Critical Mass

 

The left is inciting an insurrection.

The level of civil disobedience has reached an intensity necessary to set in motion a new civil war. Not the south versus the north, but this new war will pit the left versus the rule of law. Ground zero is Minneapolis where the state and local government has all but declared war on the Federal government. The rhetoric by the Minnesota democrats has poured gasoline on an already unhinged, leftist populace. There is an increase in a call to arms, to fight against the ICE “invaders” from leftist influencers to sitting democrat representatives. There will be no winners in this misguided attempt to somehow placate the leftist mob.

The left intends to overthrow the legitimate US government by causing strife and division. Capitalism will be replaced by socialism, which in turn will morph into communism, as it always does. The mob, so easily influenced by the lies propagated by the legacy media, taught in our public education system, and amplified by the democrat party, has volunteered as compliant foot soldiers, intent upon destroying the very society in which they reside and prosper. When the mob advances, logic and reason are abandoned. Individuals caught in in the mob mentality will commit acts that those individuals would likely never contemplate committing alone. Individuals are drawn along with the mob emboldened by agitators and provocateurs.

Now comes Alex Pretti, a RN that worked at the Minneapolis VA center and according to relatives, had never been in trouble with the law. They also said that he was especially upset with the immigration enforcement in Minneapolis. This man, with no criminal record, apparently incited by democrat leader’s rhetoric, decided to arm himself and confront ICE agents. Bad decision. Confronting law enforcement with a gun will not end well for you. During the altercation ICE agents shot and killed Mr. Pretti. Of course, a riot ensued. Attempting to “quell the violence,” Governor Walz and Mayor Frey accused ICE of murdering a US citizen, called up the Minnesota National Guard, and ordered ICE to leave the state. As expected, tensions only continued to rise, and some are predicting the city to burn as it did during the George Floyd riots.

Cooler heads must prevail. Unfortunately, Governor Walz stated that the ICE operation has reached an inflection point. It most certainly has, predominantly because of his and other democrat’s increasingly divisive rhetoric that has generated civil unrest. Additionally, Minnesota state and local leaders are embroiled in the Somali fraud investigation. Perhaps to distract the public from their malfeasance, they have chosen to rile up the populace. Governor Walz, Mayor Frey, and the Attorney General, Keith Ellison all have been implicated in the fraud scheme and have apparently received political donations from the Somali community. All three have the very real potential of facing criminal charges.

“Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.  The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” Galatians 6:7-8

Do these democrat “leaders” even contemplate where their disruptive actions will lead or are they simply looking to gain power by any means necessary? Leftist ideology runs counter to a free and open society. The left is antithetical to democracy and a Constitutional Republic. The left is anti-freedom. The left will institute a tyrannical government if elected to power. Democrats have hitched their wagon to leftist ideology. The democrat party’s agenda leans far left, and most Americans reject leftist schemes. Most Americans reject socialism. Most Americans respect the rule of law. Most Americans support legal immigration and reject illegal immigration. Democrats have become a minority party, and most Americans should reject their policies. Democrats stand accused of rejecting God and standing with law breakers.

“God “will repay each one according to his deeds.” To those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow wickedness, there will be wrath and anger. Romans 2:6-8

In mid-term elections the party that holds the presidency usually loses seats in Congress. It is imperative that the 2028 mid-term elections buck that trend. If democrats gain the House, the Trump administration will no longer be able to properly conduct the people’s business, as democrats will obstruct, impeach, and grind any attempts to uncover waste and fraud to a halt. The United States is a country built upon Judeo-Christian beliefs. God is omnipresent in all our founding documents, yet democrats reject Him and embrace evil and disorder. Without God, this nation is doomed to failure.

“Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

 

 

Greater

 

Deceived by the worship of self-destruction.

Pride, arrogance, haughtiness are evidence of self-worship and devaluation of God. Celebrities, politicians, and other elites seem to believe that their skills are magnified and their intellects expanded. Since they are proficient in their chosen fields, they extrapolate those skills to make themselves experts in matters in which they do not possess any real-life knowledge.

“Those lowbrow, knuckle dragging Christians cannot possibly understand the nuances of transgenderism or the “monogamous, loving” homosexual lifestyle.” “Conservatives that reject wokeness and long for a return to meritocracy are nothing but a bunch of racist white supremacists.” “The unwashed masses cannot possibly comprehend the democrat’s vision of economic policy and “fair” taxation.” “Supporting legal immigration equals denying refugees.”

“When pride comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom. Proverbs 11:2.

“By the sins of their mouths and the words of their lips, let them be trapped in their pride, in the curses and lies they utter.” Psalm 59:12

Biology affirms that two genders are necessary for procreation of all mammals. Procreation enables the perpetuation of species. Medical science has developed alternate methods to circumvent the traditional method to inseminate a human female, but both genders are still required for artificial insemination. Transgenderism, or what was once formally recognized as gender dysphoria, is a mental disorder. One cannot, no matter how much one desires it to be true, change their gender and be a fully functioning man or woman. A transgender male will never be able to father a child, and a transgender female will never be able to deliver a child. Additionally, surgically altered transgendered individuals will never be able to have normal sexual relations. Subjecting children to puberty blocking drugs or surgical alterations as “gender affirming care” should be accompanied with an arrest and revocation of medical licensing.

“Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.” Colossians 3:5-6

Love your neighbor as yourself. Forgive as you have been forgiven. Political correctness and wokeness threaten the very foundations of society. Hatred and revenge are the hallmarks of the left with their unbridled rush to level the playing field to exact retribution from those labeled as oppressors. “Democratic” socialism is their solution where equity reigns and equality dies. Tax the rich until there are no rich. When the money dries up, then what? Capitalism is far from perfect, but it does foster equal opportunity to all.

Jesus said, “As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Remain in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. I have told you these things so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:9-13

Unbridled spending drives inflation enables fraud on an almost unimaginable scale and creates generational reliance upon government largesse. Black Americans have been shackled with government handouts and confined to inner city slums for decades by policies championed by democrats. Estimates of fraud are as high as 20% of government spending, or over $1Trillion annually. The national debt has been driven north of $37Trillion by wasteful spending and fraud. Think about that. How can 535 congressional members conduct appropriate oversight, when half of them are likely on the take? Donald Trump and Republicans are not an existential threat to democracy; democrats most certainly are. Congressional democrats have enriched themselves at taxpayer expense. They serve themselves, not their constituency. They take advantage of their position and wield power to their own benefit.

 “Your rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and chasing after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, and the plea of the widow never comes before them.” Isaiah 1:23

We are living in an upside-down world. Our selfish human nature places us outside of God’s will. Society has prioritized the selfish desires of humankind and denied our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Reject the selfishness of the world. Without Jesus we are lost. This is why the world is spiraling out of control. This is why criminals are protected and law enforcement is vilified. This is why so many have resorted to violence. This is why families are torn apart over differing politics. There is a true solution to what ails us. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Follow Him and your world will return to ordered, instead of chaotic. Follow Him and you will learn that loving your neighbor is far more fulfilling than harboring pent-up anger and hatred. Follow Him and you will experience the joy of your salvation. Jesus can heal your heart and change the world. Follow Him!

“Jesus heals your past, is your very present help, and takes care of your future.” Joseph Prince.

All He wants is your heart. Give it to Him and you will be transformed.

“This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:9-10.

 

 

Your Lying Eyes

 

Believe what you are told, not what you see.

The moral of the story is that in a civil society you must obey the lawful orders of police officers. Comply and you will not die. After the tragic, but entirely preventable shooting in Minneapolis, democrats would have you ignore obvious exculpatory video evidence that the ICE officer was justified in shooting a citizen attempting to strike him with her car. Democrats have chosen to become the existential threat to democracy that they have falsely accused Donald Trump of. Their over-the-top rhetoric not only approaches a call for insurrection; it is absolutely a call for citizens to engage in civil unrest and/or violence to obstruct immigration and law enforcement by any means necessary.

Democrats and their leftist allies have transitioned from the all-out attempts at derailing Trump’s agenda to full out crazy town. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz all but declares war on the federal government. Hennepin County District Attorney Mary Moriarty declares that she will lead a counter-investigation. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison demands all evidence and to oversee a federal investigation in which he has no jurisdiction. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey prejudges the shooting and accuses the ICE officer of murder, even after viewing video that exonerates the officer. Other democrat run city officials bluster to placate the mob, promising to arrest and fight any immigration enforcement action. Are these people living in an alternate reality?

Leftists organize and train irrational useful idiots in guerilla tactics to be foot soldiers, putting their lives at risk, while turning them loose against ICE officers. Anarchists, who could care less about “undocumented immigrants,” are intent upon destroying the foundations of a civil society, creating havoc and chaos. Loud mouth fools further incite the mob, cheered on as they encourage the mob’s anger to a fever pitch. The mob’s escalating violence threatens their own wellbeing and that of those around them. And when democrat run city officials stand down the police and allow the mob to take control, reason and violence spin out of control. Without consequences, mob rule replaces the rule of law.

These protests are not against a tyrannical government. These protests are not advocating against unreasonable application of just laws. These protests intend to create chaos to disrupt civil society and foment violence in the furtherance of destroying capitalism and replacing it with a socialist “Utopia.” These useful idiot foot soldiers are advocating for their own country’s demise and elimination of the freedoms this nation affords. The very freedoms misused by those who would conquer us and impose their idea of a “just” society. One that divides by race, class, and ideology.

Vigilantism does not comport with a society based upon the rule of law. The only time a positive outcome occurs when people take matters into their own hands is in Hollywood productions. In film, the hero seldom is seriously injured or dies. In reality, the consequences are dire, unless you happen to reside in democrat run cities where law is not enforced. Those who challenge law enforcement provoke escalating force that is necessary to protect the officer and citizenry, and to effect an arrest. Fighting the police will lead to negative consequences for the offender. In other words, if you comply, you will not die.

Yet, democrats are so intent upon destroying Trump that they are willing to burn down the country to do so. Democrat’s gravy train of corruption derived wealth and illicit benefits outweigh any semblance of duty to uphold their oath to uphold the Constitution. Fulfilling their role as the loyal opposition takes a back seat to opposing Trump on everything. Democrats will incite the unpredictable, villainize Jews and Christians, promote sexual deviancy, protect criminals, support foreign tyrants, and defend the indefensible. Democrats will obfuscate, obstruct, and lie whenever it suits their need. They are plainly in league with Satan and if they refuse to return to God, they must be shunned.

Yet, we are still charged to love our neighbor and help lead the lost to Christ. How do we fight against this evil overtaking our nation while fulfilling our duty as Christians to love our neighbor as ourselves? When Jesus sent out the twelve disciples out to minister to the people, he said, “Whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy there and stay at his house until you move on. As you enter the home, greet its occupants. If the home is worthy, let your peace rest on it, but if it is not, let your peace return to you. And if anyone will not welcome you or heed your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.” Matthew 10:11-15.

This nation will not be lost to the evil one if evil is confronted and called out for what it is. People overcome by evil are lost, apart from God, but God still loves everyone unconditionally. But those overcome by evil must repent and return to Christ. We cannot judge, especially those who are lost. But we do have a responsibility to share the word so that those seeds of faith may be nurtured by the Holy Spirit. Those who continue to reject the Father and His one true Son are condemned.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever practices the truth comes into the Light, so that it may be seen clearly that what he has done has been accomplished in God.” John 3:16-21.

It is incumbent upon us to shine the light in the darkness so that all may see. Evil cannot exist within the light of truth. Do not acquiesce to the evilness of the world. Be that light. Proclaim God’s truth. Plant the seeds of faith by your actions, speech, and faith. Love your neighbor as yourself, no matter how difficult it may seem to be at times.

Mimic

 

Hear evil, repeat that evil, then act out with evil intent.

If you tell a lie often enough, some people will believe it, particularly weak-minded individuals. Leaders have a responsibility to be judicious with their words. Words spoken by leaders can carry great weight, as people trust that their leaders work for the betterment of all. Leaders must be first to condemn violence and to be the “cooler heads that prevail” in lowering the temperature. Leaders cannot be the inciters of violence by rhetoric that vilifies those of differing opinions. Yet, that is the modus operandi of the democrat party. The uptick in violence by the left is a direct result of unhinged democrat’s rants that are unduly influencing those who would commit acts of violence to “save democracy from tyrants.” Words may not be violence, but rhetoric that incites violence can be just as dangerous as wielding a firearm.

Satan has manifested himself in leftism and in the leadership of the democrat party. The willing pawns that conduct the actual violence are simply following the marching orders of their democrat leaders. Funding that enables these anarchists are funneled through a never-ending list of NGOs and non-profit organizations, using funding obtained through government grants and leftist philanthropists. Yes, US tax dollars are diverted from funding intended to be allocated to domestic and foreign programs. We are funding the very people intent on destroying this nation, when all the while democrat leaders act as their cheerleaders.

The father of lies shapes the very platform of the democrat party as they advocate the murder of the unborn, promote the mutilation of gender confused children, support lawless District Attorneys, encourage violence against law enforcement, deny God, and oppose the nuclear family.  

“You are guilty of lying, violence, and murder. You go to court, but you do not have justice on your side. You depend on lies to win your case. You carry out your plans to hurt others. You are always planning something evil, and you can hardly wait to do it. You never hesitate to murder innocent people. You leave ruin and destruction wherever you go, and no one is safe when you are around. Everything you do is unjust. You follow a crooked path, and no one who walks that path will ever be safe.” Isaiah 59:3-4, 7-8

There are many verses in the Bible warning us of the very behaviors that the left engages in and the democrat party tacitly supports, yet there are those who believe and teach that the Bible is outdated and not pertinent today. When the democrat party chose to fall in league with Satan, they sold their collective souls for power, wealth, and position. Those who choose to vote for democrats are simply useful idiots that are being used against their own self-interests.

Leftists and those who gravitate to and align themselves with leftist ideology have one thing in common; Rage and hatred toward those perceived to be oppressors, which include pretty much every normal person in this nation. When one displays negative emotions, it opens an avenue for Satan to unduly influence that person. The father of lies loves division. He absolutely loves it when we hate, rather than love our neighbor. Once embedded into the psyche of a person influenced by negative emotions, Satan will build upon that negativity, leading that person further apart from God. The distinction between right and wrong, good and evil, will be blurred, amplifying that negativity within that person.

Evil must be resisted. Evil must be exposed for what it is. Evil must be overcome with the love of Christ. Evil is driving the left. The left must be rejected. The democrat party has adopted the tenets of the left and uses those tactics to gain and maintain their positions of authority. If the democrat party triumphs, we all lose. Democrats must never again hold power. Democrats must be voted out of office, wholesale or they will never return to God. We must shake the dirt off our sandals and expose them for what they are. Their deeds need to come into the light for all to see.

Satan has unduly influenced a generation, leading them far away from God. The hatred manifesting itself within the left has been allowed to fester and grow due to the inaction of God’s people. We have stood idly by as Satan has placed a stranglehold on our neighbors and even some of our brothers and sisters in Christ. We cannot be silent any longer! Satan depends upon good Christian’s silence to succeed in his wicked schemes. This nation was founded upon a covenant with God. The founding fathers, through prayer and righteous debate, established this Constitutional Republic as one nation, under God. There is still time to save this nation. There is still time to plant the seeds that can take root in our neighbors that have become manipulated by the evil one. There is still time to reach out in Christian love that can lead the lost back to Christ.

Jesus told His disciples in the Great Commission, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20. He was also speaking to all future generations. Will you listen and act?

 

 

 

These Days

 

God put us here for a purpose.

“Maybe we were made for these days.” These lyrics from a Jeremy Camp song fall short of God’s expectations for His people. Equipped with the time and talents provided to us, God did indeed put each of us in this time and in this place for His purpose. We were created to pursue justice. We were created to spread the Gospel to all the ends of the earth. We were made to take a stand against evil. We were made to worship and glorify our God by spreading the love of Jesus to all our neighbors. Yes, we were wonderfully made, specifically created for times such as these.

Evil thrives and violence spreads throughout our nation and the world. The current strategy employed that ignores the growing threat only encourages further escalation of that evil. Just as children who do not face consequences for their actions become spoiled and disobedient, today’s left pushes the boundaries of lawlessness as far as the consequences, or lack thereof, will allow. The left’s embrace of evil is metastasizing as if it were a cancer spreading throughout the human body.

Leftist ideology is attacking the most vulnerable as our children are indoctrinated with deviant sexuality. It is attacking the very fabric of this nation as the left calls for insurrection and disregard of the rule of law. It has infiltrated our churches, replacing the worship of our God with the worship of tolerance, diversity, and the things of this world. Our institutions have been polluted with antisemitism, the embrace of socialism, and hatred of opinions deemed inappropriate to their chosen wokeism tenets. There is a real danger that our nation, the last bastion of true freedom in the world, will be lost forever.

There is a great evil overtaking our nation and world. Evil thrives in an environment that allows it to grow. The silence of good people is deafening. We can no longer simply remain silent and “let someone else” confront this evil. If unchecked the left will destroy everything that is good and true. If unchecked the left will lead this nation down a path to destruction. The democrat party has not only embraced leftist ideology, but they have also doubled down on all things woke. Democrats must be voted out of office until they become an impotent minority. We must retake our schools to eliminate the indoctrination of our children. If we fail to hold the left accountable, we will have no one to blame but ourselves.

The easy way to combat this rampant evil would be to respond in kind, but we cannot repay evil with evil. Hatred only begets more hatred that is certain to entangle us within the influence of the evil one. The easy path can often be the most dangerous path. We can only mend fences and open minds through and with the love of Christ. Christ died for our sins while we were still sinners and enemies of God, including those unduly influenced by the evil one today.

We are long past due to stand strong in our faith. We were made to be God’s hands and feet on this earth. We are called to plant the seeds of faith so that the Holy Spirit can nurture and grow those seeds within those we meet and receive. Sharing the love of Christ is our greatest calling and the best way to show God our gratitude for our undeserved grace. To share the joy of salvation with the lost is our sacred duty as Jesus called for us to make disciples of all the world in the Great Commission. We need to keep singing and sharing until all have heard!

The first step in reconciliation is forgiveness. Without forgiveness, doors will remain shut and walls cannot be overcome. Without forgiveness there is no avenue to engage in constructive dialogue. Without forgiveness both sides remain at odds. Once anger, bitterness, and resentment are eliminated on one side of the equation, one can truly love one’s enemy. There is but one bond that unites all humanity and His name is Jesus Christ.

“And now, Lord, take notice of the threats they have made, and allow us, your servants, to speak your message with all boldness.” Acts 4:29

 

Evil is Real

Satan thrives within the invective spewed by the left.

In 1965, radio host Paul Harvey prophesized what the left and now the democrat party espouses today. If you are unsure that the democrat party has left the farm and, in truth, hates the very nation that they took an oath to represent, read the following transcript.

 “If I were the devil … If I were the Prince of Darkness, I’d want to engulf the whole world in darkness. And I’d have a third of its real estate, and four-fifths of its population, but I wouldn’t be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree — Thee. So I’d set about however necessary to take over the United States. I’d subvert the churches first — I’d begin with a campaign of whispers. With the wisdom of a serpent, I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve: ‘Do as you please.

To the young, I would whisper that ‘The Bible is a myth.’ I would convince them that man created God instead of the other way around. I would confide that what’s bad is good, and what’s good is ‘square.’ And the old, I would teach to pray, after me, ‘Our Father, which art in Washington…

And then I’d get organized. I’d educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting, so that anything else would appear dull and uninteresting. I’d threaten TV with dirtier movies and vice versa. I’d pedal narcotics to whom I could. I’d sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction. I’d tranquilize the rest with pills.

If I were the devil, I’d soon have families at war with themselves, churches at war with themselves, and nations at war with themselves; until each in its turn was consumed. And with promises of higher ratings I’d have mesmerizing media fanning the flames. If I were the devil, I would encourage schools to refine young intellects, but neglect to discipline emotions — just let those run wild, until before you knew it, you’d have to have drug sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every schoolhouse door.

Within a decade I’d have prisons overflowing, I’d have judges promoting pornography — soon I could evict God from the courthouse, then from the schoolhouse, and then from the houses of Congress. And in His own churches I would substitute psychology for religion and deify science. I would lure priests and pastors into misusing boys and girls, and church money. If I were the devil, I’d make the symbols of Easter an egg and the symbol of Christmas a bottle.

If I were the devil I’d take from those who have and give to those who want until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious.

And what do you bet I could get whole states to promote gambling as the way to get rich? I would caution against extremes and hard work in Patriotism, in moral conduct. I would convince the young that marriage is old-fashioned, that swinging is more fun, that what you see on the TV is the way to be. And thus, I could undress you in public, and I could lure you into bed with diseases for which there is no cure. In other words, if I were the devil I’d just keep right on doing what he’s doing.”

Paul Harvey, good day.

If democrats continue to hold elected office, dominate journalism and academia, evil will spread and thrive. No longer can good people remain silent. Evil hates the light and if exposed, the people will reject it. We cannot be afraid to call out the evil in this world. We must proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We must reach out to our neighbor with love so that those lost in the clutches of the evil one can awake and return to God. If we do nothing evil wins, and silence enables evil.

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Edmund Burke

Light Trumps Darkness

 

Four years in the wilderness is over.

After God rescued the Israelites from 400 years of captivity in Egypt, they endured forty years wandering in the wilderness before heading into the promised land. The United States has withstood just four years under the thumb of Joe Biden’s administration and their ever-increasing attacks upon Christians, the rule of law, common decency, and common sense. His administration’s reckless plunge into the wholesale implementation of insane leftist policies, directly led to the re-election of Donald Trump. Reason has finally prevailed, damaging policies have been revoked, and our nation is beginning a long and arduous return to normalcy.

“And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever practices the truth comes into the Light, so that it may be seen clearly that what he has done has been accomplished in God.” John 3:19-21.

Evildoers that desired to impose their radical leftist policies miscalculated their mandate to do so. When they felt it was safe to leave the darkness, their evil deeds were on display for all to see. Once the evil was exposed to the light, the people arose and rejected it. The people recognized that the nation was on a path toward the rejection of God and instead chose to return to the morals and values instilled in us by our Maker. The lightning-fast transformation back to accepted societal norms is happening in the light of God’s covenant, enjoined by the founders at the birth of this great nation. And the people are embracing the return to our Judeo-Christian roots.

When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel. The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second was Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba. But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside toward dishonest gain, accepting bribes and perverting justice. 1 Samuel 8:1-3.

The names and the faces may change, but when choosing to follow your own path and rejecting God’s plan, the results are the same. The Biden crime syndicate used their position for dishonest gain, accepted bribes, and perverted justice through lawfare against their political opponents. As he left office, Biden abused his authority by issuing blanket pardons for his drug addled, sex crazed son, Hunter, and his entire family for any crimes committed over the last decade. The Biden family unscrupulously profited from Joe’s position to the tune of $Millions during his time as Vice-president and President. As a comparison, President Trump will again forgo his annual salary all four years of his final term.

“You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on another. For on whatever grounds you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. And we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, O man, pass judgment on others, yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?

But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. God “will repay each one according to his deeds.” To those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow wickedness, there will be wrath and anger.” Romans 2:1-8

Evil thrives in this world, and some are becoming increasingly comfortable with applying it into their daily lives. Humanity is prone to selfishness, and it is not only the powerful who embrace it. Far too often, we attend to our needs first, without any regard for others, especially when it comes to our Lord and Savior. One of the easiest tasks is to forgive. It can also be one of the most difficult. When one places their trust in a friend, family or an institution, and that trust is abused or broken, it can be quite devastating, making it difficult to ever trust again. Over the last four years our government, equal justice under the law, and our public health system has not only lost the people’s trust but has also lost respect. No one is immune to falling when God is removed from our lives and the things of this world take precedent.

As we reintegrate the values instilled in us by our Creator, trust in our institutions will slowly return. We were carefully and wonderfully made by our God. We are empty vessels, lacking real purpose without our Lord and Savior foremost in our lives. These last four years have shone the light upon the evil in this world and how we cannot place blind trust in government. These last four years have taught us that we should always be skeptical of man and worldly institutions. These last four years were a harbinger of what a world without faith, overcome by the things of this world can become. We must place our trust in the One who gave His life so that we may live.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. John 3:16-18.

 

Suffer the Children

 

Protecting the innocent.

Societal norms demand that we protect the innocent. Those who cannot defend themselves need our protection. That is why a parent will defend their children with their lives. Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.” Mark 10:14-16. Children are our most important resource. Without children, humanity ends. Why is that the left conspires to eradicate the most vulnerable among us? Why is the wanton murder of children waiting to be born, or what is otherwise known as abortion, so important to them? Why are they embracing a death cult?

Abortion has nothing to do with women’s reproductive health care. In 1973, Roe v. Wade determined that abortion was legal. Since then, over 50 million children waiting to be born have been brutally murdered. Abortion is a brutal procedure that mirrors some of the torture techniques that were used in the Middle Ages. 50 million children murdered by abortion is greater than 14% of the current population of the United States. How many doctors, scientists, teachers, caregivers, plumbers, electricians, or other positive contributors to our society have had their lives snuffed out before they could even begin? Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness apparently is not equally applied when an unborn child is added to the equation. Selfishness triumphs with the “procedure” known as abortion. It truly is one of the most evil “elective medical procedures” that humanity has concocted.

Why does a women’s right to choose trump the inalienable human rights of the child within her womb? What have we become when there is not a second thought to that life? Less than 1% of abortions are performed due to pregnancies caused by incest, rape, or to save the life of the mother. Most of the pro-choice argument holds little to no water to bolster claims that abortion is necessary to protect women’s reproductive rights. It is simply an easy way to neglect responsibility for a lifestyle that is in direct conflict with God’s intent. Sexual relations have been reserved for one man and one woman within the confines of the sacrament of marriage. Both parties conceive and raise their children and are responsible to instill within them morals, values, and a love of God. It is obvious that there is a concerted effort to eliminate God and any values instilled by our Creator. The evil one is flourishing in this world.

Every single pro-choice advocate was once a child in her mother’s womb waiting for his/her birth. Each of them had a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Each of them could have had their lives ended if their mother did not want to be inconvenienced by the responsibilities of raising a child. Selfishness is our greatest sin and easiest to commit. In this society it is all about pleasing oneself first. “Look at me. I am wonderful. I can be anything I want to be.” In this wicked generation, God is but an afterthought. Sex is a game for anyone to play at any time. Hookups, Tinder, and the like are pre-emptively destroying future relationships. Satan must be so proud.

In its innate selfishness, “woke society” believes that biology can be overturned and gender reversed. “God must have made a mistake, and that mistake must be corrected to my satisfaction.” What is a woman? Apparently, whatever one wants it to be. Transgenderism is a mental disease. Less than a decade ago gender dysphoria was considered a psychiatric disorder. Now, children, often with encouragement of woke teachers, are allowed to decide if and when they are to undergo permanent life-altering treatments, such as puberty blockers and surgeries to “change” to their desired gender. Never mind that those altered will never be able to have normal sexual relations, give birth, or sire children. The world is on fire and society pours gasoline on it!

The world needs God. The world needs a Savior. The world needs to come back to Him if we intend to overcome evil. Without God, we fight alone. With Him, all things can be accomplished. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:10-12

And yet there are those who say that the Bible is irrelevant in these enlightened times.

 

The Father of Lies

 

  Persuading the masses that good is evil and evil is good.

The difference between reality and fantasy has been skewed.  The left has accelerated the devolution of society, championing the murder of the unborn, recklessly flooding the nation with illegal aliens, encouraging the mutilation of children, promoting racial bias, and endorsing hatred towards those that do not support their unhinged lunacy.  It is becoming progressively difficult to determine what is “normal” and navigating these new things leads one to carefully parse any speech, lest one becomes labeled as phobic and subject to cancel culture. Satan is most certainly winning the battle for the soul of America.

The ever-leaning leftward democrat party hyperventilates that Trump is a threat to democracy, but democrats are destroying this nation that relies upon the rule of law by weaponizing government using censorship and lawfare. The ripple effect of DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) instituted via President Biden’s executive order, has had an adverse effect on society. This insidious order, that sounds so appealing, is nothing of the sort. Just as the evil one uses appealing language to tempt humankind to accept what is sinful as good, this order perverts language to fool the masses and assuage the purveyors of evil in our nation. No longer are the best and brightest promoted, promotions are now based on skin color, sexual orientation, and gender. This will end the meritocracy that has served this nation well and lead to the under-qualified ascending to vital positions.

ESG (environment, social, and governance) is another program designed to bring us closer to socialism. By requiring businesses to adhere to the standards of ESG, profitability suffers and, as with DEI, forces companies doing business with the government or any business connected in any way with the government, to base production methods, hiring, firing, HR and purchasing based upon environmental sustainability, race, and gender identity. This will effectively destroy those companies that cannot remain profitable while following these insane policies. These deceptive policies, that sound so reasonable, are meant to integrate government control into all aspects of life in this nation. In fact, the government is incrementally eroding the rights of the citizens to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. Satan must be so proud of his democrat party underlings that are accomplishing his purposes.

For far too long, mainstream America has sat back and acquiesced to the wokeness infiltrating society, satisfied with being ever tolerant, accepting, and welcoming to this pestilence. When schools began using remote learning during the COVID scare, parents saw first-hand that their children were being indoctrinated by teachers that were antithetical to the morals and values the parents held. The unrest we have witnessed on college campuses is a direct result of the kindergarten to university indoctrination with leftist ideology. The trust we have afforded our educators has been misplaced. Distracted by the busyness of daily life or shirking parental responsibility to be involved in our children’s education, we have given Marxist educators license to mold our children into their image. Finally, there is pushback.

In the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy a charge to parents is given, “These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts.  And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as reminders on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.” The Holy Spirit inspired author of these verses highlights just how important a parent’s role is instilling faith, morals, and values in their children. As lives become more complex, the parental role has been ceded to our educational system. When that system has been perverted, we fail in our responsibility to properly raise our children.

When children are indoctrinated away from the tenets of faith, when values and morals contrary to parental desires are instilled, the evil one wins. Traditional mores have been written on our hearts by our Lord and Creator. The abandonment of our Judeo-Christian value system is a recipe to our own destruction. Leftists want nothing less than to destroy this nation and the democrats are firmly in bed with them. Leftists want to sow the seeds of discontent and move us away from our God. Leftists pursue the goals of the evil one, dividing us by race, creed, and gender. If we fail to wake up and understand what the democrat party is attempting to achieve, we will have no one to blame but ourselves. The party that propped up a cognitively impaired Joe Biden, for democrats and the deep state to control, is evidence enough of their disdain for we the people. Democrats must be swept out of office, up and down the ballot. The leadership of the democrat party are willing tools of the evil one. Keep them in power and we will get what we deserve.

Pride

In the Name of Love???

There are many synonyms listed for the word pride. They include; arrogance, conceit, smugness, self-importance, egotism, vanity, and superiority. Pride is considered one of the seven deadly sins. God abhors a haughty and prideful soul. Interesting that the LGTBQI+ community picked pride as the moniker for their movement. It has become increasingly obvious that “pride” was chosen as an intentional affront to God. “For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.  For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.” Romans 1:19-20. God is slow to anger, but it would seem foolhardy to taunt the creator of the universe. The rampant redefinition of morality that promotes all manner of sexual deviancy is not very likely pleasing to Him.

The Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2015, normalizing same-sex relationships for consenting adults in civil society. In less than a decade the alternate lifestyle movement has used that “foot in the door” to engage in behavior so perverse that it would make the residents of Sodom and Gomorrah blush. It was never enough for society to accept same-sex marriage. The intent was always to find a way to tear down established mores and substitute a new lawlessness that rejects God and prioritizes worship of individual identity and desires. What began as gay and lesbian, transforms into LGTBQI+ and whatever the next sexual deviancy becomes. In order to make the LGTBQI+ community feel a part of society, children must be targeted and groomed with curricula that promotes their chosen lifestyle. Children, who cannot vote, drive or consent to getting a tattoo, are now guided by school administration to question the gender they were born with. Laws are enacted to coerce children to experiment with new pronouns and to begin puberty-blocking drugs and hormones, while school officials are prohibited from informing the parents of these life-altering and often irreversible procedures.

The failure to recognize and confront the evil that has permeated our culture on so many levels places civilized society in jeopardy. Those that acquiesce to behavior that needs to be justified with forced legislation and edicts defies common logic. The evil one uses all manners of deceptions to entice people to accept and promote what is evil as good, using a misdirected sense of tolerance and acceptance in order to justify behavior that simply cannot be justified. Intentional disregard of God’s word and the deliberate twisting of His word to justify actions expressly forbidden by God reveals the innate godlessness and wickedness of the purveyors of this decadent movement. There will come a reckoning to those who suppress the truth. “For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts.” Romans 1:21

What is evil is plain to those who have eyes that see, ears that hear, and a mind that can comprehend. God has written upon everyone’s heart a clear understanding of the difference between good and evil. One cannot truly rationalize lies masquerading as truth and fantasy pretending to be reality. The father of lies continues to prevail upon those that fail to differentiate between the two. “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator” Romans 1:25. Those who fail to stand up to evil will be held to account. “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” Matthew 18:6. Those of you that choose to engage in alternate lifestyles are free to do so. If you can stand at the judgment seat and convince God that your choice is a godly one, then more power to you. One can fantasize and believe anything is truly right and salutary, but do not compel others to accept it as their reality, because it is far from the truth! 

 

Rules of Engagement

Man on the street interviews highlight just how out of touch many in our nation have become. Questions that once were common knowledge are often fumbled by our next generation of leaders. But they can recite verbatim from social media influencer’s videos. Decisions driven by some “Tic Tok’ video publisher’s unhinged rantings without possessing the ability to properly filter out the noise, is a recipe for disaster. This is what you get when teaching life skills become secondary to preaching CRT and striving for equity of outcome. In just a few short years, woke education policies have created a generation that has no clue.

Political ideology drives individuals to vilify those in which they disagree. Far too many on all sides of the political spectrum fall prey to this insidious behavior, especially on social media. Civil dialogue has become a lost art. In a head long rush to embrace “wokeness,” society has elevated selfishness to the preeminent position in society. We are cautioned to live in this world without becoming overcome by it but the world is clearly winning. Compassion has been twisted into a means of assuaging those who willfully choose to reject common decency and morality.  Tolerance is manipulated to reject common sense and allow abhorrent behavior to be normalized. Acceptance has been corrupted to foster disregard of accepted societal norms. Equity of outcome replaces equality of opportunity and the whole of society suffers in this misguided attempt to elevate those perceived to be marginalized by society.

One should always question “new things” and transformational changes within society. Failure to do so will facilitate the default to our innate human selfishness. Awareness of our ill-advised proclivities will help to strive toward selflessness and service to our neighbors. In order to help make this world a better place, we often must deny our needs in order to serve others. This world was never intended to revolve around any single human being in order to fulfill their wants and desires. Affirmation of those trapped within their selfishness only rewards ill-advised conduct. There is a reason that laws and rules exist. Without them, humanity regresses into human animals, only concerned with their own needs and desires. When identity or ideology supersedes empathy and concern for fellow human beings, we become ego-driven, self-centered malevolent beings that are antithetical to the ideal human condition.

Those that believe that it is paramount to properly love their neighbor by affirming behavior that is contrary to science and accepted societal norms, harms not only society but harms the mental health and well-being of the subject of that misguided love. When principles of conduct become vague and undefined, such as acquiescing to the theory that whatever is your reality is truth, the more unorthodox the standard of conduct becomes. Our society is in a free fall away from reality. Leftists seek to destroy the fabric of this nation and remake it into a socialist, authoritarian state and many are fooled into supporting this disturbing conspiracy.

The fears of a nation were manipulated and used to control this nation as it faced the uncertainty of a novel coronavirus pandemic that was far less lethal than our government and public health officials asserted. Fear is used to stoke hatred and to destroy those who would challenge this dangerous “woke” ideology that has replaced common sense. Fear enables individuals to do whatever it takes to protect their position and power. But fear is a liar. Reason and truth must be restored to overcome fear, and that truth is that we are all brothers and sisters with God as our Father. Fear divides us against one another. The common enemy is clear for those who choose to see. Government has been weaponized against “we the people,” and too many cheer it on.

Biden promised a return to normalcy and to unite the nation. His rhetoric has further divided this nation. His policies are destroying our economy, ended our energy independence, acquiesced to Russia's aggression, relinquished our role in the world to China and is destroying the dollar as the primary currency of trade. It is time to deny ourselves and identities as Democrat or Republican. It is time that we elect those who choose to serve us, rather than rule us. It is time to roll back the insanity that has overcome our nation. We are one nation under God and its high time we act that way.

A Blaze of Glory

 

Shooters should wallow in a sea of anonymity

According to a 2021 study of mass shooters compiled by the Violence Project, the majority of perpetrators failed to complete high school, had mental health issues with almost half suffering from anger issues, used assault-type weapons in 24% of the acts, in over 80% of school shootings weapons used were stolen from family members and almost half communicated their desire to commit the crime prior to the assault. Mainstream and digital media continue to emphasize their reporting on the criminal and his actions, motives, their family, neighbors and friends while devoting little coverage to the victims. While fame seeking was identified in only 11% of the incidents, almost half of the perpetrators died during the attack, either by suicide, police gunfire or citizen intervention. Unless the perpetrator posted on social media or communicated to friends or family, the true number of those seeking attention for their actions is unknown. The Arlington Park, Illinois shooter told a friend, “You’ll know who I am. You’ll know what I did. You’ll remember my name,”

The phenomena of fans rushing onto the field during sporting events basically came to an end when the television networks decided to ignore the interlopers and refused to broadcast their interruption of the event. No fame, no glory, fewer disruptions. Without publicity, it’s just not worth it! Always looking for internet notoriety with as many “likes” and clicks one can engender. All of us love the camera. Consider those attending sporting events and how they act when their likeness appears on the big screen. It is simply human nature to call attention to oneself. Perhaps, if we concentrated on the victims and their families, ignoring the shooter, but for a description of an evil, disturbed, sick individual, future potential shooters may just decide that it is no longer worth the effort if they are not only left fameless, but reviled anonymously.

Those of you that blame the weapon and not the shooter must come to realize that law-abiding citizens do not commit criminal acts with their guns. Criminals and mentally deranged individuals commit crimes with guns. Taking the guns away from those who obey the law, while criminals remain armed is ludicrous on its’ face. Unless you can get all of the “genies” back in the bottle, criminals will always find a way to obtain the weapons of their choice. Unfortunately, that type of “logic” actually puts law abiding citizens at more risk to be victimized. Red Flag laws may have some merit, but also have the potential to trample on the Constitutional rights of those targeted, so we need to tread lightly here. Afterall, simply removing guns from the possession of those who are potential threats, does nothing to address the individual, nor the mental illness or hypothetical criminality of that individual.

Also lost in the noise are the clues left by the shooter, particularly on social media posts. If vaccine or election misinformation can be tracked and censored, why can’t algorithms identify potentially threatening posts? Why can’t these individuals be reported to police? It would be appropriate for police to make a house call to these types of individuals. Social media posts threatening violence should be properly investigated and are not a violation of the 1^st Amendment rights of those individuals. It should be the responsibility of social media companies to monitor and report any potential threatening posts. As a retired police officer, I always encouraged citizens to contact police about any suspicious behavior they may observe. That type of information may be critical in preventing criminal acts.

“But we need to do something!” This type of haphazard thinking and action leads one to think with their heart and not with their brain. We need to understand the root cause of these random acts of violence and take the necessary action to address those causes and develop real solutions, rather than heartfelt slogans that do nothing to solve the underlying problem. We need to address untreated mental illness. We need to bring engaged fathers back into the family unit. Parents need to be involved in their child’s life, school and social media. We need to understand the dangers in inflating self-esteem and self-worth. God needs to come back to His rightful place in the family to cultivate and instill a solid moral compass in our children. These are all good starting points in an effort to address these and society’s ills.

40 Years in the Wilderness

 

“And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.” Deuteronomy 8:2

The Israelites were led to wander in the wilderness for forty years because God decided that the generation that was unbelieving should die off, rather than be able to take possession of the promised land. The fate of those unfaithful Israelites should ring especially relevant to what is occurring in our society today. Today’s church fails to recognize the war waged against God and His church, and in particular Christianity, by the left and their accomplices. And far too many churches respond by watering down their faith so as not to offend anyone. When charged with being closed minded and exclusive, too many churches respond by saying that there are many ways to salvation and that many religions actually worship the same God. “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6 

Most Christians understand that abortion is the legalized murder of the most vulnerable of us all, unborn children. Most Christians understand the wickedness of this “lawful” medical procedure. Most Christians know that we are called to protect the innocent. Do we cry out to protect them? Even though most Christians abhor this aberration, most simply acquiesce and go on our way. Roe v Wade is the law of the land, isn’t it?

The COVID-19 pandemic allows for the government to close our churches, but keep open casinos. Small businesses are closed, but the big box stores are allowed to remain open. The government decides who is essential and who is not. All of us are essential to our God. And what do we, as Christians, do? We acquiesce and dutifully don our masks and socially distance, abiding by man’s law while we disregard God’s plan for us. “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:23-25 The more we fall prey to fear, the easier it is to be controlled. The longer we are kept away from corporate worship, the more we lose our faith. The more that man’s law supersedes God’s law, the easier it becomes to accept that which God condemns. We willingly accept all these violations of our protected First Amendment right of freedom to practice our religion in order to keep others safe and to prevent the spread, don’t we?

Behavior expressly condemned by Scripture is enacted into man’s law and far too many of God’s churches say “Amen!” Too many churches readily adopt secular understandings of gender and sexual identity, failing to uphold Scripture. Sin is sin, no matter how we sugarcoat it. We all fall short and instead of helping our brothers and sisters to the narrow path, we again acquiesce. It is the law of the land after all!

So many are praying fervently for God to reach down and bring sanity back to this world. We pray that God intervenes and saves this great nation. We pray the God will bring a revival and bring us closer to Him. I am praying just as ardently for God to reach down and save us. But we must understand our role in what is happening to this nation that was originally founded based upon Judeo Christian values. God cannot be happy with the utter collapse of our nation into secular recklessness. God cannot be happy when Christians continue to willingly fall into the trap set by the Evil One. God cannot be happy as Christians are content with the status quo that will continue to persecute Christianity.

Our government is filled with representatives that place their desires ahead of those they represent. Our government is filled with those who place their own glory before our God and King. Our government is not “by the people and for the people”, it has become party first, citizens last. Our government is crushing free speech, freedom of religion and our God given right to the pursuit of whatever happiness one is willing to attain. What has become so sad is that the “silent majority” refuses to speak up. What we have become is a lost generation, engaging in self worship, so enamored with our own wants and desires, that our inaction is actually destroying the very freedom that allows our selfishness to flourish.

We, as a nation, have fallen far from the narrow path and have run headlong to the wide path of acceptance, diversity and fairness that must have the Evil One laughing with glee. “Our lives begin to die the day we silent about things that matter.” Said Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his “I have a dream” Speech. Will it be necessary for God to lead this nation into the wilderness for forty years, or will enough of His people stand up for what is right, true and pleasing to our Lord and Savior? If we Fail to act to elect those who respect and love the Lord and continue to place self-serving politicians that lead us to that wide path, we will surely need to be humbled and our hearts be tested. Only if we decide to respect and obey His commandments as a testament of our love for Him will God rescue our nation. Stay as we are and a reckoning is necessary. Silence will never bring about change, and most definitely will not be the impetus for a revival. It is long past due to end our silence and get involved. It’s never too late to convince God of our faith with our words and actions. Will you speak up for God?

 

No Tears for the Fallen

There are two professions in which the practitioners understand full well that they may not return home from their tour of duty alive, soldiers during wartime and police officers. These brave men and women that wear the law enforcement badge upon their chests know full well their next call may be their last. Yet, they are willing and able to protect and serve the public at the risk of their own lives. I served for 29 years in a Milwaukee County suburb and the only time I ever shot my firearm was during training. Every day I prayed that God would guide my mind and body to take whatever action was necessary to protect the public. I prayed that if I was put in a position to use any type of force, I would be guided to use no more than what was lawful and necessary. Law enforcement officers are highly trained, skilled in more than just the use of firearms and are dedicated to placing their lives before those they are called to protect and serve, even those who break the law. Now those who put themselves in harms’ way to protect society are in the crosshairs of those that seek to gain political advantage over tragedies that deeply sadden decent citizens. President Obama’s first chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said it best when he declared that no crisis should go to waste.

No law enforcement officer begins his or her tour of duty with intent to cause anyone harm, no matter what color their skin is. To intimate otherwise is propagating a bald faced lie. As in any part of society, some people fall through the cracks, but 99.9% of the 800,000 law enforcement officers in the US treat everyone they meet with respect and want every contact with citizens to end peaceably. As I read the news stories today I am saddened by so many that are rejoicing that at least five Dallas Police officers were gunned down, simply because they wear the uniform and the color of their skin was white. During a peaceful protest, the officers assigned to keep the peace were executed by an assailant that was angered over some recent police shootings. Realize that the incidents are still under investigation and if the officers involved committed a crime they will be held accountable, yet due to the incendiary rhetoric from the left, this depraved individual felt compelled to commit these heinous crimes.

Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from the plots of evildoers. They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim cruel words like deadly arrows. They shoot from ambush at the innocent; they shoot suddenly, without fear. They encourage each other in evil plans. They plot injustice and say, “We have devised a perfect plan!” Surely the human mind and heart are cunning. But God will shoot them with his arrows; they will suddenly be struck down. He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin; Psalm 64:2-5,7-8

What has become of our democracy? Evildoers use the freedoms granted by our constitution to create havoc and push our nation towards anarchy. Satan and his minions like Saul Alinsky, should be proud of the bitter hatred that is overcoming our society. All the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t make our country right again. Pre-judging police interactions with persons of color by our commander in chief simply emboldens those who choose to hate and harm our great democracy. As President Obama now tries to pick up the pieces over the dead bodies of five of our finest with his fine rhetoric at their funerals, it is too little, too late. He has fueled the fire beyond human abilities to quench it. The only way to bridge this societal upheaval is to turn to God. It is always when we think that we have the ability to fix problems of our own accord is when we spiral out of control. The experiment called the “Great Society”, put into place to end poverty, has been an abject failure, trapping so many African Americans into decaying inner cities, enabling men to father, then abandon their children, and pushing God out of their families. A return to God is in order, lest we continue our fall into the abyss.

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” Mark 12:28-32

Pray fervently that we come to see the error of our ways before it is too late to turn back. Pray for each and every law enforcement officer that the Lord protects them, as they in turn put their lives on the line to protect us. And finally, pray that those who come into contact with police simply comply, rather than try to escalate situations, based on false pretenses, that would otherwise end peacefully.

Suffer the Fools

Proverbs 13:20, “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.” Some declare that they see no problem remaining in fellowship with the ELCA and its’ diverse views of Scripture. There are those that maintain that differences in the varying beliefs and teaching in the ELCA are not so much of a dilemma for them as it may be for those that are not as tolerant of viewpoints that are different than their own. 2 Corinthians 11:4, “For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.” In this verse Paul is chastising the church in Corinth because they have been unquestionably tolerant of deceivers and false apostles in their midst and continue in fellowship with those deceivers nonetheless. As for those who continue to be unsure about breaking fellowship with the ELCA and its false teachings, are they as foolish as those Corinthians that Paul describes?

Some struggle with circumstances in their lives that cause anxiety and  undue fear, so they decide to abide by their own opinions and to not fully trust in the Lord. Know this; The ELCA is on a fool’s errand in an effort to increase their membership by being more welcoming, accepting and tolerant of everyone and everything by watering down or disregarding God’s Word. Some cast aspersions upon those that desire to obey God’s Word and advocate breaking fellowship with a church that no longer believes in the foundational principals of our faith. This only proves that those who claim to be more accepting are nothing of the sort. As their membership dwindles the leaders of the ELCA congratulate themselves and accuse their detractors of incivility, willful misunderstandings and bearing false witness. It is apparent that the position of the leadership of the ELCA is, to accuse those that adhere to Scripture and want to obey God’s Law, of spreading slanderous lies about the false gospel that they attempt to foist upon their membership. We are compelled to be faithful to God’s Will, not the bidding of those enlightened scholars and bishops that revel in revisionism.

Those that pretend to have the moral responsibility to maintain fellowship with this organization that casts doubt upon the very faith that they are charged to uphold, are engaged in much more that simple foolishness. Romans 16:17-18, “I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery, they deceive the minds of naïve people.” Remaining in fellowship with a denomination that rejects, not only God’s Law, but questions the very truth of Jesus’ Resurrection, is a recipe for disaster. The heavy handedness of the leadership of the ELCA will eventually overtake and strangle any Scripturally based teaching. Remaining in the ELCA while this false teaching overtakes the pulpits of their churches and begins to indoctrinate our children, is too great a risk to not break fellowship.

As more and more of those that are true to Scripture leave, who will be left to impede the ELCA’s charge into the abyss? We are not to be so naïve that we will blindly accept the willful misinterpretation of Scripture that advances the leadership of the ELCA’s vision of a new Lutheranism. With no one left to question their head long rush to replace Scripture with their new modern and secular doctrine, the leadership of the ELCA will lead many of their membership away from God to follow their false gospel. Many more will wake up one day and find themselves nowhere near where the Lord wants them to go. Eventually, the ELCA will wither away, unable to meet its financial obligations to promote their secular aspirations. But, how many brothers and sisters will be lost to these false teachings in the mean time.

Then there are those that wish to remain because they claim that there is little in Scripture to guide them in the decision of breaking the fellowship of the church. This church promotes doctrine contrary to God’s Will. Our unity is not just with A church, our unity is IN Christ, first and foremost. If the church denies our Savior and rejects the Scriptures, for what purpose would we remain in fellowship, other than to save our brothers and sisters from these false teachings. Those that argue that they want to remain on the fence or not voice an opinion do nothing but bolster the line of reasoning that the leadership of the ELCA uses to support this false gospel. Those that feel that the doctrine of bound conscience will protect them from the greater ELCA’s new policies on ministry standards have another thing coming. ELCA pastors are already finding that the doctrine of bound conscience only goes one way. Those that preach the Gospel and question the ELCA’s new doctrine are facing disciplinary actions. As more scripturally bound congregations and pastoral candidates leave the ELCA, how long will it be before the social gospel of tolerance is preached from the pulpit of those faithful congregations that choose to remain?

Just Listen

The Holy Spirit works in mysterious ways. If we open our hearts and minds to the Lord, we will find that He does indeed communicate with us. Subtle nudges from the Spirit push us to do the right thing and resist wrongdoing. If we choose to ignore those gentle cues, we often recognize that the Spirit was encouraging us to do God’s will. How do we know if it is the Spirit that is directing us? Since we are, by nature selfish and sinful, it is fairly obvious when the Spirit is leading. Placing others before ourselves, volunteering for charitable causes, living out our lives as the Lord directs us, engaging ourselves in His Word, and speaking out for our Lord. These are just a few of the tasks that God places before us. We need only to open our hearts and minds and listen to God.

We must also realize when we substitute our own judgment in the place of the Lord’s will. When we fail to listen to Him, we can end up dismissing God’s word as antiquated or not appropriate for this day and age. Exercising one's "bound conscience" places our own selfish wants and desires over God’s plan for us, leading us away from Him. Romans 8:5 “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires: but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.” Those that place self above the Lord and believe that the Scriptures are just a set of values no longer pertinent to our more "enlightened" society are leading others to a false gospel. Our Lord has set before us a guide to lead us toward a godly life. If we pick and choose what part of Scripture is valid for today, we are falling toward agnosticism. Proverbs 10:17 “Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.” God speaks to us through the Holy Scripture and gently nudges us through the Holy Spirit to correct us and lead us on the right path.

If we follow this new concept of bound conscience and place our opinion above God’s Word, we will continue to minimize sin and eventually, learn to ignore sin as irrelevant. Social justice and good works are all part of doing God’s will and should always be an important duty of any religious organization. Good works do not alone make the case for salvation. Martin Luther said, “The first and chief article is this: Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, died for our sins and was raised for our justification. He alone is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, and God has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. All have sinned and are justified freely, without their own good works and merits, by His grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ, in His blood. This is necessary to believe. This cannot be otherwise acquired or grasped by any work, law or merit. Therefore it is clear and certain that this faith alone justifies us.”

We must continue to do the good works as God directs us. But, first and foremost is our faith in our resurrected Lord, Jesus Christ that is our salvation. We must also work to bring others to Christ as we continue to do His work. This is where the ELCA fails the members of its denomination. By overemphasizing the importance of good works, the ELCA broadens the gap between the Lord and His people. By minimizing sin and disregarding “unpopular” portions of Scripture, they are promoting a false gospel and putting their members at risk of losing their salvation. We must continue to pray that all Christians keep strong in their faith and rebuke this false gospel of the bound conscience. As for the leaders of the ELCA, perhaps they should open their hearts and minds and just listen to what God is telling them, rather than trying to satisfy their earthly desires.