Every culture ebbs and flows as it marches toward extinction. The great Roman Empire, the Mayan civilization, Bronze Age Greece—every complex society in history has eventually collapsed. Daniel was in the midst of the great Babylonian Empire (also extinct today). As a godly and faithful man, he experienced the darkness of an oppressive government. When the foundation of society crumbles, where do you go for solid footing and how should you respond?
www.connectwithskip.com.
Life is infinitely uncertain and God is infinitely complex. The net result? Doubt. We think of doubt in negative terms, but it’s a key catalyst when it comes to faith. Doubt breaks down our false narratives, false assumptions, and false beliefs. It forces us to deconstruct and reconstruct our faith by digging a little deeper. How do you deal with doubt?
doubt
Preached at National Community Church.
Used by permission.
“The convoluted wordings of legalism grew up around the necessity to hide from ourselves the violence we intend toward each other.”
– Emperor Paul Maud’dib, From the novel, “Dune Messiah,” by Frank Herbert
In this article we will examine how the Bible’s covenant principles have guided the development of faith and freedom, and what seems to be a natural tendency for many Christians to try and divorce the two.
Freedom is Dangerous
Freedom not only provides opportunities for people of good conscience, but it also provides opportunities for people of evil character. Of course, lack of freedom never stopped evil men from pursuing their dreams. But the lack of freedom restricts good in society.
It seems only natural that postmodernism should arise in the wake of political freedom. Postmodernism itself is a form of political and anti-religious expression. The danger of postmodernism is that it changes the definition of what was previously accepted as normal. Moral values are no longer moral; they are simply personally held beliefs in the most subjective sense. Absolutes are not absolute. One might look at these concepts and offer the excuse that since a truly free society must allow contrary points of view or perceptions (and it must) then we have to accept these ideas as a legitimate premise for others. The problem is that postmodernism does not just change definitions or values. Postmodernism eliminates the starting point from which modern freedom began. We usually shape our examination of the complexities that postmodernism introduces from this point of it eliminating all previous definitions and starting from an empty slate. This is true, but there is something it does that is even more important and critical to understanding its effect on societies. Postmodernism replaces relationships with philosophies, therefore, it cannot build a society; it can only enter an existing society and redefine it–most likely to that society’s demise. Postmodernism throws away the basis of the biblically influenced relationships from which early political freedom sprang.
Judaism and Christianity: Building Relationships and Realms
Taken as separate entities, Judaism and Christianity are unique among the faiths of the world in that they are fundamentally driven to create relationships and realms. Let us first look at Old Testament Judaism. The Bible teaches that the primary reason God gave the Jews for establishing their nation was that He loved them:
Because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the Lord brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery… (Deuteronomy 7:8, emphasis added).
The start—and true heart of biblically expressed Judaism—is a personal relationship with the personal God. The personal relationship of the patriarchs to God was the foundation upon which the Israeli nation was built. This was first modeled in the Patriarch Abraham: “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God” (James 2:23, emphasis mine).1 Because God loved His people He gave them a law to use to guide their personal and national development. While the law became paramount to Israel, the most important thing was still the relationship that established the law. Moses, the lawgiver and founder of Israel’s theocratic system, typified this; “The Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend” (Exodus 33:11). As a result of this personal relationship, God built a nation to be a people of special relationship with him; “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 7:6). It was through relationship that God began the process of building a people group, followed by a nation, culminating in a changed world. Because of the relationship, God provided Israel with a law that would set them apart from the other nations of their day (Deuteronomy 7:8-9). But creating the Israeli nation required more than provisions of law, a tract of land, and a religious liturgy. These were only the beginnings of building the realm (kingdom); simple at first, but designed to expand.
The Old Testament law prescribed the building of a civil as well as a religious infrastructure–a tabernacle (later a grand temple), implements and storage for offerings, the physical layout of the community around the tabernacle for order, priestly garments, and the building of whole communities especially for the priestly tribe. (In today’s terms we may not think of this as significant, but remember that the priestly tribe of Levi constituted at least 4 percent of the nation, and may have been significantly larger.)2 Additionally, the religion of Israel required a massive investment to carry out the offerings and service of the faith. Judaism was known for the bloodiness of its religious expression. There were daily, as well as periodic freewill sacrifices of lambs, bulls, goats, and doves. As the nation grew in number, and the cultural commitment to its faith deepened, where did they get the millions of animals needed for daily, periodic, and annual sacrifices, not to mention food? The Jews didn’t go lamb hunting! Judaism encouraged husbandry, ranching, agricultural trade, and a complex economic component to the expression of faith far beyond the tithe. Though it was not the central purpose, the side-benefit of Judaism’s sacrificial worship was that it created a national religious industry, and that faith business was good economic policy for the nation.
The nature of Judaism’s theocratic system, even the law itself, was relational. One purpose of the law was to enable the people to draw close to God through a sacrificial system of atonement for sin, demonstrating that reconciliation was preferred over vengeance. Refugee cities (where the accused could flee) were ordered built as part of the justice system. National festivals were prescribed. And while the relational aspects of these practices are clear, what becomes even more obvious upon closer examination is that the Jewish law was specifically designed so that if carried out properly, it would create a prosperous economy that over time would cycle and grow. Debts were to be declared invalid every 50 years, family land given in payment of debt was to be returned to its original owner.
Surveying the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles reveals that when Israel tried to hold tightly to the law (notwithstanding oversight or errors of ignorance), the nation’s economy and well being always grew to a highpoint. Thus we see that Judaism’s core of a personal relationship with God, and relationship with community, built their realm (kingdom).
Christianity is markedly different in that no nation building (in the political sense) was ever commanded in Jesus’ or the Apostle’s teaching. Regardless, it was Christianity that propagated the most important benefits of Judaism to the world–including Judaic concepts of law and justice. This is one way we can accurately say that Christianity, or more specifically, Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of Old Testament Judaism3 to the world.
The Law of Moses helped craft Israel as a nation. But in Christianity, there was no directive given to take up the cause of building worldly nations or political power structures (it was inevitable that it should happen, but we will deal with that issue shortly). There are many New Testament references to Christians being a part of, and building, “God’s kingdom” on Earth, but it is not a reference to a political kingdom. Nowhere does the New Testament prescribe forms for the establishment of legal structures, criminal justice, rules of war and foreign relations, limits on political power, health and agricultural policy, tax provisions, infrastructure development, and so on–which were all described in detail in the Old Testament law. The New Testament’s focus is on the person and identity of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of the Mosaic Law, and our moral obligations to Him in the practical aspects of our daily lives. Although the relational aspect of faith is more highly developed under Christ than under Moses, constructing a political realm of Christianity was inevitable, for cultural, as well as religious reasons.
Nation Building
Under Roman occupation, a religious infrastructure that built and contributed to community and economic growth was the norm. Roman rule took advantage of local deities, and established temples of its own. Whole communities thrived on the business generated by pagan ritual and devotion. The Apostle Paul experienced this in Ephesus when the metalworkers and priests of the goddess Artemis wanted Paul killed for fear of what would happen to their industry if his preaching prevailed.4 Culturally, the Jewish and Gentile Christians who would proclaim the faith to the known world were used to a culture where religion was a vital part of building empires and solidifying a community’s faith through the economic and political benefit that faith offered. Faith, that to a large degree helped build communities, was normal. Ironically, community building is something most of the great faiths of the East did not do. Buddhism, Hinduism, and others focused on either personal denial, or spiritual attainment, but they built no lasting communities within communities, or empires within empires. Nor did they build communities with an economy-generating component, as Judaism and Christianity did. Christianity was designed to transcend a culture, and through that transcendence, transform it. This is why Christianity was able to spread and develop beyond the cultural borders of Israel. Christianity is culturally independent: It can be adapted to fit many cultures without losing it core values. Where its principles cannot be adapted, it will either transform the culture or be rejected. As an example: Can a cannibalistic tribe keep its cannibalism and properly apply biblical principles in that culture? Certainly not! The tribe must either be transformed in its culture, or reject the principles of biblical society.
Second, and most importantly, even though the New Testament did not prescribe “nation-building” in Old Testament fashion, the principles of its relationship-oriented, missionary venture are identical, as we will see. Christianity may not have set out with political agendas, or nation-development in mind, but the Missionary Principle made it inevitable. Let us be clear about this: Nation development was inevitable, it was destined to happen, it could not be avoided. The Missionary Principle guaranteed it.
By this time, many Christians who believe it is best to avoid all political involvement will be scratching their head. How does the Missionary Principle guarantee political change? You may be in for a shock. There’s a secret you should know about the Great Commission and its place in the Bible.
When the Great Commission was given, it was not a new idea.
When Christians think of missions work, they think of Matthew 28:18-20:
All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Matthew 28 is considered the foundational biblical passage that mandates what missionaries do–simply put, to tell others about Jesus. But it is more complex than that. Notice the emphasized words above: authority on earth, discipling, nations, observe. The meaning of authority on earth should be obvious–Jesus is the highest authority. Discipling means to make someone like the object of the one discipled: in this case, Jesus Christ. Whole nations (of people, not political groups) are to be discipled. They are to observe, in other words, hold closely to the teachings of Jesus Christ, who, by the way, is the highest authority on earth. Imagine if someone had read Matthew 28 to the Roman governors or kings. Chaos! Treason! Imagine if the Jewish leaders and their Roman masters had truly understood the meaning of Jesus’ command?
They knew exactly what it meant, and that’s the point. How did they already know? Because they read the Great Commission in their own scrolls, long before Matthew ever put a pen to lamb’s skin.
The Great Commission of Matthew 28, which I refer to as the Missionary Principle, is found at least five times in the Old Testament scrolls. We call them, covenants. These covenants contain identical principles that God uses to govern his relationships with men, families, and nations.5 The principles within the Great Commission are the same foundational principles of the Adamic, Noahadic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, and Davidic covenants.6 These principles flow like a single river, covenant to covenant, until they end up at the mouth of Jesus Christ using them to create a great sea of peoples to call his own. The principles are identical; the only major difference of consequence is in their application.7
There is a tendency to regard “fruitful and multiply” as the same thing. This is also true of “subdue” and “rule.” That these concepts are delineated in each covenant, and then repeated separately, infers that they are different. When looking at the spread of each principle over all the covenants, the difference becomes clearer as the application of each principle changes. The progression can be noticed in the Adamic covenant: Be fruitful (grow), and multiply (reproduce) yourself until you fill the earth, subdue the earth as you multiply, resulting in mastery (rule) over it.
Under Adam and Noah, the principles built a world population and the beginnings of a religious idea–man can relate to God. Under Abraham they built a family into a clan, and then clans into a nation founded on a tenet of faith–a special relationship with God. Under Moses the principles expanded that tenet and birthed a theocratic commonwealth–a nation with a special relationship to God. Under David the principles solidified the identity and destiny of the nation, while looking ahead to greater rule–a particular man (Jesus Christ) with a special relationship with God.
All the covenants look forward to expansion beyond the current state of the relationship. All the covenants are redemptive in some fashion; and can be construed, even in a minor way, as having political ramifications: “fill the earth, subdue it…rule over” (Adamic–Genesis l:28); “your seed shall possess the gates of their enemies” (Abrahamic–Genesis 22:17); “kingdom of priests and holy nation” (Mosaic–Exodus 19:6); “establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (Davidic–II Samuel 7:13). Only the covenant under Christ goes further, “All authority has been given to me in Heaven and on Earth” (Matthew 28:18).
The Old Testament covenants also looked forward to an individual who would fulfill the terms of each covenant–especially that of redemption: Adam’s “seed of the woman,” (Genesis 3:15), Noah’s implied promise of redemption (Genesis 9:9-17), Abraham’s heir who would bless all nations (Genesis 12:1-3), Moses’ coming prophet to write the law on our hearts (Deuteronomy 19:15-18), David’s descendant who would establish a permanent kingdom rooted in God’s house (II Samuel 7:1-17).
The Missionary Principle demonstrated in these covenants expanded a single family into a world-influencing ideology, and modeled a system of morality and a basis for civil law that was to be emulated in multiple nations around the world for thousands of years. It established the kingdom that would be the primary propagator of its principles, and culminated in a single man–the very object of the Missionary Principle itself–who fulfilled the terms of all the covenants. By framing the covenant principles in the Great Commission, Jesus validated their previous application for nation building, ensuring their continuance.
The Effects of the Missionary Principle
Throughout history, Christians have shaped philosophy, science, education, global discovery, and humanitarian causes. For purposes of this examination, Christians have reordered the world of human rights, redefined basic human freedoms, and yes, forever changed the nature of political expression and rule.
No other faith can accomplish what Christianity has done. The foundational principles necessary don’t exist in Atheism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, and not even Islam–the most notorious perversion of biblical concepts and personalities in history. Mohammed’s attempt to imitate the growth of Christianity, made possible by the Great Commission, pales compared to the genuine article. Throughout its history Islam has primarily grown through birthrates, political expansion, and coercion. Given enough time within an environment of true freedom, the political philosophy of Islam is doomed to self-destruct and go the way of all ideologies that are rooted in the suppression of man’s natural desire to be free.
Starting Well, Stumbling Along
Now, we must ask how the application of the Missionary Principle has stumbled in recent history. This series of articles began with a premise: Without necessarily knowing it or intending it, missionaries have been a front-line force advancing the principles of freedom and democracy around the world. But postmodernism, cultural correctness and good intentions have pushed many missionaries to do that which is impossible–divorce their political ideals from the religious concepts and liberties that molded them. If the advancement of Christianity and its influence in political realms was a natural byproduct of the Bible’s covenant principles, then why does the Christian church in America (which has received freedom’s greatest benefit) shy away from advocating biblically based political change or influence elsewhere?
This problem is further illustrated by the survey responses in preparation for writing these articles. When missionaries on the field were asked, “Do you think American principles of freedom and democracy are compatible with your mission to make disciples?” Sixty-three percent responded affirmatively, as illustrated by this response from a missionary in Brazil: “Freedom and democracy are biblical principles for today;”8 and this response from a former missionary to Portugal, “Freedom and democracy really are handmaidens of Christian evangelism and faith. They flow out of the lives that are formed by biblical belief. Democracy, though, is not a ‘biblical’ value. A theocracy is much nearer to what we as NT Christians would pursue.”9
This is not to say that those who responded are seeking to advance American political concepts on the field. They are not saying that. They are only saying that these concepts are compatible with their mission. They live and work in these countries. They are the ones taking the risks, adapting to the culture, and communicating with nationals. They are the ones with the practical experience in their areas. Keep in mind that these are field missionaries scattered across both friendly and hostile lands. What do their spiritual leaders back in America say?
Look at the following question asked of ministry leaders: “Missionaries are not usually in the business of promoting political ideals, however, would you agree that missions work automatically lends itself toward promoting the concepts of political freedom?”10
In response, many Christian leaders interviewed responded negatively, as represented by this response from Ron Cline, former Chairman of HCJB: “No, I would not. We would not equate the spiritual freedom to know God with political freedom.”11
Pastor and international radio Bible teacher Dick Woodward takes a similar view: “The mission objective of the missionary should never be political. Jesus and the Apostles did not promote regime change or the overthrow of the Roman Empire. However…by leading human beings to become new creatures in Christ…they did eclipse and outlast the Roman Empire.”12
Steve Brown of Key Life Network notes, “There is a danger here in defining political freedom in terms of Western Democracy. While I affirm that, I’m not sure that we need to promote it as we engage in the mission enterprise Jesus gave us. One must remember that much of the New Testament was written in the context of a political system that was quite oppressive to most of the populace.”13
Matthew Staver, President of Liberty Counsel takes a different, though not necessarily contrary view:
Missionary work is political. Expressing the gospel, that for freedom Christ has set us free, has political implications. While most missionaries might not think sharing the gospel is political, it is expressly political. When you share that Christ forgives our sins, grants us eternal life and creates a new creation, that radical concept overflows to every aspect of our personal and social lives. The gospel is inherently political…Most Christians have no clue about how to view the world from a Biblical worldview. Thus, many are swayed by cultural trends, and have in fact become conformed to the world instead of reforming the world.14
There seem to be a disconnect between some missionaries and Christian leaders about Christianity’s role in facilitating political freedom around the world.15 Part of this may be attributable to differing ideas of what politics and political freedom really is. But it may be more than that.
It’s People, not Politics
It is necessary to examine the practical reasons why missionaries avoid political entanglements overseas. As we dive into this section it is important to understand that the primary mandate of the missionary is not political change. “Entanglement” is probably the best word to use when dealing with this issue. This is because religion and politics, as we might define them in the modern age, have different fundamentals. The greatest and most important difference between the two is that religion deals with issues of eternal conviction, while modern politics deals with issues of temporal convenience. The nature of modern politics is compromise–a dirty word for a faith like Christianity where absolute truth is paramount. Therefore, mixing religion and politics on the mission field presents not only unique problems but also precarious ones. This is true even if the problems are only perceived.
Missionaries in the field avoid three types of politics:
Avoiding political entanglements on the mission field happens for multiple reasons:
If faith has faltered in these areas, then how has it done so? First, by avoiding all discussion of political freedom even in private matters, and second, by applying this avoidance principle even in countries where it may be safe, acceptable or welcome to broach these issues. The modern tendency is to define politics as separate and apart from religion, or only as a personal faith. Many missionaries regard discussion of religion and politics to be inappropriate because the politics of a nation or leader can change at any given time. They don’t want to pollute the message of the Gospel with something that divides so sharply as politics. As one Campus Crusade missionary wrote, political leaders who claim to be Christians can often present a quandary. This missionary wrote,
I became a missionary and first worked overseas at the beginning of the Reagan Administration. I remember fighting with fellow missionaries who believed that Carter was a better president because he professed Christ. My response what that while Jimmy Carter was a good man, he was not biblical in his approach to the issues, Carter believed in a separation of his faith and his political beliefs. Reagan had a completely integrated view. I taught disciples that Reagan was a better “true Christian” because of his beliefs. The Clinton Administration added much more complexity to my position because, unlike President Carter, he was not a good man, very immoral, yet proclaimed personal faith in Christ, and was embraced by many Evangelicals. I was working mostly with Muslims who saw Clinton as a morally weak person following a weak religion, Christianity.16
Another missionary who served in Portugal for 11 years had similar experiences, though with the nationals he was ministering to, rather than with his fellow missionaries.
A consistent question was about Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy and his stand against Communism. My personal opinions were the focus of those questions. This too, provided opportunities for demonstrating the influence of Biblical values (or the lack thereof) in what America does at home and abroad. These conversations were often very deep and involved the exchange of Scriptural passages and their interpretations.17
When we try to keep Christianity as something that is “personal only,” with no relation to politics we miss something critical: Political freedom is a moral issue, and a biblical issue about which God is concerned. This means there is room for political discussion within spiritual conversation – including missionaries’ conversations—as illustrated in this survey response from a Calvary Chapel missionary: “I avoid promoting political views unless a passage in the Scriptures deals with a political subject. Then I simply present the Bible’s position.”18
According to Wayne Pederson, former President of Mission America,
Biblically and historically, spiritual freedom19 eventually resulted in political freedom. The great revivals helped bring an end to slavery. The revivals in South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia are bringing about greater freedom to practice their faith outside the bounds of government or church restrictions. We need to unleash the Gospel in places like Sudan so that women and the underprivileged can be free of the horrific bondage that culture imposes on the oppressed and powerless.20
Mr. Pederson expresses part of that which we’ve already discovered, that spiritual freedom can lead to political freedom, which also produces religious freedom. We can continue that theme to say that religious freedom facilitates spiritual freedom, which can lead to political freedom…and so on.
The Bible is replete with examples of God’s concern over the basic freedoms of speech, press, and conscience. In terms of general political freedom, we find the following: God freed Israel from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 20:2); He demonstrated heartfelt concern when his people were oppressed by outside forces (Judges 2:18, 4:3; II Kings 13:4-5, 13:22-23; Ecclesiastes 4:1; Isaiah 58:6); and He chastised Israel for oppressing the rights of sojourners in their country (Ezekiel 22:29). As for free speech (also related to free press21), when the prophets were persecuted for their messages, God condemned their opponents (II Chronicles 16:7-10; Jeremiah 36:27-28; Acts 5:28-29). In fact most of the previous examples cross lines between speech and Jewish religious rights.22 Much of the Old Testament is a record of the oppressive acts of political authorities, and God’s response to the oppression of the people He loves. This notion of God condemning the oppression of those He loves is especially critical for a New Testament understanding. While the Old Testament primarily expressed God’s love for Israel, the New Testament expresses, repeatedly, God’s love for all people of all nations. Therefore, these principles are applicable across nations. Although many missionaries avoid addressing these issues directly in their field of service, indigenous Christians will address them in their own country.
“During the Pinochet (Chile) years there were many times that due to human right abuses and excesses that evangelical pastors were aware of, the pastors were very desirous of political freedom. There were private debates about political freedom and the abuses.”23
Imagine if God had not commanded Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Minor Prophets to speak out about the political injustices committed by Israel and its neighbors. A large portion of Psalms laments political oppression and legal injustices, with the Psalmists seeking God for a permanent solution or temporary refuge from evil. If God had not moved these prophets to speak and write, more than half the Old Testament would not exist, and we would lack a full picture of God’s concern about this issue. Even so, there is a tendency among some to so divorce religion and politics—or, specifically, Christianity and politics—that many of these issues are lost on the mission field. This is regrettable, because political oppression can lead to marvelous opportunities to serve people and nations, and reveal God’s view on these issues under the light of the Gospel.
Notes
No matter what, God is ultimately in control of this and every other election in history. As Proverbs 16:33 reminds us: man can cast lots, but God decides. His sovereignty reigns supreme, and while there are moments in which He conditionally invites us into His decision through prayer and obedience, in all instances, God will make the final rule whether or not we have done our part.
Sermon begins at 21:55.
www.ocbf.org. www.tonyevans.com.
Preached at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship.
What do we know about the coming kingdom? Randy Alcorn shares his insights:
“In Daniel 7:13-14 we’re given a prophetic revelation of four earthly kingdoms, beginning with Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon, that will one day be forever replaced by a fifth kingdom. As the four pagan kingdoms are on Earth, the contextual implication is that the fifth kingdom—God’s eternal Kingdom—will also be on Earth.
Daniel said of the four earthly kingdoms, “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea” (Daniel 7:2). These nations might appear to rise to power arbitrarily, but their emergence is orchestrated by Heaven, and their ruling authority is granted by God for they are “given authority to rule” (v. 6), and later “their dominion was taken away” (v. 12, ESV).
In contrast to the tenuous and temporary rule of the nations, we’re told that the Messiah’s dominion—in context, a kingdom on Earth—will be “everlasting” and “will not pass away” and “will never be destroyed” (v. 14).
Notice the continuity between the ultimate earthly kingdom of the Messiah and the previous earthly kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome, from which eventually comes the kingdom of the Antichrist. The kingdom with the everlasting dominion is not a dominion over a different realm but over the same realm—Earth. In speaking of these kingdoms, God is not comparing apples (Earth) with oranges (a spirit realm), but apples with apples. Christ will not merely destroy the earth where fallen kings once ruled. Rather, He will rule over the same Earth, transformed and new.
At Daniel’s request, an angel provides an interpretation of his vision: “The four great beasts are four kingdoms that will rise from the earth” (v. 17). Then the angel makes an extraordinary statement: “But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever” (v. 18). This statement makes clear both the kingdom’s location (Earth) and its duration (eternal).
Some theologians reduce Daniel 7 to a promise that God’s saints will reign with Christ during the Millennium. But the text couldn’t be clearer—it says “for ever and ever,” not a thousand years. Many other passages also affirm an earthly reign that will last forever (e.g., Joshua 14:9; 2 Samuel7:16; Isaiah 34:17; 60:21; Jeremiah17:25; Micah 4:7; Revelation 22:5). The angel Gabriel told Mary that Christ “will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end” (Luke1:33). Regardless of whether one believes in a literal Millennium, passages such as the ones cited here shouldn’t be understood as millennial references. They refer instead to an everlasting Kingdom.
But where is that eternal Kingdom located? If the other four kingdoms, spanning centuries, rose “from the earth,” and if the Antichrist will rule on the earth, where will God’s Kingdom be in order to replace those kingdoms? On the earth.
Under God’s covenant with Israel, the people never looked for the Messiah to reign in Heaven. That would be nothing new, because God already reigns in Heaven. Establishing God’s Kingdom was never about an immaterial spirit realm. It always concerned the one place in the universe made for mankind, the one place where God’s reign has been disputed: Earth.
It’s a common but serious mistake to spiritualize the eternal Kingdom of God. Many people imagine that God will replace the earthly kings and their kingdoms with a transcendent sovereignty over the spiritual realm of Heaven. But that is very different than what Daniel is telling us.
God has never abandoned His original plan that righteous human beings will inhabit and rule the earth. That’s not merely an argument from silence. Daniel 7:18 explicitly reveals that “the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever.” What is “the kingdom”? Earth.
Earth is unique. It’s the one planet—perhaps among billions—where God chose to act out the unfolding drama of redemption and reveal the wonders of His grace. It’s on the New Earth, the capital planet of the new universe, that He will establish an eternal Kingdom.
Daniel 7:21-22 says that an earthly ruler “was waging war against the saints and defeating them, until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom” (emphasis added).
The same earthly kingdoms ruled by ungodly human beings will ultimately be ruled by godly human beings. Christ’s promise wasn’t figurative—the meek really will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5). And they will rule what they inherit.
The Kingdom Transfer
Daniel 7:25 tells us that the saints will be handed over to the earth’s kingdoms, which will persecute them for a season. But then a stunning reversal will occur. “Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him” (v. 27).
What is the “greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven” that will be “handed over to the saints”? I believe it includes all that makes the nations great. That would include, among other things, their cultural, artistic, athletic, scientific, and intellectual achievements. All of these will not be lost or destroyed but “handed over to the saints” as they rule God’s eternal Kingdom on the New Earth. We will become the stewards, the managers of the world’s wealth and accomplishments.
Consider the marvels of this revelation. God’s children who suffered under ungodly earthly kings will forever take their place as earthly kings. The great cultural accomplishments of ungodly nations will be handed over to God’s people to manage and (I assume) develop and expand.
The very Earth to which Satan once laid claim will be stripped from his grasp and given over to those whom he hates and seeks to destroy—God’s saints. Notice it doesn’t say that the earth’s kingdoms will be destroyed, but that they will be “handed over” to the saints, placed under their just rule. All the wrongs done on Earth by tyrants will be a thing of the past. No more persecution and injustice. The Earth that was first put under mankind’s dominion and was twisted by the Fall will be redeemed, restored, and put under the righteous rule of a redeemed and restored mankind.
If the Bible made no other reference to believers ruling over an earthly kingdom, the emphatic message of Daniel 7 would suffice: The saints of God will rule the earth forever.
Many people believe that if God rules the universe, there’s no room for other rulers. But this can’t be true, because we’re told that “all rulers will worship and obey him” (v. 27). Isaiah 60 and Revelation 21:24 tell us there will still be nations on the New Earth, and they will still have rulers. But they will be righteous rulers, subordinate to Christ. People of every national and ethnic group (“tribe and language and people and nation”) will worship the Lamb (Revelation 5:9). Some will rule over cities; others will rule over nations. Christ will be King of all, but He will be “King of kings” (Revelation 19:16), meaning that His people will rule the new earth under Him.”
www.epm.org.
We need to build our faith on a strong foundation that will protect us when the storms rage. Because a man is the foundation of our society, anything a spiritually-strong man touches is going to be strong; including his family, his finances, and his career. The only way a man can serve as the foundation that God intended him to be is by subjecting himself to the rule of God, and applying kingdom standards to his earthly life.
www.tonyevans.org. sermons.love.
“What great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?” (Deuteronomy 4:7-8).
Have you ever thought about your nation in these terms? I have. But I come from America, a nation that has a long history with Christianity. And many in Europe might think this way, also having a long history with Christianity. But, this passage was spoken to Israel. A covenant nation, to whom God poured out great blessing as well as great wrath.
In the earlier days of these nations, many laws were written that reflected the Mosaic Law, designed to order a nation. Yet, all of these nations, including America, began turning away from God. The Lord doesn’t want these things forgotten, but passed on. For he continues in Deuteronomy by saying, “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children” (Deuteronomy 4:9).
In reality, the church of Jesus has something greater. For once Israel could only approach God through sacrifices. But we approach that same God, whenever we want, because of the sacrifice of Jesus. Have you approached God today? We are a nation within a nation, having open access to God on behalf of the nation we dwell in. We are his ambassadors, and so we must take responsibility for the moral condition of our nation.
Memory Verse
“The word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it” (Deuteronomy 30:14).
Application
How have you passed on your faith in Christ to your children or grandchildren? How do those around you know that Jesus has had a transformative effect on your life. Pray for your descendants, that there will never be a generation of your family that does not know the Lord.
“If I have become so pathetically dulled that I hold freedom as my right and the privileges of liberty as my due, I can stand beside the stilled graves of a thousand soldiers fallen in defense of freedom and not feel a thing. And my most solemn prayer is that I will never be this.”
“Rights’ are ‘privileges,’ and if I am arrogant enough to demand the former without respecting the latter I will lose both.”
“I think we need to consider a radical rewrite of any form of patriotism that serves the individual at the expense of the community, as that is nothing more than patriotism to one’s own small and solitary cause.”
“It is at the precise moment that I take something for granted that I have placed myself in the precarious position of losing that very thing. And if that thing I risk losing is liberty, taking it for granted is foolishness of the most foolish sort.”
“The birthplace of anarchy is the cemetery of freedom.”
“I would entertain the apparently fading idea that patriotism that serves the self is greed dressed in the garments of liberty and adorned with the fashion accessories of other associated patriotic notions.”
“Rare are the handful of principles that incessantly drive us to stand even when we face the stark realization that we will likely perish in the standing. And rarer still is the person who will surrender all to protect such principles. Yet, the rudimentary principles of freedom and liberty pristinely untarnished by greed and selfishness took captive the hearts of simple people and raised this nation up from untamed wilderness and unchecked tyranny. And let us all be warned that without renewed adherence to these principles, we will rapidly return this nation to untamed wilderness and unchecked tyranny.”
“Real patriotism embraces the wholly immovable belief that without freedom, the essence of the human soul and the life-breath of the human spirit is doomed to perish for lack of space and absence of light.”
“The most elusive and ultimately impossible act of liberation is freedom from sin and self, and no document or declaration of man regardless of how exquisitely penned can do that. Such an astonishing act of liberation could only have been penned in one place: the cross.”
“A nation aimlessly drifting away from God is a nation for which prayer is a rudder and praise is a sail. And it is the man or woman on their knees that builds the former and gives wind to the latter.”
“I am thankful that there are those among us who have sacrificed dearly on behalf of us. And I ardently pray to God that I might be less like myself and more like them.”
“Freedom brings the privilege to make decisions and the need to learn once again how to rightly make them.”
“The sacrifice ‘of’ self for the greater good is the greatest calling imaginable, and it is the bedrock of the greatest nations. The sacrifice ‘for’ self is the most pathetic calling imaginable, and it is the quicksand within which nations perish.”
“Because we weren’t there when the price was paid doesn’t mean that the price wasn’t paid. And if we don’t believe that, maybe we need to consider the solider who never came home so that we could.”
“Freedom is a privilege, not a right. And as such, I have no right to ask anything of it, but I have the privilege of giving everything to it.”
“Somewhere along the way, someone sacrificed enough to crush the rot of tyranny in order to plant the seeds of freedom. And if we don’t carefully tend to the harvest we will eventually inherit the tyranny.”
“May the many monuments that abound remind me of the desperate need for courage, the inestimable value of valor, the honor evoked of sacrifice, and the fact that a life spent in the service of self embodies none of these.”
“Without freedom, the soul of man perishes long before the body dies. And if nothing else, the haunting specter of a soulless humanity should stir us to patriotism of the greatest sort.”
“If I don’t passionately desire freedom for all of my fellowmen, it’s likely that I haven’t been sufficiently freed from my selfishness so that I might see their captivity.”
“There are those who left the confines of comfort to fight the battles from which they might not return, for to do anything less was to assume that they could do nothing more. And a true patriot will never succumb to the rot of such cowardice.”
www.craiglounsbrough.com. Used by permission.
Russell Moore inspires us as we contemplate our independence:
“A few years ago, I stood at the grave of Thomas Jefferson, and wondered. I was in Charlottesville to speak at the university Mr. Jefferson founded, and made my way up to his homeplace, Monticello. Standing at his grave, I was prompted to give thanks for his life and legacy.
After all, if it weren’t for Jefferson and his majestic Declaration of Independence, there might not even be a United States of America, and certainly not a country quite like it is now. If it weren’t for Jefferson (and the Baptists), would I have grown up in some cold, dead, state-established Anglican church instead of the vibrancy of a free church in a free state? And, of course, if President Jefferson hadn’t purchased the Louisiana Territory, I would have grown up some place other than America.
But, much more than that, standing at Jefferson’s grave prompted me to realize that Jefferson is, well, in a grave. The Enlightenment ideals that gave this brilliant thinker a right understanding of natural rights led him to idolize human cerebral capacity. Jefferson’s anti-supernaturalism is seen in visual form in his famous Bible, with the miraculous parts cut out, most significantly the bodily resurrection of Jesus. I love Jefferson for standing up against King George, but not for standing up against King Jesus.
And yet, two hundred years later, belief in the resurrection of Jesus persists. Just days after I was at this hero’s grave, Christians from all over the world, despite all this science and all this progress and all this technology, confessed what the earliest believers in the catacombs of Rome cried out: “Christ is risen indeed.”
Thomas Jefferson is still dead. I thank God for him, but standing at his grave reminds me how limited even his legacy can be in the grand scheme of trillions of years of cosmic time. It also reminds me of the contrast with a Middle Eastern day-laborer whose monument isn’t a house or a temple made with hands, or even a simple grave-marker. It’s instead a borrowed tomb that isn’t filled anymore.
That empty tomb is, itself, a declaration of independence. By raising Jesus from the dead, God declared him (and all who are in him) to be free from death, free from the curse, free from Satan’s accusation. I suppose you could say that Jesus was endowed by his Father with certain unalienable rights, among these life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness… except that these blessings don’t end in a graveyard.”
www.russellmoore.com. Used by permission.
In the beginning, God created humankind in His image. We have been creating God in our image ever since. But what you end up with is a god who looks a lot like us! That’s the God we’re dismantling in this series so we can discover the true God, the God of the Bible. And that God might surprise you.
Preached at National Community Church. Used by permission.
These days, it’s easy to become obsessed with everything that’s wrong with the world. We’re continually bombarded by “news” (which is sometimes more sensational than informative) that dwells on the sufferings and tragedies of life. This unceasing avalanche of bad news, as well as rampant political tribalism, suspicion, and critical opinions, can quickly bury what Scripture calls “the good news of happiness” (Isaiah 52:7) and “good news of great joy” (Luke 2:10). Sadly, what many people of differing worldviews in our culture have in common is extreme negativity!
In her article “A Big Bright Side,” Janie B. Cheaney writes:
Bad news is wide-screen. It manifests itself in trends, factions, wars, rising rates of (drug abuse, dropouts, STDs, etc.). It wears big clumsy boots that stomp all over reasonable argument and heartfelt protest. The effects of bad news are immediate and obvious, even if we disagree about causes. …Good news is personal, small scale, and easy to overlook. The effects are slow and cumulative. …Good news may be lurking under our very noses while the smell of the bad overpowers us.
I don’t favor living in a cave, blissfully ignorant of the world’s woes and the suffering and difficulties around us. But Scripture tells us in Philippians 4:8, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Each of these qualities is true of Jesus. To purposely look for things that fit these qualifications, and think about them, is to recognize the Source of them and to be determined to give Jesus first place in our lives.
Along those same lines, I think this is a powerful letter from my friend Jim Green and his wife Nan. Jim is former executive director of the Jesus Film Project (I traveled with him in China while researching my novel Safely Home). This is an example of one of countless ministries that are doing great things for God worldwide—but that believers will not hear about if we just keep watching the news and don’t purposefully go to other and better sources.
Incredible things that God is doing!
By Jim and Nan Green
Today many American believers are at risk of being Fox News/CNN Christians. We tend to only hear bad news and have the impression that God is not doing anything.
But God is at work around the world building His Kingdom in incredible ways!
“The whole earth will acknowledge the LORD and return to him. All the families of the nations will bow down before him. For royal power belongs to the LORD. He rules all the nations” (Psalms 22:27-28, NLT).
“After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9-10, NIV).
“What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do” (Isaiah 46:11, NIV).
Here are just a few things that God is doing—which doesn’t begin to cover all that He is doing through the body of Christ around the world.
The Jesus Film has just been translated into the 1,700th language! At least 1,500+ missions and denominations use the film in ministry. There have been more than:
107 million were exposed to Jesus via digital in 2017. Already in the first half of this year, there were 80 million digital exposures, not including Facebook or YouTube. 293,000 people per day in 230 countries are watching the Jesus Film library of films.
In 2017 there were 374,667,806 viewings of all Jesus Film tools, 42,118,303 indicated decisions for Christ, and 432,076 multiplying churches or groups started.
The Jesus Film is Partnering with 72 entities in the Global Alliance for Church Multiplication (GACX). The Goal: plant 5 million multiplying churches by 2020, 1 church for every 1,000 people in the world.
To date, 1,600,000+ churches have been planted through the 72 GACX partners.
Muslims are coming to Christ as never before:
The number of unengaged people groups is rapidly diminishing as the body of Christ is taking seriously Jesus’ command to go everywhere. Never before in modern history has the body of Christ actually mobilized and planned to reach the last unengaged people groups of the world.
In Africa, workers are showing the Jesus Film one night and then showing one of the 5 segments of Walking With Jesus Africa the next 5 nights, and the seventh night planting a church. In one country, over 250+ churches have been planted.
Today we are seeing the prophecy in Isaiah come true: “In that day you will say: ‘Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world’” (Isaiah 12:4-5).
But there is still much to do! There are 5 billion people who yet need to hear about Jesus and how to know Him, and 964 people groups yet to be engaged and reached for Christ.
“He told them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field’” (Luke 10:2).
I also suggest connecting with some Christ-centered ministries and following their updates. (Our ministry recommends some excellent ones here.) To get you started, check out these encouraging stories from Prison Fellowship, a ministry working to bring hope and restoration to prisoners and their families. Or see these stories from Mercy Ships, a group that provides free lifesaving surgeries. I also encourage you to consider supporting and following your local pregnancy resource center. For example, here’s some stories and updates from First Image Portland, our local PRC. (You can find one in your area here.)
Let’s be encouraged about what God is doing in us and in the lives of our loved ones and friends, and around the world! And let’s share these positive things we hear about with others.
“A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones” (Proverbs 15:30, NIV).
www.epm.org. Used by permission.
Imagine what a contemporary spiritual awakening might look like in America, in our church and in our culture? When a Christ Awakening comes, it will bring about a restoration of morality, ethics, and accountability among leader of church, government, business and politics. Here are just a few principles for “spiritual renovation.”
Be Accountable
As Christians, we need to encourage one another to live by godly standards and to resist the pull of the world. We need to hold one another accountable for the words, images, and information we allow into our minds.
A well-known quote offers some good advice: “Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”
Set Standards
We may think that the music we hear and the movies we watch are really no one else’s business; however, setting high standards and living a godly lifestyle will bring blessings and a good path toward the future. Watching excessive violence, listening to filthy language, or seeing images of people scantily dressed does not help us grow in God.
Romans 14:22 makes very clear that we should not do things we feel guilty about or try to make others live by our convictions: “Your personal convictions [on such matters]—exercise [them] as in God’s presence, keeping them to yourself [striving only to know the truth and obey His will]. Blessed (happy, to be envied) is he who has no reason to judge himself for what he approves [who does not convict himself by what he chooses to do]” (AMP).
Guard Influences
God is interested in the influences we allow in our lives. In addition to what we see and hear, we need to be very careful about the people with whom we spend our time. The Bible teaches us not to sit passively and inactively in the pathway of sinners, nor to relax and rest in the presence of the scornful and mockers (Ps. 1:1). It is easy to dive into a body of water and float downstream with the current, but it is more difficult to swim upstream. It is often easier just to go along with other people and do what the majority of them want to do, but in the long run, doing so can cause us significant heartache and misery. We must set high standards for what we wear, what we watch on TV, what we listen to, how we use our time, whom we associate with, and how we spend our money.
Yield to the Word
A lifestyle of obedience to God’s Word offers many blessings. If we would commit to higher standards of holiness in our lives, we could eliminate some of the enemy’s ammunition and defeat some of his plans against us. Our lifestyle choices would help form shields around us that Satan could not penetrate. The things we see and hear can be tools the enemy uses to wage war on the battlefield of our mind. When we see or hear something, it is recorded forever in the subconscious mind. Who do we think is behind ungodly scenes, images, and words in so much of today’s music, television, Internet, and printed material? It isn’t God—it’s the enemy. Working through the world’s system, Satan constantly pours out poisons, and often we just sit by passively, taking in whatever is being offered. We must decide whether we are going to dedicate ourselves to God or serve the world system.
Make Good Choices
One of God’s great gifts to mankind is the power of choice. If we want to enjoy the blessings He has for us, we need to make lifestyle choices that align with His Word and are consistent with the values of His Word, not choices reflecting the constantly eroding values of the world.
Let’s make a decision to serve God wholly, putting Him first in everything we do.
Here’s a prayer we all can pray:
“Thank you, Father, for the ethical foundations of our faith, ‘that we might always prosper and be kept alive.’ (Deuteronomy 6:24). We repent of behaviors that violate Your moral standards. Dear God, we regret that we have hurt You so deeply, as we have not set godly standards for our lives. Forgive us, Lord, and change us. We choose to serve You wholly, putting You first in everything we do.”
Praying for a Christ Awakening, p. 81-85. Used by permission.
It is imperative that we pray faithfully for the upcoming elections, yet our hope and trust is not in the results of elections!
That may sound like a strange introduction to an election prayer guide. But the reality is that the spiritual and moral issues facing this nation will not be resolved in the White House, Congress, or the Supreme Court.
What the United States desperately needs is another Great Awakening! The Church must experience a revival that awakens her to the life-changing power of Jesus Christ in her midst. Such a spiritual awakening within the people of God has the power to bring about true cultural transformation in this nation.
So why pray for the elections?
There are a number of compelling reasons:
The Bible commands us to pray for those who are in leadership (I Timothy 2:1-4). This includes those who are vying to become leaders.
Godly leaders can help slow the erosion of religious liberties in our land. This can provide an increased window of opportunity for the Church to pray and evangelize.
According to Scripture, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). The selection of leaders who understand and lead according to God’s righteous standards can bring great blessing to a nation.
Scripture also says in Proverbs 11:14, “For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisors make victory sure.” The determination of who leads our nation will also determine who advises that leader and how we are guided.
WE NEED TO PRAY NOW
The decisions being made by candidates and potential candidates are critical and must be undergirded by prayer. We are in the midst of an election cycle right now. It is exactly the appropriate time for the people of God to mobilize intense prayer for the election process.
Perhaps a weekly prayer meeting held in your home or your church could focus completely on what God desires to do in this upcoming election.
Seven Ways To Pray For America
The Church is often relegated to the sidelines, considered irrelevant and out of touch. Though we sometimes deserve that critique, God has a completely different perspective on what His people are to be and how we are to function.
In Ephesians 3:10, the Apostle Paul writes, “His [God’s] intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known…” Though seemingly powerless in the eyes of the world, the Church—through righteousness, prayer, and the power of the Holy Spirit—releases the wisdom of God into any and every culture.
Pray today for the Church in America, that:
Our eyes will be opened to see the hope to which we are called (Ephesians 1:18)
We will experience in a fresh, new way the presence of Christ in revival.
Believers will be given the faith to believe that their votes will make a difference.
A spirit of repentance and humility will be poured out upon the people of God.
The Voters
The Great American Experiment in representative government for more than 200 years has depended upon voter involvement. From the very beginning of our nation, there has been debate on who should be allowed the privilege of casting a vote to select our governmental leaders. The weight of history has increasingly opened the ballot box to more and more individuals. This requires an educated electorate who will examine the issues and the candidates and vote in a way that is best for the nation, not just their own well-being. Much prayer is needed for this critical process.
Pray today for voters in the United States, that:
Wisdom will be sought from God (James 1:5).
Self-interest will be laid aside for the common good.
Discernment between truth and falsehood will be clear.
The Candidates
In the early years of our nation, it was thought to be in bad taste to even be seen wanting an office, much less actually campaigning. Oh, how things have changed! Now candidates for public office, especially at higher levels, put themselves and their families through a rigorous process that brings every aspect of their lives into public view. It has become so intense that many good individuals have chosen not to endure the sort of public scrutiny that is an integral part of the campaigning process today. Praying for candidates does not mean praying just for those you agree with or support. All are leaders and potential leaders in our nation—and as such, all need our prayers.
Pray today for candidates for office in the United States, that:
They will take brave stands for righteousness, even when it may not be well received. ê Their families will be protected from harm and unnecessary scrutiny.
They will surround themselves with godly advisors.
They will focus on the issues we face as a nation and not on personal attacks on other candidates.
The Media
In our day of 24-hour news coverage, the media have taken on a huge role in our election process. Handling media correctly sometimes seems to take precedence in a campaign over actually dealing with issues. The media themselves often forget their role of informing and reporting and have become endorsers and supporters, even while they try to deny that role. Increased prayer for the media is an essential way for Christians to impact an election.
Pray today for the media in America, that:
Truth in reporting and election coverage will become a high value.
Media bias will disappear.
Christianity will receive fair coverage in all reports.
Hope will become a part of the message of the media.
The Impact on the Nations
In our rapidly shrinking world, what happens in one country has an effect on others. This is especially true for the United States. The individuals who hold the presidency and senate and congressional seats will make decisions that impact the rest of the world. Whether those decisions help or harm the people of the world is largely determined by the choices that Americans make at the polls. We need to pray that our choices will serve to bless the world.
Pray today for the election and its impact on the world, that:
Voters will consider the foreign policies of candidates and how they fit with biblical principles.
The activities of other nations will not have an undue influence on our elections.
The result of U.S. elections will serve to spread the gospel around the globe.
The U.S. will stand firm in its commitment to Israel’s right to exist as a nation.
Spiritual Warfare
There will be attacks on candidates and their families, on the media, the Church, and perhaps the nation itself. Some will be clearly spiritual, while other attacks may have physical manifestations. Our call is to have great discernment as we pray and stand in the strength of Christ’s victory.
Pray today around the spiritual warfare issues involved in the election, such as:
Great awareness and discernment for the Lord’s praying people as they pray over the election.
Physical protection for all candidates and their families throughout this campaign season.
A strong hedge of protection around the nation itself during this time of decision.
The unleashing of the sword of the Spirit throughout the nation, judging the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).
The Purpose Of God
Ultimately, whatever the area of prayer emphasis, we must always come back to the purposes of God. Jesus taught us to pray, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). As we pray for something as important as national elections, we must lay down our own desires and take up the desires of God. What we really desire is for the Lord’s purposes to be achieved in and through our nation. All of our requests must be couched in words and thoughts that focus our hearts on the Kingdom of God.
Pray today for the purposes of God to be accomplished in the U.S. elections:
Pray that the U.S. will turn and seek first the Kingdom of God.
Pray that God will be honored in the midst of this election campaign.
Pray for opportunities for Christians to share their faith and their values in the midst of this election process.
Pray that the results of the elections will please the Lord and release His blessing over this nation.
Additional Reading: Romans 13, Proverbs 8:15, 21:1, and Daniel 4:25.
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28
Can we achieve racial reconciliation? Can our multicolored, multi-tongued society find common ground for communication? For peace? For cooperation in meeting head-on the great needs of our nation and our world? The answer is a resounding yes!
I believe God is calling His church to enter the greatest hour it has ever seen.
How can we experience Christ Awakening as we continue to seek breakdowns of racial, social, and status barriers as Christ’s church celebrates together—Jesus!
Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light.” (John 12:35–36)
WHAT DOES GOD SAY ABOUT THE ATTITUDES OF OUR HEARTS?
HUMILITY, BROKENNESS, CONTRITION– proper heart-conditions are the qualifiers.
The prophet Joel cried out, “Wherefore should they say among the people, ‘Where is their God?’” (Joel 2:17, KJV).
That is exactly what the world is saying in this hour. How can you say that God is among you when your lives are no different from those of sinners? Our whole nation needs a move of God!
Our challenge right now is Acts 3:19: “Repent. . . and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come.” And then it says, “And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you” (v. 20). I know historically we Christians have always felt that Jesus was going to return, but usually He returned in a revival or in an awakening or in a move beyond human expectations.
Today’s great darkness has us postured for that, but certain conditions must precede another great move of God. In 2 Corinthians 5:18, Paul says, “All things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.” The next verse reads,
“God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”
HOW CAN WE EXPERIENCE REVIVAL?
These two phrases—the ministry of reconciliation (something to do) and the word of reconciliation (something to say)—are the foundations for revival. I believe the ministry of Jesus is the ministry of reconciliation. Reconciliation is the key to Jesus’ prayer in John 17 “that we might be one” (see v. 21). It is the key to his statement, “By this they shall know that you are my disciples, when you show love for one another.” (see John 13:35). It’s only when the world sees unity among those who declare themselves Christian that they can have hope for their own divisions, disintegrations, and darkness. That’s why reconciliation is a major theme with me. Not only racial reconciliation—it’s just that that happens to be the most visible way we can demonstrate the reality of Christ in our lives.
After Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, He said, “just as I have washed your feet, you must wash one another’s feet” (see John 13:14). And He said, “You are to love your enemies” (Matt. 5:44). Love is more than rhetoric. Love is an “opposite” spirit. Those who would kill you, you owe your life. Our challenge isn’t in being accepted by whites. We’re already accepted by God. We need to break out of this ethnic mind-set. It’s all right to be ethnically conscious, but not to be ethnically controlled.
My worldview must come from the kingdom, not from my culture. It’s a matter of looking at things from God’s point of view. We are limited only by our point of views. If we believe that we cannot rise beyond how we are viewed by the majority race, then we’ll continue to use them as an excuse for our failure. Now, what color is the Holy Spirit? The truth of the matter is, we need the Spirit and character of Christ to reach people no matter who they are. God doesn’t use information to reach people: He uses revelation. People need to see God coming through a man. You show them God and they’ll forget about color.
If I had a choice of being where my race is as opposed to being where Jesus is—
I‘d choose Jesus every time.
PRAYERS TO OFFER
Thanksgiving
Thank You, Lord, that You have removed racial barriers, for we “have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness” (Rom. 6:18).
Jesus, we celebrate that You remove social barriers among Your people, “to bring them together and make them one” (John 11:52).
Dear God, we are grateful that You have removed status barriers, and “in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others” (Rom. 12:5).
Confession
We often do not see God’s vision for the church. Forgive us, Lord, for allowing barriers to remain within the body of Christ.
We often do not have the right attitude of the heart. Cleanse us, Dear God, for not being humble, broken, and contrite. We often are not salt and light in our community. Jesus, we repent of our ineffectiveness. We often do not lay the foundations of revival. Forgive us for not seeking reconciliation.
Petition
Jesus, may our hearts be made right, knowing that “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).
Dear God, help us avoid barriers; “keep your servant also from willful sins” (Ps. 19:13). Lord, grant us vision for Christ’s Church celebrating together, for “where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint” (Prov. 29:18a).
PROMISES TO CLAIM
God’s Vision for the Church
Dear God, might we hear the hopes that You have for Christ’s Church celebrating together, for “wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares” (Prov. 1:20).
Attitudes of the Heart
Lord, may we experience wholeness in our relationships and overcome racial, social, and status barriers because you have “destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility” (Eph. 2:14).
Salt and Light
As Your “salt and light,” may we eliminate the darkness of discrimination and injustice, thus yielding to the admonition of Jesus: “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matt 5:16).
Foundations for Revival
Jesus, might we have courage to “step out” by faith toward reconciliation: “Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light” (John 12:35–36).
wellingtonboone.com. Taken from “Praying for a Christ Awakening.” Used by permission.
God has plans for a hope and a future for us. But the real message is that life isn’t easy. Often His best plan is not ours, but protects us in ways we’ll never know.
Resource from Lifechurch.tv/open. Used by permission.
Israel was hopelessly outnumbered. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon “and all his army, with all the kingdoms of the earth that were under his dominion and all the peoples, were fighting against Jerusalem” and its remaining cities (Jer. 34:1). Because of Israel’s sin, apparently even the Lord, Israel’s protector, had withdrawn. For nearly forty years, Jeremiah the prophet pleaded with God’s people to repent, but they would not have it. Israel was nearly apostate, and the dire warnings of the prophet Jeremiah were about to come to pass.
However, hidden in the ways of God was a plan, a redemptive strategy that would reverse Israel’s direction. If the Jews implemented a “Year of Remission” (see Deut. 15:1-18), God would show to them the same mercy they showed to one another. What was required was that “each man [would] set free his male servant and each man his female servant . . . so that no one should keep them, a Jew his brother, in bondage” (Jer. 34:9).
Not only did they agree to this year of release, but “all the officials and all the people obeyed.” Then, in earnest faith, they “entered into the covenant . . . so that no one should keep them any longer in bondage; they obeyed, and set them free” (Jer. 34:10).
The Bible says the Judeans cut a calf in two and then passed “between its parts” (Jer. 34:18). This was the same kind of covenant ritual Abraham had made with the Lord centuries earlier (see Gen. 15:10, 17-18.).
The redemptive plan of God was this: If the Israelites set free their slaves, they would not be taken as slaves. If they showed mercy, God would show Himself merciful to them as well. Even though they were, by all counts, nearly apostate, the act of releasing the debts of others would have averted the destruction of their cities, for “mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13)!
As they were releasing one another, something marvelous occurred. Supernaturally the Lord drew “the king of Babylon…away” (Jer. 34:21). At the very moment the people were releasing the debts of others, God was reducing their debt to Him. What they did on earth was actually being replicated for them in Heaven!
In all the years since the establishment of the Law, Israel had never celebrated a year of release. Yet now, even with their enemies within striking range, Israel covenanted with God to free every man his slave.
Unforgiveness In the Church
How does the above story relate to us? Today we too are facing overwhelming foes. Our society is overrun with corruption and the church is hardly better than the world. The prophets are warning of judgment, and at times, it seems as though God has stopped listening to our prayers.
Yet, I believe if we can sincerely forgive those who are spiritual debtors to us, even starting with those in our homes and families – if we extend forgiveness to our neighbors, and proclaim release to those who left our churches – the mercy of God will begin to fall again on our land.
Let the Lord reveal all with whom you have unforgiveness. If we are at the altar and remember someone who has unforgiveness toward us, let us leave our offering and be reconciled (see Matt. 5:23-24). Yes, let us covenant with God for our communities, and even for our nation!
Indeed, let us take this one step further: let us release those who have hurt us. It is time to rebuild our lives in Christ, and reunite in the power of redemption. Let us bring Christ’s covenant of forgiveness into our inter-racial relationships, and let us, each one, embrace the covenant of the Lamb.
The Sad End of the Jeremiah 34
In spite of the great breakthrough Israel experienced, their story ends badly. For when the enemy left and the pressure was off, each man “took back his” male and female servants ” . . . and brought them into subjection” (see vv. 13-16).
Beloved, hear me please: if only the Jews would have followed through and held fast their release, the Book of Lamentations never would have been written! Mercy would have triumphed and remained, but such was not the case.
Still, for us, the final chapters of our times are yet to be written. We can learn from the example we see in Jeremiah 34. If we will embrace mercy, if we can sincerely release one another, we will escape the dire expectations coming to meet our sinful society. Our actions today, even now, will determine whether our society is blessed or judged. Let us, therefore, release the debts of every man and covenant for mercy for our land.
Why is America divided? It is possible to bridge the rift?
America is divided for one, simple, yet profound reason. We no longer believe the same things.
Take the case of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Politically they were polar opposites, yet they shared the most basic principles of morality, right and wrong.
In today’s America, most on the political left don’t believe in an all powerful, benevolent Creator. Most on the right believe in a God, but they don’t really live as if he exists and are accountable to him.
Today, the politics of the left and right revolves around debt and deficits, corruption and cronyism, welfare vs workfare, government control vs private control, abortion vs life, capitalism vs socialism, and the list goes on. These are all important issues. But precious few address our most pressing national problem, the thing we ignore above all else: our national character. What kind of people are we? This was important to America’s founders, but many Americans today brush this off as a “religious thing.” Yet, our national character is probably the most important issue we face. Think of it this way. What kind of people do you want your children to be? Would you brush this off so easily? (Even then, many have.) Why is this issue less important or pressing just because we put it in a political frame?
The truth is that America has always been a divided nation. Even in our founding. Most people don’t know that in the cause of the revolutionary war the nation was not politically unified, but deeply divided between those who supported the continental congress and those who supported England. American division escalated until the Civil War.
Here’s the reality: Donald Trump cannot unify our country. Neither can Hillary Clinton. But neither can ANY political candidate, because Americans no longer hold the same values as their neighbors. Even Jesus, when he comes again, will not unify the world. Those who are his enemies will be damned and those who truly serve him will unify. If Jesus won’t unify everyone, why would we believe a politician who claims he or she can?
While we may not unify on our politics, we must strive as Christian conservatives to bring as many as we can into the Kingdom of God through Jesus Christ. That requires repentance and changing our views to come into agreement with God on the issues we face. As a nation, we may never unify politically, but by doing these things we can come closer to being a people who honor God, fear God, and seek to reconcile our nation with God. And reconciling our nation with God is more important than political unity.
guywithabible.com Used by permission.
I love history and I love America! Thought I’d share a little of both in a brief article. For the record, this isn’t a dissertation. It’s a blog. And I’m not nominating all of our founding fathers for sainthood. Having said that let me say this: there is a lot of revisionist history that totally ignores or distorts the faith of our Founding Fathers. So many of them were motivated by their faith in Christ. Here’s some backstory on a few of the fifty-six signers of the Declaration of Independence. Most Americans know next to nothing about these fifty-six heroes who pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor to the cause of freedom.
John Witherspoon was an ordained minister and authored several books of sermons, as well as editing America’s first family Bible in 1791.
Charles Thomson served as Secretary of Congress and was a Biblical scholar. He helped edit the first American translation of the Greek Septuagint into English.
Charles Carroll, the last of the fifty-six signers to pass away at the age of 95 in 1832, wrote out his declaration of faith at the age of eighty-nine.
On the mercy of my Redeemer I rely for my salvation, and on His merits; not on the works I have done in obedience to His precepts.
Another Founding Father, Benjamin Rush, is considered the “Father of American Medicine.” He personally trained three thousand medical students. Dr. Rush also founded “The First Day Society” which was the precursor to the Sunday School movement, as well as founding America’s first Bible society. It was Benjamin Rush who said the Constitution was “as much the work of Divine Providence as any of the miracles recorded in the Old and New Testament were the effects of divine power.”
Francis Hopkinson was a church music director and edited one of the first hymnals printed in America in 1767. He also set 150 psalms to music.
Roger Sherman is the only Founding Father to sign all four of America’s Founding documents: the Articles of Association in 1774, the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the Articles of Confederation in 1778, and the U.S. Constitution in 1787. Roger Sherman was also a theologian. He wrote a personal creed that was adopted by his church:
I believe that there is one only living and true God, existing in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, the same in substance, equal in power and glory. That the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are a revelation from God, and a complete rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him.
Our Founding Fathers didn’t just craft a constitution. Many of them wrote sermons and creeds and hymns. They founded Bible Societies and Sunday Schools. They served God’s purposes in their generation. And I, for one, am grateful.
Additional information from Stand to Reason www.str.org:
The phrase “Founding Fathers” is a proper noun. It refers to a specific group of men, the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention. There were other important players not in attendance, like Jefferson, whose thinking deeply influenced the shaping of our nation. These 55 Founding Fathers, though, made up the core.
The denominational affiliations of these men were a matter of public record. Among the delegates were 28 Episcopalians, 8 Presbyterians, 7 Congregationalists, 2 Lutherans, 2 Dutch Reformed, 2 Methodists, 2 Roman Catholics, 1 unknown, and only 3 deists–Williamson, Wilson, and Franklin–this at a time when church membership entailed a sworn public confession of biblical faith. [John Eidsmoe, Christianity and the Constitution, (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1987), p. 43.]
This is a revealing tally. It shows that the members of the Constitutional Convention, the most influential group of men shaping the political foundations of our nation, were almost all Christians, 51 of 55–a full 93%. Indeed, 70% were Calvinists (the Episcopalians, Presbyterians, and the Dutch Reformed), considered by some to be the most extreme and dogmatic form of Christianity.
markbatterson.com. Used by permission.
Scripture says that the Lord left nations in the promised land “to test Israel by them (that is, all who had not experienced any of the wars of Canaan); only in order that the generations of the sons of Israel might be taught war” (Judg. 3:1-2).
To complete our spiritual maturity, the Lord must “test” us with enemies; like Israel, we must be “taught war.”
I realize that most of us prefer peace. Yes, as much as it depends on us, we should live at peace with all men (Rom. 12:18). Our fight is not against flesh and blood, but we are in a worldwide conflict with principalities and powers (see Eph. 6:12). You see, there is a “time for war” (Eccl. 3:8). As Christians, we must accept and adjust to this truth.
To stand victorious, we need to expand our understanding of who Jesus Christ is. The Bible says Christ “will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies” (Isa. 42:13).
Even the rapture must be understood in military terms: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thess. 4:16).
The imagery of the Lord’s coming is explosive: He comes with a “shout” (or “cry of command,” a “war cry”). He’s followed by the stunning “voice of the “archangel,” then a blast of the “trumpet of God,” so loud, so undeniable that the powers of the heavens are confronted and collapse! Finally, the very “dead in Christ” begin to rise! The whole operation is fiercely militant in nature.
One may argue, yes the Lord is coming to war, but His first goal is to rescue us. Well, I am certainly not against being rescued, having been rescued many times by the Lord! But the picture of the church is also one of militancy. Remember, Jesus said, “I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Matt. 16:18). Consider again the imagery: it is the church that is advancing against the gates of hell, and it is hell that is not prevailing!
The Need for War
Truly, I am for peace, but I recognize that I cannot have peace unless I am first trained for war. It is my training for war that secures my ability to have peace. Indeed, it was during the times of warfare – of struggle and battle – when I have grown the most in courage, in faith, in sacrifice, and in love. The battle stretched me beyond the boundaries of my spirituality. Yes, when I was fighting for my family, church or community, it was the fight itself that defined and established my spiritual growth.
Indeed, as I have grown older, I have come to understand that every generation is ordained to confront and defeat the enemies of its era. In the last hundred years, men and women fought in WWI; then came the Great Depression, and poverty and fear were conquered. WWII began, and again a generation rose and saved the world from unspeakable tyranny. Next, America rose to stand against the spread of godless Soviet communism.
You see, every generation, at some point, will face a war that must be won. In that fight we learn lessons of courage. Do we see this generational warfare? Thus, we cannot interpret the fallen conditions of our world and assume the end of the world is upon us. No! What we are seeing in our world is the battleground of our war against the godless enemies of our times.
Remember, I believe in the rapture; I also believe we are in the season of the end. But I cannot excuse myself from facing the giants of today’s wars. As our forefathers had to succeed on the battlefield against great and highly trained enemies, so we too must overcome the radical agenda of those who seek to mainstream perversion into our society. Some of us have fought in physical wars-and we must pray righteous conclusions for these wars as well. Others are fighting to see our nation returned to Christ. I know some are weary, yet it is time that we too “might be taught war.”
Regardless of the battle before us, no matter how dark the spiritual atmosphere becomes, we must fight for the purposes of God in the earth. We cannot relax our intercession nor surrender our vision for our nation’s future. We have not entered the day of irreversible darkness.
You are no doubt familiar with the Lord of the Rings trilogy written by J.R.R. Tolkien. Tolkien, an Englishman, denied that his work mirrored the realities of World War II. Yet much of his manuscript was written during the height of that great conflict, when entire kingdoms were at war. He was clearly influenced by his time. His book is a metaphor for all times and conflicts, especially highlighting the role of common men to attain uncommon levels of valor and victory against forces of evil.
In a scene from the third Lord of the Rings movies, The Return of the King, King Aragorn seeks to inspire his outnumbered men to fight in spite of what seems like sure defeat: Hell’s swarming legions have amassed before them and the courage of Aragorn’s fighters is weakening. Riding along the front lines of his gathered, but lowly army, he shouts:
I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day. . . . This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand, men of the West!
Let us also put aside our fears and especially the burden of a passive, prayerless existence. Let us take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. And let us fight for all we hold dear in our times and culture. Yes, a day may come when the world will fully succumb, for a sprinkling of years, to the forces of evil. But it is not this day. This day we fight!
Father, thank You for the United States and its government. I pray for the president, the national and local government, the judges, the policemen, the business leaders and all those who are in leadership positions in this country. Please protect them from the evil that is in the world and keep them safe and free from all harm.
You have promised to bless any nation that follows after You. Help us to live quiet and peaceful lives so that we can continue to spread the Good News of the Gospel.
Father, thank You for the United States and its government. I pray for the president, the national and local government, the judges, the policemen, the business leaders and all those who are in leadership positions in this country. Please protect them from the evil that is in the world and keep them safe and free from all harm.
You have promised to bless any nation that follows after You. Help us to live quiet and peaceful lives so that we can continue to spread the Good News of the Gospel throughout our land. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
What Does the Bible Tell Us About How to Pray?
Jesus shares some tremendous insight regarding how to pray to God in Matthew 6:5-13.
“And now about prayer. When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I assure you, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father secretly. Then your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.”
“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think prayers are answered only by repeating words over and over again. Don’t be like them, because your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done here on earth, just as it is in heaven. Give us our food for today, and forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
In the above verses, Jesus shares how not to pray.
Verse 5: We are to pray in secret, not the way people did in His day — praying out loud publicly, primarily to just be seen, and heard.
Verse 6: Jesus asks us to go to a private place since our Heavenly Father already knows what we are going to pray about.
Verse 7: Jesus tells us not to ramble on and on, as people of other religions do, or be repetitious with words. God, our heavenly Father, would have us be specific about our prayer.
Verse 8: Jesus reiterates that the believer is not to pray repetitiously like the heathen.
Next, Jesus, teaches us how to pray.
Verse 9: Jesus says we should give honor to God and His name.
Verse 10: We are to pray for His Kingdom to come, and for His will to be done, that there would be a heavenly or godly presence here on earth.
Verse 11: We are to pray for daily provision.
Verse 12: We are to pray and ask for forgiveness for our sins, and for others who have wronged us.
Verse 13: We are to pray and ask God to keep us from being tempted, and to deliver us from Satan and his power.
Other New Testament writers describe other ways to pray.
Paul, in Philippians 4:6, says that we should pray for everything with thanksgiving. Paul, who wrote several books of the New Testament, often began and ended his letters in prayer for the saints. Specifically, Paul prays for God’s grace, peace, love, and faith among believers.
Peter, in 1 Peter 5:7, exhorts us to cast all our care upon God, because He cares about us. In verse 8, Peter warns us that Satan seeks to devour the believer.
James 1:5 says we can pray and ask God for wisdom, but this should be done in faith. James 4:1-4 says that when we pray, we often pray or ask out of our own selfish ambition. James 4:15 exhorts that we need to pray for God’s will to be done in our lives.
In the Old Testament, Moses prayed to God almost constantly on behalf of the Israelites — for God’s mercy and graciousness in dealing with their sins. Abraham prayed persistently for his relative Lot, who lived in Sodom, that God would spare Him. 2 Chronicles 14:11 says Asa cried out to the Lord. Prophet Jeremiah prayed for God’s guidance and correction of the Israelites (Jeremiah 10:23-24). David prayed for the peace of Jerusalem in Psalm 122:6.
The protocol on how to pray covers several ways of prayer. The primary focus of prayer is the intent. Does the prayer honor God and exalt His name? What is the purpose behind the prayer? Is it personal gain or ambition? Do you pray for others to be blessed and encouraged? Are your prayers done in secret and in humility? Are your prayers focused on obtaining godly wisdom, counsel, and direction? God is pleased with these prayers and answers them.
How often are we to pray? The Bible says pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). What should we pray for? What if we do not know how to pray? The Bible says the Holy Spirit will help us pray (Romans 8:26-27).
How do we pray to God? Prayer is essentially putting your request, concern, or issue before the Lord, and trusting Him to answer them.
Matthew 18:3 says we need to pray with the heart of little children, simple, reverent, specific, and trusting.
Here is a second prayer guide from www.2heartsnetwork.org/america.
Prayer for Wise Governance
Heavenly Father, we give thanks for the democracy alive in our country and for the freedom to worship You.
Help the elected government and all in positions of power and authority to govern wisely and for the common
good of all. Amen.
~~ Harvey Barnes
O Jesus, in Your Holy Name, I lift up our president to You. I know that our leader’s heart is in Your Hand, so I ask You to guide the head of our nation in the way You would have him go. Lord, I pray that You would surround our president with wise counsel–men and women of moral integrity who place Your agenda and the good of this great nation above their own and whose motives are for that which is right.
I pray that You would give our leader discernment, understanding, and knowledge so that our country may know stability internally and abroad. I give You thanks for our president according to Your Word, and thank You for working in and through his leadership so that we might lead peaceable lives in godliness and honesty. Amen.
Dear Heavenly Father, I come to You in the mighty name of Jesus, thanking You and praising You for our great nation. I thank You for the plan You gave to our forefathers by which to govern our nation and for the division of powers so that our destiny does not rest in the hands of one person.
In praying for those in authority, I therefore lift up our Congress and Senate to You. I pray that by Your Holy Power, our legislative bodies would make laws that are just.
Father, I ask You to give them wisdom to make decisions that would strengthen and prosper our nation. I desire that they would make right decisions concerning the politics, the social welfare, and the economics of our country. I pray that they will be motivated by Your Hand and not their own personal concerns. Amen.
Decisions in Times of National Crisis
O Lord, I humbly pray that You direct the leaders of this great nation now in this time of crisis. Grant them wisdom and understanding, and help them to respond quickly and effectively to this situation. Direct them that they may do what is right in Your sight. May they follow Your Divine Will to lead our nation on the paths of peace and safety.
Unite all response agencies in an organized and harmonious fashion to bring quick and effective resolve to the demands of this crisis. Empower us as United States citizens to do our own part, financially, physically, emotionally, and spiritually to support all who have been affected by this tragedy.
O Lord, I pray that You encourage and strengthen our nation. Surround us with Your Love and Mercy! Bring peace and comfort to all those who are suffering as a result of this crisis. In Jesus’ Holy Name. Amen.
O God, I pray in the Name of Your Son, Jesus, for our country’s economy. I know that even more than a strong military, a strong economy helps keep a nation powerful. Father, I ask that You would raise up people of skill and wisdom who will affect our financial future. Give them inspired ideas and a voice with the powers that be. Cause Congress to vote aright in these matters. Give them foresight so that provision might be made for our nation’s future, not just its present.
Father, as the people continue to finance the spread of Your Word and help the poor all over the world, I pray that You would continue to prosper us more and more so that we may continue to assist others less fortunate, in this country and across the globe. Amen.
For our Supreme Court Justices
O Lord, I bring our Supreme Court Justices before You. Knowing that they are appointed by man, I pray that You will influence the selection of each new replacement. Guide them to choose people who will judge morally in every matter brought before them.
As our Justices make their decisions, I pray that their decrees are in accord with Your Will, not that of man. Help them set a standard of justice and balance for the judicial office at large, not only on a national level, but for every adjudicator in our nation. Amen.
O my Jesus, I pray for the international relations of my nation, because our global influence has allowed us into other countries to spread Your Holy Word in the past. I pray that those You raise up would give favor and offer safety to the missionaries in their respective nations.
Raise up wise men and women to fill our diplomatic corps, persons of skill, morals, and understanding in foreign affairs and in the affairs of state. Grant safety to our embassy personnel in every foreign land so they will be able to maintain good relations in their posts, and so that even our enemies will be at peace with them. I ask that Your Hand would be with our diplomats to such a degree that even the most fanatical of our enemies would fear attacking our embassies and their personnel. Rather, Lord, let our enemies begin to see the United States as an ensign of peace to the world and realize that living in peace is preferable to living in fear and bondage.
Send Your Holy Spirit to alert our personnel of any potential attacks, and give them the power to quell them before they happen. Keep them always in the safety of Your Arms. Amen.
O Heavenly Father, I know that the spirit of worldliness can creep into the Body of Christ very subtly, and before we know it, we can so easily be led astray. I pray You send Your Holy Spirit upon us, so that a moral, Christian voice can be heard and heeded by our leaders and the media. Cause us, as Christians, to become the standard bearers to such a degree that we can profoundly affect the morality of this nation. Turn our people’s hearts to You. Open our eyes that we may see the error of our ways. Gather all Christians, Catholic and Protestant, together so that we form a united front against the wickedness and snares of the devil. Disarm the evildoers, leaving them powerless and not in control of our great nation. Inspire our media–television, newscasters, reporters, filmmakers, and celebrities–to promote a truly moral social justice and morally righteous entertainment and fashion. Be our strength when we are tempted to succumb to worldy things and ways. Help us to lead our lives all for the greater honor and glory of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Father, I realize that racial enmity came as a result of the Fall. Truly, we do not even know the ethnicity of Adam, except that he was Your creation, a child of God. It is from his seed that all humanity proceeded. I pray that there would be such a move of Your Spirit in our nation that our oneness is Jesus Christ would positively influence relations between races. I desire that this begin in the Body of Christ and spread throughout every community in our country. May it affect every ethnic group and cross every racial barrier. I pray that when we look at those from another culture, we won’t see them as people of another color, but that we will see them through the eyes of love as You see them–as people created in Your own image. Remind us all of the Golden Rule. Let us embrace one another as members of the one Body of Christ. Amen.
Part of serving a ministry in a foreign country is to identify the chief value(s) of your host country so that you will know what you should and shouldn’t do when trying to reach people for Christ in that country. I experienced this first hand during my 10 years in Mongolia. I listened carefully to what Mongolians talked about and watched their behavior. I listened carefully to the other foreigners I knew in the country, to learn from their experiences. After several years I think I began to understand the chief value of most Mongolians. That chief value is power. In fact, I can define most (not all) of my relationships with Mongolians in terms of power.
When I returned to America after 10 years away it seemed to me that many things here have changed. In a way I feel like I am an outsider from American culture. I’m still American. I still think and act like the average American (or so I think). But when I observe American culture I find myself trying to identify America’s chief values.
One of the truths of culture studies is that it is difficult for a person in his or her own culture to identify the chief values of their own culture. Such people are too close to their own culture to objectify it and examine their culture from an outsider’s perspective. As an example, when I asked Mongolians what their nation’s chief value was I got all kinds of different answers. Yet when I observed Mongolian behavior and read about Mongolian history and culture I came away with the power value. In fact, Mongolian culture is a classic culture known as “power distance.”
But now that I’ve returned to America I find myself looking in on my home culture with a bit of an outsider’s perspective. I don’t think I can objectify American culture completely, I am still an American living for the moment in my own culture. But I find myself doing so, at least somewhat, and I think I’ve come up with America’s chief value—and it’s not a good one.
Pleasure. In every way Americans live for pleasure.
Everywhere I go and everywhere I look since my return to America I see the signs of the pursuit of pleasure. Whether people pursue money, or possessions, they are pursuing pleasure. Everything I see on TV seems to represent the pursuit of pleasure. The products we buy are designed to make life easier, more convenient, more pleasurable.
We have even recreated the church experience with flashing spot lights, high def video, coffee shops, fog machines, and less-threatening sermons (now called “messages”) so that church is perceived as more “welcoming” and “non-threatening.” We want people to be happy and have a good opinion of us. We sue if the coffee is too hot. We complain about the smallest of things which have no long-term or eternal value. We refuse to do something if we “don’t have a peace about it.”
How very American. We think we are sharing the Gospel by talking less about Jesus and more about other things from the Bible—but we’re not. We’re just finding creative, self-serving ways to abandon the ugliness, hardship, and absolute necessity of the cross. We are truly a narcissistic culture. Everything is about the pursuit of pleasure.
So what’s wrong with that?
In and of itself pleasure is not a bad thing. In the new heaven and the new earth we will enjoy pleasures evermore. There will be no sin or grief or trouble for those trillions times trillions of never ending years. But our chief pursuit will not be pleasure, rather, it will be the knowledge and love of Christ—to know the eternal God in every way. But when it comes to life on Earth right now, pleasure can be good, but it can also distract us to what life is all about.
The Apostle Paul warned us about the pursuit of pleasure. He warned us that the days would come when men would be “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” In fact, I find it interesting that Paul seemed to place these two things in opposition to one another. The one whose chief aim in life is pleasure is one who is not pursuing his relationship with God. God gives pleasure (Psalm 16:11), but that pleasure is contingent upon our pursuit of God.
Life is not all about pleasure. It’s nice to have. But it should not be the chief pursuit of our lives. When it becomes our greatest aim we deceive ourselves into thinking that God is blessing us when in fact we may be cursed to distraction.
When I think about the people in history or in my life whom I admire the most, every one of those people has endured great hardships, made terrible sacrifices, and seized difficulties and challenges for something higher than themselves, and greater than their own comfort. Those are the people I want to be like, those who endure anything for the sake of Christ. Philippians 3:7-8 should be out motto. “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ.”
I like the way John Piper has put this. “If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ were not there?”
Can we be satisfied with all our pleasures if we don’t have Christ now, or in Heaven? May such a thing never be. Jesus must be our supreme affection. Without him, everything else in life is transient, temporary, and will contribute nothing of value to our eternity. That’s not how I want to live.
We live on hope, not memory. When we focus on our hopes for the future, not the memories of our past, we realize what it means to truly experience joy and contentment in this life. But the source of our hope is in Jesus’ promise of heaven and eternal life.
One of the most profound moments of my life came this past March when I visited Ellis Island in New York City. Between 1892 – 1924, more than 22 million immigrants came to America through Ellis Island.
What was it about America that caused so many people to leave everything they had and strike out to build a new life in a foreign country? Freedom.
On September 6, 1774, the First Continental Congress met. Their first act was to vote on a motion to begin their deliberations in prayer. Opposed, because they were such a diverse group, they couldn’t possibly agree on one prayer common to all religious sentiments.
Samuel Adams was known as the Father of the American Revolution. He instigated the Boston Tea party, and was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Later became Governor of Massachusetts.
“Mr. Samuel Adams arose and said that he was no bigot and could hear a Prayer from any gentleman of Piety and virtue who was, at the same time, a friend to his Country.”-John Adams
On September 7th 1774, the Continental Congress met for the first time. British troops were bearing down on Boston. These men were risking everything for the sake of freedom. So they agreed they would open their first session in prayer.
Our nation began on its knees.
“They prayed fervently for America, for Congress, and especially the town of Boston. Who can realize the emotion with which they turned imploringly to Heaven? It was enough to melt a heart of stone. I saw tears gush into the eyes of the old, grave Pacific Quakers of Philadelphia.” (John Adams)
Alexis de Tocqueville was a French political thinker and historian. After his travels to America in the early 1800’s, he wrote a two-volume work called Democracy in America. It was his observations about the cause of effect of freedom in America.
“I sought for the key to the greatness and genius of America in her harbors… in her fertile fields and boundless forests, in her rich mines and vast world commerce, in her public school systems and institutions of learning. I sought for it in her democratic Congress and in her matchless Constitution.”
“Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. The safeguard of morality is religion, and morality is the best security of law as well as the surest pledge of freedom.”
One hundred thirty years later, that light of freedom, founded in faith, shone all the way across the Atlantic Ocean to the village of Trondheim, Norway and beckoned a young man named Ole Fallan.
Two years later, in the village of Songdahl, Norway, a young woman named Kristina Aarestad decided she, too, wanted to build a new life in America. At the age of 16, she left home and family, and set sail for America on the U.S. Luciana.
Kristian Aarestad was my grandmother. And Ole Fallan was my grandfather.
The bright light of freedom created from that flame in the pulpits in America brought them to America.
In September, 1914, both my grandparents became United States citizens. They later met while working on a sheep ranch in Montana and were eventually married.
My Grandfather eventually became a State Senator and the Justice of the Peace in Park County, Montana. About 30 years after he became a citizen, he presided over a ceremony granting citizenship to a new batch of immigrants.
“It is my prayer today that there will be a spiritual awakening that will sweep the country from coast to coast. It can begin now by taking God in as your partner and advocate the teaching of Jesus Christ, who loved you so much that He was willing to die for you.”
So my Norwegian immigrant heritage was much on my mind and in my heart when I walked into the Immigrant Museum at Ellis Island. They have computer terminals where you can look for the immigration records of your ancestors.
I sat down at a terminal and started keying in names and dates for my grandfather. I thought,” this probably isn’t going to work.” But suddenly, up on the screen pops the ship’s manifest that included my grandfather’s name: Ole Ericksen Fallan, November 9th, 1905. And then I found the ship’s manifest for my grandmother.
Last summer, my daughters and I were in Washington, D.C. for a family gathering. I had never been to the National Archives, but the movie National Treasure had given me a real desire to see the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
As I entered the rotunda room, and approached the display housing the Declaration of Independence, I felt like I was on holy ground. I stood over the Declaration, and became overwhelmed with emotion. I put my hand on the glass cover and pondered what that document meant and how it changed the course of the world.
I moved to the right to the display housing the Constitution. My youngest daughter came up alongside of me, looked up at me and asked “Dad, why are you crying?”
I had to pause for a moment and think about it. Finally, I told her,
“The ideas, the ideals, the virtues and beliefs in these two documents, are what brought my grandfather and grandmother to this country. These documents are why you and I are alive today.”
I was moved to tears because I realized that the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, are my citizenship papers.
I’m so very grateful for my gifts of freedom and liberty. And I’m grateful and blessed to hold citizenship in a nation that began on its knees.
Dana Cooper is a radio and television host, as well as a corporate marketing executive. He is also a dedicated Christian, loving husband and father.
