Sunday Musings II
- Pastor Jay Christianson
- Jun 20
- 5 min read
“I will reflect on all you have done and meditate on your actions.” ( Psalm 77:12 CSB)
Musing Number 1. On a recent Sunday, I asked the Lord why He brought revivals to people and nations rather than unleash a massive outpouring of the Holy Spirit around the world and sweep everyone into His kingdom. An interesting thought came back to me.
“Old wells are easier and quicker to fill than digging new wells. First one, then the other.”
That makes sense. People who have come to the Lord, been born again, and been discipled, yet have fallen away often need just a refreshing shower of grace from the Holy Spirit to rewet and reinvigorate them. Much of what new believers need to learn about the Lord over time has already soaked into “old” believers.
That’s one reason why I see many who were once children and teens, having grown up in a church community, turn back to the Lord as they pass out of their selfish years, usually during their college and young adult years. Not always, but I’ve seen a pattern. In fact, a young man whom I knew as a solid believer in High School about twenty years ago, who had wandered from the Lord, called me out of the blue with spiritual questions. It sounded very much like the Lord was doing a refilling, refreshing, and rejuvenating work in his life.
Come to think of it, this reminds me of the catch ponds in my community in Florida. During the summer, we get a lot of rain. And by that, I mean a lot. Beaucoup buckets, to be more precise. When we get hit with a five- to ten-inch rainfall, those catch ponds can rise several feet. However, during the dry winter months, many of those same ponds shrink considerably, much to the chagrin of the recently moved-to-the-community Facebook participants.
When the ponds shrink, these newcomers get their underwear in a knot. Those of us who have been through a few drought-deluge cycles know it’s just a matter of waiting until the blessing comes from on high. The Lord never disappoints us.
When we look out over our community, state, nation, and global landscape, we may be tempted to despair at the spiritual dryness of our fellows. Don’t fret or worry. The rain always comes, and the wells fill again. The last two thousand years of church history prove that the Lord pours out fresh water, i.e., His Holy Spirit, in every generation. May He saturate us once again in our day. May He refill the old wells. And may His rain prepare new ground for digging new wells among those who are hard and dry, having never encountered their wonderful God.
Musing Number 2. I’m not surprised at the kind of people who have participated in the relatively recent NoKings.org protest. You don’t have to be a genius to see that the entire event was infused with Leftist politics, a distinctly anti-Trump/MAGA/Conservative bent, and soaked in Marxist philosophy. I couldn’t agree more with their “No Kings” declaration. However, I thought we in the United States had already settled that back in 1776.
Maybe the protestors missed that class in school while they were out doin’ their doobies off school grounds.
But this is what hit me on this same Sunday. Their “No Kings” protestation is not just a declaration of defiance and resistance against the authority of a duly elected President and his administration they want to overturn—their cry smacks of their rebellion against God.
Think I’m wrong? I could be. But take a moment to examine the Left’s theological views, Marxist philosophies, and social goals. They work to upend biblical morals, erase God from the public square, and usurp His throne with their warped moral code with the end goal of wielding absolute power to impose their wicked, rebellious will over every area of every other person’s life.
Case in point, their edicts and attempts at social reengineering during the COVID scamdemic from 2020 to 2024. If ever there were those seeking to be kings, that was it. Their hypocryny (ironic hypocrisy) is strong. Thank God, He didn’t let them get away with it.
But it won’t end. If we’re in, or approaching, the End Times, I fully expect the “No Kings” movement to expand as people oppose Jesus’ inevitable return. Because the Left and radical Islam have the same Conquer and Dominate Everything attitude, I see a federation of the two to stand against the coming King, starting with His awaiting subjects, the Jews and Christians.
It makes me think of Psalm 2. “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers conspire together against the Lord and his Anointed One: ‘Let’s tear off their chains and throw their ropes off of us.’ The one enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord ridicules them. Then he speaks to them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath: ‘I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain’” (Psalm 2:1-6).
Too bad for them. Their ‘No Kings’ is a futile attempt to hold onto sinful autonomy. If they would just embrace the King, their angst level would mellow.
Musing Number 3. As Christians, we’re not studying for a pass-fail final test that will come when we die or if Jesus returns. We’re already in the test to determine if we pass or fail at the end. For my Calvinist friends, the pass-fail grade is about proving whether they are saved or not. For my Arminian friends, the pass-fail grade is about proving whether they have maintained their salvation through faithfulness or not. I’m not going to split soteriological (the study of salvation) hairs here. Either way, “let us beware that none of you be found to have fallen short” (Hebrews 4:1). By the way, you can find all the crib notes for our ongoing test in the Bible. Life is an open-book test. All you have to do is open it.
Looking for help reading and understanding the Bible? If you want a great resource to help you read and understand the Bible, check out my Cruisin’ Through the Bible series. It’s the entire Bible in a twelve-month set that provides a through-the-Bible-in-a-year reading schedule along with a very readable commentary. Check it out here!
Shining the Light of God’s Truth on the Road Ahead
Pastor Jay Christianson
The Truth Barista, Frothy Thoughts