America's Magic Lamp?

This election is past now. The Presidential die has been cast for another term. Some of you who are my friends are happy, elated even, because your candidate of choice has been elected. But many of you who are my friends are experiencing very mixed feelings right now. Your candidate of choice has been defeated. You may be surrounded with people who are prophesying doom and certain destruction for our country.
In the days leading up to the election many of you met with your churches to pray for our country. Many of you were praying very specifically about the outcome of the election. For some of you this may have been the first time in four years that you prayed for our country.
Remember 9-11? For months afterwards we gathered in churches and town squares, in parks and community centers and prayed for our country.
I am glad that we meet together to pray at election time and at times of national tragedy. I am glad that we look to God for help. But sometimes I am afraid for us as a people. Do we really just want to keep God around like a magic lamp? You know, “The (insert something scary here) are coming! Pull out the lanterns! We need to rub in another miracle in order to avert this national tragedy!”?
If we seriously think that it is sufficient for us to pray and do our duty just on Election Day then we must change our thinking. Every day of our lives must be spent in such a way so as to prepare a way for God to bless us, our children, and our country.
We need to pray continually for our country. We need to pray like Daniel did in chapter nine. We need to pray like Nehemiah did in chapter one. We must allow God to be God. We must seek Him, not only for help in times of great scariness, but also to learn His righteousness at all times.
If we as a country only keep God around for emergencies, what if He decides not to keep our country around any more?

War In Heaven

“And there was war in Heaven:” With these words John the Revelator begins the story of an epic battle between good and evil, replete with angels and dragons. The Enemy of God lost the battle that day, was driven from the high ground, but continues to battle elsewhere. The dragon is a great deceiver. Apparently he has deceived himself and his followers into thinking they might yet win the war, and so he fights on.

“And there was war in Heaven:” This simple sentence has the elements of an oxymoron. Heaven: peace, joy, eternal freedom from sorrow, and everlasting life. War: turmoil, pain, destruction, and death. War, in Heaven?

“And there was war in Heaven:” What a thought. If Heaven itself experienced the ravages of war, what makes us think that we can avoid war here on earth? What makes us think that we can convince the nations of this world to lay down their weapons and establish peace? When the insurrection started did Michael the Archangel piously stand by and say, “Actually, I live in Heaven and do the will of the Father. There is no way that I can take part in this fighting”? Did he say, “Wow, enemies, gotta love 'em”? No. Michael in direct obedience to the Father, rallied his troops, fought a bitter battle, and vanquished the enemy. (If you want to hurt your head, try thinking about this: Did any angels die in the battle? And if they did- what happened to them?)

External wars seem inevitable here on earth. Perhaps we should stop focusing on the external wars and start focusing on the epic battle between good and evil that still rages on. Perhaps we should stop hiding behind religion or ideals and join the battle and fight against the Enemy of God. Perhaps we should quit trying to stop the killing and start living a God conscious life.

The Dragon is still out there. He is after you and your posterity. Are you going to let him win? He wins when we live our lives apart from daily, personal communication with God. He wins when we are so concerned with our own causes, reputations, and religious ideas that we can't even see the people around us. He wins when we pass judgment on sinners because of their sin instead of showing them the truth, love, and mercy of the Saviour. He wins when we begin to think of people as our enemies. He wins when we start to think we can solve our own problems as individuals, as communities, as a nation, and as a society.

Let us bring Michael's battle to earth. Let us surrender to the God of Heaven and declare war on the dragon. And let us take counsel from the Word and the Spirit and fight advisedly. Do not be deceived. Deception is our Enemy's chief weapon. Let the Truth of God's Word cut through the deception of the Enemy.

May you overcome him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of your testimony.

Oh, and did you notice the way peace was restored in Heaven? The good guys won. What a concept: restoring peace by fighting and winning a war.


*Revelation 12:7-11

What A Day That Will Be

“There is coming day...” It isn't here yet, but it is coming.
“...when no heartaches shall come...” Not even one heartache?
No tuggings at the heartstrings because of something,
somewhere that isn't quite right?
No more heartaches, not even one. Wow.
“...No more clouds in the sky,” We shall see the Son face to face

with nothing between us.
“No more tears to dim the eye:” God will wipe away all our tears.
“All is peace forevermore on that happy golden shore,”
No more wars anymore,
and all the little things that take our peace will be gone.
No minor disagreements, like flies in our ointment,
to mar an otherwise beautiful day. Peace, and the sound of the waves
of the ages running up on that golden shore. What a day!
“What a day, glorious day that will be.” Glorious is a big word, but
it is still too small for that day. “What a day...” What a Day!
“...that will be when my Jesus...” Jesus- my Lord,

the one who looked down the ages
and loved me, died for me, redeemed me, rose again for me, and chose me
to be His servant, no, more than a servant- His friend, His especial friend.
Jesus, the Anointed One of God!
“...I shall see...” I will see Him. Really truly see Him-
His face shining with the light of eternity.

His eyes full of the love that drew me to Him.
His hair rustling in the breeze from the cherubims' wings. I will see Him!
“And I look upon His face...” See the face of the Man of Galilee!
See the face of the Son of God! My King! My Lord! My Saviour! My Jesus!

I will SEE Him!
“The One who saved me by His grace...” Grace: it looked like death...
...actually tasted like death....and He drank it...in my place-

And I call it Grace?
To Him: Suffering. To me: Peace.
To Him: Raw Death. To me: Fullness of Life.
To Him: Torturous Pain. To me: Escape from torture.
To Him: Tears of Agony. To me: Tears of pure Joy.
To Him: Ugliness. To me: Beauty.
Its called Grace.
“When He takes me by the hand...” Just like friends.

He IS my Friend. He said so.
His hand: Nail scarred. My hand: Battle worn, or soft and pudgy?
“...and leads me through the Promised Land.” He'll show me everything:
Where Lucifer was cast down. Where Ezekiel saw the wheels.
Where the fiery chariot with Elijah arrived.
Where He stood to watch Stephen die.
Where John stood to watch the opening of the seals.
Wow. What a Day!
“What a day, glorious day, that will be.”
Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.