Episode 9: The Divine Warrior

Podcast date: January 1, 2021

Use of scripture (especially entire passages of scripture) is strategic: this is spiritual warfare!!!

"Silence in the face of evil is evil itself:  God will not hold us guiltless.  Not to speak is to speak.  Not to act is to act."  Dietrich Bonhoeffer. 

February 1, 1933.  Bonhoeffer's radio address was suddenly cut off just before he was to warn the German people to not to follow a leader that "mocks God". 

2 days earlier on 1/30/33, Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor It is unknown if the radio silence was intentional-however he was one of the first to defy Hitler.   
September of 1933.  The national church of Germany demanded the removal of church leaders of Jewish descent.   

November 1933 they demanded the removal of the Old Testament. 

In 1937 seminarians were arrested by the Gestapo for being a part of the Confessing Church.  Bonhoeffer was the exception regarding issues of antisemitism and state-sanctioned violence against the Jews.   

April 9, 1945  Bonhoeffer was executed for plotting against  Adolf Hitler.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere-Letter from A Birmingham Jail Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Lord's Prayer-Matthew 6:7-15

Submission to the Authorities--Romans 13
13 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. 

...if government violates or exceeds its commission at any point, for example by making itself master over the belief of the congregation, then at this point, indeed, obedience is to be refused, for conscience’ sake, for the Lord’s sake.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer-Ethics

On that day I will punish everyone who leaps over the threshold, and those who fill their master's house with violence and fraud.  Zephaniah 1:9

Bonhoeffer's dissertation Sanctorum Communio-meaning Jesus exists "for others" .  

See Episode 6:  The Heavenly Dominion.     

Bonhoeffer stated we can be Christians today in only two ways, through "(1)prayer and (2) doing justice among human beings." 

"Our love for God is demonstrated in the ways we treat other human beings, most especially those from whom we have nothing to gain, those with whom we have little or nothing in common, the powerless, the outsiders, the strangers, the vulnerable, the forgotten, the hated and the despised. Either we love them, or we don’t love God."  Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"The day will come when people will once more be called to speak the word of God in such a way that the world is changed and renewed.  It will be in a new language, perhaps quite nonreligious language but liberating and redeeming like Jesus' language, so that people will be alarmed, yet overcome by its power-the language of a new righteousness and truth a language proclaiming that God makes peace with humankind and that God's kingdom is drawing near."   Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison.

A Divine Warrior:
1..Maintains a deep understanding and appreciation for rights and freedoms as protected by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

2..Has a relationship with the Heavenly Father. 

3. Fights to protect and defend all human life from the moment of conception to their last breath:  Psalm 139 Psalm 71.

4. Advocate for religious freedom and religious persecution.

5. The Divine Warrior understands the enemy.  It is known what it takes to destroy evil, corruption and tyranny. 

6. The Divine Warrior navigates the battlefield's complexity and knows how to disarm the enemy.   

The Promise of America's Freedom:
"The reality that all men and women are made in the image of God with certain inherent God given rights just by virtue of our humanity.  These truths in the Declaration really are indeed self evident. Never before in all recorded history was a nation founded on the premise that's governments role is to protect those very rights-to secure them." Secretary of State Michael Pompeo's speech at the Reagan Library https://youtu.be/2PWyaAqlMs0 (starting at 9:30) Listening to Pompeo's entire speech is well worth your time.

Preamble to the Declaration of Independence

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Preamble to the Constitution: We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

The Divine Warrior can be anyone.

“Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country,” John F Kennedy, January 20, 1961

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."  Pledge of Allegiance

United States Constitution

1 Kings 8:44-46:  44 “If your people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to the Lord toward the city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name, 45 then hear in heaven their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause.

Prayer to protect the Divine Warriors

Heavenly Father, thank you for your grace, love and mercy.  Please protect  the Divine Warriors.   Thank you for our Commander in Chief, President Trump. God leads our Commander in Chief by imparting  wisdom, leadership and fortitude.  Heavenly Father, please protect the President and his family. May God's Holy Angels keep him safe. 

Isaiah 40:28-31
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
    his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
    and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
    and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
    they shall walk and not faint.  

God Bless the Air Force, Space Force and all those who engage in air operations. May you mount up like wings of eagles:  Isaiah 40:31  May God's Holy Angels keep you safe. 

God Bless the Marines:  Those who who engage the enemy head on with courage, strength and valor.  Iron sharpens iron so does one man sharpen another:  Proverbs 27:17.   May God's Holy Angels keep you safe.   

God Bless the Coast Guard and the Navy-those who leave safe haven and endure rough seas to rescue those in danger and defend the Homeland.  Psalm 18:47-49-the God who gave me vengeance and subdued peoples under me, who rescued me from my enemies;  yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me; you delivered me from the man of violence.    May God's Holy Angels keep you safe. 

God bless the boots on the ground. Blow a trumpet in Zion;  sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near,2 a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains a great and powerful people; their like has never been before,nor will be again after them through the years of all generations.3 Fire devours before them,and behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them,but behind them a desolate wilderness, and nothing escapes them. Joel 2:1-3  May God's Holy Angels Keep you safe.

Prayer warriors are Divine Warriors-Ephesians 6: 10-20-The Whole Armor of God: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.  Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, (Psalm 51)  and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.  In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; (Psalm 27) and take the helmet of salvation (John 3:16), and the sword of the Spirit (Isaiah 54:17), which is the word of God (John 1) , praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,  and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,  for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Let the weak say, "I am a Warrior." Joel 3:10 

Isaiah 54:17 No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.”

Zephaniah 3-Judgment on Jerusalem and the Nations
3 Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled,
    the oppressing city!
2 She listens to no voice;
    she accepts no correction.
She does not trust in the Lord;
    she does not draw near to her God.
3 Her officials within her
    are roaring lions;
her judges are evening wolves
    that leave nothing till the morning.
4 Her prophets are fickle, treacherous men;
her priests profane what is holy;
    they do violence to the law.
5 The Lord within her is righteous;
    he does no injustice;
every morning he shows forth his justice;
    each dawn he does not fail;
    but the unjust knows no shame.
6 “I have cut off nations;
    their battlements are in ruins;
I have laid waste their streets
    so that no one walks in them;
their cities have been made desolate,
    without a man, without an inhabitant.
7 I said, ‘Surely you will fear me;
    you will accept correction.
Then your[a] dwelling would not be cut off
    according to all that I have appointed against you.’[b]
But all the more they were eager
    to make all their deeds corrupt.
8 “Therefore wait for me,” declares the Lord,
    “for the day when I rise up to seize the prey.
For my decision is to gather nations,
    to assemble kingdoms,
to pour out upon them my indignation,
    all my burning anger;
for in the fire of my jealousy
    all the earth shall be consumed.

The Conversion of the Nations
9 “For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples
    to a pure speech,
that all of them may call upon the name of the Lord
    and serve him with one accord.
10 From beyond the rivers of Cush
    my worshipers, the daughter of my dispersed ones,
    shall bring my offering.
11 “On that day you shall not be put to shame
    because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me;
for then I will remove from your midst
    your proudly exultant ones,
and you shall no longer be haughty
    in my holy mountain.
12 But I will leave in your midst
    a people humble and lowly.
They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord,
13     those who are left in Israel;
they shall do no injustice
    and speak no lies,
nor shall there be found in their mouth
    a deceitful tongue.
For they shall graze and lie down,
    and none shall make them afraid.”

Israel's Joy and Restoration
14 Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion;
    shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
    O daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has taken away the judgments against you;
    he has cleared away your enemies.
The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
    you shall never again fear evil.
16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Fear not, O Zion;
    let not your hands grow weak.
17 The Lord your God is in your midst,
    a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
    he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.
18 I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival,
    so that you will no longer suffer reproach.[c]
19 Behold, at that time I will deal
    with all your oppressors.
And I will save the lame
    and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise
    and renown in all the earth.
20 At that time I will bring you in,
    at the time when I gather you together;
for I will make you renowned and praised
    among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
    before your eyes,” says the Lord.

Final Instructions and Benediction
1 Thesselonians 5:12-28  12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.  23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.25 Brothers, pray for us.26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.27 I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Thank you President Trump for leading America back to God.