January 23, 2025
…Our struggle is not against flesh and blood… Ephesians 6:12
Less than one week before the inauguration of President Trump a Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast was held on January 14 at Mar-a-Lago. I was given the privilege of being one of the opening speakers, challenging Jews and Christians at this critical time and in that strategic place to return to God in sincere repentance and faith.
I had been asked also to speak a second time after lunch, but the program took a different turn and I was never called on. The following blog is the second message that God had put on my heart at 1:43 a.m. that morning. Because it is still in my heart, I am sharing it with you.
The opening two paragraphs are my additional thoughts today.
On Tuesday, January 21, the first full day in office for President Trump, he attended what was described as a prayer service at the National Cathedral led by Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde. In her remarks, she said, In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families — some who fear for their lives. She went on to defend illegal immigration using God’s name and twisting His Word out of context in order to support her remarks. To my knowledge, there was no prayer of blessing, no word of encouragement, nothing that would draw the President or those gathered closer to God. If anything, she would drive people away by her spiritual arrogance, divisive condescension and mean spiritedness.
Rev. Budde is a poster-child for what’s wrong with many American churches—there are false prophets in the pulpit. And what’s wrong in the churches permeates those who sit in the pews until the church has a form of godliness, but deny its power. (2 Timothy 3:5)
Anne’s second message —
The basic problem in our nation is not our politics, or health care, or racial prejudice, or inflation, or polarization, or immigration, or enemy threats, or whatever else you can name. It’s not China or Iran or North Korea. While each of those areas are problems, the fundamental problem is spiritual and moral.
My beloved friend, Priscilla Shirer, tells a wonderful story from when her third son was young. She had taken him to the Fall Festival at their church which was held in the parking lot. A variety of games were offered for the children at various booths, but the favorite one was in the back of a pick-up truck. It was a version of “whack-a-mole” that can be found at almost every state fair. This one was homemade with a blanket stretched across the bed of the truck with holes cut into it, and various puppets popping up through the holes. A plastic bat was given to the child to “play” the game by hitting the puppets to make them stay down. But as soon as one puppet was hit, another popped up. And so the game went on. The line to the game was very long, and Priscilla’s son became restless and impatient. He suddenly let go of his mother’s hand and before she could grab him, ran up to the truck, jerked off the blanket, and exposed several startled adults lying on their backs with puppet covered hands raised up in the air! In other words, the children had been whacking at what they could see but the real problem was underneath the blanket.
Priscilla’s story illustrates that America’s basic problem is not one that we can see in the visible world. It is “underneath” in the invisible world. We are in a cosmic battle between good and evil, light and darkness, truth and deception. The apostle Paul makes it clear…For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly (invisible) realms. Ephesians 6:12
How are we to respond? While we may need to address in practical terms the “pop-ups”, we should not be distracted from what’s really going on “underneath”. At this moment there are two imperatives:
As President Trump is selecting and naming his cabinet and staff, I’m reminded that Jesus is also calling you and me to follow and serve Him during these incredibly significant days. We are nearing the end of all things. Will you answer His call? Because make no mistake about it…in the end, Jesus wins! Until that day, may He find us faithful.
October 3, 2024
In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them…Isaiah 63:9
My heart is broken. My tears unending. My mind reeling from the images coming out of Western North Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Helene. The destruction is beyond belief!
So many of you have written, texted, emailed and called to express your heartfelt concern and prayers. Thank you!
Invariably I’m being asked, “How is your family?” “How is your father’s house?” Everyone of my family who live in the area have been accounted for. My father’s house, as I understand, is intact, although the road to it is impassable.
The town of Montreat where I grew up, and which I still consider “home,” has no power, food, water, or internet. The roads are washed away. People cannot get in or out. The town where my sister lives, Black Mountain, is underwater. In pictures, I can just see the top of the train station roof above the flood waters…the same train station where we used to meet Daddy when he came home from his trips. The town where I went to high school, Swannanoa, has virtually been erased. Eradicated. It is no more. The village of Biltmore where my mother loved to go for lunch, and where I still take my daughters and granddaughters, has been virtually destroyed by flood waters that went as high as fifteen to 20 feet. Boone, where my brother lives, has been underwater also, with no food, water, power or cell service. And those are only the places I am familiar with. I can’t imagine people in Georgia, Tennessee, and the mountain coves where people are tucked away and may not be located for a long time. Everyone cut off without power, cell service, food, drinkable water, medicines, baby formula, and the list goes on. God have mercy on us! While FEMA and the government have been absent, my brother’s organization, Samaritan’s Purse, has an army of volunteers on the ground, as well as helicopters in the air. I encourage you to volunteer or donate to Samaritan’s Purse and designate it for Western North Carolina.
Psalm 29:10 has been emblazoned on my mind. The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever. I know He is in charge. He is in control. He could have contained this flood. If He is Lord over it, why didn’t He? This is one of those times when I simply bow to His sovereignty and trust Him when I have no answers to “why.” But I cling to what His word says: Many waters cannot quench love, nor can floods drown it.[1] I know God loves the people of Western North Carolina. I am one of them. So I claim His promise in Psalm 29:11: The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.
It’s time to pray…
Sovereign Lord,
Words fail me. What can I say? How can I pray? Nothing like this has ever happened to the place and the people that I love. My people. Like Isaiah when King Uzziah died, help me to look up. To see You on the throne.[2] I know You are righteous in everything You do.[3] You don’t make mistakes. Your purpose is perfect. Your love unfailing. You are faithful to every generation. Please! Strengthen Your people. Give them peace in the midst of the mud, destruction and death. Bring them help to cut down fallen trees, rebuild bridges, restore power and cell service, connect people with their loved ones. Energize churches and Your people outside the area to gather and distribute critical relief supplies. Give the volunteers multiple opportunities to have Gospel conversations with those they help. Comfort those who are not only coping with the physical destruction, but who are grieving over family members or friends who have been lost or can’t be found.
God of Mercy, cause the people struggling with the aftermath of Helene to look up. To turn to You. Please. Could this be one reason You have allowed such devastation? Use it to get people’s attention, draw them to Yourself, then show up in power to strengthen, encourage, and help them overcome the massive challenges they face. You have promised that when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, You will be with us.[4] We claim the gentleness and quietness of Your presence, like the mist in the valleys, to settle on Western North Carolina, bringing life, healing, and hope.
PS Please, dear God, we know You can multi-task. So while you are at work in Western North Carolina, we praise you for giving supernatural, miraculous protection to Israel during the missile barrage from Iran. We know You used the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow air defense systems, but only You could possibly have made the systems 100% effective. Thank You! Now we continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Great Lion of Judah, defend and protect the land and the people upon whom You have placed Your name. Use the enemy attacks to turn the hearts of Your people to You. Open their eyes to see Yeshua as Your Son and their Messiah.
We ask this humbly and boldly in His name,
Amen
[1] Song of Solomon 8:7
[2] Isaiah 6:1
[3] Daniel 9:14
[4] Psalm 23:4
May 19, 2024
You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses… Acts 1:8
Today, on Pentecost Sunday, I am praising God for the fresh enabling power of the Holy Spirit. Before beginning a very intense week I claimed Romans 8:11…And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal body… God kept His promise in an amazingly supernatural way. In addition to the busyness of travel, meetings, taping and speaking, my AFib was out of control.
April 15, 2024
One week ago today America experienced an amazing total solar eclipse. Two days before, on April 6th, I posted a blog entitled, What does the April 8 Eclipse Mean? (SEE BELOW)
Thank all of you who warmly received it and posted affirmative comments. In reading through some of the responses, I encountered two issues of disagreement that I would like to address. The first issue was with my statement that the United States was founded on faith in God. I quoted from the Pledge of Allegiance, not because it was a founding document, but because it so succinctly states that we are “one nation under God.” Our very first president, George Washington, immediately following his inauguration on his very first day in office, knelt in prayer along with his entire government and dedicated the United States of America to the glory of God.1 It was an incredible act that established us as a nation under God.
December 19, 2023
And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:38
For more Christmas resources, please visit www.annegrahamlotz.org/this-christmas/
