Have you ever been surprised by someone who talks about you behind your back, or who plots against you, perhaps while feigning friendship? This type of experience inspired David to write Psalm 64.

We’re in the midst of a hot summer, and last evening my seven-year-old son came into dinner drenched from head to foot. I was surprised and asked him, “How did you get all wet?” Again to my surprise he replied, “I didn’t think I would get wet, I went under the sprinkler.”

Maps show us the best way to get to where we want to go. They show us potential dangers to avoid. And without maps we might get terribly lost or delayed. This is also what God’s Word does for our life. It guides us to where we want to go. It shows us the best way to get there. It cautions us on dangers to avoid.

Only one generation ago, before going on a long journey, it was important to first study a printed map to plan a route, get an idea of the distance and time required for the trip, and plan out any additional stops along the way… Maps show us the best way to get to where we want to go. They show us potential dangers to avoid. And without maps we might get terribly lost or delayed.

Seeds are incredible. They are small and may not appear at first to have any special value, but their potential is incalculable. Kept dry on the shelf, they will never grow or increase. They will never become what they were meant to be. They will never produce fruit. Why not? Because seeds, like everything else, require the proper conditions and nourishment to grow. It is the same way with economics…

Imagine the wisest person you can think of, writing in the wisest book of all time, about an ideal person. What do you think they would say about them? Perhaps the author would focus on their bravery in battle, or their skill in the arts, or their brilliant intellect, or their physical beauty, or their acts of religious piety or charity?

The sky was clear. The stars were bright. The air was still. It was a beautiful, serene night in the desert.

His wife was asleep. His servants were asleep. The animals were asleep. Only he was awake, stirred by a voice clear, resonant, gentle, and yet authoritative.

“Abraham!”

The sons of Issachar were wise men who understood the times in which they lived. Even though their fellow Israelites may have been distracted by idols and foreign powers, they knew what the nation should do. Unfortunately, in our nation today there seem to be very few who understand the times in which we live. As a result, we are seeing a steady decay of our nation and its culture of Liberty.

He was short, a little over five feet tall. He was slight, barely 100 pounds. You wouldn’t pick him out in a crowd without effort. He’d likely be in the back of the room, dressed neatly in a black suit.

Reinforcing his unobtrusive appearance was a shy, serious, and quiet temperament. He spoke barely above a whisper. He was deliberative, circumspect, and judicious, careful in what he thought and said, and how he said it.

If you listened intently, he’d be worth your attempt to hear him.

The Body of Christ must ‘Elevate its Influence and Leadership’ by restoring the Biblical foundations that will ultimately impact America’s moral compass for good.

The malaise of pessimism and angst cuts across party lines. Republicans, Democrats, and Independents are all depressed about the present national condition. They may have different reasons, but they are all in the dumps about the United States.

In Daniel 10, Daniel was serving a Persian King. He had made it through the Babylonian kingdom – the trials and tests of the Lion’s Den, the Golden Statue of Nebuchadnezzar and his friends getting thrown into the fiery furnace, and the dreams and interpretations from God surrounded by “the wise men”. He had been tested and tried and had come out of it all with a greater relationship with God and even more authority.

How does prayer impact a nation?

I never saw it coming. I had been a political consultant for 10 years and the main Member of Congress that I worked for announced his retirement. We couldn’t find a conservative candidate to take his place. So, after weeks of carrying a burden, seeing the need of the district, praying, and asking God to raise someone up, I acted on that burden. I jumped into the Congressional race. I never saw it coming.

The sun was setting gently across the broad Pacific. In its breathtaking beauty and confident serenity, it was a majestic and powerful sight.

It was, perhaps, this peaceful sunset, together with the relentless violence and destructive contagion of war, that led the great man to take pen in hand on this evening. Just harrowing days earlier, he and his family were crossing turbulent and dangerous waters in a small PT boat, surrounded by the enemy. He had found solace and protection on this island nation.

God gave us the Ten Commandments as a standard by which to live. At that time in history, man was doing what was right in his own eyes. Today, most of our laws as well as those of other nations are based on these commandments whether the government leaders admit it or not. Before going any further, take a brief look at the ten simple rules God put into place for us and for the good of society in Exodus 20:1-17.

They gathered in the small boarding house on Market Street. They sat down in high-backed wooden chairs around a simple wooden table. There was no air-conditioning to sooth the summer heat. In the descending rays of the late afternoon, a candle was their light. To them was given the awesome responsibility to craft a declaration; the “power to begin the world over again.”

When you’re not feeling well, there are some good first steps to take. One of them is to reach for a thermometer, to check your temperature. Knowing your body’s internal temperature can be a good indicator of whether or not you are fighting a disease. Too high a temperature means you should probably seek medical attention or some medicinal treatment.

But what if you were sick and the only treatment you sought was a thermometer? What if you confused the indicator for the cure?

An individual’s political stance is the outgrowth of one’s deepest philosophical beliefs. This is a big part of why there is such political polarization in our country today, and why it is often so difficult to find common ground between different political ideologies. Much of the tension can be traced back to two distinctly different philosophies: the Secular view of government’s role is distinctly different from the Bible’s view of government’s role.

In America today, the greatest ongoing injustices and inequities we currently face stem primarily from unbiblical ideas and policies that have been allowed to take root in our land. These policies have done great damage and brought incalculable pain, especially to the weakest of society.

Like a lawyer intercedes for his clients in a court of law, we petition God.

Like an assistant carrying out the orders of her boss and becoming the go-between of him and the other employees, we can ask for God’s will to be done here on earth as it is in heaven.

Intercession is delegation. It is mediation. It is carried authority through representation.