PLUS

Ezekiel 22:23-31 “And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation. There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof. Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things; they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain. And her prophets have daubed them with untampered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken. The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully. And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD.”

Esther 4:14b “who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

On February 13, 2016, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Antonin Scalia passed away in his sleep. The unexpected death of this stalwart jurist threw the future of the court into question. In some ways, the ultimate direction of our country depended on how things would transpire over the next days, weeks, and months.

Pastor Brad Wells and GraceWay Baptist Church (https://gracewaydc.com/) recognized the need for prayer in this situation, and met that weekend on the steps of the Supreme Court to pray for our nation and our leaders – to pray for revival in our land. It was a targeted application of the PLUS ministry concept that was urgently needed for such a time as this. And, for nearly seven straight years, Pastor Wells has led a gathering of GraceWay Baptist Church on Saturday night on the steps of the Supreme Court to pray for our nation and our leaders – to pray for revival in our land.

In many ways, the calling to do so was for someone to make up the hedge and stand in the gap for our land. Fortunately, in this case, unlike the situation in Ezekiel 22, God found someone obedient to answer His call – Pastor Wells and the members of GraceWay Baptist Church. And as they pray on the steps of the Supreme Court this Saturday evening yet again, may Christians all around this great nation be encouraged by their faithfulness and convicted of our own need in our own context to faithfully pray.

AMERICAN CHRISTIANS, PLEASE FAITHFULLY PRAY FOR OUR NATION AND OUR LEADERS – PRAY FOR REVIVAL IN OUR LAND. God is calling all believers to make up the hedge and stand in the gap in a nation that desperately needs us to do so.

ADMIN: This post is the first in a short series of thoughts during the next few weeks on the weekly prayer time at the Supreme Court, and how Christians around our land can apply such a concept in our own lives and in our own contexts.

II Timothy 3:16-17 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

Psalm 119:105 “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

Job 23:12 “Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.”

My family and I enjoyed an amazing vacation this past summer, that included a cruise through the Caribbean. In the midst of such captivating family time, my son and I were selected to compete against other parent-kid combos to see “How Well Do You Know Your Family” in front of a large group of other cruisers.

The gist of the game is simple. The host would ask a question, and the parent would have to guess how their child would answer; and vice versa. It was all designed to be fun, and it was! Everyone was laughing and the rest of our family was cheering us on. And, we were doing okay.

Eventually I was asked what my son would want with him if he were stranded on a desert island, and it couldn’t be survival or rescue related. I thought he would pick Legos. His answer was a Rubik’s Cube. We were close, but we ultimately failed to get that one right. At the time, though, we didn’t realize how badly we failed.

When we finished the game and got back with our family, our oldest child had one thing to say to us: “You guys are buffoons!” Granted, we didn’t win, but I thought we did well enough to have not reached buffoon status. “Why?” I asked. “Because the answer to the desert island question is obvious,” she said, “A Bible!”

Yes, we were buffoons, and it stings a bit thinking about how right she was (I’m sure you are all probably far more spiritual than me and can’t relate right now). To be technically accurate, the Bible is both survival and rescue related. But, it is far more than that, and my son and I should have both been thinking along those lines. And, it would have been a great testimony to give such an answer in front of the large crowd. Alas, we didn’t, and sometimes as American Christians, we all fall into the same boat (cruise pun intended).

God’s Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. It constantly illuminates what we are to do and where we are to go. God’s Word tells us what is right, what is not right, how to get right, and how to stay right. It guides us into maturity and effectiveness. It should be esteemed far more than even our necessary food, and truly more than even a lavish cruise buffet.

PLEASE PRAY THAT AMERICAN CHRISTIANS WOULD PROPERLY AND RIGHTFULLY ESTEEM GOD’S WORD IN OUR LIVES. May we avoid being buffoons by maintaining its primacy in our lives.

Please enjoy the following guest post from Chaplain Scott Foust:

Daniel 10:12 “Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.”

Luke 11:8 “I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.”

One of the first Christian fiction books I ever read, many years ago, was This Present Darkness, by Frank Peretti. The novel included parallel stories: one story of good versus evil in Ashton, a small, college town; the other a story of angels battling with demons in the spiritual realm. This fascinating tale raised questions in my mind: Is there really an invisible realm where angels and demons exist? Is there really a battle raging between angels and demons in the spiritual realm? Finally, do prayers of the saints affect the outcome of spiritual battles?

To answer these questions, Christians must look to Scripture! In Daniel 10, we read about Daniel’s encounter with an angelic being. Daniel had prayed and fasted for 21 days, asking for understanding related to his recent vision. Afterward, he received a visit from an angel, who provided the understanding Daniel had sought. Interestingly, the angel indicated he would have arrived sooner, except that he was “withstood” by the “prince of the kingdom of Persia.” In other words, the angel had to do battle with a demon before he could get to Daniel. Incredible, right? Ultimately, after a 21-day entanglement, the angel prevailed. This begs the question: What enabled the angel to overcome the demon? The answer: in part, it was Daniel’s persistent prayers! 

The account in Daniel 10 informs us that (1) yes, there is indeed a spiritual realm where angelic beings exist; (2) yes, there is indeed a battle raging between angels and demons, which is often reflected in our struggles within our earthly realm; and (3) yes, there is indeed a connection between the prayers of the saints and the success of angels (which influences outcomes on earth).

What if Daniel had stopped praying? How often have we missed a breakthrough because we quit praying too soon? Sometimes the answers to our issues may not be as logical as we tend to think. Sometimes, the answers to our issues may have to do with praying until a spiritual breakthrough occurs. Perhaps we should use the account of Daniel 10 as an aid to intensify our prayers here in our land.

PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO FOLLOW DANIEL’S EXAMPLE, PRAYING PERSISTENTLY UNTIL A BREAKTHROUGH OCCURS. We must employ such prayers for our nation and for our leaders until we see a widespread revival here in twenty-first century America.

Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

Joshua 1:6-7 “Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.”

II Timothy 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

Esther 4:14b “and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Captain Robert Scott, British Royal Navy, was a renowned adventurer and explorer. During his 1912 expedition to the south pole, his return trip was fraught with extraordinary hardship, unplanned challenges, and stark tragedy. From his frigid tent, on March 29, 1912, he wrote the following courageous letter to his countrymen before slipping off into eternity:

“We are weak, writing is difficult, but for my own sake I do not regret this journey, which has shown that Englishmen can endure hardships, help one another, and meet death with as great a fortitude as ever in the past. We took risks, we knew we took them; things have come out against us, and therefore we have no cause for complaint, but bow to the will of Providence, determined still to do our best to the last. But if we have been willing to give our lives to this enterprise, which is for the honour of our country, I appeal to our countrymen to see that those who depend on us are properly cared for.

Had we lived, I should have had a tale to tell of the hardihood, endurance, and courage of my companions which would have stirred the heart of every Englishman. These rough notes and our dead bodies must tell the tale.”

In November of that year, Scott’s letter was discovered, and it and the dead bodies of the exploration party told their courageous tale in a powerful and poignant way.

If this Englishman can serve so faithfully and face challenges so gracefully in service to his country, then so much the more should we do so for our Lord and Saviour. Truly, American Christians have been called to our own journey, in our own challenging circumstances, in a 21^st Century society fraught with extraordinary hardship and unplanned challenges.  In doing so, God has called us to be strong and courageous as we follow His path while turning neither to the right nor to the left. He will not leave us, nor fail us, nor forsake us. He has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

As a result, may we endure the hardships, help one another, and serve with great fortitude. In spite of the obstacles we face, may we have no cause for complaint as we bow to the will of Providence, determined to do our best to the last.

PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO SERVE CHRIST TODAY WITH HARDIHOOD, ENDURANCE, AND COURAGE. Let us do it with our best to the last!

II Timothy 4:2 “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”

II Timothy 4:5-7 “But watch thou in all things, endure affliction, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of the ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”

Colossians 3:23-24 “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”

The longest professional baseball game began on Easter Eve, April 18, 1981, and didn’t finish until June 23 of that same year. It lasted 33 innings and over 8 hours, with 32 innings being played throughout a long April night until the league president was reached by telephone at around 4 am and made the official call to postpone the game until the next scheduled meeting between the two teams. The game pitted the Pawtucket Red Sox against the Rochester Red Wings at the Triple-A level.

During the 32^nd inning, a Rochester player hit a ball to right field that could have scored a runner from second base and ended the game. As the runner sped around the base path, baseball journalist Dan Barry described the situation and the specifics of the play by right-fielder Sam Bowen in the following way:

“I asked Bowen, did you ever think about not giving it your best throw [to end the game], maybe throwing it over the backstop? And Bowen really got angry with me. He said, ‘this is what I do. I am not going to do anything less than my best.’ Even though this guy is never going to make it back to the major leagues and he knows it, he is not going to let this guy score.”

Pawtucket General Manager Mike Tamburro provided his thoughts as follows:

“Sammy takes it on two hops and makes a throw, a tremendous throw, nails the runner at the plate … You make that play in the top of the ninth, it’s a great play. You make that play in the top of the 32nd, it’s a historic play. To me, it spoke to the true grit of a professional baseball player that, in the top of the 32nd inning at 4 o’clock in the morning – that he would throw out a guy at home plate in those circumstances.”

Sam Bowen’s Red Sox went on to win the game in the following inning (two months later), and it was his play in the previous inning, in spite of the extraordinary challenges of such a game, that gave them the opportunity for victory. His true grit, in spite of fatigue and temptations of resignation, made all the difference.

As Christians in 21^st century America, will live in extraordinary circumstances. Sometimes the myriad of challenges can cause us to struggle with resignation and fatigue. But, God needs us to serve with excellence, dedication, and resilience. May we all commit to accepting nothing less than our best. Let our testimony be of true grit. And when challenged about our dedication to excellence for the Lord, may we be able to say – “this is what I do!” – as we seek to maintain an opportunity for wide-spread victory for Him in our land.

PLEASE PRAY THAT AMERICAN CHRISTIANS WOULD FACE THE CHALLENGES AROUND US WITH EXCELLENCE AND HEARTY CHRIST-CENTERED SERVICE. God is looking for true grit from us always. After all, a massive victory for Him may be just around the corner or in the next inning.

ADMIN: The quotes above are from the following NPR interview about the longest game: https://www.npr.org/2022/08/30/1120126846/the-story-behind-the-longest-baseball-game-ever