<h3 class="text-lg font-bold mb-2" dir="ltr">“There exists today a widening consensus by many in our country that the Bible does not belong in the public square or in public education. Of course, this is nonsense. The Bible is the greatest Book ever written and the best textbook any serious student could ever encounter. This is not only a sentiment held by theologians throughout history but, also, it was the dominant opinion of our Founding Fathers. In the article below, Dr. Sam Thomas speaks to the Bible as the greatest textbook ever written in matters of theology.”</h3><h3 class="text-lg font-bold mb-2" dir="ltr">-Dr. Jason J. Nelson (Editor-in-Chief)</h3> Today, we look at how and why the Bible is the best textbook on theology and how the Word reveals to us the One and Only true God.Theology comes from two Greek words, theos (God) and logos (study, science, discipline); the word theology means the study of God. Religious texts and scriptures provide us with different descriptions of God.Why do we say that the Bible is the best textbook on theology and the Revelation of God?&nbsp;<blockquote class="border-l-4 border-gray-300 pl-4 italic text-gray-700 mb-4" dir="ltr">When you compare the depiction of God in the Bible with the depictions and portrayals of gods and goddesses that are found in other religious texts and scriptures, you find that the God of the Bible is the most coherent, the most correct, and the most rational understanding of God. The following are eight reasons to underscore this point.</blockquote>First, the God of the Bible is a holy God. The Bible is consistent and speaks with one voice on this theme throughout its length. God is sinless. He is pure. He is holy. In my mind, this is evidence that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. This is in contrast to the gods and goddesses who are involved in lying, murder, acts of jealousy, stealing, adultery, and so on.Second, because the God of the Bible is holy, He exposes sin and punishes sin. He calls people to holiness. When the gods and goddesses are themselves sinful, they cannot and do not call people to holiness. When human beings give birth to gods in their imaginations, they create these gods in their own image and likeness. Hence, such gods resemble human sinfulness.Third, the God of the Bible repeatedly asserts that there is only one God and that He alone is God. This is in contrast to the many gods and goddesses that are found in other scriptures and writings. The Bible asserts monotheism in contrast to the polytheism and other -isms of the other scriptures.Fourth, the God of the Bible asserts His love for all humanity. He gave His only begotten Son so that anyone who believes in Him would have eternal life. No such love, demonstration of love, or even claim of such love is found in any of the other gods or goddesses.Fifth, the God of the Bible demonstrates amazing grace to any and every sinner. Even the most wicked sinner can come to God and find mercy and forgiveness in Christ Jesus. Sinners can have no such hope in any of the other gods or goddesses.Sixth, the God of the Bible makes accurate prophecies concerning the future. The idols, the gods, and the goddesses of the other religious texts cannot do the same. In the book of Isaiah, there are multiple passages where God challenges the gods to prove that they are gods by predicting the future. He was trying to prove to the Israelites that the idols they were serving were not gods at all.Seventh, the God of the Bible has revealed Himself through historical events, and He is very much present in history, in contrast to the myths, legends, and non-historical nature of the other gods and goddesses.Eighth, the God of the Bible invites you and me into a personal and intimate relationship with Him. None of the other gods and goddesses can do that.This is why we say the Bible is the best textbook on theology and the Revelation of who God is in a world of counterfeits.

The Real God in a World of Counterfeits

This week, we celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence. For a quarter of a millennium, our nation has been immensely blessed by God. Why are we blessed?There are likely many reasons. Here are a few.America is blessed because God is good.<blockquote class="border-l-4 border-gray-300 pl-4 italic text-gray-700 mb-4" dir="ltr">Scripture tells us, 'every good and perfect gift comes from above (James 1:17).' The gifts we receive come from God. This nation, the nations of the world, you, me—we are all blessed because God is good and God is gracious. In fact, God’s benevolence is so plentifully extravagant and abundant, 'the rain falls on the just and unjust (Matthew 5:45).'</blockquote>Every good thing we have comes from God. Those are blessings: food, clean water, clothes, a roof over our heads, good relationships with friends and family, a church we call home, life and liberty, and whatever else you can think of that's good, are all blessings from God. We as a nation have been given so much that is good. America is blessed because God is good.Secondly, America is blessed because we have always acknowledged God.From our genesis, we have affirmed God’s sovereignty and embraced His promises. One such promise is captured within Psalm 33:12: "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."This verse is both contextual and transcendent. Of course, it’s true for the people of God in the Old Testament (it’s applicable to Israel and the surrounding nations). These words are also, however, a universal promise. God’s Blessing is available to any nation at any time in history.<blockquote class="border-l-4 border-gray-300 pl-4 italic text-gray-700 mb-4" dir="ltr">"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."</blockquote>The nation.There’s no specificity here. Geography and chronology are inherently irrelevant in this profoundly timeless text. The grace of Almighty God is available to every nation in the world (past, present, future) that submits to His Lordship.When a nation, when a group of people, when a country comes together and recognizes and acknowledges the God of creation as their God, and they seek and strive to follow His will, there is a certain blessing that comes upon the people (and the land) in addition to (and above and beyond) the common blessings received simply because God is good and gracious.Time and time again our Founding Fathers and Mothers believed God was good and that blessings came from Him. Additionally, they believed that when a nation (or even a small group such as a remnant within that nation) wholeheartedly acknowledges the Creator, believes in the importance of following His will, and calls on people to do the same, there are certain divine provisions that are shed upon that nation.America’s Founders affirmed God as Lord. This reality is evident within our historical documents, like the Declaration of Independence, where Thomas Jefferson writes,<blockquote class="border-l-4 border-gray-300 pl-4 italic text-gray-700 mb-4" dir="ltr">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.</blockquote>In the introduction to one of the most impactful documents in world history, there’s an immediate acknowledgment of God as our Creator.If you look at other historical documents from our Founding Fathers (diaries, journals, newspapers, letters, and books) you will find a consistent acknowledgment that there is one God and those who follow Him are blessed beyond measure.In proclaiming the nation's first Federal Day of Prayer, George Washington said,<blockquote class="border-l-4 border-gray-300 pl-4 italic text-gray-700 mb-4" dir="ltr">It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor.</blockquote>Like the other Founding Fathers, George Washington believed a nation that acknowledges God and seeks to follow His will, His way, and His Word is a favored country. He also recognized another reason for God's blessing upon a nation: God’s providence.America is blessed through God’s providence.As Washington emphasized, it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge divine agency and grace at work within the world. Throughout American history, we can see the hand of God's providence at work in ways that are difficult to explain.This nation, for whatever reason, has experienced the miraculous over and over again. If you examine the beginnings of our nation, particularly the activities leading up to and during the Revolutionary War, as well as the same regarding the War of 1812, you will find moments when supernatural occurrences intervened and paved the way for American victories.For whatever reason, God has shown favor and blessing upon a people who acknowledged His presence and involvement in America’s beginnings, and God did the seemingly impossible so that He might set apart a nation as a beacon of freedom in a world of oppression.The thirteen colonies were far from perfect. Yet, there were a handful of people passionate about gaining independence. They were great leaders who came together as one. They were fervent, tenacious, smart, and strategic. They formed a militia that was molded into an army by George Washington and others.And this ragamuffin army defeated the most powerful empire in the world. In fact, they defeated, arguably, one of the greatest empires in world history. There was a time when it was said, “the sun never sets on the British Empire.” They had territories and nations under their control all across the globe.And yet, somehow, some way, a group of ragtag officers and soldiers (many with very little formal military experience, if any) defeated trained soldiers who were experts in warfare and had made a practice of conquering and establishing nations around the world.America’s victory over the British was nothing short of miraculous.While Jefferson was penning the Declaration of Independence, God was writing a story unlike any one before or since in regards to the affairs of governance. The hand of God was in motion in America long before any shot was fired.There is another reason why this nation has experienced a measure of grace above and beyond what could be expected. Prayer.America is blessed by God because people pray.Throughout nearly every period of our history, there has always been a body of believers, faithful followers of our Lord JesusChrist, who came together to call on the name of the Lord.With great fervency they prayed, embracing 2 Chronicles 7:14:<blockquote class="border-l-4 border-gray-300 pl-4 italic text-gray-700 mb-4" dir="ltr">If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.</blockquote>For some divine reason beyond our understanding, prayer moves the heart and hand of God. This has been, and still is, self-evident to many in America.America has been extraordinarily blessed by God throughout our history, and we are still blessed today.As we celebrate our semiquincentennial this week, I pray God continues to “Shed His grace on thee.”

America at 250: Why Are We Blessed?

America Needs Heroes on the Battlefield of Everyday Life

<h3 class="text-lg font-bold mb-2" dir="ltr">“There exists today a widening consensus by many in our country that the Bible does not belong in the public square or in public education. Of course, this is nonsense. The Bible is the greatest Book ever written and the best textbook any serious student could ever encounter. This is not only a sentiment held by theologians throughout history; it was the dominant opinion of our Founding Fathers.</h3><h3 class="text-lg font-bold mb-2" dir="ltr">In the article below, Dr. Sam Thomas continues his argument for why the Bible is the greatest textbook ever written. This time, Dr. Thomas perspicaciously concentrates on the field of psychology, powerfully supplying the Church with an antidote for insanity.”</h3><h3 class="text-lg font-bold mb-2" dir="ltr">-Dr. Jason J. Nelson (Editor-in-Chief)</h3> Today, we look at how and why the Bible is the best textbook on psychology.The American Public University defines psychology as the scientific study of the human mind and behavior. Psychology studies how mental processes shape our thoughts, our feelings, and our actions.Why is the Bible the best textbook on psychology? Given below are three reasons:First of all, the Bible reveals to us the source of the human mind. Genesis chapter 1 tells us that God has created human beings in the image and likeness of God. In other words, you and I have a mind because God has very intentionally created us to resemble Him.Second, the Bible tells us the cause of the problems of the human mind. Genesis chapter 3 teaches us that because of the Fall the image and likeness of God in us has been distorted. It is not completely lost, but it is distorted.Therefore, on the one hand, the human mind is able to accomplish great things like building computers and constructing skyscrapers and going to the moon, and so on, and at the same time, is capable of great evil as well.<blockquote class="border-l-4 border-gray-300 pl-4 italic text-gray-700 mb-4" dir="ltr">Jesus tells us in Mark 7:20-23 – 'What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart (or mind), that evil thoughts come. Sexual immorality, theft and murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.'</blockquote>The human mind influences human behavior. The human mind is sinful and therefore the human behaviors tend to be sinful as well. The Bible highlights the major problem of the human mind as sinfulness.Third, the Bible also provides us with the solution to the problems of the human mind. Step one is repentance. We recognize and acknowledge that we are sinful and we turn towards God.<blockquote class="border-l-4 border-gray-300 pl-4 italic text-gray-700 mb-4" dir="ltr">Step two is sanctification. We are called by God to come back to the image and likeness of God in which he created us. Philippians 2:5 says 'have the same mindset as was in Christ Jesus.' In Romans 12:2, we read, 'be transformed by the renewing of your mind.' Romans 8:6 tells us 'the mind governed by the spirit is life and peace.' Finally, Colossians 3:2 says, 'set your mind on things above.'</blockquote>So why is the Bible the best textbook on psychology?It is because: (1) it reveals to us the source of the mind, (2) it provides us the ground for the major problems of the mind, and (3) it also provides us with the solutions to the problems of the mind.Whoever embraces these Scriptural realities will be far more psychologically advanced than most and be on their way to discovering, or rediscovering, sanity in a world gone mad.

Finding Sanity in a World Gone Mad

<blockquote class="border-l-4 border-gray-300 pl-4 italic text-gray-700 mb-4" dir="ltr">And the end of all our exploring, Will be to arrive where we started. And to know the place for the first time. T.S. Eliot, 'Four Quartets.'</blockquote>We’ll Do it Our Way, Thanks!Winston Churchill once observed that “The Americans always get it right… But not before trying everything else first.” Winston said perhaps more than he knew. We Americans do like to do things our way (underline Texas in your books on this subject).This strain of thinking runs deep into America’s past and connects us to each other in important ways, striking against “the mystic chords of memory” which Lincoln would write about as he labored desperately to hold the Union together. We are bound by a shared love of the true and the beautiful. We recognize these things in the world that God has laid out around us and we see His signature. And while He has taught us not “to rely upon our own understanding,” still we are decidedly not instructed to ignore it.Unlike the animals, we have the capacity to reflect. We possess a conscience and can choose between right and wrong in all matters that come before us. Importantly, we are able to do this without anyone’s help.Plato asks, “And what is good, Phaedrus, and what is not good. Need we ask anyone to tell us these things?” For the pre-Christian Greeks, it was a question whose answer was best left to the gods. The arrival of Jesus Christ would bring the answer directly to Earth, carpenter’s tools in hand. (After all, there was much work to do). God places His navigational software within each of us, drawing us closer with each passing day.Through His Word God oﬀers us a roadmap to our lives, the way back to Him. All of our human activities, including what our Founders would call the new “science of politics," must then follow the same Divine heading, “on Earth as it is in Heaven,” as the Lord’s Prayer instructs us. God’s law provides the perfect framework for His creation (a sometimes errant creature in need of an occasional course correction). When Earthly endeavors are congruent with God’s word, there is peace through unity with the Lord. This is why the Enemy has only one Post-It note on his desk: "Separate them from God today!!”The Laws of Nature and of Nature’s GodSir Isaac Newton (1643-1727), a fervent theologian as well as a scientist, showed clearly that “The “Divine Watchmaker” had left us an amazing watch to take apart in the study of the natural world. Others would follow him, The Author of Nature had written His answers in the trees. They blew through the wind, cresting with the mighty waves at sea. A tiny mustard seed. We need only study these to catch a glimpse into the mind of God and how He intends us to live. Balance, order, symmetry, harmony: Newton demonstrated clearly that the omnipresence of these all around us proves the presence of a loving God who is constantly leading His people toward understanding what He wants from them. From the “Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God,” then, we can then draw our own laws to live by. God is the source of all truth. Life becomes our dictionary.It is no accident that in the Declaration of Independence Thomas Jeﬀerson wrote of our “natural” rights in the way he did. These rights predate all governments and their source is the source of all things: God. His truths exist above all human activity, which is why Jeﬀerson reminds his readers that “We hold these truths to be self-evident,” a legal nicety simply meaning the proposition requires no proof (As it turns out, God does not need to explain Himself). This meshed nicely with Newton’s Three Laws of Thermodynamics, the immutable ‘natural laws’ of motion which Jeﬀerson had studied as a student at William and Mary. Jeﬀerson leaves the door open to other ‘implied’ rights: “…that among these rights are, Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness,” implying the presence of other rights to which men have natural title. Perhaps only God has that list, but for Jeﬀerson’s purposes the ‘Big Three” spoke to the situation at hand (Are Jeﬀerson’s three rights (life, liberty, pursuit of happiness) a quiet hat tip to Newton’s Three Laws? We may never know).The American Revolution was a spiritual revolution of the heart, a change in moral course by the force of politics and war. It was a call to The Supreme Judge of the World, as Jeﬀerson describes Him, an “Appeal to Heaven” whose foundational argument based itself not on the laws of man, but rather on God’s laws.And while secular historians have tried to distract us with the “No Taxation Without Representation!” Hysteria, or a bunch of liquored-up colonists tossing tea into the South Harbor, or even the difficulties of everyday colonial life caused by the Navigation, Stamp and Sugar Acts of Parliament, this fight was at its heart a spiritual struggle. Redemption, perhaps the most consistent theme of both the Old and New Testaments, would find its place here. A “New England” was being born, replacing the sick patient and his dying ideas about the proper role of government in the aﬀairs of men.In 1818, an aging John Adams wrote to Hezekiah Niles and described it this way:<blockquote class="border-l-4 border-gray-300 pl-4 italic text-gray-700 mb-4" dir="ltr">'But what do we mean by the American Revolution? Do we mean the American War? The Revolution was eﬀected before the War commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and the hearts of the people, a change in the religious sentiments of their duties and obligations.'</blockquote>It was this fast-moving fuse of political and spiritual freedom which burned white hot from American Revolutionary pulpits. Working as a solvent on the legitimacy of the Crown’s claim to sovereign rule, it was a crying out from their “errand into the wilderness,’ an appeal to Heaven for His justice, His mercy. In their minds, it was not rebellion but the essence of obedience to God.War and RemembranceIt is essential that we tell these things to our children, and their children. How about you first tell them the story of this great nation? If you do not know our history, this is a great time to start. Our children are being lied to daily in our schools by people who busy themselves by ransacking American history for a usable past, from which they can construct arguments, reinforcing and amplifying their current political positions. Head that oﬀ at the pass. <blockquote class="border-l-4 border-gray-300 pl-4 italic text-gray-700 mb-4" dir="ltr">'Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he shall not depart from it' (Proverbs 22:6).</blockquote>Right here at Grace Woodlands Church several brave mothers raised their hands to join the Conroe School Board District (we call them “The Magnificent Seven”), proving that local action is the key.Educate yourself. Hillsdale College oﬀers a free online history series that is as good as attending the College. Write down your life story for your grandchildren. (They are way more interested in your story than they will ever let on). Our country just may depend on enough people learning the true story of this great nation under God… before it is too late.Ralph Waldo Emerson understood the dangers of national forgetfulness. On a muggy July morning in 1837 in Concord, Massachusetts, he stood before the newly built Concord Memorial, a large stone memorial dedicated to the Battle of Concord, the skirmish that would lead to revolution the next year. Emerson wanted his listeners to feel something that morning as well as hear it: He waved his hand across an ancient Massachusetts stream “which seaward creeps” (back toward God) and oﬀered a call to remembrance, as well as a call for national redemption:<blockquote class="border-l-4 border-gray-300 pl-4 italic text-gray-700 mb-4" dir="ltr">'By the rude bridge that arched the flood, their flag to April’s breeze unfurled, Here once the embattled farmers stood, and fired the shot heard ‘round the world. The foe long since in silence slept, alike the conqueror silent sleeps. And Time the ruined bridge has swept, down the dark stream which seaward creeps. On this green bank, by this soft stream, we set a votive stone; That memory may their deeds redeem, when like our sires our sons are gone. Spirit, that made those heroes dare to die, and leave their children free, bid Time and Nature gently spare, the shaft we raise, to them and thee' (Concord Hymn (1837).</blockquote>Emerson asked them to remember, to honor, to love… "To never forget what they did here,” as Abraham Lincoln admonished his listeners at Gettysburg following the battle. Like Emerson before him, Lincoln understood the importance of national remembrance and the vital importance of its upkeep.One hundred and fifty years later, President Ronald Reagan would echo both men:“Our freedom is never more than one generation from extinction. It is not passed on through the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed down to them to do the same; Or one day, we will be spending our sunset years telling our children , and our children’s children, what it was like in the United States where men were free.”America is a great God story. Pass it on!Happy 250 years, America!

An Appeal to Heaven

Micah 6:8In the classic book Great Expectations, Charles Dickens highlights a very interesting quality that all children seem to possess. He writes, “In the little world in which children have their existence, whosoever brings them up, there is nothing so finely perceived and so finely felt as injustice.”Dickens is recognizing the unique ability even a child has to know the difference between right and wrong and to possess a sharp sense of justice and fairness. As a father, I have witnessed this truth firsthand and have heard my children say, “that’s not fair” more times than I can count.We all have experienced moments in life that compelled us to say, “That’s not fair.” And the truth is, even when we grow up, we still experience moments that lead us to question the fairness of life. When a classmate gets the highest grade in the class even though she cheated, we say, “That’s not fair.” When a co-worker gets a promotion, a raise, and public recognition—and we don’t, despite the fact that we worked just as hard or harder than that person did—we say, “That’s not fair.” When a convicted murderer dies peacefully in his prison cell from natural causes while a young innocent child dies from a rare form of cancer, we shake our heads and say, “That’s not fair.” Hardly a week goes by when we don’t look at the pain, hurt, and injustice in this world and say, “That’s not fair!”Throughout our lives, from our childhood days to today, we have been making moral judgments about life and the events within it. And we have been able to make these moral judgments and say things like, “That’s not fair,” because, as human beings, we have a deep sense of justice and fairness woven within the fabric of our DNA.In Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis writes, “Christianity is not a religion of flitting angels and blind faith, but of free will, an innate sense of justice, and the grace of God.” According to Lewis, we all have the gift of free will; we all were born with a God-given sense of justice and fairness; and, on top of this, we all have the grace of God surrounding us, which some theologians would call prevenient grace.In other words, we have freedom that allows us to make uncoerced choices; we were created with an internal moral compass to help us know the difference between right and wrong; and we have the grace of God empowering us to choose right over wrong.Additionally, as people who have the Holy Spirit within us, this sense of justice is even more attuned within us.These truths are the foundation of Micah’s message. Within this short, concise passage the right choice is offered to the obedient. Micah knows it is time for his people to make the right choice and choose God’s ways. He knows it is time for them to choose to do what the Lord requires of them. It is time for them to choose to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God!Did you notice that Micah doesn’t tell the people to be just? He wants them to go beyond that. God, through His prophet, tells them to do justice. Doing justice means doing the right thing, and doing justice (doing the right thing) is an activity, not a state of being. Doing justice is character in action.People who are doing justice are people of integrity who do not just wait for opportunities to come their way so they can be just in the moment and choose the right over the wrong. People who are doing justice are people who are actively looking for the wrongs in this world so they can, by the power of God, make them right.Micah is calling his people to do justice, and he doesn’t have to explain what that looks like because he knows they know what doing justice looks like. Throughout the Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible, doing justice means taking care of the poor, fighting for the oppressed, defending the helpless, and helping the needy; and it always involves embracing widows, orphans, and outcasts. Micah knows these are ways justice is done.But he also knows that doing justice without kindness can be rigid, cold, and even harsh, so he tells his people to love kindness. Doing justice while loving kindness is doing justice in love and with a bent toward mercy.In Micah’s world, people who do justice and love kindness do not just hand—or even toss—a loaf of bread to the hungry blind beggar on the side of the road. People who do justice and love kindness invite the hungry blind beggar in for dinner. In Micah’s world, people who do justice and love kindness do not just send money to the priests out of obligation, expecting someone else to take care of the orphans. People who do justice and love kindness adopt an orphan as one of their own and call that orphan son or daughter.Doing justice and loving kindness go hand in hand for Micah, and doing justice and loving kindness are balanced when people “walk humbly” with God. Humility, especially humility before God, allows people to look beyond themselves and see the needs of others so they can meet the needs of others in a way that is just and kind.This is Micah’s message to his people: do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God! These are God’s expectations. These are great expectations. And these great expectations are not great just because they are high and from God, but also because great things will come to the world whenever God’s people—which includes us—live out these expectations.Even though these requirements are thousands of years old, we are still required to follow them because we have committed our lives to Christ, who is the epitome of what it means to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk with humility.<blockquote class="border-l-4 border-gray-300 pl-4 italic text-gray-700 mb-4" dir="ltr">God calls us to do justice just as Jesus did justice. We are called to take care of the people Jesus talks about in Gospel of Matthew chapter 25—the people who lack food, water, clothes, shelter, good health, and freedom. God calls us to love kindness like Jesus loved kindness. We are called to be merciful because we have been shown mercy. And God calls us to walk humbly as Jesus walked humbly. We are called, as Paul the Apostle says in Epistle to the Philippians chapter 2, to imitate the humility of Christ.</blockquote>God calls us to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God.At this moment, millions of people in this world are in places in their lives where they can justifiably say, “That’s not fair.”There are people desperately in need all around us, and they are waiting for people who do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with their God to come to their rescue. They are waiting for us to be the Church God has called us—no, that God has required us—to be.This world needs us to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit and do what God requires us to do! And when we do justice, when we love kindness, and when we walk humbly with God, God’s glory and brilliance will light up this world of darkness.When we do justice, when we love kindness, and when we walk humbly with our God, great things will happen in this world! When we do justice, when we love kindness, and when we walk humbly with our God, we will be used by God to turn this world right-side up!What does the Lord require of you? That is Micah’s question to each one of us today!

Great Expectations: Doing Right in a World of Wrongs

A few years after college, I was offered a glimpse into the richness of our ancestral lineage. My aunt described our family history tracing our ancestry back to the American Revolution. At the time, I did not give it much thought.My parents divorced when I was very young. Growing up, I never felt connected to my father’s side of the family. Because of that distance, their past did not seem particularly meaningful to me then. But maturity has a way of awakening curiosity.Through the years, I have developed a deeper appreciation not only for my family and our history, but also for the broader story of our nation. And as America approaches its 250th anniversary, I found myself increasingly drawn toward understanding the people and sacrifices that shaped both. So I decided to dive into the past.Years ago, my Aunt Kathy sent me an email. It contained documentation of our lineage going back nine generations, which introduced me to our ancestor, Private Remembrance Philley. He served in the 3rd Connecticut Line during the Revolutionary War under the command of Colonel Samuel Webb, serving alongside Captain Walker and Welles’ Company.As I read through the email, history began to come alive. I instantly became captivated by remembering Remembrance. As a young man, he signed an oath of fidelity in support of American independence. That oath, in many ways, was similar to the one found in the Declaration of Independence, where the Founders pledged to each other “our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”As Aunt Kathy continued unpacking our family history, I realized our family’s story stretched even further back than I expected. Buried within our lineage records was another remarkable connection tracing back through the Webster family of Connecticut, descendants of Governor John Webster, one of the colony’s earliest governors.Generation after generation, I was introduced to a chain of names connecting the present to a distant past once unknown to me.As America celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding, many will commemorate the occasion with fireworks, parades, patriotic tributes, and backyard barbecues. Yet I cannot help but wonder whether we truly understand the deeper significance of remembering the events and sacrifices that shaped who we are as a people. I wonder if we still grasp the value of remembrance itself.History is not merely about dates and names. It is also about inheritance.To discover one’s lineage is to realize that the men and women we read about in textbooks were not simply historical figures. They were fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, ordinary people who lived through extraordinary moments and then entrusted the future to generations they would never meet. This includes us.In many ways, modern culture has become detached from this sense of continuity. We live in a time obsessed with immediacy and instant gratification. We consume endless information, much of it lacking depth or permanence. In a culture moving faster by the day, remembrance itself can begin to feel like a lost discipline.But a civilization that loses its memory eventually loses its identity.A nation that forgets sacrifice will eventually diminish the value of freedom. The lessons of the past offer wisdom for the future. A generation disconnected from its inheritance may struggle to understand what must be preserved and passed on.Freedom has never been self-sustaining. Every generation inherits responsibilities alongside its rights.<blockquote class="border-l-4 border-gray-300 pl-4 italic text-gray-700 mb-4" dir="ltr">Ronald Reagan once warned that 'Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.' He understood that liberty is not permanently secured by constitutions or military victories alone. It must be taught, protected, and intentionally passed down.</blockquote>That responsibility belongs to every generation.Perhaps this is why discovering my family’s Revolutionary War lineage affected me more deeply than I expected. It was not simply about ancestry. It was about realizing that I am part of a much longer story than my own lifetime.Now, 250 years later, Remembrance’s story intersects with mine, and there is something profoundly grounding about that realization.The soldiers who fought for independence in the eighteenth century crossed frozen rivers, endured brutal winters, and risked everything for a future they would never fully see. Their battlefields were physical. Their enemy stood across the Atlantic.The battles our generation are currently fighting look different today.Today, many of the truths and traditions that once grounded generations no longer feel deeply rooted in our culture. In a world flooded with noise, distraction, and endless opinions, it can become difficult to distinguish what is lasting from what is temporary.As Christians, however, we are called to remain rooted in truth, faithfulness, and remembrance. This is not a call to fear or bitterness, nor is it merely political. It is a call to stewardship- to remember what we have inherited and to consider carefully what we will pass on.Because civilizations are shaped by what people are willing to honor, preserve, teach, and remember.Perhaps that is why recovering the discipline of remembrance matters now more than ever- remembrance rooted in gratitude, truth, sacrifice, and stewardship.America has always been imperfect, yet we have also been profoundly blessed. We have long declared ourselves to be “one nation under God,” and if we desire His continued blessing, we would do well to remember the timeless truth found in Psalm 33:12:<blockquote class="border-l-4 border-gray-300 pl-4 italic text-gray-700 mb-4" dir="ltr">Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.</blockquote>And perhaps the greatest gift we can leave the next generation is not merely prosperity or technological advancement, but the courage to preserve truth, the discipline to remember, and the faithfulness to pass our history on before it is forgotten.

The Duty of Remembrance: Fighting to Preserve History

<h1 class="text-2xl font-bold mb-4" dir="ltr">February 19, 1945</h1>This was a date my grandfather always remembered. This day forever changed his life. It was the day his older brother, 2nd Lt. Ernest J. B. Nelson, was killed in action over the Pacific Ocean, just off the coast of Asia. Bud, as his family and friends called him, was flying on a mission as a co-pilot on a B-29 when it crashed and he died.I’ve read the war report of the incident. Reading it was quite the experience — a time-freezing experience. As I read the names of the 11 patriots who perished on the Pacific War front for the Stars and Stripes, time seemed to stand still. An amalgamation of emotions began to rise up within me as I read the report and, reread it a second time, continuing to process the event I was imagining in a cinematic sort of way. I became incredibly saddened by the loss of life while concomitantly but, at the same time, an overwhelming sense of gratitude began to rise up within me. I was powerfully reminded that freedom is never free. It comes at a cost; and these heroes from WWII paid the ultimate cost.Freedom is never free. It comes at a cost; and these heroes from WWII paid the ultimate cost.As a kid, Grandpa taught me how important it was to reverently remember these men, along with the countless other men and women who have laid down their lives in sacrificial service to this country. And every May, on the designated day of the month, he would be the first to thank God for those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. But I believe, in his heart, February 19 was Grandpa’s Memorial Day.And herein lies the lesson for all of us this Memorial Day.This weekend, as we remember, honor, and celebrate those who died in service to our country, let’s not forget that every day of the year is a Memorial Day for somebody. Let’s become aware that acknowledging, honoring, and remembering the sacrifice of others is just as important the rest of the week … as it is on Monday.No day is exempt.

Memorial Days

<h2 class="text-xl font-bold mb-3" dir="ltr">Hearing Ears</h2>Adapted from page 335 of God’s Special Invitation, How Will You R.S.V.P.?, Volume I – “Having Intimacy with God,” by Sunny Wessel“No word from God will ever fail.” — Luke 1:37 (NIV)While I was listening to the first chapter of Luke being read, this passage ignited in my soul and poured life within me:“No word from God will ever fail.” — Luke 1:37 (NIV)I found myself asking, “What can resist God’s Word in my mouth when I boldly declare and act on His Word like nothing God says will ever fail?” I thought, “The more I believe that no word from God will fail, the more my life will change.”I want to live bolder and stronger. Knowing that God does His part, which is supernatural, when I do mine, which is to believe and act as He leads, I recognized that my confidence would grow each time I obeyed and prayed.The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17), is one of the mighty weapons God gave us to pull down the enemy’s strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4).God has called us to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10) because we have an adversary who seeks to devour us (1 Peter 5:8). The Lord, who is mighty in battle (Psalm 24:8), has given us these weapons for our spiritual warfare against powers and rulers of darkness (Ephesians 6:11–18).Believing the Lord is more than agreeing that God’s Word is true. The Bible teaches us to believe God’s Word in our hearts, speak it aloud, and act on it (James 2:17). Just like when you were saved, this is how you continue to bring heaven to earth: by believing, speaking, and acting on God’s Word.&nbsp;The Word of God is to be both in our hands and in our mouths like Gideon (Judges 7:20) and Jesus (Revelation 19:15):“Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand... to execute on them the judgment written; this is an honor for all His godly ones.” — Psalm 149:6, 9 (NASB)Why is it important to both say and do the Word of the Lord? Jesus triumphed over death, hell, and the grave for me and gave me the keys of the kingdom:“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” — Matthew 16:19 (NIV)My battles are won offensively, not defensively. Thus, the kingdom of God progresses forcefully, and the violent take it by force (Matthew 11:12). The kingdom of God is voice-activated and action-oriented. God’s kingdom people do not remain idle in the path of sinners (Psalm 1:1).Scripture tells me how to receive my marching orders:“If you wait at wisdom’s doorway, longing to hear a word for every day, joy will break forth within you as you listen for what I’ll say. For the fountain of life pours into you every time that you find me, and this is the secret of growing in the delight and the favor of the Lord.” — Proverbs 8:34–35 (TPT)Like Jesus, we must be saying and doing what we hear and see our heavenly Father doing (John 5:19–20).Taking to heart that no word from God will ever fail made me want to become more intimate with God’s Word and ways intentionally. Getting to know Him better through hearing His voice (John 10:27) would help me receive understanding and courage to act (Daniel 11:32–33) on what I hear from God. In so doing, I will learn, as I go along, what pleases the Lord through the reproofs of life (Proverbs 6:23).Storing God’s Word in my heart and speaking it through my mouth is using my sword of the Spirit to defeat the enemy (Revelation 12:11).“Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.” — Luke 1:45 (NASB)The more I believe that no Word from God will ever fail, the more I will seek the Lord to hear what He is saying, and the more intentionally I will live within those boundaries so that I may see His will come to pass in my life.<h2 class="text-xl font-bold mb-3" dir="ltr">My Prayer for You</h2>May you daily walk in God’s fellowship, which is the secret to growing in His delight and favor! May the joy and life that come from hearing (and believing) what God says to you fill your heart every day! May you take the offensive in your spiritual warfare by resolving to believe, praise, and pray into being what the Lord has both shown and told you.<h2 class="text-xl font-bold mb-3" dir="ltr">Hearing from God</h2>What are you doing to develop your ear to hear what the Lord would say to you? How are you growing your faith? How will you weather the storms of life? How will you prevail against the gates of hell in your life?(Please journal your answers.)<h2 class="text-xl font-bold mb-3" dir="ltr">God’s Special Invitation to You Today</h2>Every day, wait on Me and listen for what I will say. A fountain of life will pour into you when you find Me in this way. No word from Me will ever fail, so confess My Word and act on it in the power of My Spirit. I am not a man that I should lie. I watch over My Word to perform it.— Sunny Wessel God’s Special Invitation, How Will You R.S.V.P.? Volume I – Having Intimacy with God Finalist, 2026 Kingdom Book Awards

A Word from God, Your Sword of the Spirit

In God We Trust“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” — Psalm 33:12We are a nation desperately in need of prayer. Our country has always recognized the reality that the success of our nation is solely dependent upon the grace of God, in whom we trust. In fact, we sing this prayerful petition in the words: “America, America, God shed His grace on thee.”Moreover, throughout our 250 years of existence, our top leaders have both informally and formally called for and/or established national times of prayer.<ul class="list-disc list-inside mb-2"><li value="1" class="mb-1" dir="ltr"> In 1775, the Continental Congress proclaimed the first National Day of Prayer…</li><li value="2" class="mb-1" dir="ltr">President Washington declared on October 3, 1789: “Whereas both Houses of Congress … requested me ‘to recommend to the People of the United States a Day of Public Thanksgiving and Prayer…’”</li><li value="3" class="mb-1" dir="ltr">On March 30, 1863, Lincoln proclaimed a Day of Fasting and Prayer.</li><li value="4" class="mb-1" dir="ltr">In 1952, President Truman signed legislation recognizing a National Day of Prayer.</li><li value="5" class="mb-1" dir="ltr">On May 5, 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed an amendment passed by Congress that permanently established the National Day of Prayer as the first Thursday in May. This law does not require participation but mandates that the sitting President issue a proclamation each year calling the people of the United States to a day of prayer.</li><li value="6" class="mb-1" dir="ltr">President Reagan understood the importance of prayer: “Americans in every generation have turned to their Maker in prayer... We have acknowledged... our dependence on Almighty God.”</li><li value="7" class="mb-1" dir="ltr">Throughout his first and second terms, President Trump has affirmed and continues to call the American people to national days of prayer.</li></ul>This week, thousands will gather again for the 2026 National Day of Prayer and we invite you (wherever you are this Thursday) to join God-fearing Christians for a time of prayer and/or invite others to join you.&nbsp;Below is a simple prayer guide we hope will serve you as you approach the throne of God.Let’s call down heaven upon this land this Thursday and, for that matter, let’s do the same every day of the year. National Day of Prayer Individual Prayer GuidePrayer of Praise God, we praise You for this beautiful and blessed home we call America. Thank You for the rights, privileges, and freedom we enjoy. Thank You also for the men and women who have fought, and continue to fight, to preserve, protect, and defend our freedom.Prayer of Repentance and Protection God, give us the strength to follow Your instructions and embrace Your promises in 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”Prayer Points God, we lift each of these prayer points to You, one at a time:<ul class="list-disc list-inside mb-2"><li value="1" class="mb-1" dir="ltr">Government leaders (federal and state)</li><li value="2" class="mb-1" dir="ltr">The judicial system</li><li value="3" class="mb-1" dir="ltr">Schools (educators and students)</li><li value="4" class="mb-1" dir="ltr">Law enforcement and first responders</li><li value="5" class="mb-1" dir="ltr">Families and life (the unborn and the elderly)</li><li value="6" class="mb-1" dir="ltr">Pastors and churches</li><li value="7" class="mb-1" dir="ltr">Texas legislators and the border</li><li value="8" class="mb-1" dir="ltr">Military and veterans</li></ul>Prayer of Praise and Thanksgiving God, thank You for hearing our prayers. We pray that Your Kingdom would come and that Your will would be done throughout this land.

We Are a Nation in Need of Prayer

It is traditionally believed that Solomon authored three books: Proverbs – the book of wisdom, Song of Songs – the book on love, and Ecclesiastes – the book debating the meaning and purpose of life. All these books are very interesting books. The book of Proverbs has much to say about wisdom and folly. The wise are contrasted with the foolish. This blog is an attempt to look at the FOOLS in the book of Proverbs. If one can keep the Bible open and read the verses in its entirety it would be very helpful.

What are some of the characteristics of a foolish person according to the book of Proverbs? First of all, a fool “despises wisdom and discipline” (1:7). In fact, “fools hate knowledge” (1:22). Even the personification of folly in chapter 9 (vv. 13-17) is characterized as “loud, undisciplined and without knowledge” (9:13). Also, not only does a fool hate wisdom, knowledge and discipline, he “finds pleasure in evil conduct” (10:23). Hmmm… look at the next characteristic… “every fool is quick to quarrel” (20:3). Also, a fool lacks self-control. “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control” (29:11).

The folly of a fool gushes out through his mouth, often resulting in his own destruction. Proverbs 10:14b “…the mouth of a fool invites ruin.” Twice in the space of three verses the book of Proverbs calls the fool “a chattering fool” (10:10, 13). Proverbs 18:2 “A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions.” Again, no control over the tongue. Proverbs 18:6 “A fool’s lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating.” A fool’s greatest enemy is his own mouth… he invites quarrels and beatings with his mouth. “A fool’s mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul” (18:7). A fool lays a trap for himself with his mouth. A foolish person also engages in character-assassination or slander (10:18).

A foolish son brings grief to his mother (10:1). In fact, a fool “despises his mother” (15:20). Again, “A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to the one who bore him” (17:25). A foolish son brings ruin to his father (19:13).

Proverbs 3:35 says that God will bring a fool to shame. The book of Proverbs also says that a fool invites ruin for himself, as has been noted above. So also, we have already noted that he invites punishment for himself (18:6; 26:3). A foolish woman will end up destroying her house (14:1). So what exactly awaits a fool? Shame, ruin, punishment and destruction…

Proverbs 14:7-9 “Stay away from a foolish man…” A foolish person is often self-deceived and such a person can lead others also into similar deception. Further, one must deal wisely with a foolish person… “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.” (26:4-5). One must be wise enough to decide when to speak and when not to while dealing with a fool. If one employs a foolish person, the employer may have to pay a price (26:10).

In the book of Proverbs, a fool refers to a rebellious person, who does not submit to authority or listen to instructions. A fool is someone without proper moral direction… one who is inclined to evil. Such a person hates wisdom and discipline, and delights in evil. In the book of Proverbs, a fool is described often in contradistinction to the wise man or woman. Who is the wise man? That is the subject matter for a later blog. We need to examine ourselves… are there any hints of folly within us?

Who Is A Fool According to Proverbs

I love this ancient Jewish proverb, “Follow the rabbi, drink in his words, and be covered with the dust of his feet.” This proverbial statement encompasses the ancient Jewish model of discipleship, which is both rich in meaning and literal in its applications. Disciples, in the ancient Jewish context, followed their teacher, their Rabbi so closely that they would actually be covered with the dust kicked up by the rabbi’s feet; and, because they followed their rabbi so closely, they were also covered with the rabbi’s instruction, wisdom and knowledge. At the same time, they learned from the rabbi’s example.

In a nutshell, they learned to lead by following.

This is the model of discipleship Jesus employed over 2000 years ago. Jesus covered a dozen ordinary, average men with his dust; he covered them with his wisdom and knowledge as they walked behind him throughout Galilee, Judea and Samaria. And, because these disciples walked in the dust of their rabbi, they learned how to talk like, walk like, and be like Jesus.

As modern-day disciples, we are still called to, “Follow the rabbi, drink in his words, and be covered with the dust of his feet.” In fact, we are invited to follow the greatest rabbi there is and his name is Jesus.

One of the ways to follow Jesus and be covered in his dust is to become what Augustine, Aquinas, and Wesley claimed to be… a person of One Book. Like the Primitive Church, these leaders drank deeply from the well of the Apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42). They opened up the Holy Scriptures, particularly to the Gospels, and immersed themselves in the writings of the four evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), reading and living in the shadow of their teacher via the Holy Texts.

These three devoted pupils, who became teachers in their own right, along with millions of others before and after them, have walked the same path. They followed their rabbi by drinking in his teaching. They gulped down Jesus’ words, traveling with Him in the Gospels, walking in his dust as he healed the sick, embraced the poor, and raised the dead. Their desire to be spiritually saturated with Scripture led to personal and social transformation during their lifetime. The learned to lead by following Jesus and through their Spiritual leadership the Kingdom of God was advanced.

As believers, we claim to follow the Rabbi of Rabbis, who is also the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings but when was the last time we took time to really drink in his words and be covered with the dust of his feet?

When was the last time you sat at the feet of Jesus, forgetting time and setting aside the many trivial tasks in the periphery of your life that are seeking your attention so that you can bathe yourself in the instruction of Christ?

If you want to lead you have to learn and there’s no better way to learn to lead than by following Jesus. He’s the best teacher there ever was and is. Real leaders follow Jesus.

This blog post explores the ancient Jewish model of discipleship, where disciples learned to lead by closely following their Rabbi. It emphasizes the importance of immersing ourselves in the teachings of Jesus, the greatest Rabbi, and how this spiritual saturation can lead to personal and social transformation.

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