Category: Resource Notes

St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, is recognized as an Irish celebration, but in fact the whole Christian world owes a large debt to St Patrick.
Brought to pagan Ireland as a slave, Patrick escaped and returned to his home in Roman Christian Britain. However he was unable to forget the lost souls of Ireland and returned to evangelize the island. The Pagan wizards and priests were no match for the man of God, and the whole island was Christianized as the result of his efforts. For this he is rightly honored as the evangelist of the Irish.
But his legacy of a Christian Ireland blessed far more people than just the Irish. Even before his death in 461 AD the Roman Christian Britain of his boyhood was being overrun by the Pagan Angles and Saxons. Soon the British and Irish switched roles: The newly Christian Irish sent missionaries to the newly Pagan Britain. And in about a century the Anglo-Saxons were Christianized. So the British saved the Irish so the Irish could save the British.
An even more remarkable turn about occurred as the European continent fell into chaos during the time known as the Dark Ages. The formerly barbarian, unlettered Irish were able to save countless manuscripts from destruction and became the custodians of the civilized Western worlds’ knowledge. They also expanded their evangelistic efforts into Europe, bringing about a revival of Christianity in France and Italy. Thus, Patrick’s Irish followers became a beacon of learning and hope in the Dark Ages, helping preserve the centers of European Christianity as well as its British and Irish outposts.
Alas, the Irish were not immune to the instability of their times, as they were first invaded by the Vikings and then colonized by the ungrateful English. After the Reformation they were persecuted for their Catholic faith and allowed to starve in the horrible famine of the 1840’s. The Island remains divided between the Catholic Republic in the South and the Protestant North.
It is ironic that these two peoples, still divided over religion, owe their Christian faith to the other: The Irish to the British Patrick, and the British to the Irish missionaries. Yet, there is progress being made to reconcile these peoples. Several years back we at Corporate Prayer Resources made a Prayer Journey to Ireland and saw our and many other prayers answered as a peace process began in Northern Ireland. There are also continuing reconciliation efforts underway between the Catholics and the Protestants to heal this terrible division.

As we look forward to this St Patrick’s day, the best way to honor St. Patrick would be to pray that there would be reconciliation, forgiveness, and peace between his British homeland and his beloved Ireland, and between Catholic and Protestant.
And may it be so.

The time is fast approaching when the Church will need to remember the lesson of German Pastor Martin Niemoller.

Pastor Niemoller was a man of great courage who had been a submarine captain in the First World War before he entered the ministry. As a minister, he spoke out against the atrocities of the Nazi regime. On March 2, 1938 he was sent to prison, where he spent the war because of his Christian beliefs.

Nevertheless this Christian Hero apologized for his delay in opposing the Nazis. Here is what he said:
“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me.”

You may think that Nazi Germany is far removed from today’s America, but you should think again. There are forces in America which no longer believe in individual liberty and democracy. Our freedoms are being diminished day by day, and most Christians remain silent.

When the courts in California overruled the democratic vote against gay marriage, there was little outcry. When the Government sabotaged the Defense of Marriage Act few noticed. When Christians were fined for refusing to participate in gay marriage ceremonies we were told that we were bigots. After the Supreme Court forced gay marriage on the nation, hundreds of florists and bakers have been attacked because of their beliefs. Now the “Progressives” want our daughters to be forced to shower with boys who say they want to be girls. We are getting perilously close to the old Soviet Communist concept of religious “freedom”, where you could have religious beliefs so long as you said nothing and did not act according to your faith.

Freedom of Speech has been under attack in the cause of “Politically Correct” speech. University students, who used to demonstrate for free speech, now demand censorship on college campuses. In the Citizen’s United Supreme Court decision, so adamantly opposed by the “Progressives”, the Government actually argued that they had the right to censor books and movies. Must we wait until they are burning books to arouse from our slumber?

Under the guise of fighting crime the Government has passed thousands of laws which entrap innocent Americans every day. People have gone to jail for getting lost in a snowstorm on Federal lands or failing to follow packaging regulations of foreign countries. The Government can seize your money without proving anything and you have to hire a lawyer to get it back, except that you can’t pay a lawyer because the government took your money. You can become a criminal even if you have no criminal intent, and the “Progressives” fiercely resist any attempt to bring this elementary human right back into our legal system.

To top it off, we now know that government employees have been using their offices for political purposes. In 2012 the IRS and other agencies were used to hinder and attack conservative organizations. In 2016 the FBI and Justice Department used false evidence to spy on a political campaign. This same information was the used to spark an internal “Resistance” campaign where government employees have leaked false information and subverted the elected administration. Some want to go further and overthrow the elected president.

You may not like President Trump or his politics. You may not have much sympathy for a business man who can’t defend himself because the government took his money. You may not agree with Catholics who are persecuted for their opposition to birth control. And the airways and internet are full of obnoxious political speech.

Just remember that if you are cheering for the government as it moves against others, you are only bringing the day of destruction closer to yourself.

Stand up for freedom before there is no one left when they come for you.

Another school massacre has once again exposed how vulnerable our children are. It is time we learned some lessons and applied biblical principles to protect our children.

The first lesson we should have learned is that the social norms which sheltered our children 50 years ago have been shattered. The sexual revolution of the 1960’s produced a hedonistic lifestyle where children became an unwanted side effect. We have murdered 60 million babies and millions of others are abused, neglected, and angry. Half of our children come from fatherless homes, and the manly values of chivalry and protectiveness formerly instilled by fathers and scoffed at. And, after prayer and religion were removed from schools, values are not taught there either. Those wounded, angry, valueless children and grandchildren of the 1960’s will continue to act out in unpredictable and sometimes deadly ways. Society is reaping what it has sown.

The second lesson we should have learned is that government cannot protect us from these random killers. We have seen how laws intended to keep felons and the mentally ill from obtaining guns are not enforced and are even undermined by government agencies. Federal and local law enforcement failed to follow up on obvious warning signals in the Florida shooting. And local deputies failed to enter the school while the unarmed security guard in the school became a martyr by using the only means at his disposal, his body, to protect the students. With 98% of mass killings occurring in “Gun Free” zones, it turns out that “Gun Free” actually means “Killers Welcome”.

It is perhaps coincidental that today marks the Hebrew festival of Purim, where the deliverance of the Jews through Queen Esther and Mordecai is celebrated. What is instructive to us is how the deliverance was accomplished. Mordecai did not ask that the weapons of their enemies be confiscated, nor did he ask for government protection. Instead, he asked that the Jews be given that right to protect themselves and their families (Esther 8:11). Purim shows that God expects us to defend ourselves and our families, and leads directly to America’s Second Amendment rights. As it relates to schools, teachers, also have Second Amendment rights and those called to arm themselves to protect our children should be encouraged to do so.

Arming the people, however, is not enough, because we must strengthen their defenses. In biblical times it was the city wall that kept out the lawless and the enemies of the people, and we have the Book of Nehemiah to show us how important it was to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Under Nehemiah the workers armed themselves to complete rebuilding their defenses (Nehemiah 4:16-18). In our time we must recognize that our schools are surrounded by enemies like Jerusalem was, and take steps to increase their defenses by creating a “Wall” of armed guards and controlled access like the wall provided for Jerusalem.

It has been said that those who attack the unprotected are cowards, and the Bible bears this out. Once the Jews were given the right of self-defense under Queen Esther fear overtook the other peoples and the enemies of the Jews were overcome (Esther 9:1-3). Those who had threatened Nehemiah and the Jews never attacked them, and their enemies lost their confidence when the wall was finished (Nehemiah 6:15-16). If we protect our children at school, we can expect that many of these hate filled cowards threatening our children will never attack them.

As we move to protect our children let us also not forget that there are lost generations of young people who are crying out by acting out. Remember The Cross and the Switchblade? We must do more to find them, heal them, and bring them into the love of Christ and the Church. This means more free day care, more foster parents, more adoptions, more mentoring, more evangelism, and yes, more money.
Protecting our children by saving the lost children is the best investment we can make.

Let us pray for wisdom to protect our children, but let us also pray for the compassion to reach out to the lost generations.

It has become fashionable in some circles to deny the Christian foundations of the United States. This week, when we remember President’s Day, would be a good time to listen to the words of our national Fathers and join them in their prayers for America:

Benjamin Franklin: On the Need for Divine Guidance
“I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live the more convincing proofs I see of this truth – that God Governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?
We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that ‘except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it.’ I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our partial local interests; out projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and bye word down on future ages.
And what is worse, mankind may thereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments by Human wisdom and leave it to chance, war and conquest.
I therefore beg leave to move – that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessing on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service.” – June 28, 1787 at the Constitutional Convention

George Washington: Prayer for the United States
“Almighty God, We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy Holy protection; and Thou wilt incline the hearts of the Citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to Government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow Citizens of the United States at large, and particularly for their brethren who have served in the Field.
And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that Charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the Characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed Religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation.
Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

Thomas Jefferson: National Prayer for Peace
“Almighty God, Who has given us good land for our heritage; We humbly beseech Thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of Thy favor and glad to do Thy will. Bless our land with honorable ministry, sound learning, and pure manners.
Save us from violence, discord, and confusion, from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitude brought hither out of many kindred and tongues.
Endow with Thy spirit of wisdom those who in Thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that through obedience to Thy law, we may show forth Thy praise among the nations of the earth.
In time of prosperity fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in Thee to fail, all of which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.”

Abraham Lincoln: National Day of Prayer and Humiliation
“Whereas, the Senate of the United States devoutly recognizing the Supreme Authority and Government of Almighty God in all the affairs of men and of nations, has, by a resolution, requested the President to designate and set apart a day for national prayer and humiliation:
And whereas, it is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon, and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history: that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord:
And insomuch as we know that, by His divine law, nations like individuals are subject to punishment and chastisement in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war, which now desolates the land may be but a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole people?
We have been recipient of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown.
But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious Hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own.
Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!
It behooves us then to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sin and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.
Now, therefore, in compliance with the request and fully concurring in the view of the Senate, I do, by this proclamation, designate and set apart Thursday, the 30th day of April, 1863, as a day of national humiliation, fasting and prayer.
And I do hereby request all the people to abstain on that day from their ordinary secular pursuits, and to unite, at their several places of public worship and their respective homes, in keeping that day holy to the Lord and devoted to the humble discharge of the religious duties proper to that solemn occasion.
All this being done, in sincerity and truth, let us then rest humbly in the hope authorized by the Divine teachings, that the united cry of the nation will be heard on high and answered with blessings no less than the pardon of our national sins and restoration of our now divided and suffering country to its former happy condition of unity and peace.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand to caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. By the President: Abraham Lincoln.”

To which we can only add: Amen.

Next week, on February 16, people around the world will celebrate Chinese New Year. It is a good time to pray for our Brothers and Sisters in China and celebrate China’s Christians.

It was the dream of the great Catholic Evangelist Frances Xavier to bring Christianity to China, and after his death off the coast of China in 1552 others followed in his footsteps. However the Emperors feared the Church and ultimately passed laws outlawing Christianity. In the 1830’s, after Europeans forced open the ports of China, Christianity came to the treaty ports. Then Hudson Taylor and a host of missionaries carried Christianity into the heartland in the late 19th Century.

There were 1 million Christians in China when Mao Tse-Tung established Communist rule in 1949. Like the Emperors before him Mao feared the Church. As his followers drove Christian Missionaries out of China and persecuted the Chinese Christians, no one expected Christianity to survive.

Like the ancient Caesars, however, Mao did not understand that the Kingdom of God was on the inside of Believers, giving them strength to endure under persecution. The removal of the Missionaries did not end Christianity, but simply made the Church into a Chinese enterprise. When its property was confiscated it moved into the homes. And when its Chinese leaders were imprisoned, the Holy Spirit provided new leaders. As it had done during the Roman persecution, the Church provided hope in a brutal society and continued to grow. Instead of fading away, the Chinese Church has over 100 million Believers today.

Unable to stop Christianity, the Communists attempted to control it by establishing a state of controlled Church structure, the Three Self Church. Some Christians elected to participate in the state church, but many others refused. Instead, they formed the House Church movement which is still outlawed in China. For Catholics whose fealty to the Pope is considered to be treason, the Communists have appointed their own bishops and viciously persecuted Catholics.

Today the new “Emperor” of China, Xi Jinping, is still afraid of the Church. He has declared himself as an opponent of Christianity and increased the persecution of Christians. A campaign against houses of worship has also been intensified. Recently the Church building of a large Charismatic church, built by members at a cost of $3 million, was blown up and destroyed.

Meanwhile Pope Francis, in a conciliatory move, has agreed to recognize 7 Chinese Bishops put in place by the Communists. The Pope’s decision is controversial among Chinese Catholics, but he seems to be hoping for peace between the Communists and the Church.

Let us pray that the Pope’s gesture will overcome Xi Jinping’s fear and eventually lead to an end to the persecution of Christians. But let us also pray that the Chinse Church will continue to boldly proclaim the Gospel no matter what obstacles must be overcome.

May we in America honor and support our Chinese Brothers and Sisters. May we have the courage of the Chinese Church to pray in the face of persecution the prayer of the Church in Jerusalem:

“Now Lord consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness” Acts 4:29

In the early Church the date of February 4 was set aside as “Dismal Day”.

Dismal Day was a somber day set aside to remember the plagues of Egypt during the Exodus. The name “dismal” itself means “Evil days” and was intended to memorialize the woe and suffering of the Egyptians. Rather than celebrate the victory of the Israelites, the purpose of the day was to serve as a reminder of the consequences of disobeying God. Thus, the reflective and introspective mood of the day.

At the time of the Exodus in 1446 BC Egypt was the most powerful nation on earth. The Israelites, who had come in 1876 BC, had settled in an area of the Eastern Nile Delta known as Goshen. After the death of their champion Joseph in about 1806 BC, the Egyptian Pharaohs became fearful of the Israelites and made them into slaves. One of the Pharaohs had even initiated an infanticide against the Israelite children in about 1526 BC. It was a survivor of this holocaust, a stuttering 80 year old named Moses, whom God chose to confront the most powerful man in the world.

Of course the Pharaoh refused to submit to God’s command to let his people go, and God sent the famous Ten Plagues of Egypt. Because of their stubbornness, the Egyptians saw their river die, their crops fail, their livestock destroyed, and finally their children die. Then, to top it off, their army was destroyed chasing the Israelites and history tells us that the entire country of Egypt was later overrun by foreign invaders. Certainly “Evil Days” for the Egyptians.

It is unfortunate that the Church no longer sets apart Dismal Day to remember the consequences of rebellion against God. To remember how the most powerful Nation on Earth brought judgment on itself by mistreating God’s people and killing God’s children. To remember how their river died, their agriculture economy shriveled, their children were lost, and their military was humbled. To remember how defiance of God’s commands destroyed the most powerful Nation on Earth. And to seek God because it is beginning to unfold again right before our eyes.

For His people, God had set aside the land of Goshen as a place of safety, and they were spared from the seven last plagues sent on Egypt. Today many Intercessors believe that God has set aside Lands of Goshen in America, and that He will make a distinction between those states, cities, and people who follow Him and these who do not. Just compare the economies of places like Texas where God is honored with California where He is not. This is no time to disregard God’s plans and purposes.

The Nation is in serious trouble as it suffers more and more from its disobedience. The Church needs to humble itself and pray for an Awakening.

Dismal Day would be a good time to start.

During the 2016 election cycle a number of prophetic voices announced that God was sending a “Cyrus” to rescue the Church from an increasingly Anti-Christian government.

What we got was Donald Trump, a foul-mouthed, arrogant, former playboy, and a merciless competitor. But, like ancient King Cyrus, he befriended God’s people and 81% of the Evangelicals voted for him.

Like King Cyrus, Trump rose against a corrupt system and promised to change it. Cyrus targeted the ancient city of Babylon, which was suffering from mis-rule by King Nabonidus and his son, the famous Belshazzar whose doom was prophesied by Daniel (Daniel 5:26-28). The people, already oppressed by the government, suffered from a declining economy, loss of productive land, and plague. On top of it all, the kings disrespected the pagan religious leaders, who opened the gates of the city to Cyrus without an arrow being fired. In Trump’s case it was the Christian leaders, not the unbelievers, who helped an oppressed people open the gates for change.

Like Trump, Cyrus saw the wisdom of working with God’s people. He fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah (Jerimiah 25:9, 11, 12) by allowing the Jews to return to Israel. He also decreed that the Temple would be rebuilt and all of its furnishings returned, as prophesied by Isaiah (Isaiah 44:28). Because of his generosity, Israel supported Persia and helped guard Persia’s contested border with Egypt. Like Cyrus, Trump can help bring God’s presence back into our land as the Christians defend him against attack.

In his first year in office Trump’s policies have rolled back many of the oppressive and lawless decrees of the Obama administration. The stock market, although probably due for correction, has reached record levels and, thanks to tax and regulatory reform America is enjoying prosperity and a growing economy. The ISIS caliphate has been destroyed and we have finally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. And freedom of religion is no longer under attack by the Government.

Trump’s efforts to “Drain the swamp” of corruption and misrule in Washington have been less successful, as the elites in Media, government, and politics have fought fiercely to maintain their power. Government agencies have promoted a false “Russia Collusion” story while trying to cover up their illegal actions taken against Trump. The media have reported, than retracted, many false accusations. Some even went so far as to shut down the government to gain political leverage in the immigration debate.

We all know that Trump can be boorish and is often his own worst enemy. Instead of judging Trump as so many have, we should follow the Apostle Paul’s command to pray for him so “That we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (1 Timothy 2:2).

The truth is that Trump has given Christians a respite from the anti-Christian forces at work in the land. But we are a nation in desperate need of revival. And it is up to God’s people to “humble themselves and pray and seek My face and then turn from their wicked ways” so God will heal our land (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Let the Church begin by repenting of its divisions and come into unity as Jesus prayed in John 17:21-23, so that this world will know that God so loved the world that He sent His son to save us.

May the love of God shine through His people to change the atmosphere of hate and divisiveness afflicting America.

So pray for President Trump, but also pray for your neighbors, and pray blessings on the enemies of the Church so that they will be blessed with eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to know the truth.

Love is the most powerful spiritual force of all (1 Corinthians 13:13).

Let’s use it.