Government – Page 3 – Dobra Family Ministry

Household Prayer: Give thanks, repent, reprove, rejoice

“¶Alas, sinful nation, People heavy with iniquity, Seed of evildoers, Sons who act corruptly! They have forsaken Yahweh; They have spurned the Holy One of Israel; They have become estranged from Him… ¶Your land is desolate; Your cities are burned with fire; Your fields—strangers are devouring them in your presence; It is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.” Isaiah 1:4, 7 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/isa.1.4-7.LSB

Brothers, couple prayer thoughts as I start Isaiah in my reading. First, a nation under God’s judgment will face many woes and food scarcity is one of them (Is. 1:4, 7; 5:5-7). Second, His people need to be repentant, faithful, and bold in the truth (Is. 1:16-17). I pray we have faith, repent of sin, rejoice in our salvation, and praise God and declare His great works to others (Is. 12:2-4).

Give thanks to Yahweh, call on His name!

““Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not dread; For Yah—Yahweh Himself—is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.” Therefore you will joyously draw water From the springs of salvation. And in that day you will say, “Give thanks to Yahweh, call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; Make them remember that His name is exalted.”” Isaiah 12:2-4 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/isa.12.2-4.LSB

Reprove the ruthless…

With love, correct and disapprove of the merciless, cruel, and hard-hearted. Reenchant the world with God’s truth.

“¶“Wash yourselves, purify yourselves; Remove the evil of your deeds from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Execute justice for the orphan, Plead for the widow.” Isaiah 1:16-17 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/isa.1.17.LSB

A land under judgement

““So now let Me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard: I will remove its hedge, and it will be consumed; I will break down its wall, and it will become trampled ground. “I will lay it waste; It will not be pruned or hoed, But briars and thorns will come up. I will also command the clouds to rain no rain on it.” ¶For the vineyard of Yahweh of hosts is the house of Israel And the men of Judah His delightful plant. Thus He hoped for justice, but behold, bloodshed; For righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress.” Isaiah 5:5-7 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/isa.5.5-7.LSB

Food scarcity and supporting local producers

I’m watching The Tavern on Warrior Poet Society with Rick Green interviewing Texas Slim about The Beef Initiative. The Beef Initiative – The Tavern EP35 on Warrior Poet Society http://www.watchwpsn.com/videos/the-beef-initiative-the-tavern-ep35 (Subscription required)

The Beef Initiative https://beefinitiative.com

Rick Green of Patriot Academy https://www.patriotacademy.com/

Household Prayer: Gardening https://ministry.family.blog/2023/03/07/household-prayer-gardening/

FARMLAND LOST IS FARMLAND LOST FOREVER https://americanpolicy.org/2023/07/10/farmland-lost-is-farmland-lost-forever/

Power shortages, start planning

“Mike Shelby here, and here’s what’s on my radar… I just posted Power Shortages: 2025-2032 to YouTube because this is critical information for Americans to understand… Start planning for the panic buying, food and fuel rationing, supply chain disruption, blocked financial transactions, and other society-stopping conditions now. You have to reduce your dependency on fragile and failing systems if you want to navigate future gray zone conditions.” https://youtu.be/Qu91WpzBHmQ?si=GbFIgUy3UBQJm-lE

Trust in God and not dread!

“¶Arise, O Yahweh; save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheek; You have shattered the teeth of the wicked. Salvation belongs to Yahweh; Your blessing be upon Your people! Selah.” Psalm 3:7-8 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/psa.3.7-8.LSB

THE GOOD NEWS

There is a God that created the heavens and the earth. We humans are created in His image.

We are sinners, we have rebelled against Him, our Creator. Our rebellion has brought “all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice… envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness” to the world. Romans 1:29-31 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.1.29-31.ESV

Therefore we justly deserve our due punishment of death and damnation, “as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.’” Romans 3:10-12 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.3.10-12.ESV

But good news! God is merciful and loving. Jesus is God the only begotten Son and He took our punishment upon Himself in our place. Jesus rose from the dead, defeating death and securing the hope of our salvation.

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1co.15.3-8.ESV

““Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”” Acts 2:36-38 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/act.2.36-38.ESV

We need only repent and believe it. Repent: turn away from our sins, proclaim Jesus is lord and savior, and we will be forgiven our sins and have life ever after! “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”” Romans 10:9-11 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.10.9-11.ESV

There is hope. Believe in Jesus! ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.3.16.ESV

It doesn’t matter who you’ve been or what you’ve done, God stands with arms wide open, ready to forgive you. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.1.9.ESV

Household Prayer: the mission of marriage is greater than the Roman Empire

”Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great, but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.“ Ephesians 5:25-33 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/eph.5.25-33.LSB

Brothers, it’s the end of February and I’m praying for our marriages. We learn from Valentinus that the mission of marriage is greater than the Roman Empire. I pray we would be encouraged in the mission, that we would love our wive’s as Christ loved the church, that we would be students of the Scripture, and that we would not fall for the trap of Balaam (Number 22-23, Rev 2:14,16). I pray our marriages would be a reflection of the Gospel.

Marriage is greater than the Roman Empire (Valentinus 269 A.D). Creation starts with a marriage. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number” (Adam and Eve, Genesis 1:28) and ends with a marriage. ”Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.”“ (Revelation 19:7 LSB).

Men Be Encouraged in the Mission

Your marriage is a reflection of the Gospel! (Eph 5:22-6:18). Love your wife as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her (5.25, 5:33a) and let each one of you love his wife as himself. Christ loved 100% in obedience to the Father!

You must be a student of the Scriptures! Lead your wife and children in the instruction of the Scriptures. Protect your families from the lies and falsehoods of the world. To lead in the instruction of the Scriptures and protect your families from worldly ideas and falsehoods, you must be a student of the Scriptures!

Men, don’t fall for the traps! Keep sexual purity with your wife. The same trap of Balaam to curse God’s people in Numbers 22-23 is set today. Temptation to sexual immorality destroys God’s people. To the church at Pergamum – ”But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality… Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.“ Revelation 2:14, 16

“A husband’s love for his wife should be efficacious… Notice that when Christ efficaciously loved His bride, His love transformed her. His love was also incarnational: Christ’s love for the Church was embodied in His willingness to die for her… as Paul says, “He that loveth his wife loveth himself” (Eph. 5:28)… when a husband really loves his wife, he will discover that as he gives these blessings to his wife, his wife consistently gives a bigger return. He shovels blessings on her, and then discovers that she has a much bigger shovel. He who loves his wife loves himself. She is always able to return more in blessing to him than he has given to her. Godly wives are multipliers. Husbands who love their wives in an incarnational way will consequently have the authority to speak at the dinner table, and they will find that people want to listen. If a husband is not doing this, everyone around him will check out, right after they roll their eyes. If you are not loving your wife efficaciously, any instruction or teaching you offer your family is going to bounce off their foreheads. And if you want to transform your family, then you must be willing to die—and you cannot do this on your own. You have to look to the Christ who died, in order to imitate Him, daily taking up your cross and following Him.” The Covenant Household by Douglas Wilson https://a.co/3Sz5qNn

Household Prayer: Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God https://ministry.family.blog/2024/02/15/household-prayer-resistance-to-tyrants-is-obedience-to-god/

The cosmic battle started early in creation and has continued since (Gen. 3:15). So I pray we understand the profound nature and purpose of our marriages and the armor needed to protect them (Eph. 5-6). https://ministry.family.blog/2024/02/03/household-prayer-marriage-and-the-cosmic-battle/

More about Saint Valentine: https://ministry.family.blog/2023/02/11/saint-valentine/

Household Prayer: Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God

”But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had spoken to them, but let the boys live… So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very mighty. Now it happened that because the midwives feared God, He made households for them.“ Exodus 1:17, 20-21 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/exo.1.17-21.LSB

Brothers, meditating on the midwives in Ex. 1:17-21. Also thinking about Valentinus’ defiance of the Roman Emperor Claudius II. I pray we have such love and affection for God that we would always choose Him over the authorities of this world. I pray we know God’s word and choose obedience to Him above all others. I pray we protect our families from the lies and falsehoods of this world and fill them with the truth of God!

Disciple the Nations

”And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.“ Mark‬ ‭16‬:‭15‬ ‭LSB‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/3345/mrk.16.15.LSB

We have a duty to teach the nations God’s gospel, commands, laws, and principles (Grace and Truth). This would include informing the nations ( neighbors, civil authorities, etc…) when they are out of line with God’s will.

How do we know when we or the nations are outside of God’s will? When we disobey God’s commands, laws, and principles.

Share the truth in love, but share. They may respond to correction or opportunities may open for gospel conversations. Duty is ours, results are God’s. ”And do not participate in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead even expose them.“ Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭11‬ ‭LSB‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/3345/eph.5.11.LSB

“Soft days for [true] Christians are past, and only a strong view of Scripture is sufficient to withstand the pressure of an all-pervasive culture built upon relativism and relativistic thinking. We must remember that it is a strong view of the absolutes [absolute truths of scripture] which the infinite-personal God gave to the … church… which enabled the early church to withstand the pressure of the Roman Empire.” Francis A. Schaeffer, The Great Evangelical Disaster

More about Saint Valentine: https://ministry.family.blog/2023/02/11/saint-valentine/

Important resources

Really good conversation about A Revolutionary Reading of Romans 13: A Biblical Case for Lawful Subjection to the Civil Magistrate and Dutiful Resistance to Tyrants. We need to pray for our church leaders to re-learn these old and very costly won theologies. https://youtu.be/0cxGEjKbJn0?si=GDDORCCMkN6a7Yq_

A Revolutionary Reading of Romans 13: A Biblical Case for Lawful Subjection to the Civil Magistrate and Dutiful Resistance to Tyrants https://press.founders.org/shop/a-revolutionary-reading-of-romans-13/

The Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrates: A Proper Resistance to Tyranny and a Repudiation of Unlimited Obedience to Civil Government by Matthew J. Trewhella https://a.co/aVQzfiR

Slaying Leviathan: Limited Government and Resistance in the Christian Tradition https://canonpress.com/products/slaying-leviathan

By What Standard? God’s World…God’s Rules https://press.founders.org/shop/by-what-standard-gods-world-gods-rules/

The Essential Church https://watch.amazon.com/detail?gti=amzn1.dv.gti.aa4a63f3-44a5-499c-8846-06d00c6d0c56&territory=US&ref_=share_ios_movie&r=web
more here: https://essentialchurchmovie.com/

Fire Pit Friday: the sins of secularism and silence

Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.” I Peter 3:8-9 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/1pe.3.9.NKJV

Fire Pit Fridays – first three Fridays of November 6pm – watch No Quarter November blog post, have a drink if desired, and some theological and applicational discussion. https://noquarternovember.com

Love in unity of the essentials.
Love in discussion of the practical lived out faith.
Love in rejoicing together in our Savior.
Love in growing in the faith.

May it be in love, fruitful, edifying, and a blessing. “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.” I Peter 3:8-9 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/1pe.3.9.NKJV

Nov. 17 NQN Fire Pit Friday 6pm – Man, no qualifications can sting! This issue reminded me of Isaiah 8. Calling us to ignore the “mediums and wizards”, or the voice of secularism and silence of the pulpits, and return to God’s word. So some questions for discussion, how do we live out our faith in a way to reject and cast down the secular “arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God” (II Cor. 10:4-5) How do we encourage our pastors to preach on the “untouchable” topics?

Video: https://youtu.be/9cPswFkQlgo?si=-50OAsMLtEjia-9R
Blog: https://dougwils.com/books-and-culture/s7-engaging-the-culture/a-pinch-of-incense-to-the-genius-of-democracy-2-2.html

“The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow; Let Him be your fear, And let Him be your dread… Bind up the testimony, Seal the law among my disciples… And when they say to you, “Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isaiah 8:13, 16, 19-20 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/isa.8.13-20.NKJV

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” II Corinthians 10:4-5 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/2co.10.4-5.NKJV

“This last week, the voters of Ohio enshrined a right to abortion in their state constitution, in what might be called Ohio’s suicide note. In the heady days after the Jericho of Roe fell, this was the gut punch that we might call the first battle of Ai… The foundational issue is that our entire nation is riddled and shot through with the pox-ridden disease of secularism, and we have gone so far as to trick it out as some kind of a virtue… And this relates to a secondary disease in the pulpits of our land, one which absolutely refuses to confront this problem, or to name the sin in any way… Prophetic denunciation is right and proper, but our muddled and confused murmuring and fearful complaining is not the same thing as clear-headed prophetic denunciation. In a time when our nation has declared open war on the God of heaven, despising His law/word, we, ostensibly His people, have responded with a farrago of lame theological excuses… We have struck down Roe, and thank God for that. But have we received forgiveness for Roe? Has there been atonement? We still have the blood of innocents on our hands, up to the elbows. Doesn’t anybody realize we still need to seek forgiveness? We, in the name of a demented constitutionalism, have dashed out the brains of far more infants than Hamas could ever dream of… And so here we are. America is currently acting the part of Gollum falling backward into the crevasse, holding his ring, and savoring his moment of triumph. We laugh as though we had just proven that there is no such thing as judgment, and we do this while clutching at the judgment itself. The cackling is hard to listen to, but it is over soon enough… And so all of this has happened in a country that is the home to tens of millions of evangelical Christians. What has our response been? Well, we dither… The foundational disease is in our pulpits, which have gone largely silent when it comes to the Word of Jehovah on any of these subjects, or on any topic that seems remotely connected to them. It sounds noble to say that you want to stay focused on the gospel of Christ and Him crucified. It is less noble to refuse to mention any of the high-handed sins that made such a crucifixion necessary. The New Testament message of repent and believe has been transformed into believe if you would like. to. And so now all the godless have to do to get evangelicals to lay off is deck their rebellions out in the camouflage of public square neutrality… The lie of secularism is that we have the right to make decisions like the people of Ohio just did… So evangelicals believe in democracy, do they? So what did democracy do in Ohio last week? Can democracy sin? And, if democracy can sin, can democracy be forgiven? The only way to answer that question properly is to acknowledge the authority of the risen Lord Jesus Christ over the nations, including ours, and that would run the risk of being labeled a Christian nationalist by the cool kids. No, no! Anything but the disapproval of the cool kids. Ah, cool shame . . . thy name is craven evangelical… Secularism is the delusional pretense that there is no transcendent authority above us. It is the daydream that there is no divine voice that could ever tell the majority of the American people no. Faith in democracy amounts to the implicit claim that 55% have the right to vote on whether or not the 45% are persons. Faith in Christ amounts to the explicit claim that we have no right whatever to autonomous law. And by autonomous law, I mean bloody law. I mean murderous law. I mean anti-fertility law. I mean death-wish law… And this is why the evangelical sheepdogs didn’t bark. The intelligensia of the evangelical movement, some of them educated well beyond their intelligence, and many of them educated in such a way as did not erase their aching insecurities, are deathly afraid of being called out for their lack of sophisticated and/or sophistical academic cred. They try very hard to fix it.” https://dougwils.com/books-and-culture/s7-engaging-the-culture/a-pinch-of-incense-to-the-genius-of-democracy-2-2.html

Fire Pit Friday: Justice, Sympathy, Christian Nations?

Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.” I Peter 3:8-9 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/1pe.3.9.NKJV

Love in unity of the essentials.
Love in discussion of the practical lived out faith.
Love in rejoicing together in our Savior.
Love in growing in the faith.

Nov. 10 NQN Fire Pit Friday 6pm – Two big topics: (1) Justice (rooted in God’s absolute standard) vs. Empathy (untethered from reality or morality) in the Israel-Hamas context, and (2) can political ideals (democracy, religious freedom) pre-suppose a Christian worldview? Or do those ideals come from a Christian worldview pre-supposition (and is that an attribute of Christian Nationalism)? Could tackle both or one, wherever the conversation leads.

1) Video: https://youtu.be/VDGwGfPl9WQ?si=E0drsjjxAY8EYjIs
Blog: https://dougwils.com/books-and-culture/s7-engaging-the-culture/a-pinch-of-incense-to-the-genius-of-democracy-2.html

2) Video: https://youtu.be/AHyoPYcz_xk?si=EiWzYOpPtFJlLwPD
Blog: https://dougwils.com/books-and-culture/s7-engaging-the-culture/a-pinch-of-incense-to-the-genius-of-democracy.html

Three articles I read this week emphasize that we do not look to secular, Godless, thought or systems to address the practicalities of Christian cultural engagement! God’s absolute truth and biblical standard must pre-suppose all thought and understanding. Justice and Politics must be informed by our Christian worldview.

Justice. Current “a la carte approach to theology starves us of the riches of the historic Christian tradition. Moreover, it forces many to look to secular thought to address the practicalities of Christian cultural engagement rather than to Scripture… What if we applied our big-God theology all the way out to the corners, even in the area of justice?” As Lord over every aspect of our spiritual, physical, and thought lives? “God’s sovereignty applies not only to personal salvation; it also means that he governs the whole course of redemptive history according to his unchanging plan (Eph. 1:11)… As heirs of the Reformation mantle of sola Scriptura, we should always bring our systems under the intense scrutiny of Scripture. At the same time, we must not be bare biblicists, neglecting the treasures of covenant theology and its particular applications to our cultural moment.” How Covenant Theology Clarifies Justice Issues https://founders.org/articles/how-covenant-theology-clarifies-justice-issues/

Sympathy. the difference between sympathy and empathy was the difference between objective truth and subjective felt “truth.” … Mankind is fallen, bent, twisted. It is not prudent or wise to untether any of his emotional states—even the ones we glibly assumed were benevolent… The biblical view of man is that he is by nature an object of wrath (Eph. 2:3). Is anyone righteous? Not even one (Rom. 3:10). Left to our own devices, we spend our energy hating one another and being hated (Tit. 3:3). Before conversion to Christ, we must be restrained and held back from evil externally. After conversion to Christ, we are constrained internally by the Spirit of God, who enables us to mortify our remaining sinful impulses. Not to put too fine a point on it, man is not basically good…. If you have a biblical doctrine of man, you will want to see him tethered to the rock of justice. If you have an unbiblical doctrine of man, you will assume that he is a natural-born sweetie pie, and that leaving him to pursue his ethical development in some self-paced way will somehow turn out well. This is the thin mist of naive ethical theory, seeping out from under the door jams of all our major Thinkeries.” Empathy as the Headwaters of Cruelty https://dougwils.com/books-and-culture/s7-engaging-the-culture/a-pinch-of-incense-to-the-genius-of-democracy-2.html

Christian Nation? “Our new Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has freaked a bunch of people out by acknowledging his Christian faith openly and unashamedly, and by saying that he plans to begin every work day there at the Capitol by utilizing a little prayer chapel that is close by his new offices. Now whether or not Johnson actually is a Christian nationalist, he certainly drew the charge of Christian nationalism almost instantly. He did this by means of a little trick where he avowed that his Christianity would have something to do with how he discharged his office. He did not use any approved line like “my faith, which is very personal and precious to me, will not have any influence on how I make political decisions.” … a number of conservative Christians who are very critical of formal Christian nationalism are mysteriously fine with Johnson and friends praying together on government property because, say they, that kind of devotion is personal and private. They approve of that sort of piety. The problem for them would come if someone tried to extract an agenda for action from the Scriptures, and on the basis of scriptural authority. That is where they would start to get restive and more than a little bit jumpy.” But where do the ideas of “religious liberty”, “democracy”, “free speech”, and the “Constitution” come from? “Religious liberty makes sense in some worldviews, and is flatly rejected by others. The idea of limited government as represented by our Constitution is dependent upon a certain worldview, and cannot be sustained by other worldviews. Is Owen willing to recognize that in order for us to have all the things he believes in, we must first have an established and shared set of preconditions that makes belief in such things possible? … I believe in religious liberty also, but I know and understand that such liberty arises from one worldview, and not from others. So if you believe in religious liberty, and you actually want it to happen, then that means you must also want the framework of such liberty to be understood by our rulers, and incorporated into our constitutional infrastructure. And that is what we mean by Christian nationalism… you cannot consistently believe in the Constitution unless you also believe in the kind of society that produced it. And the kind of society that produced it was a Christian one.” The Joy Juice of Democracy https://dougwils.com/books-and-culture/s7-engaging-the-culture/a-pinch-of-incense-to-the-genius-of-democracy.html

Interesting applicational exercise: all cultures equal, or a Christian worldview of the value of life, evil of murder, and justice applied. “Charles James Napier, commander-in-chief of British India, enforced a ban on the Hindu practice of burning widows. When a group of irate Hindu priests asserted that the customs of their nation should be honored, here is how Napier responded: ‘This burning of widows is your custom; prepare the funeral pile. But my nation has also a custom. When men burn women alive, we hang them and confiscate all their property. My carpenters shall therefore erect gibbets on which to hang all concerned when the widow is consumed. Let us all act according to national customs.’” https://x.com/benzeisloft/status/1722727774505284092?s=46&t=Ag2lESY3ntUopWo1gN17hw

You are the Christian governor of the colony. Do you empathize with the colonized and allow the burning of widows? Do you look to truth tethered justice to establish a Christian worldview based civil order?

Concluding thought question: How are we as the church preparing to care for one another if God sends cataclysmic judgement, to fight against evil, to advance the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ?

Supporting Ref.

Eric Metaxas: Awake, You Who Sleep (2023) https://youtu.be/8AkvuGZfTg0?si=aBpVlgzKNh-UocDs “In the face of a darkening and confused culture, Eric Metaxas makes a career out of bringing both encouragement and a challenge to believers. He calls for Christians of conviction to stand firm, speak the truth, and do so with the hope that comes from our faith in the gospel. Eric is a happy warrior for the application of a Christian worldview to every aspect of our lives.”

TS&TT: Larry Taunton | Infiltrating The World Economic Forum https://youtu.be/9WzDFMC17fg?si=5Z1f3D2473iCBn0f “Tom Ascol and Graham Gunden welcome Larry Taunton back to the show to discuss the World Economic Forum. They talk about some the WEF Genesis and their agenda, while hearing about Larry’s personal experience after infiltrating their 2023 meeting in Davos, Switzerland.”

Coming soon to Founders Press. “A Revolutionary Reading of Romans 13: A Biblical Case For Lawful Subjection To The Civil Magistrate and Dutiful Resistance To Tyrants” – By Timothy Decker

The Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrates: A Proper Resistance to Tyranny and a Repudiation of Unlimited Obedience to Civil Government by Matthew J. Trewhella https://a.co/6Mn2RHk

The Magdeburg Confession: 13th of April 1550 AD by Pastors of Magdeburg https://a.co/cWOPNHu

If You Can Keep It: The Forgotten Promise of American Liberty by Eric Metaxas https://a.co/5vUxwdQ

Celebrate Liberty! Famous Patriotic Speeches & Sermons by David Barton https://a.co/8FZFVWt

Hitler, God, and the Bible by Ray Comfort https://a.co/7Oc9vB9

When a Nation Forgets God: 7 Lessons We Must Learn From Nazi Germany by Erwin W. Lutzer https://a.co/hFGQ1zI

The Founders’ Key: The Divine and Natural Connection Between the Declaration and the Constitution and What We Risk by Losing It by Larry P. Arnn https://a.co/iIqY7ad

God’s Double Agent: The True Story of a Chinese Christian’s Fight for Freedom by Bob Fu, Nancy French https://a.co/8oUBngH

The White Horse King: The Life of Alfred the Great by Ben Merkle https://a.co/64ce4sw

Household Prayer: physical and spiritual rebuilding

“Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel… So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.” Nehemiah 8:1, 8 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/neh.8.8.NKJV

God’s people assembled in the public square. Ezra reads God’s law for the assembly, and the Levites “teach and instruct the people in the will of God… to explain and apply the truth of God in your life.” (Family worship Bible guide)

Brothers, meditating on Nehemiah 8 this week. We are both body and spirit, both physical and spiritual. Nehemiah tells the story of both the physical and spiritual rebuilding. “Rebuilding the walls without returning to the Word of God would be foolish.” (Family worship Bible guide) And likewise, according to James, returning to God’s word without rebuilding the walls may indicate a dead faith. (James 1:22; 2:14-26; Matt. 6:10) I pray for a renewed fear of God and love of His word. I pray that a renewed faith would result in joy as we labor in faithful obedience in the roles God has given us in this world until “the nations of those who are saved shall walk in [the new Jerusalem’s] light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.” (Revelation 21:24)

The four God ordained governments working in cooperation. Individuals, households, spiritual (Church) and civil authorities (Nehemiah 8:9,13) cooperated in “ensuring that everyone, both citizens and leaders, understood how the principles of God’s Word applied to every aspect of life and culture.” (The Founders’ Bible, NASB 1995, Copyright 2012, Shiloh Road Publishers)

“Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel…
Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law…
Also… the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law; and the people stood in their place. So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading. And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”” Nehemiah 8:1, 3, 7-10 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/neh.8.1-10.NKJV

“Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble.” Psalms 119:165 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/psa.119.165.NKJV

“Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.” Psalms 127:1 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/psa.127.1.NKJV

“and their brethren, heads of their fathers’ houses—one thousand seven hundred and sixty. They were very able men for the work of the service of the house of God.” I Chronicles 9:13 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/1ch.9.13.NKJV

For the People Had a Mind to Work | Reformation And Revival “Nehemiah tells us that the Jewish returned exiles finished the wall, even in the face of Sanballat’s mockery, because the people had a mind to work. They didn’t seem to care that Sanballat was over there saying, ‘What do these feeble Jews think they are doing? Will they rebuild out of the heaps of rubbish which are burned?’ And Tobiah added, ‘Even if a fox went up on the wall, he would break it down.'” https://youtu.be/WzcqjrquTmE?si=cFW5QTdM-07ttdD5

Take dominion. Make disciples. By faith (Heb. 11:1-3,4,5…), get to work subduing and ruling, working and keeping, being fruitful and multiplying (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:15), and making disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:18-20) for “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10)

Rule yourself well, rule your household well, and bring God’s truth and grace into every sphere of life that you enter into until every nation proclaims “Jesus is Lord!” – Amen

Celebrate! June is Life Month!

“Praise the Lord, all nations! Glorify Him, all peoples! For His faithful love to us is great; the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever. Hallelujah!”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭117‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭HCSB‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/72/psa.117.1-2.HCSB

Memorial for the lost children, Peoria, 2019 Fall 40 Days for Life

“Sons are indeed a heritage from the Lord, children, a reward.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭127‬:‭3‬ ‭HCSB‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/72/psa.127.3.HCSB

June 2022 the Roe decision was overturned in the Dobbs decision.

“Held: The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.” https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/19-1392_6j37.pd

June is Life Month: Celebration as warfare is CrossPolitic’s vision https://youtu.be/hzKPIa6fpE0

Learn 8 reasons why June is life month!

Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” — Declaration Of Independence, Constitution Of The United States Of America, Bill Of Rights And Constitutional Amendments by Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, et al. https://a.co/5b0u6Av

Celebration as Warfare: Raise A Hallelujah (Official Lyric Video) – Bethel Music, Jonathan & Melissa Helser | VICTORY

Verse 1
I raise a hallelujah, in the presence of my enemies
I raise a hallelujah, louder than the unbelief
I raise a hallelujah, my weapon is a melody
I raise a hallelujah, Heaven comes to fight for me

Chorus
I’m gonna sing, in the middle of the storm
Louder and louder, you’re gonna hear my praises roar
Up from the ashes, hope will arise
Death is defeated, the King is alive

Essential Prayers for Life
https://ministry.family.blog/2020/05/13/essential-prayers-for-life/

Prayer walk – March for Life Resources https://ministry.family.blog/2021/01/26/prayer-walk-march-for-life-resources-1-29-2021/

Prayer, public witness of the church, and proclaiming God’s truth and grace.

Why are we here (in this sin fallen world)?
To bear witness to God and His truth and grace.
To make disciples of all nations.
Matthew 28:18-20

Why are we here (on the sidewalk outside an abortion clinic)?
To bear witness to God and His truth and grace.
To love the captive soul and to preach the good news!
Romans 10:14-15

What message are we sharing and bearing witness to?
There is a God that created the heavens and the earth.
We humans are created in His image.
We are sinners, we have rebelled against Him, and justly deserve our due punishment of death and damnation.
But God is merciful and loving.
Jesus is God the only begotten Son and He took our punishment upon Himself in our place.
Jesus rose from the dead, defeating death and securing the hope of our salvation.
We need only confess our sins, proclaim Jesus is lord and savior, and repent and we will be forgiven our sins and have life ever after!
Romans 3:10-18, 23
1 Corinthians 15:3-8
John 3:16-21
Ephesians 2:1-10

#LifeMonth

June is #LifeMonth and #Dobbsmonth celebrating the downfall of Roe and all fruitlessness. https://t.co/eDLsGgjmN2 pic.twitter.com/Czq3Je0Tek
— Toby Sumpter (@TJSumpter) May 24, 2023

June is LIFE MONTH!

Here are 5 practical ways to celebrate and spread the word:

1- Have a party! Invite lots of people! Make some noise! Let people know in person and online what you’re doing and why you’re doing it! #lifemonth
— Abigail Dodds (@abigaildodds) May 25, 2023

Household Prayer: Boldness to Speak Truth

Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”” Acts 4:18-20, 23-30 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/act.4.18-30.NKJV

Brothers today I am praying for boldness of faith. Jesus rules over the nations (Ps. 22:27-28) All authority has been given to Jesus in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18) Therefore do not fall into the spirit of fear (2 Tim. 1:7), do not join in the fearful spirit of the 10 spies, but rather join in the courage of Joshua and Caleb (Num. 14). I pray we have boldness in our faith to stand in the truth and speak truth to the nations, discipling them, baptizing them, and teaching them all God has commanded.

Do not fall into a spirit of fear, but work in God’s power, brothers! “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7

Do not join the 10 fearful spies, but join in the courage of Joshua and Caleb, brothers! “If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.”” Numbers 14:8-9

For All authority has been given to Jesus in heaven and on earth. “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20

For Jesus rules over the nations! “Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.” Psalms 2:8-12

“So, while the heathen rage, what is the Church meant to do?
Clearly, all that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. We can decry the encroaching darkness all we want. We can even believe that the hostile climate to Christianity is evidence that the End Times are near. But, as it so well expressed in 2 Kin 7:3, in the midst of a community that is under siege, “Why do we sit here until we die?” … Those with a pro-God worldview must become reengaged in society. They must not only vocally and politically reassert their support and approval for the public religious liberties expressions that Americans have enjoyed and cherished for four centuries, but they must also denounce those who attack and seek to abolish those liberties and expressions. If we do not, we will continue to lose them by default-by silence and inactivity. Remember that even though God told His people that He had given them the Promised Land, they still had to keep fighting the giants. In fact, the lesson of the children of Israel clearly demonstrates that if you don’t like fighting, get used to living in the wilderness; but if you want to enjoy the richness of what God has promised, learn to battle hostile forces. We must stand up and do all we can to preserve the national treasures that God has placed into our hands.” The Founders’ Bible, 2012, Shiloh Road Publishers

“So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” …

And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the mouth of Your servant David have said:

‘Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things? The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord and against His Christ.’

“For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”” Acts 4:18-20, 23-30 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/act.4.18-30.NKJV

HouseHold Prayer: ‘vote for honest men and take consistent ground in politics’ Updated!

“in your splendor ride triumphantly in the cause of truth, humility, and justice. May your right hand show your awe-inspiring acts.” Psalms 45:4 HCSB https://bible.com/bible/72/psa.45.4.HCSB

Brothers, today I am praying for midterm elections. I’m praying for triumph in the cause of truth (Ps. 45:4). I pray, for the love of our neighbors, that God’s truth about life, sex, marriage, gender, economics, localism (subsidiarity), and so much more would triumph. Praying our elders and pastors would be unashamed to teach God’s truth on the issues and that they would fear the Lord more than man.

“For a Christian, voting is not a right, it is a duty! So make sure and vote this election! As Charles Finney declared: ‘[T]he time has come that Christians must vote for honest men and take consistent ground in politics or the Lord will curse them.’ [Lectures on Revivals of Religion, 1858]” WallBuilders Take a Stand – Vote! https://wallbuilders.com/

Know where the candidates stand on the issues. Visit ChristianVoterGuide.com for information, guides, and more!

https://christianvoterguide.com

The IFI (Illinois Family Institute) 2022 Primary Election Voter Guide You will not find this information anywhere else! The online version is updated often.

https://illinoisfamily.org/ifi_news/ifi-voter-guide-resources-for-primary-election-2022/

“when God’s enemies shout that we mustn’t be political, as though this constitutes some trump card that can be used against those who claim to be Christians, we are obliged to hear in these cynical cries the voice of the devil, who similarly tried to keep Wilberforce from doing God’s will through politics and who has tried to keep God’s people from doing good at many times in history.” Eric Metaxas pg. 96 Letter to the American Church

“When Bonhoeffer said that God means the Church to be the conscience of the state, he made it clear that the Church must exist apart from the state and must be free to criticize the state if necessary. When the Church shrinks from this duty – to God and to its fellow citizens – it is not behaving as God’s Church. And when that happens, the state and everyone in it will sufffer.” Eric Metaxas pg. 102 Letter to the American Church

“Bonhoeffer eventually became so disgusted with the simplistic Lutheran idea that Christians should not be political that in ‘The Cost of Discipleship’, he wrote: ‘It is high time we broke with our theologically based restraint towards the state’s actions – which, after all, is only fear.’ Bonhoeffer’s disgust… was of course mainly that it was bad theology.” Eric Metaxas pg. 102,107 Letter to the American Church

FRC: Pray Vote Stand Pledge

“The future of America is in the hands of Christian men and women who will commit to PRAY, VOTE, and STAND for biblical principles to guide our nation. As a follower of Christ led by the Spirit of God and anchored in the Word of God, I commit to advocate and advance biblical truth in my home, workplace, school, church, community, and nation.”

Will you commit to PRAY, VOTE, and STAND for America this November? https://www.frc.org/get.cfm?c=CHECKOUT&dmy=B67634D9-C2D6-F7F3-10C158D6793709B3&srcItem=PT22I01&fromItem=FN22J01&x=0

Midterm Elections Will Determine the Nation’s Path
Read: Proverbs 14:34; Daniel 2:20-21; Proverbs 21:1; Deuteronomy 1:13
“Pray for Christians to pray, vote, and stand as the midterm elections approach. Pray for Bible-believing, Bible-teaching churches to boldly address our cultural moment, equipping believers to think–and act–biblically on issues like life, marriage, family, economy, and education.” (FRC Prayer Post, 10/25/2022)

https://washingtonstand.com/news/midterm-elections-will-determine-the-nations-path

The Founders’ Bible, 2012, Shiloh Road Publishers

Vote! Mid-Term 2022

The IFI 2022 Primary Election Voter Guide You will not find this information anywhere else! The online version is updated often.

https://illinoisfamily.org/ifi_news/ifi-voter-guide-resources-for-primary-election-2022/

FRC: Pray Vote Stand Pledge

Will you commit to PRAY, VOTE, and STAND for America this November? https://www.frc.org/get.cfm?c=CHECKOUT&dmy=B67634D9-C2D6-F7F3-10C158D6793709B3&srcItem=PT22I01&fromItem=FN22J01&x=0

“Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands, to execute vengeance on the nations and punishments on the peoples, to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron, to execute on them the judgment written! This is honor for all his godly ones. Praise the Lord!”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭149‬:‭6‬-‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.149.6-9.ESV

Could we take America back?? https://youtu.be/SVsWaOsKqw8

Why Everyone Needs An AR-15 https://youtu.be/3dIsy3sZI2Y

“Once again, various gun control groups are pushing for a national Assault Weapon Ban that specifically targets AR-15s. Does the AR-15 deserve all this hate? Does the argument for restricting “military-style rifle” ownership hold up? Isaac Botkin walks through the history of every step of small arms weapon development to see if there is a case for this.”

We are IN TROUBLE. Here’s WHY. https://youtu.be/1QIPERzwgqM

Why are we in trouble? Soft men.

Men: train, fight dragons, slay giants, protect your children, stand up for truth, justice, and the American way.

Fear God, Make disciples, Protect your family!

“When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he assembled his 318 trained men, born in his household, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.” Genesis‬ ‭14:14‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“The right to life is a good example of what legal historians refer to as an objective right: it is objective in the sense that it exists outside ourselves and is unalienable… The right to life imposes obligations: you must do everything in your power to preserve it.”
#SlayingLeviathan https://canonpress.com/products/slaying-leviathan/

AMENDMENT II

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.
https://ministry.family.blog/america/second-amendment/

“Religion and liberty must flourish or fall together in America. We pray that both may be perpetual.” Pastor William Smith, Christ Church Philadelphia, 1775
Bringing Back the Black Robed Regiment, Dan Fisher, 2015

“God grant that in America true religion and civil liberty may be inseparable, and that the unjust attempts to destroy the one, may in the issue tend to the support and establishment of both.” John Witherspoon, 1776
Bringing Back the Black Robed Regiment, Dan Fisher, 2015

“And if our religion is given up, all the liberty we boast of will soon be gone.” Samuel Langdon, 1788
Bringing Back the Black Robed Regiment, Dan Fisher, 2015

American Constitution
AMENDMENT II
A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

Militia: an army composed of citizens… called up in time of emergency. (Webster’s 2010)

There are four places in the American Constitution that affirm the Militia’s prior existence, and no law can alter it. The militia is all able bodied members of a community.

Article I, Section 8, Clauses 15 & 16:

[The Congress shall have Power To…]

Clause 15: [ ] “To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;”

Clause 16: [ ] “To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;”

Article II, Section 2, Clause 1:

“The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States…”

AMENDMENT II

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

From the Founders… Original Intent

“[T]he said Constitution [should] be never construed … to prevent the people of the United States, who are peaceable citizens, from keeping their own arms.”
SAMUEL ADAMS, Signer of the Declaration, “Father of the American Revolution” …

“A free people ought … to be armed.”
GEORGE WASHINGTON, US. President, Signer of the Constitution …

“[N]o man should scruple or hesitate a moment to use arms in defense.”
GEORGE WASHINGTON, US. President, Signer of the Constitution …

“The people are not to be disarmed of their weapons. They are left in full possession of them…. This is a principle which secures religious liberty most firmly.”
ZECHARIAH JOHNSTON, Revolutionary Soldier, Virginia Legislator, Ratifier of the U.S. Constitution

“I am thus far a Quaker [a pacifist]: I would gladly agree with all the world to lay aside the use of arms and settle matters by negotiation; but unless the whole will, the matter ends, and I take up my musket and thank Heaven He has put it in my power.
THOMAS PAINE, Patriot, Author

Quotes from “The Second Amendment” by David Barton