DTLC Radio Dr. David Turpen

And then what happened? This is the reality for all of us. We all have a "then what happened?" No matter your situation or circumstances...Regardless of your current concerns or worries...In spite of your anxiety and uncertainty, there is always a "then what happened?".







Who Is Your King?







As of today (11/05/2020) we still do not know who the President of the United States is going to be. Even after it is "announced" there is likely to be a contesting and recounts. This level of uncertainty - given all that has led up to this election - is great fodder for worry and fret.







But remember what Jesus said in the sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7)? He tells us very clearly that our citizenship is first in heaven and our King is God the Father. He rules and reigns over us. God is the One who looks out for us and provides. He is not unaware or unconcerned. The Father does not leave us as orphans to fend for ourselves.







On the contrary, He is our Warrior! God is our Light! Christ is our Savior! What could possibly be better than that?!







Then what? So what?







So we don't yet know who our President will be. Does it matter? Well, yes, absolutely it matters! Does it make a difference? Well again, yes, absolutely! But in the grand scheme of things, Who are you gong to serve? Does your President and country come before your Savior and His Kingdom? I trust not! So what does it really matter?







What can man do to me? If God is for me, who can be against me? Whom will you choose this day to serve?







Good questions, all. And yes, our leaders in this life definitely make a difference. But they do not and shall not determine our faith and obedience. Our alliance and allegiance is to Christ. In the end, regardless of electoral outcomes, our devotion to God is to be unwavering. He gives authority and takes authority away.







And Then What Happened?







We all have a "then what happened?" in our lives. Regardless of circumstance or situation, life goes on. Even in death, there is something beyond.







Now, I agree that I would prefer the blessings or freedom and liberty as we have come to have them. And yes, I believe these are worth sacrificing and dying for under certain conditions. But I will not allow the uncertainty or threat of oppression determine how I live my life. And neither should you!







God is still on His throne! Jesus is still King of kings and Lord of lords! This is a great opportunity for us as Christians to stand up and live like we believe these truths...regardless of who ever sits in the White House.







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Your Vote Matters

You have a responsibility and obligation to vote...if you are a Christian. Our Founding Fathers believed that American patriotism was directly tied to personal faith in Christ. If you're a Christian, then you're a patriot. In fact, according to our Founders, you can't be a true patriot if you're not also a Christian. God has shed His grace on America as much as He has on Christians!







In this 2020 election special episode, I challenge all Christians to take a stand. Not for one political leader but for political ideologies, beliefs, and worldviews. Clearly, one party is much more pro-God and freedom than the other.







This Election Is Special







I know, for the past several election cycles people have been declaring "this is the most important election of our lifetime." Well, I believe that statement is truer today than it ever has been. Our freedoms and Republic are definitely under attack. And the attack is not coming from outside sources...although outside sources are certainly supporting and financing these efforts. The attack is coming from within, from our own citizens who believe (wrongly) that they have the best solutions.







Let me be clear, Jesus is the only true solution to our country's problems. Our problems are inherent in people and only God can change people!







That said, I do believe that one candidate and one party support, promote, and are seeking secure our rights and freedoms more so than the other. Again, let me be clear...Republicans, as a party, stand more for the natural laws of God consistent with the Bible than do Democrats. As long as Democrats, as a party, actively promote and support the killing of the unborn, they will never be worthy of my vote, period!







You're Not Voting For A Man







You're not voting for a man, you're voting for a worldview and philosophy of governing. One party - Republican - believes in governing consistent with the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence. These documents are rooted in the Bible, specifically the Law of Moses, with an understanding of grace through Jesus Christ. In fact, many of our laws can be referenced, chapter and verse, directly from Scripture.







The other party - Democrat - seeks to "re-write" the Constitution, "re-interpret" our founding documents, and in several cases, simply to destroy it all. This worldview is godless, atheist, and anti-Christian. Even among their own leaders who claim to be "Christian" (i.e. Catholic), they belittle the faith of fellow Catholics and degrade attempts to live as Christ. God has no place in their world (unless you keep Him in your own basement) and no place in their governing.







They seek to destroy, not build. They want to ruin, not reaffirm. They want power and control, not freedom and self-control. They stand for and represent most all that is anti-Christ. They call good evil and evil good and each does what's right in their own eyes. Sound familiar?!







You Have A Choice







You have a choice, and it may just be the last one you'll ever have. It has been said that you can vote yourself into socialism (i.e. Marxism/communism) but you can't vote yourself out of it. That requires a literal revolution of physical fighting. Don't believe me? Just ask people from those countries who have experienced it.







God has permitted - even dictated - that you were born an American. As such, you have been given great gifts and freedoms. With these also come greater responsibilities. Of the utmost importance is your responsibility to defend and fight to protect these gifts and freedoms.







There has never been a nation like the United States of America in the history of the world.

Do you see what I see? Do you hear what I hear? I know you're thinking of Christmas and the song of the same title but I have a different intent here. Can you see and recognize what is happening in your country? Do you understand what God is doing? Are you even aware that God is the One who is doing it?







Not Always As It Appears







Things are not always as they appear to be. Case in point, what is happening across our great country. It is not only political division between differing ideologies on how to govern. There is not just an uptick in violence. Racial discrepancies have always existed. This is not just the result of hate against a sitting President. There is something more going on and we need to be paying particular attention to it.







This is clearly the case when you have a biblical worldview. When you read the accounts in Scripture of God's repeated warnings, man's failure, and God's response it becomes clear. Our nation is under the judgment of God. As a country, we have spurned God over the past five decades and pushed Him further and further out of our lives. Even in the Church, we are guilty of forgetting our first love and denying the truth. We have openly stopped preaching God's Word in exchange for more palatable "self-help" and "personal improvement" topics. We've neglected the truth for too long.







Shaken To Awaken







A recent catch phrase is to be "woke." Woke means to be enlightened to finally see the oppression of the system that "the man" has imposed. This is especially true with regard to minorities. The problem is that the "woke" are actually blind to what is really happening. Only the redeemed are truly "woke" and see life as it really is.







Do you see? Or do you think you see? Reading through the pages of Scripture, it is difficult not to recognize that God is shaking thing up. Literally! Through the various upheavals, natural disasters, political tensions, and unrest, God is the one doing the shaking. The goal? To wake us up from our slumber.







I am convinced that God is using - through permission and intention - these events to get our attention. Why? For the same reason He did so throughout the Old Testament and New. To call us to repentance and confession. To turn to Him and seek Him that He might relent and heal our land. This was not meant only for the people of Israel. The writer of Hebrews let's us know that God is still at work to call His people to repentance and subsequent faithfulness. We must follow the prayer of Daniel and pray for our country that God would demonstrate, again, His power and love for us. May God bless America.







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Do not be afraid. Pretty straight-forward statement. The phrase is used 365 times throughout the Bible. Coincidence? I don't think so. Three hundred and sixty-five times God tells us - commands us - not to be afraid. And yet, today - especially today (2020) - I see so many people living in fear.







Nothing To Fear But Fear Itself







Paul's admonishment and testimony at the close of Romans 8 is a great platform on which to preach this message. Do not fear! Don't be afraid! And that message has never been more applicable.







With the coming of the "plandemic" - I mean, pandemic - of COVID-19, I have seen far too many people walking around in absolute fear. Fear of death and dying, sure. But also fear of contact, fear of proximity, afraid to even come out of their homes. The worst part is that many of the fearful are Christians. Being afraid is the exact opposite mindset God has called us to have.







Franklin D. Roosevelt was right, fear perpetuates itself. More than that, fear is of the Devil. Make no mistake! Fear comes straight from the pit of hell. Don't believe me? Go back and re-read Genesis 3. Why did Adam hide himself from God? Because he was afraid. Why wasn't he ever afraid before when he was in the presence of God? Because fear didn't come from God, it came from the Serpent.







Don't Be Afraid







Fear is False Evidence Appearing Real. Great definition! Think about it; is that exactly what Satan tried to present to Adam...false evidence as legitimate fact? God literally commands us to not be afraid (see Joshua 1:9). Once a day, every day of the year, God has given us a reminder of this command in His word.







Living in fear is, in fact, sinful. Why? Because it denies the reality and truth of God as well as faith. Remember, without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Here's a fact: You cannot have both fear and faith at the same time. Your faith is what overcomes fear. Faith that God is, that He is true, and He is a keeper of His word.







With all the fear-mongering and uncertainty being presented to us, either in the form of virus or politics, it's even more important to have faith. Your faith is your strength, your confidence, and your assurance. It is was gets you through tough times. Don't fall victim to the "victim mentality" and believe these things are "happening to you" because of something lacking in God. Or worse, that you're being punished by Him. Remember last week's episode? God is for you, not against you!







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Study Romans from the Beginning by Clicking Here

God is for you! Is that not the best statement in the world? He is not against you; He is for you. God is on your side. He is your Creator and wants nothing more than to be your Father. The question is not His love you; but your love for Him.







Those Who Love God







Not only has the Father gone to great lengths to bring you back into the Family - not even sparing His own Son (Romans 8:32) - but He promises to work all things for good. Think about that. All things will work out good - even the awful things - for those who love God.







Who are those who love God? According to Jesus in John 14, those who love God are those who keep His commandments. Conversely, those who do not love God are those who do not keep His commandments. Pretty straight forward. Your obedience to God's commands are the evidence and proof of your love for Him. Don't follow Him and it's clear you don't love Him. That simple.







The Reward







So what is the reward for those who love God? How does His reward reflect that God is for you and not against you? Again, simple. He has already pre-determined (i.e. predestined) that you will receive a glorified body just as Jesus has received His.







Remember the context of Romans 6-8. Paul is describing our relationship as redeemed spirits to the Law of God. Our yet-unredeemed-body is still corrupted by sin and resistant to our desire to serve God through obedience. The "reward" for faithfully pursuing holiness - after being justified and born again for this purpose - is exchanging a corrupted flesh for uncorrupted flesh. Our "hope" is the promise of full and complete redemption; a "born again" body to house an-already-born-again-spirit. The Bible calls it our "resurrection from the dead." And as such, Jesus was the first to experience it. Our inheritance is to experience and possess the same.







God Is For You







The evidence of this fact is clear. As the Judge in your trial for sin, He has already determined that, though you are guilty, your penalty has already been paid. Therefore, no charges or accusations against you can result in any eternal punishment. That's the promise of justification.







Likewise, the promise of regeneration and sanctification is that regardless of any circumstances you may encounter; in spite of any and all sufferings, pain, tragedies, or disasters you may experience, God still loves you. His love for you will be made evident through the completion of your redemption. Meaning, you will be glorified and made whole in your salvation.







Nothing is more awesome than that!







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Study Romans From the Beginning - Click Here

When there are no words, God can still hear your heart. Romans 8:26-29 teaches us that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us even when we can't find the words.







No Words Necessary







In the same way that our hope sustains and pulls us toward obedience in the midst of present sufferings, the Holy Spirit aids us in our weakness. What weakness? The weakness of our flesh to be obedient. This is the overall condition of our humanity in general. It's our powerlessness at times to overcome temptation. Sometimes there are no words because we do not even know what to pray.







Our spiritual weakness and sin-sickness are still present in our not-yet-redeemed body. The world is full of sin-corruption that draws and pulls away from God. There are times when we do not even know what we should be praying for. In those times, the Holy Spirit comes to our aid.







Holy Spirit Intercession







The Holy Spirit comes to our aid, giving us inward strength at exactly those times when we are in danger of sin and doubt. No words are necessary. In fact, the Holy Spirit's communication with God the Father is beyond words. Words are not necessary because there is oneness of mind. This gives us assurance that in spite of weakness, God has made provision to help us out.







In fact, we are given the promise of "all things working together for good" (Romans 8:28). But the promise is specific. Specific to whom? The promise applies to those "who love God." Who are they? They are the ones who keep the commandments. Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments" (John 14:25). And again, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word...He who does not love Me does not keep My words" (John 14:23-24).







Proof of your love for God is evidenced by your obedience. Notice how obedience continues to be the common thread throughout this section (Romans 6-8). But it is not without encouragement. We are not expected to be perfect nor are we expected to attempt obedience on our own. True, it is our willful intent to choose obedience. But the follow through is done in conjunction with the Holy Spirit. Think about that...the Third Person of the Trinity lives in you to help you pursue obedience! Notice I did not say "pursue perfection." That is no longer a requirement. Persistence and consistency are our goals. Every day, seeking to improve.







In this episode we briefly (wink, wink) review Romans 1-7 and continue to study Romans 8:26-29.







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Study Romans from the Beginning - Click Here