We all hunger for paradise. We had it once and it was good!  In fact, based upon the words of the best Judge of such things it was “very good!” (Genesis 1:31). And, considering who He is, that might be an understatement! I can imagine, (and I would have to imagine it for the Scriptures are silent about such things), Adam and Eve enjoying a brilliant and beautiful sunset sipping on a newly discovered beverage we now call coffee or wading into a crystal-clear stream of perfectly tempered water having no fear of drowning. No mosquitoes, no flies, no sunburn to worry about. They could wander about bare footed having no concern about such things as splinters or anything that might cause discomfort or pain, eating every sort of fruit, each one sweeter and tastier than the previous. Unique, beautiful, and interesting animals romped and frolicked on the forest floor unintimidated by each other or by the presence of humans. Only one restriction then, one forbidden tree. With the abundant, beautiful experiences available to them only one door was closed. Just one.

But how typically human Adam and Eve turned out to be! The only option they could not have was the one they could not live without! So, they chose Paradise without God, opened that closed door, and tried to kick God out. That could not be of course, so God had no choice but to remove them from the Garden and allow them to go their own way. We all lost Paradise that day, and we have been searching feverishly and vainly for it ever since.

History’s every page is replete with mankind’s efforts to reenter the gate God closed and locked that day. Some have sought it in gold, some have sought it in fame. Others thought Paradise could be found in a life of unfettered pleasures, while a few hoped longer lives would bring it to pass. Many still believe it will be found in love. Many tyrants have multiplied  the suffering of others, seeking to establish their own paradises on the backs of the masses.

But Paradise cannot exist without the smiling face of the Creator. For more reasons than we can address God cannot permit us the bliss of Paradise while our backs are turned to Him. But we have tried over, and over, and over again, so unwilling to accept His verdict, hating Him as if He were to blame!

The reader might respond that Paradise was the last thing on the minds of the millions who have struggled through the centuries to simply put enough food on the table to stave off starvation one more day, or to keep a deadly plague from the door. Well, it may not have been their first thought, but when they had a moment’s reprieve it showed up in their literature and in their myths. It may have been styled according to their culture and their time, yet it never disappeared completely. It was the glimmer of light in their dreams and the dressing of their celebrations.  Every genuinely good story expressed the hopefulness of a champion who would bring them home, make things right once more.

But more often than we would like to say, they turned away from the only One who could, and who would one day bring Paradise back.  Now we see even here in America, a place where His name, “Jesus,” was for over two hundred years nearly ubiquitous, the same turning away.  Supremely sad is the reality that many, who in private would claim Him, publicly shun to speak His name for fear of what others think!

And so, to the many previous futile attempts to bring in Paradise are now added, in America, more futile attempts at utopia, and those by multitudes who have no real idea for what they look, nor from Whom they hide.  They have become so confused that they understand neither the blessedness they have inherited, nor the pit to which they are destined.  As Scripture notes, they are “ever learning but never coming to the knowledge of the truth,” (II Tim. 3:7) because they have rejected God, who is the embodiment of and source of truth.

It would be rather humorous if it were not so tragic, to think of how on one hand it is so near, yet, because they hate Him, always beyond their reach.  And, because they will not have Him, they get His antithesis.  They may cry for Paradise, or use another name, “Utopia,” but every attempt leads them only to a Hell-like prison.  They ignore the Gulags of Russia, the prisons and murder of millions in China, the torture and restrictions of North Korea, and the sufferings in Venezuela, Cambodia, Romania, and every other place Socialism has been tried.  They will not learn.  They merely pick themselves up and throw themselves against the bricks one more time.  Better to go down in flames doing it their way than to yield to their Creator and find Paradise to be just around the corner.  Apparently “around the corner” is too long to wait.  Like so many other things, they want it now or not at all.  And, strangely, after all the fuss, they do want Paradise, just not if it means dealing with Jesus Christ!

What we are witnessing right now in America is a dark metaphor of man’s seemingly endless quest for “Utopia” without God.  So grand in vision, so tragic in reality.  They promise hope and love yet burn the whole thing down, oblivious to the irony.  The billions of dollars of damage to property, the dozens of deaths, and the chaos that has rocked the nation at the hands of BLM and Antifa over the last several years has exposed the true nature of the utopians.  America was never intended to be Utopia, but simply an experiment in man governing himself guided by biblical principles, placing as many obstacles as possible in the pathway of would-be tyrants.  It is, however, being judged by Leftists, not by comparison to other nations of the world, against which it stands tall and bright, but against the perfections of a myth, a lie, an impossibility, a man-made utopia which cannot be.  Blind to their own parody, ignorant of their own destiny, violent thugs seek to tear America down and replace it with what? An egalitarian dream, forgetful that mankind has been here many, many times before.  And it always ends the same.  And it always will.

Until that day.  Yes, THAT DAY when He, the One who began it all, who gave us the idea of Heaven in the first place, determines that it has been long enough, that those who have chosen Him over their own way can finally come home to the place He has prepared.  Yes, to Paradise!  And it will be fine, indeed.  No words of men can fitly describe that place, for it is beyond anything we have ever seen or heard (I Corinthians 2:9). I wonder if He will be satisfied then to call it “very good,” or if He will ascribe it an even grander appellative, for there will be no disappointments there! Not one.  Just Christ’s perfections, and ours who trust in Him alone!

I wonder how many understand that this is THE message that should shine forth from every Christmas celebration and should be show-cased by every church. When Adam and Eve were escorted out of the Garden, they were incapable of returning, being unfit for paradise. The only avenue back was by way of the cross of Jesus Christ, by which all who believe are forgiven and transformed into children of God, (John 1:12). That was the source of the Angels’ anthem and the shepherd’s joy at the Nativity!

All the other “messages of Christmas,” as fine and sweet as they might be, fall short of the truth of the Gospel and often distract from it. And every attempt throughout history to return mankind to paradise without Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior has led only to disaster. If you wonder why Christmas is so hated by Leftists, it is because Christmas underscores the futility of their attempts at utopia!

Paradise will arrive only when Jesus Christ returns to make all things right, and right they will be!

So, I will wait!  Yes, I think I can do just that.

The Apostle Peter in his first letter gave a very sober warning to Christians:

For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God;
and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?
1 Peter 4:17

Concerned Christians who are troubled by the revolutions that we are seeing in law and in our culture are right to investigate the source of why our nation is so rapidly changing. Evidence points to the failure of Christians maintaining a faithful witness to God’s truth and giving into the wicked pressures of our culture. Even more seriously, many professed Christians are extremely confused about the key doctrines of the Christian faith.

Ligonier Ministries and LifeWay Research recently conducted a survey of the State of Theology in our nation. They have done this survey every 2 years starting in 2014. They surveyed 3011 people. You might not think this is a large enough sample, but the consistency of the results does support the basic integrity of this survey. The results are terrifying!

The survey revealed that evangelicals are just about as confused on key doctrinal matters as mainline churches. The definition of what an evangelical is has been debated. But in terms of this survey, evangelicals were identified as those who claim the Bible is the highest authority, that non-Christians must be encouraged to trust Jesus Christ as their Savior, that the death of Jesus Christ on the cross is the only way of salvation, and that only those who trust in Jesus Christ as Savior receive God’s gift of salvation.

Based on these characteristics, evangelicals should have a very high and good understanding of the person and work of Jesus Christ. And yet, the survey revealed the opposite.

61 percent of evangelicals agree with the claim that Jesus is the first and greatest being created by God. This is the ancient heresy of Arianism.

Thankfully only 43 percent agree with the claim that Jesus was a great teacher, but he was not God.

55 percent of surveyed evangelicals believe the Holy Spirit is a force but not a personal being.

And 66 percent of evangelicals think we are born innocent in the eyes of God.

Now on some of the questions, the results were better, much better, thankfully.

94 percent of evangelicals think sex outside of traditional marriage is a sin and 91 percent think that abortion is a sin. These are encouraging results; however, other questions continue to indicate confusion on important matters.

37 percent of evangelicals believe that gender identity is a matter of choice. And 28 percent believe that the Bible’s condemnation of homosexual behavior doesn’t apply today.

On these two key issues our world is going crazy, and over ¼ of evangelicals have little problem with the direction.

The 2022 State of Theology survey reveals that Americans increasingly reject the divine origin and complete accuracy of the Bible. With no enduring plumb line of absolute truth to conform to, U.S. adults are also increasingly holding to unbiblical worldviews related to human sexuality. In the evangelical sphere, doctrines including the deity and exclusivity of Jesus Christ, as well as the inspiration and authority of the Bible, are increasingly being rejected. While positive trends are present, including evangelicals’ views on abortion and sex outside of marriage, an inconsistent biblical ethic is also evident, with more evangelicals embracing a secular worldview in the areas of homosexuality and gender identity.

Here are three points for further reflection and engagement.

First, please check out this survey yourself. The data are beautifully presented. There is much more to learn.

Second, please encourage your pastor to study this survey. As a pastor myself, I am very convicted about the need to specifically address these key issues.

Third, as fathers and mothers we also have a duty to teach our children these things. When you study and reflect on this survey, you appreciate afresh why God commanded Israel that fathers and mothers teach their children carefully the truths that God revealed.

“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.
You shall teach them diligently to your children,
and shall talk of them when you sit in your house,
when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
You shall bind them as a sign on your hand,
and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 6:-9

Thanksgiving, especially in recent years, is a neglected holiday. Sandwiched  between Halloween and Christmas, and overshadowed by Black Friday, people know Thanksgiving is there, but many don’t put much thought into it until they have to start planning family, food and travel. In recent years, Halloween has become a more culturally celebrated holiday than Thanksgiving. There was even a fun little trend going around social media where you’d show a picture of yourself on Oct. 31 ready for Halloween, and then on Nov. 1 ready for Christmas with Thanksgiving not even an afterthought. There’s just not much societal excitement for Thanksgiving, which is interesting – but it makes sense. Thanksgiving doesn’t fit the ‘cultural narrative’ of self-focus that has been set up.

The first Thanksgiving is widely regarded as having been celebrated by the Mayflower pilgrims in 1621. It had been an incredibly difficult winter (about half of the pilgrims had died from disease or other hardships), and the summer wasn’t looking much better. But God provided by sending Squanto to teach them how to grow food and fend for themselves, as well as secure a peace treaty with the neighboring Native American tribes. In the fall of that year, they held a feast to celebrate and thank God for His provision.

The Pilgrims’ Native American neighbors joined them for the three-day feast.

The next Thanksgiving took place in 1623 after a miraculous harvest. It had been an awfully dry summer, and the crops were wilting and dying. The pilgrims set aside a “day of humiliation to seek the Lord by humble and fervent prayer.” For most of the day the skies were clear and the weather hot, but towards evening it became overcast, and eventually it rained. This miraculous answer to prayer accorded the pilgrims a plentiful harvest, and they again set aside a day to give God thanks.

Thanksgiving didn’t become a national holiday until October 3, 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln declared it so, urging Americans to remember that the Lord is the giver of gifts, and that He still brought them good that year despite the war:

“No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.”

Historically, Thanksgiving has been a holiday where time is set aside to praise and give thanks to the Lord. As our society claws its way further from Biblical truth, that’s going to be more and more unattractive. Halloween was already about dressing up, candy and gore, and Christmas can be twisted to focus on Santa Claus and presents, but it’s hard to secularize Thanksgiving. Everything about it – from why we celebrate to how we celebrate is about thanking God for Who He is and what He has done for you. It’s inherently religious (Who are you thanking?), and it’s inherently selfless (you have to look outside of yourself). A culture that focuses on and idolizes self as much as ours does tends to find a holiday that’s all about Someone else unappealing.

God is so good, and He has given us so much to be thankful for, that it’s worth it to set apart the time to give Him thanks and worship Him. Keep that in mind this Thanksgiving.

Years ago, on another cold November day, I listened as a news anchor spoke with his co-host of that for which he was thankful, and I wondered, to whom does he give thanks? He never addressed that question.  It is quite pointless to talk of being thankful if one does not actually give thanks to someone.  Do we thank the floor or the sky?  Why be thankful at all if our gratitude is not directed to someone?

Most of us know enough colonial history to remember the “First Thanksgiving,” dated November 24, 1621.  Whether that was actually the first thanksgiving feast on American soil is uncertain, but the date is not as relevant as the fact that those early Pilgrims understood the need, in spite of a horrendous first year, to render thanks to God. Half of the Mayflower immigrants had died the winter following their arrival, and the remaining survived only by God’s grace and His provision of Native Americans like Squanto and the kind Wampanoag people who helped them immeasurably.

A cynic might suggest that the Pilgrims had more to complain about than to praise, but God is not impressed when we allow ourselves to think we deserve an easy life or bounteous provision simply because we exist, (as so many Americans now appear to believe).  Looking at mankind from God’s vantage point reveals rather, as Jonathan Edwards might have put it, “sinners hanging by a mere thread of God’s mercy.”  America’s current moral climate is disastrous, mirroring a time about four thousand years ago when God proclaimed that, “every intent of the thoughts of his (mankind’s) heart was only evil continually,” (Gen. 6:5). I dare any reader to provide evidence of mankind’s basic goodness!

No, on the contrary, crime is rampant, murder epidemic, lying and deception normalized, and sexual perversion is celebrated, to name just a few examples of our depravity.

Yet, God has seen fit to allow us even yet to flourish! What a gracious God! He is so good! But we must not take His grace for granted! Paul, in the Book of Romans, notes that God’s goodness ought to lead us to repentance. And a key element in true repentance is gratitude to God for the forgiveness He provides for all who turn away from their wickedness.

I suppose that the “First Thanksgiving” and this year’s Thanksgiving falling on the same date is merely coincidental, but their gratitude despite severe trials is a great example to us. We have endured much over the past year or so, but regardless, we too, should be grateful. Often blinded and confused by the trials we are experiencing we cannot see the bigger picture, God’s wise and sovereign plan.

Paul tells us in I Thessalonians 5:18, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you,” because, “all things work together for good to those who love God,” (Rom. 8:28).  God does bless thankful people, and we do not know whether He might even yet move in a mighty way to turn the Nation from the decadence that has characterized it for decades. I have no doubt that the grateful spirit of those Pilgrims was an important element in God’s blessing America in the years that followed that first harvest season, and in the two hundred plus years since.

Tragically, while those who understand God’s holiness tremble at the reality that His wrath must certainly wax hot at this very moment, millions of Americans refuse not only to repent, but are not grateful for all His benefits which flow over and around us daily. While multitudes across the globe continue to suffer in poverty and toil as they have for thousands of years, Americans sit in warm houses supplied with bounty only kings in ancient times enjoyed!  Even the poorest of our citizens eat like the wealthy of two hundred years ago.

There are exceptions, of course, but God has blessed us so abundantly that we need not merely wring our hands in despair. We can with hope seek to extend the “blessings of liberty” beyond “ourselves and our posterity” to the needy everywhere.

The liberty and prosperity we have enjoyed for over two hundred years, along with many other things, are evidence of God’s grace on America for which we must be grateful, not just at Thanksgiving, but throughout the year!

Pastor Derek Buikema asks professor, theologian, and author Dr. Carl Trueman to explain a bit about “expressive individualism,” the subject of Dr. Trueman’s important book The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution.

The ideas that “The real me is my feelings, and my ability to express those feelings outwardly makes me an authentic person,” are central features of expressive individualism, the most extreme form of which is “transgenderism.”

Dr. Trueman urges Christians to acknowledge what expressive individualism gets right as well as to acknowledge the serious dangers posed by not grounding our feelings in external realities and truths.

In another brief excerpt from IFI’s interview with Dr. Carl Trueman, author of two books that touch on “trans”-cultic beliefs including Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution, Pastor Derek Buikema asks about the responsibility of Christians in regard to the harm being done to children by “trans”-cultic beliefs.

Dr. Trueman discusses three ways Christians ought to address this problem, one of which includes being aware that it is neither parents nor teachers who are most powerfully shaping childrens’ views on sexual identity.

Have you ever wondered if the Church should continue to engage in the culture wars? After all, we will never eradicate evil from the world, and sometimes it feels like the water is pouring into our boats faster than we can bail it out.

Plus, every time we gain ground on one front, we seem to lose ground on another.

Why bother fighting these time consuming, emotionally draining, financially costly battles? Wouldn’t it be better if we put all our efforts into winning the lost, thereby making an eternal, irreversible impact?

Some would also argue that things will only get worse before Jesus returns, and since we know He’s coming very soon, there’s no use trying to slow down, let alone stop, the onslaught of evil. We’re just trying to ‘forestall the inevitable.’

How should we respond to these objections and concerns?

When it comes to the theological objection, namely, that things will only get worse before Jesus returns, I have two responses.

1. First, although there are verses that speak of darkness and apostasy before the Lord returns, there are also verses that speak of a glorious harvest of souls coming into the kingdom at the end of the age. Some passages even speak of light shining brightly in the midst of gross darkness.In short, as I understand the relevant portions of Scripture, the end of the age will be characterized by parallel extremes of good and evil, of divine activity and satanic activity. I hardly see a picture of only gloom and doom.
2. Second, none of us know how soon the Lord will return, which means that we can’t say, “We know this is the final generation, so why bother to impact the culture?”I came to faith 51 years ago, and we were told Jesus was coming any minute back then. The prophecies were all lining up and the bestselling Christian book of the day made it clear that we were in the tail end of the last days. That was more than one-half century ago!Just think of how completely paralyzed the Church would be if every generation had this same mentality. “Why bother taking a stand? We’re out of here any minute now!” 

That cannot possibly be a biblical way to think.

Having addressed this theological objection, let me respond to the larger question of why we as followers of Jesus should engage in the culture wars at all.

Why should we fight against abortion?

Why should we oppose racism?

Why should we stand up to injustice?

Why should we push back against LGBTQ+ activism?

First, if we don’t engage the culture, the society will collapse. After all, if we are called to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16), without us, the saltiness will be gone and the light will not shine. And with the culture in freefall, it won’t be long before anarchy reigns, before our liberties will be taken away – perhaps even our children taken away.

Second, if we don’t push back against a sinful society, we will lose our conscience and our souls. How can we see evil on full display in front of our eyes and do nothing? To do nothing is to desensitize and dehumanize ourselves.

Third, as Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:8–9, “at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true).” It is in our spiritual DNA to do what is right and good because, by our very born again-nature, we are light.

This is the opposite of the fable of the scorpion and the frog, in which the scorpion stings the frog as it sits on the frog’s back while the frog swims across the river, as a result of which they both die.

When the frog asked why he did it, the scorpion explained that he couldn’t resist the urge, since this was his nature.

In the same (but totally opposite) way, standing up for justice and contending for mercy is what we do as light.

It’s our nature.

Fourth, doing good also means opposing evil, and there are many verses in the New Testament that clearly call us to do what is good. What then, does that good look like in action? What would doing good look like if you were a slaveowner who became a Christian? Just giving your slave a cup of cold water? Or setting your slave free?

Fifth, as we oppose evil, as we call out injustice, as we push back against immorality, we are becoming more like Jesus, being conformed to His image. This is part of our preparation for eternity.

Sixth, God makes clear over and again in His Word that the kind of spirituality He is looking for does not consist of long-winded prayers or pious displays of fasting. Rather, He says clearly, our fasting must be the backdrop for our holy actions, setting the captives free, caring for the orphan and widow, standing up to injustice in the courts (see Isaiah 58).

Seventh, just as we feed the hungry and give to the poor, helping those we can even while knowing that we will never eradicate hunger and poverty, we do the same with the culture wars. We help those we can help. We save a baby’s life when we can. We get an ungodly sex-ed curriculum removed from our local school. We expose discriminatory treatment of a minority colleague in the workplace.

Every life counts, and every battle won has significance.

Eighth, since the Messiah’s mission includes bringing justice to the nations, and since we are His voice and His hands and feet in this world, pursuing justice is part of our divine mission (see Isaiah 42:1-8).

Ninth, by standing up for the downtrodden and hurting, we demonstrate the depth of our relationship with God. As the Lord said with regard to the godly King Josiah, “He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Is not this to know me? declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 22:16) That is a truly striking verse.

Tenth, when we oppose evil and do good, we are functioning as the Lord’s witnesses, thereby calling the society to account and setting a standard for others to follow. This, too, is part of our gospel calling.

The reality is that, until Jesus returns, we will be in a tug of war with the world, sometimes making real progress and sometimes losing ground.

But either way, we must keep our grip and maintain our resolve, wanting to hand things to the next generation in better shape than we received them while knowing that ultimate victory awaits the Lord’s return.

And while we also keep the Great Commission first and foremost in our hearts and minds, we recognize that Jesus didn’t simply call us to win the lost but to make disciples.

This is how disciples live.

This article was originally published at AskDrBrown.org.

If you are like me, there are three primary thoughts running through your mind following this election: “What happened to the red wave?”  “How can so many people be so fooled by the party of death?” and “What is God doing?”

The last question is the most important and the most difficult to answer.  I will address it in a bit.

First, I would like to look at a couple of things I observed in the days prior to the election and during the presentation of the results following.  Am I the only one who noticed that in spite of the  rumblings across the political spectrum and media that there would be a “Red Wave” of epic proportions on election day, the talking heads on the Leftist media appeared unperturbed and simply repeated the mantra that the election would be very secure, and that “election deniers” were dangerous to democracy.  (This in spite of the fact that Stacy Abrams and Hillary Clinton remain big-time election deniers).

What did these people know that gave them such peace in the face of what appeared to be imminent disaster for their cause? I don’t expect that it was the peace of God! Yes, what did they know that the rest of us didn’t know? Hmmm.  Just asking!

There are other possibilities, of course:

Did voters hear too much about a “Red Wave” and decide at the last minute that they didn’t want a two-house majority for Republicans having witnessed the sorry consequences of the Democrats holding such a majority for two years?

Did Republicans and conservatives err in their messaging over the last few weeks assuming that everyone connected Democrat policies to the disasters they caused? For example, did they assume that people understand that government spending is the major cause of inflation, and thus think all they needed to say was “Inflation bad” to convince people to reject Democrats?

Are there still so many people who do not grasp that killing is a really bad response to an unwanted pregnancy? Are millions of Americans so superficial as to listen only to the rhetoric of the Left and not dig deeper into what words mean? “Choice” is a pleasant-sounding word but we’re not choosing whether to put cheddar or mozzarella cheese on a sandwich. We are choosing to end a human life! Is human life now that cheap to millions? Did the pro-death crowd really come out in record numbers due to a U.S. Supreme Court decision?

Are the political “machines,” which are in place across America, especially in major cities, so powerful that they are, from a human perspective, unbeatable? Are people either so indebted to them, or so intimidated by them that they do whatever they are told to do?

Have so many wise and weary people left states like Illinois, California, and New York that there are no longer enough right-thinking people to defeat the Leftists? This certainly contributes to the bad election results. Reports suggest that millions of others wish to leave these states but cannot as family and jobs make a move difficult or costly.

One or more of these things may have affected the election results, but there is a more important perspective which we must consider.

Most people throughout history have lived under the tyranny of dictators and thugs, men who ruled for their own benefit, acting as gods, (many actually claimed to be deity), caring nothing for the people they ruled. One must ask, “did the people not mind the oppression? Were they passive to the brutality of the ruling class? Did they have no ambition to be free?” Anyone paying attention should notice the similarity to our major cities where violence and death are so common as to be ignored, yet in our case, the ones most oppressed and abused routinely reelect their abusers. Is there such a thing as “Battered Citizen Syndrome?”

This darkness and bondage are not America’s intended destiny! From the Founders to the present, nearly a million men have sacrificed their lives that we might live free. They understood that tyrants always lurk in the wings, seeking an opportunity to take the reins of power to themselves.

So, what about God? Are these results His intention? Where is He in all of this?

America is not Israel and thus we do not have the same earthly promises Israel has. We do know that there is perpetual enmity between God and Satan, and Satan is called the “god of this world.” We also see in Scriptures a time when God will give mankind precisely what they have been striving after for 6000 years or so: God’s withdrawal from active participation in man’s affairs. This “Time” is called the “Great Tribulation,” in the Bible, and what a time it will be! The Spirit of God will withdraw His restraining influence to allow people to live as they want. It is certainly the spirit of this present age, and the direction America has been heading in recent years. Remember that this Nation, and particularly, the Democrat Party, kicked God out of America’s political and cultural affairs decades ago, and such actions have consequences. God is gracious, but we have no guarantees as to His response in the face of such brazen hatred and wickedness ultimately other than judgment.

Not surprisingly, America is now going the way people want it to go and reaping the consequences. So many want to live however they wish to live without God and without truth. Pleasure has become the Nation’s god, but so few understand the human cost of this paganism. One would think that the tragic death toll from drugs alone over the last several years would discourage such idolatry; but so far, few seem to notice or care. We have gone from Mayberry to a war zone over the last sixty years, and it is not by accident!

For any young person reading this, I hope that it is now crystal clear that Utopia is not arriving any time soon, so, I encourage you to ask what God is doing, and what He seeks from you? He is the very embodiment of all that is good, and His delight is to share His own goodness with us. If we reject Him, the result is eternal separation from Him, of our own doing. Therefore, His method is first grace, then warning, then discipline, and finally judgment. His desire is that we love and enjoy Him, but He will not force Himself upon us, for love cannot be coercive. In the end, if we do not come to Him, He will allow us our own way. I believe we are in the discipline/judgment stages.

Therefore, now what, If we would see as God wants us to see and think as God wants us to think?

First, we are to trust Him and yield to His sovereignty over every area of our lives, including America’s culture and politics. Trusting Him is not merely putting up with trials or patience in the face of opposition; it is gratitude for His working even when things seem to be dismal or contrary. Romans 8:28 reminds us that for those who love God, He is active on our behalf making everything in our lives work together for our eternal benefit. Lessons learned in suffering bring eternal rewards.

Second, this world, as we know it, is quite brief. Earthly kingdoms and nations all have an end. God intends that we be thinking eternally, looking beyond the events and troubles here. Paul wrote in II Corinthians 4:17 that “our light afflictions” here are “but for a moment,” meaning that we are not to be distracted by them. Our tendency is to despair when things go badly, but we must remember that the best is yet to come (His Kingdom), and it will last forever!

Third, God has many promises for us, but the greatest may be that those who love Him will be like Him! This promise applies, of course,  only to those who satisfy His criteria.  And what are those criteria?  Peter tells his readers to “pursue. . .holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” Therefore, nothing could be more important for us than to search for and secure holiness!

Being with Him and being like Him are interdependent, for John tells us in I John 3:2 that “when we see Him, we shall be like Him…” To receive this promise one must repudiate sin, that is repent of it, stop practicing it, and turn from it to accept by faith His gift of forgiveness. America is in this condition of chaos, conflict, and confusion because we, as a nation, have turned against God. (Who would have believed that America, created upon Christian principles and blessed above all nations by God, would turn against the best, most gracious, and loving Creator, Jesus Christ?)

This act of turning from sin to trust in Christ is called the “new birth,” and brings with it eternal life with God Himself. This is the fulfillment of God’s plan for mankind and goes far beyond all that we imagine or experience here. The terrible things we endure while on earth will be forgotten, and the best things we enjoy will be eclipsed by the wonder of all God will provide for us.

Therefore, by God’s grace let us trust the infinitely good God, do what we can to oppose the wickedness of our world, help raise the downcast eyes of the discouraged to see Jesus Christ more fully, and live in a way that the light of Christ shining through us exposes the evils of sin, yet lights up the pathway to the Savior!

And who knows what good He may still have in store for America if we turn in faith to Him?

In this excerpt from IFI’s interview with professor, theologian, and author Dr. Carl Trueman, Pastor Derek Buikema asks what should determine whether Christians stay or leave a church (or denomination) that appears to be moving away from orthodoxy.

For a number of reasons, I would have preferred to see the Republicans take back both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate in fairly decisive ways. This would have effectively thwarted the implementation of what I believe to be a very destructive leftist agenda. And I voted accordingly in my own state.

But I am not in the least bit discouraged or downcast, since the “red wave” I am really looking for is a spiritual one, not a political one.

As I tweeted on October 20, “I have voted Republican for many years, but my vision for a ‘red’ America is for a nation washed in the blood of Jesus.”

As followers of Jesus living in America our calling remains the same, regardless of who runs the government.

• We are called to be disciples and make disciples, to know God and to make God known.
  And we remain a remnant, called to be holy and set apart, in the midst of an evil world. In the words of John, “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19).

• We are called to let our light shine brightly, thereby exposing darkness and pointing people to God.

• We are called to be the salt of the earth, functioning as the moral conscience of the state and as a preservative element in the society.

• We are called to love God and love our neighbors.

• We are called to acts of kindness and compassion, to feed the poor and to set the captive free.

• We are called to rescue those headed for slaughter and to advocate for the widow and the orphan.

• We are called to exalt Jesus in word and deed and preach Him as Savior and Lord.

• We are called to pursue holiness in our own lives and to declare the holiness of God to the world.

• We are called to build strong families and have a multi-generational impact.

This is some of our mission and calling.

If we can change the laws too, that’s wonderful. Many will benefit from that in the long run.

If we can shift the culture, that’s glorious. The more the light shines, the more the darkness is dispelled.

If we can elect God-fearing political leaders, that’s something to shout about. In the words of Proverbs, “When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2)

But let’s remember that generations of believers, beginning with the very first disciples, lived and died with slavery and infanticide and other barbarous practices as a way of life, the cultural norm. It took centuries before these evil things were abolished or went out of practice. Yet the gospel continued to march on.

It is the same today here in America.

The lost will still be saved today through the message of the cross.

The sick will still be healed today and the oppressed will still be delivered.

Prayers will still be answered today and God’s people will still worship.

As I tweeted on November 5, 2018, right before the midterm elections four years ago, “Regardless of a blue wave or a red wave tomorrow, God is still God, the Bible is still His Word, and we are called to be disciples and make disciples. Period.”

And as I tweeted a little past midnight during yesterday’s elections, “Regardless of the outcome of the elections, my hope remains where it has always been, in one place only: our unshakable God and His Kingdom.”

What about that gospel-based moral and cultural revolution that I have spoken about for more than 20 years? Do I still feel confident that is coming? Do I still believe it is already here, in incipient form?

Of course I do, since it has never been based on political outcomes.

As I wrote earlier this year, “You’ve probably heard the saying that ‘politics is downstream from culture.’ I agree but would add that culture is downstream from morality, which in turn is downstream from spirituality.

That’s why my own emphasis is spiritual first, then moral, then cultural, then political.”

The Church must be transformed first, burning brightly with the fire of God, ablaze with holy love for a lost world.

Then, as more and more lives are transformed and more and more disciples are made and believers make an impact in every area of life and society, we will see the righteous outcomes that we long for. (By righteous outcomes, I don’t primarily mean our favorite politicians being put in office; I mean righteous laws and a more God-fearing culture, which of course will require God-fearing political leaders.)

But we must also realize that evil will not be fully eradicated until Jesus returns. So we do our best before God to make a difference in our generation while we eagerly await the Second Coming, never forgetting our calling to take the gospel to all nations.

One thing, though, is sure, and I write this as a registered Independent who has only voted for Republican candidates for decades and as someone who is deeply concerned about the Democratic agenda: America will not be saved and transformed by having an all-red (meaning, all Republican) government.

America will be saved by being washed in the blood of Jesus.

That is the red wave I am praying for.

This article was originally published at AskDrBrown.org.

I just read this comment from a conservative: “I’m done. Prayers didn’t help. We are doomed. Why even vote?”

Come on, conservatives, SNAP OUT OF IT!

First, God does not promise to grant us everything we pray for.

Second, “Why vote?” We vote because we enjoy the gift of self-government, and, therefore, we have a civic and moral obligation to exercise that right and exercise it responsibly.

People come to America from all around the world for many reasons, not the least of which is the hope and promise of self-government. How thankless and short-sighted Americans are who would toss away such a gift because of an electoral disappointment—or even many.

Third, just because conservatives did not get all the wins they had hoped for and expected (talk about an understatement) doesn’t mean nothing good came out of the election. I hope everyone watches Ron DeSantis‘ victory speech. That was worth the price of admission to the battle.

Fourth, we are battling leftist forces long and deeply entrenched in every major cultural institution (including the church), and they—leftists—have been propagandizing for over half a century. Change will take years of hard work, tenacity, courage, and a willingness to suffer the slings and arrows of both the cool kids and even our own purportedly moderate GOP colleagues.

Fifth, do we really want to model defeatism to our kids and grandkids?

Sixth, remember William Wilberforce. How long did he fight to end the slave trade? Twenty years, which included sacrificing his health for a just cause.

As Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. urged, remember in an earlier time, “the Christians pressed on, in the conviction that they were ‘a colony of heaven,’ called to obey God rather than man. Small in number, they were big in commitment. They were too God-intoxicated to be ‘astronomically intimidated.’ By their effort and example, they brought an end to such ancient evils as infanticide and gladiatorial contests.”

Finally, remember the moms and dads who struggle to feed their families and keep roofs over their heads. Remember the children whose hearts and minds are being led astray by public school teachers, and whose bodies are being mutilated by “medical professionals.” And remember the thousands of humans being legally exterminated in their mothers’ wombs daily. They deserve far more and greater than our defeatism.

It’s fine to take a moment to absorb the shock and disappointment. … Okay, that moment has passed. Now, it’s time to take stock, point fingers, give some GOP leaders the heave-ho, and then get to work.

During these fiscally disastrous past two years with a wildly unpopular, cognitively unfit president, whose incompetent administration has lied, cheated, and stolen its way to failure at home and abroad, it is incomprehensible that the expected red wave petered out. But comprehend the petering out we must, and this will require a heaping helping of humility.

As we start the process of sorting out factors that led to the GOP failures—e.g., weak candidates who drag down or fail to pull up other down-ballot candidates, weak congressional leadership, lies and insults hurled within the GOP at GOP candidates, and lack of financial support for candidates—let’s also take a moment to recognize the eye-popping success of the Republican Party in Florida.

Governor Ron DeSantis is now arguably the putative head of the GOP. Through his courage, tenacity, political acumen, wisdom, intellect, steely spine, work ethic, integrity, and accomplishments during the last four difficult years, culminating in a GOP sweep throughout Florida—including in communities that many believed were impossible for a Republican candidate to win—and among minority communities—DeSantis has earned his place at the head of the GOP table.

If he wants a run at the presidency in 2024, the GOP should give it to him on a silver platter because he deserves it. He has been tried, and he’s proven that he can accomplish great things in the most challenging circumstances, which include a hostile press trying to take him out at every turn because they recognize the threat he poses. If the GOP would solidify early around DeSantis, they would win the presidency in 2024.

In this excerpt from IFI’s interview with Professor Carl Trueman, author of The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, Pastor Derek Buikema’s asks why, “in some places mainline Christianity” has come to affirm sin. Dr. Trueman identifies two factors as integral to this apostasy: freedom of religion and the church’s “vocabulary of love.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom has decided to throw a boulder in the path of conservative people of faith who want to serve their communities as police officers. In September, Newsom signed into law a bill that amends a reasonable existing law which requires police officers to be free from any “emotional or mental condition that might adversely affect the exercise of the powers of a peace officer.”

Newsom’s wildly unreasonable amendment requires that police officers be evaluated for “bias” based on “sexual orientation.” Christians, Jews, and Muslims who believe homosexual acts are not moral may no longer serve as policewomen and policemen in California.

And now there’s a new bill pending that, if passed, will establish a “Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) to set minimum standards for the recruitment and training of peace officers.” This bill “authorizes POST to suspend or revoke the certification of a peace officer if the person has” demonstrated “bias on the basis of … gender identity or expression … [or] sexual orientation.”

Scarier still, the commission “shall develop guidance for local law enforcement departments on performing effective Internet and social media screenings of officer applicants” to root out “potential biases,” either “implicit or explicit.”

The Democrat Commission to Stop Thought Crimes and Free Speech is gearing up to create an all-leftist police force. Yeah, that will definitely make Californians safer and California more livable.

Everyone knows what “bias” on the basis of gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation means in the deceitful mouths of leftists. It means moral disapproval of cross-sex impersonation, cross-dressing, and homosexuality—disapproval that for many derives from their religion.

Therefore, Big Brother Newsom and his collaborators seek to pass a law that demonstrates bias on the basis of religion, which violates the First Amendment prohibition of the free exercise of religion.

As criminal activity soars, Newsom has decided to reduce the number of good candidates to serve as police officers. Newsom does not care about public safety, public order, or the public good. He cares about pandering to any group that will help him retain power.

How long before the leftist ideological lemmings in Springfield spring similar laws on the few remaining Illinoisans, many of whom are already contemplating a mad dash from hell-bent Illinois.

Please keep Newsom as far away from Congress and the presidency as possible.

In 1629, the first American balloting for an election occurred in Salem, Massachusetts. The issue? Choosing a minister and choosing a Christian teacher for the colony. “Such is the origin of the use of the ballot on this continent; [Samuel] Skelton was chosen pastor and [Francis] Higginson teacher.”  So writes George Bancroft, an early American historian, on this first election on American soil in Volume I of his 6-volume, History of the United States of America (1882).

Historian Paul Johnson writes in his 1997 classic, A History of the American People: “In a sense, the clergy were the first elected officials of the new American society, a society which to that extent had a democratic element from the start.”

And Christians in America have been voting ever since.

Founding father Samuel Adams once said, “Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote…that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country.”

However, there has arisen a feeling among some professing believers that somehow it is spiritual to not participate in something as earthly as politics.

As the late Dr. D. James Kennedy, noted pastor and author, once said: “A Christian said to me, ‘You don’t really believe that Christians should get active in politics do you?’ And I said, with tongue in cheek, ‘Why, of course not, we ought to leave it to the atheists. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have anything to complain about. And we’d really rather complain than do something, wouldn’t we?’”

But today we find ourselves in such a mess in America that the very least Christians could do is vote, and vote our Biblical values.

Some people have written off elections because they think it’s all rigged. They look at some of the anomalies that have occurred in recent balloting, and they think, “Why should I even bother? My vote won’t count.” Well, if you don’t cast a vote, your potential vote certainly won’t count.

With great understatement, Gary Bauer notes in his End of Day Report (10/28/22), “We know unhinged leftists are not constrained by the basic teachings of Judeo-Christian civilization. They feel justified in doing anything and everything necessary to win.”

But if Christians show up in great numbers, we can overcome the potential for cheating because the Christian conservative voting bloc is huge.

About a decade ago, Alveda King, the niece of MLK, made some interesting observations about Christians and voting in an interview for television.

Alveda told me, “I hear remarks from both sides of the aisle. You know, ‘God’s not a Republican’ and ‘God’s not a Democrat.’ And so, we as God-fearing people don’t need to try to lock in a position to a political party, but certainly our votes must always follow our values.”

One of those values is against abortion and for life. Meanwhile, the left is embracing abortion to the hilt. When we vote Biblical values, we obey what the Lord would have us do.

Writing for the Washington Times (10/30/22), Everett Piper, a former president of a Christian college, opines on how far to the left the left has gone these days because of things like the castration of children and pornography in the schools: “The Democrat party is now so extreme that no serious follower of Christ can align with it. There is no longer any such thing as a ‘Christian Democrat.’”

The aforementioned Dr. Kennedy once declared that it is indeed a sin not to vote. His proof-text was from the passage in the Gospel, where Jesus said that we should render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s (Mark 12:17).

On the issue of voting, he said: “For non-Christian Americans, voting is a privilege and responsibility; for Christians, it is a duty demanded by God that we should fulfill.” [Emphasis his]

It has been said that in America, we get the kind of government we deserve.

Historically, Christians in America applied their faith to virtually every sphere of life, including their politics. While the founding fathers were not all Christians, the vast majority of them were, and more importantly they had a Biblical worldview.

So, for example, they divided power, since they knew man is sinful. James Madison, one of the key architects of the Constitution, noted: “All men having power ought to be distrusted.” This is a Biblical perspective. Sometimes people complain that the Constitution limits the amount of power any one single branch may have. That was by design.

The only poll that counts is the one you cast at election time. Don’t sit this one out. As the late Bishop Harry Jackson once declared, “Too many people died for the right of all people in the nation to vote.”

We know you have been reminded multiple times over the past several weeks of the importance of this election and your participation in our government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” Thank you for your patience with these repetitive messages. Soon, the opportunity to vote in this election will be gone. The messaging will stop. The decisions will have been made.

At Illinois Family Institute and Illinois Family Action we have done all we can to encourage Christians in the Land of Lincoln to honor God with their vote. On Election Day, all our hard work will be done, and the results will remain in the Father’s hand. We ask Him to bless our state and nation with His boundless mercy yet again. Therefore, we issue this call to prayer to the IFI Prayer Team.

Throughout the next several days and into the evening on November 8th, please pause to pray and, if at all possible, to gather your family together and pray specifically for the election and the points listed above. Our team will be praying as well throughout the day and into the evening.

Please pray for God’s mercy on our state and nation. Pray that God-fearing, pro-life candidates win the day in this important mid-term election. Pray for a wave of righteousness to hit Washington D.C. and Springfield. Pray these things in true faith and in the power of God.

Thank you for standing with us in prayer as Election 2022 draws to a close. May God be honored by our vote and pleased by our earnest and faithful prayers.