The Enemy's Playbook

 America and the West are under a sustained campaign of spiritual and cultural pressure. The Bible is clear that we do not wrestle primarily against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12). One of the clearest pictures Scripture gives us of this kind of system is Babylon—human pride, the confusion of language and meaning, centralized control, and the attempt to build an order that does not need God. From the tower of Babel to the prophetic warnings of Revelation, the same patterns reappear. Today I want to name several of the main tactics being used against ordinary people, families, and churches so we can see them clearly and answer them with truth.

The first tactic is division. Genuine diversity of gifts, peoples, and callings is part of God’s design. The body of Christ is many members, and every nation, tribe, and tongue will one day stand before the throne. The enemy’s version takes natural differences and weaponizes them into permanent fracture. Identity categories are elevated until they become the primary thing that defines a person, and unity itself is treated as suspect. This is Babel logic in reverse. At the tower, pride tried to stay together in rebellion; God scattered them. Today the pressure is to remain fractured under new labels so that no coherent, God-honoring common life can form. When difference is made ultimate, neighbors become permanent adversaries and the body of Christ is weakened from within. The New Testament answer is not the denial of difference and not endless ranking of identities. It is a new humanity in Christ in which the dividing wall is broken down (Ephesians 2:14–16).

The second tactic is demoralization. This is the deliberate foregrounding of problems while solutions are mocked, minimized, or reserved for an expert class. A former KGB defector described this stage clearly: a long process of education, media, and culture that changes the way people perceive reality so thoroughly that facts themselves stop mattering. A demoralized person can be shown evidence and still reject it. Constant crisis framing, selective outrage, and the message that the past is only guilt and the future is only decline produce resignation and cynicism. Ordinary effort is portrayed as pointless. Scripture answers this with a different focus: whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable—think on these things (Philippians 4:8). Demoralization thrives in the absence of hope; the gospel restores it.

The third tactic is disempowerment. In Revelation, Jesus says He hates the works of the Nicolaitans. The name carries the sense of “conquerors of the people.” It points to the elevation of a privileged class that lords it over others while the rest of the body is treated as passive consumers. This contradicts the clear New Testament teaching that every believer is part of a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9) and that leaders exist to equip the saints for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:11–12). When ordinary Christians are told they are merely “lay people” who should mostly sit, fund, and listen, the body is weakened and the enemy gains ground. The kingdom advances through equipped believers, not through a professional class that keeps the rest dependent.

Beyond these three, other tactics operate at the same time.

Deception and the manipulation of language run through all of them. Words such as love, justice, truth, freedom, and equity are quietly redefined until ordinary speech no longer maps to reality. Once shared meaning collapses, coordinated resistance becomes nearly impossible. Jesus called the devil the father of lies for a reason (John 8:44). Semantic confusion is one of his oldest tools.

Destabilization of foundational institutions follows. The family is undermined, education is used to form new loyalties, local churches are pressured into silence or compromise, and economic competence and national defense are weakened. When people cannot rely on stable households, competent schools, or trustworthy local leadership, they become more dependent on distant systems.

Distraction and hedonism keep attention and energy elsewhere. Endless entertainment, consumption, and the constant novelty of sexual and personal reinvention drain the time and focus that would otherwise go to prayer, family formation, skill-building, and service. A distracted people is a controllable people.

Dependency and centralization complete the pattern. Responsibility for provision, safety, meaning, and moral direction is shifted onto the state or large institutions rather than onto God, family, church, and local community. This recreates a Babel-like concentration of power in which ordinary people are managed rather than mature.

Inversion of values is the moral engine of the campaign. What was once recognized as destructive is reframed as liberating; restraint is reframed as oppression. Isaiah warned of those who call evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20). When the moral compass is reversed, people lose the ability to name sin or pursue holiness.

Isolation cuts people off from Scripture, from historical memory, and from face-to-face communities so that the only remaining narrative is the one supplied by media and institutions. An isolated believer is an easy target.

Finally, once demoralization and destabilization have advanced, smaller crises can be exploited to justify further concentration of power and the suspension of normal norms. The goal is not merely chaos; it is a new “normal” in which the old foundations no longer hold.

These tactics are real. They are old methods applied to modern conditions. But they do not have the final word.

The final word belongs to the Lord. He has not called His people to despair or to passivity. He has called us to faith, hope, and love.

Faith is the confident trust that God is who He says He is and that His word is true even when the culture around us is confused. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). The facts of the moment do not cancel the promises of God.

Hope is the settled expectation that the kingdom of God is advancing and that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church Jesus is building. We do not hope in political systems or in our own strength. We hope in the One who rose from the dead and who will return. That hope is an anchor for the soul.

Love is the active commitment to seek the good of others—beginning with our own households and churches—without regard to the identity categories the culture demands we prioritize. Love covers a multitude of sins, builds up, and refuses to treat image-bearers as permanent enemies. Perfect love casts out fear.

Because we are a royal priesthood, every believer has both the privilege and the responsibility to know the word, to speak the truth in love, to equip others, and to live as salt and light. The answer to division is the unity of the Spirit. The answer to demoralization is the hope of the gospel. The answer to disempowerment is the priesthood of all believers. The answer to deception is the truth of Scripture. The answer to every tactic of the enemy is faith working through love and a quiet, stubborn trust in the Lord who is faithful.

So do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Fix your eyes on Jesus. Speak the truth. Love your neighbor. Build what can be built in the sphere God has given you. And rest in the assurance that the One who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. He is trustworthy. He is able. And He is Lord.

Amen.

 Please join with your brother in praying over the prayer targets today.

Please unite with brother David and each other to pray for America today.

Glory to God

grace and peace

A Prayer For America

 A couple things before we pray together.  First, The Lord is not done with America.  The Spirit of the Lord has impressed upon this servant that we are to go all in over the next two years praying for America and walking in His ways.  Two, pray for the gift of prophesy.  That gift is not just for "pastors" or priests, it is for every believer and the Lord God told every one of us to pray for that gift above all others.  Why?

The New Testament gift of prophecy is primarily for the building up of the church (edification, encouragement, consolation), not for establishing new doctrine or replacing Scripture. It is to be weighed and judged carefully (1 Cor. 14:29).

We are told to “earnestly desire” the spiritual gifts, and especially prophecy (1 Cor. 14:1, 39), while recognizing that love is the greatest way (1 Cor. 13).

Prophecy in the New Testament is distinct from the Old Testament office of the prophet; it is one of the gifts distributed by the Spirit as He wills (1 Cor. 12:7–11).

The Lord is now doing a new thing:  

Isaiah 43:19.

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

The force of the verse is in the present tense. Not “I will eventually do something new someday.” The Hebrew is closer to “Look—I am already doing it. It is already springing up. Are you seeing it?” God is speaking to a people still in Babylonian exile. The wilderness and desert are not metaphors in the abstract; they describe their actual condition. No obvious path home, no visible water in a dry place. And into that reality He says the new thing is already underway.

Two things stand out in the surrounding context (Isaiah 43:16–21):

• He deliberately tells them not to fixate on the former things—the Exodus, the Red Sea, the old acts of deliverance. Those were real, but He is not limited to repeating the past. The new thing will be different in kind: not a path through water, but water in the wilderness.
• The new thing is not merely for their comfort. It is so that even the jackals and ostriches will honor Him, and so His people will declare His praise. The wilderness becomes a stage for His glory.

This is the pattern Scripture keeps returning to. The new thing rarely looks like the old thing scaled up. It often looks, at first, like more wilderness. The way and the rivers appear where there was none, not where we already expected them. Perception itself becomes the issue: “do you not perceive it?” The same reality that looks like desolation to natural eyes is already the place where the new thing is springing forth.

For anyone in a season that feels like wilderness—health limitations, career transitions, delayed promises, the slow work of claims and waiting, the gap between what has been and what is coming—the verse does not first ask for better strategy or more effort. It asks for perception. Eyes that can recognize the new thing while it is still in the springing-forth stage, before it is obvious.

In Christ this becomes even more concrete. The ultimate “new thing” is not merely a better set of circumstances but a new creation: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The wilderness is no longer only a place of waiting for external deliverance; it is a place where the new life is already present and active, even when the external landscape has not yet changed.

The practical question the verse leaves is simple and searching: What would it look like, right now, to perceive the new thing God is already doing—rather than only measuring the remaining wilderness?

The Lord is turning a corner here and we are to follow Him.  We spend the next two years focused on solutions, not problems.  The solution to our problems exists in bodily form in the person of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Seek first His Kingdom, everything else will take care of itself.

Now let us pray for America:

Father in heaven, we come before You today on behalf of the United States of America. You are the God who rules over all nations, and every throne is subject to Yours. We thank You for the freedom and blessing You have given this land, for the sacrifices of those who came before us, and for the opportunity to still call upon Your name.

We ask for Your mercy over America. Forgive us where we have turned away from You as a people. Cleanse us from pride, from division, from the shedding of innocent blood, and from every form of injustice. Raise up a standard of righteousness in our cities and in our homes. Let the church in this nation wake up and return to first love, walking in faith, hope, and love that is pure and true.

We pray for those who lead. Grant wisdom, courage, and integrity to every official at every level of government. Surround them with counselors who fear You. Protect them from deception and from the schemes of those who oppose Your ways. Raise up leaders who will honor You, defend the weak, and seek justice that is true.

We pray for the people of this land. Comfort those who are anxious or afraid. Strengthen families. Heal what is broken. Pour out Your Spirit in a fresh way so that many will come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Let light push back the darkness. Let truth be spoken clearly. Let love be shown in actions that honor You.

Guard our borders. Protect those who serve in the military and in law enforcement. Keep our children safe. Give us peace within our borders and wisdom in our dealings with other nations. May we be a people who acknowledge You in all our ways.

We stand in agreement with each other over all these things we ask. We stand in the gap for this land, that it will not be destroyed and plundered but instead it will be built up and prospered. We believe we have already received what we have asked for in prayer. We give thanks for it now, we rejoice over it now.

Above all, we ask that Your kingdom come and Your will be done in America as it is in heaven. Use this nation for Your glory. Let Your people be salt and light. Fill us with faith, hope, love, joy, and peace. Help us to seek first Your kingdom and to walk in the center of Your will. May America turn to You again, and may Your name be exalted from coast to coast.

In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord we pray. Amen.

Process Based Christianity

 Coach Nick Saban built a dynasty by teaching his players something simple and hard. He called it the process. Do not look at the scoreboard. Do not worry about the championship. Focus on this play. This drill. This moment. Do the right thing right now, then do it again on the next play. The outcomes take care of themselves when the process is right.

Today many of us who love the Lord look at the outcomes around us and feel the weight. Headlines. Culture. Elections. The state of the church. Personal trials that do not seem to turn. It is easy to grow discouraged when the results do not match what we hoped or prayed. The temptation is to fix our eyes on those outcomes, to measure our faith by what we can see, to grow weary when the scoreboard does not move the way we wanted.

The call is to return to the process. Our process is not a game plan for winning the culture or fixing every problem. Our process is the life we were given in Christ. It is living in faith. Living in hope. Living in love. Living in joy. Living in peace. Living in trust. These are not distant goals. They are the native way of walking when we remain in Him.

We do all of this in Christ, with Christ, and through Christ. He is the source. He is the strength. He is the one who holds us when our feelings lag behind the decision to trust. Faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the conviction of what we do not yet see. Hope is the confident expectation rooted in who God is and what He has promised. Love is the greatest of these, the command that orders every other thing. Joy and peace are the fruit of the Spirit that grow as we stay connected to the vine. Trust is the repeated decision to lean on Him rather than our own understanding.

Jesus said to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. That is the process. Put our God first. Put His kingdom first. Put His glory first. Everything else comes after. Not because we ignore the needs of the day, but because the order is clear. When He is first, the rest finds its place. When we reverse the order and chase outcomes, we lose the very life He gave us.

The process looks ordinary. It is the next return of attention when worry pulls you away. It is the decision to love when irritation rises. It is the choice to hope when the news is dark. It is speaking the truth of who God is over the feelings of the moment. It is remaining in His word, remaining in prayer, remaining in fellowship, remaining in love. One small return after another. The next play. The next conversation. The next hour. Over and over, in Christ, with Christ, through Christ.

Outcomes belong to the Lord. He is sovereign. He sees what we cannot see. He works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Our job is the process He gave us. His job is the result. When we stay in the process, we can live with whatever the scoreboard says, because we already know who holds the throne.

So when disappointment rises, do not camp there. Return to the process. Live in faith. Live in hope. Live in love. Live in joy. Live in peace. Live in trust. Seek first His kingdom and His glory. Put God first, and let everything else follow. The rest will be added. He has promised it.

Let me pray for you.

Father, thank You that You are greater than every outcome we can see. Thank You that the process You gave us is life itself in Christ. Fill them with more faith, hope, love, joy and peace today. May they be found in the center of Your will for them today. Help them to become the best version of themselves in Your service, for Your glory. Keep their eyes on You. Keep their hearts in the process. In Jesus name, amen.

 Please join with your brother in praying over the prayer targets today.

Glory to God

grace and peace

You Are the Light of the World

 You are the light of the world. You are the salt of the earth. That is not a metaphor meant for someone else. That is who you are if you belong to Christ. Jesus looked at ordinary people and called them salt and light. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. People do not light a lamp and cover it with a basket. They set it where it can give light to the whole house. In the same way your light is meant to shine so others can see and give glory to the Father.

The work of driving out darkness begins with you. It does not begin with a professional class. It does not wait for a better season or a clearer call. Open the Scriptures and search. You will not find the term lay person anywhere in the Body of Christ. That language came from men. It did not come from God. Every believer is a necessary part of the Kingdom. Every one of us has been gifted and empowered for a mission. The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you and has given you something to contribute. No one is extra. No one is meant to sit on the sidelines.

If you do not yet know what your mission is, begin with what is already in your hands. Consider your talents. Consider the skills you use at work or at home. Consider the abilities that come naturally to you. Then talk to God about them. Keep bringing them to Him. Keep asking until He makes the next step clear. He is not far away. He is near to those who seek Him. He delights to show His children what to do with what He has given.

Light drives out darkness. That is simply how light works. A single candle changes a dark room. More light drives out more darkness. The world around us needs more light right now. The noise is loud. The confusion is thick. The headlines weigh on the heart. But the light has not been extinguished. It starts with you and with me and with every other believer on the face of the earth. We do not wait for perfect conditions. We shine in the place where we already stand.

You do not need a large platform. You do not need to feel especially qualified. You do not need to wait until everything in your life looks orderly. The salt is already in you. The light is already burning. Your ordinary Tuesday is the stage where the Kingdom becomes visible. When you choose integrity when it costs you something you push the darkness back. When you speak what is true with gentleness you push the darkness back. When you serve without needing applause you push the darkness back. When you return your attention to Jesus after it has wandered you keep the flame steady.

This is not a demand to add more tasks to an already full life. It is an invitation to live as who you already are. You are a son or a daughter of the King. You carry His presence into the places you go. You are a member of the Body and every member matters. The foot cannot say to the hand I have no need of you. Neither can any of us claim we have nothing to offer. Your place is real. Your contribution is real. Your light is needed by someone near you.

So begin where you are. Take what you already have and offer it back to Him. Ask Him to show you the next small step. Then take that step. Then take the one that follows. The walk is made of many small returns. Decide again to trust Him. Decide again to love the people in front of you. Decide again to let the light He placed in you shine through. He will meet you in that choice. He will use what you bring. And step by step the darkness loses ground.

You were never called to be a spectator. You were never meant to watch from the side while others carry the load. You are the light of the world. You are the salt of the earth. The work of driving out darkness starts with you. It starts in the place where you live and work and worship. And it starts today.

 Please join with your brother in praying over the prayer targets today.

Glory to God

grace and peace

Decision and Will

  In Scripture, faith, hope, love, and trust are primarily decision- and will-based commitments rooted in God’s revealed truth, not fluctuating emotions.

They can (and often do) involve or produce feelings, but they are not dependent on them. The biblical pattern is: know the truth → decide to act on it → emotions often follow or are reordered. This is the opposite of modern sentiment that treats these as primarily emotional states you “feel your way into.”

Faith

Faith is a deliberate reliance on what God has said, even when circumstances or feelings contradict it.
Hebrews 11:1 defines it as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” — not a feeling of certainty, but a settled conviction that acts. Abraham “believed God” (Romans 4:3) and obeyed while still waiting; the feeling of certainty came later or not at all in the moment.
Faith “comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). It is a response of the will to revealed truth, not an emotional surge. You can choose to believe and act on God’s promises when you feel nothing, or even when you feel the opposite.

Hope

Biblical hope is confident expectation grounded in God’s character and promises, not optimism or a good mood.
It is an “anchor of the soul” (Hebrews 6:19) that holds precisely when feelings are unstable. Romans 5:3–5 shows hope produced through suffering, not despite the absence of good feelings.
Hope looks forward to what God has guaranteed (resurrection, final justice, the kingdom). You decide to set your mind on those realities (Colossians 3:1–2) rather than waiting to feel hopeful first.

Love

Agape love is commanded and is therefore a decision of the will.
Jesus commands “love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44). 1 Corinthians 13 describes love in terms of actions and choices (patient, kind, does not envy, does not insist on its own way, etc.), not warm feelings.
You can choose to seek another’s good, speak truth, or refuse bitterness even when you do not feel affectionate. Feelings may grow as a result of repeated loving choices, but they are not the foundation. Love is the greatest of the three precisely because it is this costly, volitional orientation toward God and others.

Trust

Trust (especially the Hebrew batach and related ideas in the Psalms) is the active decision to lean your full weight on God as refuge rather than on visible supports.
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5) is an instruction to the will. Psalm 56:3–4 says, “When I am afraid, I will trust in you” — the decision is made in the presence of fear, not after the fear disappears.
Trust is choosing God as your rock, shield, and high tower (Psalm 18, 62, 91) instead of chariots, princes, or circumstances. It is not the feeling of safety; it is the act of resting on the One who is trustworthy.

How they work together

These four are interdependent decisions oriented toward God:

• Faith decides that God is who He says He is.
• Hope decides that His future is certain.
• Love decides to treat others (including opponents) according to God’s character.
• Trust decides to place the weight of security and peace on Him rather than on political outcomes, personal feelings, or human systems.

Because they are decision-based, they remain available in the middle of the political “storm.” You do not wait until you feel faithful, hopeful, loving, or trusting. You choose them because of who God is and what He has said, then walk them out. Over time the decisions shape the emotions; the emotions do not control the decisions.

This posture also fits the “restrainer” passage (2 Thessalonians 2:6–7). The mystery of lawlessness is already at work and will intensify, yet the restrainer continues until God’s appointed time. Your response is not to manage the intensity of the lawlessness by feelings, but to keep deciding for faith, hope, love, and trust — eyes fixed on God — while the restraint holds and after it is removed.

In short: Scripture treats these as choices of allegiance and reliance grounded in truth. Feelings are real and can be transformed, but they are not the starting point or the foundation. The path is to decide, on the basis of God’s word, and keep deciding.

 Please join with your brother in praying over the prayer targets today.

Glory to God

grace and peace

Faith, Hope, Love and Trust

 Faith, hope, love, and trust form a biblical posture for Christians navigating political turbulence while keeping their eyes fixed on God rather than on human systems.

These four are deeply interconnected in Scripture. Faith, hope, and love are the classic triad of 1 Corinthians 13:13 (“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love”). Trust (especially the Hebrew batach and related ideas of taking refuge) is the practical, relational outworking of faith, particularly emphasized in the Psalms. Together they orient the heart toward God as sovereign, eternal, and trustworthy amid temporary storms.

Faith

Faith is confident reliance on God’s character, promises, and sovereignty—even when political outcomes are unclear, disappointing, or hostile. It is not primarily faith in a party, leader, policy, or election result, but faith in the God who “rules over the nations” (Psalm 22:28; 47:8) and works all things for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

In a polarized environment, faith anchors the believer so that headlines, court decisions, or cultural shifts do not become the measure of God’s faithfulness. It says, with the psalmist, that God is a rock and fortress regardless of surrounding chaos (Psalm 18, 46, 62). Practically, this means evaluating political realities through the lens of Scripture rather than through partisan media or anxiety-driven narratives. Faith also frees Christians from the idolatry of believing any human system can fully establish the kingdom of God (Daniel 2:44; Matthew 6:10).

Hope

Hope is forward-looking confidence grounded in God’s future, not in electoral cycles. Biblical hope is certain because it rests on the finished work of Christ, the indwelling Spirit, and the promised return of Jesus to set all things right (Romans 5:1–5; Titus 2:13; Revelation 21–22).

Political storms are real and can bring genuine hardship, but they are temporary. Hope keeps the horizon clear: “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:1–2). It prevents both despair when “our side” loses and triumphalism when it wins. The early church lived under Roman occupation and persecution yet overflowed with hope because their citizenship was in heaven (Philippians 3:20). That same hope enables patient endurance, prayerful engagement, and a refusal to treat any election as the final word.

Love

Love is the greatest of the three and the most countercultural in political seasons. Jesus’ command to love God and neighbor (Matthew 22:37–40) includes loving enemies and praying for those who persecute (Matthew 5:43–48). Paul places love above all spiritual gifts and as the fulfillment of the law (1 Corinthians 13; Romans 13:8–10).

In practice, this means refusing to demonize fellow image-bearers who hold different political views, seeking justice and mercy rather than mere victory, and speaking truth in a way that builds up rather than tears down. Love does not require agreement or silence on moral issues; it does require that engagement be marked by the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23) rather than by contempt, mockery, or tribal hatred. Many Christians have noted that political identity can quietly become a greater loyalty than Christian identity; love for God and neighbor reorders those priorities. It also motivates constructive participation—voting, advocacy, service—precisely because we care about our neighbors’ flourishing under God’s moral order.

Trust

Trust is the concrete act of leaning the full weight of one’s security, future, and peace onto God rather than onto chariots, horses, princes, or wealth (Psalm 20:7; 118:8–9; 146:3). The Psalms repeatedly contrast trusting God with trusting human power, military strength, or political alliances. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5) applies directly when political analysis, polling, or strategy feel all-consuming.

Trust says: God is my refuge and fortress (Psalm 91:2); my times are in His hand (Psalm 31:15); He will not forsake those who seek Him (Psalm 9:10). It produces the practical fruit of not being shaken by the day’s news, of praying rather than panicking, and of doing good while waiting (Psalm 37:3–5). Because the previous conversation surveyed the many uses of “trust” language in the Psalms, those texts supply a rich vocabulary for this posture—God as rock, shield, high tower, and the one under whose wings we find shelter.

Holding Them Together While Weathering the Storm

These four work in concert. Faith believes God is who He says He is and is sovereign over history. Hope looks ahead to the certain consummation of His kingdom. Love governs how we treat people on every side of the political divide. Trust transfers the weight of our security and peace onto God rather than onto outcomes.

The practical result is a life that can engage responsibly (as salt and light, Matthew 5:13–16; as citizens who seek the welfare of the place where God has placed them, Jeremiah 29:7) without being consumed by the storm. Eyes stay fixed on Jesus, “the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:2), rather than on any candidate, party platform, or cultural trend. Both over-engagement that makes politics ultimate and under-engagement that withdraws into isolation miss the biblical balance. The early church, the prophets in exile, and Jesus Himself under Roman rule all model a faithful presence that is neither naïve nor despairing.

In short: faith steadies the heart in God’s character, hope lifts the eyes to His future, love shapes the way we treat others in the present, and trust actively rests the whole of life—including political circumstances—on Him as refuge. That is the path the Scriptures commend for weathering any storm while remaining oriented toward God.

It is also important to note that none of these (faith, hope, love or trust) are feelings based. They are all decision based. "I will" have faith, "I will" hope, "I will" love and trust. Start with Psalm 9 and Psalm 34, see all the "I will" statements there. "I will" is an act of willpower. Willpower is used to make decisions. We decide, not once, not twice but over and over and over again to lean on faith, we decide to hope, love and trust. Just like the hundreds or thousands of inputs you make to the steering wheel of your car or bike or whatever else you want to drive from point A to point B it takes lots of mini and sometimes macro corrections to stay on course.

Now and moving down the road into the future we are going to have to do things God's way instead of our way. At the tip of the spear for getting things done God's way is love. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the prophets are summed up in this. That statement should make your jaw drop. The entire Bible, every book of it, every chapter and sentence summed up in love the Lord and love your neighbor. Also, we are not handwringing over the election results. The Word says be anxious for nothing but with supplication and thanksgiving present your requests to God.

Why do we have to do things God's way now? This is a spiritual war requiring spiritual weapons and tactics. We keep our eyes on our God and He will keep His Eyes on us. We do what He told us to do and He will take care of delivering on His Promises.

There is a very real chance the demon-crats are out over their skis with this latest victory. They just turned Houston Texas into a sanctuary city and they are moving quickly to turn as much of the US as possible into a third world backwater. We can take lessons from the Joey Diapers regime where it looked like they would sink the United States in four years but they could not quite get it done. We also have to remember that the left is anti-Semitic, anti-Christian and anti-human. Their alliance with Islam is linked to a hatred for Israel. Because the Lord has used the United States to protect and or watch over Israel on this earth, the United States itself has become a primary target of the left. The big problem the left has is that God Almighty Himself watches over both Israel and America (as an extension of Israel's security). Or another way of putting it, He uses America as a tool to watch over Israel. So, again it comes back to spiritual war. Israel vs Islam, right vs left, God vs the devil.

Our part in this great drama is to keep our eyes on Christ. We pay attention daily to His marching orders and we will be fine. Anxiety and despair need to go out the window, instead we lean on faith, hope, love and trust. the left, and the enemy will continue trying to establish their one world demonic order, however it is our God alone that greenlights it. The Restrainer, the Spirit filled Church, salt and light remain on the earth with a job to do. The "blue tsunami" while impressive, failed to dislodge the Restrainer from the earth which is a huge problem for them. Until the Restrainer is removed, the anti-Christ will not be revealed:

2 Thessalonians 2:6–7.

“And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.”

And without their satanic superman, there will be no one world demonic order.

Also, we remain in the age of Grace, God's Grace extended to mankind. That too has not ended with the "blue tsunami." The spirit of the Lord is emphasizing faith, hope, love and a big new addition of trust:

These are the instances of trust just in the book of Psalms. We have noted in the past the Lord is not wordy. He uses an economy of words because He is God. He knows exactly how to express what He wants to express in as few Words as possible. So, when we do see repetitive, recurring Words-we need to take note. One of the Words we need to put up there at the top of our watch list is Trust:

“Trust” / “put their (or my/your) trust”

• Psalm 2:12 — “Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”
• Psalm 4:5 — “Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.”
• Psalm 5:11 — “But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice…”
• Psalm 7:1 — “O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust…”
• Psalm 9:10 — “And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee…”
• Psalm 11:1 — “In the LORD put I my trust…”
• Psalm 16:1 — “Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.”
• Psalm 17:7 — “…them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.”
• Psalm 18:2 — “…my God, my strength, in whom I will trust…”
• Psalm 18:30 — “…he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.”
• Psalm 20:7 — “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.”
• Psalm 25:2 — “O my God, I trust in thee…”
• Psalm 25:20 — “…for I put my trust in thee.”
• Psalm 31:1 — “In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust…”
• Psalm 31:6 — “…but I trust in the LORD.”
• Psalm 31:19 — “…which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee…”
• Psalm 34:22 — “…and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.”
• Psalm 36:7 — “…therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.”
• Psalm 37:3 — “Trust in the LORD, and do good…”
• Psalm 37:5 — “Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him…”
• Psalm 37:40 — “…because they trust in him.”
• Psalm 40:3 — “…and shall trust in the LORD.”
• Psalm 40:4 — “Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust…”
• Psalm 44:6 — “For I will not trust in my bow…”
• Psalm 49:6 — “They that trust in their wealth…”
• Psalm 52:8 — “…I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.”
• Psalm 55:23 — “…but I will trust in thee.”
• Psalm 56:3 — “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.”
• Psalm 56:4 — “…in God I have put my trust…”
• Psalm 56:11 — “In God have I put my trust…”
• Psalm 61:4 — “…I will trust in the covert of thy wings.”
• Psalm 62:8 — “Trust in him at all times…”
• Psalm 62:10 — “Trust not in oppression…”
• Psalm 64:10 — “…and shall trust in him…”
• Psalm 71:1 — “In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust…”
• Psalm 71:5 — “…thou art my trust from my youth.”
• Psalm 73:28 — “…I have put my trust in the Lord GOD…”
• Psalm 91:2 — “…my God; in him will I trust.”
• Psalm 91:4 — “…under his wings shalt thou trust…”
• Psalm 115:9–11 — “O Israel, trust thou in the LORD… O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD… Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD…”
• Psalm 118:8–9 — “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man… [or] in princes.”
• Psalm 119:42 — “…for I trust in thy word.”
• Psalm 125:1 — “They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion…”
• Psalm 141:8 — “…in thee is my trust…”
• Psalm 143:8 — “…for in thee do I trust…”
• Psalm 144:2 — “…and he in whom I trust…”
• Psalm 146:3 — “Put not your trust in princes…”

“Trusted”

• Psalm 13:5 — “But I have trusted in thy mercy…”
• Psalm 22:4–5 — “Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. They… trusted in thee, and were not confounded.”
• Psalm 22:8 — “He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him…”
• Psalm 26:1 — “…I have trusted also in the LORD…”
• Psalm 28:7 — “…my heart trusted in him, and I am helped…”
• Psalm 31:14 — “But I trusted in thee, O LORD…”
• Psalm 33:21 — “…because we have trusted in his holy name.”
• Psalm 41:9 — “…mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted…”
• Psalm 52:7 — “…but trusted in the abundance of his riches…”
• Psalm 78:22 — “…and trusted not in his salvation.”

“Trusteth”

• Psalm 21:7 — “For the king trusteth in the LORD…”
• Psalm 32:10 — “…but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about.”
• Psalm 34:8 — “…blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”
• Psalm 57:1 — “…for my soul trusteth in thee…”
• Psalm 84:12 — “…blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.”
• Psalm 86:2 — “…save thy servant that trusteth in thee.”
• Psalm 115:8 — “…so is every one that trusteth in them.”
• Psalm 135:18 — “…so is every one that trusteth in them.”

In addition to living in faith, hope and love, we are also going to trust. We will trust the Lord not as a feeling we have but as a decision we make over and over and over again. "I will" trust the Lord because I have made a decision to do so. When we catch ourselves slipping and sliding all over the place, we make another decision and another and another, moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day etc. That is the process. This is the road forward. We remain on the road called Love with Faith, Hope and Trust as guard rails along the way.

 Please join with your brother in praying over the prayer targets today.

Glory to God

grace and peace

What is Next?

 Midterms historically punish the president’s party, and 2026 produced a large Democratic wave (House gains well into the 40s, Senate control with flips in multiple states that had been reliably red). Exit polling and post-election analysis pointed to a mix of factors—cost of living, the Iran conflict and its economic effects, candidate quality in some races, and Trump’s personal approval. Trump had explicitly framed the election as a referendum on him (“I’m on the ballot”). When the results came in, his public posture shifted quickly to externalizing the market drop (“you only have yourselves to blame”) and emphasizing that the fault was with Democrats rather than Republicans. That pattern—claiming credit for gains, distancing from losses—is consistent with how he has spoken about markets and elections for years. Whether the candidate slate was especially weak or the headwinds were simply too strong is a matter of debate; both can be true at the same time.

On the Christian response:
This is the more important part. Scripture is clear that political figures, parties, and outcomes are not the ultimate source of hope.

• “Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save” (Psalm 146:3).
• “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes” (Psalm 118:8–9).
• God “changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others” (Daniel 2:21). Leaders come and go; the kingdom does not.

A Christian posture after an election like this does not require defending every statement of a preferred candidate or pretending the results are ideal. It does require refusing to locate ultimate hope, identity, or peace in any political figure or party. When a candidate or party loses, or when a leader disowns responsibility, the believer’s response is not primarily “how do we win next time?” but “how do we remain faithful right now?”

What “what’s next” looks like for a believer:

• Keep first things first. Seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness (Matthew 6:33). Daily faithfulness—prayer, Scripture, integrity, generosity, the care of family and neighbor—does not depend on which party holds Congress.
• Live by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Markets, approval ratings, and electoral maps move. The promises of God do not.
• Hold leaders lightly. Pray for them (1 Timothy 2:1–2), speak truth when needed, and refuse to make any of them an idol or a savior.
• Remember that short-term political setbacks do not overturn God’s long-term purposes. The same God who worked through Joseph in Egypt, Daniel in Babylon, and the early church under Roman rule is not surprised by 2026 midterms.

Trump will be gone soon, the Kingdom of God will not.  After 24 hours of grieving over the advance of evil, now we move onto "what's next?"  Whats next is the process.  Living in faith, hope and love every day.  Leveling up into the best versions of ourselves for His Glory and to do His Will at the highest level.

This servant would ask you to consider the timing of the message and emphasis on faith, hope, and love with the world around us.  The Lord has prepared us for today and the days ahead with what He has already provided.  He has shown us the path forward for us, regardless of what is happening in the world.  The Church is salt and light in this world.  The Spirit of God in us also means we are life to this world.  Rivers of living water flow from us because of Who lives within us.

Disappointment can often breed bitterness, that is not the path forward for us.  Faith, hope, and love are the path forward.  Eyes on Christ in the midst of the storm is the path forward.  Strap on your armor and get to work, we have alot to do!

 Please join with your brother in praying over the prayer targets today.

Glory to God

grace and peace

After The "Blue Tsunami

The pain and disappointment after the election are real. Many believers woke up after the midterms feeling the punch—higher costs still pressing on families, cultural and political momentum shifting further away from the values they hold, and a sense that the ground under their feet just moved. Acknowledging that is not weakness; it is honesty. Getting hit hard does not mean the fight is over. Being knocked down is not the same as staying down. You are still here, still breathing, still on the face of the earth. That fact itself means you retain the ability to respond.

Responsibility is response plus ability. The question is not whether the blow landed; it did. The question is what you do with the next moment, the next day, the next decision. Scripture does not call believers to pretend the blow never happened. It calls them to respond from a different center than the circumstances that just shifted.

A response of hope does not require the immediate reversal of the results. It rests on the character and promises of God that remain unchanged (Romans 15:13; Hebrews 6:19). Hope looks forward because the ultimate outcome is already secured in Christ, even when the near-term landscape looks harder. It is the decision to keep expecting God to work rather than to interpret every setback as final.

A response of trust is the refusal to hand the steering wheel of your inner life to headlines or exit polls. Trust says, “God remains sovereign over nations and rulers (Daniel 2:21; Proverbs 21:1). My security is not located in any temporary majority.” It is lived out in continued prayer, continued obedience, and continued dependence rather than in anxious recalculation of every political variable.

A response of faith is active, not passive. Faith is the settled confidence that what God has said is true, followed by steps that match that confidence (Hebrews 11). It looks like continuing to seek first the kingdom (Matthew 6:33), continuing to speak truth with gentleness, continuing to love the people in front of you, and continuing to create and share words that point others to Christ. Faith does not wait for better conditions before it acts.

A response of love keeps the heart from hardening. Disappointment easily turns into bitterness, contempt, or withdrawal. Love, as Paul describes it in 1 Corinthians 13 and as the fruit of the Spirit, refuses that path. It still seeks the good of others, still prays for those in authority (1 Timothy 2:1–2), still treats neighbors as people made in God’s image, and still refuses to let the punch define the posture of the heart.

What does that response look like in practice right now?

• Return to Scripture and prayer as the first place you process the results, not as an afterthought. Let passages that speak of endurance, God’s sovereignty, and the living hope in Christ recalibrate your focus.
• Choose one concrete act of faithfulness today that does not depend on who holds power—encouraging someone else who is discouraged, serving in your local church, speaking graciously in a hard conversation, or continuing the work of pointing people to the gospel through the content you create.
• Refuse both despair and denial. Name the difficulty without letting it become the final word. Getting up does not mean pretending the punch had no force; it means deciding that the punch will not set the terms for the rest of the fight.
• Measure the day by obedience and love rather than by the latest political development. The ability to respond is exercised in the ordinary decisions that remain fully available to you.

You are still in the arena. The good fight of faith continues precisely because you are alive and able to choose how you will meet this moment. Hope, trust, faith, and love are not feelings that arrive after the circumstances improve; they are the responses you can offer while the circumstances are still hard. That is the fight. That is the responsibility. And that ability remains yours.

We are being called higher while we remain on the earth. President Trump's time in office is almost over, the question is "what's next?" The answer is the same stuff we have been talking about now for years. Level up, center in His Will, faith, hope, love, joy and peace are where we are coming from. It is what we are broadcasting. It is how we live. We live in Christ, with Christ, through Christ. None of this changed with the election. Our God and His Kingdom are eternal. This world and its politics are extremely temporal.

Today we lean heavily into faith, hope, trust and love. Eyes on Christ. Yes, we see the world around us however we are continually, ongoing, persistently moving our eyes between this world and Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. This world will pass away, He will not. Seeing wickedness advance is like getting punched in the gut and knocked down. But we don't stay down. Now we move onto what's next and we do so in faith, hope and love.

 Please join with your brother in praying over the prayer targets today.

Glory to God

grace and peace

Election Results

 The bad news is, evil has taken steps forward with demon-crat control of both the house and senate.  It is not what we wanted but we did our part praying and voting and now it's time to move on.  Ok then, what is the good news?

God’s Rule Is Unchanged

Psalm 2 describes nations raging and rulers taking counsel against the Lord and His Anointed. God’s response is not surprise or defeat; He sits in the heavens and laughs, because He has already set His King on Zion. The New Testament applies this to Jesus. Political majorities shift; Christ’s throne does not. Daniel 2:21 and Proverbs 21:1 remind us that God raises up and removes rulers according to His purpose. Whatever the current balance of power, it falls under the same sovereign hand that has guided history through every previous regime.

This does not erase the weight of policies that conflict with Scripture. It places them in a larger frame: no election result can cancel the decree that Jesus is Lord or revoke the Great Commission. The early church quoted Psalm 2 while facing actual hostility from rulers, then asked for boldness to keep speaking the word rather than for a change in government (Acts 4). That posture is still available.

The Church’s Identity and Mission Remain Fixed

Philippians 3:20 locates the believer’s citizenship in heaven. Colossians 3:1–2 calls the church to set its mind on things above, not on earthly things. Jesus told Pilate His kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). The primary work remains making disciples, baptizing, and teaching obedience to all He commanded (Matthew 28:18–20). Political seasons can make that work feel more urgent or more difficult; they do not redefine it.

Encouragement therefore looks like returning to ordinary faithfulness:

• Preaching and teaching Scripture so that the church’s convictions are formed by the Word rather than by headlines.
• Praying for those in authority (1 Timothy 2:1–2), including those whose policies one opposes, so that the church may live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness.
• Strengthening local congregations in fellowship, service, and witness so that the body of Christ is visibly distinct from the surrounding culture.
• Protecting and exercising religious liberty where it is pressured, while remembering that the gospel has advanced under far more restrictive conditions than those currently faced in the United States.

Hope That Is Not Borrowed from Outcomes

Romans 8:28 remains true: God works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. That “all things” includes political setbacks. Philippians 4:6–7 offers the peace of God that guards hearts and minds when anxiety rises. The church has historically been most spiritually vital when it held its primary allegiance to Christ rather than to cultural influence or legislative power. Periods of cultural pressure have often clarified priorities and strengthened dependence on God.

For those who teach, write, or produce content for the church, the opportunity is to keep pointing people to the same themes already present in the Psalms, the prophets, the Gospels, and the epistles: God’s steadfast love, the sufficiency of Christ, the call to endurance, and the hope of a kingdom that cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:28). Political commentary has its place as stewardship and neighbor-love; it is secondary to the gospel.

The church does not need a particular party in power to fulfill its calling. It needs faithfulness to the One who already holds all authority in heaven and on earth. That reality is the ground of encouragement independent of any election result.

The Church, the Spirit filled Restrainer of evil remains on the earth. Our mission and vision have not changed. Our God has not changed. The process has not changed. And something to remain mindful of is many times what looks like evil's greatest victories (like crucifying our Lord Jesus Christ) becomes the seed or source of their greatest defeats.

We move forward now, continuing to pray for spiritual awakening across the planet, and repentance and revival in the Church. The enemy is doubling and tripling down on evil, we double and triple down on good. The answer for darkness has not changed, it is light. We are the light of the world. We are the salt of the earth.

Our calling to "level up" and center ourselves in our Lord's Will takes on even greater importance and urgency now. We, each one of us is here on earth in this season for a reason. Our calling and election in Christ Jesus is associated with a mission on earth. Our achievement of our mission at the highest level requires the best version of ourselves.

So, in a sense the most important things have not changed and will not change. Our mission and vision are the same moving forward. Level up, use what you have been given, all centered in His Will for your life. Save the lost, encourage, uplift, motivate, inspire. Live by force of will, as well as prayer, obedience and submission to the Lord in faith, hope, love, joy and peace.

When the darkness is taking its victory lap, we can be strapping on our armor for battle. We concede nothing to the darkness. We fight for every inch of terrain because give them an inch and they will take you miles down the road to the very gates of hell. So, game on.

Keep your chin up, stay in the fight.

Continental Navy Captain John Paul Jones during the Battle of Flamborough Head on September 23, 1779.

While commanding the Bonhomme Richard against the British frigate HMS Serapis, Jones’s ship was heavily damaged and taking on water. When the British captain called across to ask if he had struck his colors (i.e., surrendered), Jones is said to have replied:

“I have not yet begun to fight!”

 Please join with your brother in praying over the prayer targets today.

Glory to God

grace and peace