“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1, 14).
C. S. Lewis stated, “The Son of God became a man so that men could become the sons of God.” As we celebrate the first advent of Christ, the Messiah, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born the One true light in our dark world, Operation Save America, has a gift to present to you and your precious family (John 1:4).
Every year, we send out a Bible Reading Schedule and highly recommend reading thorough the Bible each year. To help in this incredible journey of faith, we provide the brochure, which is enclosed with our January Newsletter. Here is the link to the 2020 Bible Reading Schedule to download and copy:
https://operationsaveamerica.org/2020-daily-bible-reading-schedule/
Foundations are extremely important when it comes to building anything of worth, both in the temporal and the eternal realms. Immanuel, which is interpreted “God with us” taught the significance of this blessed truth. Jesus stated:
Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall (Matthew 7:24-29).
Mankind will either build their lives on “Thus saith the Lord” or “Hath God said?” After all, it is still a battle between two seeds, the seed of the serpent vs. the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15). It is not enough according to Jesus just to hear His Words; we must apply them to every area of our life. This makes all the difference in the world as we pass through this veil of tears. Notice, however, both the wise and the foolish hear the Word, but only those who are doers of the Word are still standing when the storm passes and the smoke clears (James 1:22-25).
The question for 2020 is how does the Law/Word of God that is the infrastructure of truth and the framework of reality apply to us as individuals, families, the church, and the state? Fundamentally, if these entities are not built upon the solid rock of God’s Word, then they will automatically fall to the faulty foundation of sinking sand.
What can we glean from this? The Biblical lesson is clear. Any area of life that is built upon the foundation of sinking sand is doomed for failure. No matter how much we try and prop it up apart from our Lord and His rock-solid Word, it will eventually fail in time and history. We see the evil fruit of neglecting these Biblical principles throughout our blood stained and perverted nation.
Individual: The security of our individual salvation is based upon the integrity of the Scriptures. The Apostle Paul declared, “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3, 4).
Notice the root of reality of our salvation does not begin with the actual crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord, it began with the promise and prediction from God’s immutable, inerrant, and inspired Word. Our salvation is grounded on the absolute authority that it was, is, and will be according to the Scriptures. And remember, the Scriptures cannot be broken (John 10:35).
Biblically, the same manner in which Mary conceived Christ physically is the same manner we receive Christ spiritually. When the Angel came to Mary with the glorious and somewhat frightening news that she was “highly favored,” “blessed amongst women” and chosen to conceive in her womb the promised Messiah, she at first questioned the nature of this divine visitation. Afterwards, she simply yielded and declared, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).
When she uttered this affirmation of faith, Christ emptied Himself of all His glory in heaven (Philippians 2:5-11). He entered Mary’s womb and was thus conceived by a virgin according to God’s prophetic Word written hundreds of years before His birth (Isaiah 7:14).
The Apostle Peter takes this same Biblical truth and applies it to those who are born again by the regeneration of the Holy Ghost (Titus 3:3-7). He stated, “Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever” (1 Peter 1:23). The Apostle James concurred, “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls (James 1:21).” The Apostle Paul agreed as well, “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 3:15).” Faith indeed comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17).
The same Word that spoke the heavens and the earth into existence; the same Word canonized in the Bible; the same Word that God sent to heal and deliver us from destruction became flesh and dwelt among us. This same Word can save individuals who repent, believe, and receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior (Acts 2:38).
Lastly, the Word of God was established to renew our minds and help wage a good warfare for every child of God (Romans 12:1, 2; 2 Corinthians 10:3-6; Matthew 4:1-11; 1 Timothy 1:18). “It is written” is the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God that ever believer needs to unsheathe and wield to defeat the wiles of the Evil One to set ourselves and the captives free.
Salvation regenerates our dead souls once in rebellion against God. Salvation first brings justification. We are now justified in the sight of God. This means guilty sinners like you and me are found not guilty by Christ becoming the propitiation for our sins. This, however, is just the beginning of our salvation. The next step is sanctification that will ultimately lead to the last part of our salvation, glorification. We will see Christ as He truly is and become just like Him (1 John 3:1-3). More like Jesus and less like us is the way of sanctification (John 3:30)
As individuals, we must understand that the study of God’s Word is commanded. We are told by the Apostle Paul to “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). Though our souls are saved, our minds still need renewing. We must be delivered from the stinking thinking of this world. It is only the Word of God that can do this for us as individuals who are committed to loving God with all our hearts, souls, mind, and strength and loving our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40).
Family: The American family has fallen upon hard times. It is no secret that our government has been at war against Christ, His church, and the God ordained family for decades. From public education, to feminism, to entertainment, to no-fault divorce, to birth control, to abortion, to homosexuality, to gender confusion, to government as savior welfare programs, the God ordained family has sustained blow after deadly blow.
Historically, sound families were viewed as a major building block to support healthy societies. Now, the God ordained institution of family is viewed as an archaic social construct that needs to be discarded or radically redefined. The Anti-Christ powers that be, which believe in statism (government as god), understand that in order to amass power to regulate its citizens, they must weaken the family.
The promotion of sexual decadence by iniquitous government decree has been one of the primary ways to undermine, faith, family, and freedom by those who seek tyrannical control over the masses. Chaos needs order and “government by emergency” provides both. This creates a perceived crisis, which manipulates us to give government more power to “solve the problem.” Why waste a good crisis, especially, if it furthers the left’s power base to create their secular utopia?
The feminization of the male combined with the masculinization of the female is the new norm. The majority of films promote women as the lead action figures. Commercials depict men caring for babies, cleaning the house, and washing the dishes, while high-powered women are taking care of business. This is part of the indoctrination that impacts the minds of unsuspecting Millennials.
Men are depicted as buffoons that need women to save them from their idiocy and cowardice. Women are presented as aggressive, smart, assertive, and empowered. Men are superfluous and presented as mere fodder to feed the feminist war machine that rages against God, His divine order, and the specific gender roles He created for His glory and our good.
What has this rebellion done as America has dismissed the role of men as husbands and fathers? How has this impacted the role of women as wives and mothers? How has this affected our children? If we are accurate in our assessments, family in America has been weighed in the balance and we are found wanting (Daniel 5:27). Most families are out of divine order, spinning out of control, and heading towards the ash heap of history.
What can the righteous do, when the historical, Biblical foundations for family have been destroyed (Psalms 11:3)? God’s people can get back to the blueprint of God’s Word to defend marriage, restore order in the home, reestablish the 2 sexes that God ordained, and define once again the assigned Biblical roles of husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, and the importance of having and discipling our children in the word, will, and way of God.
I would encourage specifically the fathers to use the Bible Reading Schedule to set up the family altar. It is important for our wives and children to see and hear us open God’s Word, read it, and teach it to them. Men must come back to do our duty to disciple and mentor our families as God has commanded. Like our Lord before us, we must take the Word of God and lead courageously our families to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
The Church: First, the Bible is a self-authenticating book. Its 66 books combined faithfully records God’s Word to our fallen race. In Jesus’ High Priestly prayer, He stated, “Sanctify them (Christians) by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17). The Bible is the book of truth. Second, Jesus is the person of truth. Ephesians 4:21 affirms, “If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus.” Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6) Third, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth (John 16:13).
The last bastion of truth is the church, herself. The Apostle Paul declared, “but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).
The church has the awesome and fearful responsibility to not only preserve the integrity of God’s truth according to God’s Word, but to make sure the church maintains its true meaning. Nehemiah 8:8 states, “So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.”
The Scriptures are of no private interpretation 92 Peter 1:20). Therefore, the church has the duty before God to preach with integrity God’s Word and preserve its true meaning as God intended. It is extremely important that you go to a church that takes seriously this sacred duty before God. Men’s opinions and interpretations of the Bible do not set mankind free. Only God’s truth can accomplish that merciful goal. Know this as well; all false religions and cults contain some aspect of God’s truth. Tragically, they also mix enough lies and religious misinformation to deceive souls, if those souls foolishly believe and follow in their pernicious ways (2 Peter 2:1-3).
The time for measured men in pulpits who are more afraid of offending men than God must mercifully end. Men pleasing must give way to God pleasing (Galatians 1:10). Pastors and elders who use careful words and measured sermons to determine a certain outcome must cease and desist. It is not the pastor or elders’ job to determine outcome or even build the church of the living God. This is God’s realm and responsibility. He promised to build His church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). As the old saying goes, “Man proposes, but God disposes.” Men who pound pulpits must make sure what they are proposing lines up to God’s word and faithfully teaches its meaning as God intended.
The State: I know most Christians in America who have been trained in pietism do not think that God’s Word has any importance, relevance, or application in the civil realm. This blindness has had devasting consequence upon our idolatrous nation. The salt and light withdrew from public affairs and we wonder why darkness, demons, and despair has filled the void and afflicted our beleaguered country.
The lack of Biblical worldview concerning civil government is partly responsible for evil becoming good and good becoming evil under our watch (Isaiah 5:20). This evil has been codified by law with the blessing of the state and for the most part, the silent consent of the church. How is this possible? Simply redefine moral and spiritual principles as political and the church retreats to her ivory tower proudly declaring her lack of political involvement as faithfulness to the Gospel. They act as God Word is not concerned about political matters or how men and nations should govern themselves in the world that God created.
Perhaps, reading through the Scriptures once again to see how they apply to the civil realm will assist the church to help remedy this blatant infidelity to God’s Word. For brevity sake, let’s look at the calling of the church to fulfill the Great Commission. Jesus proclaimed:
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen (Matthew 28:18-20).
I hope you see that the Lord expects the church to disciple the nations to obey His Word and keep His commandants. Why is this important when it comes to our future and hope as a country? The prophet Isaiah give us some insight. He warned, “For the nation and kingdom which will not serve you shall perish, and those nations shall be utterly ruined” (Isaiah 60:12).
We are clearly at a crossroad as a people and nation. Our children’s future stands in grave danger. Will the church apply God’s truth, Word, and principles to civil government as God prescribed as their responsibility as His delegated authority (Romans 13:1-4), which will lead to, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” or will America go the way of “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God (Psalms 33:12, 9:17). I submit the answer we all desire is contingent on each and everyone of us diligently seeking the Lord, studying His Word, and faithfully apply it to the four governments (self, family, church and civil government) that God established for His glory and our good.
