July 8, 2024

Don’t Grow Cynical

I’ve always enjoyed the satirical humor of Mark Twain. This was a pen name, of course, and came from his days as a riverboat pilot on the Mississippi River. “Twain studied the Mississippi, learning its landmarks, how to navigate its currents effectively, and how to read the river and its constantly shifting channels, reefs, submerged snags, and rocks… Piloting also gave Twain his pen name from ‘mark twain,’ the leadsman’s cry for a measured river depth of two fathoms (12 feet), which was safe water for a steamboat.”(1)

One of my all-time favorite quotes of Twain is his account of the n’re-say-die optimist fighting a man of superior size, strength, and skill. The unyielding optimist said, “Thrusting my nose firmly between his teeth, I threw him heavily to the ground on top of me.”(2) Ya gotta love it!

Regarding the often byzantine, tortuous, and discombobulated world of politics, Twain once said, “Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason.”(3) To be fair, there are adults in our government; it’s just that those in diapers are so self-serving, misguided, dishonest, and smelly that they often give bad names to all. And sadly, the rankness drives many people away from the political process.

Don’t fall into this trap; stay engaged in the governmental process. The coming great awakening won’t eliminate bad politicians, but it will place adults in the majority. And though the nature of a democratic republic means that, at times, our vote comes down to “who comes the closest to my values” - not to our ideal candidate - disengaging from the process actually helps elect the person furthest from our values. I’ve never quite understood the logic of choosing that option. In politics, an all or nothing approach will lead to nothing.

Revival IS coming. I have stated for almost 40 years, since the end of the Reagan era, that the only hope for fully recovering America’s greatness is in a Third Great Awakening. I could see that humanists, secularists, and progressives were already too entrenched in our government and education system to stop them through human effort alone. Though the insane fruit of their movement was not yet fully developed - we weren’t cutting off the breasts and genitalia of kids yet - the seeds had been sown. And dirty diapered politicians and educators were now in charge of the garden. Twain also said, “Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress, but I repeat myself.”(4) In today’s world, we would add “liberal professors” and “progressive presidents of universities” to the quote. Perhaps even “Supreme Court justices who admit to not knowing the difference between male and female” should be included. Once again, I should qualify my cynical comments: there ARE many wise, non-woke-but-fully-awake, leaders and educators in our nation. They just don’t scream as loudly or capture our attention with smelly diapers.

Yes, we need revival. If we think we can heal and reform America with elections, laws, education, and yes, meaningful and uplifting church services alone, we are very deceived. Only a heart-level transformation - a rebirth - in millions of Americans can deliver us from our insanity. 

“Then why be involved in the crazy world of government and other aspects of a sinful culture?” you might ask. 1) Because we CAN make a difference; and 2) because we MUST prepare and position ourselves to reform (disciple) our and other nations (Matthew 28:18-20) when awakening (Mark 16:15-20) creates the possibility. Don’t give up, and don’t go to sleep. Don’t waver in your faith, and don’t grow so cynical that you empower evil by disengaging. Remember that we are God’s method, His partners and ambassadors on earth. Remember that our all-knowing God said one of the reasons we “have not” is because we ask not, (James 4:2-3). Yes, He knows what He wants to do and how to do it - but He said we still must ask. 

The church’s lack of involvement in awakening and discipling nations has often been caused by bad theology, and has cost us much. Many theologically challenged believers actually want things to get worse and worse on earth, including America, believing this will get us out of here more quickly. Others have bought into the lie that God being sovereign means He is controlling everything that occurs on earth. Therefore, He must want things to unravel, or is at least okay with it. When and if He wants to send revival, He will.

So much for God not wanting any to perish (2 Peter 3:9). It’s amazing how often we Christians’ religious beliefs exonerate us from responsibility. The key to an awakening is an awakened church! The key to a reformation is a reformed church! Heaven’s plan is typically that a revived remnant is used to revive the church, which is used to revive a nation - all through the power and authority of a willing God.

Revival doesn’t occur when God “gets ready” or “finally decides” to do so. It occurs when He has been able to get free-willed people ready. Harvests must be ripe. “Fullnesses of time” don’t arrive based on divine whims and moods; they are the end of seasons wherein God has brought human beings to times of awareness and hunger.

Our prayers are used to generate this. We appeal because it is what God said to do, and it works! We ARE appealing and He IS listening.

We also decree. He is speaking, we are declaring His words, Holy Spirit is empowering them, and angels are performing them. This is all moving us toward a rending of the heavens and an abundance of rain (Isaiah 64:1; 1 Kings 18:41).

Persevere!

Pray with me:

Father, You are waking up the church to our responsibility. Many around the world are responding to the urgency You are conveying to their spirits, including many in the American church. Help us to maintain an appropriate balance of knowing only You can heal and transform America, yet You do so through the church: our involvement, our prayers, our Spirit-led decrees.

America has been devastated by allowing the unrighteous to rule our land, a devastation as great as that of any nation in history. Our collapse has been shocking and tragic. But we know dry bones can live, and You have said America shall be saved. We have decided to say what You say: America shall be saved!

As we move toward another great fullness of time, we rely on Holy Spirit’s leading to instruct and guide us. As we do, we will be the Spirit-led sons and daughters You spoke of in Romans 8, those who devastated portions of earth are anxiously awaiting. May we be that people! Give us greater sensitivity, allow us to experience greater oneness with Your heart, and release greater and greater power from Holy Spirit within us.

All of this we ask in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Our decree:

We decree that an awakened church is producing awakened nations.

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

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1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Twain 

2. https://www.powerquotations.com/quote/thrusting-my-nose-firmly-between 

3. https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/411958-politicians-and-diapers-must-be-changed-often-and-for-the (Although this quote is widely attributed to Mark Twain, some have disputed its authenticity.)

4. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/mark_twain_161288