PLUS

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.”

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.”

As a powerful reminder of the moral clarity in times past, I came across the following prologue to a Bible that was ultimately presented to millions of American military members during World War II.  Several months before America was pulled into the war, on January 25, 1941, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt wrote the following:

“To the Armed Forces:

As Commander-in-Chief, I take pleasure in commending the reading of the Bible to all who serve in the armed forces of the United States. Throughout the centuries men of many faiths and diverse origins have found in the Sacred Book words of wisdom, counsel, and inspiration. It is a fountain of strength and now, as always, an aid in attaining the highest aspirations of the human soul.

Very sincerely yours,

Franklin D. Roosevelt.”

How true! God’s Word provides wisdom, counsel, and inspiration. It is a fountain of strength. It provides an indispensable aid in attaining the highest aspirations of the human soul.

It was true in 1941 and it remains vitally true today.

PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO RETURN BACK TO ACKNOWLEDGING THE INDISPENSABILITY OF THE WORD OF GOD. As we aspire towards various things today, may we never forget the guide that directs us to the highest aspirations of the human soul.

Luke 1:37 “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

Matthew 19:26 “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”

Matthew 17:18-21 “And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”

Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”

One year from today is Presidential Inauguration Day. Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, you are rightfully concerned. Pessimism is at an all-time high and trust in our fundamental institutions is at an all-time low. Our citizens are having severe problems even envisioning the once-ubiquitous promise of the American Dream. We struggle to imagine a brighter future and we labor to conceptualize a nationwide revival.

Yet, a never-changing God is still on the throne. Throughout history He has seen His people ready to throw in the towel and give up hope. Yet, when things are gloomiest He seeks those whose faith can transcend their circumstances. That is what He is looking for from us today.

With God, nothing is impossible. As a result, through and with Him, all things are possible. The Lord is looking for a critical mass of pure faith to move the mountains that are standing in the way of our temporal and eternal success. That is what we need in 2024!

PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS, THROUGH FAITH AND WITH GOD, TO BELIEVE THAT REVIVAL IS POSSIBLE IN 2024. We are so lacking in today’s society, and desperately need the One who can do all things!

Colossians 3:23 “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men”

Psalm 33:12 “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.”

Isaiah 40:3 “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

Eric Metaxas’ book “Amazing Grace” provides a stunning biography of abolitionist William Wilberforce whose Christian faith drove his decades-long struggle to end slavery. About the British culture at the time, Metaxas says the following:

“Wilberforce knew that if Britain took its faith seriously, if it actually believed the doctrines it claimed to believe, it could never have countenanced the slave trade or the institution of slavery itself.”

He went on to say the following:

“One may see in these comments how Wilberforce years later came to be thought of as the ‘conscience’ of the nation. A conscience reminds us of what we already know to be right. Wilberforce realized that Britain was a nation that had effectively lost its conscience or grown deaf to it, that claimed in every outward way to be a Christian nation, but that acted upon principles fundamentally at odds with the Christian view of human beings as immortal creatures, created in the image of God.”

In today’s America, we need men and women to cry out in the wilderness. We have effectively lost our conscience or grown deaf to it, acting at odds with the Christian view. We need Christians to wrestle our nation back to where it belongs by acting as a conscience that reminds us of what we already know to be right.

PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO STAND UP AND SPEAK OUT AS THE CONSCIENCES OF OUR GREAT NATION.

Please pray for American Christians to stand up and speak out as the consciences of our great nation.

ADMIN: Please see the following additional post about Wilberforce from December 2023:

The Tricks of Hypocrisy

Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.’

Seventeenth Century English Puritan minister John Flavel wrote the following powerful words about the ultimate responsibility of parents:

“How many families are there, though not profane, who yet train up their children vainly and sensually, and take no care for their souls? It is no matter to them that the devil seeks their souls. If they can but leave them lands or money, they think they have fully discharged their duty. O with what language will such parents and children greet each other in hell!

Parents, I beseech you to consider your duty. Consider your close relationship and concern for their happiness. They give you joy and you highly value them. You sympathize in all their troubles, and sorrow at parting with them. Shall all of this be to no purpose? You value them, yet in the meantime shall you take no care of them for eternity?

God has entrusted their souls to you as well as their bodies. What can comfort you if they die without Christ through your neglect? O this is a grievous consideration; my child is in hell, and I did nothing to prevent it, and I helped them there!

If you neglect to instruct them in the way of holiness, the devil will not neglect to instruct them in wickedness. If you do not teach them to pray, the devil will teach them to curse and lie. Weeds will spring up in uncultivated ground. A twig may bend to any form, but a grown limb will not bend. You are an instrumental cause of all their spiritual misery. By nature they lie spiritually dead before you, and by imitation they will follow your example.

No one is as likely to do good to them as you. You have their natural affection, and daily opportunity. You know their temperaments. If you neglect, who shall help them? O remember that text: ‘And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God’ (Rev 20:12). What a sad thing it will be to see you dear children at Christ’s left hand! Oh friends, do your utmost to prevent this misery!”

Nothing else needs to be said about properly prioritizing our parental responsibility to tend to the souls of our children.

PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIAN PARENTS TO PREVENT WEEDS FROM SPRINGING UP IN UNCULTIVATED GROUND. We must do our utmost to prevent such misery!

ADMIN: The thoughts from John Flavel came from “Voices from the Past: Puritan Devotional Readings” edited by Richard Rushing.

This PLUS post is a summary of the big thoughts that I’ve focused on during this last year. It is a way for me to reinforce this thinking for my own benefit, and challenge you with these same thoughts for your benefit.

OVERRIDING POINT 1

Isaiah 58:11-12 “And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.”

• God is looking for a faithful few who He can use to make up the hedge, stand in the gap, and repair the breach. When a society is diverging from Him, He simply seeks those who will act righteously to forego judgment and forestall wrath. In doing so, these faithful individuals can build up the old waste places, raise up stable foundations, and restore the paths of protection and provision. This is exactly what our society needs today.

OVERRIDING POINT 2

Isaiah 59:1-2 “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you. and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”

• The Lord is looking for a real, genuine, authentic, ever-guiding, never-neglecting faith. He isn’t looking for a part-time faith. He isn’t looking for lack-luster faith. He isn’t looking for a fair-weather faith. He isn’t looking for a half-hearted faith. Instead, He is looking for a faith that pervades our lives and propels our labors.

OVERRIDING POINT 3

Isaiah 58:7-8 “Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.”

• We are directed to help meet the practical and spiritual needs of the desperate world in which we live. If we do, then we will illuminate our world like a magnificent sunrise. We will have energy and vitality to complete our tasks and a resilient reputation to lead the way. And, we will regain our ability to reflect the glory of the Lord into the environment around us that is thirsting for a glow that has been absent from their shadow-filled lives.

PLEASE PRAY THAT AMERICAN CHRISTIANS WOULD CLING TO BIBLICAL LESSONS FROM 2023 TO PROPERLY PROPEL US INTO 2024. Happy New Year!