Making and Executing a Plan

The words of the King James Version in Proverbs 29 can be encouraging for us as we seek to follow God's principles and bring His truth into the areas of life to which He has called us. Proverbs 29 contains these words:
16 When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increaseth: but the righteous shall see their fall.
17 Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.
18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

Verse 18 in the New King James states:
18 Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law.

God's Word can provide direction for us, and we can strive to allow the power of His truth to motivate us how we can be effective witnesses for Christ in whatever sphere He has called us - personal, professional, in the Church, and in the culture.  There is great criticism and cynicism regarding institutions in our nation today, and that provides an opportunity for Bible-believing Christians to inject truth, to be thoughtful and methodical in countering the unbiblical ideas that seem to be so prevalent.

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In our world today, we need to be people who are influenced and driven by a heavenly vision - a plan inspired by God - and develop the means, in partnership with the Holy Spirit, to carry it out. In the book of Habbakuk, chapter 2, we can read:
2 Then the Lord answered me and said: "Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it.
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.
4 "Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.

Not surprisingly, the trust in our government is at embarrassingly low levels.  On its website, Pew Research summarizes its findings in that area:

Public trust in the federal government, which has been low for decades, has returned to near record lows following a modest uptick in 2020 and 2021. Currently, fewer than two-in-ten Americans say they trust the government in Washington to do what is right “just about always” (1%) or “most of the time” (15%). This is among the lowest trust measures in nearly seven decades of polling. Last year, 20% said they trusted the government just about always or most of the time.

No, it's not "Survey Thursday," but I wanted to share that in order to set up the subject of today's commentary.  With the U.S. House still trying to determine who its speaker will be, while governmental leaders craft a response to the Israel-Hamas conflict, and while so many challenges, domestically and internationally, are facing our authorities, some of which have what I would describe as having moral and spiritual roots, we need ideas.  Inspired ideas.

The Heritage Foundation has a few that caught my attention.  I actually came across an MSNBC article from last month that lambasted the plan, called Project 2025.  The article was written by Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons, author of Just Faith: Reclaiming Progressive Christianity.  That gives you an idea of where he is coming from.  He writes:

Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts opens the book by prioritizing the securing of “our God-given individual rights to live freely” against a “woke” threat. “Today the Left is threatening the tax-exempt status of churches and charities that reject woke progressivism,” he claims without evidence. “They will soon turn to Christian schools and clubs with the same totalitarian intent.”

Notice how the words, "without evidence," are thrown around to denote a position that some progressives disagree with, whether or not that is truly the case.  

But I digress.  So, I went to a more reliable, trusted source for some clarity. I arrived at The Washington Stand, where Joy Stockbauer had released an article about Project 2025.  She had spoken with Paul Dans of the Heritage Foundation.  He said this:

Heritage did get on the map initially in 1980 by providing then President-elect Reagan with a policy book, agency-by-agency prescriptions of how a successful presidency could look. It was called “Mandate for Leadership.” And in 1980, Heritage was in its infancy, so the majority of that book, 400 contributors or so, came from outside of Heritage. And that’s proved a very helpful mechanism for a future president to kind of get on board, and Heritage has done that every four years.

But the realization with this election is that our republic is in such dire straits and the work here to be done is so great that not any one organization can do this alone. Our new president, Dr. [Kevin] Roberts, recognized that if we’re going to win in Washington, we have to do this and come together as a movement. We’ve been very excited when we’ve initially announced our conception and groups like FRC jump right on board..."

Dans elaborated on the "four pillars:" a "policy book," which is called, Mandate for Leadership.  There's also a "personal database" of ideologically-aligned individuals. The consortium plans "online training," and there's the establishment of "transition teams."

The Project 2025 website notes that more than 70 organizations have come on board with the plan, including a number which would be familiar to Faith Radio listeners. 

Kevin Roberts was recently given the 2023 First Freedoms Award by the National Religious Broadcasters organization during its Capitol Hill Media Summit in Washington, D.C. The NRB website quotes NRB General Counsel Michael Farris, who said that Roberts "...has led one of the nation’s most distinguished public policy organizations past its 50-year mark with an entrepreneurial vision for lasting impact...the article says that, "Farris praised Roberts’ commitments to championing pro-life, pro-family, and pro-marriage policies as bedrock commitments..., noting that Roberts has led The Heritage Foundation with 'backbone as a standard operating procedure.'"

NRB reports:

In an inspiring address to the summit, Roberts encouraged the religious broadcasting community in its Christian witness. “In my experience, spending time with religious broadcasters is like being transported back to the Acts of the Apostles,” Roberts said. “You’re surrounded by true disciples, joined in fellowship with men and women who take our Savior’s Great Commission so seriously that they’ve made it their life’s work.”

It is encouraging to see organizations, including Christian organizations, which are exhibiting clear-mindedness for the future.  We can sit on the sidelines and criticize the acts of those who govern us, or we can get in the game and allow God to use us.  I am thankful for those who serve in federal and state government who use their God-given skills and talents to be a witness for Christ, and grateful for their support of the ministry of Faith Radio through their fall charitable campaigns. 

But good government doesn't just happen - it is important to have a plan. If we are to counter the winds of socialism, secularism, and progressivism, people have to be mobilized.  Even in our individual lives and in our churches, if we are just drifting along hoping something will happen or maybe just simply adrift, we fail to fulfill the mission of God. 

The Bible talks about having a vision.  And, our vision as Christians is to be centered on a worldview - how do we see the world from a Biblical perspective, and how do we view our relationship to it?  And, if we work together with that common purpose, in significant numbers - many counselors, as the Bible says, then we can be effective for the Kingdom - ultimately, the heavenly Kingdom that we are part of because we follow Christ.