Category: Resource Notes

  On Monday, January 16 the U.S. will celebrate the Martin Luther King holiday, honoring the life of an American hero and a Christian martyr.

               Dr. King grew up in a world where many people believed that the black African people were inferior to the white Europeans. This belief, which was used to support slavery in the U.S. and the colonization of Africa by Europe, directly contradicts Biblical teaching that all humans are from the same family and that God commands us to love our brothers. However, the rise of Secularism and a Darwinistic view of the human race gave a scientific veneer to the myth of racial superiority. To their shame, even some Churches went along with the lie. Modern science has now proven that all humans came from the same mother, as the Bible teaches, and that there is more genetic difference within the races than between them.

               So Thomas Jefferson was right when he said all men are created equal. But making that statement a reality has been a long battle in the U.S. We fought the Civil War to end slavery, and the war brought God’s judgment, as one soldier died for each slave imported into the country and the slaveholding South was devastated. Nevertheless, racial inequality was reborn in the “Jim Crow” system of laws which discriminated against black people in the South. After the Second World War black servicemen who had proven themselves the equal of their white brothers found it more and more difficult to accept their oppression.

            In many countries oppressed minorities had taken up arms, but the U.S. was spared from this fate. Instead, a black Baptist pastor called on his people to use nonviolent Christian principles to bring about change. Dr. King’s Civil Rights crusade eventually bought an end to the Jim Crow laws and led to a broad level of reconciliation between the races. Sadly, he and many others gave their lives to bring about the nonviolent Civil Rights revolution.

            We still have some work to do to reach Dr. King’s goal of a color blind society and full racial reconciliation. But on this day we celebrate a Baptist pastor who used Christian principles and his Christian faith to bring his white and black brothers together.

            Let us pray that Dr. King’s memory will be honored by reconciliation and unity, and that those who would divide and promote hatred, whether white or black, will be exposed and repudiated.

Next week, January 10 holds the dubious distinction of being the anniversary of the convening both the League of Nations in 1920 and the United Nations in 1946.

                The League of Nations was formed in the aftermath of World War I as an attempt to bring dialogue to the nations and avoid war. Progressive U.S. President Woodrow Wilson pushed the idea, apparently believing that tyrants could be talked out of tyranny. Americans were unconvinced and never joined. Tyrants in Japan, Italy, and Germany ignored the League of Nations and it collapsed in the flames of World War II.

                After the war the League of Nations was resurrected as the United Nations. In the beginning the U.N. was somewhat successful, and even supported the formation of Israel in 1947. The U.N. also supported the Korean War against communist aggression in 1950, but only because the Russians were boycotting the U.N. when the vote was taken. Thereafter the Cold War overwhelmed most U.N. opportunities and the U.N. became largely a propaganda entity.

                The end of Colonialism and the birth of new nations brought a burst of hope to the U.N. However, most of the new nations were taken over by tyrants and the U.N. became something of a club for authoritarian governments. While the tyrants use the U.N. for their propaganda purposes, putting countries like Iran on the human rights committee is not calculated to produce any real advances in human freedom. Naturally, the tyrants oppose the freedom agendas of the U.S. and the other democracies.

                A particular target of the authoritarian governments of the U.N. has been the democratic state of Israel. Acts of terrorism, wanton attacks on civilians by rockets, and military aggression against Israel are routinely ignored, while Israel is condemned for defending itself. Then, in December, the U.N. condemned Israel for “endangering peace” by building settlements, while ignoring the refusals of Palestinians to recognize Israel’s right to exist and their continuing policy of placing a bounty on murdered Israelites. To its everlasting shame, the Obama administration was complicit with this travesty of justice and allowed it to pass by abstaining from the Security Council vote.

                Why do the nations rage? The Bible says that they want to throw off the restraints on their evil activities (Psalm 2:1-3). They are at war with God’s plans and purposes, especially as it relates to Israel.

                The only force consistently standing against the tyrant majority in the U.N. has been the U.S., which has a Security Council Veto. We must pray that the new U.S. administration will to stand up to the tyrants and enemies of Israel.

And let us not forget to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.    

               It has been said that those who do not understand history are doomed to repeat it.

               We at Corporate Prayer Resources have found that history and its cousin archaeology are invaluable resources for the Church to draw on. That is why we have made the book Babylon: A Spiritual Journey Through Time and The Nations available.

               Over the past two centuries our knowledge of ancient history has expanded greatly. We can now verify some Biblical events with hard evidence, such as the fallen walls of Jericho. Evidence gathered from outside the Holy Land confirms the historicity of many Bible texts, such as the Assyrian failure to take Jerusalem. Science has now found that all humans have a common mother (Eve), that there was a catastrophic decrease in the human population (Noah’s Flood), and that at one time humans spoke a single language (Tower of Babel). Thus, science and history teach us that we can trust in the accuracy of the Bible.

               History and the Bible teach us much about God’s dealings with humans. God judged the Egyptians by humiliating their gods, and He struck Assyria at its greatest point of pride, its army. The remains of sacrificed children found in Canaan have shed light on why God decreed the total destruction of the Canaanites. But we also find that God is merciful, as when he gave evil King Ahab a second chance after he repented. God’s ultimate act of mercy, sending us the Christ, echoes down through history as the Kingdom of God expanded throughout the Roman Empire and then throughout the earth.

               Our knowledge of the past helps us to focus our prayers by revealing the spiritual roots of the forces acting against the expansion of the Kingdom. Some years back a group of intercessors went to Ephesus to confront the pagan “Queen of Heaven”, failing in their mission because Ephesus is now controlled by the Islamic spirit, not the pagan spirit. Others have mistaken the Freemasons for a pagan institution when in fact they are dominated by the secular spirit. On the other hand, we have seen breakthroughs on prayer journeys where we have understood the history of spiritual bondage in the nations.

               Finally, understanding the past is a key to understanding Bible prophecy. For example, Daniel’s prophecy of the “70 7’s” can be traced with historical data to confirm the start of Jesus’ ministry in 26 AD. Many of the prophecies in the book of Revelation can be matched with historical events to help us understand the times we live in. One of those prophecies, The Woman Riding the Beast in Revelation chapter 17, is a picture of the history of the world from Babylon to the Antichrist, and forms the outline of our Babylon book.

               So the past is indeed a key to the future, as it confirms the Scriptures, teaches us God’s ways, shows us how to pray for the nations, and illuminates prophecy.

               Let us pray that the Lord will help us use the past to help guide our footsteps in the year to come.

               And may you have a blessed New Year.

            There are many reasons to celebrate Christmas and the advent of Christ. One of the best reasons for us is the celebration of how God kept His promises about sending Christ to Earth:

            * God promised Adam and Eve He would be born miraculously to a virgin, (Gen 3:15), and He was.

            *God promised Abraham that Christ would be a descendant of his (Gen 12:2), and He was.

            * God promised Jacob that Christ would come from the line of his son Judah (Gen 49:10), and He did.

            * God promised David that Christ would come from his Line (2 Sa 7:16), and He did.

            * God told Micah that Christ would be born in Bethlehem (Mi 5:2), and He was.

            * God told Daniel when Jesus would begin His ministry 483 years after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem (Da 9:25), and He did, in 26 AD.

            * God told Isaiah where Christ would begin His ministry, in Galilee (Is 9:1), and He did.

            There are over 300 of specific prophecies recorded about Jesus, His ministry, and His resurrection. All have been fulfilled, giving us confidence that God’s promises to us will also be fulfilled.

            So as we gather to thank God for the greatest Christmas present of all, Jesus Christ, let us also rest secure in the knowledge that God can be trusted to keep all of His promises.       

            That trust is the source of our peace which passes understanding.

            So have a merry, peaceful Christmas.     

                In the first year of the Untied States of America under its new Constitution, 226 years ago on November 26, 1789, the New Nation celebrated its first Thanksgiving.

                President George Washington’s proclamation, with its emphasis on the Constitution and faithfulness to execute its laws, seems especially appropriate this year:

Whereas 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 implore His protection and favor . . . .

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the twenty-sixth day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these United States . . . that we then may all unite unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted; for the civil and religious liberty with which we are now blessed. . . .

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations, and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the People, by constantly being a government of wise, just and constitutional laws, discretely and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord, to promote the knowledge and practice for the true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and Us, and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows best.

So let us follow Washington’s admonition to be thankful and prayerful this Thanksgiving.

                Yesterday American voters sent a shockwave around the world by electing Donald Trump to be President of the United States.

                The election follows the longest and nastiest political campaign in recent U.S. history. Accusations flew as the candidates accused each other of reprehensible acts and, sadly, both were mostly telling the truth. Many voters held their noses and voted for one to stop the other.

Christians faced a further dilemma as they found both candidates lacking in integrity and Christian values. Some felt that Trump was like Persian King Cyrus, an unbeliever who freed the Israelite captives in Babylon. Others could not get comfortable voting for either candidate. However, many leaders urged Christians to look beyond the flawed candidates to their platforms, believing that one party was pro-Christian and the other was anti-Christian. In the end over 80% of Evangelicals voted for the Republican platform and Donald Trump.

Indeed, Trump’s election should produce a lessening of persecution of Christians in the U.S. The promised repeal of Obamacare should end government attempts to force Christians to pay for medical procedures like abortion which are opposed on religious grounds. Similarly, we can hope for some relief from government overreach on issues such as gay marriage. We can also expect that the new administration will suspend efforts to force little girls to shower with sexually confused boys. Finally, Trump has proposed to remove the IRS’s political muzzle from Churches and allow Christian input in the public square.

God has given us a reprieve, but much more needs to be done. All of the issues which have shaken the electorate –economic opportunity, immigration, law and order, public corporation and foreign policy – remain to be resolved in a Christian manner. Our social problems – single motherhood, fatherlessness, violence, immortality, and greed – are all spiritual problems which must be handled by the Church, not the government. We need political reform, but we need a revival much more.

We believe that God is sending us a revival based on the unity of Christians as Jesus prayed in John 17. (See our Blog of 3/30/16 “Blood Moon Revival Gains Momentum”)The Church is being called to come together as a witness for Jesus (See our Blog of 11/2/16 “Transcending Politics”). Let us pray for unity in Christ and a revival which will heal our land.

God has not given up on America, and He is not finished with America. He is just getting started

Next week as we celebrate Yom Kippur, the Hebrew Day of Atonement, we should also remember the miracle of the 1973 Yom Kippur war.

            After their miraculous victory over the Arabs in the 1967 war, Israel had become complacent and confident in its military superiority. Its 1967 enemies, Egypt and Syria, seethed with resentment and desire to avenge their humiliating defeat. Together they developed a plan to attack Israel in the Sinai dessert and the Golan heights using new tactics and new technology. The attack was set to take place on a date which would hit the Israelis when their preparedness was at its lowest point, the Yom Kippur Holy Day.

            The Israelites were taken completely by surprise. Worse, the Egyptians inflicted defeats on Israel tanks and air power using their new Soviet technology while the Syrian tank forces overwhelmed the few scattered Israeli tanks on duty. Israel was days away from a total collapse, but the Egyptians outran their technical protections and the Syrians were stopped by a handful of Israeli tanks. Miraculously the war turned around, resulting in a massive defeat of the Egyptians and Syrians. As a result, Egypt entered into a momentous peace treaty and Israel’s borders remained secure. God had turned disaster into security.

            In the years since the Yom Kippur miracle the hand of God can be seen as He has watched over Israel. The terrorist Palestinian Liberation Organization has been defeated and rendered impotent in the West Bank. Saddam Hussein, who wanted to take Jerusalem, attacked his Kuwaiti bankers instead and he and his threat to Israel have been eliminated. Another anti-semetic terrorist, Gadaffi, has been overthrown in Libya.

            The so-called “Arab Spring” brought instability and new threats to Israel, but God’s protection continues to be manifested. For a while it appeared that the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt would wage war on Israel, but the Brotherhood was overthrown and its ally, the Hamas terrorists in Gaza, has been cut off from Egyptian support and defeated by Israel in a 2014 invasion. Syria has fallen into a full scale civil war where Israel’s enemies Iran and Hezbollah are fighting Israel’s other enemies Al Queda and ISIL, and leaving Israel alone for now. Thanks to God, the miraculous peace won in the 1973 Yom Kippur war is still holding.

            This is not to say that Israel is not still threatened.  We believe that Israel is in the middle of a 150 year war which is described in Revelation 9:1-11 (See our Blog of 5/11/16 “The Peace of Jerusalem”). But we also know that God watches over Israel.

 Let us thank God for His continued miraculous intervention on behalf of Israel.

And we pray for the peace of Jerusalem.