Doug Stringer

The Power of Lifting Up the Word…
A Nation Gathered, The Word Declared.

Doug Stringer

In a time marked by noise, division, and uncertainty, something profoundly simple—and deeply powerful—is taking place in our nation’s capital.

As part of America Reads the Bible (April 18-25), nearly 500 voices have gathered in Washington, D.C., with a singular purpose: to read the Word of God aloud, from Genesis to Revelation, over our nation - daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m..

No sermons.
No speeches.
No personal commentary.

Just the Word.

This sacred act echoes a powerful moment in Scripture. In Nehemiah chapter 8, Ezra stood before the people, opened the Book of the Law, and read it aloud. As the Word was lifted up, the people rose to their feet in reverence. They responded with uplifted hands, cries of “Amen, Amen,” bowed heads, and worship. The Scripture tells us they wept as they heard the Word.

We are witnessing something similar today. When the Word of God is lifted up, it carries its own authority, its own power, and its own ability to transform hearts.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

The Word is not merely written—it is living. It is Christ Himself, the Living Word. And when we lift up the Word, we are lifting up Jesus.

Jesus said, “If I am lifted up… I will draw all people to Myself” (John 12:32).

As His Word is declared across our nation, we believe He is drawing hearts back to Himself, calling prodigals home, restoring hope, and awakening faith.

Scripture reminds us, “For the Word of God is living and powerful… and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). The Word reaches beyond surface understanding. It penetrates the soul.

It convicts, heals, and restores.

This is why the reading of Scripture matters.

“The seed is the Word of God” (Luke 8:11). As the Word is read aloud, seeds are being sown—into hearts, into homes, into the very spiritual fabric of our nation. Some will take root immediately. Others may grow over time. But the promise remains:

“So shall My Word be… it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please” (Isaiah 55:11).

The Word works.

In a culture searching for answers, peace, and identity, the Word of God remains our unchanging foundation.

“Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him” (Proverbs 30:5).

But this moment is more than a public reading, it is a call.

A call to return.
A call to humility.
A call to repentance and hope.

Just as in Nehemiah’s day, when the Word was lifted and the people responded, we believe God is stirring a corporate awakening. Many who have drifted—who have become untethered—are being drawn back into relationship with Him.

We cannot truly know God’s heart apart from His Word. And we cannot effectively carry His message if we are not rooted in it ourselves.

The early believers were described as uneducated and untrained, yet they transformed the world. Why? Because “they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). They had encountered the Living Word.

Today, the same invitation stands before us.

To return to the Word.
To be renewed in our minds.
To be transformed in our hearts.

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go” (Psalm 32:8).

In uncertain times, we must come back to what is certain. The same Word that spoke creation into existence is still speaking today.

“By the Word of the Lord the heavens were made” (Psalm 33:6).

SCRIPTURE LIGHTS A FIRE -

As the Word is lifted across our nation, we believe it is igniting something once again:

A fire of truth.

A fire of conviction.

A fire of awakening.

We are not gathered around personalities or platforms, but we are gathered around the Word.

And the Word is enough.

May we see the fruit of this moment in the days ahead—hearts softened, lives restored, and a nation turning back to God.

THE WORD WORKS! It does not return void. It is the Word of Life.

Let us lift it up—and trust God to do what only He can do.

Doug Stringer

The Power of Desperate Prayer…Praying Effectively Through Difficult Times - Doug Stringer

Originally I wrote and published this as part of a national special edition for the Washington Times at the end of 2015, but realize that today in 2026 that call is even more urgent. Our world has only grown more unstable, our institutions more fragile, and our need for divine intervention more evident.

In the 1990’s I wrote about the urgent need for desperate prayer in times of national crisis. Since then, the turbulence in our world has only intensified. Nations are increasingly unstable. Cultural divisions are deeper. Institutions once trusted have faltered. Many people today feel overwhelmed, anxious, and uncertain about the future.

Yet the timeless truth remains: in moments of great shaking, the greatest need is not merely political, economic, or social reform, it is spiritual awakening.

The Sense of Crisis Has Only Deepened-

Today we see:
• Increasing global instability and wars
• Cultural fragmentation and polarization
• Economic uncertainty and institutional distrust
• Mental health crises and widespread despair
• A growing sense that traditional systems are failing

In December 2002, Lou Gerstner, former CEO of IBM, while addressing students at the Harvard Business School, stated:

“Transformation of an enterprise begins with a sense of crisis or urgency. No institution will go through fundamental change unless it believes it is in deep trouble and needs to do something different to survive.”

That observation applies not only to corporations, but also to nations and even to the Church.

Today we are living in challenging, volatile times. Every day the headlines report new conflicts, disasters, and human tragedies. Many feel as though the world is accelerating toward greater instability. In such times, we cannot afford to put our heads in the sand and pretend everything is fine. Nor can we allow ourselves to sink into despair or passively hope circumstances will improve on their own.

We simply cannot keep hitting the snooze button while alarms are sounding around us. We must respond.

The ancient prophet Joel once issued a wake-up call to a nation in crisis. He pleaded for the people to gather before God in a sacred assembly. Their moment of national distress demanded a corporate response in prayer, repentance, and renewed consecration before the Lord.

They recognized that they could not save themselves. They needed divine intervention.

America, and much of the world, now faces similar challenges. The magnitude of the crises confronting our nation demands an equally significant response.

In ancient Israel, when the commander of the Assyrian army threatened the nation with annihilation, King Hezekiah understood that no human strategy could ultimately save them. Desperate and overwhelmed, he turned to the Lord in passionate prayer.

Scripture tells us that Hezekiah took the threatening letters and laid them before the Lord. He tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and prayed. First he acknowledged the nation’s helplessness:

“This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the moment of birth and there is no strength to deliver them.”

Then Hezekiah declared the greatness of God. He proclaimed that the Lord alone is God, Creator of heaven and earth. He pleaded for God to open His eyes to see and His ears to hear the threats against the nation—and to intervene.

In authentic humility, Hezekiah prayed, and God intervened.

Today the nations are again raging and the earth seems to groan under the weight of conflict and uncertainty. Human wisdom alone cannot save us. Political ideologies cannot heal the human heart. Even our strongest institutions have proven insufficient to address the deeper spiritual crisis we face.

The Bible reminds us that “hope deferred makes the heart sick,” yet also that “a merry heart does good like medicine.” Many today are weary and discouraged. Hearts are heavy with anxiety and despair. People are searching for hope and strength to move forward.

That hope is found in God.

Throughout history, humble leaders have called upon the Lord in times of great crisis, asking Him to hear from heaven and heal their land. Even during the American Revolutionary War, George Washington commissioned a flag bearing the words “An Appeal to Heaven,” a phrase drawn from the writings of John Locke in Two Treatises of Government. It acknowledged that when human efforts fall short, our ultimate hope must be in God.

In this generation, we need that same appeal to heaven once again.

It begins with each of us.

Moses prayed, “Show me Your ways.” The prophet Jeremiah reminded the people in a time of national difficulty that if they would call upon God, He would show them “great and mighty things they did not know.” God desired to renew His covenant with His people and restore their nation - if they would acknowledge Him as Lord.

In the New Testament, James wrote that “the effective and fervent prayer of the righteous avails much.” Today more than ever, we must become people who pray with sincerity, humility, and persistence.

The Call to Desperate Prayer Is Counter-Cultural:

The late revivalist Leonard Ravenhill often said:

“God doesn’t answer prayer. He answers desperate prayer.”

Leonard Ravenhill’s statement is particularly relevant today:

In a time when much of modern Christianity can drift toward:

• comfort
• platform culture
• religious routine

We as believers must get back to authentic humility and dependence on God.

Our private posture before God ultimately shapes our public influence. When we humble ourselves before Him, our hearts are aligned with His purposes.

Like in the days of Hezekiah, we are living in overwhelming times. As I have traveled across the globe, I have met believers from countries such as Iran, Indonesia, China, Pakistan, Uganda, Nigeria, India, and many others who are praying fervently for America. They understand something many of us forget: if the heart of a nation—its spiritual life—is awakened, the soul of that nation can be healed.

And when America experiences spiritual renewal, the impact extends far beyond our borders.

The question remains for us today: Will we come before God with authentic humility, repentance, and consecration? Will we move beyond routine religious expressions and cry out to Him with genuine desperation?

If we do, God can hear from heaven and intervene.

Our greatest hope is still an appeal to heaven, coming before the living God with humility and sincerity, asking Him to turn what seems impossible into a testimony of His mercy and grace.

Only He can truly heal the soul of a nation. Only He can restore what has been broken and renew the foundations upon which we stand.

And He still responds to desperate prayer.

Doug Stringer

Have We Unleashed What We Cannot Contain? - Doug Stringer

In our desire to solve problems, to fix what is broken, have we opened a proverbial Pandora’s Box that now threatens to consume us?

In Greek mythology, Pandora’s Box was a container filled with hidden evils. When opened out of curiosity and good intention, suffering, chaos, and hardship escaped into the world, and could never be put back. Only hope remained. In the same way, have we been making choices and actions that have unforeseen and far reaching consequences that cannot easily be contained.

Are we doing the same today? Have we been releasing consequences we never intended through choices we believed would help humanity?

The story of the Pied Piper tells of a mysterious musician who charmed an entire city with his music. First he led away its rats; later, when betrayed, he led away its children. The lesson is sobering: what enchants us can also deceive us. Not every appealing voice leads toward truth. The Pied Piper plays his melody, enchanting minds, hearts, and even souls, leading many away from truth under the guise of cleverness and charm.

And then there is Dr. Frankenstein, the scientist who created life believing he could overcome death and improve humanity. His creation was not born evil, but became destructive because it lacked wisdom, guidance, and moral grounding. A creation meant to help became a force its creator could not control. He created a monster out of good intentions.

What may have started as good intentions meant to heal, to restore, to protect has too often birthed a Frankenstein: a creation that has grown beyond our control, and now threatens the very world we sought to save.

These stories endure because they mirror a timeless human struggle.

Pandora’s Box warns us about unintended consequences.

The Pied Piper warns us about seductive deception.

Frankenstein warns us about creation without wisdom.

Good intentions are not enough.

Charisma without righteousness misleads.

Solutions without truth unravel.

Progress without God loses its way.

We are not called to panic, but to discern.

“He who follows righteousness and mercy finds life, righteousness, and honor.” Proverbs 21:21

The box may already be open.
The music may already be playing.
The monster may already be moving.

But deliverance still belongs to the Lord.

The question is simple and urgent:

Will we follow the Piper… or the Shepherd?

“The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance is of the Lord.” —Proverbs 21:31

We prepare, we plan, we engineer solutions, but ultimate deliverance is not in human hands, it is of the Lord. Like Dr. Frankenstein, who sought to conquer death and create life from good intention, we too have tried to solve the problems of our world. And like the Pied Piper, those who promise answers, while seeming to bring solutions, they may secretly be leading us astray, coaxing hearts into deception.

“He who follows righteousness and mercy…finds life, righteousness, and honor.” —Proverbs 21:21

Good intentions are insufficient without truth, righteousness, and mercy as the guiding compass. The Frankenstein monster was not evil by intention, yet it became destructive because it was not anchored in wisdom. The Pied Piper’s music was charming, yet it hid devastation. And Pandora’s Box, once opened, released consequences unforeseen and uncontrollable.

What does this mean for our world today? Paul warned the church in 2 Thessalonians 2: there will be those who refuse to love the truth and are deluded, believing lies and falling prey to false narratives. In our age of information and influence, the allure of quick fixes, clever solutions, and seductive ideas is real. Too often, people embrace what seems beneficial or entertaining, but it leads to deception, disillusionment, and even destruction.

The lesson is sobering: good intentions without grounding in truth can spawn monsters. Charisma without righteousness can mislead generations. Plans without the hand of God can spiral into chaos.

We are called not to panic but to discern. Not to be enchanted by the Pied Piper, not to be dazzled by our own creations, and not to be overcome by what we cannot control. Instead, we are to follow righteousness, mercy, and truth. We are to trust in the Lord for deliverance, even when the battle seems overwhelming and the monster seems unstoppable.

The question we must answer individually, and as a society is this: will we continue to chase our clever solutions and fall for the music of the Pied Piper, or will we anchor our hearts in God’s wisdom, walk in righteousness, and allow His deliverance to lead us?

The horse may be prepared, the music may play, the box may be opened, but salvation, life, and honor are still found in the Lord.

Doug Stringer

Good question.

Everyone Else Forgot Gen X. Has Your Church Done the Same? Is your church overlooking Gen X? Here's what it takes to engage this independent, often-forgotten generation to lead and thrive.

HE IS NOT HERE — FOR HE IS RISEN!

The Great Exchange, Resurrection Power, and Our Living Hope

By Doug Stringer

“Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen!”
— Luke 24:5–7

HE IS RISEN — HE IS RISEN INDEED

Each time I have visited Jerusalem, I have made my way to the empty Garden Tomb. As you leave the tomb, an inscription on the door declares:

“HE IS NOT HERE — FOR HE IS RISEN.”

Throughout the Middle East during Resurrection Weekend, believers greet one another with the ancient confession:

“He is Risen!”
“He is Risen Indeed!”

And the truth still echoes across generations and nations:

YES — HE IS RISEN. HE IS RISEN INDEED.

The empty tomb is not merely a historical detail; it is Heaven’s declaration that death has been defeated, sin has been conquered, and hope has been secured forever.

The Great Exchange and The High Cost of Love:

Isaiah 53 gives us one of the clearest prophetic pictures of Christ as the Suffering Servant. Verses 4–6 reveal the incredible promises fulfilled at Calvary:

He bore our griefs.
He carried our sorrows.
He was wounded for our transgressions.
He was bruised for our iniquities.
He was crushed for our peace.
By His stripes we are healed.

What took place on the Cross was the Great Exchange…the High Cost of Love.

Jesus bore the cup of suffering, the Crown of Thorns, and the brutality of the Cross so that we could exchange our filthy rags for robes of righteousness.

Because of Him, we receive:

• The Crown of Life
• The Crown of Righteousness
• The Crown of Glory
• An Imperishable Crown
• The Crown of Rejoicing

He took our death so we could receive His life.

The First Fruits of Resurrection:

The resurrection was not simply Jesus returning to life, it was the beginning of a new creation.

Scripture declares that Christ is the First Fruits of those who have risen.

His resurrection guarantees ours.

Just as first fruits in Scripture represented the coming harvest, Jesus’ victory over the grave is the assurance that death does not have the final word for those who belong to Him.

The empty tomb proclaims:

• Hope is alive.
• Redemption is complete.
• Eternal life has begun.

Because He lives, we live.

Qualified, Delivered, and Conveyed:

On this Resurrection Weekend, and every day, May we give thanks to our Heavenly Father.

The Apostle Paul writes in Colossians 1:12–16 that the Father:

• Qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light,
• Delivered us from the power of darkness, and
• Conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.

Notice the language:

Qualified. Delivered. Conveyed.

We are not striving to obtain what Christ has already secured.

All things were created by Him and for Him — thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers. Every kingdom is subject to, and ultimately will answer to Christ.

The Equalizer — His Holy Presence:

Being in the Holy, Holy, Holy presence of God is the great equalizer.

As seen in 2 Chronicles 5 and Isaiah 6, when God’s glory fills the place, human distinction fades and hearts become united in worship.

In His presence:

• division gives way to unity,
• striving gives way to surrender,
• and identity is restored.

We walk together in the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace, receiving grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift (Ephesians 4:1–16).

Therefore Scripture invites us:

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” — Hebrews 4:16

Grace is not earned, it is given to be received.

Commissioned by the King:

Missionary David Livingstone once asked:

“Why is it that when an earthly king commissions us we consider it an honor, but when the Heavenly King commissions us we call it a sacrifice?”

It is an honor to be commissioned as ambassadors of His Kingdom.

We are called to lift ONE Name above all names, to worship Him in the beauty of holiness, giving Him the glory due His name.

Resurrection Power:

“With great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.” — Acts 4:33

The core message of the early Church was not only the crucifixion, it was the resurrection.

The resurrection is not merely doctrine; it is divine power released through surrendered lives.

How do we receive this power?

Acts 5:32 tells us plainly: the Holy Spirit is given to those who obey Him.

We follow Jesus.
He manifests His power.

“All things are possible to those who believe.” Mark 9:23

The old hymn says it well:

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

As we believe and obey, His power and blessing flow through our lives.

A Call to Surrender:

Are we still carrying guilt and shame from your past?

Are we walking in defeat or fear?

It is time to lay our lives before the Lord.

Let us exchange our brokenness for His righteousness and pray:

“Not my will, Lord, but Yours be done. Transform my life. Guard my mind and heart. Let me honor You in all my ways so I may boldly declare that I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

This is a prayer God honors when prayed sincerely.

Jesus died to make the Great Exchange, and He rose again to give it life.

How can anyone refuse such an invitation?

He calls us into a life of expectancy, joy, and purpose.

Mission Accomplished:

Jesus said in Luke 12:50:

“I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished.”

Then on the Cross, in John 19:30, He declared:

“IT IS FINISHED.”

The mission was accomplished.
Redemption was secured.
The exchange was complete.

Even when circumstances remain imperfect, through Christ we find:

• Perfect Love beyond words
• Strength and joy unspeakable
• Peace that surpasses understanding
• Hope beyond what we can see

Our Living Declaration:

Yes — IT IS FINISHED.

And because it is finished:

HE IS RISEN!
HE IS RISEN INDEED!

May Jesus be the center of our lives, not only during Resurrection Weekend, but every day.

Let us live surrendered, commissioned, and empowered by the risen Christ, stirring one another to love and good works as we await the fullness of His Kingdom.

Lift ONE Name above all names.

Worship Him in the beauty of His holiness.

Live in the power of the resurrection.

JESUS BE THE CENTER OF OUR LIVES.

Doug Stringer

PASSOVER and RESURRECTION - From Deliverance to New Life - part 3 of three part series.

Passover celebrates freedom from slavery. Resurrection declares freedom from death itself.

After the sorrow of the Cross came silence — a Sabbath pause between promise and fulfillment. Then, everything changed. The tomb was empty.

The Resurrection is God’s confirmation that the sacrifice was accepted and redemption accomplished.

What began in Egypt as physical deliverance now becomes eternal salvation.

Jesus transforms Passover from remembrance into living reality:

• Deliverance becomes new birth.
• Freedom becomes transformation.
• Covenant becomes resurrection life.

The risen Christ proves that death does not have the final word.
Because He lives:

• hope overcomes despair,
• forgiveness replaces guilt,
• and new life becomes possible for all who believe.

The Exodus pointed forward.

The Cross accomplished redemption.

The Resurrection secured victory forever.

THE UNITY OF PASSOVER AND HOLY WEEK:

Holy Week is best understood through Passover. Together they tell one continuous story: The scarlet thread runs unbroken from Exodus to Calvary to the empty tomb.

This sacred season calls us not merely to celebration but reflection. Just as leaven was removed during Passover, we ask God to search our hearts. Just as Israel remembered deliverance, we remember the Cross. Just as resurrection followed sacrifice, we walk in new life.

May we keep our eyes fixed on Him, the Lamb who was promised, the Savior who was crucified, and the Risen King who is coming again.

Doug Stringer

HOLY WEEK: THE JOURNEY OF REDEMPTION

Part 2 of Three-Part Series

PART TWO: GOOD FRIDAY

The Cross — The High Cost of Love:

The cheers of Palm Sunday give way to the silence of Good Friday.

Betrayal replaced celebration.

Darkness replaced expectation.

The King stood before a Cross.

Good Friday confronts us with the seriousness of redemption. Jesus was not a victim of circumstance; He was the fulfillment of God’s eternal plan.

During Passover, lambs were sacrificed remembering Israel’s deliverance. At that very time, Jesus — the perfect Passover Lamb, gave His life for the world.

“For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” — 1 Corinthians 5:7

At Calvary, justice and mercy met.

Jesus bore humanity’s sin, shame, and separation so reconciliation could be restored. The Cross revealed both the depth of human brokenness and the greater depth of divine love.

When Jesus declared, “It is finished,” He announced that the debt of sin had been fully paid. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

The veil of the temple tore from top to bottom — not humanity reaching God, but God opening the way to humanity.

Good Friday reminds us:

• Forgiveness is costly.
• Grace is not cheap.
• Love sacrifices.

The Cross calls us not merely to admiration but transformation.
We do not simply remember the Cross; we carry it, dying to self so Christ may live through us.

Yet the story pauses here.

Hope seems buried. Heaven appears silent. But God is still working.

Doug Stringer

THE SCARLET THREAD OF REDEMPTION

Passover, Holy Week, and the Resurrection of Christ
A Three-Part Holy Week Series

PART ONE — PALM SUNDAY & PASSOVER

As sundown arrived on Wednesday, April 1, 2026 (Hebrew year 5786), Passover begins, a sacred remembrance of God’s deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt.

For over 3,500 years, Jewish families have gathered to remember how God redeemed His people through the blood of a lamb, marking their homes for protection as judgment passed over them.

Passover is a story of:
• deliverance from bo***ge,
• covenant faithfulness,
• and the promise of redemption.

Yet Passover was never only about the past. It was prophetic.
As Jerusalem prepared for Passover during the first century, pilgrims filled the city remembering Moses and the Exodus. Lambs were being selected for sacrifice — and at that very moment, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey.

Palm Sunday happens inside the Passover story.
The crowds cried, “Hosanna!” not fully realizing they were welcoming the fulfillment of what Passover had always pointed toward.

Jesus entered not as a political conqueror but as the Passover Lamb.

Just as families once examined their lambs before sacrifice, Jesus would be examined publicly in the days that followed, questioned, tested, and ultimately declared without fault.

Palm Sunday reveals a profound truth:

God’s redemption unfolds according to His covenant timing.
The Lamb had come.

Doug Stringer

A Donkey and a Colt…Palm Sunday and The Triumphant Entry

“The Lord Has Need of Them”

The Triumphal Entry and the Power of Generations Walking Together

By Doug Stringer

Holy Week, the sacred period in the Christian calendar, begins with what many Christians call Palm Sunday, commemorating Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem and leading us toward the Cross and ultimately the resurrection celebrated on Easter Sunday. Churches around the world remember this moment through the waving of palm branches which are symbols of welcome, victory, and expectation…as crowds once cried out, “Hosanna!”

Yet within this familiar story lies a profound detail that is often overlooked, a detail that carries a powerful message for the Church today.

It involves a donkey and her c**t.

“The Lord Has Need of Them”

In Matthew 21:2–3, Jesus instructed His disciples:

“Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a c**t with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them.’”

Many remember that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a c**t that had never been ridden. But Scripture tells us something more: Jesus asked for both the donkey and her c**t.

The mother donkey led the way.

The c**t, inexperienced and untested, walked alongside her.

What could have been unstable became steady.

What could have been unpredictable became purposeful. The younger found security in the presence of the older.

This was not incidental, it was instructional.

A Picture of Two Generations-

The Triumphal Entry gives us a timeless principle:

God uses both the seasoned and the young.

The younger generation often carries vision, passion, creativity, and bold faith. They are willing to step into new territory and dream of what could be. Yet zeal without guidance can struggle under the weight of responsibility.

The older generation carries experience, endurance, tested character, and perspective forged through trials and faithfulness. They understand the cost of obedience and the burdens of the journey. Yet experience without fresh vision can slowly drift toward stagnation.

God’s design is not competition between generations, but partnership.

The c**t needed the presence of the older donkey.

The older donkey made space for the c**t.

And Jesus needed them both.

Beasts of Burden — Symbols of Service:

In Scripture, donkeys were known as beasts of burden. Mentioned more than 130 times throughout the Bible, they symbolize humility, strength, service, perseverance, and the acceptance of responsibility.

Significantly, Jesus did not enter Jerusalem on a war horse, the symbol of conquest and political power, but on a donkey, fulfilling the prophecy:

“Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a c**t, the foal of a donkey.”

The King of Kings chose humility over spectacle.

He chose willingness over prestige.

He chose what was available rather than what appeared impressive.

The message remains clear today:

God is not looking for self-promotion; He is looking for availability, willingness, and availability.

“The Lord has need of them.”

The Strength of Shared Purpose:

Imagine the scene described in Matthew 21:2–10:

Garments laid across the road.
Palm branches covering the pathway. Crowds shouting,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
The entire city stirred, asking, “Who is this?”

At the center of this historic moment were two ordinary animals, one seasoned, one young, carrying divine purpose together.

This is a picture of the Church as God intended it to be.

• The wisdom of spiritual fathers and mothers.

• The zeal and courage of emerging generations.

• Walking side by side so Christ may be revealed to the world.

The younger need mentors who model faithfulness, humility, and endurance.

The older need the renewed faith and courageous vision of those rising behind them.

When generations honor one another rather than compete with one another, the path becomes clear, and Christ is carried into cities and cultures once again.

The Lord Has Need of Both:

Our world does not need generational division; it needs generational unity.

It needs:
• experience without pride,
• passion without rebellion,
• humility that carries glory.

The Lord still speaks today:

“I have need of them.”

He has need of seasoned voices who have walked through fire and remained faithful.

He has need of young hearts burning with holy expectation.
He has need of both walking together in purpose.

When the older lead with wisdom and the younger follow with courage — and in time rise to lead themselves — Christ is carried again into communities longing for hope.

As we enter Holy Week, may we each respond to His call.

Whether seasoned or young, experienced or emerging, may we be willing vessels through whom Christ is revealed.

The Lord has need of us.

Doug Stringer