Respect Your Weapons of Fasting and Prayer!

I hope you didn’t look at the title and discount this blog because you saw fasting. Hang in with me. I’ll explain why I chose this topic after battling with it myself for over a month.

Each week, I wait on the Lord to reveal a topic to write on and He never lets me down. Sometimes it’s at the last minute. Other times, I look for more confirmation, especially if it’s a hard one to tackle and maybe not one I’m eager to apply myself!

Dave and I watch Flashpoint on Victory News Channel. Pastor Gene Bailey, who hosts the program, has been encouraging the “Flashpoint Army” of viewers to join a Corporate Fast for our nation from February 5th through the 25th. I felt a tugging in my heart every time I heard him talk about it. I struggled with the Lord. With my health could I actually fast?

Then last Wednesday morning, January 31st, I opened my email and saw CBN was covering live the 2024 National Prayer Breakfast in DC, so I decided to watch. The keynote speaker was Senate Chaplain Barry Black. He started by saying he wasn’t a speaker, he was a pastor, and so his message that morning would be from the Bible. His topic was fasting!

Now, I knew God was trying to get my attention! He wanted me to share about fasting with all of you, who like me, have been praying for a spiritual revival and reformation in our churches, nation, and government. Or maybe you need a spiritual breakthrough in your life. I’ve shared in previous blogs about my ongoing battle with our local library to remove inappropriate obscene books harmful to children. I’d prayed continuously (1 Thess. 5:17), but I hadn’t fasted.

I told my husband the Lord wanted me to not only write about fasting, but also join the 3-week Flashpoint Corporate Fast. His initial response, “You might lose more weight!” Now to some that might seem like a good thing. In my case, I need to maintain my weight so Dave had a legitimate concern.

Some of you might have health issues that don’t allow fasting food for extended periods, but you could fast a meal, do a liquid fast, or fast a favorite food or activity. Chaplain Black said many at the Capitol join him in the Wesley Fast and Prayer on Wednesdays when they fast until 3 pm. John Wesley originally advocated fasting on both Wednesday and Friday as a weekly spiritual discipline and wouldn’t ordain anyone into the Methodist ministry unwilling to fast both days.  But later, he only fasted once a week starting at sundown Thursday and ending at 3 pm on Friday. That seems doable.

There’s nothing magical about those days. If another day of the week works best for you then pick that if you want to only do a one-day weekly fast. Be flexible. Listen to the Holy Spirit so you don’t focus more on the fast than the reason for it—to draw closer to God and hear the Holy Spirit more clearly.

Fasting doesn’t always have to be food. Maybe it’s something that has a grip on you like screen time, television, news media, social media, junk food, or even caffeine and fasting it would be a significant sacrifice.

Why Fast?

Intermittent fasting is a popular diet regime, but spiritual fasting isn’t about weight loss, it’s about spiritual gain. Food has power. Food motivates. Food addicts. Food controls. We’re often willing to spend more time and money on our food purchases and preparation then we spend on our time with the Lord. Esau traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a bowl of stew!

Fasting helps us crave spiritual food from God more than physical food from the refrigerator or pantry. Fasting intensifies the powers of our prayers. Fasting is more dependent on faith than any other spiritual discipline. When we fast, we believe that God’s going to show up. We hunger and thirst for righteousness and knowledge more than food and drink.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matt. 5:6

Many describe fasting as a lifting of the fog of fear, doubt, uncertainty, and worry revealing clarity of vision on what God wants us to learn from His Word and the Holy Spirit.

Fasting is often portrayed as hard and painful. It is a form of self-denial, but the purpose of spiritual fasting is to focus on God instead of what you’re fasting. Every time you go for the remote or to check social media or grab that snack or cup of coffee, instead you stop and pray for God to have more sovereignty over your time, mind, and body than food or the outside world.

Your desire becomes more for God than the object of your fast. Many testify that fasting and prayer, not one or the other, is the most powerful effective spiritual road to revival. We know we need revival in our country and in our government, but maybe it’s revival in your home or in your life.

Examples of Fasting and Prayer in the Old Testament When Seeking God’s Intervention for Their Nation

Moses: This happened when I was on the mountain receiving the tablets of stone inscribed with the words of the covenant that the Lord had made with you. I was there for forty days and forty nights, and all that time I ate no food and drank no water. 10 The Lord gave me the two tablets on which God had written with his own finger all the words he had spoken to you from the heart of the fire when you were assembled at the mountain. Deut. 9:9-10 NLT

Nehemiah: When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven. (Neh. 1:4 NLT) On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads. Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors. They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God. Neh. 9:1-3

Esther:  “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.” Esther 4:16 NLT

Daniel: So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting. I also wore rough burlap and sprinkled myself with ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: “O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands. Dan. 9:3-4 NLT

In the third year of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia, Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar) had another vision. He understood that the vision concerned events certain to happen in the future—times of war and great hardship. When this vision came to me, I, Daniel, had been in mourning for three whole weeks. All that time I had eaten no rich food. No meat or wine crossed my lips, and I used no fragrant lotions until those three weeks had passed. Dan. 10:1-3 NLT

Jonah:  The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow. Jonah 3:5 NLT

Examples of Fasting and Prayer in the New Testament.

Many have falsely claimed that fasting was only a spiritual discipline for the Old Testament, but the Bible contradicts such a fallacy. I don’t know why we don’t hear more sermons on fasting.

Jesus: For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. Matt 4:2 NLT

Anna There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child [Jesus] to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:36-38

Paul: He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink. Acts 9:9 NLT

Church Elders: One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way. Acts 13:2-3 NLT

Paul and Barnabas: Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. Acts 14:23

 The disciples fasted after Jesus ascended into heaven, as should we as His disciples: One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, “Why don’t your disciples fast like we do and the Pharisees do?” 15 Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. Matt. 9:13-15 NLT

Examples of the Thompsons Fasting

  1. Our first year of marriage blending a family was horrific. Without keeping Jesus at the center of our marriage, we would’ve never made it. On Mondays, we did a liquid fast and prayed for our family and protection from the enemy. We were both working and would call each other during the day for encouragement. Those Monday liquid fasts drew us closer to the Lord and to each other and helped us not just endure, but experience victory!
  2. When my daughter Kim and her then fiancé Toby accepted Christ in a premarital course we gave them as an engagement gift, we prayed and fasted for them to want to be baptized. Dave fasted tortilla chips, a daily bread of life for him to this day. I was addicted to Diet Coke, so that’s what I fasted. Soon Kim and Toby both started asking about baptism and Dave and I helped baptize them two weeks before their wedding. Dave went back to eating tortilla chips; I never drank another Diet Coke. The Lord removed the desire.
  3. Two of our daughters and their husbands experienced infertility. Dave and I both fasted all sweets and desserts as we prayed for the Lord to let them become parents. We didn’t tell anyone what we were doing, as we never did, according to Matt. 6:16, 18 NLT And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get . . . Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. But after not even eating birthday cake on our own birthdays, the family started noticing. After many months, Shannon became pregnant and had a baby boy, but Kim still wasn’t a mommy, so we kept on fasting and praying. Seven months later, Kim and Toby adopted our grandson Brandon, and the night they picked him up she called and told us to go out and have a hot fudge sundae!

“When praises go up blessings come down.” 2 Chron. 20:5-6

The Thompsons 2024 Fast

Dave and I are uniting with the Flashpoint Corporate Prayer and Fast to take a stand for biblical changes in our nation, culture, and world. Following is Flashpoint’s prayer list. The last four items I added, and this is not an exhaustive list for us.

  • Prevention of anti-God government decisions
  • Closure of the wide-open Southern border
  • The large number of supporters, especially in colleges, of the horrific Oct. 7 attack on Israel
  • What our children are being exposed to in schools and libraries
  • The unabashed censorship and attacks on Christians and biblical ideals
  • End abortion entirely
  • Remove men from women’s sports
  • Stop the gender confusion and mutilation of our children and end transgenderism
  • Removal of obscene and pornographic books from our local library

Together, from Feb. 5-25, we will set our faces toward God in order to bring about breakthrough. Why three weeks? Due to stubborn national and global strongholds, an extended time of fasting is necessary. They say it takes 21 days to change your life, to change your story. It takes 21 days of repetitive confession to change an inner narrative. We’re hoping to change our country. Also, Daniel fasted for 3 weeks.

What Flashpoint and We Are Believing for, Nationally and Globally, in this Fast:

  • An awakening to God in the Body of Christ
  • An awakening to God in Israel
  • An awakening to God in America and the nations
  • Fair 2024 elections
  • Ministry breakthroughs
  • Personal breakthroughs
  • Preparing for all that is coming

Pray and seek God for what He might be asking you to lay aside during a fast. Take that time to allow the noise to be silenced so His voice can be heard more clearly. Allow God to pinpoint the things He’s asking you to surrender.

The battle is not ours; it belongs to God. But we’re in the Lord’s army and fasting and prayer are weapons He’s given us to use towards victory. Fasting isn’t a way to get a better response to prayer. True fasting is a means of fostering a humble, repentant approach to prayer.

“He can turn our crisis into conquest. Release the power of your praise before the victory is won.” Chaplain Barry Black

Other Resources

PS Sorry this was long, but I always like to post the text of the Scriptures I’m referencing.

I’m so interested to read your comments on this article. Please leave a comment here.

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Truth Tellers Become Stronger; Liars Become Weaker!

If you follow my blogs, you know I’m a diligent proponent of truth, especially Christians sharing biblical Truth, to combat the manipulative lies coming from a government trying to control and dominate us by vilifying God and Christian values. It’s tragic watching so many good people mesmerized by lies they never question because they’ve heard them repeated so often. That’s the strategy of liars. That’s the strategy of Satan. Sadly, it’s working!

For example, you hear from mainstream media, and even the President and Vice President, that police officers were killed on January 6. That’s a lie. Not one police officer was killed that day! However, a Capitol police officer murdered one petite unarmed MAGA woman, Ashlie Babbitt. There was a hurried behind doors investigation, and the officer who shot her was praised instead of fired.

I could go on, but hopefully most of you are seeking discernment and praying for God to show you truth amongst the tsunami of lies. Do your own research. Seldom will you hear the truth from the liberal-leaning mainstream media.

Tucker Carlson is a Conservative populist news anchor my husband and I had come to trust to investigate and boldly report the truth substantiated by facts. If he reported something incorrectly, he humbly apologized and often injected humor with a characteristic laugh. Last Monday, to the shock of his followers and glee of left-leaning news outlets, liberals, and socialists, FOX News with no warning “parted ways with Tucker Carlson,” their #1 commentator and reigning cable TV news program not only on FOX, but across all media outlets!

Maybe you never watched Tucker Carlson Tonight or even care what happens to him, and that’s all right too. But as a Christian Conservative Patriot, I care about what’s happening to America and the nation we’re leaving to our children and grandchildren. I feel called to speak truth to lies as God reveals them to me. I hope you do too!

I enjoyed Tucker and learned from him because he was unafraid to push the envelope by tackling topics other journalists avoided. Most recently, I commented to my husband that Tucker was talking a lot about God and depicting the culture as “trying to become their own gods.” He didn’t talk about Republicans vs Democrats, or red vs blue, he characterized cultural events as good versus evil! I often shared his monologues on my social media because he was saying truth that every American needed to hear.

He also championed citizens abused by government policies or inaction and gave many of them an opportunity on his program to tell their stories. He knew that some would be attacked just for being on his show and he commended them for their bravery offering, “God’s speed.”

There was a reason why Speaker McCarthy gave the January 6 complete videos to Tucker because he knew Tucker wouldn’t be afraid to expose truths hidden from the public and that’s exactly what he did. Or tried to do. On the first night, he showed Jacob Chansley being escorted around by the Capitol police, a video which had never been shown to even his lawyers! Chansley was quickly exonerated from his 4-year jail sentence and has just filed a motion to vacate his conviction stating that “Due process rights were clearly violated.” Why was that vindicating video hidden during his trial?

Tucker showed another man moving guardrails and encouraging people to go into the Capitol, who was never jailed and didn’t appear in the congressional committee’s choreographed videos, unlike so many others who are languishing in prison without trials.

But the second night when Tucker was supposed to reveal more of the videos, I sent a note to him that I was disappointed he didn’t show anything new like he had promised. I wondered if he was constrained by higher ups at FOX listening to Chuck Shumer on the Senate floor telling them to fire Carlson. Why shouldn’t we the people be able to see all the videos? What truths were they hiding that go against their “insurrection” narrative?

Then several weeks ago, Jason Whitlock was a guest on Tucker’s show and began quoting Scripture. Suddenly, just as Tucker asked him another question, they cut to a commercial before Whitlock could answer. I started to have my suspicions that something was amiss at the once conservative FOX News.

How to Know the Truth? Those Who Censor and Suppress are Lying!

Often, Tucker and other FOX hosts said they weren’t censored by the network and could say whatever they wanted. I could see that changing on other FOX programs, but Tucker wasn’t acquiescing to censors or critics. He was becoming even bolder about exposing truth and calling out lies. He even talked about the cultural spiritual warfare we’re encountering and depicted atrocities in terms of evil versus good.

The Friday night prior to his Monday departure from FOX, Tucker keynoted at the Heritage Foundation and his speech was prophetic. I encourage you to listen to it in full here, but I’ll give you just a couple insightful quotes.

“The herd instinct is maybe the strongest instinct. It may be stronger than the hunger and sex instincts, actually. The instinct, which again is inherent, to be like everybody else and not to be cast out of the group, not to be shunned — that’s a very strong impulse in all of us from birth. And it takes over, unfortunately, in moments like this, and it’s harnessed, in fact, by bad people in moments like this to produce uniformity.”

When he used the term “this,” he was referring to what’s happening in our culture and country today. He continued.

There is a countervailing force at work always. There is a counterbalance to the badness. It’s called goodness. And you see it in people. So for every ten people who are putting ‘he and him’ in their electronic JPMorgan email signatures, there’s one person who’s like, ‘No, I’m not doing that. Sorry, I don’t want to fight but I’m not, like, doing that. That’s a betrayal of what I think is true. It’s a betrayal of my conscience, of my faith, of my sense of myself, of my dignity as a human being, of my autonomy – I am not a slave, I am a free citizen, and I’m not doing that. And there’s nothing that you can do to me to make me do it. And I hope it won’t come to that, but if it does come to that, here I am. Here I am. It’s Paul on trial. Here I am.’”

He could only be referring here to the Apostle Paul who refused to back down when the authorities told him to stop sharing the Gospel. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? 20 We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:19-20

Tucker then talked about the power of truth vs the weakness of lies.

“The truth is contagious. And the second you decide to tell the truth about something, you are filled with this – I don’t want to get supernatural on you – but you are filled with this power from somewhere else. Try it. Tell the truth about something. … The more you tell the truth, the stronger you become.”

“The more you lie, the weaker and more terrified you become.”

He called out evil.

“There is no way to assess, say, the transgenderist movement with that mindset. Policy papers don’t account for it at all. If you have people who are saying, ‘I have an idea: Let’s castrate the next generation. Let’s sexually mutilate children.’ I’m sorry, that’s not a political debate … but the weight of the government [and] a lot of corporate interests are behind that.”

“None of this makes sense in conventional political terms. When people or crowds of people … decide that the goal is to destroy things, destruction for its own sake – hey, let’s tear it down – what you’re watching is not a political movement; it’s evil.”

“I’m merely calling for an acknowledgment of what we’re watching.”

Carlson stressed that abortion zealotry, like the transgenderist movement, is a theological phenomenon. He has said before that it’s becoming its own religion, a cult.

“If you’re telling me that abortion is a positive good, what are you saying? Well, you’re arguing for child sacrifice, obviously. … When the treasury secretary stands up and says, ‘You know what you can do to help the economy? Get an abortion.’ Well, that’s like an Aztec principle, actually.”

There’s much more to his speech. Again, I hope you’ll listen and understand better why Tucker was where Dave and I turned to get accurate news that others wouldn’t touch because these were the same truths that he was sharing on his news show. He wasn’t afraid of not being politically or socially correct. You’ve heard me say many times that Christians cannot just bury our heads in our churches on Sunday morning and literally let the world go to hell around us. That’s not what God wants us to do.

Tucker ended his Heritage Foundation speech by imploring his audience to pray: “Maybe we should all take just like ten minutes a day to say a prayer about it … and I hope you will.”

During his speech, Tucker said that he didn’t know why more people didn’t tell the truth. Maybe they were afraid of being fired he suggested. Ironically, or maybe prophetically, he was fired three days after giving this speech. We don’t know the details yet. Maybe he quit. Although it seemed he was preparing his Monday night program when he got the call it was over with no explanation.

“@TuckerCarlson has been engaging in the best journalism on TV uncovering and exposing the truth. This is a huge loss to Fox News” texted Senator Ron Johnson.

Let’s take ten minutes to pray that God will find a better place for Tucker Carlson to expose the truth and also to grow his faith as we’ve recently seen with another “celebrity” Kirk Cameron. Like Tucker, Kirk isn’t afraid to go against the culture to speak the truth to evil as he’s been on a tour to libraries sharing his new children’s book As You Grow about the Fruit of the Spirit. He wrote an opinion piece “Here’s what my tour around America taught me about the weird, woke, and wicked!” I encourage you to read it also. Here are a couple of quotes from Kirk.

“Our forefathers and foremothers would offer this culture-preserving advice from the Bible: ‘Train up your children in the way they should go. Husbands, love your wives. Wives, honor your husbands. Love God and one another sincerely, from the heart. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Honor one another above yourselves. Don’t be lazy, but work hard. Rejoice in hope . . . be patient in trouble . . . and keep on praying. Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.’ (Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 5: 25,33; Romans 12:9-21)”

“If you’re a parent, if you long for a return to wholesome, God-honoring values . . . if you want to salvage this country and its biblical values for your children . . . stop complaining about the culture. Instead, be brave and start creating the culture you want for your children. Lead by example. Show your kids and grandkids what genuine faith and moral integrity look like. Steel your God-given backbone.” 

“Let your love for your children conquer your fears. Use your own home as a safe place to lovingly uproot the power of evil in your neighborhood. . . . Plant seeds of truth, beauty, and goodness.” 

Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Ephesians 4:25 ESV

So we have a journalist and an actor telling us what every pastor should be preaching to his congregation and every Christian should be espousing and living. Truth combats evil; lies foster evil.  Going along with evil as a Christian is counterintuitive and living a lie. Ignoring evil is cowardly. Doing the right thing is good and courageous. God is truth and hates lying.

Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight. Proverbs 12:22 ESV

Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit. Proverbs 12:17 ESV

Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment. Proverbs 12:19 ESV

Abby Johnson is a pro-life advocate who spent years working at Planned Parenthood believing Satan’s lies that a baby in the womb was not a life worth saving before the Lord opened her eyes to the horrific killing of unborn babies by abortion. Now Abby shares the truth with other deceived nurses and doctors to free them from those evil lies. She says, “I am willing to offend you into heaven, but I will not love you into hell.”

 In a video tweet two days after his firing, Tucker Carlson said, “When honest people say what’s true calmly and without embarrassment, they become powerful. At the same time, the liars who’ve been trying to silence them shrink. They become weaker. That’s the iron law of the universe: True things prevail. Where can you still find Americans saying true things? There aren’t many places left, but there are some and that’s enough. As long as you can hear the words, there is hope. See you soon.”

When asked after his speech at the Heritage Foundation what’s the first thing you should do every morning, Tucker quickly replied, “Tell the people around you ‘I love you!'”

Don’t fret because of evildoers; don’t envy the wicked. 20 For evil people have no future; the light of the wicked will be snuffed out. Proverbs 24:19 NLT

We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. Ephesians 4:14-15 NLT

If you received this blog by email, please go to the link here and leave a comment on the website. I read and reply to every comment. I want to hear from you, and you don’t have to agree with me.

If you didn’t see my About His Work Ministries newsletter for April, here’s the link.

Opening picture courtesy of “Prayers of a Ragamuffin Prayer Warrior.”

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Let’s Take the Gospel Viral

Often, in comments on my blog, or sent in private emails or messages, I’m commended and thanked for boldly sharing the Gospel and revealing the evil in our culture. Recently, someone wrote and thanked me for my boldness and passion and encouraged me to keep sharing the words she felt the Lord was giving me. “You’re a voice in the wilderness,” she said.

I thanked her, but jokingly reminded her of what happened to John the Baptist who was the original voice in the wilderness and ended up with his head on a platter. I asked her for prayer as I continue to write blogs, books, speak, and have a presence on social media for presenting the conservative Christian voice and viewpoint.

When responding to similar comments on my blog, or included in my blogs, I challenge, “Where does God want you to be bold?!” It’s the responsibility of every Christian to speak truth to evil and articulate God’s perspective in contrast to the world’s ways in our conversations and actions.

Speaking truth to evil wasn’t just my assignment from God, it’s the call to every believer. That means you if you’re reading my words right now.

Every Believer a Minister!

Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive[a] so that you will have the right response for everyone. Col. 4:5-6 NLT

For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory. Col. 1:27 NLT

Ministry isn’t restricted to within a church or a Christian organization – ministry is a lifestyle. How you live daily displays the Gospel to the many who may never read the Bible or hear about Jesus.

I remind everyone: Go be a voice in your own wilderness. I can only reach the people in my sphere of influence, and maybe a few extra when someone shares my posts, blogs, or books. But God is speaking to each of you just like He speaks to me. Every Christian has the Holy Spirit living inside of us. You have an audience all around you.

You don’t have to write a blog or books, have a website, be a public speaker, or even be on social media. You have friends, neighbors, family, co-workers, mentees, mentors, a community, church . . . where you can speak boldly to support our Savior, our Gospel, our country, and take a stand against the lies and atrocities plaguing our government, schools, families, and precious children.

Paul Gave Us Wise Counsel in His Letter to the Thessalonians

In 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, Paul was commending the church in Thessalonica for their evangelism and outreach. For we know, brothers and sisters[b] loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.”

Let’s stop right there. Paul is saying if you know the Gospel, then God has chosen you to share it because you now have the Holy Spirit with the knowledge and compassion for unbelievers who will experience the tribulation and be thrown into the lake of fire if they haven’t repented when Jesus returns!! That should wake everyone up who loves people, maybe even a relative.

Paul goes on to say: You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.

Substitute in your own state, city, county for Macedonia and Achaia. Are you a model to all believers and unbelievers in your sphere of influence? Would people know you’re a believer by your words and actions?

Here’s the verse that holds the power you have as a Christian in this very fallen world. The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. 1 Thessalonians 1:8

We must ask ourselves if our faith in God is known everywhere, not just with our fellow church worshippers, but with everyone we talk to and every place we go. A big calling you say? Well Jesus and Paul both tell us it’s completely doable with the power of the Holy Spirit living in each Christian’s heart.

Paul concludes his praise of the Thessalonians with: Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

Is that what Paul would say about your church? Right now, we live in a world consumed by evil and the tragedy is the deafening silence of so many pastors, Christians, and churches. We’re letting this happen right around us for fear of being canceled or targeted by those who have fallen prey to Satan’s schemes. Well, if we don’t speak up, then whom?

This is not a political battle; it’s a spiritual battle not being fought between Republicans and Democrats but between good and evil, believers and nonbelievers. If we truly believe that God is on our side, then what can mere man do to us? Do you believe that?

 In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise—11 in God I trust and am not afraid. What can man do to me? Psalm 56:10-11

When I wrote Forsaken God? Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten  and Everyday Brave: Living Courageously as a Woman of Faith, encouraging Christians to make a difference in our culture, I had no idea how fast our country would be moving toward destruction. I could see the atheistic direction the progressive liberals were leading the culture and our nation that was festering a great divide between conservatives and liberals, but I expected a better response from the church.

Conservative Christians need to find their voice and take the initiative to push back on evil liberal progressive socialists trying to push God out of America and become their own gods. Good can never unite, deny, or compromise with evil. It’s time for a revival of God in America and that starts with you, me, and our churches!

Jesus came to seek and save the lost and when He returned to heaven, He left us with the Holy Spirit to guide and lead us to continue His work here on earth. We all come from a background of some kind of brokenness before we knew Christ, sometimes even after, but that doesn’t negate our calling in fact it helps us relate better to those who are struggling now like we did in the past. Just like Paul says in his testimony, once I was blind but now, I see.

Every Believer Anointed!

Christians don’t live with superiority; we live with authority straight from our Creator in Matthew 28:18-20. “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

The door is still open to maintain our religious freedoms, but Satan is working hard to close it. We’ve actually seen Roe vs Wade reversed and Planned Parenthood defunded and moved out of many states including in Idaho, but now Satan is trying to divide children from their parents and rob the innocence of the young.

This is our time. This is our moment. Don’t waste it. Let your faith in God and the Gospel go viral. Let revival and restoration of the Truth begin with you! When Jesus returns for His church, the door will close on heaven for all unbelievers.

 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. Rom. 13:11

“Blessed Lord, teach us to surrender ourselves unreservedly to the Holy Spirit . . . So we are in You, and You work through us.” Andrew Murray

You Can’t Avoid a Tornado When It’s Coming at You!

Hal Lindsey has wise words for encountering those who supposedly hate Jesus and thereby hate His followers. Hal says our goal is not to outwit them or make them look foolish, but to win them to Christ.

“We must not respond by hiding. We should not hide our eyes, pretending that this is just another societal phase, and that all things continue as they have from the beginning. Neither should we hide by retreating into our homes, never venturing beyond our “safe” neighborhoods, and by hunkering down in churches that refuse to engage the world.”

Hal continues, “When a tornado is ripping apart your home, hiding your eyes does not make you safer. There comes a point when you can’t pretend that everything is normal. If a church preaches God’s word, Satan’s world system will attack it. Your neighborhood may seem quiet on the surface, but it is almost certainly being invaded by drugs, pornography, and hate.”

Hal reminds us: “Hiding is fear-based, and our response must be faith-based. Understand what’s going on. But don’t forget that the most important part of any situation is that the God who created all things is still in charge. So, do what He says.”

Jesus gave us explicit instructions. “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” Matthew 5:44 NKJV

If you received this blog by email, please leave a comment here on the website. I read and answer all comments.

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Christians, You Each Have Your Own Jesus Revolution Testimony to Tell!

11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 1 John 5:11-12

I’m sure by now you’ve seen the movie Jesus Revolution, plan on seeing it, or heard about it. If you haven’t seen it, I encourage you to go now, or if that’s not possible, read the interviews and reviews people are sharing on social media and watch a trailer. Without a doubt one of the most professional Christian movies I’ve seen told with raw vulnerable frankness. A true story of a generation who had tried everything from sexual promiscuity to LSD and was still searching for “truth” and fulfillment. Their desperate quest eventually led them to find truth in Christ alone.

The movie tells how Pastor Chuck Smith and Greg Laurie meet during the “Jesus freaks” movement initially led by hippie Lonnie Frisbee in the late sixties and early seventies in Orange County, California that spread across the United States and changed the world. “Jesus Revolution” graced the cover of Time Magazine five years after their cover asked, “Is God Dead?”

Pastor Chuck, as he was fondly known, was pastoring a dry failing church until he opened his heart and his church doors to a generation hungry to know Jesus. A revival and revolution blew open the doors of his church as the congregation overflowed into a tent to accommodate not just the hippies but everyone eager to hear about the saving grace of Jesus through His sacrifice for them.

A seventeen-year old Greg Laurie with an alcoholic mother married seven times but never to his father, tried escaping his painful home life in the drug culture where he meets his girlfriend Cathe. Both were searching for “truth” in all the wrong places. When they watched Cathe’s sister almost die from drugs, Cathe convinces Greg that maybe they should investigate what this Jesus movement says about truth.

When you see evangelist Pastor Greg Laurie today leading Harvest Church and Ministries you might never expect to hear the life he led before accepting Jesus as his Savior. Like so many of us with sordid backgrounds, he shares his testimony openly and honestly to give hope to others who might think they could never be forgiven for their past or used by God.

Pastor Greg says today, “I hope my story can inspire young people in difficult circumstances to know that God can intervene in their life and change their story. We don’t determine what hand we are dealt in life — but we do determine how we will react to it.”

How Dave and My Life Intersected with Pastor Chuck and Pastor Greg!

If you’ve read my book Praying for Your Prodigal Daughter: Hope, Help & Encouragement for Hurting Parents, you know I had my prodigal backsliding years after divorcing my daughter’s father. For seventeen years, I was a prodigal raising a prodigal. I became a Christian after the murder of my CHP father when I was ten. I lived out my faith until I went into the world as a successful businesswoman and single mom. I continued going to church and taking my daughter, but I wasn’t living the Christian life or being a good role model for her.

When she turned sixteen, it became apparent I needed to change because she was following my wayward choices. I also told God I wouldn’t date another man I didn’t think was from Him and I joined a small group at church. There I met Dave and we started dating, but I soon broke up with him because I thought he might be too good for me.

He was persistent and kept asking me out, so finally I went to a Harvest Crusade in Anaheim Stadium with him. This was now 1992 and Pastor Greg Laurie was fulfilling the prophecy that Lennie Frisbee had made over him in the early 70’s that one day Greg would be speaking to thousands! Dave and I attended the third Harvest Crusade and Pastor Greg was indeed speaking to a stadium that holds 50,000 people when Pastor Greg asked the audience, “If you died tonight, are you ready?”

I knew I wasn’t! As Crystal Lewis sang “Come Just As You Are,” I went down with hundreds on the stadium floor rededicating my life to the Lord and telling Him this prodigal had returned. I would go where He led. I had no idea the plans the Lord had for me to become a Christian author and start a Woman to Woman Ministry that is still blessing women today. Praise God, He never gave up on me!

That night Dave and I sat in the parking lot until it emptied talking about our relationship when I heard God say to me, “You asked for this godly man and I gave him to you. Now rededicate yourself to this relationship.”

I did and we were married five months later, December 19, 1992! I had heard on the radio that Pastor Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel was hosting a Caribbean cruise and I suggested to Dave we go on the trip for our honeymoon. We had asked God to help us meet other Christian couples, and even though this wasn’t our home church, we were open to wherever the Lord led us. It was so fun because we were the “honeymooners” on the cruise!

Soon two of Dave’s kids came to live with us and we would go to the Monday night meetings at Calvary Chapel depicted in the Jesus Revolution movie that were still continuing all those years later. Dave and I also went each year to the Harvest Crusades as counsellors to those surrendering or re-surrendering their life to Christ. It was such a joy when Pastor Laurie brought Harvest Crusade to Boise, Idaho last year and our church took a bus down from our mountain community.

There’s Power in Letting God Use Your Testimony!

“Your mess can be turned into a message and your test into a testimony.” Greg Laurie

While waiting to enter the theater to see Jesus Revolution, Dave and I started chatting with a group of three women. They didn’t know anything about Pastors Chuck or Greg, so I shared some of our story with them. When I asked what church they attended locally, only one answered. When the movie was over, I saw the woman who had said she went to church on her knees in front of one of her friends who was crying. I knew she had just given her heart to Jesus because of the powerful testimonies in the movie of real-life searches for truth found only in Jesus. Salvation offered not just during a movie or revival, but available to each of us in our personal lives.

I started to walk by them, but the Holy Spirit prompted me to stop and give them a group hug. Then the Lord led me to make the following statement: “Because the movie takes place in Orange County California where Dave and I both lived for many years, it brought back such memories seeing all the beautiful places and beaches we knew so well.” Then I said, “This movie gives me such hope for California. If God did this once, He could do it again!” They agreed.                        

There’s no greater witness to God’s goodness than sharing what He’s done in your life. No one can question your testimony because it’s your personal Jesus Revolution experience. Once I was lost, but now I’m found by the saving grace of Jesus my Lord and Savior. A revival or a revolution can start with one person. The joy and peace found in Jesus is contagious.

In Forsaken God? Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten, I share two biblical testimonies of King Nebuchadnezzar from the Old Testament and the apostle Paul from the New Testament. Both of their testimonies are recorded in the Bible and they each humbly shared their story publicly to influence others to trust in God’s goodness available to all sinners.

King Nebuchadnezzar tells of his prideful attitude thinking he was greater than God in Daniel 4. Paul shares his testimony in Acts 22:1-16 that he was formerly a Jewish religious zealot persecuting Christians until he met God on the road to Damascus. King Nebuchadnezzar’s and the apostle Paul’s testimonies are examples and encouragement that God can change anyone’s heart: once I was prideful, now I am humble. Once I was blind, now I see!

As we mature spiritually, we move beyond just remembering God’s goodness for our own benefit and start retelling our testimony to help others. We all have varied testimonies in our life in addition to our salvation testimony.

I never tire of telling my story as HIStory.

You may not think you have a testimony if you’ve been a Christian most of your life and life has gone smoothly, but God has been walking beside you guiding your life every step of the way. That’s your testimony to others who worry about losing something by turning their lives over to God. You’re a living example of how good God really is!

Maybe you have a hidden past you’ve been too embarrassed to talk about, but now is the time to deal with those buried hurts and hang-ups.

Like Pastor Greg and me, God redeems your spiritual revival story by surrounding you with people who need to hear your past, so it doesn’t become their future.

It’s the opportunity to give purpose to a crisis.

God will bring people across your path and the Holy Spirit will prompt you to share, just like He did with me and the ladies in the theater.

Every day you encounter opportunities to share your Jesus Revolution testimony, and every time you tell it, you’ll remember how good God has been to you and offer hope to others!

REVEALING IS THE FIRST STEP TO HEALING.

Your story doesn’t have to have a “happy ending” for you to share it. Someone might need to hear that even though things didn’t go like you hoped, God has been faithful and He will be in their life too.

When people ask me how I’ve made it through life’s difficulties, the best answer is, “I couldn’t have done it without God.” That’s your best answer too. It opens the door to share your story . . . your testimony.

YOUR STORY BECOMES YOUR TESTIMONY WHEN THE FOCUS IS ON GOD, NOT ON YOU.

It’s not a “tell all” and it’s not a time to tell someone else’s story. Stick to details that pertain to you.

Don’t dramatize how bad you were; characterize how good God is!

When anyone tells me about an encounter with God, or a memorable circumstance in his or her life, I always ask if he or she is writing it down because God is going to use it as a life-experience revival testimony.

Pray for God to give you the opportunity to share your testimony often and authentically.

“I would hope people realize that God is still in the business of changing lives. What happened to us some 50 years ago can still happen for people today.” –Greg Laurie

But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do. —Ps. 73:28 NLT

If you received this blog by email, please leave a comment here. I’d love to hear your Jesus revolution story.

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Why Is Biblical Citizenship Important?

 “We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” ~ Elie Wiesel

More Americans voted in 2020 than in any other presidential election in 120 years. About 67% of eligible voters cast ballots that year, but that still means a third did not. That amounts to about 80 million people who stayed home.

My Faith Votes website is one of the places I go to learn more about candidates and elections. Their goal is to get Christians across America more engaged in the political process – 90 million Christians in America are eligible to vote, but as many as 40 million fail to vote in Presidential election cycles. And 15 million are not even registered to vote! 

Jason Yates, CEO of My Faith Votes, appeared on an edition of CBN News’ Faith Nation. Some people say churches should stay out of politics, but Yates says Christians should be involved in the political process and I agree.

“Our honorary national chairman is Mike Huckabee and said to me [Yates], ‘Do you do your dishes? Because if you don’t do your dishes and you just turn your back on it the stack of dishes is only going to grow and the stench from all your dirty dishes is only going to grow, so what you’ve gotta do is roll up your sleeves and do the dishes.’ And I think that’s a perfect analogy for what we’re doing here,” Yates explains. “We can’t just ignore it. We have to bring the good of our faith, the values of our faith into the election process, into the civic square.” [15M Christians Aren’t Registered to Vote: Churches Across US Participating in ‘Voter Registration Sunday’ | CBN News]

As Christians, we enjoy the unique privilege of dual citizenship of an earthly nation and God’s heavenly nation. While this earth is not our permanent home and we prepare for our eternal heavenly home, we have a responsibility now to be participating citizens. That involves not only living by the laws of the land but also participating in selecting those who govern our families and country.

Though we belong entirely to Christ, we do not on that account renounce our citizenship in the earthly nations, any more than we leave our earthly families. Indeed, we seek to be good citizens, for those earthly nations themselves, and their rulers, received their authority from God (Rom. 13:1-7).” ((John M. Frame, “Toward a Theology of the State,” Westminster Theological Journal 51:2 (Fall 1989), 221.)) As quoted by Gary Demar in his article, What Does the Bible Say About Citizenship?

We need to do our part as American citizens to make sure we elect men and women of integrity who pledge to honor God’s ways in their authority as government and school officials.

Some Christians might think they’re only passing through life as pilgrims and strangers to this world as they await their home in heaven and, therefore, have no purpose, desire, or reason to become involved in the operation of this world. In other words, avoid all civil activities, including voting. But that couldn’t be further from the way God wants us to participate in this gift He gave us of life!

When Christians subjugate their civil responsibilities, evil rules over our lives and our world. We’re watching that right now, as I reiterated in last week’s blog, There’s Hope for America Breaking Free From Demonic Paganism!

God gave us life to make a difference, each and every one of us! That’s why I’m so thrilled to see many Christian Conservatives running for office and school boards and I pray many of them win. Our Founding Fathers based the Constitution and Bill of Rights on biblical values. They got involved in politics and set the example for generations to follow.

Our children and grandchildren are depending on us to research and vote into office principled people who will stop our country from heading into Communism. None of us want our children to grow up brainwashed and in a country ruled by dictators. We can’t just sit by and sit out elections.

The godly Apostle Paul saw no contradiction in claiming his Roman citizenship (Acts 16:37-3922:22-29) and maintaining that he was also a citizen of heaven (Phil. 3:20). There is no contradiction in Peter’s words when he commands us to submit ourselves “to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right” (1 Peter 2:13–14) and his words to the officers of the temple when he and the apostles said, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

Vote with Knowledge and Integrity

More than 25 million Christians, who are registered to vote, do not vote in Presidential elections. More than 65 million Christians do not vote in their local elections. That’s an appalling number that could have changed the outcome of numerous elections had these Christians gotten engaged as American citizens and cast their vote!

We’re earthly citizens of several regions, a city, county, state, and nation, and we should vote and be concerned about how we’re governed in each of those areas. As Gary Demar explains using Paul as an example, “the Apostle Paul was a Roman citizen (Acts 22:27‑29) of the city of Tarsus in the region of Cilicia (21:39) and a resident of Jerusalem in the district of Judea (22:3). Had Israel not been subject to the sovereignty of Rome, Paul could have exercised his tribal citizenship as a resident of the “tribe of Benjamin” (Phil. 3:5). Paul had multiple civil citizenships. The concept of a single citizenship has more in common with pagan Greece than with biblical Christianity.”

We have a Primary election in Idaho on May 17 and many of you have similar upcoming elections in your states or may have already had it. As disillusioned as we were with the 2020 election, we must still get out and vote, but also do our part to keep elections fair, legal, and uncompromised. Many concerned and engaged citizens are working on that right now in individual states.

I have mentioned to you before about the Victory Channel program Flashpoint, which I hope you watch on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Every Christian Conservative that we’ve encouraged to watch Flashpoint have become faithful viewers. This program looks at current events from a Christian prophetic viewpoint and brings to light some of the darkness you won’t see revealed on any of the mainstream media programs. For that reason, like many conservatives, they’ve been canceled from most social media outlets, but you can watch them live on their TV program and also receive informative emails and join the “Flashpoint Army.”

“FlashPoint focuses on pertinent issues currently facing America and delivers news and commentary under the anointing—encouraging evidence and hope that God is indeed working to bring about His plans and purposes during these turbulent times. Join us every Tuesday and Thursday at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT.”

True the Vote has been researching and documenting the fraud that took place in 2020. Here is the opening on their websiteTruetheVote.org. “Our election processes are vulnerable from beginning to end—and those vulnerabilities are being exploited by groups who subvert our elections to serve their own purposes. The best way to protect voters’ rights is to equip citizens for service. That’s what we do. Now, that’s what you can do, too.” Their website offers ways you can get involved to keep elections uncompromised!

True the Vote partnered with Dinesh D’Souza to create the recently released documentary 2000 Mules. I encourage all of you to watch this movie and tell others about it. You can watch at Dinesh (locals.com) and SalemNow.com where DVD’s are also available for sale.

Rigged2020.com is another revealing documentary on the undeniable cheating that occurred in the 2020 election.

If you’re interested in helping in your local elections to keep them fair and honest, check out Electionintegrity.vote—“Fair and secure elections start with you! We help you use your voice to change your state laws and make elections fair and secure.”

Here are some additional websites to investigate, become involved, and encouraged that yes, we are called on to participate and partner in biblical citizenship to protect and personify our country’s motto: In God We Trust!

American Family Association–AFA. I receive their encouraging emails keeping me informed about world events, how to pray for our country and families, and voter information about candidates.

iVoterGuide.comYou enter your state and location to get a sample ballot. I love their maxim: “Grounded in God. Rooted in Research.” They have given Republican candidates a survey and share their answers along with providing background information i.e. where they go to church and where they rate in Conservatism.

MillionVoices.org is another site mobilizing Christians and they provide voter guides: Change Policy, Influence Policymakers – Million Voices. “We are led by John Graves, a lawyer, an influencer in politics, a business entrepreneur, and a Christian voice in the confusing world of politics. We got into politics because we were sick and tired of our voice not being listened to in all areas of policymaking: local, state, and national.”

Million Voices mobilizes pastors and people of faith and freedom. We are an Association of Churches focused on communicating guiding truths through cultural apologetics and political discipleship. We have served and mobilized thousands of traditional brick-and-mortar churches across the nation and non-traditional churches.

My Faith Votes says “One in three Christians don’t vote consistently!? We’re on a mission to motivate and equip Christians to Pray, Think, Vote in EVERY election.”

We have Dual Citizenship: we represent God on earth as it is in heaven!

The apostle Paul used all his privileges of Roman citizenship when he appealed to be tried before Caesar, “If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!” Acts 25:11

We know that Paul used this appeal to advance the gospel and to bring more people into heavenly citizenship and we should do the same!

In other situations Paul found himself, he often expressed his dual citizenship on earth and in heaven:
The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”

“Yes, I am,” he answered.

Then the commander said, “I had to pay a lot of money for my citizenship.”

“But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.

Those who were about to interrogate him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains.” Acts 22:27-29

Paul also said, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” Phil. 3:20-21

PRAY! VOTE! PRAY MORE! GET INVOLVED HOWEVER THE LORD LEADS.

The Lord is coming soon and don’t let Him find us uninvolved and uninterested in the world in which He placed us.

As God’s partners,[a] we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.”[b]

Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.

We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. 2 Cor. 6:1-4 NLT

Join me in a prayer I pray every morning that I am an active contributor and initiator of God’s will done on earth as it is in heaven! (Matt. 6:10)

Please let me know if you’ve found other faith-based organizations dedicated to fair and honest elections.

If you received this blog by email, please leave a comment here.

PS Some followers have pointed out that the blog has been coming through small on their cell phone, but if you turn your phone sideways to read, it will have larger print.

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A 2021 THANKSGIVING Prayer

Many of you read my blog regularly, some are new followers. Even though we may never have met, while others I know quite well or we’ve had the opportunity to meet and fellowship together, I want you all to know that when I write this Monday Morning Blog or my monthly newsletter, you are on my mind. I’m wondering what you’re thinking about world events and how I can encourage you with the Word of God.

Often you tell me that a particular blog was just what you needed to hear and we both know that it was God using me as His messenger. To God be the glory. I appreciate all of your comments and always acknowledge with a response.

As I read Paul’s letter to the Philippians, I noticed the heading for Chapter 1:1-11, 27-28 in the NIV translation: Thanksgiving and Prayer. I thought how appropriate to personalize this passage as my Thanksgiving Prayer for all of you.

My Thanksgiving Prayer Personalized from Paul’s Letter to the Philippians in Chapter 1

Adapted from Philippians 1:1-11 (NIV and NLT)

To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus . . . Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Every time I think of you my dear family, friends, peeps, church family, readers, blog/newsletter followers, brothers and sisters in Christ, fellow authors and speakers, I give thanks to our God. In my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the first day you heard it until now. And I am certain that God, who began a good work within and through you and me, will carry it on until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

So it is right for me to feel this way about all of you for you have a special place in my heart. Whether I am chained to the computer writing the next book, blog, or newsletter, or defending and confirming the gospel and the value of mentoring, all of you share in God’s grace and ministry with me. We’re connected spiritually through prayer, praise, communication, and social networking. God knows how much I love you and long for you to be blessed with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus.

And this is my prayer: That your love may overflow more and more and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to focus on what really matters, so that you may be able to discern what is best for you and those you love and cherish, and live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—as you guide, encourage, parent, serve, and mentor others. Be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

Live a Life Worthy of the Gospel. Live as Citizens of Heaven. Adapted from Philippians 1:27-28 (NIV and NLT)

Whatever happens, above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I know you personally or never meet you but only hear about your great work, I will know that we stand firm in one Spirit, and one purpose, fighting together as one for our faith, which is the Good News of the Gospel. Don’t be frightened or intimidated in any way by those who oppose or offend us. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that even God himself will save us.

For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this battle together. You and I have struggled in the past, and we’re very much still in the midst of it, but don’t lose hope. Jesus will be back soon! Praise God, Hallelujah!

Personal Message From Janet

This Thanksgiving, and every day, go and represent Christ to a depraved and fallen world, so that because of your witness and sharing the Good News of Jesus there will be more saved than lost (“destroyed”) when Christ returns. We see how eminent His return could be as we watch our world seemingly spinning out of control, but we also remember that God is always in control and He is close to all who seek and love His guidance and direction.

Let’s make this Thanksgiving a day filled with joy, peace, and gratitude for the many blessings we each have because we serve a great and glorious God who will never leave us or forsake us.

Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him. Ps. 95:1-2 NLT

Let this be our prayer together as we gather with others this Thanksgiving: For I decided that while I was with you, I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. 1 Cor. 2:2 NLT

I thank God in remembrance of each of you.

Happy Blessed Thanksgiving,

Janet

PS: You may have noticed that there was no Monday Morning Blog last Monday, November 15. We had a hectic week prior and enjoyed a wonderful time with guests visiting with us from California over the weekend and I just ran out of time and energy. Occasionally, I will take a break and I’ll try to give you warning, so there also will not be a blog the Monday after Thanksgiving, November 29. But I will post my monthly free online About His Work Ministries Newsletter on that Monday. If you don’t already receive the newsletter, you can sign up on my website or contact me and we’ll add your email address.

Here are several previous Thanksgiving blogs for your enjoyment:
Love Your Body—How to Survive Holiday Eating
Love Your Body—Give Yourself the Gift of Health

If you receive this blog by email, please leave a comment here and share what you’re thankful for this year. I read and respond to all comments.

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Yes, You Can be Biblical and Political

Have you ever considered that a large portion of the Bible is political?

Look at the names of some Books in the Bible: Judges, 1 and 2 Kings, and Romans.

The Bible is replete with stories of political leaders called and used by God to work with Him in advancing His kingdom on earth and biblical heroes who engaged in politics for the good of the people.

Moses opposed the political rulings of pharaoh and Moses’ persistence against unjust rulings eventually freed the Israelites from political bondage.

The Lord then raised up judges, some were very good and some were very bad, until eventually, the people had a bad King Saul, then a good King David, with many good and bad kings to follow.

Joseph, after many trials, was appointed to the political position of prime minister of Egypt saving the Egyptian people and his own family from a famine.

Esther could have stayed silent while a diabolical plot annihilated her people. But she rose to the occasion and got involved politically realizing she was born for such a time as this.

Daniel and his friends refused the mandates of the king to eat certain foods and later Daniel continued praying to God even when it was forbidden politically. God rescued him from the lion’s den and he went on to hold a prominent political position.

All the prophets boldly spoke out and warned against the impending doom and destruction awaiting the people by kings and politicians.

Nehemiah continued building the wall despite political opposition.

Paul was always taking a political stand against Roman magistrates. In Acts 16:22-24, the magistrates gave orders to beat Paul and Silas and imprison them for sharing the Gospel, but God redeemed their suffering and even the jailer and his family became Christians. Roman government officials were opposed to Paul but God always used it for good. Paul never backed down from calling out the political unjust laws and corruption that went against God’s laws.

John’s exile to Patmos by Roman politics gave us the book of Revelation.

Jesus NEVER cowered to the political opposition that plagued his ministry, even having a violent outburst in turning over tables of greed and corruption. He called out crooked and unjust politicians for their misdeeds and some like Matthew and Zacchaeus were saved.

Yes, the Bible is full of politics and I’ve only given you a few examples.

Our couples Bible study group is now reading Dr. David Jeremiah’s new book Where Do We Go From Here? How Tomorrow’s Prophecies Foreshadow Today’s Problems. Read the “political” chapter titles referred to in Bible prophecy:

A Cultural Prophecy—Socialism

An International Prophecy—Globalism

A Biological Prophecy—Pandemic

A Financial Prophecy—Economic Chaos

A Theological Prophecy—End Times People

A Political Prophecy—Cancel Culture

A Spiritual Prophecy—Spiritual Famine

A Geographical Prophecy—Jerusalem

The Final Prophecy—The Triumph of the Gospel

In the Introduction, Dr. Jeremiah, a modern-day pastor who understands the relevance of the Bible and politics, wrote what Christians must do: “We are not helpless, and our world is not hopeless. Even as the world collapses, the Lord is building His church. We can say something, do something, pray something, preach something, and live by the convictions of Christ.

Remember what Peter and John said when confronted by unjust politicians who wanted to silence them in Acts 4:

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 

18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

What the government tried to do to biblical heroes of the Bible like Paul, Peter, John, Silas, and Jesus they are trying to do to Christians right now and the Bible gives us the examples of what we need to do. Biblical love is deep in our heart but now we need to develop our inner courageous warrior that won’t back down or surrender to unjust political tyranny. We need to enlist and engage in the Lord’s army.

Christians Are Also Responsible American Citizens!

I love what Pastor Chuck Baldwin says in his article I Did Not Relinquish My Citizenship When I Became a Pastor. “One of the great fallacies in America today is the assumption that because one is involved in church ministry he is disqualified from being involved in political affairs. This is totally contrary to the values and principles that made this nation great. If one will read American history, he or she will discover that pastors and religious leaders had as much to do with fighting The War for Independence and bringing into existence this great republic as did the political figures of that day. Furthermore, most of the political figures in Colonial America were Christians.

Did you know that fifty of the fifty-five men who signed the Declaration of Independence were faithful member of organized Christian churches?! Deeply religious Christian men incorporated godly principles into our Constitution. Baptist pastor John Leland was an abolitionist and instrumental in the Bill of Rights. Presbyterian pastor, John Witherspoon, and many other Christians were influential in the founding of freedom in America. They were political Christians who loved the Lord and loved their country enough to get involved.

Have you heard of the The Black Robed Regiment? January 21, 1776, John Muhlenberg climbed into his pulpit in Woodstock, VA to preach wearing the black clerical robe, the traditional dress of preachers in the 18th Century. He read from Ecclesiastes 3:8 “There is a time of war, and a time of peace.” Then he removed his clerical robe revealing a colonial officer’s uniform beneath. He stepped out of the pulpit and challenged the men of his congregation to join him in the fight for liberty.

And there were more black-robed pastors just like him who took a strong stand for liberty and encouraged their congregations not to settle for anything less. The Black-Robed Regiment had its historical beginnings during the Revolutionary War when pastors from across the colonies arose and lead their congregations into the battle for freedom. 

There are modern-day Black Robe Regiments and I read this commentary on one of their websites: The Black Robe Regiment of Pastors.
“Unlike today, the church during this time served as the center-point for political debate and discussion on the relevant news of the day. Today’s church leaders have all but lost that concept of leading their congregations in a Godly manner in all aspects of their worldly existence and are afraid to speak out against the progressive agenda that has dominated our political system for the past century. Through this time the church and God himself has been under assault, marginalized, and diminished by the progressives and secularists.  The false wall of separation of church and state has been constructed in such a manner that most are unaware of its limited boundaries. The church and the body of Christ has been attacked on all fronts and challenged by the progressive courts and groups such as the ACLU while we have sat idle in consent.”

Every pastor needs to put on his “black robe” and boldly and bravely preach the Spirit of Truth. Raising their flock up to courageously prepare the world for the return of Christ and not passively succumb to a regime that is trying to silence objection and remove freedom of speech. Because even as we watch many companies denying religious exemptions from the vaccine mandates, it won’t be long before they come after the Bible which describes as sin much of what the woke world is embracing right now.

A man in a dress was just named the first “woman” four-start admiral in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.

A boy in a skirt was allowed to go into a girls’ bathroom and brutally rape and sodomize a 14 year-old girl and the school covered it up until her father was arrested at a school board meeting for trying to talk about this travesty. The boy was transferred quietly to another school where he raped another girl!

But that poor father only trying to seek justice for his daughter at a school board meeting was used as an excuse to label parents as “domestic terrorists”!!

The President of the United States laughs off our freedoms as insignificant in his insane tyrannical vaccine mandates.

What Is God Doing?

Have you wondered why God would let us come under the jurisdiction of such an evil corrupt administration? I’ve prayed about that and given it a lot of thought and there are those I respect who agree with me that God is unearthing the deep dark swamp as the world watches the un-American way they’re governing. I have to think that many of those who voted for Biden must be seeing the truth about him because they’re paying the same price at the gas tank as we are. They’re losing their jobs if they don’t get the jab. Their stores have empty shelves and they’re watching their grocery bill climb. Their kids are forced to wear masks at school. They can’t ignore the travesty and tragedy of Afghanistan and on and on.

The devil is overreacting thinking he’s got us now so he’s not trying to be coy or sly. But he underestimates the wisdom and discernment of God’s people.

Granted there are many who hated President Trump so much they would never admit the horror we’re watching come out of the White House every day. Sadly, I know of Christians who have been blinded, though it’s hard to imagine how they can’t see the reality that bumbling Biden is not capable of leading our country. There are handlers from the Obama administration and probably Obama himself who are pulling all the strings. But many are seeing the truth along with Independents.

If President Trump had won in 2020, the deep dark forces would’ve continued their devious efforts to make it difficult, if not impossible, for him to be successful in accomplishing what our country needs and deserves from a President. So maybe what we’re enduring is the Lord’s way of cleaning house in Washington DC.

Pastors and Christians must be willing to participate in a righteous rebellion against the affront on our Constitutional and religious freedoms the left is attacking. The Religious Restoration Act does not require us to legally prove our faith, but we do need to spiritually prove our faith with our actions.

Pastor David Jeremiah warned in Where Do We Go From Here? “Hopefully, we’ll be able to continue as law-abiding citizens of our various nations, but anytime the government tries to force us to violate our biblical beliefs, we have a responsibility to speak up.”

Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. Acts 5:29 NLT

Never underestimate the power of the church and of prayer! Be sure you’re in a church that prays together and mentors you in how to be a witness for Christ in a culture that wants to eliminate Him. Jesus can change society for good through his faithful people with a sense of civic responsibility who are strategically placed in neighborhoods, cities, counties, states, and the nation.

There are also currently Christians in Congress, Senate, Governors, local legislators and more will be running for office next year. They are biblical and political and praise God, they’re going into the Lion’s den to protect our liberty and freedom. We need to pray for them because they’re under spiritual and political attack. They need our support.

Plato noted, “One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.” 

With your help I can advance against a troop[a];
    with my God I can scale a wall.

31 “As for God, his way is perfect:
    The Lord’s word is flawless;
    he shields all who take refuge in him.
32 For who is God besides the Lord?
    And who is the Rock except our God?
33 It is God who arms me with strength[b]
    and keeps my way secure.
34 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
    he causes me to stand on the heights.
35 He trains my hands for battle;
    my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 2 Sam. 22:30-35

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Take the Spiritual Battle Seriously Don’t Become a Casualty!

When my prayer warrior hubby, Dave, hears about a Christian going through a tough time, he always asks, “I wonder if they’re prayerfully putting on the armor of God everyday?”

Anyone who knows us well knows that Dave and I have prayed the armor of God found in Ephesians 6:10-18 daily since the beginning of our twenty-eight years of marriage. We know that spiritual warfare is real; it’s not a myth! It’s a reality that the Lord speaks of clearly and often in the Bible. Yet, many Christians don’t realize that not only is this spiritual battle going on in our world, it’s also going on in our personal lives. It’s the battle between good and evil, Jesus and Satan, which will continue until the time of Jesus’ return.

When we take that first step of faith as believers, we automatically enter into the battle raging in the heavenlies and become Satan’s target. Satan hates Christians and the influence we can have on the culture so he does everything in his power to neutralize our influence and the role we allow God to play in our lives.

I’ve said many times that Satan wants our children and grandchildren, and we’re watching how openly and aggressively he’s going after them in the schools today. He knows his time is short, but he can do a lot of damage during whatever time he has left if we don’t stand in his way!

We shouldn’t let him intimidate us. Don’t succumb to his crafty wiles. Never give up or give in! Instead we take up the spiritual weapons our Great God has provided and implores us to use in victory over the enemy. Yes, you and I have assignments in God’s battle plan!

Praying the Armor of God

In Ephesians 6:10-18, the apostle Paul penned a prayer of protection known as the armor of God. Dave and I pray these verses every morning, which by now we have memorized, because we know that as Christians the enemy is going to put obstacles in our way and try to take us down. You’ve surely experienced some of those obstacles yourself, but verses ten to eleven encourage us to Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.” (NLT)

Ephesians 6:12 reminds us of something we often forget: “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” (NLT)

The good news for every believer is that we have access to a hedge of protection against Satan’s schemes, “Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Verse 17 NLT)

God assures us that we can trust him to fight the spiritual battle for and with us, we just need to engage and do our part and not be passive bystanders or victims.

Rather than trying to solve problems ourselves or find ways to combat what we might be experiencing in the earthly realm, our role is to call on God. “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” (Verse 18 NLT)

When we’re feeling fearful, worried, threatened, or stressed, we can prayerfully search the Scriptures to discover that God has already provided a safety hedge or shield of protection around those who trust and believe in him. It doesn’t mean the enemy won’t try to weasel into our life, but we know how to prevent his feeble attempts from penetrating our mind, heart, and soul.

Imagine yourself with a hedge of spiritual swords pointed up and surrounding you against any attempts of the enemy as you open your Bible to read God’s Word and pray each day.

Here are four hedge-of-protection prayers and sword-of-the-Spirit Scriptures to fend off and shield us from Satan’s schemes. Remember that verse 18 instructs us to “pray for all believers everywhere,” not just for ourselves.

1. A Prayer for a Hedge of Protection around Your Thoughts

Lord, you know how my mind wanders with what-ifs and should-ofs. These nagging thoughts keep me awake at night worrying and wondering about circumstances over which I have no control. I’m often angry and frustrated with world events and find myself brooding or depressed.

Father, please help me to focus on things that are lovely and beautiful. Let me see the good in people and not corrupt my mind with the discourse and divisive voices on social media or the news. Guard me against spiraling into the abyss of sinful harmful thoughts.

In your name, Lord Jesus, I prayerfully secure over my mind the “helmet of salvation” from Ephesians 6:17 and claim a hedge of protection against any lies, thoughts, and/or emotions inserted in me by Satan or his followers. Let me be exclusively open to your voice and available to do your will alone.

Guide me in seeking the mental hedge of protection from the Holy Spirit as he fills my mind with peace, joy, righteousness, compassion, and love. Amen

When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer. Psalm 94:19 NLT

Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield. Psalm 5:12

2. A Prayer for a Hedge of Protection around Your Actions

Oh Lord, I want my actions to be pleasing to you. My desire is to reflect the Holy Spirit residing in my heart. But I regret to admit that I don’t always think clearly and rationally before I act. When I rethink what I’ve done rashly, impetuously, or selfishly, I want a redo, but it’s too late. I can’t rewind or erase my actions.

I admit that my wrong actions are actually a sin against you Lord. I pray you will have mercy on me as you did on King David and teach me to walk in your ways so that I can say of you as David did in Psalm 62:6 (NLT), “He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.”

Lord, I pray that I would consider how my actions appear to others, especially the ones who look to me for direction and wisdom. Do they see you in me or is my pride and self-absorption more evident? I desperately want your light to shine through me. So Lord when I’m about to act in a way that is not loving or respectful, I beg you to give me a check in my spirit.

Protect me Father from temptation and falling into old patterns of behavior. Surround me with a hedge of caring people who will lovingly point out when I’m acting in a way unbecoming a Christian. Remind me that I am a new creation in Christ and place barriers to prohibit me from acting in a way that would grieve you. Amen

Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees! Psalm 119:5 NLT

The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. Psalm 121:5 NLT

3. A Prayer for a Hedge of Protection around Your Speech

Father, I want my words always to be pleasing to you, but I know when I speak impetuously or sharply you are not pleased. Oh, Lord, I need you to guard my tongue, even though James 3:8 (NLT) warns, “No one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison.”

I know what James says is true Father. I often seem to lack control over what comes out of my mouth. Only you can place a sentinel around my tongue to guard what I say and when I say it.

Lord, you gave me the gift of speech, which I watch brighten a face when I choose my words wisely, but I also see it bruise an unsuspecting victim when it cuts like a knife.

Your Word says that what comes out of my mouth, forms first in my heart so I need a hedge of protection to filter what’s allowed to take residence in my heart. Give me patience not to speak impetuously and wisdom to speak appropriately.

Weed out of my vocabulary ungodly words filled with poisonous vengeance, anger, meanness, harm, or pride. Fill me with grace, kindness, compassion, understanding, and love. Help me choose words and intonation worthy of being a Jesus-follower. Amen

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. Proverbs 4:23-24 NLT

But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. Psalm 5:11

4. A Prayer for a Hedge of Protection around Your Circumstances

Father, our universe is changing rapidly. Everyday circumstances subject us to what feels like an unstable insecure environment. We deal with issues we could’ve never imagined even six months ago. It seems like the world, and thus my life, is spiraling completely out of control. Each morning presents new calls for restrictions that would separate us from each other and the stability and freedoms we once knew.

Lord of Creation, I want to be brave and courageous, especially for those who depend on me to be strong and dependable, but I admit that I am fearful watching the norms I once took for granted crumble into chaos.

Help me find solace in turning each new day over to you. Remind me that nothing catches you by surprise. Just as your eye is on the sparrow, you watch over my loved ones and me. I know that you might not remove me from uncomfortable circumstances, but you will go through them with me. You promise to always be holding onto me with your righteous right hand and shielding me. Even as I walk through the darkest valley, your rod and your staff will protect and comfort me.

How fortunate I am to have a God who loves me beyond my expectations and imagination. Open my eyes Lord to visualize your spiritual hedge of protection like a solid wall surrounding me that Satan cannot penetrate or destroy in any situation or circumstance.

With you at my side and on my side, what can man do to me? Why should I fear? Thank you Lord for being my Rock, my Shield, my Refuge, my Hiding Place, my Fortress, my Protector, my Savior! Amen

The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. Psalm 121:5 NLT

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. Psalm 18:2 NLT

Be Not Afraid

God stands ready to protect us against what the Bible calls the world: a culture, way of thinking, and world system controlled by Satan. Since we must live in this world, we continually ask God to protect us from the way the world thinks, speaks, acts, and the ensuing circumstances of an evil culture.

It’s a continual process of separating God’s ways from the world’s way. We can never let down our guard or spiritual hedge, but when we trust omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent almighty God, he will lead, guide, and direct us. God stands ready with a spiritual hedge of protection to shield us from the world and to keep us from letting the world seep into our life.

How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world. Psalm 31:19 NLT

“May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.” Numbers 6:24–26 NLT

For the Lord is our judge, our lawgiver, and our king. He will care for us and save us. Is. 33:22 NLT

Note: Dr. Charles Stanley wrote a daily prayer, Dressing in Your Spiritual Armor, you might want to print out and incorporate into your daily quiet time.

Portions of this blog appear in a Crosswalk.com article I wrote August 5, 2020 4 Powerful Ways to Pray for a Hedge of Protection

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What Would You Sacrifice for Your Beliefs?

You’ve probably read or heard about Shelly Luther, the Dallas hair salon owner arrested for opening her business before the state of Texas approved the opening of salons. The judge gave her the choice of apologizing for being “selfish” or going to jail. She refused to render an apology saying it wasn’t selfish to want to feed her family. She went to jail, not for opening her salon, but for contempt of court because the judge didn’t like her answer.

I’m not defending her opening the salon early, but what struck me in that story was her courage to not deny what she felt was right just to avoid a penalty. She was bravely willing to go to jail rather than bow down to this judge’s demands for her to go against her convictions.

As I heard this story unfold, I wondered how many Christians would take that kind of a sacrificial stand for their faith? Their beliefs? If a judge said deny Christ or go to jail, would there be any hesitation on our part?

We might think that would never happen in America, but I’m sure Shelly never thought she would face that crossroads either just for opening the doors of her business. A business that supported her family, paid the bills, and provided a livelihood to other stylists in her salon. They had waited as long as they could; it was time to get back to work. Yet, there she was standing before a judge telling her to gravel or the gavel goes down. And down it went.

Other business owners have had local governments suspend their business license for opening their doors. I’m not advocating breaking the law, but there really is no law, simply executive orders at the whim of what a local government official deems is their right to inflict on constituents. No one is governing these officials and they have no experience or expertise with this pandemic to back up their demands.

Last week, I wrote about how fast this shutdown of our rights has happened in our country in the name of “public health” based on “facts and science” that change every day and none of the governors or mayors actually ever provide specific data for their restrictions. Everything can be manipulated to serve anyone’s purpose or power grab.

Honestly, some restrictions are outrageous like the mayor of Los Angeles saying when people “have earned the right” to go back to the beach they must stay on wet sand, not dry sand! He has now said they can leave their home but must wear a mask at all times. They can’t gather in their backyard or go to someone else’s house. Where is any of this in the public health handbook for coronavirus?

But I digress. The real thought I want us to chew on is could this be a preview of what could happen to people of faith? Wait, it is happening! In some states, pastors are fined, and even jailed, for opening their churches safely!

What we’re learning during this unseen enemy is that in today’s culture, it takes sacrifice and courage to stand up for our faith and our rights, but this is nothing new. The message the Apostle Paul gave to the church at Corinth is still a source of encouragement for Christians to be brave today: “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong” (1 Cor. 16:13).

And Paul should know. He was routinely arrested, sent to prison, flogged, ridiculed, and eventually killed for his faith, but he never backed down from sharing the truth of the gospel. I don’t know if Shelly Luther is a believer, but like her, Paul would not bow down to any magistrate who wanted him to denounce his convictions and he would not deny his faith to avoid prison, or worse.

Women of Faith in the Bible Give Us Courage

A group of what the Bible calls “prominent women” or “leading women” who were God-fearing Greeks in Thessalonica and Berea heard Paul’s message about Jesus, became believers, and joined his ministry. In both cities, the Jews listening to Paul became jealous that he was drawing a crowd, and they formed a mob to go after him and his ministry companion Silas. Knowing violent agitators and bullies were following Paul everywhere he went, what must these courageous women have feared might happen to them?

We’re not sure if prominent refers to their status as the wife of well-known important men, or if they indeed were leaders of influence themselves, or simply wealthy women—or all of the above. Publicly believing the gospel and joining Paul’s evangelistic ministry could easily jeopardize their marriages, their standing in society, and their businesses. No matter what the personal cost to worldly fame, fortune, and security, they were all in for Christ.

They were brave believers and played an important role in helping Paul start the early church and share the gospel. Imagine the trials, struggles, and sacrifices of these women as they watched Paul endure persecution while they served beside him amid hostility and danger. They knew that the authorities in the government and temple didn’t readily receive the message of Jesus.

Conspicuous believers were risking their lives. After all, they crucified their Messiah. What would happen to them? It seems they didn’t care. As believers, they were willing to take that risk.

Jesus had brave women willing to risk their lives for him too! Many courageous women disciples like Joanna, Susanna, Mary Magdalene, and others, also went against the cultural norm to loyally support Jesus’s ministry, even as it became more and more controversial and his life was in eminent danger.

We can learn from these strong women of faith following Paul and Jesus to see how to carry on their courageous legacy in a culture today that often isn’t receptive to the gospel of Christ. We can look to these women as prime examples of faith and devotion to Christ and emulate them in our own lives as believing disciples, regardless of daunting circumstances and possible sacrifices.

When I wrote Everyday Brave: Living Courageously As A Woman of Faith, where I explore these biblical women who supported Paul and Jesus along with fifty other brave women, I had no idea how soon after its release last September that we would all be putting our brave on for our families, ourselves, and our faith. The premise of Everyday Brave is that the women of the Bible have a message about bravery for the women of today.

When the coronavirus is over, and it will be someday, we will each have our own brave story. Maybe it was tackling homeschooling or figuring how best to protect our families. For all of us, it’s how to provide financially and provisionally when it seems like the world shut down. But God never shut down or abandoned us and He knows exactly what we need to make it through this difficult season emotionally, physically, spiritually, and mentally.

We just need to stay strong in our convictions, our beliefs, and our faith that in all things God will work this out for good for those who love him. “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them (Romans 8:28 NLT).

God knows the number of our days. We don’t live foolishly or recklessly, but we do live out our faith with a peace that passes understanding.

For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs. Zephaniah 3:17 NLT

In our current culture, it’s no longer cushy and easy being a Jesus-follower or loyally defending Jesus. Standing firm in our faith takes grit, determination, and fierce loyalty. When society tries to dissuade and discourage us from remaining true to Jesus, we must stand firm with bravery and courage, even if it means standing “alone”—God is always with us cheering us on.

I don’t think believers will go to jail in our country for our beliefs today, but there is coming a time during the tribulation when even worse will happen to those who profess Christ as their Savior. My personal belief is that God will rapture all Christians before the tribulation, but everyone left behind will suffer greatly if they don’t deny Christ.

Let this plague, which is minor in light of the tribulation, be a wake up call to share the gospel with everyone you love because Jesus is coming and it could be soon!

 “I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me.” Revelation 3:8 NLT

PS For more on endtime prophesy, I highly recommend Dr. David Jeremiah’s book The Signs. Our small group has been studying this book since last fall and what a timely study it has been for such a time as this.

If you missed last week’s blog How Is Home Depot More “Essential” Than God’s Home?

Everyday Brave: Living Courageously As A Woman of Faith is available signed at my website or on Amazon. I pray it encourages you that we all are braver than we know!

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My Thanksgiving Prayer for You!

Count your blessings this Thanksgiving and Pray like Paul did in Philippians 1

Many of you read my blog regularly, though we’ve never met, and others I know quite well or we’ve had the opportunity to meet and fellowship together. But I want you to know that when I write this Monday Morning Blog,  my monthly newsletter, or any of my books, you are on my mind. I’m wondering what you’re thinking about world events, what’s happening in your life, and how I can encourage you with the Word of God and my words.

Often you tell me that a particular blog or book was just what you needed at the time, and we both know that it was God using me as His messenger. To God be the glory!

As I read Paul’s letter to the Philippians, I noticed that Chapter 1:3-11, 27-28 in the NIV translation has the heading: Thanksgiving and Prayer. I thought how appropriate to personalize this passage as my Thanksgiving prayer for all of you.

Adapted from Paul’s letter to the Philippians Chapter 1

Thanksgiving Prayer (Adapted from Philippians 1:3-11)

I thank my God every time I remember my family, friends, peeps, neighbors, church family, readers, blog/newsletter followers, brothers and sisters in Christ, fellow authors and speakers . . . .

In my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy for those who partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in and through you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

[Tweet “I always pray with joy for those who partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in and through you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”]

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart whether I am chained to the computer writing the next book, blog, or newsletter, on a plane to a speaking event, or defending and confirming the gospel and mentoring . . . all of you share in God’s grace and ministry with me spiritually, and sometimes physically, through prayer, communication, and social networking. God can testify how I think of all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

[Tweet “Share in God’s grace and ministry with me this Thanksgiving and every day through prayer, communication, and social networking.”]

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best for you, our country, and those you love and cherish, and that you will remain pure and blameless for the day of Christ.

That you will lead, guide, encourage, parent, serve, and mentor others and be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

[Tweet “Lead, guide, encourage, parent, serve, and mentor others, be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.”]

Living a Life Worthy of the Gospel (Adapted from Philippians 1:27-28)

[Tweet “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ”]

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I know you, or never meet you but only hear about your great work, I will know that we stand firm in one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose us. This is a sign to them that they will face destruction if they oppose God’s ways, but that we will be saved by our faith in Jesus Christ—so says our Lord.

From Janet

[Tweet “This Thanksgiving, and every day, bravely represent Christ to a depraved and fallen world”]

This Thanksgiving, and every day, bravely represent Christ to a depraved and fallen world so that because of your living courageously as a woman of faith and sharing the Good News of Jesus, more people will be saved than lost (“destroyed”) when Christ returns.

I thank God in remembrance of each of you.

About His Work with you,

Janet

A Thanksgiving prayer for you.

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*This blog is an update of a 2017 prayer.

*Picture from clip art

Everyday Brave: Living Courageously as a Woman of Faith available on Amazon and signed by Janet at our website.

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