Category: Politics

Discussions about POLITICS and GOVERNMENT. POLITICS and GOVERNMENT at all levels – Federal / State / County / City / and Local. This category is about all things that interest me in POLITICS and GOVERNMENT.

  • Do You Fear For The Future of America?

    Do you fear for the future survival of America as a country? I sure do. I fear for the survival of America because we are losing our way (some might say we’ve already lost our way, and they might be correct) and we are no longer protecting our freedoms and liberties. Instead, we are becoming a Nation embroiled in fighting over agendas, morals, faith, and values.

    America is America when it adheres to, and retains, the values and principles upon which it was founded. A set of values and principles that are totally unique in any government of the world and that some have ascribed to being inspired by the Holy Spirit of God. And America is Great when it is under the protection of Jehovah God and remembers it is one Nation under God.

    People today want to rewrite the history of America. To remake it in their own warped image. But the truth is America was founded and built by Christian men and women, upon Christian values, and with Biblical truths baked into its establishing documents. And it still is the best Nation in the world for finding Freedom, Liberty, and Justice for all people. However, the founding fathers recognized the dangers to a free and just system and warned that society could just as easily choose to remove those freedoms, as they could choose to retain those freedoms. And I believe we are seeing that play out before us today.

    Our government has a wide range of responsibilities relating to operations of our country as a whole. These responsibilities and powers are enumerated within the US Constitution which also specifies how these responsibilities are to be carried out. There are limits and checks in place meant to provide for a balance of power. It may surprise you however, that equal protection under the law was not enumerated in the US Constitution originally and did not come about until the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified in 1868. Section I of the 14th Amendment says:

    All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

    U.S. Constitution | Constitution Annotated | Congress.gov | Library of Congress

    Section V of the 14th Amendment also allows for the creation of laws by Congress for the purpose of enforcement:

    The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

    U.S. Constitution | Constitution Annotated | Congress.gov | Library of Congress

    And from this Amendment, along with the 12th Amendment, which abolishes slavery and indentured servitude, our Equal Opportunity Laws derive. The first Equal Opportunity law enacted after the ratification of the 14th Amendment was the Civil Rights Act of 1875 which was overturned by the US Supreme Court in the Civil Rights Cases of 1883. 81 years later the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed and is the law of the land today (as updated or amended). Title VII of this law specifically addresses employment practices within the country:

    SEC. 2000e-2. [Section 703]

    (a) Employer practices

    It shall be an unlawful employment practice for an employer –

    (1) to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin; or

    (2) to limit, segregate, or classify his employees or applicants for employment in any way which would deprive or tend to deprive any individual of employment opportunities or otherwise adversely affect his status as an employee, because of such individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

    Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (eeoc.gov)

    And with the enactment of this one law, the United States Government unleashed a firestorm of hatred, bigotry, racism, and inequality amongst the citizens of the land. Since 1964 the divisions within our land have become deeper, sharper, and more pronounced than ever before. And the reason for this is because Congress legislated morality out of our everyday business practices.

    Note the words of the 14th Amendment Section I: “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge …” It is key here that the 14th Amendment was intended to limit and define the power of the State over the people and not to limit or infringe upon the power of the people acting within the State.

    Also note that the 14th Amendment already assumes the rights of the people: “nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property …” The 14th Amendment recognizes that life, liberty, and the right to own property are already privileges recognized by our Constitution as being granted by our Creator. These are rights already recognized as being held by the people. And the 14th Amendment is prohibiting States from enacting laws that would deprive the people of these God given freedoms.

    However, what we got in Equal Opportunity Laws because of the 14th Amendment was not the protection of the people from the State, but rather the State limiting the freedom of the people by forcibly specifying the morals people should accept within their lives and how they are to conduct their business. Which had nothing to do with the protection of life, liberty, and the right to own property. And the way they did this was though the criteria: “because of such individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin”.

    By segregating people, which is what you start to do when you divide by race, skin color, religion, sex, and national origin, you are not bringing people together and recognizing that all people are granted the right to life, liberty, and the right to own property, by their creator and that the entity they need protection from is the State, the Government of the land, and not themselves.

    And within this newfound segregation people began to create divisions that carved out specialties that never have existed before. No longer was it good enough to apply the laws of the land to the people, and no longer was it good enough to recognize the protection of the rights of the people, but now we have to bow to the insistent demands of special divisions and categories of people that is open ended and constantly growing and morphing (LBGTQIA+ – that is why they denote the acronym with a plus). And the irony then becomes that these new special interest groups take center stage and supplant the attention of the people of “race, color, religion, sex, and national origin” the laws were originally intended to protect.

    And out of this chaos, we get a Federal Government that does not celebrate the people, but rather paints a picture of activism coupled with enforcement of their own warped morality in an attempt to bend others to their will. We get a Federal Government that looks like this:

    Top Left: US President Joe Biden Top Right: US Vice President Kamala Harris
    Middle Left: Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg
    Middle Right: Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Rachel Levine
    Bottom Left: White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre
    Bottom Right Top: (Former) Deputy Assistant Secretary of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition Sam Britton
    Bottom Right Bottom: Dr. Rachel Levine and Karine Jean-Pierre

    This is a Federal Government not intent on protecting and serving the people of the land. Rather this is a Federal Government intent on pushing an agenda of warped morality and over representing the views and practices of transgenders, and deviant morality found amongst the LBGTQIA+ Community. And that is an act that is ripping our country apart. We hear it in the words of our leadership. Words that are nothing more than sheer hatred and bigotry towards those with differing opinions and ideals, and words that set the people sharply against each other rather than bring the people together.

    So how do we bring the people of our nation together? We do it through the Cross of Jesus Christ. People who meet at the foot of the Cross of Jesus Christ recognize that we were all created by God for His honor and His glory. And people who meet at the foot of the Cross of Jesus Christ recognize that we are all sinners and have fallen short of God’s glory. And people at the foot of the Cross of Jesus Christ recognize that regardless of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, we are all sustained by the hand of God. How do we bring a nation of people together? We do it through the family of God.

    Will you join me at the foot of the Cross of Jesus Christ today? I believe it is the only hope our nation has left.

  • Are Electronic Voting Machines A Danger to American Elections?

    Perhaps you have seen this story in the news. FOX News and Dominion Voting Systems Corporation came to an agreed upon settlement over an alleged defamation of Dominion Voting Systems Corporation by FOX News. FOX News has another potential lawsuit looming in their future from Smartmatic, another electronic voting machines company.

    And with one lawsuit now settled the American populace might very well believe that the issues are settled and that whatever the outcome, they will just have to live with whatever voting mechanism their local precinct provides.

    However, the question still remains, are electronic voting machines a danger to elections? This question has not been definitely answered in the arena of public debate. And given that free, open, and trustworthy elections are a bedrock to any democracy, it would seem important that we answer that question.

    In order to answer that question, we should understand what a ‘voting’ machine does. Perhaps you have experienced the tables with the guides built into them that you slide your paper ballot into. The guides cause certain blocks to align with a voting booklet anchored within the guides of the table. You vote by either checking or filling in a box, or by using a small punch pin to puncture a hole in the ballot paper. These ‘voting machines’ assist the voter with casting a ballot during an election. And they are not without problems. Who can forget the hanging chads of the 2000 U.S. Presidential election? And one need not look very far in order to discover horror stories of ballots that ended up misaligned in the table guides resulting in invalid or wrong votes being recorded.

    You may have also encountered the aforementioned electronic voting machines made by Dominion or Smartmatic. These machines also record your vote, and they may also transmit votes or a tally of votes.

    Voting machines are thus used to either aid in votes being made efficiently and easily, and then counting those votes, or both. And at the end of the day, they are nothing more than capture and tabulating machines. They do not even require the sophistication of a desktop calculator (such as the Texas Instruments TI-84) which contains far more processing power than any voting precinct would require.

    And when you introduce computers into a process that only requires a modest amount of simplicity, you introduce inherent risks. Technologies such as touchscreens, digital vote capture, and digital transmission of votes all bring risk to our election cycles unnecessarily. Dan Wallach has been a leading researcher of the use of electronic voting systems for several years (and full disclosure here, Dan is the son of Steve Wallach, the former VP of Engineering at Convex Computer Corporation. I worked for Convex in the early 1990’s. I do not know Dr. Wallach, I only worked in the organization his dad was the head of) and has led teams to study their vulnerabilities and strengths. Here are a couple of articles pertaining to his work: Texas 2020 Elections, and A Texas County Clerk’s Bold Crusade to Transform How We Vote | WIRED.

    I would encourage every voter in the USA to read Dr. Wallach’s work on voting machine security and listen to some of the professional testimony he has given (linked here) in order to help educate ourselves on risks we may, or may not be accepting within our voting processes.

    So, are these machines a danger to American Elections? From my perspective, I believe they absolutely are. And I also believe the American voting populace should be very concerned about them.

    Cyber Security experts the world over will attest to the many vulnerabilities of digital equipment/software. Computers, cellphones, even modern-day cars may be hacked. And digital voting machines have the potential to be hacked and have digital results altered. And why would we risk our National elections upon machines that while they bring some convenience to the voter (which is also debatable in all circumstances), also brings greater security risks along with it?

    Elections, no matter how they are conducted, are subject to fraud and abuse. The introduction of digital media into the process simply adds another avenue for the potential fraud and abuse to take place within.

    One possible solution to this problem might be to build the machines as tabulators only. They should be completely hardwired, contain no digital storage, and be completely open source. These tabulation machines could read a bar code or QR code off of a printed ballot along with a voter marking. Set bar codes or QR codes could be permanently assigned to parties. Thus, the Democrat Party would have a well-known bar code, the Republican Party would have a well-known bar code, along with the Libertarian Party, the Green Party, even write-in sections would have their own unique bar codes. Voters would mark their ballots with an indelible ink or a magnetic ink. The tabulation machines would then simply read the barcodes/QR codes that had been marked. Dual marked ballots would be rejected. All others would advance a counter as appropriate.

    At least with this method, the paper ballot would remain the voting mechanism as well as the voting record. Election disputes would be handled by the examination and recounting of the paper ballots. Only the number of ballots for registered voters in each precinct would need to be printed. Early voting and mail-in ballots should be eliminated completely. Military voting could be handled as its own district.

    These methods will not eliminate election fraud/voter fraud, but they might help reduce it. The American people need to make some hard and fast decisions concerning election practices moving forward. Decisions to secure our elections, reduce voter fraud, eliminate illegal alien voting (eliminate any non-citizen voting), and return trust and faith in our elections. And we need to do this in order to preserve the honor and integrity of our democracy.

    But these things will not come from our leaders. These changes will only come from the people. We must let our elected officials know that we require change, and then hold them accountable to that.


    Additional Research/Reading Material:

    Why paper is considered state-of-the-art voting technology (brookings.edu)

    Texas voting machines aren’t switching votes | The Texas Tribune

    The voting machine hacking threat you probably haven’t heard about – POLITICO

    Electronic voting machines security risk | InfoWorld

    New Study Reveals Concerns with Electronic Voting Machines (spectrumlocalnews.com)

    Dan Wallach – Voting Machines – ProCon.org

    Dan S. Wallach | Faculty | The People of Rice | Rice University

    Dan Wallach / Home Page (rice.edu)

  • Are There Spiritual Battles?

    Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

    Ephesians 6:11-13

    One of the greatest testaments to the authenticity of the Bible to me is spiritual battles. The Bible proves itself over and over again with fulfilled prophecies, wisdom and knowledge that could not have come from humankind, unexplained miracles that could not have occurred without divine intervention, and the explanation of why there is good and evil in the world. As a matter of fact, these evidences are so overwhelming that it is sometimes a mystery to me that billions upon billions of people throughout history fail to recognize it as the Word of God.

    And we all do not have to become Biblical scholars and historians that study and interpret ancient texts in order to see and understand the truth and reality of the Bible in the world around us today.

    And within America, we need look no further than our own political arena. Yesterday was an historic moment in American history with the arrest and arraignment of a former US President: USA Today. And one must ask themselves why? Why was it necessary to bring charges against a former US President when this has never before been done in US History?

    And New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg (who brought the charges against former President Donald Trump) tells us it is because no one is above the law. In his statement on the arrest, he told us that the charges were serious and that the State of New York takes them very seriously: Yahoo News. All while pundits, scholars, attorneys, and political figures from both sides of the aisle are scratching their heads and publicly stating that the charges do not make sense and that they are rife with errors and that they could not, and should not, hold up in a court of law.

    So why would DA Bragg risk his reputation and his future with such a reckless and foolish action? What is it that drives him to believe that a case that so many believe has no merit is the case he should risk his entire career on?

    Others will tell us that the charges are absolutely necessary in order to keep President Donald Trump out of office for a second term. But one must then ask themselves why is it necessary to ensure the voters of the American populace cannot vote for themselves?

    And the answer here is that President Trump is evil and he stole the election in the first place. Which is absolutely amazing to me because the Democrat Party (for the most part) demonizes “MAGA Republicans” for the claim that the election was stolen from Donald Trump. And by doing this the Democrat Party has made itself out to be the Party that more closely aligns with its party emblem:

    I’m not sure the Democrat Pary realizes (or recognizes) just how stupid, idiotic, and moronic an argument this is. So, they are telling us that the Party that knows all previous elections were not stolen (and belittles anyone who even remotely suggests that they were) is now persecuting a former President because he stole an election (originally) and then tried to steal an election (this is what the charges are about) and they must prevent this from happening again? And all while doing this they are themselves manipulating and attempting to thwart the next US Presidential election by removing the leading candidate from the field. In other words, they are currently trying to steal a future election.

    And these battles take place with hate, and malice, and anger. You can see the seething hate in Nancy Pelosi’s eyes when she talks about President Donald Trump. There are no other rational explanations other than hate to understand DA Bragg’s actions in charging President Donald Trump at this moment in time.

    And where does all of this hate and malice and anger come from? I thought the Democrat Party was supposed to be the Party of love, compassion, mercy, and forgiveness. Can we not find it in our hearts to just forgive and forget? Can we not just spread a little (just a little) love today?

    And the answer to these questions is “apparently not”. But why not? And one may very well ask whether or not I am angry over what is happening in America today. And the answer is: “Of course I am”. I understand that I cannot love abortion, and perversion, and evil at the same time I love God. For I will either hate one and serve the other or serve one and hate God.

    Where does all of this hatred and division come from? The answer is staring us right in the face: It is a Spiritual warfare. And how do I know this is a Spiritual warfare? Well look at what we are fighting over. Abortion. LBGTQIA+ rights. Wokeness. Who can teach and influence our children. Christian values. Diversity, Equality, Inclusion (DEI). Reparations. Black Lives Matter. Make America Great Again (MAGA). Just look at all of things that litter the battleground, they all come down to Biblical values. These are absolutely Spiritual battles and they are determining the outcomes of lives for all of eternity.

    And the only question that remains is what side will you end up on? And to answer this question in my own life I often look at what side aligns with the Holy Word of God. Because if the Bible is accurate enough to actually predict the spiritual warfare that we witness around us every day, then is it absolutely accurate enough to guide me to the side that God stands on. Which side will you choose?

  • What Will Wisdom Gain You?

    I come from a family of fairly well-educated individuals. My paternal grandfather was a public-school administrator, my parents, an aunt, and my sister all hold (or held) advanced degrees from well-known accredited universities. My father graduated from Purdue University with a degree in Electrical Engineering.

    I, on the other hand, failed to graduate from High School. I did acquire a General Equivalency Diploma (G.E.D.) from Seminole Community College later on.

    And yet, right before my father’s death in 2018, he pulled me aside and told me I was the smartest person in the room. It was Christmas time. And what family members could, were gathered at my parents’ house in Tennessee all knowing that it was very likely my dad’s last Christmas as he had been battling cancer for quite some time. My wife and I had arrived late and were to stay in the camper out in the barn. The family was taking the time to walk us through all of the particulars of staying in the camper when all I wanted was to just crawl into bed and sleep. As some of the instructions seemed to drag out and contain little relevance to sleeping in the camper (at least in my opinion) I insisted on cutting them short and just allowing my wife and I to be able to sleep. Needless to say, this was not received well and as everyone was tired and worried about dad, some arguments ensued.

    I quickly reached a point where I decided that the 7-hour drive back home was preferable to arguing and not getting any sleep and I went into the house to tell my ailing father that my wife and I would indeed not be staying but rather were going to head back home (which we did the following morning).

    It was during this conversation, where I actually thanked my dad for the invitation, and attempted to explain that from my point of view all we wanted to do was just go to sleep and that we would be happy to sort out all of the particulars of the camper rules in the morning, when my dad looked at me and asked a question he had never asked before. Ever. He looked and me and said, “Who is the smartest person here?” Which I immediately thought was a trick question as I tried to think of just what the correct answer could be. The sister with the PhD was the immediately obvious choice. But mom, with a Masters Degree certainly had to be considered. And of course, I’m sitting there talking to the one person the whole family considered the smartest person there, my dad. Dad worked for NASA his entire career and had a t-shirt that said, “Well yes, I actually AM a Rocket Scientist” (which was true). And while I was sitting there with all of this running through my head, dad said the most surprising thing he ever said to me, “You are.” Dad had said a lot of things to me about education, academia, studies, and learning over the years, but never had they included the words “smartest person in the room” when referring to me. But dad was not finished talking just yet. Because he had a point in saying what he said. And so, he went on to say, “And being the smartest person in the room can be both a blessing and a curse.”

    It was at this point I instantly knew that dad was telling me to ‘Man up’, ‘be the bigger person’, and that sometimes you had to take a few hits in order to walk the path of serenity. And yes, that may sound a little New Age and sappy, but the truth of the matter is that sometimes you have to be the person that takes the path that maintains peace in a relationship. And dad was telling me, in a very diplomatic way, that he understood my argument, and that I was tired and just wanted to go to sleep, but that he also understood that there were other people in the family that had considerations also. He was asking me, politely, to be the one to take the steps to peace.

    And so, of course this was a life defining conversation, right? And I instantly did the right thing, correct? Well while dad’s words did have an impact, and while they did calm me down during the moment, my wife and I still left for home the next morning.

    But what dad (whom the whole family really did consider to be ‘the smartest person in the room‘) demonstrated at the moment was not great intelligence, but rather wisdom. And perhaps a little political savviness as well.

    And as Dennis Prager has pointed out numerous times, they are not the same.

    Intelligence may define your capacity for learning or understanding, but it does not encompass all learning. A medical doctor may be quite accomplished in the field of medicine while not being very learned (having acquired much knowledge) in the field of quantum physics. At the same time a Quantum Physicist may not be very accomplished in the field of medicine. But no one would argue that both the doctor and the scientist are not quite intelligent individuals. A smart person on the other hand, may demonstrate the capacity for intelligence without having the learning behind it.

    Wisdom, however, is the ability to discern knowledge and truths and use them to take correct actions. And wisdom begins with the Lord (Psalms 111:10, Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 9:10). In order to correctly discern all that we observe in the world around us, we need to first start with a world view that begins with the Lord God. It is only then that we can then put into practice what our intelligence brings to the table in order to effect good outcomes.

    Unfortunately, we have a lot of intelligence in our leadership today. But it lacks wisdom. Our President, Vice President, Senators, and Congressmen are all applying intelligence to their job of running our country. But very few are applying wisdom. And it is simply because they don’t begin with the Lord God.

    What will wisdom gain you? Peace. Peace in the family, peace in your life, peace in your country, and peace in the world. And the really great thing is, you don’t have to take out a student loan in order to obtain it. Wisdom is free for the asking: James 1:5. A really smart person would ask for some today.

  • Do You Practice What You Preach?

    [For the second time in a very short period of time I find myself breaking one of my primary rules for a fixed length BLOG and making a long post (about 2.6 times longer than my average).  I realize that your time is a precious commodity and that time spent on one resource (on the Internet) is time lost to another resource.  However, I believe the hypocrisy in our political, social, and religious conversations these days is spiraling out of control and wanted to share my thoughts on it.  For continuity's sake I am putting this discourse into one post rather than breaking it apart.]

    For all of my life and for all of history that I have learned, there has been one complaint that is constantly brought up: You Christians are hypocrites. And I’ll be bold enough to answer this criticism on behalf of all Christians everywhere: Yes, we are. And if you are a Christian who is screaming at your screen right now: I am not a hypocrite! then I guess I’ll just speak for myself and remind everyone that not only am I the biggest hypocrite here, I am also still chief amongst sinners.

    We are all human and we all live in a sinful world. And all of us (the entirety of humanity) are bound to slip at points and not exactly practice what we preach. And when we don’t practice what we preach, well that is pretty hypocritical.

    But all of that is mostly an academic argument. The real heart of the matter is why the criticism is brought up in the first place. And that (usually) is: You Christians want to force your morals on everyone. Or: You Christians just want to force your God on everyone. Or: You Christians just want to tell me what to do. Which is a really interesting lie from Satan that actually surprises me that so many people believe.

    There are three words in my vocabulary that I have been told I am never allowed to use (except when referring to Nancy Pelosi). Those words are stupid, idiotic, and moron. And I understand those are harsh and hurtful words, however they sometimes spill out of my mouth when frustrated by the inexplicable lunacy we see in the world around us. However, I’ve freely admitted that Christians are indeed hypocritical at times. What I’d ask of any rational thinking person is that they would honestly evaluate their own arguments and consider what really occurs.

    For example, Christians just want to force their morals/values on everyone else. But do you even know what Christian morals or values are? You may think that you do because you feel that they are anything that tells you, you can’t do what you please. But let me tell you what Christian morals and values really are:

    (1) To have no other god before the Lord God in Heaven. Christians worship God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. The triune God of all of creation. There is no way that I or any other Christian can force you to worship God. Not even with torture or under duress. Worship just cannot be forced on anyone. It is an act of free will. So no, Christians do not force this on anyone. Rather they invite people to participate in the worship of the one true God. The world, on the other hand, insists that Christians worship at their alter and honor their gods. The world constantly and consistently forces their worship of child sacrifices through abortions, immorality through transgenderism and LBGTQIA+ agendas, and insisting that Christians cater to them in business and grant them marriages in God’s houses of worship, and to even grant them Holy Communion under the practices of the Christian faith. The world demands that Christian honor their religions, without showing the same respect and courtesy to Christianity.

    (2) To make no graven images of worship. Christians are to worship in Spirit and in Truth. Not bowing down to some golden idol made by kings. And when the governments set up graven images and command the people to bow down and worship, Christians should not, and I will not, bow down and worship them. Even when threatened with being thrown into the fiery furnace. Christians do not hail Cesar (or Hitler, or the President, or even the Pope) as a god. And obviously Christians cannot force you to you to not make graven images nor to not bow down and worship them. Rather it is the world that wants to tear down and eradicate the Cross of Jesus Christ. It is the world that wants to close the doors of Christian churches. It is the world that has hated Christians throughout all of history and has sought to end it. And it is the world that creates the graven images of worship that they then demand Christians bow down to.

    (3) To not take the name of the Lord God in vain. Christians are physically and emotionally pained when around someone who vehemently, needlessly, and with scorn exclaims the name of Jesus Christ. And this is a particularly puzzling thing since Jesus Christ is our God. So why does the world delight in exclaiming the name of the Christian God as an explicative? Christians do not force this on anyone, rather it is the world that insists on causing pain and anguish by repeatedly invoking the name of Jesus Christ inappropriately in their conversation. If we really wanted a kinder, gentler world, I would think that the world would be a little more sensitive and respectful in their conversations.

    (4) To remember the sabbath and to keep it holy. Christians want to work six days a week and on the seventh day, to rest and worship God. This may vary between various groups and practices with some debate on whether Saturday or Sunday (on the Gregorian calendar) is the proper day of worship, but Christians want to keep one day a week holy, meeting in their synagogues, temples, or churches to worship as they see fit. I know of no law of man in any free world country that would compel you to keep the sabbath holy. And indeed, Christians cannot, and do not force this on anyone. If anything, I would say that it is the world that has succeeded in making the Sabbath an un-holy day (or just another day of the week).

    (5) To honor their fathers and mothers. Christians believe in a nuclear family consisting of a father and a mother. That they have the inalienable God given right, duty, and responsibility to raise up their children in the way they should go. And that those children should honor their fathers and mothers so that their days may be long upon the Earth. Is it Christians that force other’s children to honor their parents? Of course not. Christians suggest that the world would be a much better place if we had children that honored their fathers and mothers, but Christians have enough responsibility raising their own children let alone everyone else’s. So why is it then that the world is not content to raise their own children but insists on moral and ethical indoctrination of children within the public school system? It is the world that wants to take a place of learning and turn it into a place of socialization and indoctrination. Why do our public-school systems believe it is OK to usurp parents’ responsibilities and thrust a state sponsored set of morals and values upon them? And while the world believes it is Christians that want to force their morals and values on everyone else, the world goes blindly by as public schools promote Heather Has Two Mommies or the support by teachers of transgenderism in the classroom. Forcing their morals and their values on Christian students.

    (6) To not commit murder. Christians are fiercely pro-life. Christians know life is a gift from God and that death is the wages of sin. Christians know God is the author of life and that all life comes from him and is for His honor and His glory. Christians also know that Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price of His own life so that we may have eternal life with Him. Not taking the life of another human through deliberate means contrary to God’s law (murder) is respect for the precious gift of life and the creator that sustains it. It is the world that does not see life as precious. And why should they? If everything is just an accident of natural forces within the universe and all of humanity just happened to crawl out of the primoradial ooze by chance, then who cares if a person lives or dies? There is no meaning to it all, and no greater consequences to our actions here on earth. So, it is easy for the world to sacrifice little unborn children in abortion factories. It is easy for the world to champion euthanasia. It is easy for the world to pull the life support plug on those hanging by a thread. And it is easy for the world to adopt a cavalier attitude towards the suicide and murder rates within our cities and towns and not rush to defend the innocent. This is all because the world does not respect nor cherish life.

    (7) To not commit adultery. Christians believe in the sanctity of a Biblical marriage between a man (biological male at birth) and a woman (biological female at birth). Or at least they should. Christians believe that marriage is ordained by God and is a depiction of his perfect plan in the world. God is a trinity – God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit. Humans are a trinity – a Body, a Soul (our mind, will, emotions), and a Spirit (that part of us that connects with God and that He sustains). Our families are a trinity – a Father, a Mother, and Children. Our Churches are a trinity – Jesus Christ (the head of the Church), a Pastor (Priest, Rabbi), and the body (congregation). Even the US Government is a trinity – the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, and the Judicial Branch. This balanced design is seen throughout our world and Christians know that a breakdown in this balance (such as the act of adultery in a marriage) has disastrous consequences long term. It strains (or often destroys) the marriage. It perpetuates discord and distrust in the lives of children, often for several generations. And it betrays a commitment and a trust that Jesus Christ has set an example of through His love for us. The world takes great pleasure in sexual promiscuity. And it is easy to understand why as lust has a very powerful pull in our lives. So, while Christians do not sanction the act of adultery as it destroys the trinity of the marriage, they still recognize (and at times succumb to themselves) the dangerous alluring temptations of adulterous relationships. It is for this reason that Christians believe they need to be on their constant guard such that they are able to stand against the temptations of evil. The world delights in tearing this guard down. The world delights in the sensual, the sexual, and the temptations that destroy families. And all the while the world is flaunting these temptations and putting their own morality (or lack thereof) on display for all to see, they are demanding that Christians stop forcing Christian morals on them. One might honestly ask, who is forcing whose morals on whom?

    (8) To not steal. For Christians, not taking that which does not belong to them goes beyond just respecting others property and others’ rights. For Christians, not taking that which does not belong to them from others is trusting in God. It is trusting God to provide for their needs (without having to steal from others). It is trusting God bless them and keep them (without having to take the blessings of others). And it is trusting God with a jealous heart in that God has provided for them as He has seen fit and not as they see fit in their own eyes. Seemingly, for the world, taking that which is not theirs has become a standard of excellence. Our news is filled with stories of rioting and looting across our entire country. The world believes it is “owed” something as people demand reparations and seek compensation for perceived injustices. And it is the world that constantly strives to ignore the crime of theft, to the point where the State of California will hardly prosecute thieves anymore.

    (9) To not bear false witness. For Christians, not bearing witness to the truth, should remind them of the betrayal of their Lord and Savior to be crucified on a cross. Christians believe in honesty and integrity in their witness because it depicts the honesty and integrity of God’s own words to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden when He told them that if they were to eat of the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, that they would surely die. And the lie that Satan then whispered into Eve’s ear that they would not die but would become as gods. And Christians should love all even as God loves all. To bear false witness against another and cause them harm, is the same betrayal shown by Satan at the beginning of time. More and more it would seem that the world is no longer with Christians when it comes to truthful testimony in court. Especially in politics. Today we simply need to turn on our cable network news, visit a news WEB site on the internet, consult a social media application on our cell phone, or tune into talk radio. The world is full of those that bear false witness against others and have no problem with it whatsoever when it is to their benefit.

    (10) To not covet their neighbors’ possessions. Christians believe that they should be content with what God has given them and that their desires should not be for the things of this world, but rather for the things of God. For Christians, not coveting or lusting after the possessions of others is to keep from replacing God in their lives with the things of this world. It is to keep their hearts and minds free to be filled by God and not the desires for the possessions of others. And as with all other Christian morals/values, Christians cannot force this upon the rest of the world. It is something that must be accomplished individually and personally. Today, the world is trying to force socialism and communism upon all of us. The world tries to force a level playing field to the detriment of all. And the world is immensely jealous of the “haves” and the “have nots” believing that it is a blight on society that they must fix. It is the world that is trying to play out it’s lust and covet-ness on everyone (including Christians).

    And on all of these hang the entire law. These 10 morals/values that Christians hold to (or at least should strive to make a reality in their own lives) define an outcome that places God first, others second, and themselves last. And Christians see the world this way (or should see the world this way) because God sees the world this way. Christians can consider every other person better than themselves because Jesus Christ, being God, did not consider Himself better than God and gave Himself up for all of creation. God humbled Himself before us, the creation, and we should do the same for others around us.

    And I don’t really believe that people are stupid, or idiotic. At least I don’t believe that about the majority of people. I believe that people are not honest. They are not honest with themselves, and they are certainly not honest with others. If they were, they would recognize their own hypocrisies and understand that they do not Practice What They Preach. Think about it.

  • When Do We Commit to Life?

    Here is something I penned some 17 years ago concerning Terri Schiavo and her husband’s decision to remove her from life support:

    The question then, as it is today, is when do you commit to life (or not)? When we realize that life is a gift from God, and that it is He who grants it and He who takes it away, we begin to understand how precious it is to Him and what our responsibility should be to it.

    Unfortunately, there is little regard for the sanctity of life today whether it be unborn children being aborted, murders throughout our country, euthanasia, physician assisted suicides, or senseless acts of war crimes.

    But God’s position on life hasn’t changed since the beginning of time. It is He who grants life and sustains it. God, being a infinite omnipotent, and omniscient being, expresses himself through his creation. His entire creation from the expanses of the universe to the creatures that crawl, walk, fly, and swim in the seas of the planet Earth.

    However, mankind is the one creation made in his image. We are the one creation meant to have a lasting and loving relationship with Him as part of His family. When God created humans, He created family. And when we are caviler with life, we are being irresponsible with that which was made in God’s own image.

    Our society needs to return to a sanctity for life. Human life. It is the disrespect for human life (or cheapening of human life) that leads us down the path of disregard for others and to begin to make ourselves as gods. We cannot create, Satan and the angelic hosts cannot create, only God can create life where there was no life, and we should respect that and do everything we can to cherish and preserve it where possible.

    The movie Lifemark is a great true-life story about what happens when someone chooses life. I’d highly encourage everyone to go see it. It is based on the real-life documentary I lived on Parker Avenue which you can watch on YouTube:

    Seventeen years ago, and beyond, I chose life. And today I still choose life. Hopefully, life will be a part of your consideration when voting this year.

  • Are We In Danger?

    One of the earliest TV Shows I can remember watching as a child was Lost in Space, which ran for 3 seasons from September 15, 1965 to March 6, 1968. The show was iconic for its time airing a full year before the premiere of another iconic science fiction show, Star Trek. An interesting piece of trivia is that in season 1 episode 5, titled The Hungry Sea, the Robinson family stopped to give thanks (with a prayer and apparent Bible reading) after having survived a rather perilous ocean crossing.

    And while the cast and guest appearances of Lost in Space were interesting, varied, and talented, there was one cast member who was not of flesh and blood (at least not depicted as such) that completely captured one’s attention. The B-9 Robot, seen here with Penny Robinson (played by Lacey Chabert), Will Robinson (played by Jack Johnson), and Dr. Judy Robinson (played by Heather Graham), was an engineering science fiction marvel depicting human-like capabilities, Artificial Intelligence, and Computer Science engineering, that were years beyond its time:

    The state-of-the-art computer systems in 1965 (Computer Systems timeline) would not have been able to fit into such a body design, been capable of the computational abilities demonstrated (artificial intelligence, artificial speech, speech recognition, advanced sensors, etc.), and would have required a fairly hefty power cord stretching from the robot to the nearest power plant. Most of these problems would be solved in the decades to come, but some are still eluding us today.

    One of these elusive science fiction fantasies (existing within the Artificial Intelligence realm) is the ability to warn us when we are in danger. This is something the B-9 Robot from Lost in Space did time and time again with Will Robinson, resulting in one of the more memorable TV series lines “Danger Will Robinson! Danger!“:

    And while our technology and modern engineering is becoming safer and safer all the time, we are a still a long way away from having machines be able to warn us when we are about to embark upon a very dangerous path. At least not in the same capacity as another human being would be able to advise us based upon their own intellect, intuition, and experience. But wouldn’t it be great if we did have a robot that could?

    What if America had a B-9 Robot to tell us when we were in danger? What would it tell us and what would it warn us of? I think it might go something like this:

    VPOTUS Kamala Harris says the US Southern Border is secure: NY Post Story. B-9 Robot: Danger America! Danger! Because B-9 is advanced in AI and impartial in judgement, B-9 would know that 2 million illegal aliens streaming into our country unchecked, without visas, without jobs, without homes, and with no support network of their own, are likely to impose an enormous burden on our communities, bring with them a lack of respect for our laws and customs (they are already disrespecting our laws entering into our country illegally, and in many cases acting against our better interests in carrying drugs across our borders on behalf of the Mexican Cartels). B-9 would know that 2 million illegal aliens streaming across our Southern Border places our freedoms at risk, strains our already overburdened law enforcement, medical and health facilities, and probably our welfare system. B-9 would warn us we are in grave danger if we do not rise to meet this threat to our Nation.

    POTUS Joe Biden says the US has no inflation: 60 Minutes Interview. B-9 Robot: Danger America! Danger! Because B-9 has advanced neural-networks with limitless access to world history and current data, B-9 would know that the rise in food, gas, energy, and durable goods prices is indeed an indicator that the country is in or near a recession. B-9 would know that the actions of the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates in order to curb out of control price increases is not a good thing, rather it is a reactionary tactic trying to stop harmful things, that usually takes years to recover from, and in some cases decades.

    POTUS Joe Biden “unifies” America by demonizing about half the country: Washington Times Story, FOX News Story. B-9 Robot: Danger America! Danger! B-9 would know that rather than unify, this type of speech divides people and that the President should be leading the country to reconciliation by listening to all points of views and arguing the points on merit. Not shouting them down as a thug or dictator would. B-9 would take great care to warn us about the danger of irresponsible rhetoric and reckless speech in our conversations.

    POTUS Joe Biden celebrates the Reduction In Inflation Act: FOX News Story. B-9 Robot: Danger America! Danger! B-9 would know that no massive Government spending program has ever brought down inflation. B-9 would also be able to calculate that if the top 1% of Americans pay 39% of all Federal Income Taxes, and the top 10% pay 70.6%, IRS data cited here, then 87,000 new IRS Agents is really excessive. B-9 would probably wonder how long it would take those new Agents to become bored and start coming after the other 90% of us.

    The US Supreme Court ended Constitutional Abortion Rights in America: VOA News Story. B-9 Robot: Danger America! Danger! B-9 would know that the US Constitution does not guarantee the right to an abortion. B-9 would know that US Supreme Court Associate Justice Harry Blackmum, author of the Roe vs. Wade majority opinion, could not draw upon any case law for the opinion and indeed claimed to find the resulting “right” in the penumbra(s) (imperfect shadows) of the Bill of Rights (penumbra law). B-9 would also know that abortion did not end in America, however they were reduced in number as 13 States enacted abortion bans. B-9 would warn us of the other “rights” that may be found in the imperfect shadows of our legal documents. B-9 would also know that State freedoms are a way of putting people in control of their own destiny, and that States can decide for themselves how they want to treat an issue not enumerated upon in the US Constitution, and then be held accountable to a local electorate.

    Christianity is alive and well in America: The Patriot Post (2018). B-9 Robot: Danger America! Danger! B-9 would not want to be an alarmist here, however, B-9 would know that with all of the other dangers facing America today, that religious freedoms are only a fleeting moment away from disappearing to an unsuspecting people. And B-9 would know that unless Christians actually practice Christianity, that it will soon be absent from the American landscape.

    We don’t have a B-9 Robot to tell us of the dangers surrounding us, but the signs are there and anyone who looks for them can see them. The question is, are we going to ignore the danger signs, or are we going to do something about them?

    I saw a movie this week that I’d recommend everyone see – Running the Bases. There is a line at the end of the movie that I will not quote, but I will paraphrase it closely with my own twist: ‘The problem with America today is not all of the evil Satan is perpetuating before our very eyes. The problem with America today is the silence of Christians who will not stand for their Faith‘.

    Stand for your Faith this November. Vote.

  • Can Christians Have Humor?

    One of the older misgiven stereotypes of Christians is that they are old dried-up humorless sourpusses. This image of Christians is probably not as prevalent in the world today as it was during my youth, however, the idea is still somewhat alive even if not articulated in the same way it was a few decades ago.

    Oftentimes when poking fun people are quick to judge or defend the sensitivities of others. And perhaps there is a fine line when creating humor at another’s expense. But that is a far cry from humor used in a lighthearted way to get a point across.

    I believe it important to understand that all emotions experienced by humans are God given (some people may be puzzled by that and ask, ‘Even hate?’ To which I would have to answer, “Yes, even God hates.”). The idea that we just magically created the wealth of human emotions through some evolutionary process of climbing out of the primordial ooze is, in and of itself, humorous. God gave us a soul, our souls elicit emotions, and one of those emotions is humor.

    This isn’t to say that, like everything else in this world, our emotions haven’t been tainted by sin. They have. However, they, like all aspects of creation, are a reflection of the many facets of a Holy and infinite God.

    Consider Sarah, who when giving birth to her very firstborn son, found humor in the fact that her husband was 100 years old:

    5 And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. 6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. 7 And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.

    Genesis 21:5-7 KJV

    Or Job, who likened his condition and position of trusting in God to a person being mocked of his neighbors and when he cries out to God, God’s answer is that the righteous are laughed to the point of scorn:

    3 But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these? 4 I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn. 5 He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.

    Job 12:3-5 KVJ

    Laughter and humor is very much a part of our beings, even though at times truth in humor can sting.

    And it is in that vein that I pray I may be allowed a little bit of leeway in my own feeble attempt at levity and humor today. Please understand that this is only parody in response to the state of the world today. Nothing more, and nothing less.

    Today, the US Stock Exchange gave up considerable ground on the news of continued inflation within the country and fears of a Fed Prime Rate hike increase tomorrow (The Hill). And yet, President Biden seemed to insist that the Reduction in Inflation Act was working as promised (Biden touts inflation reduction law despite sobering report). This seemed just a little over the top humorous to me and resulted in me penning the following:

    BEGIN SATIRE

    Tuesday, 13 September 2022, Washington D.C.
    Veep News Service, Inc.
    K.D. Harris, Sr. Reporter

    President Joe Biden addressed the Nation today praising the huge success of his Inflation Reduction Act (formerly “Build Back Better”) amid reports of soaring inflation numbers, the worst Wall Street sell off since 2020, and rising fears of a huge Fed hike in interest rates tomorrow.

    “I did that!” Joe Biden proudly exclaimed while pointing to charts showing every major stock index plunging into the red.  “Our Inflation Reduction Act is working faster and better than any of the analysts could have possibly predicted.”, he went on to say.  “If only the Republicans hadn’t blocked our every move and allowed us to get this crucial legislation in place earlier, we could have seen these numbers a year ago.”

    When asked about having a Misery Index higher than that of Jimmy Carter, President Biden began to eerily channel former VPOTUS Al Gore and stated that ‘Everything that ought to be UP is DOWN, while everything that ought to be DOWN is UP!’  In confusing and stumbling words the President brilliantly explained to this reporter that the Inflation Reduction Act was working exactly as designed and that in order to actually get to the great reset we needed to first utterly destroy hard working American’s pension plans, see thousands of seniors freeze to death amidst soaring fuel prices this winter, and of course bankrupt America by shifting defaulted student loans to the backs of Americans who paid their own way.  Triumphantly, President Biden stumbled off stage and immediately crashed his bicycle into an imaginary object while blaming President Trump and Ronald Regan for the soaring crime rate in the Country.

    This reporter was in awe of the President’s stature and his ability to effectively communicate his message without any of the mean Tweets of the illegitimate President Donald J. Trump.  America has a bright future ahead as the Inflation Reduction Act really kicks in to raise the National Debt by over $5 Trillion, oddly erases imaginary Global Climate Change, and cures cancer by the time the President reaches his 104th birthday.

    AP Wire, 09232022-115600 GMT.

    END SATIRE

    Hopefully you can see the humor in that.

  • Can Our Country Be Saved?

    Today’s BLOG post is long, the longest post I’ve made to date. Still, I hope you will take the time to read through to the end, prayerfully consider the implications in your own life, and share with others. Thank you so much for reading and may God richly bless each and every one of you.

    The other day I posted a strongly worded political statement regarding the direction the United States of America is headed in. I believed then, and I believe now that the words were fairly measured and appropriate given words that were used by the President of the United States on the same day. But I don’t want to just leave the thought at mere finger pointing. The President says there are citizens in the country who are “semi-fascist” (his words, not mine) and then people turn around and point out that he is the one dividing America (Laura Ingraham for example). We end up with a little back and forth here. But where is the solution in all of that? How do we get beyond the mudslinging and on a course to making things better?

    Well, I believe there is a solution available for Christians. And I believe it is a solution available to any people group, any nation, anywhere in the world. And it is probably a solution most Christians have heard about at some point, and many have even tried. And yet, despite everything we do, we still end up back at the same point of name calling with those we disagree with.

    So, what is this solution and what goes wrong with it such that we don’t seem to make much progress? Well before we get to the solution, can we even determine if our Country needs to be saved? A lot of people seek solutions for where there are no problems. So, before we run off and do that, let’s determine if we have a problem that requires saving from.

    And this applies to any Nation anywhere in the world, and to any calamity you may be experiencing. Are you a Ukrainian citizen ravaged by the horrors of war? Victims of an unjust invasion of your sovereign land? Are you a citizen of Haiti, Cuba, North Korea, or Venezuela living in poverty under a heavy-handed regime? Are you a citizen of a European country, or Canada, or the United States and it just seems like the justice system no longer works, crime is rampant, inflation is on the rise, and debates have devolved into shouting matches? Are you a citizen of the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, Pakistan, India, Egypt, Israel … any country, anywhere on earth that is disheartened by moral decline, abortions on demand, indoctrination of school children, LBGTQIA+ ideals being forced on all as “rights”? Well then, I’d say you are in luck, because I’m pretty sure these are all conditions that have become so horrific around the world that we all need saving from them. So, what solution can we employ to save our Countries from these problems?

    The solution is found in 2 Chronicles 7:13-15. A good many of you are thinking to yourselves right now “I knew he was going to say that.” or “Yep. Already doing that.” or even “I’ve been waiting for so long for an answer that I’ve forgotten how many days/weeks/months/years it’s been.” And for those who are wondering what the rest of us are talking about (and who haven’t clicked on the Scripture reference link yet), we’re talking about prayer. Earnestly seeking the face of God and asking for His intervention.

    And this is the point in the debate where about two-thirds of everyone reading this post begins to think to yourselves “Wait-a-minute, you are telling me that a lot of you are already doing this? Are already engaged in the solution?” And I’d have to say “Yes”. I have no doubt whatsoever that there are many, many people that are sincerely engaged in prayer for their country on a regular basis. And about two-thirds of you just thought “Well it isn’t working so why should I join in?” And I know that many of you who claim this Scripture on a regular basis believe that we just need to wait upon the Lord, and He will answer in His time.

    But let’s be honest here, our Country is in peril today. Our Country needs to be saved right now. Here in the United States of America we have National leaders that literally mock the Christian Faith and spit in the face of God. Nancy Pelosi does everything in her power to protect, defend, and propagate infanticide and abortion without regard for human life or respect for God, and she grieves the heart of God while doing it. And then she has the audacity to claim to be a member of the Church and has a desire to partake in Holy Communion (to identify with Christ). And when her own Priest denies her, she shames the church, travels to Rome, and takes Holy Communion from the hands of the Pope himself. The Church of Jesus Christ is being mocked, trampled on, and shamed by the highest offices within our land and we do nothing. Sure seems like our Country needs to be saved to me. And pretty quickly at that. And I, for one, don’t think we should just sit back and believe we are doing everything we need to do and now we are just waiting on the Lord. I believe we should be asking the question, what are we doing wrong that is keeping God from healing our land?

    Here is the passage:

    13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; 14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.

    2 Chronicles 7:13-15 King James Version

    Here we find God talking to His people. And he is telling us if He has shut up heaven and caused no rain. If He has sent locusts to devour the land. If He has sent a pestilence amongst the people. The Lord keeps saying over and over again, “I” have done this. So, let me ask a question here, how many of us in our prayers keep asking God to stop Satan from ravaging our country? Do we pray for God to stop Satan from overrunning our land? And God is sitting on His throne saying, “I have done this.” I AM the one who has allowed this to happen to your country. And why would God do such a thing? I believe He allows such things in order to perfect His great plan. And to show us that He is in total and complete control at all times. And He also allows these calamities in order to draw us near to Him.

    Step I: Recognize that it is God who is in control. Don’t approach God complaining about Satan being out of control. rather understand that God has only allowed Satan to go so far.

    And next God tells us that if we do indeed recognize that it is He who is in control, and understands we find ourselves in the midst of all of these calamities, that there are some things we need to do.

    Step II: His people. Are we God’s people? Time for a reality check of our own here. God is clearly telling us He wants His people engaged and we need to stop and make sure we’re a part of the family. Are you a believer? Are you in the right position to get the ear of God? You need to be, if you want to see real redemption and healing in the land.

    Step III: Called by His name. People want to get really clever here and start testifying as to the “exact” name of God, when God Himself told Moses to just tell the people “I AM” sent you. God does have a name, but that is not the point here. The point is God is a jealous God and wants our attention on Him and nowhere else. This means the God of Abraham, Jacob, and Issaac. This means the God of the Bible, the Trinity as expressed in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This means the God of all of creation and no other god. Do we know who we are focused on? Where our attention is at? To be called by His name is to be part of the family and united in the service of the King of Kings.

    Step IV: We the people. Note all the times God uses the plural reference here. “If my people“, “which are called“, “humble themselves“, “turn from their“, “forgive their“, “their land“. This is a family activity here. We need some group participation. God didn’t say “If Franklin Graham”, or “If the Pope”, or “If your Pastor” … God said, “the people“. God wants “we the people” to stand up, take action, and own our problems. Are we on the bench, letting everyone else pray our prayers for us? Well, let me tell you, the family needs you to get in the game. According to God, this is a family participation activity. And we all need to be involved.

    Step V: Humble ourselves. How many of us pray “God, would you please show Nancy Pelosi the error of her ways and how wicked she is before you?” Everyone is now thinking “You do! You do!” And I am here to tell you I am in grave error when I do that. God doesn’t want us to come to him with all the answers or some grand plan. Nor does he want to know how smart we are in thinking about all the problems. “God, if you could just move the locusts over to the evil people’s land over here, and cause the rain to fall on our just land, then we would be so grateful” – is probably a prayer that is not going to be as effective as you might hope. God wants us to humble ourselves. Realize that we don’t have all the answers. Realize that we can’t fix things in and of ourselves. Recognize just who He is and how much we need Him. Give Him preeminence and take ourselves out of the picture.

    Step VI: Pray. Talk to God. Tell Him the problem, not the solution. Tell Him there are locusts in the land. Tell Him there is no rain for the crops. Tell Him we need Him. And listen. Listen for what God has to say to us. Pray. God loves to interact with His people. And the best way for that to happen is through prayer.

    Step VII: Seek. Seeking is part of not bringing God all the solutions. But it goes much further than that. Seeking the face of God is like getting to know a really good friend. Seeking the face of God is wanting to know more and more and more about Him. Seeking the face of God says, “I have a problem here, and only You God can solve it, and I am very interested in Your solution and blessing in my life”. Seeking the face of God is devoted, undying attention given to the Creator, and to Him alone. How many of us pray to God that he would heal our land and then go and turn on Monday Night Football? Or go to the movies? Or say “Amen, now we can sit down to eat”? Or tell the family, “I have chores to do”? How many of us have five minutes a day/week/month to pray for God to heal our land and then 23 hours 55 minutes for all the other activities we find necessary in our lives? That is not seeking the face of God. Seeking the face of God is a dedicated task. Besides, when you give more of your attention to the National Football League (NFL) than you do to God, your own priorities empower one over the other. Is it any wonder then there is no healing in the land?

    Step VIII: Turn. Want another fairly ineffective prayer? How about “Dear God, please give Nancy Pelosi the strength to stop her evil deeds.” We need to stop looking at all the evil others are doing and start dealing with our own. That is not to say we are not aware of evil around us. We are. But God doesn’t want me ignoring my own wicked ways because I am so focused on how evil Nancy Pelosi is. I see this all the time; we are so good at finding someone more evil than ourselves that it immediately takes the attention off of us and puts it on another. God said “the people” must turn “from their wicked ways”. We must all participate in the turning. And for that to happen we must stop examining everyone else and start examining ourselves.

    Can our country be saved? I believe it can be. However, it will take the dedicated efforts of God’s people (all of God’s people) and 8 steps. My prayer today is that we can get all of the family on board.

  • Can Christians Be Political?

    Today the President of the United States, Joe Biden, addressed the Nation in a seemingly very un-presidential manner. It was divisive in calling out a rather sizable portion of the country’s citizens (FOX News Story) as semi-fascists (I’m not sure how you can be a semi (meaning half, partial, incomplete, or somewhat) fascist (a better definition found here)) and terrorists. His words don’t even make sense in that there really is no such thing as a partial fascist and terrorists are generally groups not in political power that tend to disrupt the political system through threats and intimidation. The President also said that these people. (He refers to as MAGA extremists) are dangerous and want to destroy our democracy (which is kind of the definition of a fascist).

    This extremely dangerous and dividing rhetoric delivered by a President of the United States to its citizens is unprecedented within my lifetime, and perhaps within the history of our country. And I’m sure it bitterly hurt, angered, confused, and shamed millions of American citizens.

    And I’m sure many of those millions of Americans are feeling just a little bit threatened by the President’s words.

    But how should a Christian (a follower of Jesus Christ) respond? Obviously, there are many facets to this question and potentially many answers, many of which may very well be correct and/or hold truths within them. But the root of the question I’d like to focus on today is: Can a Christian operate within the political arena? Should a Christian operate within the political arena? Is it OK for a Christian to be political?

    A “Christian response” and a “Political response” to an issue of the day/times are often times seen as separate and unrelated. Seemingly due to the separation of Church and State. Which is never what Thomas Jefferson meant when referring to the “wall of separation”. The founding fathers rather, viewed separation of Church and State as protection for the Church from Government, not that the Church could not be involved in Government. History has clearly shown that governments are often tyrannical in their suppression of the Church, whereas the Church is the Sanctuary for worshipping the Creator who granted the creation the inalienable rights acknowledged by the founding fathers in the Declaration of Independence:

    We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

    National Archives: Declaration of Independence

    Clearly the founding fathers saw the involvement of the Church in Politics as not only acceptable practice but indeed necessary and important. Having fled to America in order to escape religious persecution and in order to seek freedom of worship as each saw fit, it was imperative that the Church be involved in Politics lest a tyrannical government once again arise and begin to dictate how the Church should perform and conduct its business.

    But what does the Bible say about the involvement of God’s people in politics? Allow me two examples here. The first, from the Old Testament is found in Daniel Chapter 3. In verses 1-7 we see a tyrant, King Nebuchadnezzar, make an idol unto himself and command the people to bow down and worship it or else face death by being cast into a fiery furnace. But in verses 8-18 we see three young Jewish men who defied the government, and indeed, when brought before the King, steadfastly stood their ground despite the consequences they faced. Clearly choosing the Church over Government. And the second example is found in the New Testament in the book of Matthew Chapter 23. Here we see Jesus Christ Himself rebuke the religious leaders of the day (those seen as governing authorities) several times calling them blind fools and hypocrites and saying they and their households would experience woe. In fact, in most of Scripture we see interactions of the Church or Religion with the governments of the day.

    So, on this occasion I, in the fashion of the founding fathers of this Nation and Biblical patriarchs, say to President Joe Biden: It is you Sir, who are the fascist with your hateful and disrespectful rhetoric about “MAGA (Make America Great Again) Republican Extremists”. You don’t see a difference in America today and America as founded because you only desire an America made in your image. It is you Sir, who do not uphold the Constitution of the United States of America when your border policies allow millions of illegal aliens to stream across our southern border placing an enormous burden on our society and endangering our citizens and way of life. Even God Almighty himself warned Israel to guard their borders and to keep themselves pure. A commandment the Nation of Israel honors even to this day. It is you Sir, who disrespect a Holy and Almighty God when you champion the slaughter and dismemberment of millions of unborn children, creations in the image of God Himself, all because you worship at the child sacrifice alter of Satan. And then you disrespect the Church by traveling to Rome and accept a Holy Communion from the Pope himself. And it is you Sir, who are a fascist when your actions hurt the energy industry in this country and the production of fossil fuel energy. Simply because you demand how business should be conducted rather than allow a free people to exercise a free market and chose for themselves. You, Sir, are the one not engaging in an open dialogue, not MAGA Republicans.

    And I will not bow down. Even if it means being thrown into the fiery furnace.