The disciples of Jesus once came to Jesus and asked him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” It is in this context that Luke shares the prayer of Jesus that we often call the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus gave a beautiful summary for how we should pray. Moreover, the instruction that Jesus gave is a beautiful summary of what we find in the rest of Scripture.

The book of Psalms is also a wonderful guide to teach us how we should pray. Recently our church used Psalm 94 as our Psalm for the week.

Psalm 94 begins with a call for God to act against the proud and the wicked. How often do you pray what theologians call imprecatory prayers? Some have suggested these prayers are just bad Old Testament examples. That is false. We certainly may not pray this way against our own enemies. And we don’t pray this way because we are inherently righteous. We pray for God to act and to pour out His perfect justice because God is good and holy. We call for God to act according to His beauty and perfection.

This Psalm also shows us that we must take seriously the evil of the wicked. The wicked in their speech and in their actions strike out against God by attacking His people. Even more they think that God doesn’t take any notice.

I praise God that at some level we are seeing a decrease in the official number of abortions in our nation. The U.S. Supreme Court may poised to overturn Roe v. Wade by the end of June. But let us not think that somehow we have won this battle against evil. Far from it! Illinois, unlike some other states, has removed all abortion restrictions in recent years, and we’ve already seen the number of abortions increase.  This heinous trend would continue, if not spike, when Roe is overturned and returned to the states.*

Let us not be silent in our voice nor in our prayers as we pray against the slaughter of God’s people and the killing of the unborn.

If we just viewed the world from our human perspective, we would be tempted to think that God doesn’t really care or take notice of what is going on. How can a cruel war be raging in Ukraine? How can there also be conflicts taking place in Ethiopia, Yemen, and Burma? Still well over 1 billion people live under the cruelty of communism in China, North Korea, Cuba, and other countries not to mention the enslavement of about as many under Islam.

Yet God is at work in ways that we can see and don’t even consider. We must not think that God just lets things go without anyone being accountable.

We live in a world dominated by sin, death, and rebellion. That is why we must always be incredibly thankful when we are instructed by the LORD. And how desperately we need to hold onto the promises in prayer and in action that God gives to us!

For the LORD will not cast off His people,
Nor will He forsake His inheritance.
~Psalm 94:14

While we rest in the promises that God has given us, it would be foolish to imagine that God’s main goal is to make sure we are happy. No, God wants us not to simply be happy but to be holy. He calls us not to a life of ease, but of service to His great name..

And the Psalm above reminds us that if the LORD had not been our help, we would have settled in silence. It is the mercy of God that holds us up! The horror of the evil in this world cannot overcome the hope and promises that God has given to His people.

Martin Luther wrote:

And though this world, with devils filled,

Should threaten to undo us,

We will not fear, for God hath willed

His truth to triumph through us.

The sole reason that we must continue to pray is not because we always see the answers to our prayers but because we know that God is holy. He will never forsake His promises and His people.

Pray the Psalms!

*When Roe v. Wade is overturned: In blue states like Illinois, New York, Maryland and California, abortions will remain legal and become abortion destination points. In red states, we hope and pray that they would move immediately to ban the cruel practice of killing of unborn babies. Twenty-two states already have pre-Roe in place.

PRAYER ALERT

The battle to protect the lives of pre-born babies is ramping up. The work to protect pre-born life in the halls of our legislature; change hearts and minds of people on this issue; and show compassion to women struggling with life-ending decisions will become even more crucial in the weeks, months and years ahead.   Continue to  Finally,

Appeal to God for His Mercy

• Please pray for the justices, that they will not waiver but remain firm in their decision to overturn Roe.

• Pray for their protection and safety since they have already received personal threats against themselves and their families.

• Pray for women who are facing crisis pregnancies or difficult situations, that God would touch their hearts, that they would feel supported, and that they will choose life for their babies.

• Pray for a flood of new volunteers who will commit to prayer and sidewalk counseling at abortion clinics and at pregnancy centers to help turn individual hearts away from the slaughter of the most innocent.

• Pray that church leaders would speak boldly on this issue and offer hope to post-abortive women who need love, care, and assurance of God’s forgiveness. Pray that Christians will share the love of Christ with post-abortive women, and that these women would find healing through a church group and/or Bible study.

• Pray for our work at IFI as we prepare for the battles that are sure to come to the General Assembly if this decision is upheld.

Government

• Please pray for the Governor to exercise godly wisdom as he determines the fate of legislation before him.
• Pray that every leader in our nation would come to realize that “fetuses” are real humans in the womb who deserve protection.

• Pray that God would graciously give our legislators discernment on how to steward our state’s resources. Pray that they would have a Biblical understanding of justice, righteousness, and honesty.

Families

• Pray that Christians of every age would “seek God continually” and develop a biblical worldview on the issues of the day.

• Please pray that Christians would recapture the vision that marriage, as God defines it, is something to be desired and cherished.

• Pray that the younger generation would have a change of heart and embrace the idea of a life-long union in the context of a God-ordained marriage.

• Please pray that Christians would understand God’s first command to humanity to be “fruitful and multiply.” May we not only be pro-life, but have a love for babies. Pray against the selfishness that pervades our thoughts regarding having children and bigger family than what is “culturally acceptable.”

• Pray that we can be used to bless, honor and care for the elders in our families, churches and communities.

For Those in Authority

For the next several weeks, please pray for the political leaders listed below. Pray that they would seek God’s wisdom when they make decisions that affect the people for whom they work. Pray that God would turn their hearts to Himself. (Proverbs 21:1)

This includes praying for Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, J.B. Pritzker, and Julia Stratton and those who serve in these administrations. Pray also for our two U.S. Senators: Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth.

Please pray for the nine members of the U.S. Supreme Court: John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Stephen Breyer, Samuel Alito, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. (Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will take her seat on the Court when Justice Breyer steps down in late June or early July.)

In addition, please pray for the following officials:

• • U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-California)
  • U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas)
  • U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (D-Illinois)
  • U.S. Representative Cynthia Axne (D-Iowa)
  • U.S. Representative Jackie Walorski (R-Indiana)
  • State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin)
  • State Senator Donald DeWitte (R-West Dundee)
  • State Representative Fred Crespo (D-Streamwood)
  • State Representative C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-Jacksonville)
  • YOUR local City/Village/Township Officials

The big news of the week has been confirmed by Chief Justice John Roberts. The U.S. Supreme Court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade in the very near future, possibly by the end of June. In a news release from the High Court, however, they were careful to point out that, although the leaked draft opinion by Justice Samuel Alito is authentic, “it does not represent a decision by the Court or the final position of any member on the issues in the case.” In other words, the ruling is not official yet.

If it becomes official, it will be an enormous victory for the sanctity of human life in America. Repealing Roe is what pro-lifers have marched, prayed, worked, and voted for since 1973.

We are relieved to know that many states will restrict or completely outlaw abortion, thereby saving untold number of women and unborn babies from becoming victims. Yet, it’s sobering to realize that states like Illinois, New York, Maryland and California will become abortion destination points for those who are determined to kill their pre-born babies. And seeing women come out in droves screaming about the possibility of losing their right to kill their children is a grave reminder that we are in a spiritual battle.

The work before us continues, especially in Illinois. Our ongoing mission is to educate family members, friends and neighbors on the evils of abortion. We’ll need to continue working to change hearts and minds regarding “bodily autonomy,” the science of when life begins, and, most important, the fact that we are all created in the image and likeness of our Creator.  As such, every human has an intrinsic and inestimable dignity and worth. (Genesis 1:27)

Our culture has drifted away from God and no longer loves or values the things of God. We see proof of that in a birth rate which is disastrously low and abortion rates disastrously high. This disregard for life is also evidenced in the gang violence in our cities and by the skyrocketing suicide and overdose rates plaguing communities throughout the nation.

In response, followers of Jesus Christ must be diligent in praying for the courage, strength, and wisdom to engage the culture forthrightly on the abortion issue. Ironically, this morning, in response to the leaked opinion, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) spoke dishonestly from the chamber floor to decry the pending decision, claiming that tens of millions of women will lose “bodily autonomy.”

Overturning Roe v. Wade does not constitute the loss of women’s “bodily autonomy” because abortions don’t destroy the bodies of mothers. Abortions destroy the bodies of women’s children. Abortion robs the unborn of bodily autonomy, body integrity, and life.

May God forgive us.

PRAYER ALERT

We cannot stress the urgency of your fervent prayers this month as our culture once again descends into a season of acrimony. Add to this the fact that we are in an election cycle in which dozens of federal and state legislative seats are in play. There are a number of God-fearing candidates running for office, and our prayers are vitally important.

Appeal to God for His Mercy

• Pray that God would forgive us for allowing the innocent blood of preborn children to be spilled for decades in America.

• Pray for forgiveness for using tax dollars to pay for abortions in Illinois and to sustain this wicked industry.

• Pray for the courage and strength to expose and refute lies and to offer hope to those who are stumbling towards death.

• Pray for a flood of new volunteers who will commit to prayer and sidewalk counseling at abortion clinics and at pregnancy centers to help turn individual hearts away from the slaughter of the most innocent.

• Pray that church leaders would speak boldly on this issue and offer hope to post-abortive women who need love, care, and assurance of God’s forgiveness. Pray that Christians will share the love of Christ with post-abortive women, and that these women would find healing through a church group and/or Bible study.

Abortion

• Pray that every leader in our nation would come to realize that “fetuses” are real humans in the womb who deserve protection.

• Pray that the agenda of Satan and his wicked disciples to kill pre-born babies in the womb and encourage immoral sexual activities to innocent young children in government schools would be exposed and stopped.

• Pray that Christians of every age would develop a biblical perspective on abortion, on caring for those who face unplanned pregnancies, and on our obligation to respond to sin with grace and compassion in addition to truth.

• Pray that we can be used to communicate effectively how God wants to redeem the lost.

For Those in Authority

For the next several weeks, please pray for the political leaders listed below. Pray that they would seek God’s wisdom when they make decisions that affect the people for whom they work. Pray that God would turn their hearts to Himself. (Proverbs 21:1)

This includes praying for Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, J.B. Pritzker, and Julia Stratton and those who serve in these administrations. Pray also for our two U.S. Senators: Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth.

Please pray for the nine members of the U.S. Supreme Court: John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Stephen Breyer, Samuel Alito, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. (Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will take her seat on the Court when Justice Breyer steps down in late June or early July.)

In addition, please pray for the following officials:

• • U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-Arizona)
  • U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Alabama)
  • U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (D-Illinois)
  • U.S. Representative John Yarmuth (D-Kentucky)
  • U.S. Representative Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado)
  • State Senator Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake)
  • State Senator John Curran (R-Lemont)
  • State Representative Deb Conroy (D-Villa Park)
  • State Representative Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport)
  • YOUR local City/Village/Township Officials

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil,
who put darkness for light and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.”
~Isaiah 5:20

Informed people know that Christians are persecuted around the world, but too few acknowledge the growing persecution of Christians in Canada and the United States. This is not to suggest that the persecution faced by Christians in North America is equivalent to the severe persecution Christians face in countries like China, Afghanistan, and North Korea. Christians in North America, especially American Christians, are blessed to be living in country where we are yet able to exercise our religion relatively freely. However, there are red flags in America and other formerly Christian-friendly countries. While the United States was founded by those with a biblical worldview, recent events have shown that those in power wish to change that.

Some on the left and right dismiss the idea that Christians are persecuted in America as laughable, asserting that Christians are a privileged and protected class. While this may have been true throughout much of our history, it is not the case anymore.

Recently, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki commented on lawmakers in Alabama who have been valiantly working to protect kids from barbaric transgender surgeries and hormone therapies. In a press briefing, Psaki said, “Alabama’s lawmakers and other legislators who are contemplating these … discriminatory bills have been put on notice by the Department of Justice.”

This threat from a purportedly unbiased DOJ should be alarming.  Not only is Biden’s DOJ supporting the mutilation of young children’s bodies, but it is also actively attempting to make it a crime to protect children from these irreversible acts.  If anything, it should be a crime to chemically castrate children or mutilate their bodies.

The Canadian government has been enacting legislation that supports sexual deviance and oppresses Christians. Bill C-4 bans any form of conversion therapy throughout all of Canada. This law may sound good to some people because, when people hear the phrase “conversion therapy,” they think of aversion therapy, or non-existent lock-down camps where kids are allegedly sent to be converted. That’s not the purpose of Bill C-4, though.

Bill C-4 bans all counseling efforts that would help someone understand the cause/s of their same-sex attraction or help them align their sexual identity with their religious faith. Both Bill C-4 and Jen Psaki aim to quash any opposition to the LGBTQ agenda–an agenda antithetical to Christianity.

In addition, our government schools are Exhibit A in how the government opposes Christian values. Many public schools teach children that the “LGBTQ”  movement is noble, while Christians see it as sinful. For that, Christians are deemed hateful bigots. The government is clearly taking a stance on this sensitive topic, and that stance is firmly anti-Christian.

The United States is not as oppressive as Canada, but there are disturbing trends on the American horizon. Christians should become politically involved to preserve the blessings of the First Amendment and be good stewards of our right to govern ourselves.

(See also: Revelation 21:5; 2 Corinthians 5:17; and Isaiah 43:18)

In Part 5 of IFI’s interview with theologian Dr. Peter Leithart, Pastor Derek Buikema asks him to explain what the Theopolis Institute, which Dr. Leithart co-founded, is. In this brief segment, Dr. Leithart shares the ultimate goal of the Theopolis Institute and what is needed by the church to attain it.

In Part 4 of Illinois Family Institute’s interview with theologian Dr. Peter Leithart, Pastor Derek Buikema asks what God is revealing to us in this “apocalyptic time.” Dr. Leithart briefly discusses contemporary ideas about the self and self-actualization that have the appearance of liberation but have led to diverse pathologies. And Dr. Leithart shares the problems long “percolating” under the surface in churches that are now being revealed.

A Call to Christians to Welcome Children

A harmonious and happy marriage requires many ingredients, not the least of which is the number of things which the husband and wife have in common.  Wise couples understand that each of them will need to let some things go, and also learn to appreciate the things their spouse appreciates.  They understand that change will be essential for harmony.

It is not so different with our relationship with Jesus Christ, except that all the change lies with us.  We need to learn what pleases Jesus Christ and determine to love those things.  I cannot enumerate every object of Christ’s love in a document of this length, but I will address a very important one: children!

Until recently, our culture put a high value on children.  These little ones have such inherent worth that only the hardest and most evil of hearts would tolerate harm coming to them.  Many of our laws have been written specifically to protect children, who are unable to speak for themselves or protect themselves.  Tragically, that favoritism seems to have evaporated with the 1973 Roe-v-Wade decision which upended the nation’s long history of protecting children.  It has been downhill ever since, and today, one could say that the culture, and in the realm of politics, the Democrat Party, have declared war on children.

While it may be understood that the world, under the dominion of the Evil One, hates these little ones that Jesus loves, there is no excuse for the Christian community’s collusion in the travesty.  Sadly, it did not take long for the philosophy of the culture to filter into the churches and color the decision making of Christians.  Most Christians claim to be pro-life, and as far as abortion itself goes, oppose the slaughter.  However, a significant element of the culture’s philosophical basis for allowing abortion is widely accepted by the Christian community.  It must be examined, confronted, and abandoned!

Brothers and Sisters, Jesus Christ loves children, and therefore we must also!

Before I address the errors that are so passively accepted by many in the church, I need to acknowledge that some couples cannot have children, and not of their own choice.  I do not wish to add guilt or pain to those who would love to have children but are prevented from doing so by the sovereign hand of God.  This would include those women who have a particular health issue that indicates pregnancy itself poses a genuine risk to their lives.  But I will come back to them later.

I am addressing the fact that millions of Christians have adopted the world’s values regarding children. The common culture sees children as a commodity at best, or a curse, rather than a rewarding living stewardship from God.  The decision to have children and how many children a couple will have is run through much the same template that one would use when buying a house:  What does it cost, and what is the expected return on investment?  It is my opinion that such a perspective is an abomination to God!

The very first command that God gave us in the Garden was to “be fruitful and multiply.”  Following the flood, when the world’s population was again very small, God reiterated His will for mankind with, “be fruitful and multiply; Bring forth abundantly in the earth and multiply in it.” (Gen. 9:7).

God’s care for children is evident in that marriage itself, among other things, is the best environment in which to nurture a child.  The Old Testament Law provides protections for children, in the womb and after.  The first commandment of the Decalogue that is directed at humans’ relationships commands children to honor their parents so that their “days may be long on the earth.”   Exodus 22:22 relates God’s view toward those who endanger children, saying that if they, the Israelites, afflict widows or orphans “in any way and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry; and My wrath will become hot, and I will kill you with the sword.”

Psalm 127 gives us another clear statement of God’s love for children.  “Children are a heritage of the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward. . . . Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them.”  From this text we understand that God sees children as part of our inheritance from Him, and we can deduce that He expects us to love them as He does!  It is a general truism that any son who rejects his inheritance has issues with his father!  Far too many Christians have decided that what God declares to be a blessing, they see as a burden.  This calls for a nation-wide soul searching.

Moving along in the Scriptures we arrive at the closing words of the Old Testament where we find God’s last words to Israel (and the world) for over four centuries.  In the final verses of Malachi God delivers a promise and a warning, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.  And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”  It is noteworthy that among other things this verse specifically warns that a significant part of the change necessary to prevent God’s cursing the world is father’s turning their hearts to the care of their children!  And to further cement this warning is the fact that the New Testament opens with John the Baptist, in the power and spirit of Elijah, preaching the same message “to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children. . . .” Luke 1:17. The inclusion of the “earth” in God’s threatened curse might suggest that America’s treatment of its children could be a factor in preventing God’s judgment!

Little need be said regarding Christ’s personal love for children as He walked the earth.  He healed them, raised them from the dead, took them into His arms and blessed them.  He declared that any who would hinder their relationship with Him would be better off with a millstone placed about their necks to be cast into the sea; and when the Disciples sought to prevent children from coming to Him Christ became indignant against them.  He likened His love for children to the care that a hen has for her brood, willing to die for them.  Children worldwide have learned the ageless favorite, “Jesus loves the Little Children.”  And when John addressed the saints over whom he had apostleship authority he used the expression, “my little children.”  There may be no clearer expression of endearment than that of “my child!”

God’s love for children is undeniably clear, and we must take it to heart.

Which brings me to the rebuttals.  I expect I have heard them all, but cannot address them all here; However, I will answer some.  Most of the arguments made against having large families are in some way tied to economics.  “Children cost a lot of money” we are told, and many couples feel they just can’t afford them.  Having raised seven children to adulthood let me put that argument to rest.  Children do cost something, but not nearly what opponents say they do.  But of much greater importance is God’s promise to provide when we obey, “My God shall supply all your need. . . .” Phil. 4:19. While the specific context of this verse is not regarding children, it is about manifesting God’s love by giving sacrificially and trusting Him in obedience.  It should also be noted that many believers have bought the world’s lie that children need every experience and opportunity to thrive.  Children throughout history have grown up with virtually nothing in their hands and done very well.  They do not need every toy or experience to prosper spiritually and economically in America; and any parent who does not teach his children how to deal with having less than others is failing his children.

Many Christians have bought the environmental alarmism and protest that the world cannot sustain the population that is projected and believe that we have a duty to limit the size of our families in accordance.  First, God is to be trusted, and His command to be fruitful and multiply has not been rescinded.  We can depend on Him to provide for us regardless of the world’s population.  However, it is a fateful mistake to listen to the radicals in the first place.  Their prophecies, as all false prophecies, have failed and will fail.  They are in rebellion against God, and their attitudes and intentions reflect their animosity.  Most, if not all of their prognostications, are the fruit of their world view and their determination to resist God and are not based upon God’s word or science.  (Let me be clear here.  What science is able to confirm as true will never contradict God’s word, thus, we must not fear the alarmism of the radicals).

Contemporary culture can be characterized as selfish, this world oriented, and pleasure mad, among other things.  Unfortunately, these traits have deeply infected the church as well.  We are a prosperous nation, by God’s grace, and have more opportunities for pleasure and recreation than any people in history.  It is a fact that we have more luxuries than the richest kings of history, and it is not surprising that Christians are attracted to all the opportunities at our doorstep.  It is also true that many or most of these things are not inherently wrong.  However, the rub comes in where these things fit into the life of one sold out to Jesus Christ.  I would submit that there is nothing we set aside in this life that will not be vastly superseded by God’s grace and gifts in eternity.  In-other-words, anything we would like to enjoy here but pass on to follow Christ more closely will be rewarded by something far better in eternity.  The question is whether we are willing to trust God in this.  Are we willing to take the “long look?”

The discussion regarding the size of one’s family produces some apparent contradictions.  The world says that those who want many children are selfish, while some pro-lifers say that those who want small families are selfish.  It can hardly be both, can it?  Unfortunately, selfishness can produce opposite results, and it is likely that selfishness taints many of our decisions.  For this reason, we must shut out the world and maybe family and friends and listen to God’s word alone.  Does God demand that every family have as many children as possible?  That is somewhat of a stretch.  We need not make such a declaration to be following God’s will in this.  What is certain is that God says children are His gift to us, that He loves them, and that they are a blessing.  What is to be said of us if we want less of God’s blessings?  Once we have cleared away the debris of this world’s philosophy, I expect that we will be in a better place to determine how many children we should bring into the world; and I am quite certain that the number will rise, not decline!

Also, regardless of any other discussion, it is imperative that we reject every and all forms of birth control that threaten the lives of the unborn.  While God has given us some ability to control the number of children we bear without endangering the lives of the unborn or mothers, it must also be acknowledged that the few methods that might be considered legitimate have limitations, and thus require us to rely on God’s sovereign will, which is the best place to be.  I remind the reader that any motivations for limiting our family sizes must pass biblical muster.  The overwhelming evidence of Scripture points to God desiring large families for His people, thus, to diverge from that model requires more than mere opinion. The notion that my wanting a three-bedroom home, two car garage, a boat, vacation home and two children is biblical cannot be supported.

No one other than God can determine the number of children any couple ought to have, and every Christian should be compelled by Scripture to seek the Lord’s will regarding this most critical life decision.  I, and most other pro-lifers I know, understand that there is no “one-size-fits-all” answer to the question, and that numerous variables enter into consideration.  But the bottom line ought to be that it is God’s will and principles which should guide a couple’s decision, not the opinions of a fallen world, or the ambition for more possessions.  In our hearts we know that God’s will is always best, and while children complicate our lives, they bless us, mature us, and challenge us to grow in our relationship with Christ.  They bless infinitely more than they burden.

Before concluding I would like to return briefly to the issue of those who genuinely are not able to bear children.  Being blessed with children and grandchildren myself, I sympathize with those who desire to have children but cannot.  I am truly sorry for what you have missed of one of life’s greatest blessings!  However, I also believe that God is good and provides comfort and encouragement for those who suffer, and offers alternatives.  It has been noticed that the number of couples who are unable to bear and seek to adopt in any given year is strikingly close to the number of women who have problematic pregnancies.  I do not believe this is an accident.  There are no unwanted children, only unloving and indifferent adults.  Adoption is a wonderful, though complex, option, and the reality is that there are millions of children of all ages who could use a loving home.  I would suggest that every Christian couple unable to bear children should at least give adoption a look.

Finally, because God gives such attention and care to children and advocates so strongly for welcoming them into our homes, I am confident that it is His will that Christian couples be open to more children, not less, and that they give the Lord sovereignty over this area of their lives as well as every other.

An interesting foot note to this: Suppose what America might look like if Bible believing Christians took God’s love for children seriously and doubled or tripled the birthrate in the Christian community over the next twenty years, and then discipled those children into the image of Christ?

Anyone not on life-support realizes we are in a dangerous place as a state despite the glowing ads about how Governor Pritzker has solved all our problems. Violence is out of control in Chicago and other urban centers. Abortion enjoys the highest level of protection and promotion throughout our state. In November of 2021, it was reported that the total pension shortfall in Illinois passed $500 billion. That is a debt burden on average of $110,000 per Illinois household.

Do I have your attention? What do we do, leave? I totally understand those who make this choice. But if you believe Illinois is where the Lord wants you to stay and fight, what can we be doing to strengthen our witness?

I don’t believe there are any easy solutions. If there were, we would be in a much different place. There are no easy solutions, but does that mean we are just stuck doing nothing? I don’t think so. I want to share several things that you can be doing to strengthen your awareness and your witness for the Lord and His truth in our dark state.

First of all, we need to be aware of what is going on. This task can be overwhelming in the sense of there is so much information out there. You can’t take it all in. Don’t even try. But we must be informed. If you have not signed up to be notified by IFI on critical issues so that you can take action, sign up today so that you are not left in the dark.

In terms of our keeping informed about mostly state matters, I would recommend that you regularly visit the Illinois Family and Illinois Family Action websites. Also, to get the perspective of the left, I would encourage you to visit left-wing sources like Capitol Fax and Politico’s Illinois Playbook. Read especially the comments so that you know what people mostly on the left are thinking. Wirepoints and Illinois Review are also great center-right news sources.

Now even in this, there can too much information to process or act on. Pick a few issues where you can be involved and share information with others.

Second, put the phone numbers and contact information for your elected officials in your phone or address book.

Click HERE to get the list of all your elected officials.

By visiting the above website, you will also see a list of all your elected officials that is great for making a list to pray for them. Print it out and keep it somewhere as a reminder. Maybe you need to set a weekly reminder to pray and contact your officials. They are busy – often doing the work of the devil. We cannot afford to be idle or on the side lines. We must be engaged.

Third, when Springfield is in session, appeals are often made by IFI to fill out a witness slip. We believe these pull a great deal of weight on whether a bill is even called for a hearing. We’ve seen thousands fill out these slips and, shortly thereafter, the bill slipping into a subcommittee graveyard.

An additional step you might want to take related to tracking specific legislation is to view IFI’s Springfield Bill Tracker page.

Finally, in the face of hostility the last thing we want to do is quit or stop caring. Pray for strength and direction. Get involved.

We often think of Noah as the one who built the ark over many years. Of course, that is the means that God used to preserve His people and all people. Noah and his family did not just build the ark, he also was a preacher of righteousness we learn in 2 Peter 2:5. While we seek to do what we can to protect our families and work for God’s purposes, we also seek to be preachers of righteousness. Will you determine to strengthen your witness for the Lord Jesus Christ?

In this third excerpt from an interview with theologian Dr. Peter Leithart, Pastor Derek Buikema begins by acknowledging that not only are there no secular institutions that support Christians but also that increasing numbers of Christian institutions are failing to support Christians. Dr. Leithart explains the reasons for these failures of the contemporary church, which include cowardice in the face of public pressure and the exaltation of “toleration” as an unalloyed good within Western churches, which is turning churches into “allies of the persecutors.”

Pastor Buikema then asked how Christians can discern whether a church or Christian institution, including Christian colleges, has capitulated too much to the world. Dr. Leithart offers several ways for Christians to assess properly whether a church is standing steadfastly with Christ as opposed to making “space” for the world.

This discussion is especially important at this time in the history of the church in America, when “progressivism” is infiltrating and corrupting Christian institutions.

In this second segment from IFI’s interview with theologian Dr. Peter Leithart, Pastor Derek Buikema asks Dr. Leithart to share the ways Dr. Leithart sees unfaithfulness in the church today. Dr. Leithart specifically mentions unfaithfulness as manifest in the church’s willingness to “accommodate” homosexuality, transgender issues, and abortion. He views accommodation to those issues as symptoms of unfaithfulness rather than root causes.

Dr. Leithart then addresses the root causes of the “lethargy” of the church to confront cultural issues. Addressing these root causes within the church will enable Christians to combat what theologian, professor, and pastor, Carl Trueman refers to as the “ascendancy of the self.”

Illinois Family Institute (IFI) was blessed to be able to interview three Christian luminaries and astute cultural critics when they were in the Chicago area for the annual Touchstone Conference: Peter Leithart, Carl Trueman, and Rod Dreher.

Sincere thanks to Dr. Leithart, Dr. Trueman, and Mr. Dreher for generously sharing their time and wisdom. Thanks too to James M. Kushiner, writer and editor of Touchstone Magazine and Salvo Magazine, for making these interviews possible, and to Orland Park Christian Reformed Church Pastor Derek Buikema for conducting the interviews.

IFI is pleased to offer these interviews in short savory segments for your edification beginning with Peter Leithart, president of Theopolis Institute and teacher at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. Leithart is a prolific writer who has authored many books and writes a regular column for First Things Magazine. He received an A.B. in English and History from Hillsdale College in 1981, and a Master of Arts in Religion and a Master of Theology from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia in 1986 and 1987. In 1998 he received his Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge in England. He and his wife, Noel, have ten children and twelve grandchildren.

The first segment of the interview with Dr. Leithart is titled “How Are We Living in Apocalyptic Times?” Pastor Buikema begins by asking what Dr. Leithart means when he refers to “apocalyptic times.” Dr. Leithart explains how he uses that term and shows what “end times have looked like throughout the history of the church. He points to the “fraying of Christian civilization” in America and Europe as evidence that the world system in which we’ve been living is experiencing a “massive upheaval” that signals the end—an apocalypse—of one system, with another one soon to emerge.

Many of us were deeply troubled and/or surprised by the news that Russia started a more active invasion of Ukraine a couple of weeks ago. With this tragic news came the call to prayer. If you are honest, it seems almost too overwhelming to pray in the face of such massive evil, chaos and destruction. Does offering up a little prayer when Russian tanks, planes, helicopters, ground troops, and artillery are bombarding Ukrainian cities do anything? Does it mean anything?

It is good to honestly ask questions like these. As much as we don’t like to feel this way, how much worse would it be if we thought that our prayers were magical. Consider the horror of thinking you could direct the outcome of these massive situations based on your prayers alone. It is good and right to remember our own insignificance.

So, when you are discouraged or overwhelmed in prayer, what should you do? Thankfully, Scripture does give us direction even as we face situations not always identical to what God’s people of old faced.

First, there are seasons when it seems that our prayers are not answered. The sons of Korah in Psalm 44 lamented,

22      Yet for Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

23      Awake! Why do You sleep, O Lord?
Arise! Do not cast us off forever.

24      Why do You hide Your face,
And forget our affliction and our oppression?

Second, although we are taught not to use vain repetitions, the command in prayer is that we keep praying without quitting.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 pray without ceasing (NKJV)

1 Thessalonians 5:17 constantly pray (NET)

Our prayers are like bullets fired in battle. Did any single bullet win World War II? Imagine being a solider during a difficult campaign and saying, well, I fired 200 rounds and we haven’t won yet, so firing my gun doesn’t do anything.

Third, as best as we can we should pray intelligently and according to the situation. We see in the writings of the Apostle Paul that he prayed according to the situation of those whom he was writing. He also requested prayer according to the situations he was facing.

Colossians 1:9-10   For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 

Colossians 4:2-4   Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.

Consider the situation in Ukraine, pray for churches, missionaries, and the spread of the Gospel even through suffering. We pray that the conflict can be brought to an end soon and that God will bring His justice, and those who are responsible for the conflict brought to judgment.

Fourth and finally, we come with utter humility and confidence that the Lord alone can deliver and help us. There is no power in our own words. Our prayers indeed are very weak, but our God is mighty to save. He loves for His children to cry out to Him.

Consider one of the accounts that is told three times in the Old Testament, the Assyrian invasion of Judah. After King Hezekiah received a very threatening letter from Sennacherib, he was very troubled.

Isaiah 37:14-17   And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. Then Hezekiah prayed to the LORD, saying: “O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God.

In the face of incredible odds, the LORD defended His people and brought a tremendous judgment upon the army of the Assyrians. The angel of the LORD killed 185,000 men of the invading Assyrian army. Eventually Sennacherib faced his judgment.

Pray and don’t stop praying. The power is not in your words but in the One who hears.

One of the most astonishing and disturbing trends in evangelicalism over the last few years is the significant number of leaders and organizations that have succumbed to the pressure of the “Woke” mob to join them in their attacks upon the so-called “White” culture. Organizations, such as The Gospel Coalition, and leaders of the SBC, among many others, have gone on record as supportive of the objectives of BLM, CRT, and other leftist groups. Voddie Baucham, in his powerful book, Fault Lines, highlights the dangers to the Church inherent in such actions.

The errors in this are not difficult to discern!  The Leftists are not clandestine with their motives and objectives.  We have clarity, though it may be discomfiting to Christians and pseudo-Christians who have fallen in love with the world and desire the world’s approval!

Setting aside the message of the Left for the moment, which at times and in some ways may be accurate concerning the majority culture, one need only look at their proffered solutions to recognize that they are not of the same spirit as the Church and despise the Gospel of Christ. It is impossible to be at peace with organizations such as BLM, and the CRT “woke” crowd and to also be at peace with Jesus Christ!

One need only consider how the movement deals with their own members’ faux pas to understand that they know nothing of grace. They are consumed by hatred, destruction, and irreconcilable animosity. They provide no pathway to peace. If they decide you are the enemy, you are forever the enemy. Mercy and forgiveness are nonexistent.

How can harmony or cooperation exist between the Body of Christ and such ungodliness? How can anyone who knows and has experienced God’s grace and forgiveness desire to join hands with a movement which despises it? Have they forgotten the admonition of Scripture which notes that “friendship with the world is enmity with God?” Christ noted tersely that those who denied Him He would deny before His Father. What is especially troubling about their climbing aboard the “Woke” wagon is that it is quite impossible for them to be unaware of the stark contrast between Scriptures and “Wokeness.” To this writer it recalls James’s blunt retort, “you adulterers and adulteresses!” While none of us has the ability or authority to judge whether another person is born again or not, one is reminded of Paul’s scathing remarks to the churches of Galatia that he “stood in doubt” about them.

The message of the Gospel breaths God’s grace. He who from before the foundation of the world provided that the very course of history would tell the story of His mercy and forgiveness. For those who at one time hated Him and rejected His rule yet turned to Him in repentance, He offers not only forgiveness but full reconciliation and close familial relationship!

Yet the “Woke” BLM, CRT crowd not only fails to offer a pathway to forgiveness and reconciliation they actively and publicly reject making such an offer. Their way is that of total and abject surrender by and subjugation of all of those they deem to be offenders.

Students of church history will remember that in the early Twentieth century unbelievers took control of many American Christian organizations, seminaries, colleges, and denominations. They did so by taking advantage of Christianity’s I Corinthians’ 13 principle of “believing the best” and giving others the benefit of the doubt to veil their active undermining and destruction of historic Christian doctrines.

Will we see a repeat of that fiasco in the 21^st Century?  We may if true believers do not respond biblically and soon.  For those who are paying attention, understand that the “Woke” movement is not about justice and peace. It is about power!

How completely antithetical to the Gospel of Christ!

Have you ever read a book that was so good, you knew before you reached the end that you wanted to read it again? Or maybe you have a favorite movie that you’ve watched many times over, yet, with each viewing there seems to be a line of dialogue or a particular scene that impacts you in a new way.

Both of the scenarios above describe how we feel about the keynote message Dr. Erwin Lutzer presented at the Illinois Family Institute 2021 Faith, Family & Freedom Fall Banquet. If you were blessed to hear Dr. Lutzer in person, you will definitely want to listen again to his humorous anecdotes that aptly illustrate his godly words of wisdom. He is the rare combination of enthralling storyteller and faithful, precise expositor of God’s Word that we all need to hear in these challenging times.

If you weren’t able to hear Dr. Lutzer’s message on October 29, 2021, here is your opportunity to banish that lingering feeling of “fear of missing out.” Either way, we hope you will enjoy and be encouraged by this encore presentation of Dr. Lutzer’s message, “We Will Not Be Silenced.”

If you do an internet search on the phrase “finding your purpose,” Google identifies approximately 1,140,000,000 websites, books, blogs, op-ed pieces, podcasts, academic papers, etc. that might help in the quest to determine what one’s purpose is in life. Without any internet help, I can tell you that the Westminster Shorter Catechism tackles this age-old topic with its very first question:

Q.  What is the chief end of man?

A.  Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.

The Baltimore Catechism answers the same question in this way:

A.  God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in heaven.

It really is that simple.

God made us, and our purpose is to glorify Him by loving and serving Him on earth and then delight in His presence for eternity in heaven.

It should come as no surprise that our culture presents a competing purpose – in its opinion a better purpose – find “happiness.” Today’s culture would like to convince us that its worldly-wise ways are best, but the narcissistic, hedonistic pursuit of happiness is ultimately a deeply unsatisfying alternative to the purpose God has designed for mankind.

Thousands of years ago, a very wise man wandered away from a life of substance and purpose to embrace the siren call of a worldly culture. He plunged into an existence defined by materialism, sensuality, even idolatry. As he gave himself over to indulging his every desire, he began to realize that his very life was evaporating into insignificance. Nearing the end of his days, the man repented of his folly and wrote a philosophical book which exposed the futility of the secular mind and worldview.

Of course I am describing King Solomon and the book of Ecclesiastes. In this book of wisdom literature, Solomon chronicles his search for happiness. From sobriety to drunkenness, from the worship of God to the worship of idols, from the heights of philosophy to the depths of depravity, Solomon experienced all that the world had to offer. So, what was his assessment of his exhaustive pursuit? “All is vanity” (Eccles.1:2.)

In the end, Solomon discovered that his striving was vanity – worthless, hollow, fruitless. The wisest man in the world concluded that his search had been an utter waste: all of his strength exerted for nothing, all of his wealth squandered for zilch, all of his mental energy spent pointlessly, all of his spiritual energy expended to no purpose.

Ecclesiastes is the account of Solomon’s life of empty endeavors. Yet, through this king and his sad story, God teaches us that life apart from Him is vain – hollow and worthless, without purpose. According to the book, unbelievers who search for wisdom might as well be chasing after the wind (Eccles. 1:14, 17), but Christian readers of Ecclesiastes, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, will discern that there are but two options: a life of hopelessness or the confident hope of a life entrusted to God. No hope or eternal hope – the choice seems obvious!

Knowing that life lived apart from God is vanity, how then should we live and to what purpose? The Word of God instructs us to “number our days” (Ps. 90:12), “to work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Col. 3:23), and to “lay up treasures in heaven” (Matt. 6:19-21). If we are not consumed with the pursuit of material things that will burn up at the end of this age, shouldn’t we be laser-focused on doing the Lord’s work, laboring for what will last, and seeking His will in our every endeavor?

Of course we should! We ought to be the most intentional and diligent people on the face of the earth, purposefully and persistently seeking God in everything we set out to do, always aware that we are ambassadors of His Kingdom. But do our lives and our priorities reflect this ideal? Do we truly strive to glorify God in every aspect of our lives?

With ever-increasing intensity, our culture is attempting to force Christians to adopt its distorted and depraved worldview regarding marriage, family, abortion, sexuality, gender identity, religion, and absolute truth. Don’t fall for the lies or succumb to the pressure! We must jettison anything that distracts, degrades, and deters us from glorifying God, and instead wisely double down on what matters – what we know is true and what we know has eternal value.

In the end, unlike those of our culture, our efforts will not be in vain. When we refuse to run after empty, hollow, worthless endeavors (with the help of the Holy Spirit), we will leave futility and vanity behind and find genuine happiness in fulfilling our chief purpose – to love, serve, and glorify God as we do His will.