Category Archives: The Book Journey

Describes the continuing story of getting “A Friend of the King” published, and then due diligence in making it known, expecting the Lord to do with it what He will.

Happy Thanksgiving!

It’s unbelievable how fast this year has passed as we’re well into fall and slowly recovering from the COVID pandemic of 2020, although some would question our recovery. It’s a good time to focus on giving thanks to our Creator, Father, and God.

Our country has known thanksgiving is important, and our greatest leaders felt from their hearts the need to make it public, mirroring the sentiments of the American people at different times. One of my best friends and mentors published a most excellent blog chronicling the historical, governmental, cultural, and spiritual aspects of Thanksgiving. I recommend you get quiet with a cup of coffee or tea, then read and meditate on it. You’ll be grateful you did.

Last Sunday, a passionate young teacher at our church gave an excellent sermon or teaching on thanksgiving from the Bible — its purpose, what it means to God, and to us. I would also wholeheartedly suggest you give it a look if you’re inclined.

Thanksgiving is the opposite of entitlement, which may be the biggest problem in our nation today. In the book I just finished writing, and will hopefully be available in a few days, I have a few things to say about this topic:

“I have a good friend who was the CEO of a large hospital. He once told me, ‘Entitlement is the biggest problem in our nation today.’ Why would you think that the Almighty owes you anything? Or that anyone else does? Is it your pride? Or your self-asserted importance? Self-exaltation? Who gave you life? This beautiful planet for a home? Air to breathe? Water to drink? Destiny? Purpose? Love?


“Worth is a complex issue to discuss, yet it’s simple in light of the Bible and the Creator. We are made in His image. He made creation for our habitation. This says we are very valuable to him. We are His image bearers, witnesses to angels, and to those who do not yet know Him. Yet our value to Him goes deeper still.


“If being made in His image with this beautiful planet to enjoy wasn’t enough, God gave us free will to make a mark, good or bad, on His creation and to use or abuse the same. Then if that wasn’t enough, we are twice bought, created by Him, then redeemed from sin and death by His cross. So what are we worth to Him? It would seem a price too great to pay!


“Tell me again, what does God owe you? Only a rebellious, spoiled child would think God owed them something or anything. Feeling entitled in light of the gift of life and creation is the height of hubris, the very pinnacle of pride.


“That’s why God won’t stomach it. That’s why He will welcome grace and reject forever self-effort and works or those who claim and act as though they are entitled to something more than the marvelous gifts He has given and ascribed to them. ‘For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast [emphasis added]’ (Ephesians 2:8-9).”

And I didn’t mention God’s nearness — how He walks and communes with those who love Him. If you know Him this way, you will gladly give thanks!

Midterm Election 2022

On Election Day, November 8, during her early morning neighborhood walk my wife sent me this quote someone tweeted: “Before you vote please fill up your car with gas, buy your groceries for the week, take a peek at your retirement account, and look at current government spending.”

What’s happening at the moment to our economy and way of life is no mystery to those who carefully read their Bibles and have some grasp of history. I would recommend Deuteronomy 28, and Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich as a beginning place. No socialistic, secular-humanist people have lasted long as a nation. Without God’s blessings and actions in our individual and corporate lives we implode, make poor decisions, become easy targets for our enemies, and demonstrate we really do need Him — unable to rule ourselves.

In my upcoming book Puzzling 2020, Connecting the Pieces I mention that I don’t put my hope in the political process or politics. I do think politics are important and touch our lives deeply at times in very personal ways, so I vote and pray for candidates with the best character to win. I encourage my friends to do the same. But my hope is in God, the Rock, the Everlasting One — the God of history and Ruler of nations.

I recall now a favorite quote from Charles Simpson: “Good men can make a bad system work, but bad men can’t even make a good system work.” God is the X factor in making men and women, as well as nations comprised of the same, flourish or perish, for their own benefit.

A few relevant Bible verses come to mind: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance” (Psalm 33:12). And, “When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when a wicked man rules, people groan” (Proverbs 29:2).

Before leaving you with these thoughts to ponder as fodder for action, I’ll give a shout out to an excellent book addressing this subject in an insightful way. Its title is Letter to the American Church by Eric Metaxas. Our 20/20 Men’s Book Club and friendship group is currently reading it. I’m only 10 pages into this succinct 139-page book and can see it’s worth the money and time spent reading it already. May God bless you and yours.

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“Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us!’ He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger and terrify them in His fury, saying, ‘But as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain’” (Psalm 2:1-6 NASB).

“But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more” (Romans 5:20b NKJV).

Puzzling 2020

“The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries.” 
RENE DESCARTES

Greetings All, my blog has been rather silent for the past weeks and months as I’ve focused on finishing my third book Puzzling 2020. It should be available in mid December, and I’m very excited. The book’s cover blurb speaks to its purpose:

“Einstein said, ‘Adversity introduces a man to himself.’ The pandemic and explosion of events beginning in 2020 certainly did that to Americans, both the culture and the church. Many things were stripped away from our lives as we pondered how to stay healthy. Some reacted in fear, and some in faith. It caused everyone to reexamine who they trusted for valid information about safety, health, and hope for the future. Puzzling these events, even after two years, a resolution is still inconclusive. This book seeks to answer some basic questions: “Where are we? How did we get here? Where do we go from here, or how do we live in these puzzling times?” We look to the Bible, history, and God for insight and truth — and for grace to live with purpose and without fear. These puzzle pieces will help you “Light a candle, instead of cursing the darkness.”

I hope you’ll give it a look. I think it certainly gives readers a better grasp on where we are as a culture and church, and more importantly, a healthy paradigm or world view for how to live in our day — the present, a gift from our Creator God.

Its seventy short chapters, or puzzle pieces, could be used as a devotional or daily meditation. Hopefully it will bring spiritual sight, light, joy, and renewed purpose.

By using the Descartes quote I didn’t mean to claim a “fine mind,” but simply give a shoutout to reading as a spiritual discipline. By reading, you humble yourself to hear someone else’s thoughts. You also slow yourself, still yourself, and are alone with your thoughts as you read, away from the din of the media, technology, and rush of our time. It’s like a mini vacation refreshing the soul.

Shalom, and stay tuned for more frequent blogs this beautiful autumn.

Dwayne

“Whosoever is delighted in solitude, is either a wild beast or a god.”
― Aristotle

Requiem & Selah

I wrote a blog yesterday morning, or actually, a chapter in my next book Puzzling 2020 about broken dreams and visions and needing a fresh encounter with God to repair our hearts, renew our vision, and fix our focus. I used Elijah and Isaiah as examples, which was instructive for me.

This morning, when one considers the gravity of this day and what happened on a cross in Roman Jerusalem 1989 years ago today, there is no comparison for matching broken dreams and crushed visions in the history of humankind. Every human soul on that day, before, and since was on a slippery slope to hopelessness and oblivion.

A miracle-working king, good and just, merciful too, kind and gracious, morally astute, with the appearance of a Divine, also a link to heaven and the Holy One, the Creator, had just died.

He died the cruel death of a sinner, a transgressor, a criminal, no less. The hopes and vision of thousands of his followers were crushed with his ebbing bleeding, internally and externally, and each labored breath.

Maybe the dashed dreams of his disciples and those who believed Jesus to be the Son of God (as He claimed and His miracles attested), the promised Jewish Messiah and King, are summed up by two of his disciples walking to their hometown, Emmaus. They said to a stranger walking with them: “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days? … ‘About Jesus of Nazareth,’ they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel” (Luke 24:18b-21a).

He didn’t say much. He just hung there, painfully suspended between heaven and earth.

There was a simple sign over his head. It read: “Jesus of Nazareth, king of the Jews.”

Requiem & Selah

Let today be “an act of remembrance” and of us “resting in peace,” as we “stop and think about that.”

We pause and remember. So does Heaven. Let all the earth be silent.

VOTE TOMORROW

I’m working on a book about the puzzles of COVID and our times — in the church and in the culture. I had a dream of getting it finished before the 2020 Presidential election tomorrow. It was a dream when I had the thought, and it’s clearly not going to happen. But I intend to include these thoughts anyway when I do publish. It will date the book and tie it’s genesis to this time and this season in our country’s history but that’s fine. It’s actually very apropos to the theme of the book.

The puzzle of this election even being close, and it promises to be so, exposes a cloud of deception over our churches and our country. Deception is puzzling isn’t it? How do people, a large group of intelligent people come to believe completely opposite things or positions? Even among close friends and close family members? Many times both calling themselves Christians. Puzzling? Especially when these positions are so clearly different — practically opposite!

I write to Christians, people who believe the Bible, people who know and fear God. But truth is truth for every human just as it is for every Christian. I want to write with “gentleness and respect” as Christians are instructed to do. (I Peter 3:15) And with humility of course, but honestly I don’t get it — how a disciple of Christ, one who reads and believes the Bible, one who fears God in a healthy way could choose to vote left in this election? Puzzling indeed!

But God certainly honors our free wills, so certainly I should, and I will.

I just want to state my voting position and how I came to it.

Character

This election and the last were so very simple to me. Which candidate has the best character? By their fruits you shall know them. Not by what they say, but by what they do. Jesus taught us this truth. I know that’s hotly debated, and I don’t want this to get long, so I will discuss that in tomorrow’s blog.

Platform

The LORD judges people, peoples, and nations according to His Word, the Bible. Read Psalm 2. It’s demonstrated and repeated throughout the Bible. Wise men and women aplenty have seen it in history too and become seers and leaders in their crucial times, e.g. Winston Churchill, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Joan of Arc.

Which platform or agenda shows more deference, honor, and respect for God and His ways? That’s the one to vote for each and every time if you value His blessings and your well being. That’s what the Bible says.

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD.” Ps 33:12

Righteousness exalts a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” Proverbs 14:34

[1] One side is pro life and against abortion. (Ez 7:23, Has 4:2, Lev 18:21)
[2] One side supports Israel while the other doesn’t (Gen 12:3)

Those two issues alone are enough for me to see a clear voting decision. But there are more.

[3] One supports Biblical traditional marriage while the other doesn’t
[4] One supports Religious freedom (not suing bakers or t-shirt makers for matters of conscience) (The First Amendment — Freedom of Religion and Speech) (Why the Pilgrims came to America in the beginning.)
[5] One supports Economic freedom (reducing taxes and regulations to promote innovation and create jobs — the thinking of our founding fathers in America )

These have been in line with Christian thinking for nineteen centuries throughout the history of the church.

These line up with the Bible, and thus with the thinking of our Creator and Judge. The acceptance or rejection of them have strong future consequences as they have had strong historical consequences. Choose wisely. And may God bless and keep you. And may God have mercy and extend His hand of grace to our nation.

Speak to the Pandemic

“Speak to the pandemic and to these videos,” I was recently asked by two different friends, spiritual men and seers themselves.

The first video was by a pastor in Hawaii who provided some historical and political insights he thought were very relevant to our times and circumstances, which he saw as prophecy being fulfilled. They certainly speak plainly about socialism, communism, technology and what we are seeing today in the streets of some of our cities and in the news. You can decide for yourself. I think it’s worthy of your time. It’s always been important for disciples from Jesus time forward to look for the signs He told us would be a prelude to the end of the age. Among other benefits, it keeps us more focused on heaven, His kingdom there and here, and reminded of where our true citizenship and allegiance lies. He told us to be watching and aware for a reason.

The second video was by a pastor in KY who had some dreams about the pandemic and riots before they happened and told his people about them. Then he had some following dreams with time stamps of things getting worse, and when. This video has gone viral I understand, and again I would recommend you watch it for the reasons mentioned above.

As is my practice, when I see something of spiritual, prophetic, or Biblical import relating to some current situation, and it’s not absolutely clear to me how to interpret it, I ask a spiritual mentor, elder, and one with a gift of wisdom in my life, let’s call him Charles, to weigh in on it with me. To give me his time tested discernment and what he hears and sees.

In this case, he listened and watched the two videos above and then sent me a third video, by a Messianic Jew, which he said pretty much echoed his take on the two above and was amazing in its insight and clarity — in the tricky business of interrupting prophetic words and dreams.

So there, I’ve shared all three with you, for your watching, listening, and discerning pleasure. If you find yourself wondering, what in the world might be going on in the spiritual realm and spilling over into our earthly realm?

That friends, is something much more real and commonplace than any of us know. Read your Bible.

I could share how I answered my brothers who sent me the videos, before I heard from Charles, and I might do that later, but I’ll leave it as is for now.

A Word About Prophets

I guess the brothers who asked me know I’m very interested in prophets and prophecy, and I become more so each passing year. Others over the years have told me they thought I have that gift. Oddly on a backcountry flying trip to Idaho and the Western US last year, one of my least religious groups of friends gave me the nickname or call sign “Prophet” with no input from me. No one dares give input when these names are being awarded! Because it can go very poorly if you do, and these names stick.

Really I see myself more as a seer, and hearer, not a prophet, just a spiritually sensitive one trying to become more so by time in the Word and mediation and reading and journaling and solitude. Trying to abide in Christ, John 15:5. It’s “life in the Vineyard” as we have come to call it.

I would also add, that churchmen and theologians have tried to strain at a gnat and swallowed a camel when it comes to defining a prophet and identifying prophetic people. In it’s simplest form I believe a prophet is someone who hears from God and tells others what he heard. And there is also an element of being sent (by God to tell what he or she heard). As an example, Balam was gifted by God as a prophet and seer in Moses time, but he wasn’t sent to do what he set out to do; thus he became a false prophet.

I would also add the emphasis should be on the God of the message, then the message, and then the prophet or messenger. It’s not a perfect gift, but must be tested and fine tuned in the practitioner or else there would be no need for the New Testament injunction to let one prophesy and two or three prophets pass judgment on the word. It’s obvious in the stories of the Bible that dark spirits hail on the same spiritual frequencies as does the light. It’s a bit mystical isn’t it? And relational in the end? Who do you hear? And how well do you know their voice? One must always be aware that Satan can appear as an angel of light. This is not a system we made up, it’s a reality we learn, in practice, with the Bible as our guide, and the Holy Spirit our Companion.

Plague and Riots

What about this plague and these riots?

Initially I saw a country and people gripped by fear, acting out of that fear and hysteria way out of proportion to the facts known at the time. Being swayed by a news media that’s anything but objective, but rather driven by profit and greed, their own philosophical and political agenda, and so deceived they don’t even recognize they are such. Indeed, I think this was true, is true and will be true for some time into the future.

But now as time has passed and I’ve continued to read, mediate, listen and read the Bible, I have received a different view.

This pandemic is from the Lord I believe. It’s going to get worse before it gets better. It is by His grace and mercy that it’s no worse than it is. It is a “grace attack” of sorts. And invitation and impetus to wake up and live. It’s God showing disciple and non-Christian alike what we are without Him, and left to our own devices. The Creator is showing us what we really believe and who we really trust for our future and our day-to-day. Partly by stripping us of activity and idols.

The riddles surrounding this virus have been so hard to solve and are still somewhat, if not largely, unknown. How you get it? How it spreads? Who it effects not at all, and who finds it fatal? It’t origin? How to contain it? The list goes on and on. Its brilliance, if it is such, is how it’s stopped a world obsessed by speed, profit, and progress in her tracks, and encouraged her to spend time outside, with her families and friends, and take a sabbatical from sports, entertainment, and our normal idols, that we may not have regarded as such? Some eyes will be opened to this, and some will not. It seems to be his way — and ours. But I’m going to call it Grace, “Divine action on mortals for their benefit.”

And it’s not just this evidence, plus more I could point out. The Bible tells us “God is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.” Something and Someone stable we can cling to in chaos and storm — the only One dependable and worthy. And Solomon, the wisest man to have lived, said “There is nothing new under the sun.” “Everything that is has been, and will be again.” In other words, God has to interject Himself, His Grace, into human kind from time to time or we would implode, explode, erode, or otherwise destroy ourselves. It’s a story demonstrable from history, that deserves its own future blog. This appears to me to be the latest in that series of times — help from the Lord. Judgment mingled with mercy, and His ever abundant Grace.

Acts 17 comes to mind. Paul addresses the intellectuals of Athens and reacquaints them with their “Unknown God” The One they had lost track of or weren’t aware of any longer. Some saw and believed but most didn’t.

I read a summary of all this just yesterday morning, Psalm 106, a three thousand year old insight by David — poet, seer, prophet, King of Israel. Coming up in the next blog…

Ralph Irwin.Friend of the King

Ralph Irwin 1942-2018

Ralph Irwin, a good friend, a friend of many, and a friend of the King stepped into his Lord’s presence at 3:15 a.m. today.  A day of inexpressible joy for him, and a day of some sadness for those of us who will miss his gentle words, kind actions, sense of humor, and beautiful art.

The Focus and Center of Ralph’s Life

Ralph was a family friend, church friend, missions friend, and personal friend. He supported my writing any way he could, especially “A Friend of the King.” He volunteered to do the art work for the cover, and it was perfect! Thank you Friend.

Early in the week, I had the strong impression to visit Ralph and read to him from Paul’s last epistle, 2 Timothy 4. I got distracted and didn’t get it done in person, so I’ll do it here and now.

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:6–8, NKJV)

We’ll be reunited soon Friend. May the LORD bless and keep your family and extended family, forever. Amen.

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For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.

Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”  (2 Corinthians 5:1,5)

Solace in the Smokies

Greetings from the Great Smoky Mountains and Gatlinburg TN. I’m in the midst of the annual CSM (Charles Simpson Ministries) Leadership Conference. Since retiring from the airline and starting this new chapter of life, I’ve attended four of these conferences, finding them always refreshing, restful, relational, and renewing. Hearing from God makes one feel very much alive, and renewed. 🙂

On the hearing note, Charles Simpson was the keynote speaker last night. and his message was clearly about miracles– that our faith is based on miracles, and our God a God of miracles. We must grasp this again and own it to have the vibrant faith needed in our time and culture and to finish our races strong.

Around our breakfast table this morning several different brothers shared about   miraclous healings and provisions they had witnessed in the last three or four days!

Charles mentioned Eric Metaxas book “Miracles” several times and talked often and much about God’s goodness and faithfulness. In fact the whole conference this year revolves around testimonies of God’s miracles and faithfulness in peoples lives… incredible, inspiring stories by real, ordinary people.

It’s very encouraging to me, and confirms or validates in a way what I’ve been hearing in recent days! In fact, it’s like the storyline came from my most recent book,”God Came Near,” which I suppose I’ll announce right here and now with a couple links and no more discussion or fanfare for the moment.

I’ll also mention the book I’m continuing to read by Mark Batterson, “Chase The Lion,” that runs exactly along the same lines. Miracles and the faithfulness and goodness of God, with God-sized dreams thrown in the mix. The Spirit has really been speaking to me through the book, and times of solitude and journaling here, as well as worship times and testimony times.

With a full and expectant heart, it’s time to head to the next session. I’ll report more of what Charles shared and what I have heard and seen in another blog post.

Blessings,     Dwayne

God Came Near” by B Dwayne Bell on iTunes

God Came Near” by B. Dwayne Bell on Kindle

 

Friends Freedom Flight

Awaiting the Freedom of Flight

As some of you know, and others may have gathered, I’ve been led to a life long career and love of aviation. After having the unanticipated pleasure of flying fighter jets and commercial airliners, I’m experiencing presently the unanticipated joy and opportunity to own and fly a private airplane.

This experience continues to teach me a lot about God. His largeness, His generosity, His joy in creation, His joy in adventure, and His joy in showering good gifts upon His children. I continue to be humbled by His goodness, as well as, quietly and joyfully overwhelmed by the same.

N188DL Visiting Her Previous Home and  a True Friend

Recently I was invited to join a fraternal organization of pilots with all types of back grounds in aviation. Apparently it’s a friendship fraternity centered around flight. It’s a bit mysterious, and I usually steer well clear of secret or mysterious organizations, but I took courage by meeting the members a number of times, and because two of the members have been my close aviation and personal friends for more than thirty years. “What could be wrong with it?” I thought. And, “I’m all about friendship!”

Getting a Friend Out of the House for a Spiritual Lift

So on the appointed night of my acceptance (or rejection?), I felt the Spirit impress me to write a short poem as an acceptance speech, should there be an acceptance, and such an occasion to speak afterwards arise? 🙂 This I did hurriedly by the fire on a scrap of paper, the inspiration and words flowing into my mind surprisingly quickly, within five minutes. Sticking it in my pocket I kissed my wife goodbye and headed out the door to the meeting.

And Enjoying a Day Out in Creation

After the hilarious  meeting, I was asked to step out, while I assume some sort of vote was taken. I returned and it was announced that I  had been accepted as a member to smiles, laughter, and a short round of applause. While this was dying down, I ripped the little paper from my pocket, and announced, “ I have prepared an little acceptance speech for you, in the event you accepted me? If it’s appropriate to do so? It’s actually an acceptance poem.” They nodded their quizzical approval with smiles, and I began.

Friends On a Mountain Top to Enjoy a Sunset

[The name of the organization isn’t important, and I told you they were a bit mysterious, so I’ll just use XX for the name. 🙂 Thank you for your understanding.]

XX

What the heck’s a XX?
I don’t really know.
It seems by evenings end,
I may be one though.
It may be a man
With courage to leave the ground,
To launch toward the sky,
Where more that blue is found.
To soar with the birds
And look down on things,
To trade gravity’s bonds
For engines and wings.
And to walk among men,
Who similar paths have trod.
Some trusting in their aircraft.
And most trusting in God.
A fraternity not earthbound,
With skill and courage they flee, 

Mostly they have in common

The desire to be free.


Thank You Brothers and Friends In Flight , 
And have a good night. 

An officer asked me for the poem which I handed over with a smile. And I wouldn’t even have a copy except for the fact it was published in their national magazine last month.

There is a lot of freedom in flight, along with adventure, joy, beauty, spiritual truth, and friendship. But instead of exalting flight, the gift, I want this writ to exalt the Giver of flight, friendship, and freedom, even Jesus Christ, the Lord. His peace to you all in this Easter season of meditation and contemplation of His holy life, and His holy gift, freedom. Also His joy!!

Flying Into the Sunset … Arriving Home

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” (Galatians 5:1)

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6)

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue … you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”” (John 8:31–32)

[Dedicated to Friends who soar in flying machines, and spiritually.]

Blessed is the Nation… 2016

img_9627If you follow this blog, you may have noticed I’ve been pretty quiet about the election in social media. I’ve been quiet period, and quiet in my own soul. Oh, I’m aware of what’s going on around me and tumult in the nation, even though I’m seldom on Facebook and almost never watch the news on TV. It’s just that I put my trust for our national well being, and my personal well being in God, and not in man, or the political system. Psalm 131  could well be my creed in this matter. Yet I intend to write more often on this subject in the days ahead, as led, to espouse the light the Bible shines on this matter, and on our path as a nation.

I’m very aware the government of God and the governments of man are both realities and that they intersect at times, if not at all times. 🙂 There is much teaching about this in the Bible. I’ve tried to understand it and do my part led by God’s teaching and the laws of our land. God’s Word, His giving us a free will, and world history make it imperative that I be as active as legally permitted, that I vote, and that I pray. Still my trust is in the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth, not man, nor the political system of the USA or any other nation.

img_9628You can read my only pre-election writing in the last post. The election was easy for me from the beginning. I didn’t struggle to decide. It could be summed up in three or four Bible verses that came to me early in the process. [1] “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” (Psalm 33:12) [2] “Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34) [3]  “You will know them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:16) And with most (but not all!) of my friends and family I voted for the platform that stood for the most right and against the most wrong.

I believe this article by Thomas Sowell in the Wall Street Journal and other news papers around the country hits the main points quite well. The Constitution. Contempt for the law. Real leadership. Supreme Court justices. And more.

img_9633Some of you know exactly what I’m talking about, some do not, and some will contest who or Who gets to decide what’s right and wrong? That’s the real problem as I see it. We have good news and bad news in the outcome of this election.

The good news is we have a reprieve. And what a welcome relief it is to many of us! We were being led and going down a path that would have invited or required God’s judgment on our nation, according to the Bible, and as demonstrated in history.

Painting of my wife's church in SE Arkansas

Painting of my wife’s church in SE Arkansas

The bad news is we are still a deeply divided nation as shown by the popular and electoral vote. The results were 48% to 46% in the popular vote, with both coasts seeing things differently than the interior of the country. The results were 20 states to 30 states and 232 to 306 electoral votes. Surely as you watched the venom of the candidates during the election and the venom of the voters during and after the election, one must wonder about our division as a nation and our character as a nation. I would suggest that we haven’t been this divided as a nation since the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln’s “A House Divided” speech comes to mind. Of course Mr. Lincoln borrowed this quote from Jesus Christ almost 2000 years earlier.

Our Times . Acts 17:26

Our Times . Acts 17:26

If you fear God, and believe the Bible, as our founding fathers did, and Christians do in every age, you feel we have been given a reprieve from judgment. A time to breathe easier, while gearing up to further work and prayer for healthy spiritual and moral change in our nation, and in the world we so clearly affect. I pray we can come together and farewell with God’s help.

A quote from Elton Trueblood in my book at the beginning of chapter 3, “Understanding Your Times,” comes to mind.

The greatest problems of our time are not technological, for these we handle fairly well. They are not even political or economic, because the difficulties in these areas, glaring as they may be, are largely derivative. The greatest problems are moral and spiritual, and unless we can make some progress in these realms, we may not even survive. This is how advanced cultures have declined in the past. 

Let’s rest a bit and enjoy a small, but major victory for our country, or that’s the way I see it.  Then let’s get back to work; the work of the kingdom, the ongoing work of the King!

Christmas Peace in His Name

“Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. ‘Give us this day our daily bread. ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.'” (Matthew 6:9–13)

But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.” (John 5:17)