Written by Joseph Parker

Your Word is a Lamp to my feet and a Light to my path (Psalm 119:105).

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world (1 John 4:1).

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ (Philippians 1:9-10).

But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil (Hebrews 5:14).

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).

Present-day political races are not about being a Democrat or a Republican.  It’s not about left or right.  It’s not about conservative or liberal.  And it’s not about being racist or not racist.

It’s about good or evil.  It’s about what is right or what is wrong.  It’s about what lines up most closely to the Word of God or what in greatest measure goes against the Word of God.

One may ask “Well if these issues are true, how can you have people who say they love the Lord on both sides of the political aisle?”  How can “believers” be on both sides of the present-day political picture?

One critical word that helps us see and understand matters correctly is – discernment.  Specifically, biblical discernment.  What does God’s Word have to say about the cultural issues that guide people in their thinking and in their perspectives?  And what are the cultural issues that help people to decide who they will support and vote for?

The reality is – so many believers have not sought to diligently determine what lines up most closely with God’s Word.  Many have not bothered to do their due diligence to find out and really research the issues in relation to the counsel of God’s Word.

The truth is – many “believers” are spiritually dull.  They really have no great commitment to finding out what honors God and what does not.  Many simply go with the flow of the crowd they run in.

How then have many decided on how they wish to vote?  Sadly, many have made this determination not by prayer and the study of the Word of God in relation to issues but have made their decision based on their personal preferences, their family’s traditional political persuasions, their community’s norms, and perspectives, etc. Some even decide on whims and feelings.

Sadly, some people vote for extremely shallow reasons.  “I don’t like his looks.” “I don’t like his personality.” “I don’t like her wardrobe.”  These and other silly reasons.

In reality, for too many, the Word of God has little to no influence in their decision making.

How tragic.

It is for these and other related reasons that some people who say they love God will find themselves on the completely wrong side of issues.  They find themselves acting and voting against the Word and the will of God.

A true disciple and follower of Jesus Christ is to be guided by the Word of God – period.  No other allegiance is to come before his or her commitment to Christ and God’s Word.

In the matter of lining up to support an issue or a candidate, it is the responsibility of a follower of Christ to find out what God’s Word says about the matter.  Once this person knows what the Word of God says, this individual should decide where he or she stands so as to stand aligned with the Word of God.

For the true follower of Christ, the Word of God is always the bottom line.  Always.

There are no perfect candidates running for any office in our nation.  The only perfect man is Jesus and He is not running for office.  He is God, and we don’t vote on that office.

So a wise and God-honoring strategy for voting is to look at the person’s character as best you can.  Look at what that person stands for.  Find out the party platform that this individual supports and lines up with.   Also, look at his or her track record or history, and see what this person has done in the past.  And observe what the candidate is doing – today.

Know too, that a person’s vote is a seed.  It is a tool to help accomplish a given task.  So how we each vote is actually very, very important.

When we vote for a person we are seeking to help that person come into a position of leadership, a position of influence that can affect the lives of many people. So whoever we vote for, we are taking responsibility for helping that person do what he or she seeks or will seek to do.  In other words, we take part responsibility for what that person does in office once we vote for him or her and that person receives the office.

So, as you vote for candidates in any given election, ask yourself this question:

“Am I supporting and helping a person who seeks to honor God in the way they will govern in office?  Or am I going to be an accomplice to a crime or wicked actions and activity?”

We are each wise to take the Word of God in evaluating the candidate, their lives, and what they stand for.

God’s Word is the bottom line.

This article was originally published by the American Family Association.

For those skeptical about what Christians have been saying would happen if the nation continued mocking God and Christianity, are you still doubting? Do I have to point out the horrific violence and hatred spewing forth from across the cultural and political spectrums? Do I need to draw your attention to the dishonesty and deception which now characterize so many in the Media, government, education and the Arts?

I grew up in a day when over 90 percent of Americans at least claimed to be “Christian” and were cognizant of a day of judgment coming when they would answer to God. A man’s word was his bond, and a liar was held in true contempt. You could shake hands on a bargain and no one worried that the other person would renege on his agreement. How quickly we have devolved into chaos, violence and fear. One would think that everyone would have foreseen that such would happen to a nation that decided, against all evidence and wisdom, that there is no God, no Truth and no “right and wrong.”

I met a gentleman from Japan many years ago, and upon my asking him why he came to America he responded, “I came to find Christianity. It is the religion of love, so it must be the right religion.” He was correct, but in spite of that many Americans have turned against it and God.

What are we to do?

First: If you don’t have a personal relationship with God seek Him now! The Bible says, “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” and “Seek the Lord while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near.”

Second: If you are a born-again Christian who has ignored God, return to Him immediately. He is not far from those who seek Him! Remember Christ’s promise, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.” So. . . Seek Him First!

Third: If you are a pastor or spiritual leader who has compromised the Truth to gain a following or grow your ministry, repent of your sin and obey Him explicitly. While it is always wrong to compromise Truth, now more than ever the world needs God’s unvarnished Truth. To fail with the Truth is a failure to love God and the lost. “To whom much is given, much shall be required.”

Fourth: Worship God in all you do. Worship is not a “feeling” one gets when the lights are just so, and the music provides a mood. Worship is acknowledging God’s awesome holiness, righteousness, and infinite superiority to us fallen creatures. It is submitting to and serving Him above all others, doing everything as He wants us to. He is LORD and Master! “We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.”

Fifth: Remember that in spite of our failures He loves us with a strong and abiding love. This fact does not permit us to disobey Him, but rather, as Paul says ought to lead us all to repentance and to forsake sin which is so offensive to Him! “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid!” He, as Father, delights to forgive and will when repentance is genuine.

Sixth: Trust Him. There are few pleasures in life greater for a father than to have a child nestling on his shoulder, totally entrusting himself to his daddy’s care. So it is with our Heavenly Father. It pleases Him greatly when we let go of all other things and just trust Him. He is Creator and the keeper of our souls and our destinies. When we trust Him fully, He gives us the “peace that passes all understanding.”

We do not know what the immediate future holds. America is at a place it has probably never been before; and it seems many of our political, cultural and even some religious leaders are seeking to drive us as far into lawlessness and wickedness as is possible. Only God knows whether there is yet a good future for this great Nation. However, He sits on the throne of the universe and will make all things right one day.

In the mean-time, Christ told us that we are “the salt of the earth, and the light of the world.” Let us get busy salting and lighting up the darkness that is present day America! I suggest we especially reach out to young Americans, so many of whom have been badly misinformed and miseducated about God and their Country and now find themselves almost hopeless.

Be bold! Be confident! “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world!”

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It’s undeniable. History shows a definite pattern of positive Christian influence on secular governments. The influence of Christians, both individuals and groups, has led to the abolition of slavery, polygamy, human sacrifice, and infanticide, as exemplified by the prohibition of abortion in the Roman Empire. Christian influence has led to a greater valuation of human rights, freedom of religion, and the concept of equality before the law. Even the acceptance of the right of an individual to own property is indebted to Christian influence.

The deeply-held Christian beliefs of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were crucial to the success of the civil rights movement that outlawed racial segregation and discrimination.  Likewise today, tens of thousands of Christians who believe that all life has value and is a gift from God, form the backbone of the pro-life movement.

All of the above are wonderful examples of how Christian influence has urged our society to choose that which is good. In fact, it can be argued that, in the absence of Christian influence, governments will have no clear moral compass. In How Then Should We Live?: The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture, theologian and philosopher Francis Schaeffer addresses this conundrum:

“If there is no absolute moral standard, then one cannot say in a final sense that anything is right or wrong. There must be an absolute if there are to be morals, and there must be an absolute if there are to be real values. If there is no absolute beyond man’s ideas, then there is no final appeal to judge between individuals and groups whose moral judgments conflict. We are merely left with conflicting opinions.”

If Christians do not speak out publicly concerning moral and ethical issues facing our nation, who will provide the voice of moral guidance? If our government is devoid of Biblical guidance, where will it turn to determine right from wrong?  If we are unwilling to use God’s absolute standard, found in the Bible, to educate society as to what is morally and ethically right, where will society look to adopt moral standards? If Christians decline to champion ethics, will Hollywood, the mainstream media, or public schools and liberal universities insist that moral and ethical behavior must be an integral part of our nation’s DNA? Certainly not! In the absence of Christian voices, our adversaries rush in to fill the vacuum, and anti-Christian forces win the day.

Together with Dr. C. Everett Koop in their book Whatever Happened to the Human Race?, Francis Schaeffer wisely observed that what would have been considered unthinkable to a previous generation becomes thinkable to the next. Actions and attitudes deemed “immoral, even unimaginable and too extreme to suggest” become acceptable as succeeding generations “slide into each new thinkable without a jolt.” Schaeffer and Koop were right. In the past 8-10 decades, we have witnessed the unthinkable become thinkable over and over and over.

So, what is a Christian’s responsibility in regard to Christian influence? Are we obligated to do more than go to the poll and vote our conscience? Absolutely!  There are several reasons why I firmly believe we have the responsibility to engage our culture by participating in some level of political activism outside of casting a ballot every year or so.

As Christians, we have the responsibility to exercise our influence because a Biblical view of love requires us to do so. If we desire to keep God’s command to love our neighbor as ourselves, we must advocate for good public policies and oppose bad policies, and we must champion and vote for godly candidates for public office. It is imperative that we want the best, not just for ourselves, but also for our neighbors because the eternal disposition of their souls depends on it.  James 1:15 tells us: “Then desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death.” Knowing that God’s Word is true, how can we remain silent as our government, for which we will be called to give an answer, sets up stumbling blocks and promotes evil which will entice our neighbors into sin that leads to death?

If that reality isn’t enough to motivate us to a greater level of participation, let me appeal to our sense of self-preservation.  In Psalm 9:17, David writes that “The wicked shall return to Sheol, and all the nations that forget God. Nations that forget God are literally going to hell. Clearly, we cannot afford to distance ourselves from our government — a government that originates with the stirring words “We the people…”

Likewise, we cannot take silent refuge in our churches, because the church in America will be held to account. As our government embraces wicked policies that are an abomination to God, we must remain engaged and speak out.

Secondly, a Biblical view of stewardship requires that we exercise our Christian influence. When we acknowledge that God has given us the gift of self-government, we are compelled to use His gift in a manner that glorifies Him. If we fail to participate, engage, and utilize our government to bring glory to God, at the very least, we are taking His gift for granted and, at the worst, we are blatantly rejecting it.

Finally, a Biblical view of obedience commands us to exert our Christian influence. Numerous verses in the New Testament charge believers to be salt and light to a decaying and dark world. Our words are to be seasoned with salt and we are called to let our light — God’s light — shine before others. We cannot do what the Bible commands if we take cover in Christian huddles, moaning and wringing our hands!

Dietrich Bonhoeffer stated, “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil; God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” As Christians, who know the very Author of Truth, how can we refuse to inject truth into the public square? If we choose to remain silent and sedentary, God surely will not hold us guiltless.

The LORD is in all and He is over all.  If Jesus is your Savior, if He is your King and Sovereign, there is not one aspect of your life that is out of His jurisdiction!

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On October 25, Pastor Michael Johnson of Gospel Fellowship Church in Wheaton, Illinois preached a powerful sermon for such a time as this, titled “Christians in America: Persevering Faithfully (Part 1)” (Click here for video. Click here for audio.) regarding the blessing of self-government and how Christians should steward that blessing. Offering examples like the affirmation of abortion and homosexuality, tolerance for riots, and abuse of power by elected leaders, Pastor Johnson makes clear that we are living in a time in which evil is celebrated as good. He makes clear too that Christians have a responsibility to oppose evil and injustice. Pastor Johnson’s sermon is exactly the kind of sermon for which Christians all across the country pray their pastors and priests would preach.

At all times in history since the fall of man, the enemy has been on the prowl to devour Christians; to sever them from God; and to destroy individual lives, families, the church, and societies. But at different times and places, the enemy attacks different biblical truths with particular fervor and tenacity. For the past fifty years in Western civilizations, the enemy has been attacking biblical truths related to the nature of man and the proper ordering of sexuality with just such fervor and tenacity.

In addition, once the enemy pulled these foundational biblical issues through the mud and into the political square, he persuaded gullible Western man and woman that these issues are solely political and, therefore, the church ought not or dare not speak on them. But man, woman, marriage, sex, children, family, and government are all God’s creations, and Christians have an obligation to God and their neighbors to govern wisely on these matters.

C.S. Lewis concludes The Screwtape Letters with a warning from senior devil Screwtape to his nephew, the novice tempter Wormwood about how Satan wants politics to be used:

About the general connection between Christianity and politics, our position is more delicate. Certainly, we do not want men to allow their Christianity to flow over into their political life, for the establishment of anything like a really just society would be a major disaster. On the other hand we do want, and want very much, to make men treat Christianity as a means; preferably, of course, as a means to their own advancement, but, failing that, as a means to anything — even to social justice.

Today, we see Satan’s success in persuading both theologically orthodox Christians to keep their Christianity from flowing over into political life and in persuading “progressive” Christians to use Christianity as a means to advance a malformed vision of social justice.

In Pastor Johnson’s stemwinder of a sermon, he argues for a biblically informed, balanced perspective on the obligation of Christians to be politically engaged through our words and deeds in order to love our neighbors well and bring glory to God. Please watch and share.

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The idea of influencing the government for good is a theme that runs through the entire Bible.

We are given examples of God’s people bringing significant influence to pagan kings and rulers who gave no indication of allegiance to the God of Israel.

Think about the prophets in the Old Testament bringing counsel, encouragement and rebuke to the kings of Israel, the good and bad kings.

We also have examples in the New Testament. For example, the case of John the Baptist.

Luke 3:18-20: So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.

John the Baptist had been rebuking him about his actions as a ruler, and Herod didn’t like it. So he locked John up.  (See also Matthew 14:3-4)

And in Acts 24, Paul is on trial before Felix the Roman governor:

Acts 24:24-25: After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.”

In the phrase, “as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment,” the word reasoned in the Greek is dialegomai, which means a back and forth conversation or discussion.

Felix may have been asking Paul about decrees and rulings that he issued as governor. Paul was discussing back and forth with Felix the righteousness that God demands or possibly the moral evil of what Felix had done.

We have the Old Testament examples of Joseph, Moses, Daniel, Nehemiah, Mordechai, Esther and we have the written prophesies of Isaiah, Jerimiah, Ezekiel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah and tthe New Testament examples of John the Baptist and the Apostle Paul.

We have many examples that support the idea that Christians today should seek to significantly influence government and its leaders.

History itself shows a pattern of Christian influence on secular governments. Christian influence has led to the abolition of slavery, the abolition of polygamy, the abolition of human sacrifice, and the abolition of infanticide — the outlawing of abortion in the Roman Empire for example.

Christian influence has led to a greater value on human rights; freedom of religion; equality before the law and property rights.

The Christian beliefs of Martin Luther King impacted the outlawing of racial segregation and discrimination. And today, tens of thousands of Christians form the backbone of the pro-life movement.

Without Christian influence, governments will have no clear moral compass. Think about all the issues that come up today in our legislatures and/or government bureaucracies that are issues of moral right wrong.

• War – what is a just war and what is not?
• Same-sex “marriage” and the LGBTQ agenda
• Drug Usage
• Gambling/Usury
• Abortion
• Pornography/Human Trafficking
• Poverty
• Stewardship of the environment
• Capital punishment
• Educational choices and curriculum

If Christians do not speak publicly about moral and ethical issues facing a nation, where will our political leaders find moral guidance? Without Biblically informed Christian influence, government officials will have no clear moral compass.

Leaders won’t learn ethics from Hollywood or the main stream media! Certainly not from government schools and universities. If we are not going to use the Bible to tell society about moral right and wrong, where are these standards going to come from?

As Christians, we must remember that the world is in a tremendous spiritual battle. There are demonic forces that seek to oppose God’s purposes and to distort His truth.

They seek to bring evil and destruction to that which God loves — every human being created in His image. And if we remain silent about the moral and ethical issues that we face as a society and a nation, the moral vacuum increases.

And something will fill that vacuum. The adversaries of God — Satan and his demonic forces — will fill that vacuum and they will influence every moral decision in a way that is contrary to God’s standards and principles.

And what is troubling to me is that Christians are not showing up to the battle. What happens at a baseball game if the opposing team does not show up to the game?  They forfeit the game. I can’t think of a worse way to lose a game than not showing up. And when Christians don’t speak out about the moral issues facing the nation, the enemy wins by forfeit, because the Christians just weren’t there.

And what is happening, because we aren’t there to speak out on these issues? Anti-Christian forces win the day.

It was Francis Schaeffer, theologian and philosopher, who told us that when a culture goes downhill the unthinkable becomes thinkable. And then in the next generation once again the unthinkable becomes thinkable.

Well, over the past 80-100 years, the unthinkable has now become thinkable.

We are witnessing the result of God’s people disengaging from the culture — or even worse — conforming to the culture.

We are called to more! Much more. In fact we have a mandate!

The Cultural Mandate

In Genesis 1:28 we find what some call the Cultural Mandate, some call it the Creation Mandate:

God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’ 

Nancy Pearcey in her book Total Truth interprets this mandate, and says:

The first phrase, “be fruitful and multiply,” means to develop the social world; build families, churches, schools cities, governments, laws. The second phrase, “subdue the earth,” means to harness the natural world: plant crops, build bridges, design computers, and compose music. This passage is sometimes called the Cultural Mandate because it tells us that our original purpose was to create cultures, build civilizations – nothing less.

This mandate was meant for not only Adam and Eve, but for us as well. It still stands as God’s directive for our stewardship of His creation. Traditionally Christian theologians have understood Genesis 1:28 as mankind’s purpose and permission for engaging the world.

Dr. Douglas F. Kelly, Professor of Systematic Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary writes:

We are made in the image of God, and we are meant to “image” God, that is, to reflect Him. Being in the image of God refers not only to who we are but also to what we are created to do. We are called not just to work but to do certain tasks to achieve a definite goal.

Genesis 1:28 commands us to be fruitful, increase, fill, subdue and rule.  These five commands reveal our most basic human responsibilities. Theologian and author Dr. Richard L. Pratt says this:

It was God’s design that people build an earthly culture for his glory.  This Cultural Mandate involves two basic responsibilities:  Multiplication and dominion.

First God gave Adam and Eve a commission to multiply:  Be fruitful… increase… fill.  Their job was to produce enough images of God to cover the earth.

Second, God ordered them to exercise dominion over the earth:  Fill… subdue… rule.  Adam and Eve were to exercise authority over creation, managing its vast resources on God’s behalf.

Needless to say, these two mandates cannot be entirely separated from each other…  Nonetheless, from the beginning these two sides of the Cultural Mandate were to be our main tasks in life.

This is how Pastor D. James Kennedy defined the Cultural Mandate:

We are to take all the potentialities of this world, all of its spheres and institutions, and bring them all to the glory of God. We are to use this world to the glory of God. We are to bring it and surrender it at the foot of the cross. In every aspect of the world, we are to bring glory to God and this means in all of the institutions of the world.

For example, in the institution of marriage and the home; in the institution of the school; in the institution of the Church (which has not always brought glory to God); in the institution of the state (which most certainly has not always brought glory to God); in the various spheres of life, whether they be music, literature, art, commerce, business, architecture, government, education, or whatever – in every sphere of life, the potentialities, the treasures that God has placed in this world, are to be brought out, fashioned, and offered to His glory.

Unfortunately, in the last 80-100 years, the Church in America has largely ignored the Cultural Mandate, and as a result we see the culture circling the drain. There are a plethora of surveys that reflect this fact:  people feel the Church is irrelevant to modern society. We have allowed ourselves to be irrelevant, and we’re reaping the consequences.

To a large extent, the Church has withdrawn into what Kennedy calls a “pietistic ghetto.” We have turned our educational system, which was founded by Christians, over to unbelievers. We have turned science, which was founded by believers in the living God, over to unbelievers. We have turned much of the media over to exhibitionists and liberal activists, so that the culture is continuously bombarded by their godless thoughts, ideas and political agenda. We have handed over the reins of government, to a large extent, to unbelievers who have been busily engaged in legislating the devil’s designs for the state and nation.

We have been in retreat and have not sought to fulfill the Cultural Mandate.

Conclusion

Almighty God, Maker of heaven and earth, has planted us here in America “for such a time as this” for a reason. The times are troubling, no doubt, but the fact remains that we live in a country that He has blessed with the gift of self-government. The authority of governing rests with “We the people.”

To intentionally sit back and watch humanists and atheists implement wicked policies that will hurt, damage and destroy lives, relationships, families, and communities is to deny the principle of authority that He has given to us.

For Christians to refrain from the political process is to allow godless ideologies and philosophies to influence and capture the culture.

How do Christians — in a government of the people, by the people, and for the people — choose not to inject truth into the public square when we are the ones who know the Author of Truth?

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”  ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer

God is not going to hold us guiltless.

Do we not see that because of our absence the government in America has become utterly godless and corrupt, so much so that it will no longer punish evil and reward good, but it is now starting to reward evil and punish good?

If Jesus Christ is your Savior.  If Jesus Christ is your King and Sovereign – then there is not one aspect of life that is out of His jurisdiction!

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!  ~Psalm 57:5

Over all the earth!!

• That means that we strive to conform our thoughts, actions and words to the person of Jesus Christ.
• That means we strive to keep our homes free of worldly pollution and demonic influences.
• That means how we work, study, practice, and comes under His Lordship.
• That applies to how we disciple, educate and raise our children.
• It applies to every aspect of our local church, fellowship and worship.
• And it applies to politics and the institution of government.

John Calvin said:

For where the glory of God is not made the end of the government, it is not a legitimate sovereignty, but a usurpation, and he is deceived who expects lasting prosperity in that kingdom which is not ruled by the scepter of God, that is, his Holy Word…

Brothers and sisters, it is all about God’s glory.

It is time that Christians get serious about engaging the culture  —  not for political gain or for worldly praise  —  but for the glory of the Lord!  And that requires  —  in part  —  that we bring significant influence to bear on our government.

“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!”  ~Abraham Kuyper

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Written by Ben Smith

October is Down Syndrome awareness month. I know there are a lot of things to be aware of, especially in our hyper-connected society, but for me and my family, awareness of Down Syndrome is unavoidable. Almost a year ago, my youngest brother was born. His name is Owen, and he has Down Syndrome.

If you have never met a person with Down Syndrome, you are missing out. They are among the happiest people you could meet and have an amazing ability to brighten everything with their presence. Just yesterday, I finished an exam and was grouchy because of my performance. My sister plunked Owen in my lap, and my mood immediately changed. It is impossible to remain a grouch when that beaming face is so delighted to see you. People with Down Syndrome are like Galadriel’s phial in a dark place: when they enter, darkness has no choice but to flee.

And yet, not everyone recognizes the infinite value of those with Down Syndrome. Some countries even take pride in the fact that they have “eliminated” people like my brother Owen. This flippancy with people’s lives to “cure” a genetic condition is one reason why President Trump’s statement on Down Syndrome is so valuable to me and my family:

In the United States, around 6,000 babies are born with Down syndrome every year.  These treasured members of our society are sources of inspiration to the many families and communities graced by their lives.  Those living with Down syndrome face unique challenges, reminding us every day that it is incumbent upon us as a Nation, to continue empowering them to reach their full potential.  Throughout this Down Syndrome Awareness Month, the First Lady and I celebrate these remarkable people, members of our families, communities, and Nation, and my Administration reasserts its commitment to standing against those who seek to discriminate, devalue, and demean the sanctity of their lives.

…

As our society progresses toward a more inclusive future, there are still those who pass judgment on which lives are worth living.  As President, I denounce radical proposals to terminate pregnancies of unborn children with Down syndrome.  Our Nation will continue to emphatically affirm the self-evident ideal that all children—born and unborn—are created in the image of God, are worthy of life, and deserve to be loved.

Our country must never run astray from the certitude that the lives of those with Down syndrome are precious and full of potential.  During Down Syndrome Awareness Month, we are reminded that we must never waver in our efforts to support these individuals so that they can enrich the soul of our Nation with their joy and love.

We cannot imagine a life without Owen and want to make sure he has everything he needs to reach his full potential. A society that seeks to eliminate people like my brother is not an inclusive, just, or compassionate society.

Those with Down Syndrome present unique challenges to their families, but don’t we all? A world without Down Syndrome would not be a utopia. A world without Down Syndrome would be a world without the bright faces of unique people with unique challenges. It would be a world without the unique joy that they bring to their families and communities. This statement from the president is encouraging to all of us who strive to value, support, and empower people like Owen, so their life is the best it can be.

Let us be Christians who embrace the inevitable stormy tests of our faith, whether they be a novel virus, a troubling election, or an extra chromosome, glorifying God in it all as he gives us more grace.

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Written by Dr. Paul G. Kengor

“In 1949, some friends and I came upon a noteworthy news item in Nature, a magazine of the Academy of Sciences.” So opens Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s majestic The Gulag Archipelago, a seemingly odd start for a classic on the Soviet gulag, the nation’s forced labor camps. Readers initially wonder where the author is headed with a sort of ho-hum report from not a political journal but a science journal. He continues:

“It reported in tiny type that in the course of excavations on the Kolyma River a subterranean ice lens had been discovered which was actually a frozen stream — and in it were found frozen specimens of prehistoric fauna some tens of thousands of years old. Whether fish or salamander, these were preserved in so fresh a state, the scientific correspondent reported, that those present immediately broke open the ice encasing the specimens and devoured them with relish on the spot.”

At this point, readers might still be confused. Isn’t this a book on the Soviet gulag? Why are we reading about prehistoric fauna?

Actually, they’re learning about the gulag — its escapees, its survivors. Solzhenitsyn next explains what those present did with those ancient creatures. They didn’t rush them off to a museum; no, they devoured them. They were not doing a scientific excavation — they were escaping a communist prison camp, where millions starved and died.

“Flouting the higher claims of ichthyology,” narrated Solzhenitsyn, and “elbowing each other to be first,” they chipped away the ice, hurried the fish to a fire, cooked it and bolted it down. No doubt, said Solzhenitsyn, Nature impressed its readers with this account of how 10,000-year-old fish could be kept fresh over such a long period. But only a narrower group of readers could decipher the true meaning of this “incautious” report. That smaller club was his fellow gulag survivors — the “pitiable zeks,” as Solzhenitsyn called them. When your goal is survival, you survive, even if it means hurriedly devouring something that in a normal world would be carefully rushed to a museum.

What started as a seemingly odd opening about prehistoric fish was actually a poignant anecdote about the human horrors of Soviet communism. It was not about fish at all. It was about human beings who had been trapped in their state-constructed frozen ice lens — the frozen camps of Siberia.

I mention this now because it was 50 years ago, shortly before the publication of The Gulag Archipelago, that Alexander Solzhenitsyn received the Nobel Prize in Literature. Few recipients have so earned it.

To here summarize Solzhenitsyn’s life or book would be impossible. There was so much of note. Many might point to his Harvard commencement address in June 1978, or perhaps his less-known-but-equally-inspiring Templeton Prize speech (“Men Have Forgotten God”) in May 1983, or his reporting on the daily travails of another sufferer in his classic A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. For me, however, what endures most are his reports of religious persecution under communism.

In The Gulag Archipelago, Solzhenitsyn reported on the Moscow “church trials” of the 1920s — classic communist show trials, aimed particularly at the Russian Orthodox Church. Solzhenitsyn provided a narrative account of this surreal, painful miscarriage of justice. The presiding judge was Comrade Bek, with the prosecutors Comrade Lunin and Comrade Longinov. Solzhenitsyn didn’t bother to share the first names of this dubious troika of comrades. It didn’t matter. Their names and faces and roles and duties were interchangeable in the Soviet system.

On trial were 17 defendants from the Russian Orthodox Church, including the patriarch, archpriests and laymen, accused of disseminating “propaganda” and of “hoarding” Church valuables (including everything from liturgical items to relics to icons) that the Soviet state demanded. Lenin and his Bolsheviks salivated over these “fabulous treasures” of the Church. Leon Trotsky rubbed his covetous hands together: “The booty is enormous!” he thrilled.

And thus the Church was told that it must give up everything to the state — then and there, without hesitation. That would ultimately include churches themselves, not to mention the loyalty of priests. The Soviet state was to be the new arbiter of truth.

And so, on May 5, shortly after May Day 1922, the holy day of international communism, Patriarch Tikhon was one among 17 Church officials dragged into a Moscow “courtroom” to testify for having “acted incorrectly” in disobeying the state.

Solzhenitsyn’s narrative strikes me especially today because the words echo in the United States today. In fact, what Tikhon told the judge is eerily similar to what Kim Davis, the Kentucky law clerk, told a judge post-Obergefell when she refused to issue in her name same-sex marriage licenses because doing so would violate the teachings of her faith. Many Christians will face similar interrogations for not doing what the state orders in defiance of the teachings of their faith. Here’s Solzhenitsyn’s narration:

Comrade Bek to Patriarch Tikhon: “Do you consider the state’s laws obligatory or not?”

Patriarch Tikhon: “Yes, I recognize them, to the extent that they do not contradict the rules of piety.”

Judge Bek: “Which in the last analysis is more important to you, the laws of the Church or the point of view of the Soviet government? Are we, the representatives of the Soviet government, thieves of holy things? [Do you] call the representatives of the Soviet government, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, thieves?!”

Tikhon: “I am citing only Church law.”

The Soviet atheist judge then lectured the head of the Russian Orthodox Church on a correct understanding of “blasphemy.” He told the shaken patriarch that he was a liar.

The verdict, incidentally, was already predetermined. Nonetheless, the “jury” proceeded forward with the farce, ordering criminal charges against the patriarch. He was arrested and removed from office, and he eventually died of a heart attack while under house arrest. At least he wasn’t executed on the spot — 11 of his 17 co-defendants were shot.

In my view, accounts like this are among the most memorable moral lessons in Solzhenitsyn’s great work. He documents vile examples of Soviet sacrilege and persecution of religious believers. In The Gulag Archipelago, he recorded how nuns and prostitutes were housed together in special sections of the gulag, both deemed whores by the atheistic state.

Solzhenitsyn understood that the battle against communism was not simply a political one. The roots of communism’s rage were unmistakable: “Within the philosophical system of Marx and Lenin … hatred of God is the principal driving force.” As Solzhenitsyn knew, Soviet communism was not merely a political and ideological threat but a spiritual threat. And few did better work exposing that dark world than he did.

It was 50 years ago that the world recognized Solzhenitsyn “for the ethical force with which he has pursued the indispensable traditions of Russian literature”—a literary achievement that went well beyond the realm of literature. Like the best of literary works, what he told us had profound moral-spiritual lessons that endure through the ages. He would not want us to forget. And we shouldn’t forget.

Dr. Paul Kengor is professor of political science and chief academic fellow of the Institute for Faith and Freedom at Grove City College. His latest book (April 2017) is A Pope and a President: John Paul II, Ronald Reagan, and the Extraordinary Untold Story of the 20th Century. He is also the author of 11 Principles of a Reagan Conservative. His other books include The Communist: Frank Marshall Davis, The Untold Story of Barack Obama’s Mentor and Dupes: How America’s Adversaries Have Manipulated Progressives for a Century.

This article was originally published at The Institute for Faith & Freedom.

Nearly a month after calling Christians to the nation’s capital for a prayer march, Franklin Graham is calling on them again, this time to join him for a day of prayer and fasting. Graham posted to his Facebook page October 20th,

“I urge you to join me for a day of prayer and fasting for our nation on this Sunday, October 25. The upcoming election is the most important in our lifetime—with two diametrically different directions for this country on the ballot. Our only hope is in God, and we need to call out to Him for His help and intervention. Will you join me—and will you share this with others?”

A similar message went out on his Twitter page.

The BillyGraham.org website shared a further appeal.

“Today, our nation is at a critical juncture. We need to call out to God for His help, His intervention, and His mercy. It is only by His hand that America will survive and be able to thrive again.”

Graham described how King Jehoshaphat, when the very survival of his nation was at stake, called on his people to fast. When the people turned to God, He delivered them. The story is captured in 2 Chronicles 20:3-4, “And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So, Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.”

According to Graham, as much is at stake now as it was then. The decision is between “two vastly different directions for the future of this country. This not only affects us, but our children and our grandchildren.”

Pastor Myles Holmes of REVIVE Church in Collinsville agrees with Graham’s call to prayer and fasting, saying, “the most earth-shaking, culture-shaping interventions of God’s Holy Spirit changing our world have always been in response to the fervent, faith-filled fasting & prayer of God’s people. There is simply no other pathway to repentance, revival and restoration.”

Church of Christian Liberty Pastor Calvin Lindstrom wisely points out, “We trust not in our own prayers, but if we are not praying, then are we really trusting in the Lord? We must pray not because of who we are, but because we serve a faithful, sovereign God who does hear the prayers and cries of His people.”

Rev. Richard Valkanet, senior pastor of Living Waters Church in Grayslake reminds us that, “in times of great stress, people of God have always turned to the Lord with “fasting & prayer.” George Washington proclaimed a Day of Prayer in 1789.  Lincoln put forth a proclamation for a Day of Fasting and Prayer in March, 1863. If there ever was a day as the one we are in, it would be most appropriate for all true believers to unite, petitioning God’s divine intervention as we repent.”

Striking a similar chord in the October issue of Decision Magazine, Rev. Graham wrote,

“If we truly want the blessings of the Lord on our country, then we must come humbly before Him, seek His face in prayer and fasting and repentance, and ask if He might by His grace and mercy bring healing to our troubled nation.”

His “To the Point” column message paraphrased 2 Chronicles 7:14 and echoes his October 20th call. Decision is a Billy Graham Evangelistic Association publication, of which Graham serves as editor-in-chief.

The son of the late evangelist Billy Graham and CEO of Samaritan’s Purse Ministries was joined by thousands on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for the September 26th National Prayer March. Participants in the non-political event asked God to save the country from its current situation and petitioned Him for peace. Other prayer topics included the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects, ongoing nationwide protests and rioting, and upcoming national elections.

Take ACTION: Join the IFI board of directors and staff as we intentionally fast and pray for our state and nation this Sunday. Please pray for God’s mercy on this state and on our nation. Pray for the election of God-fearing candidates to every level of government. Pray for wisdom for voters and a safe and fair election.

HELP: Our get-out-the-vote campaign is up and running. 

We are distributing the IFI Voter Guide to hundreds of churches and civic groups throughout the state..
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The Pharisees were a self-righteous lot, so wrapped up in their legalistic, self-satisfied ways that they missed what God was doing right in front of them.

Even so, we have one instance recorded in Scripture when they actually got something right. Well, perhaps not “right” because their motives were all wrong (they were Pharisees, after all!), but still, I think we can learn something from them.

Perhaps you’re wondering what we can possibly learn from a Pharisee. The answer may surprise you. I want us to learn from their faith.

At the beginning of Mark 3, we find the fascinating account of Jesus healing the man with a withered hand:

And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. And they watched Him, whether He would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse Him. (Mark 3:1-2).

In the previous chapter, Jesus had already disputed with the Pharisees about proper observance of the Sabbath. Now they’re facing off again about the same issue. This time the question is whether it’s lawful to heal a man on the Sabbath or not. The Pharisees believe not. Jesus knows differently.

The Sabbath, however, isn’t what I want to draw your attention to today.

Instead, I want you to notice the faith of these Pharisees.

We see it clearly right there in Mark 3:2: “And they watched Him, whether He would heal him on the sabbath day . . .”

Did you catch it? The Pharisees were watching and waiting to see if Jesus would perform a miracle.

I believe these Pharisees understood two things about Jesus.

First, they understood His capabilities. They knew He had the power and ability to heal this man with the withered hand. They weren’t waiting to see if He could. They knew He could if He chose to do so. They were fully persuaded of His power.

They also understood His character. They knew it was like Jesus to heal people. They knew it would be consistent with who He was to reach out and heal this man.

And so, fully persuaded of both His character and capabilities, these Pharisees sat in anticipation, waiting for the miracle they knew was likely to occur. So great was their confidence that they were literally waiting for Jesus to do the miraculous. Yet despite this, their motives were filled with hostility and hate.

Take a moment to get your head around that fact. Instead of waiting for a miracle so they could glorify God and rejoice with a fellow human being, they were waiting for Jesus to do the miraculous so they could accuse Him of breaking the law!

That boggles my mind.

But despite their messed up intentions, I have to hand it to these Pharisees—they had more faith in Christ than many Christians have.

Don’t get me wrong. They didn’t have saving faith. They understood Christ’s character and capabilities and had confidence in both His ability and willingness to work a miracle, but they didn’t trust Him for the salvation of their souls.

But these unbelieving, self-righteous, hypocritical Pharisees had absolute confidence in what Jesus could do.

And they were waiting for it.

That sense of anticipation—perverse though it was—captures my attention. I want to have the same sense of expectation when things look bleak—a faith so deep and real that I’m just waiting to see what God will do.

Of course, I don’t want the motives of these Pharisees—but I do want their unquestioning confidence.

Why is it that we, as God’s people, often lack that sense of anticipation? That hopeful expectancy of God’s imminent working? Why don’t we have the same degree of confidence in our Savior’s power and love as these lost Pharisees? Why do we find ourselves in the midst of a crisis and act as if there’s no hope? Why don’t we wait for the miracle?

I’m not saying that God will always intervene in miraculous ways to solve our problems. But we know He’s able to, and we know He has a tremendous love for His children. And so it’s never wrong to wait on Him in hopeful anticipation. In fact, I have to wonder how often we don’t see His miraculous hand for the simple reason that we’re not expecting to.

I’m reminded of Matthew 13:58: “And He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”

We all face struggles and troubles in our personal lives. It may be a financial issue, a health challenge, or a family problem. We’re also facing troubled times as a nation—we desperately need to see God move in our land.

How and when God intervenes in miraculous ways is ultimately up to Him. But when we’re facing a crisis and realize that only a miracle can save us, it’s never wrong to wait in hopeful anticipation that Christ will work.

After all, like the Pharisees, we know His character and His capabilities. But unlike them, we also understand His love and the tender heart of compassion our Father has toward His children.

If the Pharisees can wait and watch for the miracle, surely we can, too.

So let’s wait and watch and see what God will do.

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In the book of Esther, we see God raising up a woman by the name of Esther to be queen.  At this time, one of the King’s officials, Haman, was planning to bring a genocide to the Jewish people, unknowingly to the King.  Esther’s Jewish uncle, Mordecai, pleaded for her to do something about the destruction that was going to take place.  In fact, he reminded her of something profound in Esther 4:13-14,

Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

If Esther chose to remain silent, her people would perish. However, if she acted, she could save a nation.

Friend, this is the most important election of our lifetime.  The Haman’s have come out in full force and are more than ready to destroy our morals, freedoms and nation. We cannot remain silent or stay home.

1 Timothy 2:1-2 commands us,

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

God tell us to pray for those in authority over us.  Why? “….that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”  The early church was always subject to opposition and persecution by leaders in the government. We should pray for a government and rulers so they would stay out of the way and allow us to be faithful in following the Lord without any restriction from the state.

We are not only given the privilege of praying…but also of voting.  As Americans, we not only have the opportunity of praying for our leaders, but also choosing them.  Praying for the election is looking to God to do His part; voting in this election is doing our part.

Do not stay silent.  Do not stay at home.  Act.  Pray.  Vote.

Please Pray:

• FOR THE CHURCH: Thank God for religious liberty and the gift of self-government. Pray that churches throughout the state will use that freedom to preach the full Gospel of Jesus Christ despite the hostility of a politically correct culture. (Romans 1:16). Pray that the Holy Spirit would stir up a courageous attitude within Christians so that they will boldly stand for truth at home, in the workplace, and especially in the public square. (Joshua 1:9). Pray that God would use the Church to create a dramatic cultural transformation in our state and nation. (Romans 12:2).

• FOR JUDGES AND THE COURTS: Pray that they will seek the wisdom that comes from above rather than any personal or political agendas.

Pray for Families:

• STUDENT WELFARE: Ask God to convict parents/grandparents, legislators, and religious leaders of the need to speak up in support of parental rights. Pray that parents would be empowered with school choice, so that their children’s educational needs are completely fulfilled. Pray that God will move on our leaders’ hearts to put the well-being of children first before any political agenda. Please also continue to pray for educators, parents, and students who are still navigating either virtual or heavily altered school arrangements. Pray that God would provide them with the support and resources they need during this time.

• GRANDPARENTS: That God would use grandparents to fearlessly proclaim the Word of God regarding sin and God’s love. Pray for their role in the training of their grandchildren and wisdom on how to instill a Biblical worldview.

• FAMILIES AS SALT AND LIGHT: Pray that God would use your family to spread the truth and light of the Gospel.

Pray for the Sanctity of Life:

• ABORTION: Pray that God would forgive us for upholding “reproductive rights” laws that result in the slaughter of millions of pre-born babies. Pray that God would move in our land so that we’d learn to humble ourselves with a contrite spirit, and to tremble at the Word of the Lord. (Isaiah 66:2) Pray for an end to abortion.

• PRC’s: Lift up all pregnancy resource centers and those diligently reaching out to vulnerable mothers who feel as if abortion is their only option. Please also ask that God would put into place legislators who value the sanctity of life and will work to pass laws that help protect the life of the unborn.

• 40 DAYS FOR LIFE: Pray for the success of 40 Days for Life which runs through November 1st. Pray that Christians throughout the state of Illinois would be stirred and commit to taking a one hour a week shift in silent peaceful prayer against the wickedness of abortion. Pray for truth about abortion to be revealed to all those who think this “choice” is valid. Pray that truth would become valued and cherished again in our culture.

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. ~Jesus Christ (John 8:32)

Pray for the Government:

• CORRUPTION: Pray that the federal government’s investigation into political corruption at various levels of government in Illinois would root out self-serving wicked incumbents and government employees.

• FOR THE UPCOMING ELECTIONS: Pray for wisdom for voters and a safe and fair election. “My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble” (Proverbs 3:21–23). Pray for a huge turnout of Christian voters who will understand how important it is to vote their Judeo-Christian values. Pray too for protection against voting fraud. Ask the Lord to expose and remove those who might try to unjustly and illegally change the outcome of the election.

• FOR THOSE IN AUTHORITY: Pray for the political leaders listed below as they continue to make important decisions about how to respond to the COVID-19 health crisis, the lock-down and the resulting economic downturn:
  • U.S. Representative Danny Davis (D-Chicago)
  • U.S. Representative Mike Bost (R-O’Fallon)
  • State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines)
  • State Senator Jason Plummer (R-Vandalia)
  • State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago)
  • State Senator Paul Schimpf (R-Murphysboro)
  • State Representative Kelly Burke (D-Oak Lawn)
  • State Representative Amy Grant (R-Wheaton)
  • State Representative Lindsey LaPointe (D-Chicago)
  • State Representative Camille Lilly (D-Chicago)
  • State Representative Randy Frese (R-Quincy)
  • State Representative Maurice West (D-Rockford)

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea…
(Psalm 46:1-2)

In this special presentation, Tim Barton, President and COO of WallBuilders, contrasts how Truth and freedom stand in righteous contrast to the false and sensationalized narratives put forth by mainstream media, the Black Lives Matter organization, and a burgeoning cancel culture.

With examples taken from the Bible and U.S. history, Barton explains the importance of a contextual approach in assessing people and events in our nation’s past and he vividly illustrates how our perfect God uses imperfect people to do great things through them.

Please watch and share this timely message with your like-minded friends and neighbors:

We are deeply grateful to AFA of Indiana for making this joint effort possible.

HELP: Our get-out-the-vote campaign is up and running. We are distributing the IFI Voter Guide to hundreds of churches, civic groups and tea party organizations. Will you financially support our endeavor to educate Illinois voters and promote Christian family values?

Some people have asked me what shaped my conservative worldview. One of the things that formed it was my time in college. I attended a Southern Baptist university in Missouri. Before you assume that it was the school’s worldview, it wasn’t.  In some ways it was just the opposite. I saw and heard things expressed that conflicted with the school’s principles which made me examine my own worldview. Certainly, I benefited greatly from Biblical teachings, but I also had to stand for what I believed was right as liberal ideas crept into many classes, and to a greater degree, among students raised in the church.

So, I guess I am not surprised to hear of another Christian university that appears to have conformed to the views of the culture. But what is shocking is the specific ministry that this school opposed. It is a group that uniquely defends Christianity in an insightful way that our culture can hear.

Think about how Satan can desensitize people and compromise values through humor, whether it be TV sitcoms or shows that are funny, but advance lifestyles or agendas that conflict with a Christian worldview. If you recognize this, then you probably understand what The Babylon Bee does so well by making people think, through humor and satire.

Palm Beach Atlantic University has disinvited Seth Dillon, CEO of the Bee from speaking at their chapel service even though Seth is an alumnus of the college.

Apparently, several students were upset that the Babylon Bee has exposed Black Lives Matter as a radical Marxist organization and has shown the LGBT agenda to be intolerant of Christian beliefs.

Seth, naturally, had some direct words for this. “Cancel culture has come for me . . . I’m just too dangerous and divisive to be permitted to speak on the campus of my alma mater,” Dillon said.  “Since when do you have to support terrorist organizations that use violence and intimidation to advance their agenda to be welcome on a Christian campus?”

BTW – Dillon’s appearance was meant to be a series of lighthearted questions about his experience as an alumnus and a Christian media interpreter with questions like “Who was your favorite professor?”

This article was originally published by AFA of Indiana. 

We’re living in turbulent times. Between the ongoing pandemic, upcoming election, racial tension, wildfires, and more, we have plenty to challenge and concern us.

On top of the issues that have consumed our national attention, we also may have personal challenges that occupy our minds and trouble our hearts. Family challenges. Health issues. Financial problems. We live in a sin-cursed world that dishes out its share of trials.

What do we do in times like these?

A few years ago, during a particularly difficult personal challenge, I was given a question by a godly man that has been helpful to me on more than one occasion. During a difficult, disheartening time, simply ask yourself the question, “What is true about God right now?”

Sometimes when we ask that question of ourselves (especially if we’re discouraged or in a bad mood) we can be tempted to give a flippant or half-hearted answer—the kind of answer that’s true, but not very specific or personally meaningful. We may be answering the question grudgingly because we’d rather wallow in our pain than shift our focus onto God and who He is. It takes hard work to change our focus.

Because of that, it can be helpful to ask the follow-up question, “What else is true about God right now?” The more times you ask the question, the more you force yourself to get increasingly specific and personal, and the more your focus shifts from your problem and pain to who God really is.

It works like this:

“What is true about God right now?”

“He loves me.”

“What else is true about God right now?”

“He loves me like a good father loves his children.”

“What else is true about God right now?”

“He loves me like a good father loves his children and He knows what I’m going through.”

“What else is true about God right now?”

“He loves me like a good father loves his children, He knows what I’m going through, and He’s able to either solve the problem or give me the grace to get through it.”

You can keep asking the question until you’ve made the answer as clear, relevant, and personal as you can. The goal is to shift our attention away from our own problems and pain and onto God. But it’s important to go through the process in an intentional, mindful way. If you answer the question half-heartedly or by rote, it’s not going to help as much.

I’m reminded of what the Bible says in Isaiah 26:3:

“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.”

Choosing to focus on what is true about God in the midst of the problems that worry you is a great way to find peace because it moves your attention from the problem and onto God.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying we should have a “just-focus-on-God-and-don’t-try-to-solve-the-problems” attitude. God has put us on this earth to be fruitful and productive. Solving problems that confront humanity is part of what we’re supposed to do.

But we’ll be more equipped to tackle problems—both private and public—if we’re operating from a place of peace and rest in God rather than a place of fear, panic, worry, or desperation.

One truth that I think is particularly relevant right now as Christians living in a troubled world is found in Psalm 29:10:

“The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood, And the Lord sits as King forever”

In times like these, it’s encouraging to know that God “sits as King forever.”

No matter who wins the election.

No matter what happens with the virus.

No matter what happens in the world around us.

God is King.

Forever.

Donald Trump isn’t king.

Joe Biden isn’t king.

My problems aren’t king.

God is.

Lord, please grant us perfect peace as we trust in You.

HELP: Our get-out-the-vote campaign is up and running. We are distributing the IFI Voter Guide to hundreds of churches, civic groups and tea party organizations. Will you financially support our endeavor to educate Illinois voters and promote Christian family values?

In June 2020, Kennedy Mitchum, a 22-year-old graduate of Drake University, needed a way to call non-racists “racists,” so she emailed Merriam-Webster Dictionary to tell them to change the definition of “racism” in such a way as to enable people to use the Merriam-Webster Dictionary to call non-racists “racists.”

Heretofore, Merriam-Webster had defined “racism” as “a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.” Mitchum griped that because of that definition, whites who don’t believe in racial superiority, who harbor no ill-will toward people with a different skin-color, and who don’t mistreat people with a skin color different from their own would deny they were racists. And she needed a way to prove that non-racist whites are, indeed, racists.

In a radio interview, Mitchum said, “It’s not just disliking someone because of the color of their skin. There are systems in place in health care, in the justice system that are automatically formed to put people of color at the bottom and keep them at the bottom of the barrel.” While providing no evidence, Mitchum asserts that the very reason health care systems and the justice system were formed was to put and keep people of color at the bottom of the barrel.

In her dialogue with Merriam-Webster, Mitchum argues that “Racism is not only prejudice against a certain race due to the color of a person’s skin, as it states in your dictionary. It is both prejudice combined with social and institutional power. It is a system of advantage based on skin color.”

This article of faith is necessary to exempt racists of color from their culpability in propagating actual racism. If racism requires power, and persons of color supposedly have none, then no matter how explicit and ugly their racism is, it’s not—by this Newspeakian redefinition— racism.

This convoluted view of racism is a central tenet of Critical Race Theory (CRT).

Mitchum also said, “the current definition also fails to acknowledge microaggressions.” Once again, leftists manipulate language in order to advance an ideology.

By hook or by dictionary, persons of color will prove that colorless non-racists are racist. And if you deny that, you’re racist. Got it you achromatic, washed-out bigots?

Why didn’t Mitchum go for broke? Why didn’t she ask for this new dictionary entry:

“racist”: n. 1. Having little melanin; being “white.” 2. Being pale-skinned and, by that fact, personally responsible for 400 years of evil.

Critical Race Theory has spread from the academy–where surely Mitchum ingested the poison–into even historically theologically orthodox churches. Tim Keller—well-known and influential author, founder of The Gospel Coalition, and pastor of the Manhattan megachurch, Redeemer Christian Church—has embraced elements of the ugly racist philosophy of collective guilt. On June 3, 2016, Keller said this:

[M]y pastor friend said “studies have … pretty much proven that if you have white skin it’s worth a million dollars over a lifetime, over somebody who doesn’t have white skin.

And that’s because of historical forces that have come about. … if you have that asset of white skin, right now … then you actually have to say “I didn’t deserve this” and also to some degree, “I’m the product of…I’m standing on the shoulders of other people who got that through injustice.”

So, the Bible actually says “yes…you are involved in injustice,” and even if you didn’t actually do it, therefore you have a responsibility—not just to say “well, maybe if I get around to it, maybe we can do something about the poor people out there.” No- you’re part of the problem.

Keller’s strange interpretation of Scripture goes back further still. He expressed the same ideas in a troubling presentation delivered at a Desiring God event in 2012.  In his sermon “Racism and Corporate Evil: A White Guy’s Perspective,” Keller misused Joshua 7, Daniel 9, and Romans 5, overlooking the distinction between the Old Testament and New Testament covenants as well as the distinction between personal sin and the doctrine of original sin.

Jonathan Bradford summarizes and refutes Keller’s CRT-infused views:

Keller argues that when a person is part of a community or ‘system’, they are in part responsible for the actions of that system or community. The only exception to this doctrine seems to be if one is ‘resisting’ the sinful system. If someone is ‘resisting’ then they are not responsible for the sin.

If this doctrine is true, then Christians must always and constantly be resisting the system if they desire to stop being imputed with the sins of their community (because every community always has sin).

Keller didn’t explain how the following verses comport with his woke interpretation of Scripture:

 “Yet you say, ‘Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done what is just and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live.  The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. (Ezekiel 18:19-20)

 But he did not put to death the children of the murderers, according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, where the Lord commanded, “Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. But each one shall die for his own sin.” (2 Kings 14:6)

What a tragedy that Keller should embrace any part of the anti-biblical ideology of corporate sin and guilt—an ideology rejected by Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl who said this in 1985:

[M]y deepest conviction is … that there is no collective guilt! Let alone—if I may so call it—a retroactive collective guilt, in which someone is held responsible for what their parents’ or even grandparents’ generation may once have done.

Guilt can only be personal guilt—guilt for what one has done oneself or even not done, neglected to do. 

In a recently published article titled “A Biblical Critique of Secular Justice and Critical Theory,” Keller makes a statement that seems to contradict his embrace of collective guilt:

To see whole races as more sinful and evil than other races leads to things like the Holocaust.

Keller’s earlier statements about whites being “involved in injustice” based on nothing more than their skin color seems to contradict this statement. Keller may be trying to distinguish between a Nazi belief in genetic superiority and his own belief in white culpability for injustice based on membership in a racial group in possession of social advantages due to past racism. If so, his distinction is muddled and unbiblical and, therefore, unhelpful.

In this article, Keller offers a far superior perspective on postmodern Critical Theory (CT), of which Critical Race Theory is a part, by examining some of its contradictions, most notably the idea of the social construction of “truth-claims”:

If all truth-claims and justice-agendas are socially constructed to maintain power, then why aren’t the claims and agendas of the adherents of this view subject to the same critique? Why are the postmodern justice advocates’ claims that “This is oppression” unquestionably, morally right, while all other moral claims are mere social constructs? And if everyone is blinded by class-consciousness and social location, why aren’t they? Intersectionality claims oppressed people see things clearly—but why would they if social forces make us wholly what we are and control how we understand reality? Are they less formed by social forces than others? And if all people with power—who “call the shots” socially, culturally, economically, and control public discourse—inevitably use it for domination, then if any revolutionaries were able to replace the oppressors at the top of the society, why would they not become people that should subsequently be rebelled against and replaced themselves? What would make them different? The Postmodern account of justice has no good answers for these questions. You cannot insist that all morality is culturally constructed and relative and then claim that your moral claims are not. This is not a flaw that only Christians can see, and this may therefore be a fatal flaw for the entire theory.

In contrast to CRT’s and Kennedy Mitchum’s redefinition of racism, here’s pastor and theologian John Piper’s view of racism:

Here’s my definition of racism: attributing to one race intrinsic superiority or valuing it above another and then treating others as undesirable or evil. … It is a history-long problem and a global problem, not just a little black and white problem or a little Asian problem or a little Rwanda problem or a little Jewish problem. It is a massive, global, history-long, devastating, bloody, murderous problem. For example, the Armenian Genocide in Turkey in 1915—a million slaughtered Armenians. Holocaust in Germany: six million. Who knows how many tens of million in the Soviet Gulags under Stalin? The massacres in Rwanda in 1994, the Japanese slaughter of six million Chinese, Indonesians, Koreans, Filipinos and Indo Chinese—a litany of history-long bloodletting all in the name of ethnicity or race. That is because humans are in rebellion against God.

That’s where that comes from—exalting ourselves over against our Maker and, of course, if over against our Maker, over against each other. That’s a given. Anybody that would have the audacity not to submit to the King of kings and Lord of lords would not have any problem putting you down. We find our pleasure and self-exaltation being made much of and if I have to use my ethnicity to do that, thank you very much, I will do it. That sin of racism … grows in the ground of pride and self-exaltation.

Those who do not use race or ethnicity as a source of pride or self-exaltation, those who do not attribute intrinsic superiority to one race above another, those who do not treat others as undesirable or evil based on their race or skin color are not racist. And the sins and concomitant guilt of their forefathers and foremothers should not be imputed to them—at least God doesn’t.

Listen to this article read by Laurie:

https://staging.illinoisfamily.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Racist.mp3

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