Tag Christian Faith

Faith That Shakes Armies: The Jonathan Principle

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

The world marks its days with festivals, anniversaries, and cultural remembrances. Cinco de Mayo is one of those days, a moment when a nation recalls an unexpected victory—an outnumbered force standing against overwhelming odds and prevailing. Yet for the believer, such moments are not occasions for secular celebration as much as they are reminders of a deeper and older truth. God has always delighted in overturning the odds. He has always stood with the few, strengthened the weak, and revealed His power in places where human strength fails. A date on the calendar may draw attention to an earthly victory, but Scripture draws our attention to the God who makes such victories possible.

Cinco de Mayo becomes, then, not a holiday to honor, but an illustration to consider. It echoes a pattern that Scripture established long before any nation fought for its independence or defended its borders. The pattern is simple: when God is present, the few can rout the many. When God fights, numbers lose their meaning. When God moves, the impossible becomes the inevitable.

Jonathan and the Armor-Bearer: Faith in Motion

Among the many examples of this truth, the story of Jonathan stands out with remarkable clarity. Israel was outnumbered, outmatched, and poorly armed. The Philistines held the advantage in every measurable way. Yet Jonathan, the son of Saul, looked at the impossible situation and saw something different. He saw the possibility of God’s intervention. He saw the potential of faith.

Jonathan turned to his armor-bearer and spoke words that have echoed through generations: “There is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.” [1 Samuel 14:6]. With nothing more than courage, conviction, and confidence in God, the two men climbed a hill toward a garrison of Philistines. They did not carry the strength of an army. They carried the strength of belief.

What happened next was not the result of strategy or skill. Scripture tells us that the earth quaked, the enemy panicked, and confusion spread through the camp. God moved. God fought. God delivered. Two men stood in faith, and an entire army fell into disarray.

This is the Jonathan Principle: God does not need many. He needs willing. He needs faithful. He needs those who will step forward when others shrink back, trusting that His power is greater than any opposition.

Gideon’s Reduction: Strength Through Surrender

Jonathan’s story is not an isolated moment. Gideon experienced the same divine pattern when God reduced his army from thirty-two thousand to three hundred. The reduction was intentional. God declared, “The people that are with thee are too many.” [Judges 7:2]. Too many for what? Too many for God to receive the glory. Too many for Israel to understand that victory comes from the Lord.

Gideon’s three hundred men faced an army described as “numerous as locusts,” yet the outcome was never in doubt. God fought for them. God confused the enemy. God delivered the victory. The few defeated the many because the Lord was in the midst of the few.

Faith That Moves Mountains and Scatters Armies

Jesus continued this theme when He taught that faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains. “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed… nothing shall be impossible unto you.” [Matthew 17:20]. He did not speak of faith measured in crowds or nations. He spoke of faith measured in trust.

A seed of faith can topple giants. A seed of faith can shake armies. A seed of faith can overturn the impossible. The strength of faith lies not in its size but in its object. When faith rests in God, the few become mighty, and the weak become strong.

A Secular Reminder of a Sacred Reality

This is why Cinco de Mayo serves as a useful illustration, even if it is not a day we elevate spiritually. It reminds us that earthly victories often mirror heavenly truths. A small force standing against overwhelming odds and prevailing is not merely a historical moment; it is a reflection of a divine pattern. It is a reminder that God has always worked through the few, the overlooked, and the underestimated.

But our focus is not the date. Our focus is the God who stands behind the principle. We honor Him daily, not seasonally. We remember His faithfulness continually, not occasionally. We trust His strength always, not only when the calendar gives us a reason.

“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.” [Psalm 20:7].

The world may remember a battle, but we remember the God of battles. The world may honor a moment, but we honor the Maker of moments. The world may celebrate the victory of the few, but we celebrate the God who gives victory to the few.

This is the Jonathan Principle. This is the Gideon Pattern. This is the truth that stands above every date on the calendar: when God is for us, the many cannot stand against us.

WHEN THE FIRE FALLS, THE CHURCH MUST RISE

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A Pentecost Commissioning Word for a Church Built to Soar

The Vessel on the Launch Pad

There is something profoundly symbolic about a launch vehicle standing motionless on the pad. Artemis rises above everything around it, a towering testament to human ingenuity and purpose, a vessel engineered for the heavens and designed for the stars. Every line, every bolt, every system, and every panel speaks of intention. It was never meant to remain grounded. It was created to break the pull of gravity and ascend into realms the human body cannot reach on its own. Yet for all its brilliance and capability, Artemis remains motionless until the moment fire touches its core. Without fuel, without ignition, without the roar of combustion and the thrust of flame, it becomes nothing more than an impressive monument pointed toward the sky, longing for the place it was designed to inhabit.

This is the church before Pentecost.

Christ built His church with intention. He shaped it with purpose. He assembled it with precision. He redeemed a people not to remain earthbound but to rise into the life of the Spirit, to carry the message of the kingdom into every nation, and to walk in the authority He purchased with His own blood. Yet even after the resurrection, the disciples remained in the upper room, fully assembled but not yet activated, prepared but not yet propelled, called but not yet commissioned. They were like a vessel on the launch pad, looking upward but unable to rise.

The Ignition of Heaven

Then the fire fell.

Pentecost was not a quiet moment. It was not a gentle whisper or a symbolic gesture. It was the ignition sequence of the kingdom of God. Scripture describes a sound like a mighty rushing wind filling the entire house, followed by tongues of fire resting upon each believer. It was loud, visible, overwhelming, and unmistakably divine. The fire did not fall to warm them; it fell to launch them. It did not descend to create a memory; it descended to create movement. It did not come to decorate the upper room; it came to empty it.

“And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.” (Acts 2:2)

“And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.” (Acts 2:3)

“And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:4)

The miracle of Pentecost was not only the fire but the hearing. Scripture says that every person present, from every nation under heaven, heard the message in their own language. This was not merely a linguistic phenomenon; it was a declaration that the gospel is for every heart, every walk, every level of faith, and every stage of the journey.

“Every man heard them speak in his own language.” (Acts 2:6)

The mature heard. The new believers heard. The skeptics heard. The religious heard. The broken heard. The nations heard. Pentecost was God’s way of saying that no one stands outside the reach of His voice. The fire that fell in the upper room became a message that spoke to the world.

Salvation Assembled the Vessel, but the Spirit Supplies the Fuel

Jesus came to save, but salvation was not the end of His mission. His death fulfilled the old covenant, His resurrection opened the new covenant, and Pentecost activated the covenant within His people. Salvation assembled the vessel, but the Spirit supplied the fuel. The cross redeemed us, but the fire empowers us. The resurrection lifted our eyes, but Pentecost lifts our lives.

“Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me.” (Acts 1:8)

Jesus did not redeem a people to remain grounded. He redeemed a people to rise.

Eagles Are Born for Altitude

This is why the image of the eagle fits so perfectly. Scripture tells us that those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength and mount up with wings as eagles. Eagles are born for altitude. They are shaped for the wind. They rise on currents that other creatures fear. Chickens scratch in the dirt, content with the barnyard, bound to the ground by their own nature. But eagles ascend. They do not flap in panic; they soar in confidence. They do not scatter at shadows; they rise above them. They do not live by effort; they live by lift.

“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles.” (Isaiah 40:31)

We were saved to soar like eagles, not scratch like chickens. We were redeemed to rise, not to remain. We were called to ascend, not to admire the sky from a distance. The Spirit was given not to decorate our faith but to elevate it. Pentecost is the wind beneath the wings of the church, the fire beneath the vessel, the power that transforms a gathered people into a sent people.

The Upper Room Was Never the Destination

The upper room was never meant to be the destination. It was the launch pad. The fire that fell was never meant to be contained. It was meant to be carried. The message that erupted in many tongues was never meant to remain in Jerusalem. It was meant to reach the nations. Pentecost is not a holiday to be observed but a commissioning to be obeyed. It is the moment the church found its voice, its courage, its purpose, and its power.

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations.” (Matthew 28:19)

The modern church often resembles Artemis on the pad—beautiful, impressive, carefully constructed, and pointed toward the heavens, yet lacking the fire that sends it into its mission. We have structure without thrust, programs without propulsion, gatherings without ignition. But Pentecost reminds us that the church was never meant to remain stationary. It was designed to move, to rise, to carry the gospel into every corner of the earth with the same power that raised Jesus from the dead.

When the Fire Falls, the Church Must Rise

When the fire falls, the church must rise. When the Spirit moves, the people of God must respond. When the wind fills the room, the doors must open. Pentecost is the moment heaven touches earth so that earth can reach heaven. It is the divine spark that turns believers into witnesses, disciples into ambassadors, and a gathered crowd into a global movement.

We stand again at the foot of Pentecost, not as spectators but as vessels waiting for ignition. The fire that fell in the upper room still falls today. The wind that filled the house still blows. The Spirit who empowered the early church still empowers the church now. We were not saved to sit. We were saved to soar. We were not redeemed to remain grounded. We were redeemed to rise. We were not built to admire the sky. We were built to enter it.

May the fire fall again. May the wind blow again. May the church rise again. May the people of God step into the extraordinary life for which they were created, fueled by the Spirit, lifted by the wind, and launched by the fire of Pentecost.

America’s Crisis Is Not Biblical Illiteracy — It Is the Absence of the Living God

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Introduction

As America reflects on its moral and cultural upheaval, many commentators have pointed to biblical illiteracy as the nation’s defining crisis. They warn that without the vocabulary of Scripture, society loses the categories necessary to sustain truth, virtue, and freedom. This concern is understandable, and the erosion of biblical language in public life is undeniable. Yet Scripture itself teaches that the collapse of a nation does not begin with the loss of religious vocabulary but with the loss of the Living God Himself. America’s crisis is not merely that it has forgotten the words of Scripture; it is that it has forgotten the Lord of Scripture.

The Root of National Collapse

Throughout the biblical narrative, nations do not fall because they lack access to truth. They fall because they reject the God who gives it. The prophet Hosea declared, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6), yet the knowledge they lacked was not academic. It was relational. God continues, “Because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee.” The issue was not literacy but lordship. Israel possessed the Scriptures, the priesthood, the temple, and the covenant, yet repeatedly turned to idols. Their downfall came not from ignorance but from unfaithfulness.

America’s Present Moment

This distinction is crucial for understanding America’s present moment. The United States has more access to Scripture than any nation in history. Bibles fill our shelves, apps fill our phones, sermons fill our feeds, and theological resources are available at the tap of a screen. If biblical literacy alone could preserve a nation, America would be the most stable society on earth. Yet the opposite is true. The problem is not that we lack the text but that we have abandoned the God who speaks through it.

Jesus’ Confrontation with Biblical Literacy

Jesus confronted this very condition in His own generation. The Pharisees were the most biblically literate people of their time, yet He told them, “Ye search the Scriptures… and they are they which testify of Me. And ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life” (John 5:39–40). They possessed the vocabulary of truth but resisted the Person of Truth. Their crisis was not interpretive but spiritual. In all their study, they had not found Christ.

The Example of Saul of Tarsus

The life of Saul of Tarsus underscores this reality with striking force. Trained under Gamaliel, zealous for the law, and fluent in the theological categories of his day, Saul embodied the very literacy many believe America must recover. Yet his mastery of Scripture led him to persecute the Church, not embrace Christ. Only when he encountered the risen Lord did the Scriptures he knew so well come alive. Reflecting on his former achievements, he wrote, “What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ… and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ” (Philippians 3:7–8). His transformation came not through further education but through new birth.

The Crisis of the Church

This is the heart of America’s crisis. We have built churches that teach principles but do not produce disciples. We have created religious environments that inform the mind but do not transform the heart. We have defended biblical values while neglecting biblical obedience. We have celebrated Christian heritage while resisting Christian holiness. The result is a nation shaped by the language of faith but untouched by the life of God.

The Call to Discipleship

Jesus did not establish seminaries; He established disciples. He did not say, “Take My course,” but “Follow Me.” Discipleship is not an academic exercise but a supernatural work of the Spirit. It is the process by which men and women are born again, conformed to the image of Christ, and empowered to live as witnesses in a darkened world. When the Church abandons this calling, the nation loses its light. When the salt loses its savor, the culture decays. When the people of God trade the Living Word for religious substitutes, the nation loses the moral clarity only God can give.

The Loss of Biblical Life

The Scriptures warn repeatedly that when a people forget the Lord, they lose far more than vocabulary. They lose the very life that sustains righteousness. Moses told Israel, “It is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life” (Deuteronomy 32:47). Jeremiah declared, “My people have forsaken Me the fountain of living waters” (Jeremiah 2:13). Jesus said, “Without Me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). The crisis of America is not the absence of biblical language but the absence of biblical life.

The Path to Moral Recovery

If America is to recover its moral footing, the Church must recover its spiritual power. We must return to the fear of the Lord, the necessity of repentance, the reality of the new birth, and the transforming presence of the Holy Spirit. We must proclaim the gospel not as a cultural artifact but as the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). We must teach the Scriptures not merely to inform minds but to form hearts. We must once again become a people who do not simply read the Word but are read by it.

The Biblical Foundation for Liberty

John Adams famously warned, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” His concern was not institutional religion but the inner moral restraint necessary for liberty to survive. Yet Scripture goes further still. It does not teach that religion upholds a nation, for religion has toppled empires and fueled oppression. Rather, the Bible declares, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). Holiness, not mere religiosity, sustains a people. And righteousness does not arise from education or tradition but from hearts transformed by the living God. A nation may be religious and still be corrupt; it may be biblically literate and still be spiritually dead. Only a people submitted to the Lord can sustain the freedoms they celebrate.

HYMNS OF REDEMPTION: NEAR THE CROSS

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NEAR THE CROSS FANNY CROSBY-WILLIAM COWPER

Some hymns lift our eyes to heaven, and some draw our hearts back to the place where everything changed. Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross does both. This hymn was written by Fanny Crosby. Her physical blindness sharpened her spiritual sight. It is a quiet plea for nearness, intimacy, and anchoring grace.

Crosby never treated the cross as a distant historical event. For her, it was a living place of refuge, a wellspring of mercy, and the center of Christian hope. Her words are simple, but they are not shallow. They carry the weight of a life shaped by prayer, dependence, and a deep awareness of Christ’s sustaining presence.

Cowper’s hymn cries out for cleansing. In contrast, Crosby’s hymn leans into abiding. It offers a daily, moment-by-moment nearness that keeps the believer grounded in grace. This is not a hymn of crisis; it is a hymn of posture. It teaches us to stay close to the place where love was poured out. It also urges us to stay where redemption was secured. And finally, where hope was born.

The anchor comes from Jesus’ own words in John 12:32:

“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

Crosby hears that promise and responds with a simple, lifelong prayer: Draw me. Keep me. Hold me near.

As you listen to the piano meditation, let this hymn settle your spirit. Let it remind you that the cross is not merely the beginning of your faith — it is the place you return to again and again for strength, clarity, and peace.

Hymn Lyrics: Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross

(Public Domain)

1
Jesus, keep me near the cross,
There a precious fountain;
Free to all, a healing stream,
Flows from Calvary’s mountain.

Refrain
In the cross, in the cross,
Be my glory ever;
Till my raptured soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.

2
Near the cross, a trembling soul,
Love and mercy found me;
There the Bright and Morning Star
Sheds its beams around me.

3
Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day,
With its shadow o’er me.

4
Near the cross I’ll watch and wait,
Hoping, trusting ever;
Till I reach the golden strand,
Just beyond the river.

Audio Meditation

COPYRIGHT TEMPLE MUSIC PRODUCTIONS 2025


Let the music draw you into the nearness of Christ — the place where mercy flows, where burdens lift, and where your heart finds rest.

About the Hymnwriter

Fanny J. Crosby (1820–1915) stands as one of the most prolific hymnwriters in Christian history. Though physically blind from infancy, she possessed a spiritual clarity that shaped thousands of hymns still sung today. Her life was marked by humility, prayer, and a deep love for Christ.

Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross reflects her lifelong theme: staying close to the heart of God. Crosby never wrote from theory — she wrote from communion. Her hymns invite believers not just to believe in Christ, but to walk with Him, lean on Him, and remain near Him.

Benedictional Prayer

May the nearness of Christ steady your heart today.
May His presence quiet your anxieties and renew your strength.
May His cross remain your refuge, your anchor, and your peace.
And may the One who draws all people to Himself draw you ever closer.
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.