American evangelicalism has largely spent 2020 spurning the Lord’s adamant call to the humility and repentance of Joel 2. And now He has brought us into “the valley of decision” in Joel 3, where there is a great decision that is waiting before us, if we have eyes to see. Many believers have been drinking the wine of “the lust of the eyes” and “the lust of the flesh” (1 John 2:16) and have ruined their ability to see what’s before us.

The Lord is allowing the “strong delusion” (2 Thessalonians 2:11) of national pride to try us and test our evangelical family right now; essentially, to force our hand; to disclose what’s really within our hearts; that which is “Christian” (1 John 3:2) and will stand, or that which is weak and needs to be replaced with His might and His strength.

“I, the Lord, probe into people’s minds. I examine people’s hearts. I deal with each person according to how he has behaved. I give them what they deserve based on what they have done.” (Jeremiah 17:10)

“All a person’s ways seem right in his own opinion, but the Lord evaluates his thoughts.” (Proverbs 21:2)

“The crucible is for refining silver and the furnace is for gold,likewise the Lord tests hearts.” (Proverbs 17:3)

“We have rebelled and tried to deceive the Lord; we turned back from following our God. We stir up oppression and rebellion; we tell lies we concocted in our minds.” (Isaiah 59:13)

“Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that he may perhaps forgive you for the intent of your heart.” (Acts 8:22)

“Examine me, O Lord, and test me. Evaluate my inner thoughts and motives.” (Psalm 26:2)

He tests us so that our hearts will be found unequivocally loyal to Him and His ways in the moment of His arrival. Many will turn to the Lord for purification and He will beautify them in His Son. Many more will fail the test and give themselves to destructive powers that are already at work in our world to destroy it.

The Lord is saying: “You can give yourself to exalting a man, or you can exalt Me. You cannot do both. This is syncretism and love with mixture. (James 3:17) Exalt Me! You can run to the shelter of a nation and a constitution, or you can run into My shelter and seek My face. But you cannot find refuge in both places. Only one will ‘set you high upon a rock’ in ‘the time of trouble’.” And beloved, we’re in “the time of trouble”. We need the True Rock. We need to genuinely give ourselves to “Beholding His beauty” and “inquiring in His temple”.

If you’re fighting against election fraud, but you find no place to humble yourself before the One Who is examining the integrity of every human heart, your soul is in peril. (Or if you’re fighting against the fight for election fraud and find no place to humble yourself before God, your soul is in peril.)

If you’re awake to the dangers of globalism and sounding the alarm about COVID restrictions but your heart is asleep to the sound of His voice, your soul is in peril.

If you’re waging the good fight against abortion and not laying your head on His chest to hear His heartbeat, your soul is in peril.

If you’re trying to set up the props of your own nation, while He’s bringing your nation to humility and repentance over the depth and length of her long list of sins, your soul is in peril – AND you’re working against the purposes of the Lord.

Beloved, it’s so vital that we examine the two ways that loom before us in light of His Word. The longer we look, the more we see how very divergent they are from each other.

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JSB • December, 2020