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Non-Christians believe that they have a right to do with their bodies as they desire. Are they wrong? No, because they do not care what the Bible says, nor do they desire to do as God says. They object vehemently to Biblical restrictions expressed as law in our culture. They rail against them. They honestly believe that the Constitution gives them the constitutional right to decide what to do with their body. What they find hard to believe is that the Constitution does not establish this right. That is what the ruling overturning Roe v. Wade was all about. [Bloomberg, Equality, Read the full text of the Supreme Court Ruling on Abortion Rights] “Alioto wrote of Roe (expressing the majority opinion): Roe was on a collision course with the Constitution from the day it was decided…Wielding nothing but “raw judicial power,” the Court usurped the power to address a question of profound moral and social importance that the Constitution unequivocally leaves for the people.” The dissenting judges “said that the majority had relegated women to “second class citizenship”. “

Overturning Roe v. Wade, in essence, said that the Supreme Court had overstepped its boundary as written in the Constitution. In the Wall Street Journal, Opinion commentary, the headline read, June 24, 2022, “The Supreme Court Reclaims Its Legitimacy”, “In the 1973 abortion case, not today the justices overstepped their boundaries and made their institution political.” That is at the heart of the controversy regarding overturning Roe v. Wade from the political point of view.

What non-Christians, and I assume some Christians, find hard to believe is that the Constitution does not elaborate the right that a woman can do what she wants with her body regarding abortion. The SCOTUS returned that decision to the states and its citizenry. That is our Constitutional Republic’s democratic process. Regarding abortion, our democratic process has been misused, maligned, and taken advantage of by the ideology of progressive liberalism that has championed that our Constitution is antiquated and needs to be updated, and interpreted in light of the culture and society in which we are living in the twenty-first century.

Such is the cultural war within our nation. Our Constitution was framed incorporating Biblical thought. August 19, 2019, the following was printed in the Chicago Tribune. “The Bible stands as the supreme constitution for all mankind.” From the writings of Rev. Billy Graham,

Question: Americans live by the Constitution of the United States, and I have heard it said that the Bible is the Constitution for Christians. Is this true? C.L.

Answer: A constitution is made up of principles by which a nation, or a people are governed. The Bible stands as the supreme constitution for all mankind, not just Christians. Its laws apply equally to all who live under its domain, without exception or special interpretation. God’s Word was given not only to those who believe in Him and follow Him, but to all mankind. Unbelief in God does not excuse anyone from God’s ultimate judgment.

As the U.S. Constitution is the highest law of the land (in America), so the Bible is the highest law of God. The American Constitution itself was founded upon Biblical standards. It is the Bible that sets forth spiritual laws and records God’s enduring promises. The most wonderful message of this document is that it reveals God’s plan of redemption for the human race.

Many citizens today do not know much about the U.S. Constitution, and many know less about God’s Word. The presupposition of the constitutional framers was that law was absolute. People were to be free, and they were to know what the law required and also what the law could not do. No judge was to be unfair but was to judge cases as the law required.

True Christianity finds all of its doctrines (truth) in the Bible; true Christianity does not deny any part of the Bible; true Christianity does not add anything to the Bible. Believing and following God’s Word brings the greatest freedom, because God’s truth declares His judgment against sin, and broadcasts his forgiving love to the whole world.”(This column is based on the words and writing of the late Rev. Billy Graham.) (c)2019 BILLY GRAHAM LITERARY TRUST DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC. copyright (c) 2022, Chicago Tribune

If our nation has progressed in opposition to Biblical thought, then it is only natural that a large swath of our population is in opposition to God, Himself; the Word of God; Christianity; and others that promote Biblical standards.

Our nation has become distressingly divided. Our division can be attributed to moral and ethical issues.

What are our moral and ethical issues that we are facing? The following are from news.gallup.com, Moral Issues/Gallup Topic, Polling Matters June 17, 2022, entitled “Untangling Americans’ Complex Views of Morality”

“Americans have negative views of the state of moral values in the nation, but at the same time have become more accepting of a variety of moral behaviors.” The following are Gallup headlines: “Record High 50% of American Rate U.S. Moral Values as ‘Poor’ (Politics, June 15, 2022); Americans say Birth control, Divorce Most ‘Morally Acceptable’ (Politics, June 9, 2022); Abortion poised to Be a Bigger Voting Issue Than in Past (Politics, June 6, 2022); ‘Pro-Choice Identification rises to Near Record High in U.S. (Politics, June 2, 2022); Same-sex Marriage Support Inches Up to New High of 71% (Politics, June 1, 2022); LGBT Americans Married to Same-Sec Spouse Steady at 10% (Politics Feb. 10, 2022); Changing One’s Gender is Sharply Contentious Moral Issue (Politics, June 11, 2021); American Still Oppose Overturning Roe v. Wade (Politics, June 9, 2021); Record-High 47% in U.S. Think Abortion is Morally Acceptable (Politics, June 9, 2021); Mixed Views Among Americans on Transgender Issues (Politics, May 26, 2021); Is Marriage Becoming Irrelevant? (Politics, Dec. 28, 2020).”

Each of these headlines have a story. I have not included their stories, just the headlines, to present a sampling of the moral and ethical issues that confront this nation according to Gallup polling.

I believe that the list of moral and ethical issues and their corresponding polling data is the result of one’s world view. In a Journal Article entitled, “Different Worldviews, Different Morals: America’s Culture War Divide”, Lene Arnett Jensen, says, “In this article, it is argued that moral reasoning is premised upon more comprehensive worldviews, and it is suggested that moral behaviors in part serve to maintain these worldviews. A worldview is defined as providing an account of what it means to be human, the nature of reality, and the reasons and remedies for human suffering, interviews with adults whose moral evaluation and reasoning place them on opposite sides of the current American culture war are used to illustrate the argument. It is argued that these adults differ in their moralities because of differences in their worldviews.” (jstor.org, 1997)

I agree. Therefore, I present the following paradigm. The two major world views are the secular world view and the Biblical world view. A secular worldview is said to “deny the existence of a transcendent, divine, or spiritual dimension of reality and affirm that reality has a different makeup, and it is the basic features of this reality that have importance for how we should understand live our lives.” (May 5, 2021) [googled]

“A Biblical worldview, also called a Christian worldview, is built upon the framework of ideas and beliefs through which a Christian individual or group interprets the world and interacts with the world. Our worldview shapes the physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual dimensions of our lives. “[googled]

I do not believe that it is a stretch of the imagination to put each of these worldviews at opposite ends of the spectrum. The liberal progressive left embodies the secular worldview, and the conservative Christian right embodies the Biblical worldview.

Making that comparison puts our thoughts into midst of the political arena where we find our nation battling it out. Between these two endpoints are a myriad of combinations of thought where most people in our nation live, think, and struggle morally and ethically most every day. This political struggle has caused a chasm of division in our nation.

What is the root of the division? The root of the division is not the color of one’s skin; one’s economic status; one’s nationality; one’s political position; or one’s world view. The root of the problem of division is the condition of one’s heart.

The problem of one’s heart is an issue for a Christian as well as for a non-Christian.

Proverbs 4:23,24, says, ” Guard your heart diligently for from it flow the springs of life. Put away perversity from your mouth and keep devious lips from you.” (Tree of Life Version)

Jesus said, ” Out of the good treasure of his heart the good man brings forth good, and out of evil, the evil man brings forth evil. For from the overflow of the heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45, Tree of Life Version)

[Note: only two categories of humanity are mentioned: good and evil, nothing is said about skin color, economics, nationality, politics, or belief system)

Jesus, speaking to the pharisees, the religious leaders of the Jewish nation, says, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good or make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten; for the tree is known by its fruit. Your brood of vipers! How can you are evil say anything good? For from the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man from his good treasury brings forth good, and the evil man from his evil treasury brings forth evil.” (Matthew 12:33-35, Tree of Life Version)

Jesus follows this truth up with a statement of fact. “But I tell you (that’s certitude) that on the Day of Judgment, men (humanity) will give account for every careless word they speak. For by your words, you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:36-37, Tree of Life Version)

It matters what we say. What we say is a matter of the heart. The condition of our heart is based upon our world view. As a believer, our world view is based upon the Word of God, and who do we say Jesus is? A non-believer’s worldview does not consider the God, the Word of God, or Jesus the Son of Man, the Son of God.

Jesus talking with His disciples inquired of them, “When Yeshua came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do men say that the Son of Man is? They answered, “Some say John the Immerser others say Elijah, and still others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” He said, “But who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Yeshua said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven!” (Matthew 16:13-17, Tree of Life Version)

Question: Who do say Jesus is? Who does our nation say that Jesus is?

The answer to that question will bring healing to our nation.

TBC, praying for the visitation of God to our nation, a brother in Christ, deo

I am currently thinking how to discuss the following that is absolutely true.

God delivered His people from Egypt and brought them into the wilderness and encamped them at the base of Mt. Sinai. It was there that God called Moses up to the top of the mountain and gave to him the 10 commandments. God established His law for His people to abide by; however, we know that it was impossible for His people to keep the law. Why? Because of their human nature. They had unregenerated hearts. At the base of Mt. Sinai, God was establishing His government for His people.

Today humanity lives in their nations that have their individual forms of government. Some nations adhere to rules better than others; however, in all nations there are many unregenerated people. These people break the laws of their nation. The fact is that many Christians also break the laws of their nation.

Today in our nation, the United States of America, we are witnessing lawlessness. We are watching indiscriminate murder. On the 4th of July in Chicago, there was a gunman who killed at least 7, and wounded over 20 others.

Where am I headed with these thoughts? God’s people did not obey Him, and He corrected, disciplined, and punished His people. Our leaders believe that if we pass more laws this will curb the problem. I disagree. We are witnessing the rise of evil in our land from people who have unregenerated hearts. Unfortunately, a major contributor to this growth of lawlessness, is a lack of correction, discipline, and punishment. I am not saying that we ignore individuals that have real and serious problems. I am making an observation.

We as a nation are trying to fix our problems by passing more ‘laws’. It won’t work. It won’t work because the human heart needs to be changed; and that change is a spiritual change. It will take time and effort to bring about such a change; but it is possible by God’s grace and His work in our midst.

That’s the hope of the Gospel.

TBC, praying for our nation, a brother in Christ, deo

Recently, I just read that Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus has been revived and that they will start touring again. However, they will be performing without elephants. In another article that I read, it said, “Circus Returning After a Year’s Long Hiatus–Without Animals. The iconic show will return in the fall of 2023. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey is relaunching show next year with plenty of thrills and high-flying acts, but not with the controversial presence of animals.” [May 19, 2022, by Alison Fox, travelandleisure.com]

How cool is that? I am not sure that I could enjoy a circus without animals. Animals were a major enjoyment for me when attending the circus. So, what’s the purpose of bringing up the subject of the circus?

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey was promoted as the THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH. In 1952, Cecil B. DeMille directed a blockbuster film of the same name. The film won Oscar’s for Best Picture, and for Best Writing Motion Picture Story.

On Monday June 6, 2022, it will have been 17 months “since the attack on the U. S. Capitol that disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress in the process of affirming the presidential election results.” [The United States Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia] This disruption happened as the Congress was ratifying the Presidential election of 2020.

I am not questioning the actions that have been investigated. I am concerned about how this investigation has been carried out, and more specifically how the findings of this investigation will be disseminated to the American public.

Why is it necessary to schedule the findings of the committee on prime time T.V. at 8 P.M. on all the major television stations?

For me, this appears to be a staged event. It has all the potential of the being The Greatest Show on Earth. In short, a political circus. And to take it one step further, there will be no elephants. The GOP has virtually been ignored in the process of the investigation.

Why do I make this assertion? Since the beginning of President Biden’s term of office, the general trend of the progress of the administration has been on the downside. What do I mean? What is the state of the economy? What is happening at the southern border of our nation? What is happening with our gas prices? What is the state of the covid pandemic? These are major issues. Have they successfully been attended too?

The Democratic Party is scrambling to shore-up their resume for the upcoming mid-term elections. What we will be witnessing will be watching and listening to dialogue advancing their cause but at the expense of diverting the American public from the real issues that the administration needs to be focusing on.

I call this–THE GREAT DIVERSION-A SPECTICAL OF DECEPTION. Harsh words? I do not believe so. This type of politics has been going on for years. This is how I assess the Democratic plan for the mid-term elections. They will focus on any subject from now until November 8, 2022, that will emotionally endear their voting base to once again salivate their hatred toward our former President, Mr. Trump, the Republican Party, and conservatism.

This approach will be masterfully displayed during the televising of the January 6 Committee’s findings aired on prime time T.V. The findings will be fawned over by the media, the liberal talk show hosts, late night T.V. programs, and the social media.

The Republican Party and conservative talk show hosts will seek to dispel what the Democrats are saying and dissuade the voting public from the Democratic message.

It will be a war of words. There will be accusations, name calling, and incessant amount of media ‘spins’.

Hoping that the nation will be caught up in the preoccupation of this political circus, the Democrats will seek to also focus on other ‘high-strung’ emotional issues. I am thinking specifically about gun-control and abortion.

These issues are important and must be addressed. In view of the current, horrific massacre of young children in Uvalde, Texas, gun-control must be address. But like, Steve Kerr, coach of the Golden State Warriors, said, how many more of these massacres must we experience before something is done. He went on the say, in essence, let’s do something instead of trying to figure out how you as politicians can remain in power. Ah, there’s the rub.

There needs to be some sane, rational approach to gun-control, as prescribed in the second amendment, not some ‘knee-jerk’ reaction of gun-control passed just for the sake of ‘look what we did’, vote for us. If you think this is far-fetched, it’s not; it’s how politics works. It is why politicians are unwilling to really sit down and discuss an issue and come to a conclusion that benefits the nation, not themselves. This is on both sides of the isle.

Just today, as I was preparing this blog, I came across this headline’ [source: Politics on Late Night], “Bill Maher fears Republicans are ‘gonna steal the issue’ of marijuana from Democrats”. There it is. What is Maher’s concern? Who gets the political leverage when it comes time to cast your vote?

Please do not think I am ignoring the school massacre in Uvalde, Texas. It is horrific. In spite of this tragedy, it must not be isolated and handled individually, but collectively with all of the other atrocities of murder that permeates our nation.

Another emotional issue will be the SCOTUS ruling regarding Roe v. Wade. If Roe v. Wade is overturned what effect will that have on the Democratic platform of abortion. Abortion has been a mainstay of the Democrats to solidify their voting base. It is for sure that there will be a horrendous outcry of emotional turmoil if Roe v. Wade is overturned. The question is will there be civility or incivility in our nation if Roe v. Wade is overturned? Or should I ask, will there be civil violence on our nation’s streets? I sincerely hope that is not the case.

I have outlined three emotionally charged issues that I believe the Democrats will use to rally their base in order to keep themselves in power. These same issues will be counter-acted against by the Republicans to dispose the Democrats of their power and assume power through the upcoming mid-term elections.

The goal of the politicians is to remain in power and/or gain power.

The Greatest Show on Earth is about to be displayed in our nation. Its goal is to divert attention from what really matters.

We, as a nation, have lost our civility. We are a nation in chaos, turmoil, and conflict. We have broken/lost our moral compass. It appears that we are on the brink of social unrest, economic disaster, and societal failure.

Our leaders are scrambling to ‘do’ all they can to impress us as voters, promising results as they pursue their policies; but coming up empty handed in reality.

In Washington, Congress is more interested in pursuing the policies they deem important to ensure their re-election than focusing on the economic disaster we face with surging inflation, an immigration policy out of control, a floundering foreign policy, gasoline prices rising continually. These a but a few of the major problems facing our administration. What is disappointing is the insistence that most of this is all under control and that these issues are not the current administration’s fault.

There is so much rhetoric and so little follow through and reality of accomplishment. Everyone is posturing for power to be re-elected, pandering to their own party’s voting base. It’s all smoke and mirrors. I am fully aware that sharing like this divide an already divided electorate.

These words on the whole are not uplifting at all. They paint a grim picture. Sometimes I wonder if we really see and understand what is taking place. I know that many citizens in this nation truly understand. It hurts to watch a nation implode from within. Some might say, that can’t happen. This is the United States of America.

Let me pose a question. When all is said and done, if a nation seeks to make laws that are absolutely against the Word of God, who wins? The nation or the Word of God. If a nation has set aside its moral compass and its lifestyle is composed of elements that are absolutely against Word of God, will God hold that nation responsible for its sins?

Proverbs 14:34, NKJV, “Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach (shame or disgrace) to any people.”

Galatians 6:7, NKJV, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”

The Church, the Ecclesia, of God needs to be encouraged by Isaiah 60:1-4.

“Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is rise upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They shall all gather together, they shall come to you; Your sons and your daughters shall be nursed at your side.” [NKJV]

Ephesians 4:8-16, [NKJV], “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. but all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for what makes manifest is light. Therefore, He says, “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

Arise Church, let your light shine, and the glory of the Lord will be seen on you.

Believe it, a brother in Christ, deo

I am reposting this blog because of a bill that is currently working its way through committee in the California legislature. The bill is AB2223.

“AB2223 by Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) legalizes infanticides, is a bill to expand the killing of babies past the moment of birth up to weeks after, The California Family Council reports.”

“The California Family Council explains: “They intend to not only codify the killing of unborn children throughout all nine months of pregnancy but to decriminalize killing newborns days or even weeks after birth.”

The next step is the legislative process is a hearing April 18, 2022, in Sacramento, California. Please pray that this legislation is STOPPED from going further in the process for approval. (Emphasis mine)

Is it possible that such legislation would cause the anger of God to be unleased against this state? I believe that we are naive to believe that God overlooks such evil. We need to pray for the stoppage of this bill; and we need to pray for the mercy of God to forgive us for our sin regarding abortions in our state and in our nation. We are shedding innocent blood. God does not take that lightly. Therefore, I encourage you to read this blog for the first time or re-read my blog. Thank you for taking this seriously and praying for this bill to be STOPPED. (Emphasis mine)

This blog was originally posted in 2020.

If you have read my previous two posts, then you will understand the concept of the words ‘disqualifying history’.

As I have shared, all of humanity has a disqualified history because “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” But God in His Grace, and because God is Agape (love), sent His only Begotten Son to die on the cross for our sin to make the way for us to reconciled unto Himself through His Son’s death, burial, and resurrection. Our sins are forgiven because of the Blood of Christ, and “Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand and rejoice in the hope of glory.” (Romans 5:1,2 NKJV)

Let us ask ourselves a question, does our nation have a ‘disqualifying history” that would be comparable to God destroying the world by a flood; a ‘disqualifying history’ that would be comparable to God pouring out His judgment against Sodom and Gomorrah; or even a ‘disqualifying history’ that would cause God to judge our nation because of some act or atrocity that we have committed in our history?

I believe the answer to such a question would be a resounding, yes.

Our nation is currently wrestling with the inhumanity that we have perpetrated through the institution of slavery.

Recently, I completed the reading of a book entitled, ‘An Inquiry into the Scriptural Views of Slavery’, by Albert Barnes. Albert Barnes was an American Theologian. He was born in 1798, graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1823. He was an ordained pastor of a Presbyterian Church in 1825; and he was the Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia from 1830-1867. He died in 1870. He was a “staunch proponent of the abolition of slavery”. His book about the scriptural view of slavery was published in 1855. In his book, he set out to discuss the mindset of both the North and the South with regards to slavery. In short, the argument is whether or not slavery in the United States is condoned or rejected Biblically. I commend the reading of this book to you if you are interested in a rather long and arduous examination of the topic; however, I can say with confidence that he leaves no stone unturned dissecting this subject matter evaluating it from many different starting points.

At the outset of his treatise, Albert Barnes, categorically states that slavery is not condoned by scripture and that if you apply the principles of the scripture to the topic and live by them, he concludes that slavery would be eliminated in one generation.

The task of picking up this book and reading it from cover to cover entails reading his historical research of slavery; his biblical research and commentary; his arguments regarding the laws found in states regarding slavery, both for and against; the relationship of the church to those laws; and his critique of sermons being preached at this time in the North and the South. This work was written prior to the Civil War.

At the end of his argument, let me repeat what I stated earlier, that he conclusively shows that slavery is not condoned by scripture; and he is convinced that if we would live by the Word of God and apply its principles, then the Word of God would keep alive those practices that it condones and would put to death those practices it abhors. Therefore, slavery would be eliminated from the United States within a generation. To substantiate that point, he points to the Puritan Church which had members that owned slaves; however, the leadership of the church taught the principles of scripture and over a period of time, the practice of slave holding was eliminated from the Puritan Church. The Puritans did not harrang others about their practice. They lived it out as a withness to the communities in which they lived.

As controversial as slavery was then; as wrong as slavery was in its practice of inhumanity against people of color; and as unfortunate as the history of slavery has been since end of the Civil War and the Reconstruction Period; we are still battling the remnants of racial divide in our nation.

All of that being true, I do not believe that the issue of slavery is the major ‘disqualifying history’ of our nation.

I believe that abortion has been a practice far more abominable that condemns us in the sight of God. The killing of innocent lives is unconscionable. We are shedding innocent blood. There is no rationale for this behavior. Please do not start bombarding with ‘what abouts’. I am not talking about legitimate, well thought out exceptions (however, I will say that exceptions cannot be the rule). I am saying that the scripture does not condone abortion, just like it does not condone slavery. And if we will live by the Word of God, and guide our lives by the principles of scripture, the practice of abortion will come to an end as it is performed and condoned in the United States.

We, as a nation, have departed from the Word of God. Our country was founded upon Judeo-Christian principles. I am not saying that all our founding fathers were Christians. I am not saying that we are a Christian nation. What I am saying is that God had a purpose for the founding and development of this nation. As, we, as a nation, honored His Word and its teachings, God blessed this nation. But His blessings will be withheld if we ignore His Word; worship other gods; think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think; and confess that we believe in God, but our heart is far removed from Him.

God have mercy upon us.

Father, forgive us of our sin. Forgive us of murdering innocent human beings. We confess to You that the murder of innocent lives is wrong and unjust, no matter what the skin color. In Your sight Father, there is only one race, the human race, which you have created with many skin colors. Father, forgive us, as a nation for what we have done to black human beings. We have treated them inhumanely. We have also wronged many other humans with different skin colors. We confess our sin of abortion. We confess our sin of treating humans as slaves regardless of color. We ask again for your forgiveness. Thank you, Father, that your Word says, that if we will confess our sin, you are faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Father, I ask this, in Jesus’ Name.

To conclude, my point is that we are a nation with disqualifying histories. We have many issues that disqualify us before the living God. I believe that the shedding of innocent blood of infants by means of abortion is the paramount disqualifier of our nation. I am not minimizing our history of slavery and its repercussions; but, in spite of all the atrocities that are associated, then and now, with that history, (which would include a discussion of BLM), the abortion of millions of babies,(many of whom are black American infants) in my estimation out weighs the history of slavery.

Does God hold nations responsible for their moral conduct? Absolutely.

Are we as a nation accountable before God for the killing of infants by abortion? Absolutely.

God has His own timing regarding the nations, their rise and their fall are in His Hands. History tells us that; in fact, the history recorded in the pages of the Bible reveal to us God’s dealings with nations regarding their moral behavior. A nation is the sum of its inhabitants. If those humans conduct themselves inhumanely toward others, God will judge that nation. God has too, He cannot violate His Essence.

Again, may God have Mercy upon us, a brother in Christ, deo

Facebook asks the question, “What is on your mind?”

I assume that what’s on our minds is similar, the war in Ukraine.

At the close of 2021, I asked the Lord about what was coming in 2022? The answer was, “change is coming”. In my personal context, I thought that referred to family changes and changes associated with Covid. Covid was still front and center in the minds of many of the nations of the world.

Most of us were not focused or even aware of what Putin was doing at the border of Ukraine. It was not that the world was ignorant of his troop and armament buildup but what was going on was not making ‘neon sign headlines’ that grabbed our attention.

It appears that the leaders of the world did not believe that Putin would launch his forces to crush Ukraine into submission. Looking in the rear-view mirror, there was ample time to weaponize Ukraine for a formidable response, if and when, Putin decided to attack Ukraine. How many times have we heard that discussed since the war began? What people saw was viewed with ‘blind eyes and what people heard was heard with ‘deaf ears’. What we are seeing and hearing now is the result of that blindness and deafness.

As of this moment (March 23, 2022), it has been 28 days since the start of the invasion. The world has witnessed death, destruction, and devastation at the hands of Putin. In spite of Putin’s relentless and ruthless aggression, Ukraine has resisted to the best of their ability, and cried out to the nations for additional assistance and aid. President Zelenskyy should not have to ‘beg’ for assistance from other nations.

The populace of the world has witnessed their nation’s leaders grappling with the proper response. Many, including my wife and I have asked, why the hesitancy? why the vacillation? why the reluctance? It seems the common reason is the fear of how Putin will respond to escalated interference by other nations, especially with Russia’s nuclear capabilities.

The more I listen to commentators discussing the war in Ukraine, the more I realize just how much the media synthesizes the information and then askes others, ‘what do you think?’ It is sort of like Facebook, ‘what’s on your mind?’

The truth is that most responses are speculation. Don’t completely turn a deaf ear to me, I have listened to many individuals who have shared insightful understanding and meaningful analysis. However, I confess that most of the commentary is redundant; therefore, I listen carefully and critically. I do not believe that is wrong.

What we do know to be true is being shown to us visually. The destruction is real; the desperation is real; and the devastation is real. What we are watching is reality in Ukraine. This is NOT a video game. (emphasis mine)

So, what is on my mind? Last Fall (2021), I joined a men’s Bible study. They were studying the minor prophets. They were concluding Habakkuk. Since then, we have completed Zephaniah, and now we are beginning Haggai.

In the past week, I have returned to the prophet Habakkuk and re-read his conversation with God about what he was witnessing in Judah. What motivated me to return to this portion of scripture? I have been reflecting upon the sovereignty of God.

Habakkuk was used by God to bring a message to His people in Judah. The Word of God, through the prophet is important; however, there is something else that takes place in this narrative. Habakkuk, the man, comes to an enlightened understanding about the sovereignty of God.

You see, I am asking the Lord about His sovereignty regarding the events that are happening in Ukraine. Do I believe in the sovereignty of God? Absolutely. Have I read about the sovereignty of God throughout His Word and seen His sovereignty at work in the lives of individuals and nations? Yes. Have I, like yourself, experienced the sovereignty of God in my life? Yes.

But…what I am witnessing is not being read from the pages of the Bible; it is not being read from a book about the history of a nation; it is not being watched as a documentary about a previous war; it is not being viewed on a newsreel; it is live, up close and personal.

What makes it personal? Christine and I were in Ukraine in 2004 on a two-week mission’s trip. We were in/out of Kiev. Kiev was where we entered Ukraine and from where we left Ukraine. We came to minister to orphan children at a summer camp for one week, and then to work with a church from Vinnitsia a second week ministering to high school students. Those children and young people probably varied in age from 4 to 18 years old. Now, 18 years later, they are 22 to 36 years old. What are they doing now? Are they fighting the war? Are they fleeing? Or are they hiding in their homes in fear? Probably all of the above.

[As I continue, please understand that I am not saying that Ukraine is God’s people, like Israel; nor am I inferring that Ukraine is ripe for judgment because of sin against God.]

I am asking myself, like Habakkuk, God where are you in all of this?

Habakkuk’s Headlines read, “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear? even cry out to You, Violence! and you will not save. Why do You show me iniquity, and cause me to see trouble? for plundering and violence are before me; there is strife and contention arises. Therefore the law is powerless, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore perverse judgment proceeds.” (Habakkuk 1:1-4, NKJV)

Like Habakkuk, I ask Lord, where are You in all of this? Why are You silent? Maybe, He is not silent; maybe we are not being told what He is doing in the midst of the devastation. I have heard about some of the Lord’s interventions. There was a report of Christian’s working with the refugees from Ukraine in Poland on a national news program. There have been stories of Christians and non-Christians who have come to this war-torn region to help in any way they can. Samaritan’s Purse has set up a field hospital to take care of injured refugees. God is at work. The Red Cross is front and center helping in Ukraine. I think most of God’s intervention is not being reported to the public; and in the course of time much more will be shared about the ‘miracles’ of God.

After Habakkuk makes his plea, God answers him; but Habakkuk does not receive the answer he wants to hear. God tells him that He is raising up a nation to invade His people’s land.

Whoa! God, I am witnessing that live, up close and personable, why? I don’t understand. Lord, I don’t understand what You are doing? I know You are sovereign. I know You rule over all the earth. You are Creator God. I have read about Your sovereignty and rule in the life of Job; in the life of Your people, Israel; in the conquering of the nations in the promised land; in the lives of individuals like Joseph, Moses, David, Saul of Tarsus, to name a few. Your sovereignty permeates the world. Father, I am having trouble understanding what is going on in Ukraine coupled with my understanding of Your sovereignty.

For me, it seems, almost too easy to simply resign this event to the answer that God is sovereign, and He does what He pleases. I know that’s true, but…how many kings, rulers, or people, did God ‘stir their hearts’ to give them the impetus to do or set into motion something that He wanted to be done? One example, Ezra 1:1 (NKJV) “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by mouth of Jeremiah the prophet might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus kind of Persia so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing saying…”. God stirred Cyrus to make a degree that Israel could return to Judah. Jeremiah had prophesied that Israel would be in exile for 70 years. Now it was time for them to be released and return.

As I pondered God’s sovereignty, I remembered these words, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” (Isaiah 55:8-9 NKJV), the verse continues, “…declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Ok, Father, I receive that. God is not obligated to explain what He is doing, allowing, or permitting.

There are a lot of well-meaning men of God sharing what they believe this act of aggression in Ukraine means scripturally; how it fits into end time prophecy; and how it anticipates the second coming of Christ.

What they ‘see’ maybe true; but I confess, I’m not there. Like Habakkuk, who received a response from God, I will pursue his stance in relation to God’s answer.

Habakkuk 2:1-4, (NKJV), “I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart and watch to see what He will say to me, and I will answer when I am corrected. The Lord answered me and said: Write the vision and make it plain on tablets that he may run who reads it. for the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak and not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, I will not tarry. Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by faith. (emphasis mine)

Let us consider these words from the passage. stand, watch, listen, wait, live by faith. Let us take this same stance. (emphasis mine)

Following Habakkuk’s stance before the Lord, he pronounces a list of woes to the nations surrounding God’s people. Please read, Habakkuk 2:5-19.

At the conclusion of the litany of woes, Habakkuk 2:20 (NKJV) says, “But the Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him.” [my thought: maybe, this is a time for us “to be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) or “be quick to listen and slow to speak” (James 1:19),]

The words of Habakkuk reminded me of Psalm 62:1,2,5-8 (NKJV), “Truly my soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved…My soul wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved (shaken). In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength and my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people. Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah.” (Insert mine)

Chapter 3 of Habakkuk begins with a prayer. Habakkuk 3:2 (NKJV) says, “O Lord, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O lord revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of years make it known; “in wrath remember mercy.” [ my prayer emphasis, yes Lord, in wrath remember mercy.]

Habakkuk knows the time will come when what God has shown him will come to pass. It is inevitable. Habakkuk continues addressing God, calling to remembrance how He came to His people; how His Presence overwhelmed His creation; and how He sovereignly protected Israel. (Read Habakkuk 3:3-13)

Habakkuk 3:13 (NKJV) says, “You went forth for the salvation of Your people, for salvation with Your Annointed. You struck the heart of the wicked, by laying bare from foundation to neck. Selah.”

What effect did Habakkuk’s interaction with God have upon Him?

Habakkuk 3:16 (NKJV) says, “When I heard, my body trembled; My lips quivered at the voice; rottenness entered my bones; and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble. When he (the invading nation) comes up to the people, he will invade them with his troops.” (insert mine)

However, because of the grace of God, Habakkuk has changed from a perplexed prophet, who as a man, is bewildered about what God is doing, to an individual who has had a revelation of the sovereignty of God that has led him from being perplexed too now being able to offer praise to God in the midst of the situation that he finds himself, even to the verbalization that he “might rest in the day of trouble.” (Habakkuk 3:16 above) What a transformation!

Let us read Habakkuk’s praise, (Habakkuk 3:17-19 NKJV), “Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the field yield no food, though the flock maybe cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls–yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills.”

Judah was an agrarian nation. As such, Habakkuk is offering praise to God even though the entire economic system be decimated.

Habakkuk is confident that God IS sovereign. He is resigned to God’s will being done “on earth as it is in heaven”. And he has come to a place of “rest in the day of trouble”. (Emphasis mine)

As I mentioned earlier, like Habakkuk, I have wondered about God’s part in all that is happening in Ukraine. Being sovereign, how can He not be involved? As a believer in Christ, I must rest in the sovereignty of God. It is not my place to question God’s integrity, nor insinuate that God is instrumental in acts of evil. Read James 1:12-15. God is not the originator of evil, sin, or death.

Like yourself, my hope rests in the return of Christ. Recently I saw these words on a t-shirt, “Normal is not returning, Jesus is!” How true. We want normal to return, whatever, that means, but our world proceeds forward living out God’s sovereign salvific plan that includes the second coming of Christ. Are we there yet? No, but each day is one moment closer.

The scripture never says that living in the last days will be easy. In fact, Jesus said in the Upper Room discourse to His disciples, John 16:33 (NKJV), “These things I have spoken to you, that in me, you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation (the Greek word is thlipsis, it means- pressure, oppression, stress, anguish, tribulation, adversity, affliction, crushing, squeezing, distress) but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” How Lord, I ask? At the cross (John 17-21) (inserts mine)

The Apostle John, I John 5:4, NKJV, writes, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith.” In Christ we are born of God; Christ said He overcame the world; therefore, in Christ, we overcome the world, how? by our faith. We have come back to Habakkuk 2:4, “the just shall live by faith“. Habakkuk realized that personally. We, too, know that. (Emphasis mine)

In this time of TENsion ,(play on the Greek work thlipsis, it had 10 different meanings), let us be at rest in Christ, and rejoice like Habakkuk in the sovereignty of God.

Therefore, as we stand, watch, listen, wait, and live by faith, let us PRAY. (Emphasis mine)

Pray for Ukraine. Remember we are wrestling against Satan, the “prince of the power of the air”(Ephesians 2:2); and “… against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”(Ephesians 6:10-18 NKJV)

Resting in the Sovereignty of God, a brother in Christ, deo

My last blog ended with these words, “Change is Coming!”.

An obvious question is, Why? or What does that mean?

To answer that question, I would like to engage our thinking in the Book of Exodus. I have always enjoyed reading Exodus. I find it a very informative book regarding the continuation of the history of the nation of Israel, and the foreshadowing of Christ. The Book of Exodus, I believe, parallels the walk of a believer in Christ out of the kingdom of darkness and progressing to the promised land. Israel, I believe, also foreshadows the Church. In the New Testament Paul tells us in I Corinthians 10:11, (NKJV), “Now all these things happened to them (Israel) as examples, and they were written for our admonition (Church, believers) upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” (Parentheses mine)

The Book of Exodus begins with the names of the families of Israel that came into the land of Egypt. There were 70 of them, with Joseph already established in Egypt.

Verses 6-8, summarizes for us what happened over the space of 400 years from the time of Israel’s entrance into Egypt to the time that triggered Israel’s Exodus from Egypt. Exodus 1:6,7 says, TLV, [Tree of Life Version, Hebraic emphasis], “Then Joseph died, as did all his brothers and all that generation. Yet Bnei-Yisrael were fruitful, increased abundantly, multiplied and grew extremely numerous–so the land was filled with them.” Sounds like, 70 people had become innumerable. However, verse 8, introduces a new dynamic; “Now there arose a new king (Pharaoh) over Egypt who knew not Joseph. (At face value, I wonder why? It appears that the new king did not know the historical relationship between Israel and the nation of Egypt. Historically Israel, through Joseph had been a blessing to Egypt (this had been a literal Godsend); but over time that influence declined, and it no longer was benign as time passed. It’s been 400 years. As stated, this new king did not know the influence of Joseph or evidently the history of Israel; the new king visualized Israel as a potential serious problem especially if they decided to take sides with Egypt’s adversaries (verse 10).

It seems, that rather than seeking out the history of Israel’s existence in Egypt, the new king saw Israel’s blessing of prosperity and increased population as a problem too large to deal both numerically and powerfully. In short, if these people decide to go to war against us, ‘we’re toast’.

What was the king’s solution? verse 11 says, “So they set slave masters over them to afflict them with forced labor…”; they incarcerated them; took away their freedom; and subjected them to harsh manual labor and bondage. Verse 12 says the king increased their inflictions “more”.

However, the result of this affliction did not produce the kind of result that he anticipated. As we know from Church history, the greater the storm of affliction, the greater the growth and development of the Church. This is what happened to Israel. Verse 12 records, Because Israel continued to multiply “…the Egyptians dreaded (trembled at, were fearful of) the presence of Bnei-Yisrael.”

(This is just my personal opinion; I wonder if Putin visualizes the nation of Ukraine as the new king of Egypt visualized Israel. A potential threat.)

In verses 13-14, the Egyptian king chose to handle the problem by: a) working them harshly; b) making their lives bitter with hard work; c) having them do all sorts of work in the fields; d) worked them with cruelty.

(Putin has sought to regain the land that they possess; and to put them under his servitude.)

Verse 15-16 tells us that to make matter worse the king commanded the infanticide of male children (sound familiar, what other king did this in the New Testament?). Why? obvious, so that the population of the nation would not grow. But the Israeli mid-wives disobeyed the king (verse 17) because they feared God.

(What has Putin done? He is killing the people of Ukraine mercilessly.)

In verses 20-21, God “was good to the mid-wives and the people multiplied growing very numerous.” Because the mid-wives feared God, “He gave them families of their own.”

(The analogy is difficult here; yes, the killing is continuing; but the people (like the mid-wives are resisting against Putin. They have not bowed down to Putin. They are fighting for their lives. They are resisting him.

The king did not relent in his pursuit of having the infanticide of the male children. He “charged all his people saying” (verse 22) “you are to cast every son into the river, but let every daughter live.”

(In spite of Ukranian resistance, Putin has ordered his soldiers to pursue killing the people of Ukraine.)

As the Book of Exodus begins, the narrative of events reveals that God has permitted an oppressive governmental environment to be in control of the nation of Egypt through a king who came into power ‘who knew not Joseph” and apparently has no personal knowledge about the nation of Israel that dwelt in his land. The nation of Israel had been dwelling in Egypt for over 400 years.

Question: Are God’s people, the Church, the Israel of God living in a world that is growing increasingly hostile to its presence? Is it possible that the knowledge of the Church in the known world is waning? Is it possible that a person has grown up in our nation and has no knowledge of Christianity?

If there is any truth to the aforementioned questions, we need to ask why is this so? Has the Church lost its influence and its voice in this nation? in the world? Has it been silenced?

(Has the Church lost its voice in Ukraine? No. Pastors have chosen to stay. Believers have chosen to stay. As one Ukrainian Pastor said, If the Church has no credibility in the time of danger, what credibility does it have in the time of peace? (My paraphrase) So he chose to stay, and minister to his congregants.)

I am asking these questions regarding the Church as it exists in our nation. if these questions can be answered in the affirmative in the United States, then are their governmental restrictions that have contributed to the silencing of the Church?

(When I was composing these thoughts, Russia had not invaded Ukraine. As you will see in the next paragraph, my thoughts were centered on the Covid Pandemic. But there is a full-scale war in Ukraine. A whole new change has come to planet earth in March 2022. This change has brought and is demanding ‘get used to different’ (The Chosen)

It appears that the Covid Pandemic has been taken of the people’s radar, except in the United States. Therefore, I will proceed with what I composed earlier.

Question: What restrictions are the Church wrestling with? Isn’t it interesting that the Covid pandemic has stirred the Church to wake up and think about its place and purpose in society. The Church has wrestled with governmental restrictions. Believers and non-believers have questioned the mandates of our governmental officials at all levels. Why? What has been taken for granted has been taken away. Yes, there has been a struggle. But the bottom line for each individual is when do I stop doing what I am being instructed to do?

The moral and ethical question is when do I believe that my liberty and freedom as an individual has been taken away and I choose not to abide by what the government officials have instructed me to do? Many will say, that one should always do what those in authority has instructed you to do. I understand that; but I also understand that as a Christian my obedience is first to the Lord and His written Word.

Will the Church, one-day, find itself in the same position as the Israeli mid-wives in Egypt, disobeying the command of the king, because they fear (reverence) God more than the king who told them what they must do? I believe that will happen sooner than later.

The tragedy that is taking place now in Ukraine is also awakening moral and ethical implications for us as nation. We are watching a nation being stripped of its freedom and liberties at the whim of one man. We are witnessing world leaders groping with making moral and ethical decisions in response to the Russian aggression against Ukraine. I struggle with this. I understand their dilemma. But do we allow EVIL to go unchecked? What responsibility does the Church have in this ‘hour’?

For those who have read my previous blogs, what I am about to say is not new, but it is still true.

Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV), “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, and against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Stop! Consider this, Satan is called “…the prince of the power of the air…”(Ephesians2:2 NKJV).

President Zelensky has been begging the nations of this world to put a ‘no fly zone’ over Ukraine. The nations of this world are reluctant to do this. The nations are concerned about the ramifications that it might cause in the thinking of Putin. He has said that a nuclear response is a possibility.

There is one nation in this world that can provide a ‘no fly zone’. That nation is the Kingdom of God. It is composed of an innumerable amount of people. The leader of this nation is the Lord Jesus Christ. This nation has a voice and it needs to use it, now.

Therefore:

We, the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ, can give the nation of Ukraine the ‘no fly zone’ that it is requesting. How, you ask? PRAYER, asking the Lord to clear the skies over Ukraine. We bind the forces of darkness that fill the sky from Russia, hell-bent on bringing destruction, and loose the skies over the nation of Ukraine from the principalities, rulers of darkness and spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. We, the Church, have been given these keys of authority. Satan is the “…prince of the power of the air…” (Ephesians 2:2 NKJV). Satan’s power has been broken by the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus made an open shame of him. Colossians 2:15, (NKJV), “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He (Christ) made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them in it (the Cross).” Hebrews 2:14,15 (NKJV), Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same that through death He might destroy him (Satan) who had the power of death that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”

Matthew 16:13-19, (NKJV), Jesus was asking His disciples what the local people were saying about Him regarding His identity. The disciples told them what the people were saying. In verse 15, Jesus says directly to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter (verse 16) speaks up and declares, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus responds and says, “Blessed are you, Simon-Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

The Church, built upon the confession of faith that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, has been given authority to bind and loose on earth. It is that authority, that the Church, the Body of Christ, the members of the nation of the Kingdom of God can use to exercise spiritual authority over the defeated enemy, Satan, who is the prince of the power of the air. Jesus said the “gates of Hades shall not prevail”, meaning, “the power of death cannot prevent the advance of the kingdom, nor claim victory over those who belong to God.” (Notes from NKJV Study Bible)

We, the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, are called to exercise its spiritual authority over the ‘prince of the power of the air’; we are called to intercede for the nation of Ukraine and bind the principalities, powers, and rulers of darkness that are over Ukraine. We are called to loose the airspace over Ukraine and free it from the evil forces of darkness so that there is a ‘no fly zone’ over Ukraine.

I believe that the nation of believers has been called to intercede for Ukraine and create the ‘no fly zone’ that President Zelensky is asking the nations to provide. The Body of Christ, using its authority in Christ, can do just that.

Pray. Bind and loose, in Jesus’ Name.

blessings, deo

In my previous post I quoted from a Spurgeon devotional. It said, “The church will never prosper until more reverently it believes in the Holy Spirit.”

Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity, has frequently been ignored by the Church. In my own upbringing, the Person of the Holy Spirit was hardly ever mentioned. As I have previously shared, in a personal time of despair, I said, “If this is all there is to Christianity, then I want out.” The Lord heard that, and a new journey was embarked upon. It began with an introduction to the Third Person of the Trinity, Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit is the Lord’s C.E.O. of the Church, the Lord’s Chief Executive Officer, and the believer’s individual Comforter. Holy Spirit has been from the beginning in Genesis the active agent of the Godhead.

Genesis 1:2 says (NKJV), “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” “The word, hovering, connotes “sweeping” or “moving” rather than staying stationary. The Holy Spirit is the “executive arm” of the Trinity, so He was quite active as God spoke each word.” (NKJV Study Bible, page 4).

Question: Was the Holy Spirit active (instrumental) in the incarnation of Christ? Absolutely, (Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:35 NKJV), “And the angel answered and said unto her (Mary), The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you (sounds like hovering); therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” (Parentheses mine)

Luke 1:40-41, Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who was pregnant (with John the Baptist), “when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” (NKJV).

Throughout Christ’s life, here on earth, the Holy Spirit was active. Thirty years after Christ’s birth, John the Baptist, declared at the Jordon River (John 1:29 NKJV), “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

John is declaring that the One, who is going to bring about change, has come, and world will never be the same be the same again–‘get used to different’ (The Chosen).

At the Jordon River, Jesus was water baptized by John. Matthew 3:16-17 (NKJV), “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

At Jesus’s water baptism, the Holy Spirit is an active participant. He comes like a dove and remains upon Him. The Holy Spirit was active in the earthly ministry of Jesus. After Jesus’s water baptism, Matthew 4:1 (NKJV) says, “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” Luke 4:13-15 (NKJV) says, “Now when the devil has ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee and news of Him went through all the surrounding region. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.”

Change has come, and things are different. So, what does different look like?

Luke 4:16-22(NKJV) outlines for us a good understanding of what different looks like.

“So He came to Nazareth (His hometown), where He had been brought up (His neighborhood). And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day (went to His local Church) and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of Isaiah.”

(He was chosen to find a portion of scripture, read, and comment on it. Notes in my Study Bible say of verse 16, “A member or a visitor who was judged worthy was frequently asked to read the Scripture and make appropriate comments.” This seems reasonable to me; He had been absent from His hometown; He has returned; His ministry had preceded Him home; it only seems natural to have Him read and share. So far, things are the same in the eyes of the townspeople.

Continuing, “And when He had opened the book, He found (He chose) the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me”, (The Holy Spirit is active in Christ’s life, How?) “Because He has anointed Me” (When did this happen? When the Holy Spirit descended upon Him at His water baptism, continued with Him through His temptations in the wilderness, which resulted in Him returning in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, Luke 3:21-4:15).

This anointing was to enable Him:

“To PREACH the gospel to the poor; (Capitalization emphasis mine)

He hath sent Me to HEAL the brokenhearted,

To PROCLAIM liberty to the captives, and RECOVERY of sight to the blind,

To SET AT LIBERTY those who are oppressed (downtrodden);

To PROCLAIM the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Jesus had a ministerial P.H.D. He Preached, Healed, and Delivered. It was conferred upon Him by the Holy Spirit. He had passed all His tests in the wilderness.

“Then He closed the book, handed it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue (in the Church) were fixed on Him.”

Why? They have just experienced something they can’t explain. Something has changed; this isn’t the same Jesus they have known; something is different.

Verse 21-22 continues, “And He began to say to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. So all bore witness to Him and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”

Jesus has just said, ‘change has come, get used to different.’

Whoa! We know Jesus. He is Joseph’s son. Right? What gives!

For me, this sounds like the temptation leveled at Jesus by Satan in the wilderness. Matthew 4:3 NKJV, “if You are the Son of God, command…”; but it has come from the townspeople in the synagogue.

From Luke 4:23-30, we understand that the atmosphere in the synagogue changes from astonishment (vs 22) to wrath (vs 28). Why? Matthew 13:54-58 (NKJV) explains, “When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” So, they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in how own country and in his own house.” Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. “

Returning to Luke 4:23, the commentary on this verse says that Jesus’ words “anticipates the demands of the people that He perform in Nazareth the miracles He had done in Capernaum. However, His signs are not for the skeptic but the believer, (the same is basically true today), and He consistently refuses to produce compelling signs of His messiahship.” Satan had tempted Jesus to produce compelling signs in the wilderness to verify that He was the Son of God; the same thing is now being done through unbelievers in His hometown.

Isn’t it amazing what can and does take place when change comes, because ‘change’ brings ‘difference’?

Change is coming. You can count on it. Therefore, things are going to be different.

When I was first composing this blog, the Covid Pandemic was the change that the world was focused on. The pandemic had brought about many changes; many of which the world is still dealing with, especially here in the United States. And now, in the past two weeks (March 2022), the Covid pandemic is hardly a news item in the world, because it has been replaced with the headlines regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine, its systematic destruction, overthrow, and potential elimination of Ukraine as a sovereign nation. Change has come onto the world stage among the nations, and things are dramatically different. I submit to you that this aggression, over which I am grieved like you, is for us to stop and think seriously about how we respond as believers in Christ, especially to Jesus’ words in Matthew 24-25.

Reflecting back upon what Jesus read in the synagogue from the book of Isaiah found in Luke 4:17-21, “The prophecy of Isaiah 61:1,2 describes the deliverance of Israel from exile in Babylon in terms of the year of Jubilee, but its ultimate fulfillment awaited the coming of the messianic age. Jesus boldly claims to be the promised Messiah, and His defined ministry here becomes the ongoing essence of the good news of the gospel of the kingdom of God. Luke later makes it clear He passed this same ministry on to the disciples (Luke 9:1,2) and ultimately to the entire church (Acts 1:1,2). [commentary from NKJV Study Bible]

After Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus ministered to His disciples for forty days until He ascended back to heaven.

Luke writing to Theophilus, in his introduction to ‘The Acts of the apostles’, confirms the purpose of this historical record. Luke says, (Acts 1:1-5 NKJV), “The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit (Who is the agent of change!) had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them for forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the Promise of the Father, which, He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Do you see ‘change’ and ‘different’ in these words? It’s coming, you can count on it.

Luke continues, Acts 1:6-8 NKJV, “Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” ” The apostles’ heard ‘change’ is coming, and they were checking out what they thought ‘different’ was going to be. But they did not get the answer that was in their hearts. “He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you (that’s change); and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth (that’s difference).”

Let me insert this thought here. We, too, as believers in Christ, might not get the answer we are looking for in our hearts from the Lord regarding the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

In Acts 2:1-4, the change occurs, and the difference is birthed. The Church, the Body of Christ, the Israel of God, is formed. It is empowered by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the C.E.O of the Church, of which Christ is the Head. The Holy Spirit is the Godhead’s Agent of Change.

I believe the Church will be undergoing major ‘changes’ beginning in 2022. Believers will need to ‘get used to different’. There will be a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Church. Jesus said in the Upper Room to His disciples that when the Spirit comes “He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement.” (John 16:7b NKJV) Lest we get pumped up unnecessarily, remember Peter’s words, “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?”, (I Peter 4:17. NKJV).

The context of this admonition is Christian suffering. I Peter 4:12-14 (NKJV), says, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.”

I suggest that what Jesus said in the synagogue about the scripture He read about Himself will be fulfilled through the Church, the Body of Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Word of God will be preached unto the ends of the earth, and it will be confirmed with signs and wonders following.

I Thessalonians 1:5,6 (NKJV), “For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake. And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit.”

This, I believe, is the change that is coming. This type of ministry in the Church has never completely died out; but it will be ‘resurrected’ in the life of the Church, by the Lord, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and blessed by God, the Father. The Godhead is ready to be a difference throughout the world.

Are you ready for God’s shaking? Is Covid, and the Russian invasion causing a shaking the Church? I believe so.

Hebrews 12:25-29 NKJV, “See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” Now this, “Yet once more” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.”

Get ready, our God reigns; He is bringing change and difference.

Change is Coming! or should I say, the beginning of change has occurred.

a brother in Christ, deo