INTRODUCTION

In this final article of this series, I set out some actions I am taking to prepare for my uncertain future as a Christ-follower in the United States.  You may or may not want to follow suit.  Whatever you do, I hope you find what I wrote helpful.

FIRST, I AM INCREASING THE AMOUNT AND INTENSITY OF MY PRAYER TIME.  There is essentially no doubt that genuine Christ-followers in America will be under increased duress, stress, challenge and the like because of the policies, and the enforcement of those policies, advanced by the Biden-Harris administration.  To help me persevere and spiritually grow during this time, I am increasing the amount and intensity of my prayer time.  

My prayers contain the following specifics including the overarching fact that I am praying to God Almighty (El Shaddai) who identified Himself in Genesis 17:1 (NASB95):

¹ Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless.

(1) I am asking God Almighty (El Shaddai) to remind me that He is omnipotent over the entire creation meaning that He is able to do all his holy will throughout the entire universe.

(2) I am asking God Almighty (El Shaddai) to continually give me reinforcement that I am saved and have a guaranteed eternal home in Heaven keeping mind the following Scriptures:

• John 10:29 (NASB95) – ²⁹ “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

• John 14:2–3 (NASB95) – ² “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. ³ “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

 (3) I am asking God Almighty (El Shaddai) to remind me that I must live with a sense of gratitude in light of the price that was paid by His only begotten Son Jesus Christ on the Cross for my salvation as taught in Romans 5:6–11 (NASB95):

⁶ For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. ¹⁰ For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. ¹¹ And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

(4)  I am asking God Almighty (El Shaddai) to remind me that victory in the battle is through Him and only through Him:

• Psalm 28:7 (NASB95) – ⁷ The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him.

• Isaiah 42:13 (NASB95) – ¹³ The Lord will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies.

• Romans 8:31 (NASB95) – ³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

• Romans 8:37 (NASB95) – ³⁷ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

• 1 John 4:4 (ESV) – ⁴ Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

(5)  I am asking God Almighty (El Shaddai) to prepare me for the battle ahead according to the following Scriptures:

• Psalm 18:39 (ESV) – ³⁹ For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me.

• Psalm 27:11 (ESV) – ¹¹ Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.

• 1 Peter 5:8–9 (ESV) – ⁸ Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

(6)  I am asking God Almighty (El Shaddai) to give me clarity and guidance about how I am to:

• take a stand against the genocide of innocent babies in the womb by the abortion industry in the United States, and especially through increased government funding of Planned Parenthood;

• take a stand to speak out in favor of biblical morality and against the immoral American society wherein such immorality is described in passages like Romans 1:18–32 (NASB95):

¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, ¹⁹ because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. ²¹ For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. ²² Professing to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. ²⁴ Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. ²⁵ For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

²⁶ For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, ²⁷ and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. ²⁸ And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, ²⁹ being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, ³¹ without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; ³² and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

• take a stand for and proclaim the saving gospel of Jesus Christ that only through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ can a person be saved keeping in mind:

•• Mark 1:15 (NASB95) – ¹⁵ and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

••  John 14:6 (NASB95) – ⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

 • take a stand for and proclaim the freedom a believer has to assemble for the worship of God Almighty (El Shaddai) according to:

••   Hebrews 10:25 (NASB95) – ²⁵ not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

(7) I am praying to God Almighty (El Shaddai) the prayer of Acts 4:23–30 (NASB95):

²³ When they had been released, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. ²⁴ And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O Lord, it is You who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them, ²⁵ who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said, ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, And the peoples devise futile things? ²⁶ ‘The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord and against His Christ.’ ²⁷ “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, ²⁸ to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur. ²⁹ “And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, ³⁰ while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”

Asking for the result of Acts 4:31 (NASB95):

³¹ And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.

(8)  I am praying to God Almighty (El Shaddai) for the salvation of the lost including our governmental leaders who are lost.

(9)  I am praying to God Almighty (El Shaddai) for a spiritual revival across the United States beginning with myself and the church (i.e., Fairview Community Church in Fairview, Tennessee), of which I am a member.

SECOND, I AM INCREASING THE AMOUNT AND INTENSITY OF MY BIBLE ENGAGEMENT KEEPING IN MIND THE FOLLOWING BASIC BIBLICAL TRUTHS:

• God’s Word is divinely-inspired as taught by 2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NASB95):

¹⁶ All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; ¹⁷ so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

• God’s Word is living and active as taught by Hebrews 4:12 (NASB95):

¹² For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

• God’s Word proclaims the saving gospel of Jesus Christ, keeping in mind Scriptures such as:

Romans 10:8–10 (NASB95) – ⁸ But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, ⁹ that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; ¹⁰ for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

• 1 Corinthians 15:1–4 (NASB95) – ¹ Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, ² by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. ³ For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

CONCLUSION

I realize this is a lengthy list, but the times are dangerous and this is serious business.  No doubt there are other actions and my list will probably grow longer.  But, for right now, this is what I am going to do. 

How about your list?  Do you have any more suggestions?  Please email me.

If you are reading this post and are not a Christian, unless God intervenes, your eternal destination is hell.  But, your destiny can change.  Today can be the day of your salvation. 

Please see my blog (https://stevebelsheim.com/2020/04/20/for-god-so-loves-you-2/) for a description of how you can be saved and a more concise description at my (https://stevebelsheim.com/2020/10/20/there-is-hope-even-when-there-seems-to-be-no-hope-2/ ).

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