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I have debated with myself long and hard over putting together a manifesto: Should I address the events of January 6, 2021?

Because my stated purpose of my blog was to be “transformationally encouraging.” In my flesh, I can’t find a lot to be encouraged about.

So I took my eyes off the flesh, the here and now, the “what is seen.”

And I’m encouraged. Genuinely.

I’d say, first of all, that I’m not encouraged right now about the condition of the United States. (And to all of you who are reading this in other countries, this is sort of in-house stuff … although I believe there are worldwide ramifications for what’s transpired, and what most certainly is coming.)

This is not about:

• Who is responsible for the invasion of the Capitol.
• What security measures failed.
• Impeachment, censure, or any other means to remove the president from office.
• Antifa, Proud Boys, alt-right, socialism, any of that.
• Conspiracy theories.
• The extreme difficulty of realizing that you’ve been wrong all along.
• How to develop critical thinking skills, although that would be helpful.

I’ve come to realize you can grieve and have hope at the same time.

After spending much more time in scripture than I typically do (and I really don’t miss a day without reading my Bible), I have some things to say. By His grace, I want them to be His words and not mine. Portentous, I know, but at least my source is valid!

It’s a manifesto. Mine, anyway. I wanted to make sure I was using the term properly. Merriam-Webster says this. A manifesto is:

A written statement declaring publicly the intentions, motives, or views of its issuer.

So I’m on safe ground.

Here are my 10 manifesto points.

1. So do not fear, for I am with you;
   do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
   I will strengthen you and help you;
   I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. – Isaiah 41:10
   • Fear is a crippling reality. God is not the author of fear. If I am dismayed, then I am placing myself and my feelings above the reality of what God is accomplishing in this world. He will give me the strength to persevere – even rise above – the events of these days. He will hold me up. I don’t have to rely on my puny human strength.
2. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. – 2 Cor. 4:16-18
   • If I lose heart, it’s because I have evaluated the current circumstances with short-sighted, frail, human eyes. As a believer, I recognize that what I am witnessing and experiencing is as bad as it will ever be. Such is the condition of a lost world and a lost humanity. God views January 6 as “light and momentary troubles.” So should I. Against the backdrop of eternity, I will fix my eyes on what is eternal, and not what is temporal. My faith will rest in its proper source – and that source is not of this world.
3. The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” – Deuteronomy 31:8
   • This is a promise of presence. There have times lately when I’ve felt bewildered, misunderstood, and alone. But I have no reason whatsoever to fear. If I am discouraged, it’s a discouragement based on what I see before me. This is sinful. I think it’s appropriate to be hurt and grieve, as I would in any personal loss. This is much different than being discouraged. Discouragement implies that something is happening that God has no control over, which, of course, is blasphemy.
4. When you pass through the waters,
   I will be with you;
   and when you pass through the rivers,
   they will not sweep over you.
   When you walk through the fire,
   you will not be burned;
   the flames will not set you ablaze. – Isaiah 43:2
   • There is a promise of supernatural protection for me, even when the world is in flames. This does not mean that I will be spared from harm, even physical harm. Scripture informs me that even the righteous suffer. Here again, I see God’s providential hand guarding me, and I will rest in this.
5. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9
   • God does not suggest that I be strong and courageous. He commands it. Again, fear and discouragement are sinful. His presence is guaranteed. No matter what happens in Washington DC, or even on the local level, I must be strong and courageous, and put my faith in Him and not in government. Governments and leaders are established by God. In my eyes they may be wicked and corrupt. They are still God’s instruments to be used to carry out His ultimate sovereign will.
6. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. – 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.
   • I will praise God in spite of consequences and the reality of chaos. He is showing divine compassion to me and all believers. He is not obligated to deliver me from circumstances, and He may want me to experience chaos. Yet He will comfort me. What’s more, He has called me to comfort others with the same hope that I have. For me as a believer to not do that – to dwell on the evil and heartbreak I see and not offer hope – is an affront to Him. I want to feel His pleasure as I strive to be salt and light. This is a calling for all believers. Sow hope. Not discord.
7. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. – 1 Cor. 15:58
   • It is tempting, some days, just to quit trying because my efforts seem to be in vain. In trying to give myself to the work of the Lord, I don’t see much, if any, progress in the lives of others. I feel that I am casting pearls before swine. And yet – the promise for me and all believers is clear: there is no wasted effort in Kingdom work as long as I work in accordance to His direction. I can not let my personal feelings or agenda get in the way. The call is to stand firm – not in what I see in the world, not in politics, not in government – but stand firm in Him. I have to recognize that God’s plans for America may not be what I would want in my flawed human understanding. So I will stand firm in Him, and I will not let the news cycle move me.
8. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. – Hebrews 10:24-25.
   • In the end, we are all here for each other. We have all seen divisions creep into the Body of Christ. Brother against brother, indeed! My call is to encourage and equip others to love and produce good deeds. This should begin with me. If I find myself not encouraging, not offering an example of Christian love, and to not perform good deeds, then I have to recognize that I am out of the will of God. If I am negative, cynical, discouraging, and lazy, then I am doing Satan’s work for him.
9. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33
   • God has offered me peace. It’s up to me to receive and experience it. God has told me that I will have trouble, and He is correct. Yet, I am to take heart. Nothing that has happened in recent weeks has escaped His eye or His hand. He is the ultimate Overcomer. I may not witness it in this current time, but in eternity all will be made clear. He has overcome the world – the United States included – in ways that aren’t visible yet. He may choose to sunset the American experiment. Nations are a drop in the bucket to Him. Even in that, I’m commanded to take heart.
10. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. – John 14:27
    • In the end, God wants me to be at peace. That does not mean that the world will be peaceful. Nor does it mean that I need to look for peace in this world. I won’t find it. If I am the beneficiary of God’s peace, then I have no reason or excuse to be troubled are afraid. Ever.

I’m not sure how best to close this. I want to leave you with reason to hope. Yes, in the flesh, hope seems in short supply. As believers, though, we need to be wary about misplacing our hope. This has been very personal to me, and if I have given you just a hint of reason to be encouraged, then I’ve accomplished what I think God intended for me to do.

Be blessed.