I just read the “Men Have Forgotten God” speech by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn delivered May 10, 1983 at Buckingham Palace, London, as he received the Templeton Award. The Templeton Foundation dubbed him, “a pioneer in the renaissance of religion in atheist nations.”

One of the famous quotes from that speech and his main point or summary goes like this. “…while I was still a child, I recall hearing a number of older people offer the following explanation for the great disasters that had befallen Russia: ‘Men have forgotten God; that’s why all this has happened.’”

Wow! The whole of his speech that day blows me away! His insights — historical, political, geographical, philosophical, moral, intellectual, theological, Biblical… also “behold the man” standing there having been imprisoned many years and made a slave by his beloved Russia, full of love, and passion for his country and the world.

While I can see today’s churchmen and self-fancied theologians arguing whether Solzhenitsyn, if they even know who he is, should be considered a prophet or not — much like men playing cards in a hotel that’s on fire — his words ring honest, telling and true! Just like those of a prophet do.

This speech was delivered on the world stage in the 1980s in palaces and in leading universities around the world. I am in awe of it’s historical insight, sage wisdom, and prophetic candor. He certainly seems to be one who sees, when his culture, country, and the world around him didn’t or doesn’t.

So we have a modern Russian prophet and an ancient Jewish prophet saying, once again, essentially the same thing — from God. That’s what prophets do.

Want to hear what they’re saying? You can read the Russian prophet for yourself here. And I’ll quote the Hebrew prophet below, in part, from Psalm 106.

See if you can put the parts together looking at our country, our world, our day. Atheism and agnosticism it would seem are an important part of the puzzle of what’s going on in our culture, country, and churches.

Who in smug America knew? What atheism could do?

Atheism flowed in with idols galore
Secular humanist who think they know better
Boasting they know more

In the vacuum of God
In the strength of men
Slavery, death, and disaster
Soon reign again

The Almighty sits not idly by
But magnanimously watches from on high
He grants their desire, their want, their prayer
Knowing He must soon act with love and care

Justice meets mercy
Like a surgical knife
Cutting away cancer
Preserving life

Watching individuals and nations
This surgery can look pretty grim
Unless the eye is trained
On Him

Below are the words of the ancient Hebrew Prophet, Poet, and King — David. See if you can see a correlation to our country and our times? Much like what was reported and accurately ascribed by Solzhenitsyn to those terrible times in Russia. It would appear, barring His Grace, and our change of hearts and minds, we are on the same trajectory.

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Who can speak of the mighty deeds of the Lord,
Or can show forth all His praise?
How blessed are those who keep justice,
Who practice righteousness at all times!

Our fathers … did not understand Your wonders;
They did not remember Your abundant kindnesses,
But rebelled …

They quickly forgot His works;
They did not wait for His counsel,
But craved intensely …,
And tempted God .…
So He gave them their request,
But sent a wasting disease among them.

And worshiped an [idol].
Thus they exchanged their glory
For the image of an [idol].
They forgot God their Savior,
Who had done great things [for them],

Then they despised the pleasant land;
They did not believe in His word,
But grumbled in their tents;
They did not listen to the voice of the Lord.

Thus they provoked Him to anger with their deeds,
And the plague broke out among them.

But they mingled with the nations
And learned their practices,
And served their idols,
Which became a snare to them.
They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons,
And shed innocent blood,
The blood of their sons and their daughters,
Whom they sacrificed to the idols …;
And the land was polluted with the blood.
Thus they became unclean in their practices,
And played the harlot in their deeds.
Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against His people

Does any of this sound right? Or familiar? Or like something that could happen or is happening? When men forget God?

Gratefully, Psalm 106 ends on a hopeful and merciful note, and a prayer. Let all who have ears to hear, hear what the Spirit is saying to the Churches. Amen.

Nevertheless He looked upon their distress
When He heard their cry;
And He remembered His covenant for their sake,
And relented according to the greatness of His lovingkindness.

Save us, O Lord our God,
And gather us from among the nations,
To give thanks to Your holy name
And glory in Your praise.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
From everlasting even to everlasting.
And let all the people say, “Amen.”
Praise the Lord!

I was up at 6 o’clock this morning reading first, second, and third John. That’s what our 2020 book club is the reading at the moment. After a second slow reading and meditation, my thoughts turned to John himself.

What a treasure to have this glimpse into the heart, mind, soul, and spirit of the last remaining apostle, “the elder”. The one who leaned on Jesus’ chest, who witnessed the crucifixion, the resurrection appearances, the ascension, and lived through the days of the early church and then some 60 to 65 years after that, seeing the church, the bride of Jesus Christ, flourish and develop, as well as, be attacked and deceived in some instances.
He also experienced the loss of his best friends and fellow apostles, Peter and Paul, executed by Rome some 30 years earlier. In fact all of his fellow apostles had been martyred. He himself had spent prison time at the hands of Rome. He alone remained of the original twelve disciples, now called apostles.

Yet his confidence in Christ and the Holy Spirit Who Jesus sent to the church to lead, indwell, protect, and help with life — both personal and corporate, is total!

This has him only summarizing the most important tenants of faith and action — a litmus test, if you will, that helps each person and the Bride of Christ to know if they are known by God, and walking in The Way.

He’s so casual yet solid about it, that it demonstrates his great faith, after all he’s seen, in Christ’s life and the Holy Spirit’s actions; that Jesus believers and church will do well and prosper by the power and intentions of God Himself — by His grace. His confidence flows with his strong, gentle words.

This prophet of prophets — who wrote the Gospel and the Apocalypse.
This apostle of apostles — who walked with Jesus three years as His closest friend.
This fisherman from Galilee — human to the core, one of the “sons of thunder” brothers.

Now aged, and seemingly more divine than human in his manner and his speech.
Living in Ephesus, and attending to the matters of the church in that area as led by the Holy Spirit.

Very loving. Very relational. Very calm and confident, while also being direct and kind in matters of church discipline. Calling a spade a spade, but trusting the Lord to handle the matter while casting light on the situation for the sheep to know who’s faithful and who isn’t. Who is walking in truth and light, and who is not. And ways to tell for themselves in the future, down to our very own generation. Thank you John, for a life well lived, and sharing what you heard and saw as a witness, faithful to your call. Selah (“stop and think about that”). Amen.

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“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.” IJohn1:1

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.” I John 1:8-10 NIV

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” I John 2:1-2 NIV

I’m one day late, I know, but yesterday was filled with wonder and contemplation as I enjoyed my kids at our mountain-top cabin. There were joyful games, conversations, nature walks, and four wheeler rides. Meals together, sharing some suggested songs from a friend, and other worship music, and resting as the time drifted by happily and lazily.

There were Father’s Day cards, lots of cards! And gifts too. My children have made these family celebrations an art form. 🙂 Stretching Father’s Day for me to more than a week this 2020! And family should be celebrated and lived more than written about. It was a joyful and blessed day, having us all together in a peaceful, quiet, beautiful setting, with only life and each other on our minds.

Dad’s are super central figures in families! And I would suggest a bit more mysterious than mothers. Mother’s attachments, love, care, sacrifice are well documented and known by all of us from birth. They visibly met all our needs, taught us, spent the most time with us, and so much more, so that we are forever gratefully bound to them. And yes there is plenty of beautiful mystery in that relationship too, and there always will be.

But dads? Well? I could go on and on about what the Bible teaches and says about fathers. I could point out sociologically what happens in cultures where fathers are absent in the lives of their kids. And the deeper implications of father failure that are felt by children; so deeply they are not easily discussed, studied or adequately known. The same is true with fathers present and active in their children’s lives!

That’s what we celebrate today! Anything good your father has deposited into your life, and for giving you life in the first place.

It’s a starting place for coming to know our Heavenly Father and having a living, loving relationship with Him. So in that vein, later Father’s Day, my thoughts turned to my own dad, father, abba, daddy… and the things he taught me and did for me growing up, and also later in both our lives.

I tried to remember some facts that after just four years without him were becoming fuzzy. So I thought to go back and read a blog I wrote after his home going. I’ll share it again and anew with you. 🙂

I pray you had a good Father’s Day, whether you celebrated it as a father, son, or daughter. Isn’t God’s design of family grand!? It’s a picture of His love, goodness, and care. Enjoy the journey your father gave you to start, and which continues to this day!