Category Archives: Current Issues

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God, Strengthen Those Who Suffer For Your Name

52 Simple Prayers for 2018

William Barclay wrote, “Jesus promised his disciples three things—they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy, and constantly in trouble.” Even as you read these words, there are untold numbers of Christians around the world who are in trouble—they are being persecuted simply for their belief in Jesus as Savior and Lord. And yet, incredibly, in the face of unspeakable suffering, they fearlessly follow Christ and endure their persecution joyfully. The world is not worthy of them. What say we pray for them today!

A Simple Prayer for the Persecuted Church:

God, release supernatural strength and unsurpassable peace to those in your flock around the world who are suffering great trial for their steadfast faith in you. May they never feel alone. May they know beyond any shadow of doubt that you stand by their side—and that I do, too. Give them an impartation of courage to live out the word of their testimony. Infuse them with a heavenly vision of what is to come for those who do not throw away their confidence, so much so that they will love not their lives even unto death. And should you privilege them with the gift of martyrdom, may their blood be the seed of the church. I lift the persecuted church to you and ask that you would speak, “well done, good and faithful servant,” in their hour of trial.
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The Unlikely Instruments of God’s Justice

ThanksLiving: 365 Days of Gratitude

God rules, and earthly leaders, both good and bad, are still in the hands of the Almighty as he directs the affairs of this world to a conclusion that he has foreordained. Not even Satan in all his ugly designs fails to perform God’s holy purposes. Hang on to that in these evil days: God rules!

Going Deep // Focus: 2 Kings 9:6-8

Then the young prophet poured the oil over Jehu’s head and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I anoint you king over the Lord’s people, Israel. You are to destroy the family of Ahab, your master. In this way, I will avenge the murder of my prophets and all the Lord’s servants who were killed by Jezebel. The entire family of Ahab must be wiped out.

Sometimes God choses a blunt instrument to carry out his justice. Jehu was just that; he was God’s hammer. He was not a nice man; in fact, he was brutal. He had a tornadic reputation: “The watchman exclaimed, ‘The messenger has met them, but he isn’t returning either! It must be Jehu son of Nimshi, for he’s driving like a madman.’” (2 Kings 9:20). Everybody seemed to know how Jehu was wired. As a commander in the king of Israel’s army, he was a fast-moving tornado looking for a flimsy house.

And God has ordained that tornado to hit the household of King Ahab. Now Ahab was already dead, but he had been wicked beyond the pale, and his surviving wife, Queen Jezebel, was even worse. Furthermore, the children this unholy duo had spawned were evil to the core as well. And after multiple warnings through multiple prophets—Elijah, Elisha, Micaiah (1 Kings 22:9) and others, God’s patience had finally run out. There was going to be a payday for the sins of the household of Ahab, and that payday would come through Jehu.

Once Jehu was turned loose, two kings (King Ahaziah of Judah was in the wrong place at the wrong time and paid for it with his life—1 Kings 9:27-29), one queen, and a whole bunch of priests were slaughtered. Truly, Jehu the Tornado left widespread devastation. He was God’s blunt instrument of justice.

Have you ever considered that in our day some of the ungodly people that get elevated to public leadership may just be God’s kingdom instruments as well? Have you mourned over the election loss of a good person when such a blatantly bad candidate got the job? I have. But while our temporal desires and short-sighted wishes may not have materialized, God is still on the throne. And he is still directing traffic from his eternal perch here on Planet Earth. And the president, or governor, or mayor do not get elevated to office without the permission of God. Yes, even the bad ones. Daniel spoke of this when he and his Hebrew buddies were facing intense pressure because of the demands of a brutal, evil Babylonian king by the name of Nebuchadnezzar:

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. (Daniel 2:2-21)

Even Jesus, looking down the barrel of a Roman crucifixion, told Pontius Pilate, who thought he held Jesus’ fate in his hands,

You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. (John 19:11)

Keep that in mind the next time you are depressed over the election of a blunt instrument. It may just be God’s way of bringing his will to bear upon a world that has drifted far from his ways. I know it doesn’t sound too hopeful, and it may sound like I am being fatalistic about elections—I am not. What I am simply saying is that no matter what, God rules.

Yes, God rules, and leaders good or bad are still instruments in his hands as he directs the affairs of this world to a conclusion that he has foreordained.

Going Deeper With God: The next time you are upset or depressed about things your leaders are doing, remember this verse that I am suggesting that you memorize today: 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. (Daniel 2:2-21)

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God Is Still Watching

ThanksLiving: 365 Days of Gratitude

“He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight.” The book of 1 Kings repeats that phrase in describing every king who ruled in the northern kingdom of Israel. In the Lord’s sight—God was watching! Do you think God has changed? Does he not watch what presidents do in their inner chambers, or what they think in their hearts, or what they do to lead a nation either toward or away from him? Of course he does! Thomas Jefferson wrote, “I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever.” Perhaps today we should tremble before God in repentant prayer for our country.

Going Deep // Focus: 1 Kings 16:30

But Ahab son of Omri did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, even more than any of the kings before him.

1 Kings 16 is not a fun chapter to read, unless you are a history addict. Otherwise, it paints a pretty bleak picture of what is going on in Israel during the run of kings described in this chronological narrative. While Israel’s cousin to the south, Judah, was concurrently enjoying forty-one years of godly reign under good King Asa, the northern nation had a succession of five very nasty kings that covered a span of sixty years. To make matters worse, there were evil kings before this chapter, and evil kings after—in fact, the northern kingdom did not have one single righteous ruler. But at the top of the heap of evil was King Ahab, the final king described in this chapter.

Each of the kings—Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri, and Ahab are each described with the same exact phrase: But he did what was evil in the Lord’s sight.” For Ahab, the writer adds, the evil was “even more than any of the kings before him.” Literally, things were going from bad to worse for Israel—with both king and people willingly participating in increasingly blatant, unspeakable sinful practices that caught the eye of God.

And therein lies the operative phrase in this chapter: “in the Lord’s sight.” The persistent, in-your-face-sinfulness against God could not be ignored, and divine judgment was building in the counsel of the righteous Godhead. Judgment would come to each of these wicked kings, who would all die an ignominious death; and a day of reckoning like no other was building that would ultimately take the nation of Israel into exile from the land of promise God had given their ancestors, a homeland to which they would not return.

God was watching! Do you think God has changed? Does he not watch over the earth today like he did back then? Does he not watch what kings and presidents do in their inner chambers, or what they think in their hearts, or what they do to lead a nation either toward or away from him? Of course he does! And while it took two hundred years for devastating judgment to come to sinful Israel, it came. It will come to nations today, as well. It may take similar lengths of time, but there will a payday someday. Perhaps the next day of reckoning will be the final payday, the Day of the Lord, but judgment comes to nations that deliberately rebel against the rightful ruler of all the earth.

What is true for nations is true for persistently sinful people, too. While modern people do not want to hear of it, God is a just and holy God. He never winks at sin. He will not withhold judgment, for to do so would impugn the very character that makes him God. It is a sobering reality, but it is reality. And those who embrace the reality of judgment are the ones who will escape it.

But what is equally true about this just and holy God is that he also longs to forgive the sins of people. He lives to offer reprieve for our sin. And he has made a way for total forgiveness through our acceptance of the propitiatory sacrifice of his Son, who died on the cross to take away our sins. And the thing that he has built into our existence to continually and powerful remind us of this is his patient delay in executing judgment and his daily kindness in providing us with life. Romans 2:4 says,

Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

Every time you read a harsh chapter like 1 Kings 16, I hope you will remember that. God is “being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” (2 Peter 3:9) It is true: God’s certain judgment reminds us of God’s patient kindness.

So remember, God is watching. That is what a loving God does!

Going Deeper With God: Make sure you offer your life to God for cleansing today. And pray for your nation, that God’s patience will lead it to repentance!

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Man Up!

ThanksLivingThanksLiving: 365 Days of Gratitude

Gender is under assault in our culture: manhood is emasculated, femininity ridiculed or clownishly sexualized, and childhood obliterated. Christians need to stand against that demonic doctrine by offering living proof of the Creator’s brilliance in designing us male and female, and by giving our children the path to grow into biblical manhood or womanhood in loving, protecting, nurturing, stable homes where God’s Word is honored.

Going Deep // Focus: 1 Kings 2:1-4

When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son. “I am about to go the way of all the earth. So be strong, act like a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’”

Most of the commentaries you read on 1 Kings 2:2 skip over the line, “act like a man.” There are likely many reasons for ignoring it, but in the modern era where great energy is expended and demands are made to neutralize gender difference, my guess is one of those reasons is that pastors and theologians want to avoid any hint of political incorrectness.

But if God is unchanging—which I believe, and the Word of God is true—which I believe, and if scripture speaks with relevance, sensitivity, grace and fairness to every age and culture, including ours—which I believe, then what about this line? Did God through King David just tell the king-elect, Solomon, to “man up”? Yes he did! The Apostle Paul said similarly in 1 Corinthians 16:13,

Be alert, stand firm in the faith, act like a man, be strong.

Now if you use a modern thought-for-thought translation of the Bible, like the NIV or the NLT, which I think are wonderful options for reading God’s Word, they leave out the phrase, “act like a man.” As an aside, that is why it is not a bad idea when you study a passage to compare translations, like the ESV or the HCSB, which are excellent word-for-word translations (see https://www.biblegateway.com as an excellent online option for side-by-side Bible translations). But the point I want to make is that in the Greek text, the word for man is there—it is andridzomahee, which most definitely refers to masculinity.

So does the Bible recognize gender differences? Yes—God made us male and female, and we are to celebrate God’s design. No matter what a our crazy culture insists on today (believe me, it will be different tomorrow, and worse!), God’s Word is unchanging, perfect in all its way, and will lead us to “prosper in all you do and wherever you go,” as David said to Solomon. God has built in to humanity differences that are existential. If you don’t believe me, just hang out with me while my little grandsons are at my home. Boys are very different, intrinsically, from the little girls my wife and I brought into this world.

But does the Bible promote male superiority? Not a chance. You will never find that in scripture, including here, and if you do, you are fundamentally misreading God’s Word—and that misreading is a grievous error. It just so happens that in the two instances I’ve quoted where men are told to “act like a man,” the conversations happen to be with men. If the speakers were talking to women, they would say, “now act like a woman.” Similarly in scripture, sometimes people that are being childish are called out for “acting like a child” or “acting like an infant.” Nothing more is meant to be read into the author’s words. Simply put, men are called to biblical manliness in the sense that they are to courageously and confidently pursue the mission that God has assigned them. That is what it means to “man up.”

So what were David and Paul saying to the male listeners standing before them at that moment? Simply this: the walk of faith to which you are called is not for the feint of heart, so be courageous; put on your big boy pants and do the right thing. If you do, God will bless you. If you don’t, you are going to get run over. If you won’t, then get out of the way.

We are at a time in our culture where maleness is being emasculated, femininity is either put down or clownishly sexualized and childhood is being obliterated. As Christians, we need to stand against that demonic doctrine by offering living proof of the Creator’s brilliance in designing us male and female and then giving us the path to grow into biblical manhood or womanhood through the process of childhood in loving, protecting, nurturing homes that honor God’s Word. We will be going against the grain if we live out this orthodoxy, but it will be the only way to save our kids and our culture. And it will take from us, male and female, what both David and Paul called forth:

Now man up!

Yes, man up, and put mature courage on display before a watching world!

Going Deeper With God: The best witness to God’s design in a culture that has “exchanged the glory of God” for caricatures of the divine design (Romans 1:23) is to display through your daily life God’s ideal for human beings. Today, with God’s help, being living proof of an all-wise Creator.

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The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Universe

There Comes a Time When You Need to Approach The Bench

We need to do what we can to uphold justice in our world, but there comes a time, for sanity’s sake, that we must turn all the evil and injustice to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Universe. One day, maybe sooner, perhaps later, he will hold court, and then every evil intent and wicked act will be brought to light, judged, and the sentence will be pronounced.

Read: Psalm 140 // Focus: Psalm 140:12

“I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.”

King David was one of the most amazing leaders in human history. Flawed, certainly, but skilled, talented, brilliant, creative, courageous, inspiring, visionary and successful like few other leaders of men. Even still, David had his detractors. They were there from the beginning to the end and at each step in between nipping early and often at David’s credibility and authority to lead.

Even at the zenith of his reign in what has been called the Golden Age of Israel—when everybody should have been on board with David’s program, there were evildoers woven into the fabric of Israel poticallly, militarily, culturally and spiritually who promoted wickedness and perpetuated injustice. But David knew that ultimately God was the Great Discerner of human motives and would reveal the wicked intent of their heart sooner or later. Though it may not have seemed like it at the moment, he was confident that God would come to the rescue of the poor and innocent, and would bring about Divine justice to all who were oppressed.

King David did what he could as the king to promote justice, but even he had his limits. And when David reached those limits, he would make his appeal to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Universe, God himself. That was the only way David could maintain his sanity as a leader in a sea of evildoers and injustice.

That is a good idea for you and me as well. We need to do what we can to uphold justice in our world, but there comes a time for sanity’s sake that we must turn all the evil and injustice to the Chief Justice. One day, maybe sooner, perhaps later, he will hold court, and then every evil intent and wicked act will be brought to light, judged, and the sentence will be pronounced. But this calls for great perseverance and patience on our part. James talks about this in his New Testament epistle,

“Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! (James 5:7-9)

When circumstances are uncontrollable, when people are unchangeable and when problems are unexplainable, James says, “practice patience!” Why? Because God is in control! James says, “Be patient…stand firm…don’t com-plain, because the Lord’s coming is near.” Furthermore, practice patience because God rewards it. In James 5:11, he says, “As you know, we consider blessed those who’ve persevered.” And finally, practice patience because God is at work. James goes on to say in verse 11 says, “You’ve heard of Job’s perseverance, and you’ve seen what God finally brought about. He’s full of compassion and mercy.” Job couldn’t see it, but God was working. And while you might not see how God is working, he is. Clouds may block your view of the sun, but the sun still shines behind the clouds, so God is at work even when you don’t see it.

So the next time you’re tempted to get discouraged about all the injustice that is beyond your scope of authority, either in the world at large or in your personal world, don’t grumble about it. Take it to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Universe.

Making Life Work: Who or what is trying your patience at the moment? Turn it or them over to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Universe. How? Sit still: “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him to act.” (Psalm 37:7) Reject anxiety: “Don’t be anxious about anything…” (Philippians 4:6) Meditate on truth: “Think about what’s trustworthy and true.” (Philippians 4:8) And practice casting: “Cast all your cares on him.” (1 Peter 5:7)

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A Christian Nation?

Some time ago, Newsweek magazine headlined with “The End of Christian America”. While you may or may not agree with that, what most Christians do agree on is that America desperately needs another great awakening! But that awakening will not come through the next presidential election or different Supreme Court justices or an economic revival or a military victory over terrorism; it will only come as believers act like believers are supposed to act, starting with humbling ourselves in prayerful repentance, then offering loving obedience to God and Christ-like engagement with the world. Which means that America’s next spiritual awakening depends on you. So let me ask you this: If you were the only Christian left in the U.S, and the spiritual renewal of our nation depended on your witness, what hope would there be for America?

Making Life Work
Read: Psalm 79 // Focus: Psalm 79:6

Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your name;

Some time ago, Newsweek magazine headlined with “The End of Christian America” while President Obama explained to the Turkish people that America is not a Christian nation.

Technically, you could make that argument. For sure, there are a lot of Christians and churches in America—which I believe to be the catalyst for the unprecedented greatness of America—but from a birds-eye view, when you look at America culturally, politically, internationally, morally, judicially, and spiritually, what does the evidence tell you?

Biblically, you can see the danger of mistaking our national politics for the true faith. Just because we hang the Ten Commandments in a courtroom or have “In God We Trust” on our coins or claim deeply spiritual roots doesn’t guarantee the “Christian-ness” of America. Just go back to any number of places in the Old Testament and see how that mindset worked out for Israel.

But while it might be technically and Biblically true that we’re not a Christian nation, to do so with the sense of pride that seems to be behind these pronouncements should cause us, one and all, a great deal of concern. You see, spiritually, any nation, including the great nation of America, that does not acknowledge God or call upon his name are candidates for Divine wrath, according to not only this particular psalm, but a whole host of other Biblical teaching as well. Pride in our spiritual diversity now will one day cause our corporate knees to go wobbly as we stand before the judgment of Almighty God. Those who are so bold today will not be on that day!

For the president, the leader of the free world and our national spokesman, to proclaim that America is not a Christian nation should ignite a holy conflagration among Christians. But not, perhaps, in the way you think. The fires of revival will never burn again in America because of political or social activism. Don’t forget that! That is not to say you should disengage as a political or social activist. By all means, if that’s your deal, go for it!

What America needs most is another great awakening! And that will only happen as believers act like believers and churches act like the church is supposed to act. That will only happen as we, both individually and corporately, humble ourselves in repentance and prayer (II Chronicles 7:14). As the great revivalist, Charles Finney said, “There can be no revival when Mr. Amen and Mr. Wet-Eyes are not found in the audience.” Renewal will only happen as we truly live out our faith in deed, not just in word. Renewal will only happen as believers begin to clean up their act. The next great spiritual awakening in America will only happen when Christians get serious about penetrating this society as salt and light.

Making Life Work: So let me ask you this: If you were the only Christian left in America, and the spiritual renewal of America depended on your witness, what hope would there be for America? Sounds like you need to get with it! Me, too!

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Petros Network Alert: Martyrdom In Project Oromia

Gire Daba: Martyred For Preaching The Gospel

Our Petros Network Missionary, Gire Daba, was martyred on Wednesday (3-9-2011) at his home. He had been commissioned and sent just this past November along with his family to a very remote and un-reached village in the West Shewa Zone of the Oromia Region in Ethiopia.

Gire presented the gospel message and many people received Christ.  In just three months, Gire’s church grew to over 40 people. He recently conducted an evangelistic outreach and some people from the Ethiopian Orthodox persuasion became very angry with him.  While Gire was praying with his hands outstretched in supplication for some people who had come to his home, a gunman burst in and shot him.

Gire has faced opposition since his arrival in the village.  Just since November, he has been jailed two times by the local leaders, simply for preaching the gospel.

Please pray for Gire’s wife and four children, as well as for the strengthening of these new converts in the midst of persecution.

It is believed that the killer was angry because his wife was one of Gire’s new converts. This husband had harassed Gire while he conducted the evangelism conference.  His wife accepted Christ and for that, he savagely beat her.  Pressuring her to recant, she refused, saying, “no, I love Jesus. I won’t deny him.”

The angry husband then banished her from his home, found Gire and shot him to death.  Our faithful witness, Gire Daba, has received the martyr’s crown!

Although we grieve for Gire’s family and church, we know that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. May the Church of God expand all the more in that village, in West Shewa, and may all of Ethiopia soon belong to Jesus Christ.