God, the elections, and 4-D chess – Christian Post
By Michael Brown, CP Op-Ed Contributor | Saturday, November 07, 2020 Michael Brown holds a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Literatures from New York University and has served as a professor at a number of seminaries. He is the author of 25 books and hosts the nationally syndicated, daily talk radio show, the Line of Fire.
As a boy, I remember watching the epic chess battle between Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer. It was aired on channel 13, the PBS station in New York, and a bell would ring, announcing the latest move. This, in turn, would be posted on the screen, after which the experts would debate the reason for the move.
Sometimes, they would be utterly baffled. Why would Fischer do this? It makes no sense. What was Spassky thinking?
Then, after playing out a number of potential scenarios, sometimes a dozen or more moves ahead, they would realize the strategy. It was absolute genius.
When it come to the Lord, the one who inhabits eternity and who sees the end from the beginning (see Isaiah 57:15 and 46:10), He is always an infinite set of moves ahead. That should give us comfort and faith in the midst of the current crisis. (Make no mistake about it. No matter what side youre on, were in the midst of a national crisis.)
Think about it.
Join over 250,000 others to get the top stories curated daily, plus special offers!
Join over 250,000 others to get the top stories curated daily, plus special offers!
The greatest crime ever committed by human beings was to crucify the Son of God. Yet that was the act God used to make salvation available to the world. And without the crucifixion, there would be no resurrection. Who saw this coming in advance? Only the Lord Himself.
The book of Genesis tells us how the sons of Jacob (also known as Israel) sold their younger brother Joseph into slavery in Egypt. They did it out of malice, plain and simple. They knew they would never see him again. They got rid of him for good.
Joseph then ended up in a dungeon in Egypt, falsely accused of a crime he never committed while serving as a slave. But it was there, in the dungeon, that he accurately interpreted the dreams of two fellow-inmates.
Sometime later, this resulted in Joseph being brought before Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, to interpret his dreams. And this, in turn, led to him becoming Pharaohs right-hand man. (Literally, he went from the dungeon to the throne.)
As a result of his position and the wisdom God gave him, Joseph ended up saving the region from famine, also saving the lives of his own brothers and their families.
Years later, when they were afraid he would retaliate against them, he said to them, You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives (Genesis 50:20). God used your bad plan to accomplish His great plan.
In point of fact, what the brothers did to Joseph was downright evil, also causing their aged father years of mourning and grief. Yet God used this to save countless thousands of lives.
John 11 tells us when Jesus was informed that His good friend Lazarus was sick, He waited a few days before going to see him. Why? The Lord wanted him to die so He could resurrect Him from the dead. This would bring greater glory to God.
Had the Lord simply healed Lazarus by speaking a word the moment He learned Lazarus was sick, people would not have realized that Jesus Himself was the resurrection and the life (see John 11:24-25). And the event would not even be recorded in Scripture.
The worst-case scenario led to the best case scenario, which is often how God works. Thats just who He is. Have you seen this happen in your own life as well?
In the last century, there was no greater horror than the horror of the Holocaust, the most devastating attack on the Jewish people in history. Yet it is out of the ashes of the Holocaust that the modern State of Israel was born. And, from a natural point of view, without the horrific evil of the Holocaust, it is unlikely that there would have been enough support in the United Nations to recognize a Jewish state.
This, of course, does not minimize the ghastly loss of life. It simply reminds us that God brings good out of evil and light out of darkness. That is who He is.
What does this have to do with the elections?
Lets say that there is massive corruption taking place in the presidential elections. Lets say the pollsters were intentionally biased. Lets say that Big Tech and Big Money really are working against Trump.
Then the mess we are in right now, one which puts us precariously near an all-out war on the streets, will lead to the exposure of corruption on a level we have never seen before. Let the light shine brightly! Let the darkness be exposed!
Conversely, if the corruption and darkness are being grossly exaggerated, the light will expose our gullibility, our willingness to believe almost anything, our propensity to be blinded by our biases. And for Christian Trump supporters who proclaimed him uniquely chosen by God and therefore called to a second term, the light would expose the degree to which we were seduced by a partisan political spirit.
I personally hope that the seemingly impossible happens, that Trump is proven to be the rightfully reelected president, and that the prophecies about him prove true.
But what if a Biden-Harris presidency was needed to reveal the dangerous radicality of the left, leading to greater spiritual desperation in the Church, leading to a spiritual awakening in the society? What if the worst-case scenario for tens of millions of conservative voters resulted in the transforming of even more millions of hearts in the years ahead?
I shared some of my thoughts on this on a Facebook livestream if youd like to hear more about the spiritual side of things. For the moment, though, I encourage you to put your faith in God to work out His best purposes in the midst of chaos and crisis.
Hysteria and frenzy are not fruits of the Spirit. Faith and peace are.
And so, while I am deeply concerned about the state of our nation and know that many lives are at stake, I have a great sense of anticipation as well.
The ultimate Grandmaster has a plan.
Join over 250,000 others to get the top stories curated daily, plus special offers!
Join over 250,000 others to get the top stories curated daily, plus special offers!
Dr. Michael Brown(www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicatedLine of Fireradio program. His latest book isEvangelicals at the Crossroads: Will We Pass the Trump Test?Connect with him onFacebook,Twitter, orYouTube.
Visit link:
God, the elections, and 4-D chess - Christian Post
- Queen of Chess Review: The Surprising Story of a Grandmaster - The New York Times - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- When I Invited All of You Over to Watch the The Big Game, I Assumed You Knew I Was Talking about Human Chess - McSweeneys Internet Tendency - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- ChessBase and the Georgian Chess Federation agree on a cooperation - Chess News | ChessBase - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- Queen of Chess Netflix Review: Stream It or Skip It? - Decider - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- Chess Makes all the Right Moves Just Not the Dangerous Ones - The Cornell Daily Sun - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- This weekend: Carlsen, Nakamura, Firouzja and Lazavik meet in London for the SCC Finals - Chess News | ChessBase - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- This Week on The Broadway Show: The Stars of Chess, Stranger Things: The First Shadow's Alison Jaye & More - Broadway Shows - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- Senior games to include chess this year - dailyadvance.com - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- CHESS Cast Will Visit Broadway Sessions - BroadwayWorld.com - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- Younger drivers might be quicker to adapt to 'speed chess' 2026 F1 regulations - Antonelli - RACER - Racing News - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- The wildly wonderful world of Chess Boxing - fox5sandiego.com - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- New competition format for the 2026 World Schools Team Championship International Chess Federation - FIDE - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- Queen of Chess Review: How Judit Polgr Rewrote the Rules of the Game (Netflix) - Micropsia - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- Chess Queen, Lead Children, Detective : What's New to Watch on Netflix the Week of Feb 6, 2026 - PCMag - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- F1 drivers expected to play 'chess at high speed' in with 2026 cars - GPblog - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- Kimi Antonelli: Racing will be like speed chess in F1 2026 - Motorsport.com - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- Before Beth Harmon, there was Judit Polgr: The true story behind Queen of Chess - Lifestyle Asia - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- Still no D Gukesh! After Magnus Carlsen and R Praggnanandhaa, Norway Chess reveals new participant for 20 - Times of India - January 28th, 2026 [January 28th, 2026]
- Grand Chess Tour unveils 2026 field: Caruana, Pragg and Gukesh in the mix - Chess News | ChessBase - January 28th, 2026 [January 28th, 2026]
- In Philadelphia, student chess players stay off the streets and on the boards - Chalkbeat - January 28th, 2026 [January 28th, 2026]
- 'Queen of Chess' Review: Netflix's Fascinating New Documentary Is 'Queens Gambit' Meets 'Battle of the Sexes' - Collider - January 28th, 2026 [January 28th, 2026]
- Chesss future in Esports World Cup remains bright - The Indian Express - January 28th, 2026 [January 28th, 2026]
- Walnut & Maple Chess Set - 20" Board With Weighted Ebonised Staunton Pieces, 3.75" King, Includes Storage Box - umlconnector.com - January 28th, 2026 [January 28th, 2026]
- Praggnanandhaa snaps winless run at Tata Steel Chess 2026 with hard-fought win as Gukesh suffers another loss - Firstpost - January 28th, 2026 [January 28th, 2026]
- Saint Louis Chess Club's new restaurant The Noble Crown to open this spring in Central West End - The Business Journals - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- 49ers Predicted to Add Ultimate Chess Piece to Replace George Kittle - Heavy Sports - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- He's Self-Taught, Never Studies And Prefers Farming To Chess: Meet Grandmaster Julio Granda - World Chess - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Chess in the Last Frontier | Hometown, Alaska - alaskapublic.org - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Here's how to compete in Vermont's school chess championship this year - burlingtonfreepress.com - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Lea Michele Details Her Eerie Return to the Imperial Theater for Chess - SiriusXM - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Chess Club and more at the Johnson City Library - johnsoncitypress.com - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Sara Khadem: The people of Iran have done their part, but they alone cannot resolve this situation - EL PAS English - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Foreclosed Mansion Became A Five-Year Legal Chess Match With Banks And The HOA, But Entitlement Finally Tore It Apart From The Inside - TwistedSifter - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Judit Polgr: Queen of Chess Coming to Netflix in February - Chess News | ChessBase - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Chess Broadway Revival Cast Album Will Be Recorded This Month - Playbill - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Daniel Naroditsky cause of death revealed: How chess grandmaster died - USA Today - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- How Ben McCollum's chess match helped Iowa basketball survive Rutgers - Hawk Central - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Aaron Tveit, Lea Michele & Nicholas Christopher Are on Board to Record a Chess Broadway Cast Album - Broadway Shows - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- World Chess Weekly: All Eyes On Tata Steel, But Naroditsky Autopsy Stirs Up Kramnik - World Chess - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Chess Revival to Record Original Broadway Cast Recording - Broadway Direct - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Walton Chess Club finishes in third place in MLK tournament - eastcobbnews.com - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky died of abnormal heartbeat from accidental overdose, report says - AP News - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- 'Queen of Chess' highlights child prodigy's history-making career - Fox News - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Bay Area chess grandmaster had methamphetamine, active ingredients of kratom in his system at time of death - ttownmedia.com - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Tata Steel Chess: Sindarov joins the lead in the Masters, Oro and Woodward continue to impress in the Challengers - Chess News | ChessBase - January 22nd, 2026 [January 22nd, 2026]
- Chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky died of abnormal heartbeat from accidental overdose, report says - ABC News - January 22nd, 2026 [January 22nd, 2026]
- Daniel Naroditsky, chess grandmaster, cause of death revealed - LiveNOW from FOX - January 22nd, 2026 [January 22nd, 2026]
- Chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky had drugs in his system at time of death, toxicology report says - NBC News - January 22nd, 2026 [January 22nd, 2026]
- Carlsen and Nakamura dazzle Barcelona with blindfold chess show at ICE Gaming 2026 - Chess News | ChessBase - January 22nd, 2026 [January 22nd, 2026]
- American chess prodigy had multiple drugs in system when found dead amid cheating controversy: report - Fox News - January 22nd, 2026 [January 22nd, 2026]
- Carlsen Wins Thriller Over Nihal, Takes Another Titled Tuesday - Chess.com - January 22nd, 2026 [January 22nd, 2026]
- Understudies From Chess, Moulin Rouge!, Spelling Bee, More Will Step Into the Spotlight in February - Playbill - January 22nd, 2026 [January 22nd, 2026]
- Chess bully who accused tragic grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky of cheating issues furious response to toxicology report - Daily Mail - January 22nd, 2026 [January 22nd, 2026]
- 'Chess' tickets now on sale through June 2026 - newyorktheatreguide.com - January 22nd, 2026 [January 22nd, 2026]
- Folsom: A visit to the Chess Hall of Fame in St. Louis - emissourian.com - January 22nd, 2026 [January 22nd, 2026]
- Bay Area chess grandmaster had methamphetamine, active ingredients of kratom in his system at time of death - fox26medford.com - January 22nd, 2026 [January 22nd, 2026]
- The Evolution of Chess Tournaments in the Global Online Era - The Good Men Project - January 22nd, 2026 [January 22nd, 2026]
- Cause of death released for chess grandmaster who died at age 29 - wkyc.com - January 22nd, 2026 [January 22nd, 2026]
- Daniel Naroditsky toxicology report at time of death is released - Chess News | ChessBase - January 22nd, 2026 [January 22nd, 2026]
- Cause of death for 'genius' chess grandmaster & influencer who died at 29 - The US Sun - January 22nd, 2026 [January 22nd, 2026]
- Michigan basketball: The conference chess match has begun, and U-M is doing just fine - On3 - January 22nd, 2026 [January 22nd, 2026]
- Richmond Heights to start youth chess club, other after school programs - news-herald.com - January 22nd, 2026 [January 22nd, 2026]
- U.S. chess grandmaster had cocktail of drugs in his system at time of death - NBC News - January 22nd, 2026 [January 22nd, 2026]
- Invitation to the Bled Chess Festival! - Chess News | ChessBase - January 22nd, 2026 [January 22nd, 2026]
- Chess Research Shows Why Disciplined Cheating is Hard to Catch in Poker - PokerScout - January 22nd, 2026 [January 22nd, 2026]
- US chess grandmaster had cocktail of drugs in his system at time of death - MSN - January 22nd, 2026 [January 22nd, 2026]
- Carlsen Signs Up For Another Classical EventMaybe He Isn't Bored Of Chess After All - World Chess - January 22nd, 2026 [January 22nd, 2026]
- YouTuber GothamChesss How to Win book banned from Speed Chess Championship - Dexerto - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Chess on ice: Inside the strategic and social game of curling - WHEC.com - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- U.S. Chess Champion is Bullish on these 3 New Year Stocks - TipRanks - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Chess on the beach: An initiative by the Argentine Olympic Committee - Chess News | ChessBase - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Chess Wimbledon starts with world champion challenged by rising stars - The Guardian - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Free chess club builds community and critical thinking in Flint - Flint Beat - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Cheating just three times massively ups the chance of winning at chess - New Scientist - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Tata Steel Chess: Tale of two draws for world champion D Gukesh as crucial year begins - The Indian Express - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Queen of Chess Trailer and Key Art From Netflix - Vital Thrills - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- The one change that worked: I tried all the hobbies I thought Id hate and found friendship and escape - The Guardian - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Herrin City Library to host 'Chess at the Library' - WPSD Local 6 - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Video: XR disrupts Tata Steel Chess Tournament, dumps 2,025 Kg of coal at the venue - NL Times - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Every Lesson Counts: The Present and Future of Chess in Education International Chess Federation - FIDE - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]