Today, I experienced an “I don’t believe it” moment.
Earlier this year, a best friend of mine, asked me to join him in prayer for a brother who was in jail, awaiting trial, having been falsely indicted of accusations charged against him.
[That is all that I am at liberty to say.]
Since then, there was a trial; and the verdict was a hung jury.
The prosecuting attorney decided to retry the case.
Our brother was kept in jail.
The retrial began in September.
Today, I was told that they jury found him guilty.
I was devasted.
My devastation does not compare to the devastation felt by him, his wife and children.
This morning, before I received this news, part of my daily devotional reading is from a book published by the Voice of Martyrs*, entitled, ‘extreme devotion’ .
This morning’s devotional had this story.
A husband and wife a number of years ago moved to a Muslim nation.
They successfully lived there for a period of time.
They worshiped with other Christians.
One day, the police “raided their home”.
They were both arrested regarding their religious beliefs.
The husband was put in prison; but the wife was cleared of the charges and released.
The following are the words of application to the devotional.
“Prayer is the first step toward making a difference. It is no secret-the opposition is powerful. What are you doing to summon His power on behalf of those in prison?”
My response, was to pray again for my incarcerated brother, asking God to set Him free.
I have been praying.
Our God is a Righteous Judge.
My brother is in Christ.
He is a member of the Body of Christ, and the family of God.
I have been believing that God’s righteous judgment would prevail and my brother would be set free.
Then, this afternoon, I received the news that he had been found guilty and now faces sentencing.
Is this mornings devotion and this afternoon’s guilty verdict a coincidence?
Is God, the Father, to be accused of wrong?
No.
Am I, like others, especially my brother and his family, and my best friend struggling to understand?
Yes
Will I continue to pray for my brother and his family?
Yes
Is God’ sovereign will being done in this brother’s life?
Yes.
“Lord I believe, help my unbelief” (Mark 9:34, NKJV)
What have I just witnessed?
We live in a nation who citizenry have ‘diseased hearts’.
The last post was entitled, “Does America Have A Diseased Heart?”
What I experienced today affirms to me that we do have a citizenry with ‘diseased hearts’.
Some of you might challenge that response.
Do I believe that every citizen has a diseased heart?
Yes, according to the Word of God; “all have sinned (have a diseased heart) and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
What I have been sharing in the posts, is that there is a disease of idols and/or idolatry of the heart in the citizenry of this nation, both Christian and non-christian.
As I read the headlines in the news, and read some of the content of those articles, I am becoming more and more convinced that the lawlessness and rebellion going on in this nation, and in the other nations of this world has become a growing, grotesque, ‘unprecedented unrest’.
However, we can take courage, “But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.” (Roman 5:20b, NKJV)
As was explained in the previous post, our upcoming mid-term election results will be a ‘barometer’ of the seriousness of our nation’s ‘heart disease’.
For instance, in the state of Virginia, the voters will be deciding whether or not to approve a Constitutional Amendment that “would add to the Virginia Constitution Bill of Rights the fundamental right to make and carry out decisions about a person’s own reproductive care with only certain, specifics exceptions.” (Virginia Department of Elections)
This amendment has to do with abortion.
What does the heart of our nation believe about abortion?
In the state of California, the voters will be deciding whether or not to require a valid identification to vote?
What does the heart of our nation believe about having a valid identification to vote?
Throughout our nation, there is a ‘ground swelling effort’ to elect candidates that are part of the Democratic Socialist Party.
What does the heart of our nation believe about having Democratic Socialists elected to local, state, and national positions, that provide them with a ‘place of standing’ to influence others with their agenda?
For a comprehensive presentation that answers this question, I sincerely recommend that you read an article by Kimberley A. Strassel, entitled, “The Rise of Democratic Socialism“, columnist, the Wall Street Journal.
I submit these three separate items that are emblematic of why I believe that our nation has a ‘diseased heart’.
________
The question before us is, as God’s people, what will be our response to the ‘unprecedented unrest’ in our nation and the other nations of the world?
What is the Lord Jesus Christ requiring of His people?
What is the Spirit saying to the Church?
Hear the word of the Lord.
“You have been chosen and called to be a people set-apart unto Me.”
What issue of the ‘heart’ has the Lord been pointing out to His people since the beginning of 2026?
The ‘heart’ of God’s people is not solely focused on the Lord.
God’s people have turned away from following the Lord their God.
God’s people have desired to live unto themselves, not to be solely governed by the Holy Spirit according to the Word of God.
How many of God’s people have a ‘diseased heart’?
What has been the problem?
Idols and/or idolatry of the heart.
It is easy at this point our finger at others and to take personal exception to these words.
I agree.
But, I would not be to hasty assuming such a position.
Remember the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. (Luke 19:9-14)
Pride contrasted with humility.
All of God’s people must “examine themselves and see if they are in the faith”. (2 Corinthians 13:5)
[See also, 1 Corinthians 11:28; Galatians 6;4; Psalm 139:23-24; Lamentations 3:40]
Maybe we should ask ourselves, why does the Word of God tell us to examine ourselves?
Ask the Lord to search your and see if there be any iniquity in you. (Psalm 139:23-24)
Paul, writing to the Corinthian Church admonishes them as follows:
“O, Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, and our heart (boldness mine) is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections (italicized mine). Now in return for the same (I speak as to children) you also be open. Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness; And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? (boldness mine) For you are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Therefore, “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.” Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 6:11-7:1, NKJV)
Now is the time for repentance, for cleansing, for separation, so that the Church is a true witness for Almighty God and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, governed by the Holy Spirit, according to the Word of God.
Ask the Lord to search your heart and see if there is any iniquity in you.
Let the words of 2 Corinthians 7:1 penetrate your heart.
“Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord.”
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you anything that lies hidden in the secret recesses of your heart lingering in the darkness.
Let the Word of God minister to you, by the Holy Spirit, as He shines the light of the Lord Jesus Christ into the deep recesses of your heart, to cleanse you, and set you free from sin.
The Lord Jesus Christ is preparing a people for a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the nations of the world that will dynamically manifest the power and presence of Almighty God.
This outpouring has already begun; and many people are being saved, water baptized, healed, delivered, and filled with the Holy Spirit.
________
Are you, are we, am I ready to be used of the Lord as He directs His Church?
1 Peter 4:17, NKJV: For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will it be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?
Christian’s have believed the Gospel of God, but that does not exempt them from personal discipline from God, the Father. (Hebrews 12:1-29)
Actually, it guarantees it!
Our response begins with repentance of our sin, then saying to the Lord, “not my will but Your will be done” in my life.
Remember these words of Jesus, “If anyone want to be My disciple, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.”
The Apostle Paul, instructs us as follows:
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men, and being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient to the point of death (weakness), even death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:5-8, NKJV) (boldness mine, insert mine)
Three things, we need to consider, as we consider going forward with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Am I willing to humble myself?
Am I willing to be obedient?
Am I will to be in weakness, even to the point of death?
This is H.O.W. we are called to live.
Jesus said, told us to take His yoke upon us, and to learn of Him, that He was gentle and humble of heart, and we would find rest for our souls, because His yoke is easy and His burden is light. (Matthew 11:29-30, my paraphrase)
Hebrews 4:9-13, NKJV: “There remains a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”(Context Hebrews 3,4)
This is the life that Jesus, the Son of Man/Son of God lived on this earth; this is the life that He has called His disciples to live; and this is the life that the Body of Christ is to live too, in this world.
This is not a question of your salvation.
If you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, then you are saved.
The Lord Jesus Christ is awakening His people, looking for those, who will respond to His summons, to be separated unto Him, readied by Him to be used for His purposes in the world until He returns.
John 17 is a prayer, Jesus offered up to His Father, prior to His arrest.
Throughout the history of the Church, this prayer has been answered in the lives of those who have responded to being ‘set-apart’ for His Father’s work until His return.
I encourage you to read John 17, to reflect and to respond, as directed by the Spirit of God, according to the Word of God.
Jesus prayed for us to be a people sanctified, ‘set-apart’, for Him in this world.
I want to close with the words of an old tune. (AI overview, The lyrics are from the contemporary worship song “Emmanuel” [often associated with Christ For The Nations Worship], which features the well-known verse and chorus about a dwelling place for God.)
The song’s verse says:
“I was born to be Your dwelling place, A home for the presence of the Lord, So let my life now be, Separated unto Thee, That I might be what You want Me to be.”
Is this the desire of your heart?
your brother in Christ, deo
