God’s Ultimate Will
Dear MBC Church Family,
One day the prophet Daniel was thrown into a den of lions by jealous coworkers because of his ability to peer into the future. He survived that deadly encounter and later received another vision from the Lord concerning historical events yet to unfold. But to get a better understanding of this new revelation, he fasted and prayed for three weeks. Then while he was standing on the bank of a river, an angel appeared to him, an angel of such radiating brilliance that it left him terrified, falling to the ground lifeless. The angel touched the trembling prophet and restored his strength. Speaking to Daniel about the future rise and fall of nations, the angel could have spoken to us these same words of such profound meaning today. The angel said, “Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days” (Daniel 10:12, 13). The unstated truth that Daniel’s visitor was revealing is that nations are in a constant spiritual warfare protected by their guardian angels (yes, to those who’ve been following recent religious news, there is a slight element of truth to this notion of angels from Africa). While national leaders are being influenced by evil beings, God’s angelic hosts are there as well to keep the evil ones, and the ones they’re trying to influence, in check so that they can only go so far in their corruption.
The political convulsions that we are experiencing today in this country are no less than the manifestation, in our earthly realm, of a battle that’s being waged in the spiritual realm all around us every day. Today’s constant barrage of disinformation, the stoking of fears and calls to violence, and the attempts to achieve selfish goals by any means possible should be seen in the context of a larger spiritual battle that’s always taking place. However, the weapons that we have at our disposable are the same ones employed by the prophet Daniel: fasting and prayer. By these means, we can counteract the evil forces that lead men to commit what used to be unthinkable. And as God uses natural forces to accomplish His ultimate will, we can now see that He is using this pandemic to purge the land of this spirit of hate and division. The battle isn’t over yet and it may become more fierce, but we, too, can peer into the future and see that God is taking us to a better place. The wait won’t be much longer.
Let’s continue to invite our family and friends to join us remotely for service by Skype: https://join.skype.com/P8TRBZjej8aU or by conference call: (339) 209-5068.
Sunday morning Worship Service (11:30am)
Monday through Saturday Noontime Prayer (12:00pm-1:00pm)
Anyone who chooses to make a contribution to the church may use the link on the church’s website, www.MeadowsBaptistChurch.org, to process a credit/debit card donation. Contributions may also be mailed to the church at PO Box 488, Upper Marlboro, MD 20773 or dropped off at the church office.
Feel free to stop by the church for special prayer during the noontime hour, or stop by anytime to meditate and pray outside the church in the Prayer Garden.
God bless and keep you and your family.
Dennis V. Jefferson, Pastor
Meadows Baptist Church
