Dear John,

In January, I take time to think about the year ahead. I've been thinking about how we can rebuild Minnesota with God's help. Keep reading to hear more, and please consider supporting our work with a financial gift to help rebuild our state.

I was re-reading one of the most famous books ever set in Minnesota--On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder--when I found something that filled me with hope for our state.

Maybe you remember the story. At one low point in the book, after grasshoppers have eaten all the crops and hail has destroyed the new shoots popping up, Ma reads to Laura and Mary the passage about the plague of locusts in the Bible, and this conversation ensues:

Then Ma read the promise that God made to good people, “to bring them out of that land to a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.”

“Oh, where is that, Ma?” Mary asked…Ma rested the Big Bible on her knees and thought.

Then she said, “Well, your Pa thinks it will be right here in Minnesota."

“How could it be?” Laura asked.

“Maybe it will be, if we stick it out,” said Ma. (pp. 216-217)

It may seem simplistic for Pa to believe that God‘s promises made so long ago to the ancient Israelites would be fulfilled again, but that’s exactly what Nehemiah does in Nehemiah 1, seventy years after the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Judah.

Keep reading to hear about Nehemiah's boldness. But first, let me ask you--do you believe that God's promises will be fulfilled in Minnesota? We share that belief here at Minnesota Family Council. Our faith is the driving force behind our goal to fight for life, family, and religious freedom in this great state. Will you consider making a gift now? Just $25, $50, or $100 will make a huge difference as we fight for your values in the courts, in the legislature, and in the public square.

This is what Nehemiah prays:

“O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father's house have sinned.  We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there." (Nehemiah 1:5-9)

As Nehemiah says, even I and my fathers have sinned. But Nehemiah has the boldness to ask that God would turn and remember us and fulfill his promises, even when we have broken our promises to him.

That is the gospel: the God who keeps his promises saves the lost ones who have broken their promises, through the Son of the Promise, who was promised to Adam and Eve, a son of man who will crush the serpent’s head. This promise is repeated throughout the Old Testament, and fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the son of man and son of God.

While sometimes it seems hard to believe, I’m certain that there is still hope for Minnesota. I’m certain that God will fulfill his promises to us here, not somewhere else. We can have the faith of Nehemiah, that even though we have sinned and turned away, if we return, he will fulfill his promises to us. We will be able, by God’s grace, to rebuild what has been lost, better and stronger than ever. 

That’s why Minnesota Family Council is not going anywhere. The mission we’ve been given is to amplify the voice of the church here in Minnesota. I believe that church will not just survive, it will thrive—let’s pray like Nehemiah for the fulfillment of these promises of God. Is this a vision you would consider supporting? Remember, we are 100% supported by generous donors like you.

We want you to know that a contribution to Minnesota Family Council & Institute is an investment in a future for Minnesota where life is cherished, families thrive, the gospel is faithfully preached, and religious freedom flourishes. Your gift of $25, $50, or $100 today will make a difference to the future of our state.

Jeff Evans, CEO

Minnesota Family Council

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Support our grassroots policy and elections efforts through Minnesota Family Council (MFC). Support our education and outreach efforts with a tax-deductible contribution to Minnesota Family Institute (MFI).

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