Jeremiah was called the weeping prophet because he warned God’s people of the 70 years of captivity in Babylon, but he also prophesied a future day of deliverance and blessing. His message is most apropos for us in America in this evil day (Eph. 6:13).
One of his nuggets of strong encouragement is this familiar passage to help keep us on track when we feel weary and discouraged. “If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace in which you trusted, they wearied you, then how will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?” (Jer.12:5).
Day of Reckoning
John Kilpatrick, who oversaw the magnificent Brownsville Revival, tells us that a day of reckoning is at hand for the church. Our call is to remain responsibly lighthearted as we go through some dark times already unfolding in 2021 (on the heels of an unprecedented 2020 experience).
A mature leader with whom I’ve walked closely for four decades texted me the after reading my article, “Should We Pray for God’s Favor, Blessing and Success for the Biden Administration?” He said, “Larry, your article was spot on! My favorite prayer is for God to confuse our enemies and turn them on themselves!” He quoted 2 Chronicles 20:33 and Exodus 23:27 plus another verse to show agreement with God’s righteous judgment on those promoting evil rather than righteousness. I encourage you to read this commentary if you already haven’t and also post it to help others.
To strengthen us all at this time, I personally contacted seven highly respected Christian leaders and friends to ask for some encouraging insights as we’re all starting to go through the tunnel of tribulation. This is not yet the Great Tribulation prophesied in Scripture (Matt. 24:15-31) but rather a time of intense trouble, suffering and persecution.
“Yes, and all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12). And yes, we are facing a reaping process because many pastors and people stayed silent and on the sidelines in the battle, but God, in His mercy, is endeavoring to awaken us to long-overdue repentance, desperate prayer and biblically informed activism launching a turnaround: the third Great Awakening!
Strang, Brown, Joyner, Bickle, Jacobs, Weiner and Grady
From an accumulated 300 plus years of experience, these men and women of God share some insights to help us navigate these tumultuous times. We must remain stable and strong!
Stephen Strang: “After a wild year where so many bad things happened, we must understand Romans 8:28 is true! We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
“We can rest assured that all things—including pandemics, impeachment, loss of freedom and political fraud; what the media, politicians or cultural elites say or do—Romans 8:28 is God’s Word, and it’s true.”
Dr. Michael Brown: “In the midst of the craziness and pain, there is some great news for all of us: Jesus is still Lord; the Father still sits on His throne, and the Spirit is still at work on the earth! God has not abandoned His children, and often the very worst things we go through turn out to be the most important times of our lives—times of growth and transformation.
“We continue facing division, upheaval, uncertainty and crisis, but we must choose to persevere, walk in humility, pray desperately and proclaim the gospel and truth lovingly and uncompromisingly.”
Rick Joyner: “From a series of encounters with the Lord, He spoke almost entirely of His coming kingdom. He asked me if I understood why we are going through this present trauma, and He said that it was because we had preached 2 Chronicles 7:14 but were yet to obey it.
“He made it clear that our country was going to continue experiencing increasing trauma until we radically obey—especially in turning from wicked ways, seeking the Lord and promoting His coming kingdom as our first and highest calling! Our choice is simple: Either all of our freedoms will soon be replaced with terrible tyranny, or we can experience another Great Awakening!”
Mike Bickle: “Our beloved bridegroom, Jesus, is rescuing His bride in our nation from compromise, spiritual dullness and a spiritual deadly virus! The good news is that God’s redemptive disciplines are not punitive but expressions of His commitment to us as His people.
“God has a clear purpose and that is to awaken us to the beauty and freedom of loving Him with all our being, then to love one another and the lost. Let’s interpret His judgments and redemptive discipline through the lens of His love to learn righteousness. ‘For when Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness’ (Isa. 26:9b).”
Cindy Jacobs: “As in 2020, the Lord is calling us for a major reset to stand firm for all sacred Scripture. There cannot be any wavering on our stand to honor God’s Word. Situations and circumstances change, but the Word of our Lord is forever settled in the heavens.
“For those who will not waver and refuse to compromise, there will be an activation and manifestation of God’s blessing on a level that will be evident to all. We need to be like Martin Luther in this hour of history, who famously said, “Here I stand; I can do no other!” He is calling us to be a fiery company who hastens an awakening of God’s glory in America today!”
Bob Weiner: “As we put our minds and hearts on the greatness of our God in 2021, everything prepared for us before the foundation of the world will be released into our life now, but we must walk in holiness, humility and faith.
“No matter what is going on around us, we are called to ‘walk by faith and not by sight’ and to be of good courage to glorify God, advance His kingdom and hasten His return as the Bible says.”
Lee Grady: “In the midst of our ongoing upheaval, I sought the Lord, and He took me to Psalm 2—and I have parked there ever since. This psalm reminds us that the most secure place in the universe is the throne of God. There is no pandemic in heaven, and God is not wringing His hands over racial violence, political turmoil or how wicked people are plotting to destroy our country.
“‘He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them’ (Ps. 2:4, NASB). So why isn’t God worried? And why shouldn’t we be, either? Because He has installed His King, the Lord Jesus Christ, on the throne (Ps. 2:6). And Jesus always gets the last word.”
Here’s the Deal: The ways of God are becoming so plain and clear in today’s tumultuous time that only the obedient can follow. May we all respond in this evil day as more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Rom. 8:37). {eoa}
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