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Divine Sovereignty Beyond Politics

“Praise the name of God forever and ever,
for he has all wisdom and power.
He controls the course of world events;
He removes kings and sets up other kings.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the scholars.” – Daniel 2:20-21 NLT

Mainstream Media (MSM) would have you believe that the highest power lives in the White House and that the future hinges on who lives there.
There’s a power higher than that. God controls world events, removing rulers and putting others into power. He is in control, and we should trust Him.
The Lord holds all power and wisdom, whether your candidate won or lost.

We are told to pray for those who rule over us – pray that God would impart large amounts of His heavenly wisdom to whoever is in office. Then, we need to trust that God knows what He is doing. He has a plan, and it will be fulfilled.

As I study prophecy, I looked at the election in 2020. “My” candidate was ahead, then behind, then catching up, then passed the other candidate, then fell behind. What was silly on my part was getting angry over God’s word coming true. I knew better. But certain people held out hope to me—people whose predictions and “misinformation” had not come true before. But it was something I wanted and, therefore, hoped against my better judgment and knowledge. It was my own fault, and I was angry. I couldn’t blame God (and didn’t). I guess I was angrier at myself for holding out that hope against hope.

I know other things that are coming to pass—and all I will tell you, right now, is this: If you haven’t placed your trust in Jesus Christ, if you haven’t accepted Him as your Lord and Savior, then please read some books by some former atheists. They didn’t believe, either—but found the evidence for God’s existence and came to the full saving knowledge of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Let us pray:

Lord, we get so wrapped up in politics. While political leaders have important roles to play, it is YOU who has the final say. You control the world events, and our focus should be on YOU. Help us to trust in You. Lord, we pray for our leaders, as You have told us. We pray that You would grant them wisdom and discernment since wisdom originates with and points back to You. We pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Church Is Hard

Church is hard.

Church is hard for the person walking through the doors, afraid of judgment.

Church is hard for the pastor’s family under the microscope of an entire body.

Church is hard for the prodigal soul returning home, broken and battered by the world.

Church is hard for the girl who looks like she has it all together but doesn’t.

Church is hard for the couple who fought the entire ride to service.

Church is hard for the single mom, surrounded by couples holding hands and seemingly perfect families.

Church is hard for the widow and widower with no invitation to lunch after service.

Church is hard for the deacon with an estranged child.

Church is hard for the person singing worship songs, overwhelmed by the weight of the lyrics.

Church is hard for the man insecure in his role as a leader.

Church is hard for the wife who longs to be led by a righteous man.

Church is hard for the nursery volunteer who desperately longs for a baby to love.

Church is hard for the single woman and single man, praying God brings them a mate.

Church is hard for the teenage girl, wearing a scarlet letter, ashamed of her mistakes.

Church is hard for the sinners.

Church is hard for me.

It’s hard because on the outside it all looks shiny and perfect. Sunday best in behavior and dress.

However, underneath those layers, you find a body of imperfect people, carnal souls, and selfish motives.

But, here is the beauty of church—

Church isn’t a building, mentality, or expectation.

Church is a body.

Church is a group of sinners, saved by grace, living in fellowship as saints.

Church is a body of believers bound as brothers and sisters by an eternal love.

Church is a holy ground where sinners stand as equals before the Throne of Grace.

Church is a refuge for broken hearts and a training ground for mighty warriors.

Church is a converging of confrontation and invitation. Where sin is confronted, and hearts are invited to seek restoration.

Church is a lesson in faith and trust.

Church is a bearer of burdens and a giver of hope.

Church is a family. A family coming together, setting aside differences, forgetting past mistakes, rejoicing in the smallest of victories.

Church, the body, and the circle of sinners-turned-saints is where He resides, and if we ask, He is faithful to come.

So even on the hard days at church—

When I’ve fought with my spouse because we’re late once again,

When I’ve walked in bearing burdens heavier than my heart can handle, yet masking the pain with a smile on my face,

When I’ve worn a scarlet letter under the microscope,

When I’ve longed for a baby to hold or fought tears as the lyrics were sung,

When I’ve walked back in—afraid and broken—after walking away…

I’ll remember that God has never failed to meet me here.

Jacob Waldron

My Reflection: A Prayer for Guidance and Forgiveness

The other day, I was hanging out with a friend. This friend calls herself a Christian but doesn’t always act like it. Some days, she’s on fire for the LORD; some days, life’s struggles seem to get the best of her. So, as our eyes met, I really wanted to say something about it to her, but decided just to let the LORD speak to her heart, knowing nothing I could say could ever possibly have the impact that the LORD making Himself real in her heart would make. So, I prayed with her, and finally, after some time, I winked…and walked away from the mirror.

I invite you to join me for a short prayer in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Let us pray together. Lord God, thank you very much for all the blessings that you never get tired of giving us. Even if we are not worthy of your love, you are still there to love us. 

Lord, we humbly ask for Your forgiveness for all our sins, whether intentional or not—please forgive us. Cleanse our hearts and remove all the negative emotions that we hold. Lord, I lift my future to you. May you straighten the path that I am walking. Cause me to make wise, Godly choices for my life that will honor You. Please be with me on my journey, Lord. You will serve as my guide and refuge. 

Lord, though I am a sinner, fragile in temptation, and often my faith is weak, I pray that you will not let go of me but hold me in your loving arms. Lord, we need you. Pour your love and forgiveness out to the world. Touch each one of us. Make each of us your instrument of love, so other people can know you. Give each of us enough wisdom to reveal your greatness to others.

Dear Lord, we will not get tired of worshiping You. From the smallest to the greatest of your blessings, I will be in debt until my death. May the love that first came from you reign in the life of every child reading this prayer. Use us for your plans. Lord, I pray that You will stop this disease and heal our land. This is causing huge damage to our families and communities. Please take care of us, Lord. You are our only hope and strength. Lord God, all the praise and thanksgiving are yours, in the name of JESUS, Amen. I love you, Lord.

 

Finding Light in a Dark World

For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. (Isaiah 60:2)

We live in a dark world. A Priest recently stated, “This is the darkest winter I have seen, and I’m not talking about a lack of sunshine.” No, he was speaking of a lack of “Sonshine.” 

Jesus is the light of the world. This nation has been under God’s watchful eye (including Jesus) for many years. This nation will soon celebrate its 250th birthday—in 2026. That is a long time for a democracy to last. 

As a nation, we are also getting farther and farther away from God. We do not follow His precepts and laws. God wanted to divorce the Hebrew children in the past. That’s because they were rebellious and following other gods. They intermarried with pagan people, allowed their gods to be worshipped, and followed their way of life. We have that. 

“Oh, no!” you say. “I don’t worship other gods.” Really? What do you allow to come between you and God? TV? Sports? Playing games on your phone? Social media? Whatever it is, that is your god. 

We DO have eternal hope, no matter what happens to our nation. Jesus is that hope. He shines light into the darkness. Do you have a personal relationship with Him? 

If not, you need to confess your sins to Him, ask for forgiveness, and try to do the best you can to avoid repeating them. Talk to Him about your problems, ask His guidance, and ask Him to come into your heart and be your Savior. Find a good, Bible-based church that teaches the Word of God, and attend. 

If you have problems, find an ordained minister to help you. That person will guide you and help you discern God’s voice.

Turning to God for National Healing

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14 NRSV)

Christians are called by His Name. We pray for God to heal our land and wonder why He doesn’t answer. This verse explains it all.

First, we have to humble ourselves. But we are a proud people. We are Americans, and everyone knows that “As America goes, so goes the world.” But does it? Look around; the world has gone wrong, and now a lot of people want America to go the way the rest of the world has gone—but with that prideful twist: “We’ll do the same thing, but differently. They just didn’t know how to do it!” Pride! No, we must humble ourselves. We, as Americans, want to blame others for our faults and mistakes.

To start with, it was our parents’ fault for raising us the way they did and where they did.

• “I was raised in the inner city and this is just the way things were done.”
• “I was raised in the country, and because we were isolated, I didn’t have any friends.”
• “My parents were too strict.”
• “My parents never took the time to teach me—they just criticized me.”

We also blame others.

• “They made me react that way.”
• “She made me hit her.”

To start humbling ourselves, we must first admit our faults. Then, we must ask God to help us overcome those faults that have led to our sins. 

Second, we must pray. God wants a relationship with us. He wants to talk with us—not just simply have us talk to Him and then walk away, wrapped up in ourselves again with our own thoughts and feeling smug because we took time out to tell God our problems and ask for the desires of our heart—put there by our own selfishness. Tell God your problems. Ask for His help in resolving them. Tell God your faults. Ask for His help in correcting them. Tell God your desires. Ask for discernment to see if that is what is best for you. Then, you must wait for God’s answer. If you truly want an answer—not just a confirmation that you were right—He will answer you in His time.

Third, we must seek His face. This is more than just praying to Him. This is seeking His very presence. We must be in a humble place, a humble frame of mind, to be in God’s presence. There can be no selfish thoughts or thoughts of sins. He cannot look at sin. Have you ever earnestly prayed, seeking forgiveness and peace, and have this peaceful presence wash over you? That is God’s presence. Be still and know that He is God. Enjoy that moment. Ask for forgiveness and help in that moment. If asking at that moment was good enough for the prophets of old, it’s good enough for you.

Fourth, we must turn from our wicked ways—repent, which means to make a 180-degree turn. We must also be remorseful about what we have done and try never to do that particular thing again. But we need His help to stay on the straight and narrow path God requires.

It is only after we have done these things that God will hear from heaven, forgive our sins, and heal our land. Have you checked the Bible? Yes, God provides grace for salvation for individual people, but He deals with judgment on nations. We, as a nation, are in trouble! We must do these things for God to heal our land.

Prayer: Lord, we are a prideful people, but we ask You to strip away that pride and humble us. We know we are sinners, and we seek Your face. Guide us to turn from evil as we ask You to heal our land. I recognize the problem starts with me and, therefore, the solution must start with me, too. Help me, Lord. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

United in Purpose: Advancing God’s Kingdom Through Prayer

Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. (1 Corinthians 1:10 NRSV)

We must be united in our mission: to advance the Kingdom of God. Satan seeks to divide us—and he’s doing an excellent job at it! We must stand united to win our nation to Christ. We stand tallest when we kneel in prayer. We must commit to praying fervently for our nation, our state, our county, our city, and for each other.

Lord God Almighty, in whose Name the founders of this country won liberty for themselves and for us, and lit the torch of freedom for nations then unborn: Grant that we and all the people of this land may have grace to maintain our liberties in righteousness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. (BCP, Pg. 242)

 

A Home Run for the Heart: Shay’s Unforgettable Day

I’m not sure if this story is true, but it has a great moral. I saw this, and it touched me.

Normally, people will email me a good, old-fashioned, clean joke, but not this morning. Read this, and you won’t regret it.

Two Choices:

What would you do?… You make the choice. Don’t look for a punch line; there isn’t one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the same choice?

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:

“When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection.

Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn or understand things like other children.

Where is the natural order of things in my son?”

The query stilled the audience.

The father continued,

“I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled, comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.”

Then he told the following story:

Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, “Do you think they’ll let me play?” I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father, I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence in being accepted by others despite his handicaps.

I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, “We’re losing by six runs, and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team, and we’ll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning…”

Shay struggled over to the team’s bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son’s acceptance.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay’s team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.

In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay’s team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base, and Shay was scheduled to be at bat next.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn’t even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay’s life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact.

The first pitch came, and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly toward Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.

The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.

Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman’s head, out of reach of all teammates.

Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, “Shay, run to first!”

Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

Everyone yelled, “Run to second! Run to second!”

Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.

By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball. The smallest guy on their team now had his first chance to be the hero of his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher’s intentions, so he intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third baseman’s head.

Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home. Everyone screamed, “Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way, Shay!”

Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base and shouted, “Run to third!”

As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams and the spectators were on their feet, screaming, “Shay, run home! Run home!”

Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.

“That day,” said the father softly, tears rolling down his face, “the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world.”

Shay didn’t make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

 

AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY:

**We all send thousands of jokes through email and Facebook without a second thought, but when it comes to sending messages about life choices, people hesitate.

The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.

If you’re thinking about copying this message, chances are that you’re probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren’t the “appropriate” ones to receive this type of message. Well, I believe that we all can make a difference.

We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the “natural order of things.” So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice:

Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity, or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?

A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats the least fortunate among them.

Death of a Noble Republic

By Robby McCasland

January 6, 2021

I was conceived as an idea on the green fields of Lexington and Concord with the blood of patriots and a shot heard around the world.

I was born in the July heat of Philadelphia through a declaration of immortal words, noble ideas, self-evident truths, and Creator-given rights.

I very nearly left this world because of the cancer of slavery and bled of the disease on long-forgotten fields and plains.

I grew into a broad-shouldered land that spread from sea to shining sea with vast prairies, mighty rivers, and majestic mountain ranges. I became a great industrial powerhouse with inventive, tireless children blazing trails for the iron horse into untamed lands.

I’ve sent my beloved children to fight for freedom and the rights of man, with many finding eternal sleep beneath foreign soil.

I reached for the stars and walked on the moon while achieving great innovations in science, industry, and technology.

As I have grown old, the immortal words, noble ideas, and self-evident truths that brought me into this world and have sustained me have become despised by many I love. In despising these things, many of my cherished children have come to hate me and want for my demise. They stab at my heart with the daggers of anarchy, socialism, and communism, causing deep, gangrenous wounds. They find me deplorable and detest my very existence while praying I would pass away, forgotten by history.

As I lay here dying from my wounds with a broken heart, they spit and hurl insults at my failing form. 

I have often wondered how I, a noble Republic, would leave this world. Would it be a peaceful passing? Would it be to the mournful, honored sounds of Taps? Alas, no. I, a noble Republic, the shining city on the hill, am passing without honors, without praise, and without peace. I am passing to the sounds of mocking, riotous destruction, lying politicians, and moral cowardice. I am passing from a world turned upside down where right is wrong and wrong is right. A world undone by the lust for power at all costs. A world gone mad with no moral truth. With each labored breath and each hateful sound, my life force slips away.

Freedom’s ring fades in the distance, replaced by riotous screams of anarchy. The once bright, shining light of the city on the hill is extinguished. On the hill, demonic flames dance amid the lawless destruction. Leaders corrupted by power and avarice trample my once revered creeds. The noble words and ideas of my fathers are remembered and honored no more.

While in their place, words and ideas that enslave and destroy have taken root. Generations of sacrifices and treasure laid at the altar of freedom are forgotten.

Now, I am despised and reviled, an abomination to many of those I have loved and nurtured. My heart breaks at what I see has become of my children. And, from a broken heart, I, a once noble Republic, am to die. Not destroyed by my enemies, but rather, slain at the hands of my own children. My passing was tearfully mourned by but a few. From the dust of history, I arose, and with my last breath, into the dust of history, I return.