A God Who Clears the Path Before Us

Here's a good word from my friend Michelle Cox:

"I had a doctor’s appointment this morning, and since I got out just around lunchtime, I zipped across town to meet my husband for lunch. He’s been my favorite lunch date for the past 43 years! We had a nice meal and sat there and talked for a while, and then we headed out for our afternoon tasks. 

Paul left the parking lot a few minutes before I did. About 10 minutes later, he called. 'Honey, weren’t you headed out near the mall?' I replied that I was and he said, 'Well, I’m ahead of you a ways and there’s a bad wreck up here. It’s just happened recently and traffic is starting to back up, so you should probably get off at the ramp that’s before the mall exit so you won’t get stuck there.'

I appreciated the heads-up, but then it was as if God whispered to my heart, 'That’s what I do for you. I go before you in every situation. I know what lies ahead, and if you’ll listen to Me, I’ll tell you what to do or what to avoid.' Here are some of His heads-up promises for us . . . ."

Read the entire article on Guideposts here.

My 1000'th Blog Post: The 20 Most-Viewed Posts from Rhett Wilson

This blog post marks my 1000'th one on Faith, Family, and Freedom.  

Curious to see what were my most-viewed articles from the past 1000 posts, I compiled a list.  Some of the top twenty surprised me.

So here they are from #20 to #1 . . .

 #20 - When the Godly Get Depressed

Depression strikes many believers.  This article, based on a sermon I preached on the prophet Elijah, generated a lot of response.  I hope it helps someone.

#19 - God Will Take Care of You

I was happy to write this tribute of my great-aunt Frances Hendrix when she died. 

 #18 - More Christmas Moments

I shared a story in the book More Christmas Moments by Grace Publishing.   

 #17 - Providential Provision

This link takes you to an article I wrote for Home Life magazine in 2014.  The article explains a dramatic provision of the Lord in my life.

#16 - Quietly Entrust Self to God

I wrote this devotion about how to respond when you are unjustly criticized.

#15 - 16 Lessons Learned from 16 Years of Marriage

I wrote this article in honor of our sixteenth wedding anniversary. 

 



#14 -  Book Review: Crisis of Character

Hillary Clinton is the most corrupt person to ever run for the office of POTUS.  I review Gary Byrne's book Crisis of Character: A White House Secret Service Officer Discloses His Firsthand Experience with Hillary, Bill, and How They Operate.

#13 - 7 Traits to Pray for our Next President

I offer seven traits to pray for future leaders of our country.

#12 - My Grandfather: 100 Years Old Today

 

 
I wrote this tribute to my dear Pa-Pa on his 100th birthday.

#11 - 21 Days of Prayer for America

This prayer guide helps people to intercede on behalf of our nation in light of an upcoming election.

 

#10 - The Empress with No Clothes

I wrote this article for The Clinton Chronicle, revealing some of the atrocities of Hillary Clinton as depicted in the books Crisis of Character and The Case Against Hillary Clinton.

#9 - A Clean House One Day 

This is my favorite poem I have written.  It received an award at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference in 2014 and was published in Home Life magazine in 2015.

#8 - Fervent, Righteous Praying for America

This article challenges believers to fast and pray for the United States.

#7 - Should a Christian Vote for a Mormon? 

In 2016 Christians debate whether or not they can vote for Donald Trump.  But in 2012, it was whether or not they could vote for the Mormon Mitt Romney.  Here was my contribution to the discussion.

#6 - Preferences, Convictions, and Absolutes

One of my most well-received sermon series through the years is one on the differences between our preferences, convictions, and absolute truth.

#5 - Aren't They Beautiful?

I love this picture of my beautiful girls. 

#4 - Why Honor My Pastor?

I believe that pastors probably have the most difficult job in America.  Many churches recognize October as Pastor Appreciation Month.  I wrote this article hoping to challenge Christians and churches to encourage and affirm their pastors.  It pleased me that the article has been viewed many times.

#3 - Rossie Davis

Rossie was a man in a church we served.  His death surprised many people, and I wrote this short tribute in his memory.

#2  - An Open Letter to My Mother on My Parents' 50th Wedding Anniversary

My father died in 2008.  In 2011, my parents would have been married fifty years.  I wrote a letter to my mother in celebration of that day.

 

#1 - Why a Southern Baptist Pastor Will Vote for the Unvirtuous Donald Trump

Shocked, I discovered that this posting from October 2016 was viewed over 20,000 times, including 18,000 times in the first week. 

Hail to the Chief - Yes, I Would Vote For Trump Again

The first 100 days of the Trump presidency is now history.  To listen to much of the mainstream media, which operates largely as a propaganda arm for the Left, you would think President Trump was a character from The Muppet Show.  Never before in my life has the media attempted to make a President fail before he gets out of the gate.

During the Republican primaries, I openly criticized Donald Trump.  I painfully accepted his nomination, because I believed a Clinton presidency would level unalterable damage to America and the West.  I voted for Trump, prayed for him, and encouraged others to do the same.

After 100 days of his Presidency, I must say, “Hail to the Chief.” Though I wish he’d quit tweeting, defending himself, and shooting from the hip, Donald Trump is doing a remarkable job as the POTUS.  Dennis Prager points out that Trump governs “in a manner more consistent with conservative principles than any president since Ronald Reagan.” 

His first 100 days include numerous victories worth celebrating.  By giving a list of potential nominees for the Supreme Court during the election and then picking one of those names as Justice, he modeled transparency.  He secured Neil Gorsuch, a constitutionalist for the Court for decades.  That move alone was worth the Presidency. 

He repealed many of President Obama’s energy regulations that have choked American business.  He doesn’t bow to the leftist hysteria that carbon-induced warming will destroy humanity.

Trump's administration has already made significant strides in opening up the Keystone pipeline, a move that should have been made years ago in order to help American energy independence and financial prosperity.  

To lead the Department of Education, he appointed a woman who is not controlled by the teachers unions nor lobbyists and who understands that the current system of education needs major reform – not just bracing.

Trump is making moves to keep his word and build a border wall, understanding the desperate danger of a country with no secure borders.

The House’s repealing of Obamacare just last week was a victory for the President and his ability to make deals and bring people together.

He is working toward tax reduction and simplification, making it easier for individuals and businesses to thrive and move forward and cutting out unnecessary red tape and bureaucracy – another word for leftist governmental control. 

America once again emerged as a leader.  After eight years, the world is witnessing America step back up to the plate ready to play ball.  Tyrants thrive when the United States doesn’t exert its power.  North Korea, Syria, and the world have learned in recent days that the U.S. is back.  Robert Charles wrote after the Syrian airstrikes, “America is once again a moral leader, and we should invite the world once again to join us.”

Even Lindsey Graham, once one of Trump's most vocal critics, came around. The South Carolina Senator recently said, "So in 80 days he's done more to correct the world than Obama did in eight years."  He continued, "I am all in, Donald keep it up.  I'm sure you're watching.  Don't let these guys talk you out of being tough."

For the United Nations, he appointed Governor Nikki Haley, who has become “a driving force in President Trump's move to reassert American leadership abroad” according to the Washington Examiner. 

President Trump signed the executive order protecting religious liberty, making a significant move to protect people of faith.  Franklin Graham writes, "Our religious freedoms have been under relentless assault by the liberal-progressive agenda.  The past administration not only refused to support such freedoms but actively worked to restrict and suppress them."

Many conservatives like me believe that President Obama did great damage to America.  Again, Prager writes that “many of us who are not on the left believe that Obama did more damage to America than any previous president – economically, militarily, and socially.”  A Saul Alinsky radical, he deceived the American people in order to pass Obamacare.  He had the IRS and the Department of Justice in his back pocket, using them as pawns in ways similar to George Orwell’s Big Brother.  Racial tensions escalated to the worst in my lifetime, partly due to his habit of consistently pushing the race envelope.  America shrank as a military leader.  The pansy culture of political correctness flourished and tried to take over.  Economic growth never rose above 3 percent.  He almost doubled the national debt.  The man who promised to fundamentally transform America railroaded leftist values into the bathrooms of America’s schools.  He consistently ignored the Constitution and exerted unprecedented Presidential authoritarianism, consistently strong-arming his way and giving the clear message that he was the law. 

Dr. Brian McClanahan, author of 9 Presidents Who Screwed up America, writes that Obama became “the most powerful, lawless, and the worst president in American history – according to the Constitution as ratified.”

Donald Trump entered the Presidency when America was hanging off of a cliff by a branch.  Conservatives never thought he would be our Messiah.  But we did hope he could move America five feet away from that cliff.

The media overflows these days with a tasteless, vicious onslaught and vomiting from the Left attacking Donald Trump. Newt Gingrich aptly writes, "The endless hostility of the Left, exemplified by violent fascists on college campuses, thugs in the streets, determined disrupters at town hall meetings, and the dishonest elite media are all part of their efforts to defeat the reforms and changes that President Trump was elected to implement." 

However, the President is tough enough to not be deterred from leading our country.  As Tony Perkins recently wrote, ""This White House is determined to change the direction of the country, and it doesn't matter how strong the opposition or how critical the media. This president has the backbone to get things done."

We have the most conservative President in a generation.  Again, Newt Gingrich has been telling people that Trump’s agenda is bigger than Reagan’s in 1981 and bigger than the Republicans’ in 1995.  I hope more people will see through the rhetoric and know that the train is slowly beginning the turn to make America great again.  

Worshiping and Resting

Check out my and Tracey's article "The Sabbath" in this month's edition of HomeLife magazine, available at many Southern Baptist churches and your local Lifeway retail store.