Hide and Seek

Can you say with sincerity and practice with integrity, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119: 11)?

Are you continuing to add in your mental storehouse additional Bible principles? Memorization is excellent mental exercise. It is a means of developing mental sharpness. Mental acuity is something to be sought.

To offer a technique for memorization consider II Peter 1: 5 – 9: 5 “…add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.”

At first glance that may appear too much to try to memorize. Try breaking it down as follows and it becomes easier.

“…add to your faith virtue
to virtue knowledge
to knowledge self-control
to self-control perseverance
to perseverance godliness
to godliness brotherly kindness
to brotherly kindness love.

For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.”

It is the principle of how to eat an elephant. Cut it up into bite size pieces.

Once they are memorized, reflect on them often lest you forget them. By reflecting on them they are more likely to become your character traits.

Studies show that having information stored in your memory is what enables you to think critically. Critical thinking leads to the ability to solve problems. The more factual knowledge people have about a topic, the better they can think about it critically and analytically. In other words, the truths become instinctive, your basic nature. When people see information only once, they forget 70 to 80% of it within two weeks. They’re much more likely to remember information if they repeatedly try to recall it after it’s been partially forgotten.

Now you have been provided information on how to memorize Scripture and why, resolve to do it.

Are you practicing the words of God so that at the end of each day you can say, “With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!” (Psalm 119: 10).

God Shed His Grace on America

Christie’s Auction House seems to be the model for our presidential election process. The voters are the auctioneer wanting to get all that is possible. The candidates are the bidders, each trying to top the other by offering more for the office. With each passing day the offers get higher. There is no way any candidate can provide all that is promised. No way.

November 5, 2024 is sure to be one of the most meaningful days in our nation’s history. Regardless of who wins there is sure to be a dramatic change.

One, Trump if elected will undertake the monolithic change of calling us back from the brink of an implosion.

The other, Harris is sure to lead us dramatically into the maze of leftist socialist decline.

Pray for our Lord to have at His disposal a new president open to His leadership. One who may not adhere to the faith as nearly as could be hoped, but one who is disposed to govern in such a way as to advance freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and the right of gun ownership.

Consider it is the duty of nations as well as men, to own their dependent 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 the recognition that the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.

That did not come from a preacher, but a president. Appropriately quotation marks should be put around that statement and justifiably attributed to a president, President Abraham Lincoln. It is an extract from his March 30, 1863 “Proclamation Appointing a National Fast Day.”

Lincoln with his human frailties, like all of us, realized what some today try desperately to deny, there is a spiritual component to life. Until it is properly addressed and dealt with even the utopia promised by candidates would be a Gehenna.

We need a good president to lead us, but no president can do for us what is needed. Government can’t, only God can. The hearts of the people need changing in order for the nation to be changed.

Turn us again Lord, turn us again.

The days are few and the need for God’s people to pray is intensified thereby.

Neither candidate embodies biblical faith, but one mocks it, Harris, and the other, Trump is open to it and an ally of it. You chose which is more open to God.

PRAY – – – PRAY – – – PRAY – – – PRAY!

Make a List of Items You Support

The question is often posed, can a Christian vote for Donald Trump? My answer is a Christian can vote for Trump without endorsing his temperament, language, and conduct. Without listing a glossary of gross comments, it must be acknowledged he is all too often base, demeaning, opprobrious, and of late proven vulgar at times. Those factors are reprehensible. However, I don’t find his vacillating opponent to be a paragon of virtue, integrity, and honesty.

Their offsetting mannerisms aside, some other basis for choosing between them should be considered. Some factors are:

Every voter would do well to make a list of the three issues they consider important and what each candidate believes about each. My three are:

First, Supreme Court Jurists.

Starting with Jefferson, a strict constitutionalist, and Hamilton, a broad constitutionalist,  the debate began and continues regarding interpreting the Constitution.

Second, religious liberty. Governmental actions supported by the PC police have done much to marginalize the faith community, prohibit many Jewish and Christian traditions, and devalue the influence of Biblical morality.  At the same time they have accommodated many religious demands by the Islamic community.

It is a simple, but significant thing Trump says we will be able to say “Merry Christmas” again.

Third is immigration. We are rapidly becoming a national Trojan horse. The United States Department of Homeland Security estimates there are approximately 11.4 million unauthorized immigrants in America. Unvetted and unvettable immigrants are pouring in and becoming wards of the state, many of them refusing to assimilate. In our nation’s past there have been times when there were mass immigrations from such countries as Ireland and Italy. They came in and became Americans, contributing citizens. Trump’s promise to secure the borders resonates with many, while it is aggressively opposed by others. What do you want?

I would add a fourth item of interest to my list, the economy. Trump knows finance. He has a business mind. Harris has never shown any awareness of how to control a nation’s government. She has been a part of an administration that has been free spending and uninhibited giveaways that are sure to lead to national bankruptcy.

This is a watershed election. Every vote will fall on one side or the other.

Make your list and see which candidate is best to govern accordingly.

Pray, pray, pray.

What to Do When You Don’t Like either Candidate

People of faith have an obligation to uphold the things of God in our land. Voting is one of the most significant means of professing and perpetuating principles of the faith.

It is highly unlikely there will ever be a presidential candidate whose personality and biblical principals will coincide ideally. Personalities aside, principals must be identified and supported. Otherwise the sacred heritage of voting might be taken away from us.

The Preamble of the U.S. Constitution sets the purpose of government as being “to establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty.” Voting helps determine the means and extent of fulfilling these principles.

In Federalist No. 51, James Madison emphasizes that a government derives its power from the people. Failure to vote is to forfeit that controlling influence. It is to abrogate your sacred trust.

There is a problem, however. When both candidates are lacking in character and/or devoid of good policies what is to be done? Unfortunately that does happen. When it does select the candidate less worthy of setting foot in the White House and vote for the opponent. Yes, that is choosing the lesser of two evils, but it does reduce the evil a bit and every bit matters. An informed vote can help keep the lesser qualified candidate out of office.

A vote doesn’t always mean “I think they’re great.” It may just mean “I think they’re better.”

If you can’t vote for a candidate, vote on the platforms. There is always enough difference to differentiate between them.

“Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow (Isaiah 1:17). Who does it best?

Some elections seem to be not between “the lesser of two equals,” but “the evil of two lessors.” Either presents voters with a quandary.”

Here is a significant issue. Who brings the best supporting team with them?

Sure, both presidential candidates have some undesirables in their camp, but who are mostly on the left and which on the right. Who leans toward socialism and who is inclined toward the form of government our nation was created to be? Those are really the two big overarching issues all others can be grouped under.   

Pray for President Elect Trump

And now. . . . ?

The Presidential election is over. President Trump was the decided winner. I know not all who view my Posts always agree with me. I respect them, as I do all my Friends, however I must acknowledge my prayers were answered as those of many of you were and President Trump will be our 47th President.

It is now incumbent that pro and con Trumpites unite in praying even more for him. In doing so we will be complying with Scripture that tells us to pray for those in authority. It really is selfish to do so because being under his authority we benefit from good guidance. Therefore, resolutely commit to supporting him with prayer.

Parenthetically, if you would ever like to share one of my Posts with those on your mailing list simply click the “Share” on your incoming Facebook. You can do it regularly or seldom.

It would be difficult to find evidence America has not been blessed. Why has it been blessed? The fact that this country was founded on Judeo-Christian principles is so evident in early documents and inscriptions on historic buildings and monuments that it can’t be denied.

Another principle that’s evident in Psalm 33 is God will remove his hand of blessing from the nation that forsakes him. “The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the people.” (Psalm 33:10) Psalm 9:17 states clearly, “The wicked go down to the realm of the dead, all the nations that forget God”.

Saluting the flag, standing at attention during the national anthem, singing, “God bless America”, and voting faithfully are not the most patriotic things you can do for this country. We help America most by living a Godly life. “For the Lord loves righteousness … (Psalm 33:5).

The Bible teaches that any attempt to govern without God is doomed to fail.

“No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them.

We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you” (Psalm 33:16-2). Pray that.

God and only God can redirect America from the impending doom. He has often used a human being as His change agent. We need such a person today. Scanning our society no such perfect person can be chosen from among fallen sinful people. The pages of history tell the story of many imperfect people He has used to achieve His perfect will. There is reason to believe Vox Populi, Vox Dei, that is, “the voice of the people is the voice of God.” May it be proven to be true.

If possible, pause now and pray for President Trump and VP Vance.