Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Can AI be trusted in war?

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Why Artificial Intelligence is not afraid of nukes

When US forces captured former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, the strike was broadly hailed as one of the more impressive displays of force in recent military history. In the weeks since, we’ve learned more about how they pulled off the attack so seamlessly, including that Anthropic’s AI tool, Claude, played a role in the operation.

Now, the nature of that role is still a bit nebulous, but Anthropic had quite a few questions about how the Pentagon used its technology. As a company spokesman stated, “Any use of Claude—whether in the private sector or across government—is required to comply with our Usage Policies, which govern how Claude can be deployed.” And a key part of those usage policies is that their AI cannot be used to “facilitate or promote any act of violence or intimidation.”

As we’ll talk about in a minute, AI has given plenty of reasons to be wary of crossing that line, but Anthropic had to know that this stance could pose something of a problem when it comes to the military applications of their tools. After all, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has not been shy about the role he sees for AI going forward.

“The future of American warfare”

In December, Hegseth remarked that “the future of American warfare is here, and it’s spelled AI.” And at an event last month where the Pentagon announced it would be working with xAI in a similar capacity, he was clear that the Department of Defense would not “employ AI models that won’t allow you to fight wars,” which many took as a shot at Anthropic’s concerns.

To further complicate matters, it’s likely that the US has already used Claude to help the military prepare for a potential war with Iran. And while negotiations are ongoing, the mediator seems to be the only one who thinks they’re going well.

So, against that backdrop, Hegseth has given Anthropic until 5:01 this afternoon to decide whether to grant the US military unrestricted use of its technology. If they do not—and the early signs aren’t promising—then Hegseth has warned that he will consider either invoking the Defense Production Act to force Anthropic’s cooperation or list them as a supply chain risk, which could void any of the company’s other defense-adjacent contracts.

But whether Claude is deemed too essential to lose or too untrustworthy to keep, it could have a profound impact on Anthropic’s business going forward. Still, their concerns about how the military uses AI are not unwarranted, and a recent test by Kenneth Payne at King’s College London offers a good reminder of why.

Why Artificial Intelligence chose nukes

In an attempt to see how Artificial Intelligence would run a conflict if given the chance, Payne set ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini against each other in a series of simulated war games. The models faced off twenty-one times, taking a total of 329 turns. They also provided extensive reasoning for each of their actions.

As Chris Stokel-Walker described, “The AIs were given an escalation ladder, allowing them to choose actions ranging from diplomatic protests and complete surrender to full strategic nuclear war.” By the time they were done, at least one model chose nuclear war in 95 percent of the games. None chose to surrender, regardless of how bad things were going.

That’s not good.

And, as Tong Zhao at Princeton University pointed out, “Major powers are already using AI in war gaming, but it remains uncertain to what extent they are incorporating AI decision support into actual military decision-making processes.” While most countries seem hesitant to fully grant AI control over the keys to their missiles, it only takes one nation to set off a global catastrophe.

To this point, the principle of mutually assured destruction has prevented that scenario from playing out. But what if AI isn’t as afraid of death as people are? And what if it sees striking first as the most logical way to prevent its own destruction?

If Payne’s tests are any indication, those conclusions are not all that unlikely, especially as AI becomes more relied upon for background calculations and scenario building. As Zhao warns, “Under scenarios involving extremely compressed timelines, military planners may face stronger incentives to rely on AI.”

The US military already appears to be heading down that road to some extent, and it’s highly unlikely that they’re the only ones. And if someone chooses to cross that line, chances are that a very human fear will be the driving factor.

“Just trust me”

To be honest, when I consider this topic and where it could lead, fear is pretty high up on my list of responses as well. It’s weird to potentially watch the central plot of an apocalyptic film play out in real life. The logical side of me knows that it probably won’t get that far, but fear rarely has any use for logic, which is what makes it so dangerous.

I think that’s part of why Jesus spent so much time talking about fear and warning against letting it play an executive role in our decision-making.

Take Jairus, for example. When he approached Jesus to seek healing for his daughter, only to have someone come up while they were on their way to tell him that it was too late, Jesus told him “Do not fear, only believe” (Mark 5:36). In The Message, Eugene Peterson translates this command as “Don’t listen to them; just trust me.”

When fear threatens to consume our thoughts or direct our actions, hearing the Lord say “just trust me” can be exactly what we need most.

That doesn’t mean such trust will be easy or silencing the fears will be simple, but it’s a good reminder that the choice of whom we will listen to is always ours to make. And the more often we choose Jesus, the easier it gets to do so in the future.

So, where do you need to trust Jesus today? Are there any fears clawing at your heart and mind?

I’m still a bit freaked out by the AI stuff, and perhaps you are as well. My goal today, though, is to listen to God rather than fear, and to trust that he knows how it’s going to turn out. And, just as importantly, he promises to bring good out of it, no matter how it ends (Romans 8:28).

Holding tight to that promise won’t always make the fears go away—after all, sometimes they’re justified—but it can give us a new perspective on them, one born of peace rather than anxiety.

Let’s pray for that peace today.

Quote of the day

“Only he who can say, ‘The Lord is the strength of my life’ can say, ‘Of whom shall I be afraid?’” —Alexander MacLaren

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Denison Forum

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Aligning with the Right Person

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 Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and married one of his daughters. He brought her to live in the City of David until he could finish building his palace and the Temple of the LORD and the wall around the city. 

—1 Kings 3:1

Scripture:

1 Kings 3:1 

Solomon’s fall and disillusionment began with a series of compromises, one of which involved marrying the daughter of Pharaoh. Solomon did this because he wanted to establish a political alliance with Egypt. It was a strategic move. For all practical purposes, Solomon “yoked” himself unequally with a nonbeliever—something God had forbidden.

God had told the Jewish people not to intermarry with other nations. This was not a racial issue; it was a spiritual issue. God didn’t want the Israelites aligning themselves with people who worshipped false gods. He knew how powerful the temptation of idolatry was. He knew that the Israelites’ hearts would turn away from Him if they established relationships with nonbelievers.

God’s warning should resonate with His people today as well. We have an enemy who will use anything—including other people—to disrupt our relationship with God. And when those other unbelieving people inspire a romantic attraction in us, their negative impact is magnified.

That’s how the devil took down Samson, perhaps the strongest man who ever lived. Samson had a natural attraction to Philistine women, even though they were not only idol worshippers but also enemies of Israel. The devil fanned the flames of attraction until Samson turned his back on his spiritual responsibilities to pursue ill-considered relationships.

The race that is set before us as God’s people is difficult. A wise strategy is to run it with a partner who loves the Lord as much as you do.

If you are a single person, you should pray for and wait on the godly man or woman that the Lord will bring into your life. You can be sure He would not want you romantically involved with a person who does not believe. The struggles, temptations, and negative influences are simply too great to be ignored.

The Bible tells us, “Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?” (2 Corinthians 6:14–15 NLT).

In the race of life, you want to run with someone who is going in the same direction that you are. And if you are Christians, both you and your mate will be running toward the Lord and His plan and purpose for your lives.

Solomon did not live by that principle. He teamed up with people who did not share his faith or his God. Be wiser than the wisest man who ever lived. Don’t become a partner with an unbeliever.

Reflection Question: How can you determine whether someone is going in the same direction as you, spiritually speaking? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – The Firstborn of Every Creature

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.” (Colossians 1:15)

A widespread cult heresy based on this verse claims that Jesus Christ was not eternal but merely the first being created—perhaps an angel—before becoming a man. Note, however, that the verse does not say He was the “first created of every creature” but the “first born of every creature,” and there is a big difference. In fact, the very next verse says that “by him were all things created” (v. 16). He was never created, for He Himself is the Creator. “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3).

He is “born” of God, the “only begotten Son” of God (John 3:16), not made. “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” (John 1:18). The eternal Father is omnipresent and therefore invisible, inaudible, and inaccessible to the physical senses. The eternally existing Son is the “image” of the invisible Father, the One who declares, reveals, and embodies His essence. Although He is always “in the bosom of the Father,” yet He is eternally also “the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person” (Hebrews 1:3). He is the eternal, living Word, which was “in the beginning with God” (John 1:2) and “was God” (John 1:1).

Thus, the phrase “firstborn of every creature” in our text can be translated literally as “begotten before all creation.” The eternal interrelationship of the Persons of the Godhead is beyond human comprehension in its fullness, and the terms “Son” and “begotten” are the best human language can do to describe it. Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, is the only begotten, eternally generated Son of the Father, forever shining forth as the image of the otherwise invisible God. HMM

 

 

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Dealing with Doubt

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Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him.

Mark 11:23 (NIV)

Doubt is the enemy of faith, and it is something that we all experience. To doubt means to be between two opinions, or to feel that you are without a way. When doubts arise, we can choose to believe our doubts, or we can doubt our doubts. The devil suggests doubts to us in the form of thoughts, but we don’t have to ponder them or allow them to take root in our minds, making us feel confused or lost in our way.

With Jesus, we are never without a way because He is the Way (John 14:6). The only opinion to hang on to is the one about which you have peace in your heart. Feed your faith with the promises of God, and your faith will stay stronger than any doubt you might have.

Prayer of the Day: Father, help me believe Your Word above anything that I feel or think. I want to trust You at all times and learn to ignore all my doubts. Help me stay strong in faith. Thank You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Afraid of What’s Next? 

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Play

Life comes with surprises.  On our list of fears, the fear of what’s next demands a prominent position.

In John 14:27, on the eve of his death, Jesus promised his followers, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart.  And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.  So don’t be troubled or afraid.”

Heaven’s message is clear. When everything else changes, God’s presence never does.  As Jesus sends you into new seasons, you journey in the company of the Holy Spirit. So make friends with whatever’s next.  Embrace it. Change is not only a part of life; change is a necessary part of God’s strategy. To use us to change the world, God makes reassignments.

 

 

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Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – Revelation: World Restored

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Read Revelation 21

The best stories, the ones we delight in, end well. At the end of the story, evil is vanquished and courage rewarded. The future looks bright. But on this earth, there is a pervading sadness to even the most satisfying ending. Sin mars true happiness, leaving lingering dissatisfaction.

But that is not the way the Bible ends. Since Genesis, we have watched God work out His plan to restore what was lost in the Garden of Eden. Now, in the book of Revelation, we see the result: a new heaven and a new earth! These words are meant to echo the original Creation account before the world was marred by sin. That creation was good, but not perfect. Sin was a possibility.

But this new heaven and earth will be different. They are fit for a holy city, Jerusalem, and for God to dwell among His people (v. 3). What is more, the consequences of sin, death and the mourning, crying, and pain will be gone (v. 4). They characterize the way the world used to work. God declares that the old order of things is no more when He says, “I am making everything new!” (v. 5).

Chapter 21 of Revelation describes that future reality. How would the readers in the first century have known they could trust it to come to pass? How can we, today, know and look forward to it? God declares that it is trustworthy and true (v. 5). The hope of everyone with faith in Christ for salvation rests on these words. They are true. God has committed Himself to restoring the world we live in. The work of Christ secured that future for us. This is our hope. This is our victory. The story ends the best possible way it could.

Go Deeper

Where is your hope for the future? Do you look forward to the end when all things will be made new? Stay tuned in March when we will study the entire book of Revelation. Extended Reading:

Revelation 19-21

Pray with Us

King Jesus, we rejoice in the wonderful new reality You show us in the book of Revelation. It is trustworthy and true! We are looking forward to this hope and victory, to seeing You face to face.

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”Revelation 21:5

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/

News and Info

The Clash of Civilizations Restarts History

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Western globalists won’t last long.

 

Thirty-five years ago, American political scientist Francis Fukuyama made a name for himself by advancing the proposition that the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union promised the ascendency and universalization of so-called Western liberal democracy.  As a Marxist-Hegelian who saw the progression of history as an evolutionary process with a natural and predetermined conclusion, Fukuyama envisioned Western-styled liberalism as both “the endpoint of mankind’s ideological evolution” and “the final form of human government.”  Expecting all human struggles to barrel toward a state of imminent equilibrium and future peace, Fukuyama stated out loud what many other late-twentieth century thinkers also believed: Humanity had reached the end of history.

After the 9/11 Islamic terror attacks in the United States, two decades of the “Global War on Terrorism,” communist China’s expansive “Belt and Road Initiative,” immigration-fueled social strife, the collapse of public trust in government institutions, the prevalence of pre-civil war conditions across Europe, the rise of Indian economic power, the emergence of Donald Trump’s nationalism as a counterbalance to the World Economic Forum’s vaunted globalism, the return of the Russian Federation as a major source of European angst, the growth of “multiculturalism” and its attendant fracturing of national unity, the “great powers” competition for hydrocarbon energies and other natural resources, the new geopolitical race to project strength in the Arctic, and the ever-present discussion of an impending World War III — just to name a few of the numerous global conflicts of the first quarter of the present century — Fukuyama’s “end of history” argument has probably reached the end of its usefulness.

Before the curse of humanity’s short memory stores Fukuyama’s “end of history” thesis in the cupboard until it can be retrieved, dusted off, and recycled for practical use next century (just as Fukuyama had done with the historical conceptions of Hegel and Marx), it is worth noting how much of the academic world bought into this argument.  I remember listening to two young political science professors discussing Fukuyama’s work after the 9/11 terror attacks, and even then — in the midst of such a horrific rebuke to the proposition that a globalized form of Western liberalism was preordained — both academics were staunch believers in the “end of history” and disagreed only about whether Professor Fukuyama was worthy of so much praise for having merely stated what was glaringly obvious.

I was around another man at the time named Samuel P. Huntington, and he had written an essay and book that took Fukuyama’s thesis to task.  In The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order, Professor Huntington argued that unbridgeable cultural conflicts would continue to remake the world.  Although critics called him “racist,” “Islamophobic,” “ignorant,” and even “Hitlerian” for dismissing the unifying effects of “diversity” and “multiculturalism,” Huntington’s predictions for a volatile twenty-first century were much more accurate than anything coming from the “end of history” camp.  Still, even after death, the man who dispassionately forecasted a civilizational clash and an emerging period of global uncertainty is still maligned as “prejudicial,” “white supremacist,” “bigoted,” and “imperialist.”

Is there any conflict raging in the world today that can’t be described in terms of competing cultural values?  Israel and its Islamic neighbors have been in a perennial state of war for eighty years.  Indian Hindus and Pakistani Muslims remain at each other’s throats.  Christianity and Islam have added fuel to fiery tribal conflicts that continue to rage across the continent of Africa.  Armenia’s Christians and Azerbaijan’s Muslims struggle to maintain peace.  The Balkans remain a potpourri of combative cultures and ethnic groups whose simmering passions can quickly boil over.  Burma, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, China, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos fight against each other and themselves as civilizational loyalties turn ancient resentments into recurring bouts of violence.  The War in Ukraine centers around the contested Donbas region whose people more closely align with the language, religion, and culture of Russia than with the historic identity that unites the people living in the western two-thirds of Ukraine.

Everywhere in the world, battle lines are drawn around civilizational identity.  Religious conflict, historic grievance, and cultural incompatibility drive violence around the planet.

Yet Western globalists in Europe and North America pretend not to notice.  They organize annual conventions where members of the World Economic Forum or the Council on Foreign Relations or the Royal Institute of International Affairs can bloviate about “multiculturalism,” “open borders,” “established norms,” and the “rules-based international order.”  They speak about “nationalism” and “patriotism” as if they were diseases requiring quarantine for those showing symptoms.  They like Islam and are willing to imprison anyone seen as violating Sharia Law or causing offense to Muslims.  But they generally despise Christians and Jews and don’t mind when medieval cathedrals mysteriously burn to the ground or Hamas terrorists rape Israeli women and kill Israeli babies.  They pray fanatically at the altar of their “green energy” religion, while replacing entire domestic industries with the coal-powered, slave-labor-produced, government-subsidized exports of the Chinese Communist Party.  White, Western globalists prefer to ignore the threats of Islamic jihad and Chinese totalitarianism, sip from glasses brimming with crisp Sauvignon blanc, and stew in the intoxicating vapors of their own haughty uselessness.

 

One might think that the last twenty-five years of global volatility would have given globalism’s biggest promoters some measure of pause as the “end of history” arrived and passed.  But Western “elites” generally suffer from cerebral deficiency, shameless incuriosity, and pathological stubbornness.  According to the blue bloods on both sides of the Atlantic — such as Canada’s banker-turned-prime-minister Mark Carney, France’s banker-turned-president Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s BlackRock-board-member-turned-chancellor Friedrich Merz, and the European Commission’s noble-aristocrat-turned-installed-president Ursula von der Leyen — “multiculturalism” is our future, “diversity is our strength,” and “cultural nationalism” is a “terrorist ideology” that breeds “hate.”

Even after President George W. Bush’s failed “nation-building” gambit to bring “democracy” and “women’s rights” to Afghanistan and the Middle East, Western globalists insist that civilizational clashes aren’t real.  Even after the exposure of Muslim “rape gangs” trading local girls as sex slaves in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and France, Western globalists insist that “diversity is our strength” and “multiculturalism” is our future.  Even after communist China’s increasingly provocative saber-rattling regarding Taiwan, pervasive espionage and sabotage within the United States, and public promises of world domination, Western globalists insist on transferring huge sums of national wealth to the Chinese Communist Party in exchange for China’s lip service to “international norms.”  What Talleyrand said of the Bourbons applies equally well to the West’s suicidal cult of self-hating globalists: “They have learned nothing and forgotten nothing.”

 

As we enter the second quarter of the twentieth century, the world is about to receive a harsh education in the persistent reality of civilizational conflict.  The “end of history” tripe was always a figment of self-deluding theoreticians who envision themselves as philosopher kings.  In the real world, values matter.  Culture matters.  Religion matters.  The past matters.  Honor matters.  Violent conflict does not disappear in a puff of smoke when Marxist-Hegelians hold up their dog-eared copies of Das Kapital and declare it must be so.  In the real world — where bullets fly faster than words — theories written on scraps of paper are rolled up into cigarettes or left under a rock near the trench latrine.  In the real world, people fight.  Cultures compete.  And civilizations clash.

Western globalists who refuse to learn the basics won’t long last.  From the Arctic to the Antarctic, battle lines are being drawn and redrawn everywhere.  The past informs the present.  The present informs the future.  The rest of history is just now beginning.

 

 

 

J.B. Shurk | February 25, 2026

Source: The Clash of Civilizations Restarts History – American Thinker

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Who Is Listening?

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NEW!Listen Now

Do not curse the king, even in your thought; do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom; for a bird of the air may carry your voice, and a bird in flight may tell the matter.
Ecclesiastes 10:20

Recommended Reading: James 3:1-12

One of the unexpected surprises of the digital age is that our devices are sometimes “listening” to us. Our phones and household digital assistants have microphones that often respond to key words in our conversations—until we turn on privacy settings that prevent their unwanted participation.

Long before the digital age, Solomon warned against unguarded speech that you think is private but might be overheard. A good rule of thumb when it comes to speech is the less speech the better. “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise” (Proverbs 10:19). If we are not talking, we can’t say things that we might come to regret. The apostle James wrote at length about the dangers of the tongue (human speech) in James 3:1-12. As a tiny spark can set a forest on fire, so the tiny tongue can set a life on fire with ill-spoken words.

Pray daily for wisdom, restraint, and edification when it comes to your words. You never know who (or what) will hear.

There are times when silence has the loudest voice.
Leroy Brownlow

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – God’s Rainbow Answer

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Whenever the rainbow appears . . . I will . . . remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures. Genesis 9:16

Today’s Scripture

Genesis 9:12-16

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Today’s Devotional

Owen was on holiday abroad when he received a disturbing message from a colleague: “The boss is looking to replace you.” Deeply upset, he prayed one morning at dawn and asked God, “Where are You?” Then he went to the window to open the curtains—and spotted a huge, beautiful rainbow suspended above the lake outside. Immediately a comforting warmth gushed over him. “It was as if God was simply telling me, ‘It’s okay; I’m here,’ ” he recounted later.

In Genesis 9, God promised not to destroy the earth through a flood again. He promised, “Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth” (v. 16). This covenant was everlasting and unconditional. It depended totally on God’s protection and provision, not on humanity’s performance. And it was just the first of many promises God would make to His people. Jesus, too, said, “Surely I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20).

God doesn’t promise that we won’t suffer. But He does promise His ever-present comfort and personal presence. We may not get “rainbow answers,” but we have His assurance that no matter what happens to us in life, He’s always there for us, and we can draw on His strength, comfort, and presence.

Reflect & Pray

In times of trouble and worry, what can you do to remind yourself of God’s presence? Which promises of His give you comfort?

 

Loving Father, thank You for Your presence, and please help me to remember Your promise to be with me always.

What does it mean that God is with us? Find out more by reading The Promise of Presence.

Today’s Insights

The story of the rainbow in Genesis 9 is preceded by the account of humanity’s sin: “The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time” (6:5). Their wickedness had reached such a level that God responded with judgment upon the world. For the conditions on earth to trigger such an expansive act of judgment is telling. Still, God’s heart for the people remained. Many scholars estimate it would’ve taken about seventy-five years to build the ark—giving people time to respond to the warning of coming judgment. Following the great flood, God set a rainbow in the clouds—a symbol of biblical hope—as His promise to never destroy the world again by flood. Today, no matter what we face in life, we can be assured of God’s presence and faithfulness.

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Our political future and an interview that moved me deeply

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Commentators are still responding to President Trump’s “State of the Union” address in the predictably partisan ways you would expect. Reactions have been from such polar opposites that an uninformed observer could question whether they are responding to the same speech.

I genuinely grieve to see the depth of rancor and bitterness that exists in our country toward fellow Americans with whom we happen to disagree politically. And I genuinely question whether our democratic experiment can be sustained while we sustain such animosity toward one another.

In 1774, John Wesley advised those who would be voting in an upcoming election:

  1. To vote, without fee or reward, for the person they judged most worthy
    2. To speak no evil of the person they voted against, and
    3. To take care their spirits were not sharpened against those that voted on the other side.

Don’t you wish more Americans would take his advice?

Continue reading Denison Forum – Our political future and an interview that moved me deeply →

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Through Jesus Alone

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 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 

—Romans 5:6

Scripture:

Romans 5:6 

In the 1800s in London, a little boy wanted to hear the great American evangelist D. L. Moody, who had come to town to preach. This little street urchin made his way across the entire city of London, risking his very life, with no food or proper shoes. After a long journey, he finally came to the great church where Moody was scheduled to speak.

As he made his way up to the door, an old usher scowled at him and asked, “What are you doing, young man?”

The boy said, “I am going to go hear the great evangelist D. L. Moody.”

“Not looking like that! You are filthy. Go away!”

The little boy was crushed. He was sitting on the steps, crying, when a black carriage pulled up in front of the church. Out of it stepped a large man. He saw the sad little boy on the steps and asked, “Young man, what is wrong?”

The boy answered, “I came here to hear the great preacher D. L. Moody, but they won’t let me in the church.”

“Is that so?” the big man said. “You just put your hand in my hand, and I will see what I can do to help you.”

The little boy put his dirty little hand into the man’s big, clean hand. The man led him right down the middle aisle, past the usher who wouldn’t let him in, to the front row. The big guy sat him in a front-row seat. Then the man stepped up to the pulpit. That man was, of course, D. L. Moody. That young boy couldn’t get in on his own, but when he held Moody’s hand, he walked through the front door.

So it is with us, because of Jesus. We are filthy in sin. In Psalm 51:5, David wrote, “For I was born a sinner—yes, from the moment my mother conceived me” (NLT). Isaiah 53:6 says, “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all” (NLT). The apostle Paul wrote, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23 NLT). Because of our sinfulness, we have no hope of entering Heaven on our own.

Our only hope is Jesus, who takes our dirty hand in His clean one and leads us to a front-row seat in God’s presence. As Paul puts it in the next two verses of Romans 3: “Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood” (verses 24–25 NLT).

The frustrating reality for many people trying to establish themselves today is also the glorious reality of salvation: It all depends on who you know.

Reflection Question: How can you lead someone into Jesus’ presence? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – The Wicked Man

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.” (Psalm 10:4)

It is significant that the word “wicked” does not necessarily mean morally depraved or violently dangerous. It is essentially synonymous with “ungodly,” and the Hebrew word used here (rasha) is often so translated. This tenth psalm provides a graphic summary of their real character. They are:

  1. Proud. “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God” (v. 4).
  2. Fawning. “For the wicked . . . blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth” (v. 3).
  3. Atheistic, at least in behavior. “He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: . . . he will never see it” (v. 11).
  4. Stubborn. “He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity” (v. 6).
  5. Profane. “His mouth is full of cursing . . . under his tongue is mischief and vanity” (v. 7).
  6. Hurtful. “In the secret places doth he murder the innocent” (v. 8). This surely applies to character assassination when not to actual killing.
  7. Deceptive. “His mouth is full of . . . deceit and fraud . . . . He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den” (vv. 7, 9).

It is significant that the apostle Paul cited verse 7 (“full of cursing”) as descriptive of most of the ancient pagans in his day, and it can sadly be applied to many modern pagans as well.

But David said, “I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not” (Psalm 37:35–36). “For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish” (Psalm 1:6). HMM

 

 

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Hearing God

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When he has brought his own sheep outside, he walks on before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.

John 10:4 (AMPC)

Who can hear from God? Does He only speak to the spiritually elite among us, or can every believer have a conversational relationship with Him? I spent many years practicing Christianity without ever being taught that I could hear from God. I talked to Him, mostly when I needed something, but it never occurred to me that He might want to say something back.

Thankfully, I have since learned that we can and should hear from God. He has no desire to give us minute-by-minute instructions about every choice we make, but He speaks to us regularly and we need to expect to hear Him. Education is vital in any area, and especially so in this one. I have read several books on the subject, and I have also written one, but I am reading another right now because of how important it is.

God, of course, speaks through His Word. The Bible is God speaking to us! He speaks through circumstances, people, peace, wisdom, and nature, just to mention a few of the ways we can learn to perceive what He is saying. We don’t normally hear God with our natural ears; we hear Him in our spirit through the still, small voice. We may discern, perceive, or know with certainty what God is communicating to us and yet not hear a voice. Or, if we do hear words, they often sound like our own voice because our mind is interpreting what our spirit knows.

If this is a new thought for you, I encourage you to study diligently in this area. There are people who do ridiculous and even wicked things claiming that God has told them to do so, but we should not let their sinful behavior frighten us and keep us from a wonderful privilege that is available to us. Learning to listen is the first rule of hearing. When you talk to God today, take a little time and listen. Let Him comfort you, sense His peace, and hear Him tell you that He loves you greatly.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I am sorry that I have spent so little time listening to You. I want to hear from You, and I believe it is Your will for me to do so. Teach me in this area. I am eager to learn, amen.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Fear of Life’s Final Moment 

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Maybe you share this deep desire: a desire to face death unafraid. To die without fright or a fight, perhaps even with a smile.

Some say that’s impossible. But Christ promises in John 14:1-3, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am” (TLB).

Jesus experienced a physical and factual resurrection. And—here it is— because he did, we will too! If Jesus’ tomb is empty, then his promise is not. So let’s die with faith. Jesus grants courage for the final passage, death.  No need to dread it or ignore it. Because of Jesus Christ, you can face it.

 

 

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Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – Jude: Fight for Faith

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Read Jude 1

If you live in a city, you know that road rage is real. Judging by the behavior of some drivers, that inch of space separating your car from the car in front of you was worth the price of their car and your life. To some, the penalty for not driving quickly enough is risking their lives to ride your bumper until you get the hint. When I see an instance of road rage, I wonder, Was the fight worth it?

Jude, the brother of Jesus, wrote his letter to remind Christians that, indeed, some fights are worth it, especially the fight for faith. In a world that assaults our confidence in Christ and the gospel, it is important to expend energy to keep our faith strong. This type of fight is willing to say “no” to certain things. As Titus 2:12 encourages, we are to “say ‘no’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.”

Jude’s readers were at risk because individuals had secretly infiltrated their community and were living contrary to the faith. Jude calls these people ungodly because by their behavior they were abusing God’s grace. They believed forgiveness meant they could live immoral lives (v. 4). By doing so they denied the authority of Christ! These people were a significant danger to the community. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians, “Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Cor. 15:33). Sinful conduct could spread throughout the community.

What should Jude’s readers do? He calls them to fight for faith (v. 3). In this case it means saying “no” to ungodliness, protecting themselves and their community from those who would lead them astray. Now, that is a fight worth fighting!

Go Deeper

How will you fight for the faith? Are you willing to say “no” to ungodliness in your family, your church, or your community? God is with you in this fight every step of the way. Extended Reading:

Jude

Pray with Us

Lord, we accept Jude’s challenge to fight for our faith. Sometimes the most difficult fight is within our own hearts! But we believe that You will “present [us] before his glorious presence without fault” (Jude 1:24).

Contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.Jude 1:3

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/

News and Info

Defending Western Civilization Is Not Bigotry, It’s Wisdom

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When Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke in Munich last week about the necessity of preserving Western Civilization, critics labeled his remarks “far right” and “sugar coated racism.” While that reaction is nearly reflexive for the modern left, it avoids the point Secretary Rubio was trying to make: Western Civilization is good and worth preserving.

This is not a remotely racist thing to say because Western Civilization is not an ethnicity. It’s not a genetic inheritance passed down through European bloodlines or a cultural preference for pastries and Bach. It is, at its core, a set of ideas about human dignity and the purpose of government; all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with inalienable rights that precede government itself. Because of this, the West determined that good government would serve the individual when the historical norm was that people served their government. The result has been unprecedented freedom and prosperity, but it still has serious competition.

Islamic theocracies believe the proper role of government is to compel submission to Islamic law for believers and infidels alike. In its most rigid forms, this produces governments with little respect for individual liberty—which explains why the most strictly Islamic nations rank among the world’s most oppressive.

Progressivism presents perhaps the most insidious challenge to Western ideals because it speaks the language of justice and equal rights while fundamentally rejecting Western principles. Where the West sees individuals, progressivism sees group identities. Where Western thought enshrines equal treatment under law, progressivism demands equal outcomes.

Under progressivism’s framework, government always takes the side of “the oppressed” who are to be believed and even obeyed regardless of facts, character, or competence. If you say you are a woman, then you are. Meanwhile, those deemed “oppressors” can expect to have their concerns ignored, their feelings dismissed, and their possession redistributed in the name of “equality.”

While these are not the only civilizational models, they illustrate that civilizational values can be mutually exclusive. You cannot merge Western Civilization and an Islamic theocracy. While it’s necessary to peacefully coexistence with people who are different than you, some differences are irreconcilable. Someone heading north cannot accommodate a travel companion determined to go south. At some point, we must agree to the same destination or part ways.

The disproportionate flow of migration into Western nations suggests there is something uniquely good about what the West has built.

None of this is racist.

Yes, Western Civilization developed in Europe, but the ideas on which Western Civilization is built have been embraced by people of every ethnicity because they’re good, true, and beautiful. The notion that we should reject these principles because of their European heritage is the actual racism—judging ideas not by their merit but by the skin color of their earliest proponents. Condemning Western Civilization because long-deceased Europeans did bad things is like refusing to use electricity because Thomas Edison mistreated animals in some of his experiments. It’s virtue signaling to your own detriment.

Does this mean Western Civilization is intolerant? In a sense, yes. If Western civilization is worth preserving, then we must oppose efforts to destroy it. But this is the productive intolerance of an immune system fighting disease, not the arbitrary bigotry of prejudice. It’s the kind of intolerance wisdom demands and survival requires.

None of this means Western Civilization is static. The arrival of an Indian restaurant is not a sign of civilizational collapse. In fact, the disproportionate flow of migration into Western nations suggests there is something uniquely good about what the West has built. But the kind of diversity that strengthens rather than destroys requires an understanding of why some places are better than others and a willingness to help move in that direction. Provided the people who love curry also come to understand that God made us in His image and gave us rights the government is obligated to protect, their curry makes us stronger.

Marco Rubio wasn’t engaging in coded racism last week. He was acknowledging and reasserting the choice every society must make: Which foundational principles will guide us? Refusing to have this conversation doesn’t make the question disappear—it simply ensures we’ll end up somewhere on accident. Despite the well-document imperfections of the people involved, Western Civilization represents humanity’s best answer yet to the question of how people should live together.

Defending that isn’t bigotry. It’s wisdom.

 

Joseph Backholm is senior fellow for Biblical worldview and strategic engagement at the Family Research Council.

 

Source: Defending Western Civilization Is Not Bigotry, It’s Wisdom – Harbinger’s Daily

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – God Sees All

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So I reflected on all this, attempting to clear it all up. I concluded that the righteous and the wise, as well as their works, are in the hand of God; whether a person will be loved or hated—no one knows what lies ahead.
Ecclesiastes 9:1, NET

Recommended Reading: Ecclesiastes 9:13-18

One of Jesus’ most comforting parables is that of the sheep and goats (Matthew 25:31-46). The sheep are those who inherit the Kingdom of God based on their faith that was manifested in humble acts of service: providing a meal, a drink, hospitality, clothing, medicine, or visitation. Think how many millions of such acts have been performed by Christians through the centuries that have gone unnoticed and unheralded by the world. The righteous are not always rewarded, nor are the wicked always punished—but God sees them all.

Solomon illustrated this irony: It is not always the fastest or strongest who win, nor the wisest or most skilled who get rewarded (Ecclesiastes 9:11). There is a seeming element of “chance” in life when it comes to victory and recognition at the human level. But God sees and records everything and will reward appropriately.

Solomon’s words remind us that we do not serve or strive to be rewarded but to one day hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21).

We are never more like Jesus than when we are serving Him or others.
Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Abusing God’s Name

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You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. Exodus 20:7

Today’s Scripture

Exodus 20:1-4, 7-8, 12-17

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Today’s Devotional

The vintage photograph from World War II, taken outside a town’s Nazi headquarters, carries a warning for all of us. In the photo, a comfortably dressed woman is crossing the street. A man in a suit walks down the sidewalk, while another has stopped to read a bulletin board on the corner of the building. All seem oblivious to the large banner hanging above the headquarters’ front door, half as long as the building. It reads, “By resisting the Jew, I fight for the work of the Lord.”

This kind of treachery is what God had in mind when He commanded, “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name” (Exodus 20:7). This command covers misusing His name when we curse or when we carelessly shout God’s name when we stub a toe or smash a finger. It also includes perversion—using God’s name as cover for evil.

We shouldn’t assume we’re doing God’s work simply because others say we are. We must prayerfully check our work with what God reveals in the Bible. How can we know we’re serving Him? Psalm 119:9 says, “By living according to your word.” The God who commands us to “always give [ourselves] fully to the work of the Lord” has told us what that work is in His holy book (1 Corinthians 15:58). Let’s listen to Him.

Reflect & Pray

What work have you done in the name of God? How do you know it was what He wanted?

 

Dear Father, please help me be wise, loving, and careful with what I do in Your name and help me guard Your name at all times.

God reveals His plans in unpredictable ways. Find out more by reading Scandalous Details and an Unexpected Hope.

 

Today’s Insights

The first five books of the Bible, the Torah, have many laws—613 according to Jewish reckoning—so it’s easy to miss their relational framework. The Ten Commandments begin: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery” (Exodus 20:2). Their obedience to God’s commandments expressed loyalty to their rescuer.

There’s another purpose for obedience to these covenantal laws: “Observe them carefully, for . . . what other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him?” (Deuteronomy 4:6-7). Israel’s obedience would reveal God’s character and presence to watching nations. To fail at this would bring dishonor to His holy name. Today, we can ask God to help us be wise in how we use His name as well.

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – “Jack Hughes for President”

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Reflections on the state of our union and our best future

President Trump delivered his annual “State of the Union” address to Congress and the nation last night. The speech was the longest ever, lasting 108 minutes, and covered a range of topics designed to buttress his party’s chances in the upcoming midterms.

A highlight for me and for many was the entrance of the US men’s hockey team into the House chamber. The president announced that he would be awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our nation’s highest civilian honor, to the team’s goaltender, Connor Hellebuyck.

Their story in winning the Olympic gold medal is inspirational on so many levels, among them the tribute paid by Jack Hughes, who scored the winning goal in overtime and later exulted, “This is all about our country right now. I love the USA. I love my teammates. It’s unbelievable. The US are a hockey brotherhood. It’s so strong and we had so much support from ex-players. I’m so proud to be an American today.”

Hughes made his remarks while missing two front teeth knocked out earlier in the game, which made images of him grinning while wrapped in the American flag especially iconic. The Wall Street Journal editorial board wrote, “There isn’t much that unifies all of America today, but the Olympic overtime victories by the US men’s and women’s hockey teams ought to qualify for anyone with a modicum of patriotic feeling.”

They titled their editorial, “Jack Hughes for President.”

When the other side is “immoral”

Judging from partisan reactions to Mr. Trump’s speech, the Journal board is right in their assessment of America’s unity or lack thereof. We should be saddened but unsurprised; in a Pew Research Center survey, 72 percent of Republicans said Democrats are “immoral,” while 63 percent of Democrats said the same of Republicans.

It is difficult to find common ground and make common cause with people whose character we find “dishonest,” “unintelligent,” and “close-minded” (other accusations the parties made against each other in the survey). When the other “side” is not just wrong but evil, how are we to forge a collective future with them?

In a now-iconic 1858 speech, Abraham Lincoln cited Jesus’ statement, “A house divided against itself cannot stand” (paraphrasing Luke 11:17). Mr. Lincoln was referring to slavery, but I wonder if he would issue the same warning with regard to our divisive time.

What is the way forward for our “United” States?

“Our country, right or wrong!”

The esteemed moral philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre once delivered a lecture that has outlived its context and its author. Titled “Is Patriotism A Virtue?”, it is one of the most thoughtful expositions of patriotism ever offered to our secularized society.

Dr. MacIntyre stated, “Patriotism is not to be confused with a mindless loyalty to one’s own particular nation which has no regard at all for the characteristics of that particular nation.” Conversely, he noted, “The morality for which patriotism is a virtue offers a form of rational justification for moral rules and precepts whose structure is clear and rationally defensible.”

He showed that morality, defined as adherence to objective ethical truths and principles, cannot be “patriotic” if the term is defined as unquestioned loyalty to one’s country. This version of patriotism was captured by US naval commander Stephen Decatur’s famous 1816 proclamation, “Our country, right or wrong!”

In this sense, the apostles were unpatriotic to the Jewish nation when they refused its leaders’ demand that they cease preaching the gospel (Acts 5:27–32). Christians today are similarly unpatriotic when we stand against unbiblical immorality such as elective abortion and same-sex marriage, despite their protected status in law.

I would counter that allegiance to biblical morality when it conflicts with our nation’s values is the most patriotic way to serve our nation. This is because obedience to God’s word leads us into our greatest flourishing and out of immorality that is destructive to our lives and country. If the apostles had ceased preaching the gospel when the authorities demanded that they do so, they would have deprived these leaders and the nation they served of the only path to salvation in this world and the world to come (cf. Acts 4:12).

Accordingly, we are at our most patriotic when we offer our nation what it most needs. And what it most needs is a personal relationship with our only Savior and the biblical truths that empower and enliven that relationship.

“To make us love our country”

Fifty-five years after Commodore Decatur’s proclamation, a German-born US general and US senator named Carl Schurz offered this clarification: “Our country right or wrong. When right, to be kept right; when wrong, to be put right.” The great British political philosopher Edmund Burke similarly stated, “To make us love our country, our country ought to be lovely.”

Here’s the problem: Our secular republic does not possess the inherent resources to be such a country. Our founding creed endows us with the rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” but it does not and cannot define them.

What is “happiness” to you may not be to me. So long as the pursuit of our versions of happiness (theoretically) does not harm others, our jurisprudence permits and even defends it. Thus, as I noted yesterday, much that is immoral in America is not illegal. And the freedom to be immoral cannot unify a nation or sustain its future.

So, once again, we find that the gospel is the answer to the question, whatever the question is.

“The duty of all Nations”

Jesus alone can sanctify sinful hearts and infuse us with a love for our neighbor that promotes our highest patriotism. He alone can empower us to forgive our fellow Americans, past and present, for injustices of the past and the present. He alone can enable us to serve our country and people with sacrificial, selfless humility.

Abraham Lincoln was therefore right to assert in his First Inaugural Address:

Intelligence, patriotism, Christianity, and a firm reliance on him, who has never yet forsaken this favored land, are still competent to adjust, in the best way, all our present difficulty.

Our greatest president echoed the wisdom of our first president when he began his 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation:

It is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favors.

To be at our patriotic best, let us perform all four duties today and every day, to the glory of God.

Quote for the day:

“To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian.” —George Washington

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Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – For or Against?

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 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first. 

—1 John 4:18–19

Scripture:

1 John 4:18-19 

I heard a story about a thief who broke into a house. He was looking around in the dark with his flashlight when he heard a voice say, “Jesus is watching you!” The thief nearly jumped out of his skin. He wondered, “Where did that voice come from?”

Again, he heard it. “Jesus is watching you!” Now the thief was terrified. He followed the sound of the voice with his flashlight and heaved a sigh of relief when he saw a parrot on a perch, who once again said, “Jesus is watching you!”

The thief laughed. Then he looked down, and at the foot of the parrot’s perch was a very large Doberman pinscher, baring his teeth.

The parrot looked down at the Doberman and said, “Sic ’em, Jesus.”

That’s a joke, of course. But there are people who believe that the Lord is out to get them or, at the very least, that He is against them.

It’s a lie, a common strategy of our spiritual enemy. Jesus said, “For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44 NLT).

The suggestion that God is against us is an especially brazen lie—one intended to persuade people to keep their distance from the Lord. It’s brazen because it contradicts one of the most important truths of Scripture.

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NLT).

“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8 NLT).

“This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins” (1 John 4:10 NLT).

“Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first” (1 John 4:18–19 NLT).

Why would the Lord show such love and sacrifice so much if He were against us?

Many Christians refer to their conversion as “the day I found the Lord.” But that’s not quite accurate. The truth is, He wasn’t lost—we were. Certainly, one day we discovered a God who loved us. But God found us before we found Him. He chose us before we chose Him. Jesus sought us out as a shepherd looks for a lost sheep.

The truth is, no one is more for us than the Lord.

Reflection Question: How can you keep from believing that God is against you? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

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