According to 2 Timothy 3, in the last days, men shall be lovers of sin, self, pride and pleasure, rather than lovers of God and His truth. These earthly values undermine a once-strong civilization and precede the catastrophic failure of every great civilization that has fallen into ruin. Psalm 121 says, “shall I lift up mine eyes unto the hills? From whence cometh my help? My help cometh from the Lord that made heaven and earth. He shall not suffer thy foot to be moved. Yea, He that keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” To seek refuge in the Lord, means to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. He alone is our refuge and strength. Jesus said, “if you abide in me and my word abides in you, you shall bear much fruit.”
Michael continues that it seems as if the enemy (the sinful flesh, the God-rejecting world and the devil) doesn’t play by the “rules of the game.” Righteousness is bound by truth, whereas the wicked, because they’re wicked, disregard the rules. When a nation’s judges are devoid of righteous judgement; when the legislators and executives forsake God’s righteous standards, acquiesce to the world’s ungodly standards, and call good evil and evil good, there is no foundation of truth and the nation is bound to fall. As individuals and as nations, the choice is truth or consequences.
Our God is a consuming fire. We should not be intimidated and shaken by the affairs of this world that are undermining the foundations upon which our country was built — one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all. A warriors ethos says, “I will always place the mission first. I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade.” The question is, what is it that you value? The ethos is a vow that I will be a better man or woman to uphold values that transcend my own self-serving pride. Life is hard, the enemy’s onslaught is relentless, but greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.
We have the legacy of Christ in us, the hope of glory. In the midst of the spiritual battle, the Lord will never leave you nor forsake you. Martin Luther understood what it means to stand on the firm foundation when he posted the 95 Theses on the door of the church in Wittenberg. This defiant act started the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther knew that the leaders of the Roman church had vowed to take his life. After meditating on the word of the Lord, Luther took comfort in the words of Psalm 91. After meditating on these words, Luther penned the words to the great hymn of the faith, A mighty fortress is our God:
“A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper he, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing. For still our ancient foe does seek to work us woe; his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal.
Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing, were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God's own choosing. You ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is he; Lord Sabbath his name, from age to age the same; and he must win the battle.
That Word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them abideth; the Spirit and the gifts are ours through him who with us sideth. Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
the body they may kill: God's truth abideth still; his kingdom is forever!"
Abraham Lincoln said, “The question is not if God is on our side but rather if we are on God’s side.” If God be for us who can be against us? The Lord is our sure foundation that we may ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ, Michael
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