Category Current Events

The resident raptor raps about current events

Elam’s Shaking and the God Who Directs the Nations

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

Opening Statement

The headlines are not random. They are not driven by governments. They are not controlled by human leaders. Scripture shows that God moves nations like pieces on a board. What we are seeing today is not chaos—it is alignment. Elam is shaking as Jeremiah said it would. Nations are realigning as Ezekiel said they would. God is not reacting to history. He is directing it.

The Sovereign Hand Behind the Shaking

When nations tremble, the world rushes to assign blame to leaders, policies, or political miscalculations. Yet Scripture insists that the true cause of national upheaval is not found in the halls of government. It is found in the throne room of God.

Daniel declared, “He changes times and seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings” (Daniel 2:21). Isaiah wrote that God “brings princes to nothing and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness” (Isaiah 40:23). Proverbs reminds us that “the king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord… He turns it wherever He will” (Proverbs 21:1).

These are not poetic sentiments; they are the spiritual mechanics behind every geopolitical tremor. Nations rise because God lifts them. Nations fall because God humbles them. And when a region shakes, it is not chaos—it is choreography.

The present turmoil in the land the Bible calls Elam is not a modern accident. It is the unfolding of a prophetic pattern spoken long before the nations of today existed.

The Prophecy Spoken Over Elam

Jeremiah 49:34–39 contains a sequence that reads like a spiritual blueprint for the region:

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the mainstay of their might” (Jeremiah 49:35).

The “bow” symbolized military strength, national pride, and the ability to project power. When God breaks a nation’s bow, He breaks its confidence. Many who lived through the rise of a dark ideology in that region testify that the breaking began decades ago. It did not start with the fall of rulers. It began with the breaking of the people’s will to endure oppression. They fled. They scattered. They carried their grief into the nations.

Jeremiah continues:

“I will bring upon Elam the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and I will scatter them to all those winds” (Jeremiah 49:36).

This is more than metaphor; it describes diaspora. It is the story of families who fled violence and deception. It is the story of a people who became exiles in every direction. And it is the story of a remnant who never stopped praying for the day when the darkness would crack.

The Diaspora Rejoices Before the Land Does

Jeremiah’s prophecy gives unusual attention to the scattered ones. They are the first to sense the shift. They are the first to rejoice. They are the first to see the collapse of the old order.

This is the biblical pattern. When Babylon fell, the exiles rejoiced before Jerusalem was rebuilt. When persecution scattered the early church, revival began in the diaspora before it returned to Judea.

Jeremiah echoes this pattern:

“I will terrify Elam before their enemies… and I will send the sword after them until I have consumed them” (Jeremiah 49:37).

Fear, instability, and internal collapse strike the land, but the scattered remnant sees hope rising. Today, Iranians across the world—those who fled the cruelty of an oppressive system—are celebrating the weakening of the old structures. Their joy is not political. It is spiritual. It is the relief of a people who have waited in exile for the day when the night would break.

The Collapse of the Old Order

Jeremiah’s prophecy moves next to the downfall of leadership:

“I will set My throne in Elam and destroy from there king and princes, declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 49:38).

This is not about individuals. It is about systems. It is about spiritual strongholds. It is about the collapse of an order built on deception, violence, and pride.

Scripture consistently shows that when rulers exalt themselves, God brings them low. Nebuchadnezzar learned an important lesson. God declared to him, “The Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He will” (Daniel 4:32). God spoke to Pharaoh directly. He told him, “For this purpose I have raised you up, to show you My power” (Exodus 9:16). Every proud empire eventually learns it.

The present instability in Elam’s region is not random. It is the shaking of an order God has judged. Nations surrounding the region are no longer intimidated; they are alarmed, unified, and increasingly resistant. This is exactly how Jeremiah described the unraveling: a nation whose aggression provokes opposition on every side.

God Establishes His Throne in Elam

The most astonishing line in Jeremiah’s prophecy is not the judgment—it is the promise:

“I will set My throne in Elam.”

God does not say this about many places. This is not political language. It is spiritual language. It means:

  • A divine visitation
  • A spiritual awakening
  • A remnant rising
  • A new identity forming
  • A region once dark becoming a place of light

Even now, the underground church in that region is growing. Even now, the scattered remnant is awakening. Even now, the spiritual atmosphere is shifting. The throne of God is not a palace. It is a people. And God is establishing His rule in the hearts of those who once fled in sorrow.

The Restoration of Elam

Jeremiah concludes with hope:

“But in the latter days I will restore the fortunes of Elam, declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 49:39).

Restoration does not require a new government. It requires a new spiritual center. Restoration does not begin with borders. It begins with hearts. Restoration does not wait for political stability. It begins when God’s throne is established among a remnant.

This restoration may come sooner than many expect. Not decades. Not generations. But in a season of divine acceleration. The scattered ones are already rejoicing. The old order is already shaking. The spiritual soil is already softening.

The Realignment of Nations

While Elam experiences breaking and restoration, the broader region historically known as Persia moves toward the alignment Ezekiel described. Scripture often speaks of the same land under different names in different prophetic contexts. Thus it is with Elam, which was part of the larger area known as Persia.

Ezekiel 38 names Persia as part of a future coalition:

“Persia, Cush, and Put are with them” (Ezekiel 38:5).

This is not contradiction. It is two layers of prophecy unfolding at once:

  • Elam — breaking, scattering, collapse, restoration
  • Persia — alignment, coalition, confrontation, divine intervention

The present moment is the Elam moment. The future moment will be the Persia moment.

Nations are sorting themselves into patterns Scripture already revealed. Some toward hostility. Some toward blessing. Some toward restoration. God is moving the pieces. The board is His. The timing is His. The outcome is His.

The Watchman’s Charge

A watchman does not interpret events through politics. A watchman interprets events through Scripture. The message is simple:

  • God is shaking Elam.
  • God is restoring a remnant.
  • God is collapsing an old order.
  • God is realigning nations.
  • God is preparing the stage for what Ezekiel saw.
  • God is sovereign over every headline.

The nations are not in control. The governments are not in control. The alliances are not in control.

The headlines will change; alliances will shift. But the Lord reigns. The Lord directs. The Lord restores.

While You Are On the Way

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

The Window That Closed

War never erupts in a vacuum. It grows in the soil of pride. It grows in the silence after warnings. It grows in the stubbornness that refuses to bend even when the ground begins to shake. The headlines coming out of Iran this week are not merely the record of a conflict. They are the final chapters of a story that began long before the first missile left the ground. They show the outcomes of a spiritual law Jesus expressed with unnerving simplicity. “Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him…” (Matthew 5:25).

That phrase, while you are on the way, is the hinge on which this entire moment turns. Jesus was not giving diplomatic advice. He was revealing the way judgment works. There is always a window, a narrow and merciful one, where peace is still possible. A moment where humility can still soften what pride has hardened. A moment where the matter can still be settled before it reaches the judge, the officer, and the prison. Once that window closes, the process takes on a life of its own, and the consequences become the teacher.

The Headlines as Parable

For weeks, diplomats moved back and forth across the region, trying to pull the situation back from the edge. Warnings were issued. Opportunities for de-escalation were offered. Even Iran’s own foreign minister admitted that a deal was close. But instead of humility, there was defiance. Instead of softening, there was boasting. Instead of seeking peace, there was the familiar posture of ideological rigidity—the kind that has toppled empires and buried kings.

And then the dam broke.

Israel and the United States launched coordinated strikes across Iran, hitting missile sites, air-defense systems, and IRGC command centers. Explosions lit the night sky over Tehran. Iran responded with ballistic missiles aimed at Israel and U.S. bases across the Middle East. Air raid sirens wailed in Jerusalem. Airports across the Gulf shut down. Thousands of flights were canceled.

The wages of sin are always paid in human lives, and the innocent often pay the highest price. “For the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23).

This is what it looks like when a nation refuses to make peace on the way. The matter is handed over to the judge. The judge hands it to the officer. And the officer carries out the sentence. Jesus’ imagery is not poetic; it is prophetic. It is what we are watching unfold in real time.

Persia’s Prophetic Trajectory

There is another layer here—one the headlines cannot see but Scripture has already spoken. Persia, the ancient name for modern Iran, is not a footnote in biblical prophecy. It is a named participant in the alignments described in Ezekiel 38–39. The nation is drawn into a conflict it cannot control. Its pride becomes the very snare that tightens around its feet. The current moment does not fulfill that prophecy, but it moves along the same trajectory. It reveals the same spiritual posture. It exposes the same refusal to bow when God extends the offer of peace. “Let them make peace with Me… yes, let them make peace with Me.” (Isaiah 27:5).

There are three sides to every argument: yours, mine, and God’s—and His is the only one that matters. Nations tell their stories. Leaders craft their narratives. Commentators choose their angles. But heaven is not confused. God is not taking sides in geopolitical disputes; He is opposing pride wherever it rises. He is resisting arrogance wherever it speaks. He is judging violence wherever it is embraced as policy or identity. He is calling His people to see through His eyes. They should not look through the lenses handed to them by governments, media outlets, or tribal loyalties.

The Consequence of Rejecting Peace

A Watchman does not predict outcomes. A Watchman names patterns. The pattern here is painfully clear. The window for peace was open. Pride closed it. Now the shaking has begun. The question is not which nation is right. The question is what God is saying in the shaking—and whether His people will hear it.

What we are witnessing is not simply a war. It is the consequence of rejecting the Prince of Peace. It is the harvest of choices made long before the first strike. It is the arrival at a destination. Each mile was chosen. Decisions were made one by one. Acts of defiance accumulated, all while the world was still on the way.

Closing Prayer

Father, teach us to walk humbly with You. Give us the wisdom to seek Your face while we are still on the way. Help us find You before the moment of reckoning arrives. Soften our hearts where pride has taken root. Lead us into repentance where we have resisted Your voice. Make us peacemakers in a world that rushes toward conflict. And keep us anchored in Your truth, Your mercy, and Your sovereignty. May we choose humility now, not after judgment has already begun. In Jesus’ name, amen.

A CALL TO THE WANDERER

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

The Shepherd Who Seeks

When someone goes missing,

the unanswered questions linger

—day after day, night after night

—refusing to let the heart rest.

When the sheep strays, the Shepherd does not shrug and move on. Jesus said, “What man of you… does not leave the ninety‑nine in the wilderness and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it?” (Luke 15:4). His pursuit is not casual—it is determined, deliberate, and unrelenting. He does not stop until the lost one is lifted onto His shoulders and carried home with joy.

The Lamp That Reveals

When the coin slips into the shadows, Jesus tells us the woman “lights a lamp, sweeps the house, and searches carefully until she finds it.” (Luke 15:8). She refuses to accept loss as final. She refuses to let darkness have the last word. Her lamp burns, her hands move —because value does not diminish simply because something is hidden.

The Father Who Restores

And when the son wanders into rebellion and ruin, Scripture says, “While he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion.” (Luke 15:20). The Father never stopped watching the horizon. His love outran the son’s shame. His embrace interrupted the son’s rehearsed apology. Restoration came faster than condemnation could speak.

These parables are not stories about human persistence—they are revelations of heaven’s heart. Jesus said plainly, “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10). Whether the missing one is a mother like Nancy Guntrie, a friend who vanished without explanation, or a soul wandering far from God, the truth remains: no one is beyond the reach of the Shepherd, the search of the Spirit, or the love of the Father.

Nothing Is Hidden From God

Loss wears many faces, and Scripture refuses to limit God’s concern to only one kind.

Some are lost physically. Some are lost emotionally. Some are lost spiritually. But none are lost to Him.

David declared, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” (Psalm 139:7). Even in the darkest places, “the darkness shall not hide from You.” (Psalm 139:12). What is hidden to us is never hidden to God. What is lost to us is never lost to Him.

Jesus promised, “There is nothing hidden which will not be revealed.” (Mark 4:22). He repeated it again: “Nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known.” (Luke 8:17). Paul echoes this truth: “God will bring to light the hidden things of darkness.” (1 Corinthians 4:5).

God uncovers what needs to be found. He reveals what needs to be seen. He brings into the open what the enemy tried to bury.

The God Who Restores

Restoration is not a side theme—it is the central promise of God’s covenant love.
Scripture does not whisper about restoration—it declares it again and again:

“I will restore to you the years that the locust has eaten.” (Joel 2:25)
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3)
“I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds.” (Jeremiah 30:17)
“The God of all grace… will restore, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” (1 Peter 5:10)
“Behold, I make all things new.” (Revelation 21:5)

God does not merely repair—He restores. He does not patch—He renews. He does not discard—He redeems.

Heaven’s Joy Over the Found

And when the lost one is found—whether physically or spiritually—heaven does not whisper a polite welcome. Jesus said, “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:10). Restoration is not begrudging—it is celebrated.

We are not only recipients of this grace—we are participants in the search. We pray, we watch, we shine light into dark places, and we stand ready to embrace those who return, whether from miles away or from the far country of the soul.

Closing Declaration

What is lost will be found.
What is hidden will be revealed.
What is broken will be restored.
Amen!

When a Nation Resists Its Own Healing

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

As America enters Her 250th year of existence, let’s take a moment to pause. We should think about the State of the Union before the President’s address to the Nation in a few days.

There are seasons in a nation’s life. The symptoms of decay rise so clearly to the surface. Even the untrained eye can see them. Corruption becomes normalized. Dishonesty becomes expected. Debt becomes a way of life. Institutions become self-preserving rather than people-serving. Truth becomes inconvenient, and justice becomes negotiable. These are not modern problems. They are ancient ones. Solomon captured it with piercing simplicity when he wrote, “There is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9)

What once was will be again, because human nature has not changed. And the spiritual laws that govern nations have not changed either. If we want to understand the moment we are living in, we must return to the Scriptures. We should not seek political commentary there. Instead, we should aim to find spiritual diagnosis.

The story of Jehoshaphat flows directly from the covenant promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14. It provides a lens to see our own national condition with clarity and sobriety.

The Symptoms of a Nation in Decline

Before Jehoshaphat ever stepped into leadership, Judah was already sick. The symptoms were visible everywhere. Judges accepted bribes. Leaders protected their own interests rather than the people’s. Alliances were forged out of fear rather than faith. The culture tolerated dishonesty because it had grown accustomed to it. The system rewarded corruption because corruption had become the system.

Scripture describes this kind of national decay with painful accuracy:

“Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts; they do not bring justice to the fatherless, and the widow’s cause does not come to them.” (Isaiah 1:23)

A nation does not collapse because of one leader. A nation collapses because of a culture that prefers darkness to light.

Jesus said, “People loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19) When darkness becomes comfortable, truth becomes offensive.

The System Beneath the Symptoms

Corruption is never random. It is architectural. It is built into the bones of a nation when righteousness is neglected. By the time Jehoshaphat arrived, Judah’s institutions had become self-protecting organisms. They rewarded partiality, concealed dishonesty, and punished anyone who threatened the status quo.

This is the same pattern the prophets confronted:

“Shall I acquit the man with wicked scales and with a bag of deceitful weights?” (Micah 6:11)

“Hear this, you who trample the needy… saying, ‘When will the new moon be over, that we may sell grain… making the ephah small and the shekel great and dealing deceitfully with false balances?’” (Amos 8:4–5)

When a system becomes corrupt, it does not merely harm the weak. It eventually devours the very people who built it.

God Sends a Reformer, Not a Committee

Into this environment, God raised up Jehoshaphat—not as a politician, not as a celebrity, but as a reformer. His assignment was not to preserve the system but to purify it. He appointed honest judges, confronted corruption, restored accountability, and called the nation back to God.

Scripture records his charge to the judges:

“Consider what you do, for you judge not for man but for the LORD. He is with you in giving judgment.” (2 Chronicles 19:6)

Jehoshaphat understood something many forget: Reform is not a political act. Reform is a spiritual intervention.

The Resistance to Reform

But not everyone welcomed the light. Those who benefited from the corruption resisted the reform. Those who prospered under dishonesty opposed accountability. Those who feared losing influence fought the very changes that would have healed the nation.

This is the tragedy of every generation. People cry out for healing. However, when God sends the healer, they resist Him.

Jesus lamented this same pattern:

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem… how often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” (Matthew 23:37)

A nation cannot be healed if it refuses the hand that heals it.

Miriam’s Warning: Do Not Resist the Vessel God Chooses

Miriam’s story stands as a sobering warning. She did not reject God. She rejected the vessel God chose. She questioned Moses’ authority, challenged his assignment, and believed she had equal standing in the mission. But God responded swiftly:

“Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?” (Numbers 12:8)

Her leprosy was not punishment. It was revelation—a visible picture of an invisible rebellion.

When you resist the person God selects to bring deliverance, you are not fighting a man. You are fighting God. And when you fight God, you bring judgment upon your own head.

The Consequence of National Resistance

Jehoshaphat’s reforms were a mercy—a chance for Judah to return to righteousness before judgment fell. But Scripture is clear: when a nation refuses to repent, refuses to humble itself, refuses to turn, judgment becomes inevitable.

Not because God desires destruction, but because corruption collapses under its own weight.

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)

“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34)

A nation that resists reform is a nation choosing its own ruin.

The Cure That Flows From the Throne

The remedy for national decay has never been political. It has always been spiritual. God told Solomon exactly how a nation is healed:

“If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Healing begins with humility. Restoration begins with repentance. Deliverance begins with alignment.

And God’s healing always flows through human instruments. He raises a Moses, a Samuel, a Jehoshaphat, a Nehemiah—and when the people resist the vessel, they resist the healing.

A Prayer for a Nation in Need of Mercy

Father, we humble ourselves before You. We confess our national pride, our corruption, our injustice, and our dishonesty. We acknowledge that we have often resisted the very instruments You sent to heal us. We have misread our moment and preferred comfort over correction.

But today we turn. We seek Your face. We bow our hearts. We repent of our wicked ways. Hear from heaven, O Lord. Forgive our sin. Heal our land.

Raise up reformers in our generation. Give us discernment to recognize Your movement. Give us courage to align with Your purposes. And give us humility to follow the vessels You have chosen.

Heal our land, O God—not by might, nor by power, but by Your Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

WATCHMAN REPORT

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

WHEN GOD APPOINTS LEADERS: A PRESIDENTS’ DAY CALL TO PRAYER

Presidents’ Day invites us to pause and remember a truth older than our Republic and deeper than our politics: leadership is ultimately determined by the sovereignty of God. Elections matter, civic duty matters, but Scripture makes it unmistakably clear that behind every rise and every fall stands the hand of the Lord.

“He removes kings and sets up kings.” (Daniel 2:21)
“The Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He will.” (Daniel 4:17)
“There is no authority except from God.” (Romans 13:1)

These are not poetic sentiments. They are declarations of divine governance. Presidents rise and presidents fall, but none do so apart from the will and wisdom of the One who governs nations for His purposes.

THE POSTURE OF GOD’S PEOPLE UNDER ANY LEADER

Because God appoints leaders, our response is never rebellion against His choices. Our response is intercession.

Paul urged believers to pray “for kings and all who are in high positions” (1 Timothy 2:1–2).
Peter instructed the church to “honor the emperor” (1 Peter 2:17).
Jeremiah told exiles to “seek the welfare of the city… and pray to the Lord on its behalf” (Jeremiah 29:7).

These commands were given under rulers far more corrupt than any modern president. Yet the posture remained the same: humility, prayer, and obedience to God above all.

Prayer is not passive. Prayer is participation in God’s governance. Prayer is how the church influences the nation without violence, rebellion, or despair.

THE LEADERS WE RECEIVE REFLECT THE PEOPLE WE HAVE BECOME

This is the sobering truth at the heart of biblical history.

God told Israel:
“I gave you a king in My anger, and I took him away in My wrath.” (Hosea 13:11)

Leadership is often a mirror. When a nation’s heart grows cold, God allows leaders who reflect that coldness. When a nation repents, God raises up leaders who guide with righteousness.

A nation’s success or failure is not solely the fault of its leaders. It is the fruit of its collective heart.

THE WATCHMAN’S WARNING

A watchman does not predict outcomes. A watchman reads patterns. And Scripture gives us a pattern that cannot be ignored:

“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” (Psalm 127:1)

No president can secure a nation God is tearing down.
No administration can destroy a nation God is upholding.
No policy can outmaneuver the purposes of the Almighty.

If the Lord is not building, we are wasting our strength.
If the Lord is not guarding, we are wasting our vigilance.

This is why the true crisis of our nation is not political. It is spiritual.

THE PATHWAY TO NATIONAL HEALING

God has already given the remedy:

“If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Notice the order:
Not if the president…
Not if the government…
Not if the culture…

If My people.

Revival begins in the pews, not the polls.
Healing begins in the church, not the Capitol.
Transformation begins with repentance, not legislation.

A PRESIDENTS’ DAY PRAYER

Lord God Almighty,
You rule over nations and over those who lead them. You raise up presidents and You remove them. You appoint authority for Your purposes, and none can resist Your will.

We pray today for the President of the United States, for Congress, for governors, and for all who bear the weight of leadership. Grant them wisdom from above—pure, peaceable, humble, and just. Restrain evil. Exalt righteousness. Guide their decisions for the good of the people and the glory of Your name.

And Lord, begin with us. Cleanse our hearts. Correct our pride. Restore our reverence. Teach us to pray with the urgency of watchmen who see the dawn approaching.

Unless You build this nation, we labor in vain.
Unless You guard this land, we watch in vain.
So build, Lord. Guard, Lord. Heal, Lord.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.