Friday, January 29, 2010

DID SCOTT BROWN RECEIVE ASSISTANCE FROM ABOVE?

Was Scott Brown’s recent U.S. Senate seat victory in Massachusetts a fluke, or did God have a direct hand in the outcome? This win by Mr. Brown brought about an abrupt and timely cessation to the imminent passing of federal policies, which would grow government, and by doing so, limit the freedoms of this nation’s citizens. Assuredly, no one saw this one coming!

So many individuals, around the world, pray daily for God’s intercession and protection of the United States. They know that God has richly blessed America, but fear that our contemporary leaders have moved away from the guiding principles that have served this country so well. [Those] principles, established by the word of God, permeate America’s constituted foundation, making the United States the most humane and charitable nation on earth. Among God’s abundant and absolute answers to prayer, one should consider that the recent appropriation of the democratically controlled Senate seat by Scott Brown was providential. This divine intervention is revealed by God’s consistent use of “extremes” to instruct and direct His children

In my on-going reading of the Holy Bible, I am continuously struck by God’s manner of applying “extremes” in communicating lessons and instruction to His followers. God performs miracles every day, and uses ordinary people and unlikely circumstances to fulfill them.

It is not my purpose, in this writing, to interpret God’s intent for His use of “extremes;” I simply want to establish the connection of the unlikely victory in Massachusetts with the manner in which God often reveals His active and guiding hand in our lives. There are far too many examples of improbable players and circumstances in the Bible to disclose them in this format. So, let’s review a couple of well-known instances:

Jesus, the Son of God, was born into this world in a cave shared by barnyard animals. [His] birthplace, Bethlehem, was under the dominion of the “Madman,” Herod, who enjoyed the backing of Rome. The Jews expected a great military king to be their promised Messiah – one who would overthrow Rome’s control of their people. A carpenter, born in a cave, did not provide the royal image the Jews were certain their Messiah would possess.

Sarah wanted to give Abraham a son, but at 90-years old, understood she was well passed a fertile age. However, God promised Abraham his own nation, inhabited by many descendants through his marriage with Sarah. Abraham and Sarah conceived a son, Isaac, when Abraham was 100-years old. Several years after Isaac’s birth, God instructed Abraham to sacrifice his only son with Sarah as a burnt offering. God was testing Abraham’s obedience to make clear that Abraham loved God even more than his promised and long-awaited son. In the end, God spared Isaac’s life. God did not just ask a righteous man of younger years, with many sons, to sacrifice a single son. God instructed a man beyond child-seeding years, to sacrifice his only son.

Moses delivered two million Israelites from slavery in Egypt to self-determination in Israel. This unlikely emancipator was the adopted grandson of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. God used an inarticulate royal family member of Egypt to become the spokesperson for the liberation of His chosen people.

A mere boy, and the youngest of eight brothers, David killed the 9-foot tall Philistine soldier (Goliath), who was taunting and challenging the entire Israelite army. Upon witnessing Goliath’s demise, at the hand of a boy, the Philistine army retreated, in fear, from the Israelites. David later succeeded Saul as the greatest king of Israel.

The Apostle Paul shaped the early Christian church more than any single individual, other than Jesus, himself. By following Jesus’ instruction to spread the Gospel throughout the world, Paul offered Christ’s salvation to the gentiles. Prior to meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul (then named Saul) was a Pharisee, dedicated to persecuting those who followed Jesus’ teachings. Paul was zealous in his hatred of the Christian faith; he sought and obtained authority from the Jewish high priests to capture and arrest Christians in Damascus, so that he could return them to Jerusalem for prosecution and death-sentencing.

These are just a few examples of God selecting the most unlikely individuals and circumstances to reveal His truths.

Just thirty days ago, only a relatively few knew the name Scott Brown. Yet, today, Mr. Brown is a national hero to many. A month ago, Scott Brown was 30 percentage points down to his rival, heir apparent, Martha Coakley. To make the argument for God’s use of “extremes,” and thus, His hand in this process, it was ostensibly impossible for a conservative Republican to take a Senate seat (held for forty-two years by a Democrat) in the most liberal, progressive – secular state in the union. Thank you, Jesus, for your answers to our prayers!