Author: Nathan Lewis

Are you worried about the conversation around your Thanksgiving table? Have you determined that the subject of politics is banned until after the pumpkin pie? Is there a member of your family that would rather not come home this year? According to a recent Reuters’ poll, almost fifteen percent are saying that they are not speaking to certain members of their family. If your house is divided, what is your hope?

Abraham Lincoln had just been nominated as a candidate for the Senate when he gave his famous “a house divided” speech. It was the summer of 1858 and Lincoln’s speech was called “morally courageous but politically incorrect.” One of his friends called it “unfortunate” while another questioned Lincoln about his refusal to address his critics. Lincoln lost his bid for the Senate that year, but later his speech was credited with helping him win the presidency. One man said, “Through logic inductively seen, Lincoln as a statesman, and political philosopher, announced an eternal truth—not only as broad as America, but covers the world.”

Lincoln had quoted Jesus in his speech. All three synoptic gospels record Jesus saying, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Lincoln’s friend wanted him to speak up and tell the world that the thought was not his, it was the Lord’s. But Lincoln wouldn’t defend himself or his words, he allowed history to do that for him.

Jesus had used those words to address the Jewish leaders who claimed he was using the power of Satan to cast out demons. Jesus responded to them saying, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand” (Mark 3:23–25).

Abraham Lincoln used Jesus’ words to speak to the issue of slavery. Lincoln didn’t believe the country could survive unless the states came to a consensus. Lincoln said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved—I do not expect the house to fall—but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other.” After the most catastrophic war in American history, the nation came to a unified position and outlawed slavery. It is estimated that 620,000 Americans lost their lives in the Civil War. That number is just a little less than every other war combined. The laws changed, but a lot of people in our country still feel like they are fighting the war.

Godly Christians stand on both sides of the political structure. There are probably family members on both sides as well. President Lincoln has a good word for every Thanksgiving table. Quote Jesus and then live quietly with his truth. We can allow history to prove the reality of God’s word because it can never be disproven. In the meantime, pray for our nation (and our families) to come to a place of peaceful agreement. A student of the Civil War will tell you that at the end of the conflict, everyone had experienced tremendous loss, not because of the cause, but because of the way our people chose to fight for it.

Lincoln spoke the words of Christ and allowed history to prove them true. Those words are still true today, because the truth was God’s. What do you want your family to talk about around the Thanksgiving table? What do you want them to agree on when they return home? How will you speak about the things that unite, rather than the things that divide?

Lincoln said, “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” Those are somber words to consider for our nation. But Paul gave us a message for our Thanksgiving tables. He wrote:

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:12–15)

We are blessed to live in this country but we are blessed eternally through our citizenship in heaven. One day, that citizenship will be the only one that matters. Happy Thanksgiving to each of you—and to your families. “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts . . . and be thankful.”

Join us at www.christianparenting.org and chime in on this week’s discussion question: How do you promote a peaceful Thanksgiving family get-together?

As I sit here typing, someone is directly above my head, hammer in hand. A hail storm moved through Dallas last May and it’s our turn to get a new roof. I’ve already prayed for every man on my very steep roof! The picture is them giving me a “thumbs up” when I told them that!

Last Friday morning Jim and I were on our way to vote. We rounded the corner and witnessed a car, on its side, with the wheels still turning. A woman was in the driver’s seat and moving. We quickly parked and ran to see if we could help. Apparently a car had run the red light, hitting her car, and it had rolled onto the passenger side of the vehicle. The woman was literally hanging from her seat belt. There were people helping the man in the other car, so we stayed with her.

Another man ran over saying that he had called 911 so we knew help was on the way. We weren’t sure if we would be able to get her out of the window so I ran around back and tried the hatch. Fluid was coming out of the car and I was so happy to see that back door open up. She was able to walk down the side of her car and exit just as the fire truck arrived. The woman was a nurse at a nearby hospital and, while she was shaken, she was actually quite calm in the crisis. I hope that if I am ever rushed to the hospital, she is on duty.

Everyone’s life has moments of chaos and crisis. Last week I taught from 2 Chronicles, chapter 14. Asa was the great-grandson of King Solomon, and Scripture says, “Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God” (vs.11). He was the king of Judah and reigned forty-one years. Judah had lacked God’s blessing for several decades by the time Asa became King. Asa spent the first ten years of his reign clearing the idols out of the land, repairing the walls of Jerusalem, and strengthening the army. Most importantly, he led the people to return to lives of obedience to God.

Later, Judah had to face the Cushites, the largest army described in Scripture. Asa knew that defeat was inevitable unless God intervened. So Asa prayed: “Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. Lord, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you” (2 Chronicles 14:11).

The remainder of 2 Chronicles 14 describes how God answered Asa’s prayer and “struck down the Cushites.” The enormous army was defeated by Judah’s army because “the terror of the Lord had fallen” on the enemy of Judah. We know that God worked a miracle, but we don’t know what the miracle was. It would be another 300 years before that people group would come against Israel again. Whatever God did left a lasting impression on the Cushites for a long time.

Later a prophet came to Asa with these words: “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you…But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded” (2 Chron. 15:2, 7).

The news, the election, and a lot of other things seem chaotic or maybe even like a crisis. God’s people can be at peace. God’s mighty power is simply a prayer away. Are you praying for both of the candidates? As I told my classes last week, we could be electing the next “Paul” or “Paulina.” We just need to pray them to their personal encounter with the God of the universe. Their road to Damascus might be the way God answers our prayers.

The Cushites should have crushed the army of Judah . . . but they couldn’t. I’m looking forward to finding Asa in heaven one day and listening to him tell the story. We don’t know what God did, but we do know that the same God who helped David defeat Goliath, and parted the waters of the Red Sea, and sent the flood, and struck down the Cushites, is still the same God we speak to when we pray.

Asa did what was “good and right in the eyes of the Lord” and was blessed. God’s promise to Asa is still our promise today. If we seek the Lord, he will be found. But if we forsake him, he will forsake us. So let’s “be strong and not give up” because God can and does work miracles. When faithful people will work, “they are rewarded” (2 Chron. 15).

What do you need to ask God for today? Before you pray, take a few minutes to remember all that He is capable of accomplishing in and through people who are faithful. Then, pray like Asa and watch for God to bless. The Lord promised He is with us when we are with him.

Join us at www.christianparenting.org and chime in on this week’s discussion question: How are you addressing the election with your children?

Well, it isn’t a new grandbaby this time. (But that should happen in a month or so!) This new “arrival” is almost as exciting. JanetDenison.org is, in a way, my baby. When we began this ministry it took some time to get to know what God would raise it up to be. A few years later, I’m happy to introduce what God has brought to pass.

Every Christian has a ministry, even if we don’t always call it that. When God saved our souls, He gifted us with his Holy Spirit. The work of the Holy Spirit, through our lives, is our ministry. Jesus told his disciples, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come” (John 16:13). Anything the Holy Spirit guides us to do is what God has told us to do. Anything the Spirit teaches is God’s perfect truth, given to us by our Creator.

Our purpose when we get out of bed each day is to accomplish all that the Holy Spirit wants to do through our lives. At the end of the day, the only things that will matter eternally are the things we did out of obedience to the Spirit’s direction. Ministry is a great privilege because it gives us the opportunity to serve Jesus as his hands, feet, voice and as his compassion for the world.

I often tease about the fact that I am a “paid professional” in ministry. My husband and I earn our paycheck because of our ministry. But truthfully, that is just how God enables us to fulfill his calling on our lives. Every Christian has a ministry; only a few of us are called to make it a “profession.”

I am a Bible teacher. I teach Scripture as I write, as I speak, as I counsel, and as I go about my daily life. I used to teach second grade and I loved working in the classroom. I used to say that I didn’t teach because it was my job; I taught because that was who I was. I would still say that. Even in the public school classroom God led me to exhibit my faith as I taught math, reading, and science. Paul said, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). You exhibit your faith each day as well, as you walk in obedience to the Holy Spirit’s direction in your life. That is your ministry.

I hope you will spend some time looking over my new website and, if you like it, recommend it to your friends. I will work hard to write words that God has led me to write. I will continue to place Bible studies on this site that people can use for personal study or to help host or lead a Bible study. We are a donor-supported ministry so I am able to give these Bible studies away to anyone who needs them. Missionaries, churches, prison ministries, and neighborhood groups have used them to help with their ministries.

We sold out of the first edition of my book, so this past summer we re-edited the content and will offer it here on JanetDenison.org as well. That book is a window into the many lessons that God has taught me. I want to help people live with God’s biblical standards for their lives because that is the way to live if we want to receive his abundant blessing. Content to Be Good, Called to Be Godly is a summary of what I believe God has taught us about living that kind of life. We will make the book available in several formats, but we have to charge for this book so we can recoup the cost of producing it. We will also offer Advent books and my children’s book, Felix Navidad, as well.

Thank you all for being faithful to our ministry and to JanetDenison.org in particular. Enjoy perusing the new site and let us know what you think. God has been faithful to us, through many of you. I am grateful to all of you for your prayers, your words of encouragement and your attention to the word of God and his ministry to you and through you.

My goal is to write, teach and speak until God tells me to stop. Lamentations 3:22–23 says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” God’s word will always be relevant, new and it is forever able to accomplish God’s purpose. May all of us fulfill our calling and serve faithfully as ministers of the Lord. He is worthy of our best efforts and our highest praise. Let’s make sure we go to sleep tonight knowing that today we accomplished what the Holy Spirit led us to do.

Join us at www.christianparenting.org and chime in on this week’s discussion question: In what ways do you make birthdays more meaningful for your kids and those who know them?