January 29, 2025

Viewing all things through the lens of the True and the beautiful!

The True

Playing for Keeps

Friend, this life isn’t for the faint of heart. You were born on a battlefield, and the enemy is playing for keeps. It is no use pulling punches: He aims to steal from you, kill you, and destroy you (Jn. 10:10a). It is not enough for him to take what the Father has promised you, and it is even not enough to take your physical life. No, the enemy of your soul wants to destroy your soul and the generational legacy you are meant to pass down!

It is critical we understand the above. But it is even more critical you use that understanding not as cause to dwell on it, but as motivation to stand on the Truth of the almighty God’s response to it!

The enemy might be playing for keeps, but you serve the Keeper! Your God is the Keeper and guardian of your soul, and the enemy is no match for Him!

The enemy might be out to steal, kill, and destroy, but the Living God came to Earth and infills you now that you might have life, and have it to the fullest (Jn. 10:10b)!

My friend, in Numbers 6:24-26, God instructs Moses to tell Aaron and his sons to proclaim this priestly blessing over the Israelites:

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

You are very likely familiar with this blessing, and perhaps have recited it with your faith community, or even sang one of the many songs it has inspired. It is a powerful, powerful blessing in so many ways.

But today, I invite you to consider the blessing in two specific ways.

First, the Lord desires to bless you, and shine upon you, and turn His face toward you. That is His desire and His pursuit. But you, like me, walk through times when those things feel far away. Even then, as His blessings and His countenance chase you down, what is promised? Your keeping! His graciousness! His peace! Even as you wait for the full revelation of His blessing, He will guard you and pour His peace out over you!

Next, do you know what follows this blessing? After God instructs this blessing to be given to the people, what does He say next? Do you know? Have you heard? Listen to this:

“So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them” (Num. 6:27)

After all is said and done, after the enemy’s attacks, and after the Lord’s proclamation is made, what is the result? The people are marked by the very name of God! Their identity is fully consumed in His, and nothing has the power to stand against them (Deut. 11:25).

So today, my friend, as we turn our attention to the happenings of an Earth in which the enemy is real and on the prowl, remember, the Keeper has put His name on you! He has called you by name and declared you as His own (Is. 43:1). The things of this world are entrusted to us for a time, and we are to engage them in His power, but they ultimately have no power in the presence of the One who is jealous for you.

The enemy plays for keeps, but he is no match for the One who keeps you!

U.S.

Confirmed

U.S. President Donald Trump’s new cabinet is rapidly being confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Those who have already been confirmed include:

- Marco Rubio as Secretary of State

- John Ratcliffe as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

- Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense (Vice President JD Vance cast the tiebreaking vote)

- Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security

- Scott Bessent as Secretary of the Treasury

- Sean Duffy as Secretary of Transportation

Those pending on the U.S. Senate calendar and expected to be voted on soon include:

- Doug Collins to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs

- Lee Zeldin to be Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

- Doug Burgum to be Secretary of Interior

- Christopher Wright to be Secretary of Energy

- Eric Turner to be Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Additionally, there are dozens of nominees for both cabinet and lower level positions still pending in committee, many of whom will receive votes in the full Senate in the coming weeks.

Analysis and eternal perspective: The President nominates, and the U.S. Senate confirms. It is a balance of power established in Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution. A duly elected President chooses a preferred candidate for cabinet posts and a wide array of other senior positions in the U.S. government. A president makes these selections unilaterally, but they do not assume the role without “the Advice and Consent of the Senate.”

This process is largely a mirrored authority of the legislative power articulated in Article I of the U.S. Constitution, which gives Congress the authority to write the laws, and the President the authority to veto them. In the case of nominations, the President decides, and the U.S. Senate essentially has the authority to veto.

As Jesus followers, every government of men presents us with a unique opportunity. We are clearly instructed in scripture to:

- Be subject to governing authorities (Tit. 3:1, Rom. 13:1)

- Pray for those in authority (1 Tim. 2:1-2)

- Work for the flourishing of your community (Jer. 29:4-7)

Let’s be intentional in fervently praying that these confirmed leaders would contribute to the flourishing of those under their authority, and may we as The Equipped family lead the way in working to better the reality of our neighbor!

Technology

The Clock is Ti(c)king

Microsoft is reportedly again interested in purchasing the controversial app TikTok. This just a little more than a week after the app briefly went dark after a law requiring its sale went into effect on January 19, 2025 (the portion of the law requiring TikTok’s sale was challenged and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court). A day later, after taking the oath of office, President Donald Trump ordered a 75-day delay in enforcement of the law, in hopes of finding an appropriate buyer for it. President Trump’s action was a reversal of his previous position calling for the app’s ban. Microsoft declined to comment, and it remains to be seen if other interested buyers will emerge and whether a sale will finalize before the 75-day period expires.

Analysis and eternal perspective: The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of the law banning TikTok, but several legal, political, and societal disputes remain, including: 1) Whether President Trump complied with the requirements to delay enforcement (critics point to the law’s requirement that a delay be accompanied by certain certifications to Congress), 2) Whether any buyer will be able to come to terms with ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, and 3) In the event of such a sale, whether the underlying national security and privacy concerns that led to the law requiring sale will be alleviated.

As this process continues to unfold, Americans should consider the public policy questions at hand, as well as the constitutional roles allocated to the various authorities involved. TikTok users should consider the benefits and risks of continuing to use the app. We as Jesus followers should consider both of the above, but should give even higher priority to setting our minds on all that is True and beautiful (Philip. 4:8), and our actions toward endeavors that will instruct rather than frustrate (2 Tim. 1:23-26).

U.S.

A Full Workweek

As has become customary in American governance, it was a very full first week for the new Trump administration. The number and scope of executive orders and actions was likely even higher and broader than normal due to the fact that Republicans are also in control of both chambers of Congress. A non-exhaustive list of the new administration’s first actions include:

- An executive order to “achieve the total and efficient enforcement” of U.S. immigration laws, followed by several actions under the direction of the Department of Homeland Security to “deport criminal aliens”

- A pause on most foreign aid, and senior leadership at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) being placed on administrative leave​

- A pause on most federal loans and grants

- The removal of 17 Inspectors General

- An executive order terminating the “diversity, equity, and inclusion" (DEI) offices across all federal agencies

- The official renaming of the “Gulf of America” and “Mount McKinley”

- An executive order making it the policy of the U.S. to recognize two sexes, male and female.

Analysis and eternal perspective: These actions—and many others not included here—are being applauded by some and decried by others. It is likely you, as a Jesus follower, find cause for some of each reaction, as well. We know from scripture that both the moral makeup of our leaders and their actions have a real impact in our world (Pr. 29:2). That said, governments of men are, by definition, made up of sinful men and women, so no government should be viewed as the perfect application of divine authority.

The exciting truth for The Equipped family, however, is that the primary responsibility for carrying the Truth of the Gospel into the world is ours (Matt. 28:18-20)! So, while the actions of the most powerful government in the world truly matter and you should thoughtfully work to impact them, your personal charge remains the same no matter the governmental action. Go and make disciples!

“When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan” (Pr. 29:2).

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:18-20).

The Beautiful

Sweet Delight

It would be enough to be saved by a merciful God. But you are DELIGHTED in by a relational God! May this reality add sweetness to your life and spirit this week!

“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing” (Zeph. 3:17)