Is the Writing on the Wall for America?
Biden's latest indictment of Trump, the collapsing economy, the moral collapse of our institutions, a degraded Military, and the “wokification” of the Church—America needs Daniel's Prayer!
In the same hour, the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6 Then the king’s countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him so that the joints of his hips were loosened, and his knees knocked against each other. Daniel 5:5-6
The Book of Daniel recounts an intriguing tale of a banquet hosted by King Belshazzar, a wealthy and wicked Babylonian ruler. During the party, the sacred vessels from the Jewish temple, stolen by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC, were used sacrilegiously during a drunken stupor. Amidst the revelry, a mysterious message, "mene mene tekel upharsin," appeared on the wall, written by an unseen hand. King Belshazzar was terrified, and none of his wise men could decipher the meaning of the words. Eventually, the prophet Daniel was summoned to interpret the message.
Daniel interpreted the words "numbered, numbered, weighed, divided" for King Nebuchadnezzar. "Mene" meant the king's reign would end soon, "Tekel" showed his lacking, and "Peres" indicated the kingdom would be given to others. I’m sure King Belshazzar was thinking that sometimes too much to drink is not enough!
The handwriting on the wall proved true. It proved fatal for the dissolute Belshazzar. Just as Daniel had said, the kingdom of Babylon was divided between the Medes and Persians, and it happened that very night. Belshazzar was slain, and his kingdom passed to Darius the Mede!
Biden's latest indictment of Trump, the collapsing economy, and the moral collapse of our Institutions, America Desperately Needs to Pray Daniel’s Prayer! Whether you love or hate President Trump, the question becomes how many times Biden’s Department of Justice will charge the former President.
This latest charge comes at a time when Biden's approval rating is tanking to an all-time low at 38%, and based on the latest Congressional testimony Hunter Biden’s former business partner is spilling his guts to Congress. And the latest polls show Trump is leading Biden in many swing states.
The crux of the DOJ’s charge is Trump's belief that the 2020 election was stolen. Didn’t we hear for four years from Hillary Clinton and the Democrats that Trump and Russia stole the 2016 Election? But it gets worse, the way that Special Counsel Jack Smith has written the charges, they could include the death penalty for the former President. Yes, the Death Penalty! But it gets better that the Judge assigned in the case is Judge Tanya Chutkan, a big Obama donor appointed by Barrack Obama. And the jury is conveniently in Washington, D.C. I'm sure all of this is just a coincidence.
According to Newsweek: “a conviction of former President Donald Trump in all three of the recent indictments could be a "death sentence," according to a legal expert. "Trump is 77 years old, so any significant sentence will essentially be a death sentence for the former president," Neama Rahmani, president of West Coast Trial Lawyers and former federal prosecutor, told Newsweek on Wednesday.”
What is happening, America? It's not like Trump took ten million dollars in bribes from the Chinese or millions of dollars in bribes from Ukraine. What has recently been alleged against President Biden? My message to the Disciples of Jesus is simple---God has got this!
God put Joe Biden in office, and God put Donald Trump in office. The chess pieces that move today are nothing compared to how God moves the pieces in the universe. Earlier in chapter two, Daniel praised God for revealing the meaning of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. The dream was about a statue made of different metals that represented the succession of kingdoms in world history. God showed Daniel that he was the one who controlled the rise and fall of human empires and that he would establish his eternal kingdom in the end.
And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. 22 He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him. Daniel 2:21-22
Whether you’re a communist Democrat or a fundamentalist Republican, it doesn’t matter. The political masters may believe they are in control, but this is an illusion. Our Lord and Savior “changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings.”
Having depth perception is crucial for navigating the world around us. I have a close friend who is legally blind, and he can only perceive what's directly in front of him. I realized his limited sight when I reached out to shake his hand after not seeing him for a while, but he didn't acknowledge my handshake. In photography, this is referred to as "depth of field," where an object is captured with the background out of focus, resulting in a lack of depth. Typically, top athletes in sports like football and basketball possess exceptional vision, including depth perception and peripheral awareness, which allows them to identify openings and gaps.
The hard truth in God’s domain is that those not in Jesus Christ cannot perceive things with depth and peripheral vision. This is quite evident in America today, where many cannot see what Satan and his demons are up to. They are like the legally blind, lacking depth perception and peripheral vision. It's easy to understand the mindset of the "now generation" since they cannot see beyond the present.
However, the Bible helps us to understand present-day living in the context of future certainties. As Disciples of Jesus, we gain depth perception through the power of the Holy Ghost and knowledge through the Book of Life, which is God's way of providing us with a clearer understanding of things.
Daniel Chapter Nine is a genuinely ironic and profound portion of Scripture. Chapter Nine is known for Daniel’s prayer and is a model worthy of our study, meditation, and, most importantly, imitation. Yes, imitation; you have heard the old saying that imitation is the most extraordinary form of flattery. When you and I imitate the living scriptures, inspired by the living spirit, produced by our living God, it is pleasing to Him. And that is precisely what America should be doing. Indeed, Daniel’s Prayer is America’s Prayer. Israel has been in Babylonian captivity for over seventy years. Daniel's Prayer is summed up in verses in this passage:
Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous but because of your great mercy. Daniel 9: 17-18
Did you catch the word Desolation? Why is Jerusalem in Desolation? His people are captive to godless forces. Eerily similar to today-hence, America is captive to Godless forces. We see it in our government, institutions, big business, big tech; America is a modern-day Babylon. Why are the Israelites desolate? The same reason is that America is desolate. Because their hearts, their minds, and their everyday lives are captured by someone other than God.
In 1520, Martin Luther wrote "The Babylonian Captivity of the Church." He meant that forces and powers foreign to Christ and his Word had captured the mind and heart of the church. She, the Church, the Bride of Christ, was bonded to godless forces. Let that sink in so Daniel, as the Church's leader, was not making excuses, nor was he casting blame. He owned it and was petitioning God to take them out of bondage.
Could you tell me about the Church today? That is the situation in much of the church today. Millions of churchgoers today think the way the world thinks, and many Churches operate their Church like a secular business than a temple led by Jesus Christ. The simple assumptions governing behavior and choices come more from what is absorbed from our culture than the Word of God.
The church shares the love affair of the world with prosperity and ease and self. If we want to be honest, many groups of Christians are not different from the spirit of Babylon, even though the Lord says that we are aliens and exiles and are not to be conformed to this age. So, like Israel of old, much of God's church today is captive to godless forces. We see it clearly in America and across the world today.
Like in Babylon, in today's society, the American Church has become more American and not enough Church. We often work tirelessly to create new strategies, plans, and organizations to promote the Church and expand the gospel's reach. However, as outlined in the Bible, our core beliefs remain unchanged. Biblical doctrine remains the same since the cannon was closed!
God has a unique plan for us; we are His chosen method for spreading His message. Instead of seeking out new machinery or innovative methods, the Church needs strong and faithful men of prayer, whom the Holy Ghost can use. The Holy Ghost does not work through methods or machinery but through the people devoted to him. Therefore, the Church should focus on nurturing men of prayer capable of carrying out God's will.
Daniel’s Prayer must be America’s prayer! To truly understand this incredible spiritual message, a desire to comprehend the signs of God is essential for a spiritual return to God. Simply acknowledging the existence of God in Heaven is insufficient. America desperately needs a relationship with Jesus Christ. King Belshazzar failed to learn the proper spiritual lesson from both Nebuchadnezzar before him and the wondrous sign from God's hand. He did not submit his heart to God nor allow the sign to bring about spiritual change within him.
When hands write on the wall—Can We Read It America? America needs to learn from the humbling experiences of God’s word, not just in our time, but in past generations. God has various ways of humbling us through his providence, but he also intends for us to learn humility by observing how others have been humbled. America needs humbling before it's too late! America needs revival! Remember, Brothers and Sisters in Christ, God is in control, Not Biden, Not Trump, Not Putin, Not Xi! Only God!
Father God, America is a desolate sanctuary; we do not make requests of you because we are righteous but because of your great mercy. Go Bold, Disciples of Jesus!