were going to have to make a choice, and the choice we made would have a profound effect on everyone in this country and the world.  He said the choice needed to be made well, and we needed to understand the consequences of choosing the alternative!

Well, I think we can all recognize that there are those citizens [and members of our government] that would like to choose a radically different alternative to our way of life, and would like to abolish the Constitution altogether. They are, in fact, ignoring its precedence and its primacy, as they seek to change the very fabric of this nation. But the words from 1776 that should be burned into the hearts and minds and souls of every American still ring true today: When in the Course of human events it become necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.  We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Lord, my heart is grieved to see the separation that has come upon our land! We need to understand that it is our Constitution that holds us together. It is a beautiful document; it's what makes us America. It gives us our structure, our form, and our nature. When it is destroyed or ignored, we are vulnerable to becoming something we were not created to be. We cannot let our differences mold us into something we are not. I comprehend that there are those who think an alternative plan or system will benefit Americans more, but I pray that they are awakened to those false promises before our nation perishes.

Father God, this land is Your land. You have set the boundaries and established Your laws within our founding documents. We pray for protection from those who would alter Your plan for this nation. We stand on our authority as Your representatives, and we declare that this is still one nation, under God, indivisible, and defending liberty and justice for all. We do not believe You are through with America yet, Father! Gird us and guide us for the spiritual battles ahead as we persevere to maintain our Republic. Let all Americans hear Your voice, and let all the people return to You, in repentance and in submission to Your will for this nation. We remain in covenant with You and we will never abandon Your principles or moral laws. Let true freedom in Christ ring out across this land and cleanse us from the physical and spiritual plagues that have descended upon us. Draw us to You, Father. Heal us, restore us, and set us upon paths of righteousness for Your Name's sake. Let the world proclaim, "America belongs to the Lord"!

Deuteronomy 4:6   "Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' " 

 

Celebrating The Miracles of God

The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah began last night, December 10th, at sundown and will continue through sundown on December 18th. In the Jewish faith, the eight days of this celebration represent the miracles of God in the centuries since their faith was founded... beginning with the miraculous birth of Isaac, through their deliverance out of Egypt, through the continuity of the Jewish people throughout numerous defeats by world empires and subsequent captivities (including the Holocaust of the 20th Century); all the way to the miracle of the rebirth of the State of Israel, including their eternal capital, Jerusalem. 

Although the ultimate miracle of scales being lifted off their eyes [so that they recognize Jesus as their Messiah] has not been completely fulfilled yet, there are tens of thousands of the Jewish faith who have received this miracle in a personal way. And the celebration of Hanukkah holds both an historic and future significance for them.  And since, as Christians, we are grafted into the Jewish faith, the celebration of Hanukkah has great meaning for us, as we look to the Light of the World. And for me, it has particular significance this year.

Here is the historical perspective: In Exodus, Chapter 25, God gave Moses instructions for building the accessories and furniture for the Tabernacle.  Among them were the Ark of the Covenant, a table for the bread of the Presence [of God], and the Golden Lampstand.  This lampstand was to be built out of pure gold and included seven bowls in which only pure, fresh olive oil of the highest quality would be used to sanctify the priests, the tabernacle, and all of its furnishings and sacred vessels.  This lampstand, or Menorah, was a seven-branched candelabra beaten out of a solid piece of gold.  Later, it stood in the southern part of the Temple and was lit every day by the High Priest. In fact, Exodus 27:21 tells us, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the Lord. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel. 

You see, the olive oil in the lampstand was representative of the Holy Spirit, the One who sanctifies us, fills us, readies us to see [and become like] Christ, and brings us light, joy, and spiritual health. And, as commentator David Guzik tells us, "God never wanted the lamps to lose their fire. Only a continual supply of oil and trimming of the wicks could keep them burning. We can only continue to be on fire for God if we are continually supplied with the oil of the Holy Spirit, and are 'trimmed' by God to bear more light". 

That is a symbolic understanding of the Menorah and its significance.  But there is a real life story of God's miracle in keeping His Light burning... It occurs during that time period when the Roman Empire is ascending and flexing its muscles against the fading Greek Empire. The small nation of Israel finds itself caught in the middle of the battle for power among the Syrians, the Greeks, the Egyptians, and the Romans.  The Jews, in Israel, eventually find themselves under the rule of the Greek leader Antiochus Epiphanies, who came to power with flattering offers of peace.

At the time, the Jewish High Priest was Onias lll, and he was considered the prince of the covenant.  His brother Jason, was corrupt, and wanted to bring Greek culture to Israel.  So Antiochus had Onias murdered and replaced him with Jason, as High Priest. This High Priest (Jason) is soon replaced by another priest (Menelaus) who offers to pay Antiochus huge bribe money to hold this prestigious office.  Jason has heard false rumors that Antiochus has been killed in battle and leads a small army against Jerusalem to get his office back.  This, of course, angers Antiochus and he unleashes his hatred of the Jews in a fury, killing many Jews, selling many of them into slavery, and plundering the treasures of the Temple.

 In the meantime, Menelaus is forcing a false worship system on the Jews and making them accept the Greek culture and worship the Greek idols. Antiochus sends his general Apollonius to occupy Jerusalem and they sacrifice pigs on the Temple altar. The Jews were made to take part in drunken orgies in honor of the god of wine, Bacchus. Jews are also forbidden, on penalty of death, from practicing any form of Judaism including circumcision or observing the Sabbath.

Furthermore, Antiochus had ordered the Jewish Scriptures to be destroyed, and he and his soldiers brought prostitutes into the Temple and there had sex with them in order to defile the Temple. The final outrage for the pious Jews of the land came when Antiochus sacked the Temple and erected an altar there to the pagan god Zeus. Then, on December 25, 168 BC, Antiochus offered a pig to Zeus on the altar of God. (This is a picture of the "abomination of desolation" that Daniel mentions, and which Jesus references as coming again, right before His return).

The apostate Jews listened to the flatteries of Antiochus and left the worship of YHWH.  But God always has a remnant that remain faithful to Him despite persecution.  That was the Maccabee family.  Mattathias Maccabee is angered when he witnesses a priest about to take part in these blasphemies in the Temple and kills him on the altar.  This begins the Maccabean Revolt that we read about in the Book of Maccabees. The Jewish Encyclopedia gives the following account of the Maccebean revolt, which began in 166 B.C. and threw off Syrian/Greek rule:  "Mattathias was already old when the religious persecution under Antiochus Epiphanes broke out. The king's soldiers under Apelles, who is mentioned by Josephus but not in the Book of Maccabees, came to Modin, a small city in Judea. They set up an altar to the heathen god, and ordered Mattathias, as the most influential citizen, whose example would be followed, to sacrifice in accordance with the king's command. But Mattathias said: "Though all the nations that are under the king's dominion obey him, . . . yet will I, and my sons, and my brethren, walk in the covenant of our fathers" (I Macc. ii. 19-20). And when a certain Jew was about to obey the command, Mattathias, who was filled with holy wrath, killed the offender and destroyed the altar, while his sons cut down the king's officer. Thereupon Mattathias called out: "Whoever is zealous for the Law, and maintaineth the covenant, let him follow me." His countrymen, abandoning all their possessions, followed him and hid in the mountains and desert places. Others, who had hidden themselves before, joined them. . . . From his hiding-place he scoured the neighboring districts of Judea, drove out small bands of the king's troops, punished the renegade Jews, destroyed the heathen temples and altars, and brought children, who through fear had not been circumcised, into the covenant of Abraham."

When Daniel says, in Chapter 11, verse 32, that the people who know their God shall be strong, and do exploits, it is a direct reference to the Maccabees.  REMEMBER:  This time period occurs in the Silent Years between Malachi and Matthew.  These events took place in the period after the Old Testament was completed with the writings in Malachi. It was a hard time for the faithful Jews and a period of extreme persecution. It was a time of mixed loyalties among the Jews. Some believed God, and were faithful even unto death. Others rejected Him, believing the lies of Antiochus.  IT WILL BE THE SAME IN THE END TIMES, AT THE TIME OF THE GREAT TRIBULATION. 

At this time in history (just as it will be at the end of history), Antiochus was determined to exterminate the Jewish people. He sent Lysias, the commander-in-chief of the Seleucid army, along with 60,000 infantrymen and 5000 cavalry, to utterly destroy the Jews. This powerful army finally encountered Judas Maccabee, who had a force of only 3000 poorly equipped rebels, in the town of Emmaus, which was just over 7 miles from Jerusalem. Judas managed to gather together another 7000 rebels, but was still terribly outnumbered. He prayed to God for strength and deliverance (1 Maccabees 4:30-33), and God answered! They won a huge victory over the Seleucid army!

 Judas then determined to enter Jerusalem and liberate the city, and also to purify the Temple and re-dedicate it to God. When they entered the holy city, the extent of the destruction which they beheld caused them to be overwhelmed by grief (1 Maccabees 4:36-40). Their grief, however, soon turned to determination and action. They set about the task of driving the enemy out of the city, and also of cleaning up the Temple. On December 25, 165 BC (exactly three years after Antiochus had defiled the altar of God by offering a pig upon it), the Temple of God was rededicated to Him with rejoicing and sacrifices. The celebration continued for eight days. This is the famous "Feast of Lights" (Hanukkah) which is still celebrated by the Jews to this day.

In fact, there are two miracles associated with this religious holiday.  The first is that the small band of Jewish rebels were able to defeat the massive and superior Syrian-Greek army.  The second miracle is that during the re-dedication of the Temple, and upon the priests’ return to light the menorah, they discovered there was only one vial of oil, which should have lasted no more than a day.  But YHWH miraculously replenished the oil so that it sufficed for eight days.

A year later, the holiday of Hanukkah was established and celebrated to commemorate the eight days God replenished the oil. It was a celebration of the weak, threatened with annihilation, yet overcoming the mighty, with God's intervention. Clearly, the holiday of Hanukkah celebrates those miracles that occurred over 2000 years ago.  But it is a reminder today [to those who have faith in Jesus Christ] of the miracle that established Him as the Light of the World.  It is a time to remember that He is our unparalleled hope, and to look for spiritual renewal and re-dedication to our faith.  It is a time to be thankful that His Light shines into the darkness of this world, and that the darkness is receding and will eventually be totally defeated.

This is a holy time that is especially significant in this year 2020. The same spirit of Anti-Christ that existed in Antiochus Epiphanes exists in the world today. It is the spirit that hates God and God's people, and desperately tries to control hearts and minds through false promises of power and prosperity. This spirit endeavors to change the world by extinguishing the hope that is in Jesus. It is a spirit of desecration and persecution, and we are seeing the beginnings of both in our own national chaos. 

But who among us is willing to take a stand like Mattathias and declare, "Though all the nations that are under the king's dominion obey him, . . . yet will I, and my sons, and my brethren, walk in the covenant of our fathers"? Are there those among us who are willing to stand for holiness in our nation, even though we see corruption and bribery and fraud and apostasy all around us? Are we willing to re-dedicate this land to the covenant of our fathers? Because I will tell you, this nation needs cleansing and a restoration. We need to devote ourselves to returning to our godly roots, and we need to remove the influence of the unrighteous and the profane from within our midst. 

I pray that during this season of Hanukkah we might see one more miracle from God to add to His long list of supernatural deliverances for the people who love Him. I pray that the Anti-Christ spirit will be driven from this land by Holy-spirit filled men and women who are willing to stand up and fight alongside the Host of Heaven to save our homeland, just as the Maccabees fought to keep their home from being violated and polluted by evil forces. Let God provide the miracles to turn the light of freedom in Christ back on in this country! Let Jesus, the Light of the World, reign in place of Satan's proxy government and let His Light be celebrated with joy and overwhelming allegiance. Let this nation once again be a lamp to the world that never burns out. Father, illuminate us with a never-ending supply of Your grace and mercy, and let us re-dedicate ourselves and this nation to becoming one with You. Happy Hanukkah everyone!

Psalm 27:1     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?

What Is The Spirit of This Nation? Who Is It's god?

Yes, I realize that I have a small "g" god in my title. It was deliberate and the result of a question posed to me by a young man I'm proud to consider a spiritual son. He has found his freedom in Christ and is dedicated to representing the Kingdom of God to as many people as possible. He takes that responsibility seriously, and therefore spends lots of personal time in seeking the Lord and endeavoring to understand the "spiritual mechanics" of how we are to walk in our power and authority as sons and daughters of God, and citizens and ambassadors of our Father's Heavenly Kingdom.

With his goals set before him, this young man is learning how to specifically target his prayers as he wages war in the heavens, and he asked me for some information regarding the evil spirits or principalities over geographical regions in the United States. In light of our current situation in the country, I sure wish other Believers were this tuned in to this particular prayer strategy. So, I would like to share with you what I revealed to him as my understanding.

It should not surprise Christians when I say that there are territorial and regional spirits and forces that afflict and oppress people in communities, states, geographical regions, and even an entire country. In the Book of Daniel, Scripture makes it very clear the archangel Michael is in a spiritual battle with the Princes of Persia and Greece. We don't know what the particular characteristics of those powerful spiritual entities are, but I believe they reflect the sins of the people of Persia and Greece. Let me explain further... 

First of all, I do not have the mind of God, nor am I privileged to have all His knowledge or counsel. From what I have discerned, I see at least two paths for geographical regions and territories to become infiltrated with high-level demons and powers. The first is exemplified by Matthew 12:43-45. This passage tells us that when an unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then when it decides to return to the house from which it was thrown out, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. 

This tells me that cast out demons try to find other avenues in which they can oppress people, regions, or territories where they can go and easily reside [rest]. But if those places are dry and unproductive for their evil proclivities (waterless), they decide to try and go back to the person or place from which they were cast out. Of course, because it is the power of Jesus that allowed them to be cast out, that place [or person] from which they came will be vacant; it will be warm and ready for occupancy again. You see, as soon as that place was rid of the evil influence, that vacancy should have been filled with the Holy Spirit [in case of a person], or transformed into a righteous, moral and virtuous environment [in case of a region or territory]. Tolerance, patience, mercy, grace and peace will characterize both people and territories that are not left void.

A second path that I believe demons and high-level principalities and princes can exploit to enter regions is when spirits and demons gain their power through the sins of the people who live in those places. In other words, a spirit of perversion did not target San Francisco, and come in, forcing people into ungodly lifestyles. Rather, it was the Biblical sins of those lifestyles that began to create an atmosphere that was inviting to demonic spirits; and the spiritual atmosphere of San Francisco became welcomed the spirit of perversion to take up residence. Does that make sense?

So, when asked how to specifically pray over the United States as a nation, I would ask you to consider this: What do we often identify as a feature of our national psyche? Don't we often say that "the spirit of Liberty burns in the hearts of all Americans"? Did you know that imperial Rome's goddess Libertas was fashioned after the Babylonian goddess Ishtar, who is the Canaanite version of Semiramis, wife of Nimrod? And did you know that this spirit of liberty is immortalized in America's Statue of Liberty? In fact, Liberty, also known as the goddess Columbia, and the goddess of Freedom, became a cult symbol for Freemasonry in the early years of our Republic. In fact, the Statue of Liberty was conceived, financed, and built by an Italian Freemason (Frederic-Auguste Batholdi), and envisioned as a statue of Nimrod's wife Semiramis (Ishtar, Isis, Astarte) holding a torch of illuminism to light the way to the land of freedom and opportunity. The only problem is that the people of America would enjoy only the "liberties" that the New World Order allowed them to have. She stands in the harbor of New York City as a symbol of wealth and power; and oversees her empire of greed and corruption.

Sadly, that spirit of Liberty that we Americans have come to idolize is tarnished with the reality that it is more like a symbol of the Queen of Babylon [or Queen of Heaven] than she is a spirit associated with our true freedom in Christ. Consider this passage in the 18th Chapter of the Book of Revelation: "After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, possessing great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his splendor and radiance. And he shouted with a mighty voice, saying, “Fallen, fallen [certainly to be destroyed] is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a dungeon haunted by every unclean spirit, and a prison for every unclean and loathsome bird. For all the nations have drunk from the wine of the passion of her [sexual] immorality, and the kings and political leaders of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth and economic power of her sensuous luxury.” And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not be a partner in her sins and receive her plagues; for her sins (crimes, transgressions) have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her wickedness and crimes [for judgment].  Repay to her even as she has repaid others, and pay back [to her] double [her torment] in accordance with what she has done; in the cup [of sin and suffering] which she mixed, mix a double portion [of perfect justice] for her.  To the degree that she glorified herself and reveled and gloated in her sensuality [living deliciously and luxuriously], to that same degree impose on her torment and anguish, and mourning and grief; for in her heart she boasts, ‘I sit as a queen [on a throne] and I am not a widow, and will never, ever see mourning or experience grief.’  For this reason in a single day her plagues (afflictions, calamities) will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire and completely consumed; for strong and powerful is the Lord God who judges her."

That pagan spirit of Liberty or Columbia or Semiramis, or whatever name she has gone by down through the centuries in the nations, has consumed our national soul and convinced us that we are a virtuous and upright nation; that we are indestructible and everlasting. But I would venture that Revelation 18 is a pretty good description of a nation so drunk on her own prosperity, that she refuses to acknowledge that it is the Most High God's grace and favor that are responsible for all she has. And there the Statue of Liberty sits in the Harbor of New York City; a natural portal into our nation. And that spirit of Liberty lives in statues across our land, and in every state flag that hangs over every state capital building, perpetuating the myth that she represents God's desire for our nation.

So, if you want to know how to pray for this nation, and how to wage spiritual war against the principalities that have gained such a stronghold in our land, pray that we would acknowledge the spiritual darkness that has crept into the halls of government and the boardrooms of commerce so that we can receive Jehovah Nissi's battle plans and defeat these oppressors of evil. It is not too late to delay the fire of judgment that our righteous God is justified in heaping upon us. We do not have to be completely consumed. But the clock is ticking and the time is NOW to reverse our trajectory. Father God wants to pardon us, but the sins are piled higher than is imaginable, and it is going to take a completely committed, sanctified, and surrendered Body of Christ to turn back His wrath. Don't give up; never give up! God's love endures forever for those who turn to Him in humble submission, acknowledging the sins of our nation and partnering with our Creator to restore our homeland to its Godly origins. Intercede for us King Jesus!

Jude 1:4    For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

 

 

 

The Fruit Of God's Training

I love the quiet times of reflection with my husband. We often look back over our unscripted lives together and see all the paths God led us down -- even when we were unaware He was lighting the way. Because I can tell you that left to ourselves, we would not have ended up where we are. And so I am thankful that we both were willing to let our spirits be shepherded. There were critical points along the way at which a crucial decision had to be made that would have far-reaching consequences. I am grateful that we didn't stumble in making those decisions. 

And here is something that I believe with all my heart: God's purpose for each of us here on earth is written next to our names in the Book of Life. But that doesn't mean we always adhere to God's will for us, and both Mark and I can be stubborn and rebellious. So, I'm here to testify of the goodness of God in our lives; to use both His rod and His staff to guide us.

There have been many pivotal crossroads in our history, but I think the one that has yielded the most benefit to us [and fruit for God], was when we took the leap of faith to trust that we could make a living by means of Mark's God-given artistic talent. It has been just over 25 years since we made that momentous decision to trust in the Lord to provide for us in everything we needed in this world. We decided that we were tired of the rat race and the focus our lives had on our jobs and how society defined success. But this blog post isn't about just financial provision. I want to be clear -- we are not rich, never have been, and there are still month's when we are on our knees reminding God that He said if we were faithful to Him, He would be faithful to us. It's been about believing in that promise.

And I know there are not many of our friends or family who understand how rich that has made us. We don't take lavish vacations; have never been to Europe [which astounds some of our contemporaries]; we work through the holidays; don't dine at fancy restaurants, and don't indulge in lavish gifts at Christmas, birthdays, or anniversaries. But, as so many Americans are awakening to the possibility that our future [and prosperity] as a nation is in jeopardy, we are blessed with a sense of calm because God has trained us up for "a time such as this".

For 25 years, we have not had "company benefits".  There has been no company-provided health insurance or 401k to ease us into retirement. In fact, we have laughingly stated that we've been retired for 25 years! The fact that the safety nets which the world offers have not been part of our experience, has given us the opportunity to learn to rely solely on God. I can't tell you how many times that we stared hardship and lack square in the face, and had no where to turn but God. And He never let us down! We've learned to live on a fraction of what most households do. And as we've gotten older, we've observed that people who climb the corporate ladder, or pursue high-paying careers, have not enjoyed the free, easy, and contented life we have. Don't get me wrong, we work more hours in the day than we ever did in our "before" life. But it is so much more satisfying at the end of the day than the stress of those jobs and careers. 

Maybe you identify with us, and remember those years that you felt a prompting to store a little extra food, or you spent the time to learn how to defend yourself in the case of a national crisis. Maybe you, too, were looked upon as "conspiracy nuts" or suffered those smirks and rolled eyes. You were told that your concerns were unnecessary because "nothing can happen; we're the United States of America and the greatest country on earth". Or, maybe like us, your Christian friends kept trying to convince you that the faithful didn't have to worry -- Jesus has already won the victory, and where was our trust in Him that He would never leave us nor abandon us. But let me ask you this ... are those same friends (both believers and non-believers) now coming to you and asking, "How do I ____?", or "Where can I get ____?" or "Do you think Jesus is coming back soon?"

It's not that we were prophets or anyone special. It was just part of the journey that God was taking us on. In fact, my logical-thinking husband recently told me that he has realized that God has been training us up for this very time. Our Father knows the beginning from the end, and knew that we would one day face the very real possibility of a collapsing economy, with a shrinking dollar, food shortages, loss of jobs, a pandemic, etc. etc. He knew the people who would be trainable and willing to consider preparing by learning to plant a garden, store a little extra food, learn how to can, and learn how to live without. 

For those who struggled with accepting or pursuing those considerations, life went on as usual. But you can see what our American lifestyle has done to the souls of so many. Broken marriages, children who feel ignored, and health issues abound in our populace. People have been so busy living "the American dream", that they are frightened at the prospect that that dream may disappear. I'm not trying to be a doomsday prophet, but I don't believe anyone has an excuse for not seeing the warnings that we have discerned along our journey.

And now it is time for us to lift our fellow Americans up and encourage them, because what we see happening applies to all of us, both believer and non-believer alike. The Christian community is looking for God to rescue them because He's already won the victory, right? And those who don't know Jesus are going to come to the realization that what they've achieved in their comfortable lives is not giving them the security they thought it would provide. Both groups are going to need encouragement to rely on Him; only Him. They are going to need to hear from those of us who have experience and a history of being trained up by God for this very time in our history. 

We must be honest about the earthly difficulties we face, and share our wealth of practical knowledge and skills. But most importantly, we must approach them as servants of the Kingdom of God. We must share the fruit of God's training in our lives; how we've learned to endure, persevere, and trust in Jesus; and how our relationship with Jesus has taken on a depth that we never would have encountered if we had not decided to be "trainable" and open to submitting our will to His. There is so much fruit to be had! And it's found in a freedom from societal norms, a deeper understanding of our purpose on earth, a supernatural connection to the Holy Spirit and being aligned with our own spirit [which is seated in Heaven with Jesus] -- it has all led to an indescribable partnership with our Creator and a life that is full beyond anything the world would measure it by.

So, if our journey mirrors yours, then join us in being prepared to share it with all those who will need to know they can make it through whatever is coming our way. And if you are among my fellow human beings who are just not willing to stare reality in the face, let me give you hope ... you have been created to thrive in this season of your life. You are made in the image of God, and if you don't know Him, then I urge you to ask Him to come into your life. He's waiting to respond to your request. Your life will never be the same again, and I promise you that He is exactly what you are going to need as we face an uncertain future. Let my story become yours. I have overcome the fear and the worries that the world tried to convince me were mine, and I walk in the strength and power and security of belonging to the Lord -- no matter what comes! And it is my hopeful prayer that each of you can know the magnitude of His presence in your life. Let His fruit abound in you! Bless you and God bless America!

Isaiah 40:31    But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

A Nation Divided -- Part Two

In the last post, I began my argument that we should take a good hard look at the dissolution of the ancient Kingdom of Israel for clues as to how a nation in covenant with God can find itself falling into apostasy and ruin. I see a lot of similarities between modern America and Solomon's kingdom of Israel. In this post, I will conclude my theory and then pray for our nation.

     When we last left Solomon, he was nearing the time of his death and we had a pretty good picture of all the ways that he had enriched himself at the expense of his citizens. And we mustn't forget that Solomon defied God's command [in Deuteronomy 17:17] to refrain from marrying foreign wives. And he didn't just dabble in his rebellion, he flaunted it! The Bible tells us in 1 Kings 11:1, Now king Solomon [defiantly] loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women. The Lord became angry because Solomon began following the foreign gods of these wives, so God declared, "Because you have done this and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant.". That became reality when Jeroboam, a member of the northern tribe of Ephraim met Ahijah, the prophet, on the road from Jerusalem and it was revealed to him that God would grant him favor, "[taking] the kingdom out of his (Solomon's) son’s hand and give it to you: ten tribes".

     The prophet, Ahijah, effectively rendered God's divine judgment against Solomon for worshiping other gods and idols. These sins amounted to apostasy against God. So, when Solomon dies, and Rehoboam takes the throne, he has the opportunity to bring unity, reconciliation, and relief to the heavy burden of taxation placed on the people of the kingdom. When the people approached him for this relief, instead of listening to the elders who understood that granting relief from heavy taxation would result in a prosperous and happy citizenry, Rehoboam listened to his spoiled contemporaries who had grown up as recipients of the unfair and unequal taxation. They weren't about to advise the king to do anything that would decrease the riches they, too, were accumulating. This situation was in accordance with what was spoken to Jeroboam, so that God might fulfill His word spoken of by the prophet Ahijah.

     I don't think it's too hard to see that our own government machine, and the politicians that benefit from their position in that machine, resemble Solomon, Rehoboam, and his counselors. To their way of thinking, taxing the populace is more preferential to sacrificing the monetary rewards of the offices they hold. Add increased taxes on top of an ever-expanding gap between the rich and the middle class and the poor, and you have an unhappy citizenry, just as Rehoboam inherited upon his father's death. 

     And let's not forget the military/industrial complex, which like Solomon's war machine of armies, horses, and chariots must be maintained and the machine constantly fed. Then there's the situation of wedding yourself to nations whose goal is to infiltrate and conquer. Sound familiar? And Satan is working in the midst of all of this, pulling the nations away from their original covenant and purpose. Greed, power, and self-enrichment soon develops into an appetite for more of the same, and serving God becomes a distant thought.   

     And that's what happened to the peoples of the kingdom of Israel. The people of the northern tribes aligned themselves with Jeroboam, who had been a great military leader during Solomon's reign, and they made him king. When Rehoboam heard of this rebellion, he prepared to go fight against King Jeroboam and his forces. But again, God used a holy prophet (Shemaiah) to speak to Rehoboam, the king of Judah, who said, “Tell Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and all the house (fighting men) of Judah and Benjamin and the rest of the people, ‘Thus says the Lord, “You shall not go up and fight against your brothers, the sons of Israel. Let every man return to his house, for this thing has come about from Me.”

     Can you see that God may be doing the same thing with this nation? No one can doubt the acute division between the people of our nation. We've nearly reached a boiling point. But does God desire that this happen; or is He also calling us to "return to our homes" and resist fighting our fellow citizens because He is trying to call our attention to the ways in which we've deserted Him? Will we acknowledge our apostasy, or will we continue in rebellion?

     Oh, Lord, let us learn from the rebelliousness that continued in the House of David! Do not let us be like King Jeroboam, of the northern kingdom of Israel, who doubted God's promise to him, and feared that if his constituents continued to go to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at Solomon's Temple, their hearts would return to his son, Rehoboam, the king of Judah. So Jeroboam made two calves of gold for the people to worship, just as they had in the wilderness. Not only did he rebel against God's command to worship only Him, he appointed men as priests who were not from the tribe of Levi; he worshiped at "high places" and altars not sanctified to God; and held a feast, sacrificing to these golden calves at unholy altars, counterfeiting the holy Feast of Tabernacles, which was commanded by God.

     The idol worship and apostasy against the Lord continued under the reign of King Jeroboam until "this thing (idol worship) became the sin of the house of Jeroboam to blot it out and eliminate it from the face of the earth" (1 Kings 13:34). The ten tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel would go into captivity by means of the invading armies of Assyria. The people would be carried to the nations of the world, most of them losing their identities as the chosen people of God. The nation of Judah didn't fare any better. They would also go to Babylon in captivity. But God knows who they all are, and one day they will return to their homeland (as they are beginning to do) in time for Jesus's return as their Messiah.

     I've given you all this history for a reason -- are you able to see the downfall of the ancient kingdom of Israel; a division that would result in two nations, both of which eventually find themselves in open rebellion to God and thrust into captivity to invading armies? Perhaps that rebellion is the ultimate cause of all nations that become lost to history. Will it become part of our history? We can certainly see the similarities with where we've been and where we are headed... a nation that came into existence because men fled religious oppression, and as God's people, felt called to America as their Promised Land. 

     But increased prosperity and power in the world comes with a price. And our citizens are burdened with heavy [and inequitable] taxation. Our leaders have forgotten the promises of God and the purpose this nation was established. They have listened to bad counsel and lost sight of the needs of the people, while enriching themselves. They have gotten into bed with foreign governments, and have abandoned their obligations to their own people. Like Solomon, they have developed comprehensive and costly programs that result in a depleted treasury and mounting debt that is heaped on the backs of the citizenry. Solomon had multiple palaces built for himself; our politicians own multiple homes. The similarities are glaring!

     And the biggest renunciation of the One who set the boundaries of this nation according to His plans that we honor and uphold His Kingdom on earth, is this abomination ... In order to set aside their rebelliousness against the God who founded this nation (yes, go back and read Part One's citation of Deuteronomy 32:6-9), our law-makers remove Him from His position of authority in our government, our schools, and our way of life. The apostasy is as apparent as it was in the days of Solomon. And, if we are not deliberate in restoring it, our path is due to mimic the downfall of the kingdom of Israel.

     Our nation is already divided, and millions of people have been led astray. They worship idols of self,  destruction, and death. It's apparent in our policies of abortion, the handling of Covid protocols for the elderly, and in the growing influence of ideologies such as socialism and communism. Our status as a nation upholding the principles of God is in dire jeopardy of being lost. Invading armies are watching us closely to see if we will be able to survive as a unified and strong nation.

     And, yes, I hear the voices of today's "prophets"... some declaring that "revival is on its way" and "Jesus will deliver us from this chaos" ... while others warn that our sins are catching up with us, and our God is a righteous God who will not tolerate the evil of aborted babies, nor honor our free will choices to remove Him from all that is at the heart of this nation. So, what do you think? Will we follow in the footsteps of the kingdom of Israel? Or do we still have time (and the will) to return to being a God-fearing nation who can forgive our brothers and sisters for the evil we've done to each other, and restore our hearts and spirits as a Godly nation? Are we still entitled to the inheritance that God gave us when this nation was founded, as it is stated in Deuteronomy 32? And are we able to look in the mirror and see ourselves in the Light of Jesus? Do we have Leaders who are still clean in heart, mind, and spirit to lead us out of this darkness and division? I pray that we can look at the lessons of Solomon and the divided nations of Israel and Judah.

     One thing is crystal clear: God does not tolerate the transfer of the honor and worship that is due Him to any other being or object [or philosophy or ideology]. And He has no problem, in His Sovereignty, of disciplining a nation by sending it into captivity -- or even removing it altogether. Do I think America could play a part in transforming the world into the Kingdom of God? YES! But not as long as we ignore the commandments of our Holy God. And that goes for our government, our citizenry, and our churches. We all have to take some responsibility for where we find ourselves. I just pray that we recognize our sins before it is too late, and that we come together in true and authentic unity, harmony, and solidarity. We are on the edge of either divine restoration or diabolical destruction. Now is the time to get in the game if we are going to save our nation! 

     So, it is only fitting that I ask you to join me in the following prayer that is inspired by Asher Intrator, who leads a Messianic ministry in Israel. He has been leading a group in prayer for America, and I ask that we come together in agreement with them as they pray for us: We feel led to come together to stand as one family with the United States of America. We cannot let go of what God has gripped us with -- America was birthed out of covenant with the Lord. She has justice and righteousness engraved in her foundations. While our hearts are at rest, as we trust in Him, we take our place as His ambassadors on earth, declaring that the kingdoms of the world will become the Kingdom of God. Despite any earthly differences, we want to rise higher, pray for this godly nation, and declare that the Lord's purposes and dreams [for America] will be fulfilled. Who can stop the Lord Almighty and His family? So, we come together to stand with America as a representation of His heavenly government. 

     And all God's children said, "AMEN"!  

 

Acts 17:26-27   And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands and territories.  This was so that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grasp for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.

A Nation Divided: Are We Like The Kingdom of Israel? -- Part 1

A Nation Divided ... that is how the media pundits describe us these days. And I will agree that there are some major differences in ideologies, political positions, and societal standards among our citizenry. Neither is this the first time that our nation has come to this crossroads. It's been 160 years since the United States faced a split like this one, and it cost us dearly. I pray we can take a step back before we find ourselves at the edge of that cliff again. And we are not the first nation in the history of the world to find its internal conflict resulting in a fractured people.

And this got me to thinking how God regards nations. I am no theologian, but I am a seeker after God's heart on a myriad of topics, and this is one of them. I won't bore you with my line of reasoning, but I will tell you where my thoughts have culminated. Interestingly, they align with the beginning of the Bible and again, at the end. So let's take a look at the beginning ... The Word makes it clear in Deuteronomy, Chapter 32, that God gave the nations their inheritance, and separated them, setting the boundaries of the peoples (verse 8). This chapter also makes it clear that God established Israel as a nation and chose them as His portion among the nations (verses 6-9). All this happened after Nimrod encouraged the people to rebel against God and they attempted to overthrow Heaven. So God separated them, giving them different languages, and assigning them to different governing gods. 

And before you think I am theologically incorrect, I would refer you to Psalm 82, where God is standing in the Divine Assembly, and judging among the gods. In this powerful psalm, God is dressing down the lesser gods (whom He created and assigned to the nations) for not treating the peoples of the nations righteously or justly. The misunderstanding of this Psalm, combined with the mistranslation in Deuteronomy 32:8 that God set the boundaries "according to the sons of Israel", has led to centuries of confusion about God as the Most High God among the universe's multitude of lesser gods. You see, "sons of Israel" was originally written as sons of God in the Dead Sea Scrolls, and angels of God in the Septuagint. Our modern translations, which render the verse as sons of Israel, were written beginning in 1611 (and later), while the Dead Sea Scrolls were written in 150 B.C. and the Septuagint between 330 and 350 A.D., giving their translations precedence; at least to my way of thinking. So, I believe that this clearly shows us that nations were not only created by God, but how they came to be governed by the heavenly authorities established over them, and why all this is important to God. [NOTE: I could write an entire series of blogs on this concept, but for this discussion, I simply wanted to establish how God regards the nations].

So, let's take a look now at what is revealed about nations at the end of the Bible. In Revelation 21, the Apostle John is given a vision of the New Heaven and Earth, and the New Jerusalem, where the glory of God has illumined it; and the Lamb, Jesus Christ, is its lamp and light. The Bible says in verse 24, "The nations [the redeemed people from the earth] will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring into it their glory". And in Revelation 22:1-2, John is shown a river of the Water of Life, beside which is growing the renewed Tree of Life, whose leaves "were for the healing of the nations". This makes it obvious [to me] that God desires nations to be filled with redeemed servants of God, and that He has established a new Tree of Life by which nations will be healed and restored. 

So, what are we to take away from these disclosures in the Word of God? Should we pray for our nation to receive healing and restoration? Or are we doomed to follow the path of the ancient kingdom of Israel, who became a divided nation and ultimately went into physical and spiritual captivity? Can we learn from the mistakes that led to the northern nation of Israel and the southern nation of Judah; and can we see any similarities between their history and how ours is playing out? Let's consider a few things and then decide how we should pray for reconciliation in our land...

If you know your Bible history, then you are aware that the ancient kingdom of Israel became divided shortly after the death of King Solomon. It would be easy for us to surmise that his son, Rehoboam, failed at preserving the kingdom that his grandfather, David, had established, and that his father, Solomon, had expanded. But a closer look shows that Solomon actually set the eventual division of Israel into motion. An excellent publication by Liberty University faculty member, Wayne Brindle, educated me on all the issues that led to the dissolution of the kingdom of Israel. And I will endeavor to present a condensed argument that our own nation is in serious jeopardy of making the same mistakes. [You can download the presentation in its entirety by clicking here].  

The immediate image of the Kingdom of Israel under Solomon's reign is that it was idyllic - a time of peace and prosperity. He built a Temple to God that was beyond compare. It is described in the Bible as having walls that were lined with cedar, on which were carved figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, which were overlaid with gold (1 Kings 6:29-30). Chains of gold further marked it off from the Holy of Holies. The floor of the Temple was of fir overlaid with gold. You get the picture, right? 

His accomplishments were known around the world, and he was sought after for his wealth of wisdom. Even the Queen of Sheba traveled for a state visit with King Solomon. He forged alliances with powerful nations and spent lots of money on fortifying the cities of his growing empire. And that required a standing army, with thousands of horses and horsemen -- all of which required enormous amounts of food and provisions. He developed comprehensive programs and built not only the glorious Temple of gold, but his own palace and other magnificent structures that befitted his status. All this at the expense of the twelve tribes of Israel, who made up the citizenry. So, how did he finance all these expenditures? The primary source was taxation, of course! 

But it seems that Solomon played favorites; the taxation was not spread evenly among the different tribes. In fact, if you read 1 Kings, Chapter 4, you will get an idea of how much it would cost to support Solomon's lifestyle. You will also discover that every tribe but Judah is called upon to foot the bill. Solomon was a member of that tribe and apparently he was not a proponent of economic equality. And his partiality towards the region of Judah found him taxing the northern regions of the kingdom more in order to build defenses for the southern part of the kingdom, where Judah existed. For all his wisdom and resourcefulness, [upon his death in 931 B.C.], he left his son, Rehoboam, with a diminished treasury and a "ripe for revolt" constituency in the northern part of the kingdom. Sound familiar? In the next post we will take a look at how this plays out for the troubled kingdom, and how the effects of Solomon's apostasy against the Lord results in judgment. Are we due for a similar fate?

Proverbs 29:2    When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.

 

Thanksgiving Thoughts 2020

 

For most of us, this is a sentimental time of year.  We have fond and emotional memories of celebrating the holiday season with friends and family; it's those childhood memories that stir something in our souls and provide a connection to those we love. And I certainly intend to enjoy the bountiful blessings of this Thanksgiving with my family as I marvel at the provision the Good Lord has given us. 

Since Thanksgiving is a particularly American holiday, I wanted to know more than I'd been taught in school about the origins of that historical event.  Surely, there's a deeper message in the Thanksgiving story than Squanto, corn and succotash, and the fall harvest.  Turns out there might be...

Thanksgiving became associated through the centuries with giving thanks to God for the harvests of the land. Throughout the Bible we find times of thanksgiving in which God's people come together and thanks has been offered through the gift of fellowship between all. And I find it quite significant that on this same day of November 26th, two hundred and thirty-one years to the day, our first President, George Washington, proclaimed a national day of thanks to the Lord for His care in guiding us to become a nation. Washington's Proclamation stated that on this day, the people of the newly established United States of America should be devoted to "the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be ...".

He reminded the people of all that God had done for them ... He  had cared for and protected the people of this country before they were even a declared nation, and He extended his significant and numerous mercies and divine intervention on their behalf until the conclusion of the Revolutionary War. The proclamation further called them to remember the peaceful union and prosperity they had enjoyed since that time. And here is what this nation so desperately needs to take from that 1789 Proclamation: President Washington declared this national holiday in remembrance of the "peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national Constitution now lately instituted." He went on to thank God for the civil and religious liberty with which they were blessed; and the means they had of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various Favor that God had been pleased to confer upon them.

Are we still that same nation? Are we still able to identify all that God has done for us? Do we still honor and praise His favor, our unity, our prosperity, and the Constitution that has successfully served us for these two hundred and thirty plus years? Are we still thankful and devoted to serving Him?

On November 26th, 1789, President George Washington urged the citizens of this nation to "humbly offer our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations, and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions -- to enable us all, whether in private or public positions, to perform our duties properly and punctually -- to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed." 

It is my prayer that November 26, 2020 will be the day we return to the spirit of the declarations made on November 26, 1789. It is good to remember that Americans were learning how to come together in unity after a long, hard-fought war in which the populace was divided along social, religious, geographic, and ethnic lines. We face that same dilemma today. In the end, they had to find a way to come together and live united for the common good. And so do we. They began by recognizing that God had established this nation according to His will, and that a wise, just, and law-abiding Government would ensure the success and prosperity of the nation and its people. Do we still believe that's possible today?

What would President Washington think of the current state of the nation He was blessed to see established by the hand of God? What would he think of our means of acquiring and dispensing useful knowledge? Can our national government be called a blessing to all the people? And can it be described as wise and just; do the members of government discreetly and faithfully execute and obey our constitutional laws? 

I know I sound skeptical, and I would venture, with good cause.  But I also believe that the same Lord and Ruler of Nations, and the same Almighty God who laid His hand on this nation at its founding has not abandoned us. Just as He answered the prayers of the Israelites who aligned themselves with His will, He stood for the colonists who saw America as their Promised Land and refused to bow down to the Pharoah of their day, the British government. Then, as now, our God created men to glorify Him; to praise Him for His goodness and justice; and to humbly thank Him for His Providence. 

I have no doubt that there are millions who will join me, on this Thanksgiving day, with hearts full of gratitude; who will offer their adoration and praise to a merciful and gracious God.  And it is my prayer that we will continue to express our indebtedness to the Almighty God of the Universe each and every day.  I know that difficult days are forecast, but I also know that His love endures forever.  That is the thought that I will take captive and nurture in my heart.  I hope your Thanksgiving has brought you closer to the God who created you and this nation, and it is my prayer that all your days be full of thanksgiving and praise!

Hebrews 12:28-29     Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a Kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

 

The Bible and The Constitution: Still Relevant, Or Inconsequential?

 

I've been doing a lot of thinking about the state of our nation. I can only imagine that many of my fellow citizens are doing the same. It isn't too difficult to come to the conclusion that our historically unique plan of government [that the Founders of this nation constructed] is in very real danger of being dismantled, or at least drastically altered. This isn't the beginning of such a de-construct plan -- in fact, we have been seeing the development of such a plan for some years now. 

This realization has caused me to go back in the archives of this blog to revisit my thinking on this matter. In 2015, I wrote about a question that was presented to Dr. Ben Carson during his run for Presidential office. During a Meet The Press interview, Dr. Carson was presented with this question: "Does the Bible have authority over the Constitution?" Interesting question! The question is still relevant today, especially since I would venture that the intervening years attest to the growing truth that both the Bible and the Constitution have seen a decrease in their influence and authority among the citizens of this land. Just read the previous blog post or turn on the nightly news.

But I would suggest that it is incumbent upon those of us who call ourselves Christians and Patriots to consider our answer to that question, along with these subsequent queries: When it comes to the laws of this nation, how do you view the authority of both the Bible and the Constitution?  Is one superior to the other?  Is it possible for them to work together to govern this land? When the Constitution was written, did the Founding Fathers give any consideration to the Bible? 

I want to answer those questions in light of the influence that Marcus Tullius Cicero had on the thinking of the Founding Fathers.  Cicero was a Roman statesman who was born nearly 1900 years before the founding documents of this nation were written. Yet it was his commitment to establishing a democratic Republic as the form of Roman government that most influenced our Founders. It is in the eminently profound book The 5000 Year Leap, written by W. Cleon Skousen, a faith-based political theorist, that we find Cicero's own theory that good laws, sound government, and the formula for happy human relations rests in the existence of "Natural Law". We find the spirit of that term in the language of the Declaration of Independence ... When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

In his book, Skousen elucidates this idea of Cicero's influence when he writes, "To Cicero, the building of a society on principles of Natural Law was nothing more nor less than recognizing and identifying the rules of "right conduct" with the laws of the Supreme Creator of the universe." In his own words, Cicero wrote this: "There will not be different laws at Rome and at Athens, or different laws now and in the future, but one eternal and unchangeable law will be valid for all nations and all times, and there will be one master and ruler, that is God, over us all, for He is the author of this law, its promulgator, and its enforcing judge." 

And these concepts were understood and endorsed by the Founding Fathers as they approached the structure of a new government that would be the law of the land in the newly formed United States of America. These concepts are interwoven into the declaration for our Freedom and into our Constitution, As espoused by author Skousen, "The Law of Nature or Nature's God is eternal in its basic goodness; it is universal in its application. It is a code of "right reason" from the Creator Himself. It cannot be altered. It cannot be repealed. It cannot be abandoned by legislators or the people themselves, even though they may pretend to do so. In Natural Law we are dealing with factors of absolute reality. It is basic in its principles, comprehensible to the human mind, and totally correct and morally right in its general operation."

These ideas and precepts are as sound today as when they were espoused by Cicero nearly two millennia ago; and they are emphasized in our founding documents nearly two-and-a-half centuries ago. But here is where we find ourselves today... our society is not in agreement that our Creator exists, nor that absolute moral authority exists in Him. In fact, Moral Rightness or Truth have become relative... they can mean something different to different people. And when God is not your authority of what is right or true, then it is far too easy to declare that any law or laws based on those concepts of law and government [or the Holy Book that proclaims them] can be ignored or changed. It will become far too easy to alter, repeal, overhaul, or abandon them by an immoral and unjust citizenry, or body of legislators. 

You see, our Founders believed that the common man should have control over his own destiny. And they believed that through Divine guidance men could live a good, virtuous, and moral life. But they were no fools -- they recognized that laws were necessary to curb the actions of immoral men. And they sought to establish a system of laws that operated similar to the laws God laid out for the ancient Israelites, with Leviticus 25:10 as the heart and soul of government: "Proclaim Liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants". [Note: This verse is inscribed on the Liberty Bell]. And then there is what is at the center of this astounding and unprecedented new form of governing ... our Founders deliberately structured a form of government with all the power in the people! 

And to be historically accurate, they didn't initially get it right. After much debate the Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation, which offered no executive or judiciary oversight; nor was there any taxing power to financially support the government, and no power to enforce laws. It came pretty close to operating under a system of anarchy. It wasn't until 1787 that our Constitution was approved and the ratification process began. The result was a document that was designed to maintain political equilibrium between the people in the states and the federal government. The emphasis was on strong local self-government, keeping the power base close to the people. There was a healthy fear of political extremists that could swing the needle of Liberty from monarchy to anarchy. And only the Constitution could protect the people from being subjected to the whims of such extremism.

I truly believe that God was involved in the creation of our Constitution through the men that He put in authority.  At that time, these men foresaw a nation of individuals who were generally governed by Biblical precepts -- checks and balances and a limited government were at the center of the Constitution, and would serve such a Biblically-minded society well.  Then, as now, I believe that the Bible has authority over each of us as individuals, and the Constitution has authority over the government.  That combination has worked for us, and contributed to a generally balanced co-existence between the two powers -- as long as we continued to embrace Biblical morals and principles. And that's where we find ourselves today.

But as God and the Bible have become more irrelevant in our society -- again, refer to the previous post and results of a national survey -- we have seen that both the Bible and the Constitution have lost their place in the governing of our nation.  In fact, there is a third player in the game, and it is Government, with a capital "G".  Since our society seems to want to eradicate the influence of both the Bible and the Constitution, is it even relevant to the masses to ask which has more authority?  Clearly, the Bible is being mocked, derided, and re-conceptualized to serve the needs of the ungodly.  And, in its tattered state, is there enough of the Constitution left to warrant any real authority?

Perhaps the more appropriate question is this: Is there enough of the Bible's influence in the Constitution to withstand its destruction by the Government?  Ultimately, as a faithful Christian, I have to go back to the one Truth that overrides all ... YHWH is Sovereign, Supreme, and the absolute Head of this State. His Word is authority over everything man-made ... whether it is a governing document like the Constitution, or a governing body of men.  That might not be the politically acceptable answer in this debate, but we are at the stage in this nation (and the world) where the individual freedom of men and women is at stake. It is time to quit playing the political game, and recognize Who has the real Power in this world. 

It is clear to me that God is the Ultimate Authority in this world that He created.  But I also know that His Word says that He appoints rulers over nations by His authority, and we are to be loyal to that government... as long as they are loyal to God's laws.  It is also clear that we have a spiritual Enemy that seeks to usurp God's authority in this nation. And now we find ourselves in a unique situation -- the leader of our government is still unresolved. So I pray that the goals of the Founding Fathers will be realized as they expressed their hope for the new nation .... I thank God that I have lived to see my country independent and free. She may long enjoy her independence and freedom if she will. It depends on her virtue (Samuel Adams) .... Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other (John Adams) ... The sum of all is [this], if we would most truly enjoy the gift of Heaven, let us become a virtuous people; then shall we both deserve and enjoy it. While, on the other hand, if we are universally vicious and debauched in our manners, though the form of our Constitution carries the face of the most exalted freedom, we shall in reality be the most abject slaves (Samuel Adams). 

 So, what shall be our destiny? The Bible proclaims the path to a righteous and prosperous nation. And the Constitution was designed for a moral and religious [faithful] people. Will we reap what we have sown, or will the cries of the truly repentant restore our nation to one that God will recognize and bless? I exhort the Ekklesia in the land to join with me on our knees, praying together as ambassadors of the Kingdom of God for a return to righteous government. And then rise, and staying focused on Jesus, our Authority in Heaven, we will declare a revival of morality and virtue in this nation, and it will pierce the hearts of all those in rulership positions -- that hearts will be turned away from self-aggrandizement and humbled in servitude to meet the needs of all people. Pray that if God determines that judgment is due our land, that it be swift and completely cleanses us of our sins. And finally, we find our strength and our truth in the Word of God. It is still relevant and it is still Light and Life to our souls and spirits. God bless each of you as you seek solace in the Word today!

Jeremiah 18:7-10      If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it.