Is Religious Liberty Dying In Our Military?

     Nearly a year ago, Coast Guard Rear Admiral William Lee spoke from the heart at a National Day of Prayer breakfast.  At the time, Todd Starnes of  Fox News, reported on the Admiral's passionate speech regarding his religious faith.  “As one general so aptly put it – they expect us to check our religion in at the door – don’t bring that here,” Rear Admiral Lee told the gathering. “Leaders like myself are feeling the constraints of rules and regulations and guidance issued by lawyers that put us in a tighter and tighter box regarding our constitutional right to express our religious faith.”
     Lee told the cheering crowd that he would defy any of those constraints.  “The problem that men and women like me face in uniform who are in senior leadership positions is that the higher you are – the more vulnerable you are to being taken down,” he said. “You get in the crosshairs of those people who lay in wait outside the gate – waiting to take us to task for expressing our faith.”
      Yet Admiral Lee was bold in pronouncing that he would not back down from giving those under his command a word of hope.  “The lawyers tell me that if I do that – I’m crossing the line,” he said. “I’m so glad I’ve crossed that line so many times.”  I  urge you to watch the video of this brave's man stand for his faith, and his warning that there is a religious storm fast approaching the armed forces.
     Mind you, that was nearly a year ago.  At the end of 2013, the Family Research Council released a year-end report by retired Lt. General Jerry Boykin, who is the Executive Vice President of the Council.  In full disclosure, the FRC is a faith-based organization whose vision is a culture in which human life is valued, families flourish and religious liberty thrives.  Their mission is to advance faith, family and freedom in public policy and the culture from a Christian worldview.  To that end, General Boykin brings a unique perspective to how the military and faith are associated.
     His paper for the FRC was entitled A Clear and Present Danger:  The Threat to Religious Liberty in the Military.  You can read his full report here.  He begins by recounting how important faith has been in the history of our nation's military.   He then relates that it is "with great unease that we at the Family Research Council (FRC) have noted a growing hostility to religion within the armed services in the last decade."  He cites that the pressure has especially been acute in the U.S. Air Force.  He then proceeds to give a detailed list of abuses against the Christian Faith; and they cover the entire spectrum of the military.  I will list just a few:
2004 - Casey Weinstein:  A USAF Academy cadet, and the son of an Academy graduate turned lawyer, Casey complained about flyers that were distributed for Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ.  The distribution of the flyers stopped, and his father, Michael Weinstein founded the Military Religious Freedom Foundation [MRFF], which has since championed the many court battles against freedom of religion in the military.
2005 - Michael Weinstein ramps up his persecution against the Air Force:  In this year alone, Weinstein becomes a vocal critic of the USAF and accuses it of promoting "religious intolerance that is objectively manifesting itself in prejudice and discrimination and is obliterating the First Amendment, civil rights and the US Constitution."  In an effort to become more "tolerant", the Air Force institutes a course entitled, "Respecting the Spiritual Values of All People" (RSVP).  But it's not enough for Weinstein.  He accuses the Air Force leadership of cultivating a religious climate in which the leadership "encourages the evangelicals and tolerates bias."  Weinstein sues the USAF alleging "severe, systemic and pervasive" religious discrimination in that service.
2006 - Weinstein's lawsuit is dismissed, but.... : The original complainants in the suit were graduates of the Academy and the judge ruled they had no legal standing.  Weinstein then asked for -- and received -- a Department of Defense (DOD) Inspector General investigation of seven officers who appeared in a video for Christian Embassy ministry.  While the Inspector General ruled that the video was "inappropriate", Weinstein wanted punishment of the officers; he wanted court martials.  His hate for evangelical Christianity knows no bounds.
2009 - Weinstein finds an Anti-Christian ally in the Air Force:  With the advent of the Obama Administration, Weinstein finds that Air Force Chief of Staff Norton A. Schwartz shares his view of the lack of religious freedom in the military, and the two begin a mutual admiration society.  Suddenly, Weinstein thinks the military leadership is on target.
2010 - Conservative religious leaders are spurned at National Day of Prayer events:  Both Tony Perkins, President of FRC (and a former Marine) and Pastor Franklin Graham are disinvited to speak at the National Day of Prayer breakfast, allegedly due to their respective positions against the effort to repeal the ban on open homosexuality in the military, and their view of Islam and its treatment of women.
2011 - A banner year for discrimination against Christianity:  Where do I begin?  Just consider these outright biases against those of faith in the military:  Christian prayer is banned at some military funerals; A 20-year-old ethics training course was pulled from the Air Force curriculum because of its use of Christian reading materials; Chief of Staff Schwartz calls for neutrality regarding religion and encourages those who feel they have encountered violation of  this policy to contact an attorney; Walter Reed Medical Center bans Bibles and religious material (this policy was eventually rescinded after a publicity firestorm raged in the House of Representatives); Weinstein and his MRFF organization files suit against Travis AFB for displaying a nativity scene and menorah.  As you can see, efforts to quell Christian religious expression are intensifying.
2012 -  Attacks against Christianity spreads to other branches of the Military:  The year opened with the Air Force removing "God" from the logo of the Rapid Capabilities Office.  Then we saw that the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) launched a campaign to bar Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin (USA-ret.), a founding member of the Army's Delta Force and former Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, (as well as Executive VP of Family Research Council) from speaking at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.  General Boykin withdrew from the event, citing forces that were "overpowering".  This was followed by the Pennsylvania Army Reserve training document which labels Evangelical Christians and Catholics "extremists", and a West Point study that compared pro-life groups to the KKK and Neo-Nazi groups.
2013 - The attacks against Christianity in the Military are too numerous to mention them all:  Suffice it to say that Michael Weinstein gets real cozy with Air Force brass and the limitations against Christians become blatant.  Christian evangelism is now against regulations.  An Air Force officer is asked to remove a Bible from his desk, because it might make someone "uncomfortable".  Those who do not agree with the homosexual agenda in the military are singled out for retribution, including a soldier who served Chick-Fil-A sandwiches at his own promotion party; an Army assistant chaplain who was threatened with reduction and rank for posting her faith-based opinion on homosexuality on her Facebook page; and a 19-year veteran of the Air Force, Senior Master Sergeant Phillip Monk, was relieved of his duties after he disagreed with his openly gay commander, Maj. Elisa Valenzuela, when she wanted to severely punish an instructor who had expressed religious objections to homosexuality.  Lawsuits flew back and forth while the Air Force continued to uphold the Major, while downplaying Sgt. Monk's claims of discrimination.  And finally, we have a briefing in the Fall of 2013 at Fort Hood, Texas during which they were told that evangelical Christians and members of the Tea Party threatened the country. Additionally, they were informed that soldiers who donated to such organizations could be subject to discipline under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.  Apparently it is those of us who identify with these groups that are "tearing the country apart."
   
     I have only touched on the highlights of this report by Lt. General Boykin, and I urge you to click on the link above to read his full and complete analysis of the state (or lack thereof) of Religious Liberty in our Military.   This is a man who has proudly worn the uniform of the U.S. Military, and achieved great things for this country during his stellar service.  But he is sounding an alarm that we can no longer ignore.  When you remove our God from our military, then you open the door to deviations and departures from moral and ethical principles.  Look how much the Enemy has been able to accomplish in just 10 short years!  If we do not stop this blatant discrimination, we may soon find that Christianity and Christians are no longer a part of our military.
     Finally, I would like you to consider these words with which General Boykin ended his paper:  James Madison once described religious freedom as the "lustre of our country." The examples presented above should give us great concern that we have entered a period in which members of the armed services are being subjected to speech codes and restrictions on the free exercise of religion. We recognize that there must be a healthy respect for the beliefs of members of all faiths and those who are not Christian believers. Concurrently, we affirm that religious expression is a right foundational to our Constitution, which those being penalized have sworn with their lives to uphold.
     Pray for our military.  Pray that the forces and the attacks by those who wish to silence the Christian influence will fall on deaf ears.  And pray that our leaders will once again promote the free practice of all faiths in this land, and re-discover our most sacred founding principle.

Joshua 24:15    "And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve .... But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

     This Scripture speaks so strongly to me this morning.  I have heard from, or am aware of, so many people who are suffering from health issues, financial problems, oppressed spirits, doubt, worry and fear... or in my case, and to a lesser degree, all of these.  Believe me, I am not making light of what we are undergoing.  When it is happening to you, it overshadows everything else in your life.  You feel as if you are surrounded by darkness on all sides.  Imagine a forest so dense and thick and impenetrable that you think you will never find the path out of it.

     Perhaps that's where you picture yourself today.  But I want you to remember that, as Christians, we should not be taken by surprise when hardships come: Jesus warned us, “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33).  It's just that as American Christians, we have led a relatively comfortable existence -- and I praise God for that!  But I would also say that it has made it harder for us to rely on our faith when these hard times come.  I know that I have to remind myself that faith is where I am to turn when my world comes crashing down.

    So, now I would ask you to meditate upon the Word, and what this particular verse promises us.  It gives us so many assurances of what we can expect as we go through whatever trials are besetting us.  First of all, you might not think that what you are undergoing is a "temptation".  We, in the Western World, think of temptation as something that attracts us, or something we desire.  And of course cancer, tumors, money problems and worry are never anything that we would want.

     But in the Hebrew, "temptation" means "a testing"; and in Greek, it means "a putting to proof through adversity; a trial".  So what the Apostle Paul was trying to teach the Church at Corinth, and which is equally relevant to us today, is this:  Whatever you are experiencing, while unique to your life, is a normal condition of being a member of mankind, and is nothing that our sovereign God is not in control of.  He knows you, because He made you --- every hair on your head --- and He knows how much you are able to withstand.  These "trials" come with the territory of our fallen state, and unfortunately will touch each of us at some point in our lives.  

     There will be those who will interpret this passage differently and see a God that is cruel; a God that is testing us by bringing adversities upon us.  But notice that important phrase, God is faithful.  That means He is "trustworthy" or "loyal, constant and steadfast".  He is by our side and He will never allow us to experience more than He knows we are able to face.  In fact, if you believe in Him, He has prepared you for this exact moment! 

     We are also told that even though we cannot escape the trials, tests and temptations that are a part of our fleshly experience, our faithful and trustworthy God does provide us with a way to escape the burden of whatever befalls us. And we should find comfort in this truth!

     This means of escape is the Power and Grace that He gives each of us to endure and get through our afflictions.  It is His power and His grace -- we must never think that we can rescue ourselves!  Remember that God is Omniscient; He knows everything.  He knows our strengths and what we can bear.  He will provide our escape path -- either deliverance from our trial; or the strength to get through it and to endure it.  We cannot fail if we hold fast to Him and take His path! 

     A word of caution:  We may not always get the immediate results we desire.  But never think that you have failed "the test".  God's purposes and knowledge are beyond our understanding, but He is faithful to those He loves, and we just have to keep clinging to His Power and Grace.

     And do not listen to the world and the temptations of Satan, who is whispering in your ear, "You cannot overcome this", or "You don't need God to get through this.  You can do it on your own."  That path will only lead you further into the dark recesses of the forest.  Instead, hold on to the One that you can trust.  He is Jehovah God, who is faithful to shine His light through the darkness and show us the way to His side.  It may be a slow journey, but by taking one step at a time, you can escape this overpowering darkness and enter the light.  Turn to Him in your hour of suffering!

Do You Believe Your Children Are Yours?

     If you answered "Yes" to this question, then you don't fit the new paradigm of parenting as promoted by Melissa Harris-Perry, MSNBC television host and political commentator.  Ms. Harris-Perry, along with her feminist progressive cohorts, feels that "we have to break through our kind of private idea that kids belong to their parents or kids belong to their families, and recognize that kids belong to their communities."  Indeed, we are all supposed to adopt a "collective notion" about our kids.
     Just what does that mean?  Well, as reported in an article on the Cybercast News Service website, the Progressive view, as promoted by Ms. H-P, is that we need to invest more in government educational programs.  In fact, Lindsay Burke, of the Heritage Foundation says that the Left would like to see "preschool programs starting with infants and toddlers, expanding programs like Head Start to include three-year olds and younger children; all with the express purpose of growing government intervention in the lives of our youngest Americans and the American family."

     If that doesn't convince you that the government wants to usurp your influence on your children, then maybe this next argument will.  Janice Crouse, a senior fellow at the Beverly LaHaye Institute, the think tank for Concerned Women for America (CWA) presented the Heritage Foundation's stance.  “The encroachment on parental rights is unrelenting -- from the Obama Administration to college classrooms to news desks across the country,” said Crouse. “Everyone, it seems, is hopping on the bandwagon to remove children from parental influence and let teachers, television programs, video games and cultural influences shape the minds and hearts of next generations of Americans. MSNBC has assumed leadership in just laying the agenda out there and exposing the plan: the left wants to expand government to the point of taking over the raising of the nation's children.”
     I can remember a time when teachers and the school system partnered with parents in a mutually approved education plan.  Now parents are being increasingly isolated and the State sees itself as the Collective Parent.  That does not bode well for the the influences upon our children.  All you have to do is read Ms. H-P's defense of her misguided comments.  On The Huffington Post, she is quoted as saying, "This isn't about me wanting to take your kids.  This is about whether we, as a society, expressing our collective will through our public institutions, including our government, have a right to impinge on individual freedoms in order to advance a common good. And that is exactly the fight that we have been having for a couple hundred years."
     There you have it!  And I can't believe they are bold enough to admit it!  It's all about the "collective good" versus "individual freedoms" AND the right of the State to impose their will on individual citizens -- especially when They determine it benefits the collective, as a whole.  This must not be allowed to advance any further than it already has!
     And that's why Michael Farris, a lawyer and Chairman of the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), has formed ParentalRights.org and is raising support for a Parental Rights amendment to the Constitution.  Currently, Parental Rights are recognized as implied rights.  This amendment will allow Parental Rights to become specifically enumerated in the text of the Constitution.  In addition, the Amendment would guarantee the following to parents:  1)  Parents have a right to make reasonable choices for their child in public schools, such as opting their child out of classes the parents find objectionable. It does not give parents any power to dictate curriculum or other choices by the school for the student body at large.   2)  While Parental Rights do not include a right to commit child abuse or neglect, they are due the same high legal protection as other fundamental rights.  3)  The amendment will not apply in cases where a parent's action or decision would end life.  This exclusion was a necessity to avoid the appearance that the PRA would affect the abortion issue either way, which would make its passage a political impossibility.  4)  Neither the Senate's treaty power, nor the courts, can subject parental rights to international law.  Furthermore, federal courts would not be able to impose harmful principles of international law on parents, because the rights granted in the text of the Constitution override and overwhelm any conflicts between parental rights and international law.
     I wish Mr. Farris luck in getting this Amendment before Congress.  As the attorney for the Romeike family, the German home-schoolers who sought asylum in America, he has championed a parent's right to educate their children according to their religious beliefs.  However, the Supreme Court declined to hear the family's appeal to the U.S. Justice Department's attempts to deport them back to Germany, where they risk losing custody of their children if they continue with their home-schooling.
    While the Supreme Court's decision does not bode well for the chances of a Parental Rights Amendment, Mr. Farris confirmed to Fox News earlier this week, that the Department of Homeland Security had granted the family “indefinite deferred status."  That means the Romeike family, who claim the German government is persecuting them because they want to raise their children in accordance with their Christian beliefs, can stay in the United States without the threat of being forced to return to their home country.  And that decision, says Mr. Farris, "is a miracle from God."
     So maybe Mr. Farris is working in miracle territory, and he can somehow convince enough members of Congress that the liberty of parents to direct the upbringing, education, and care of their children is a fundamental right.  For the life of me, I cannot understand how it can be considered anything else.  It is the essential nature of being a parent, and a God-given responsibility.  No government should interfere with that!

Proverbs 1:8-9     "Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck."

The Perfect Book For Your Teenager

     World events are hard enough to comprehend and face for adults.  In fact, I would venture that many will find themselves uninformed and ill-prepared should any number of likely scenarios come to fruition.  So, if mature Americans are scared of facing their fears, think of what it is like for our younger generations; especially those in their teenage years who are on the cusp of reaching for their future goals.  How do we brace them for the possibility of disruption to their daily lives, and instruct them on getting through the coming chaos, without scaring the living daylights out of them?  The profusion of "Survival" books on the market have not been suitable for our younger populace ... until now.

     Author Julie L. Casey has provided not only an informative approach, but an educational and entertaining way to reach our kids and move them towards a prepper mindset.  She has written a book, entitled How I Became A Teenage Survivalist, in which she appeals to the teenage sense of adventure while subtly tutoring them in the fine art of survival.  The book is written from the viewpoint of sixteen-year-old Bracken, but has characters that will appeal to younger teenagers as well as the older ones about to enter adulthood.  

     Bracken begins his story after the advent of PF (Power Failure) Day.  He recounts how a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) from the sun changed his and his family's lives abruptly and permanently.  The author is able to weave survival situations into the plot that will make your teenagers think of the repercussions of such an event.  At the same time, she provides the solutions that the family and their neighbors develop so that your kids can see that they can adapt and thrive without modern conveniences.  I especially liked that the storyline was appealing and natural; it wasn't contrived in order to present a "how to" survival manual.  That would be a turnoff to teenage readers.

     Instead, the book is able to present events in a manner that will captivate the interest of this age group.  What would it be like to live in a world where there is no electricity?  Bracken and his brothers are resourceful in inventing ways to make pop bottle "lightbulbs", and homemade washing machines.  They learn the value of working the land for their food, how to conserve the gasoline they have, and enjoy riding horses into town to visit their friends.  Their mother introduces them to the many ways herbs can be used for medicinal purposes, and ... gasp! ... they even realize that they don't miss all the electronic gadgets and technological time-wasters they had before PF Day!

     The author also includes a touch of light romance in her story that is sure to appeal to both girls and boys as they begin to explore the concept of love in their teenage years.  But lest you think the book is all sunshine and lollipops, Julie Casey introduces her readers to the dark side of what an electro-magnetic pulse can bring.  She doesn't shy away from the violence that will inevitably come as those who live in the city begin roaming the countryside in search for food and shelter.  She introduces the concept of martial law (being careful to keep it more benign than it likely will be) and the right to defend one's self and property.  She also informs her readers that many people will die due to the lack of life-saving equipment and medical supplies.  She doesn't overly sentimentalize what our lives will be like, and she presents the information in an ever-widening awareness of the reality of life without electricity, without uniform law, and with only our ingenuity and our ability to care for each other to see us through.  

     If you are struggling with a way to approach your teenagers with the topic of survival training or prepping for The End of The World As We Know It (TEOTWAWKI), I suggest that you use this book as a conversation starter.  Your teenager will likely have lots of questions about your own personal situation and you can begin a dialogue about how he/she can take part in preparing your family for a possible breakdown of society.  In fact, this book stresses the importance of family.  Everyone, including grandparents and the youngest sibling, have value in protecting the family unit during turbulent times.  Think of I Was A Teenage Survivalist as a kinder, gentler strategy to introduce the younger members of your family to some scary concepts.  And to be honest, it's not too juvenile for the timid adults among us, either.  I give it 4 out of 5 stars!

This book is available on Amazon for under $10 in paperback, and 99 cents for the Kindle version. Not a bad investment to bring your kids into "the real world."  Click on the Title link in the post to go to Amazon and order today!

Colossians 4:6     "Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." 

Does Texas Represent The Country?

     The Primary Elections are upon us, and none has been pontificated upon more than the Texas Primaries. It didn't matter which side of the political spectrum you found yourself ... all eyes were on Texas.  There has been lots of talk about money pouring into the state in the hopes of turning Texas from a red state to a blue one.  I suppose that those who embrace the Progressive, Socialist ideology would like nothing better than to see this stronghold of Conservatism brought under their control.

     While most of the talking heads have concentrated their focus on the Tea Party influence (which election results proved to be substantial), I was less interested in the candidates.  Don't get me wrong, I was thrilled to see that the candidates endorsed by Ted Cruz were pretty much winners across the board.  But I have been disappointed in candidates before, and I'm not likely to put my trust in elected officials so easily.  No, it was the Ballot Initiatives that caught my eye, and I can truly say that I am proud of what is important to those who wish to represent us.
     Usually, when you get to the bottom of the ballot, there are any number of Propositions that are vague and ill-written; you're not exactly sure how this would affect you and therefore, you have no idea  whether you are "for" it or "against" it.  Not so, this election.  The Republican Party ballot offered six resolutions to be considered for the party's platform and possible legislation.  These were considered important enough to bring to the citizenry and to be placed on the general primary election ballot.  I got more excited with each one that came into view.  Here they are in all their glory:
1.  Texans should be free to express their religious beliefs, including prayer, in public places.  IN FAVOR:  97.2%.
2.  Texas should support Second Amendment liberties by expanding locations where concealed handgun license-holders may legally carry.  IN FAVOR:  86.92%
3.  Texas should abolish the state franchise tax, also known as the margins tax, to encourage business growth.  IN FAVOR:  88.47%
4.  Texas recipients of taxpayer-funded public assistance should be subject to random drug testing as a condition of receiving benefits.  IN FAVOR:  94.9%
5.  All elected officials and their staff should be subject to the same laws, rules, regulations, and ordinances as their constituents.  IN FAVOR:  99.36%
6.  The Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare,” should be repealed.  IN FAVOR:  93%.
     It's fairly obvious that we, here in the Lone Star state, believe in the First and Second Amendments; growing the Economy; holding Welfare recipients accountable; holding the Legislators accountable by making them abide by the same rules as the People; and we don't want anything to do with Obamacare.
     Hmmm .... those ideals don't come anywhere close to coinciding with the Progressive agenda.  In fact, I think it's safe to say there is nothing about these results that will endear us to the Left.  No wonder all the might and power of the Elites is headed our direction!  As we say, here in Texas, "It's fixin' to be one helluva fight!"
     So, I would ask the rest of you across the nation -- and the world -- to pray for us in Texas.  I don't expect this to be a "gentlemanly", fair, or moral campaign.  In fact, it's likely to be an all-out brawl for the soul of this great state.  But let me remind you; if we fail to fight off this incursion, the rest of you will be ripe for the pickin'.  So I ask you to stand with us and fight the good fight.  The heroes of Texas history once drew a line in the sand at the Alamo.  This time, we are using the ballot box to defend our freedoms, and may God be the tip of our spear.

Galatians 5:1    "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage."

Where Are You On The Chess Board?

     This post is the result of a conversation between my husband and myself.  You need to understand that Peace-Loving Warrior is a pretty deep thinker and often surprises me with his analogies.  We spend lots of time in discussion; talking about the news of the day, or some theological point of debate, or simply sharing our thoughts for our future.
     So, last night we were discussing how difficult it is for all of us to face our fears.  Like many husbands, I suppose, his fear is that he cannot protect me or provide for me during whatever our shaky future might bring.  We agreed that these times in which we are living are causing everyone to be confronted by their fears, whether they want to be or not.  And then he gave me this picture that I thought was worthy to pass on to you:  "Everyone is being moved on a chess board to where God wants them.  He is moving us out of our comfortable, safe systems to where we're an outlier, and we don't have any support system BUT God."
     In case you aren't familiar with the term outlier, it means "a person (or thing) situated away, or detached from, the main body or system."  And it is a term that we Americans do not easily embrace.  We are comfortable being a part of the system, where we can hide our insecurities and worries in the midst of the group dynamics.  That is especially true of American Christians.

     How many of us have sat in churches for ten, fifteen, twenty years --- maybe even your whole life! --- and are now feeling the Holy Spirit reveal that our God is much bigger than we were led to believe?  That there is much more about Himself that He wants us to know?  That understandably leads to all kinds of emotions ... anger, betrayal, self-doubt, and fear.  But do you recognize that perhaps it might be God waking you up to a new, and better, reality of who He is?  That He is moving you out of that comfort zone for a reason?
     If I may, let me take you back to PLW's Chess analogy.  I was astounded when I researched the rules and objectives of the game of Chess.   There are two parts of the Chess-playing process:  1) setting and achieving long-term positioning advantages during the game, and 2) tactics, which concentrate on immediate maneuvers.  Another way to look at it is Chess strategy is concerned with evaluation of Chess positions and with setting up goals and long-term plans for the future play.  That is exactly what God is doing in His "Plan for the Ages."  His goal is to ultimately protect the King (Jesus), and he evaluates and moves the other pieces on the board in accordance with achieving that goal.  It should be an honor to be examined and found worthy of advancing the game!
     Yes, we are the Pawns, the weakest and least mobile of all the pieces on the board.  Throughout the game, it is the Pawns that are most easily captured and removed from the game.  But I found it extremely insightful to find, written within the "Strategy and Tactics" portion of the official Chess instructions, this tidbit of wisdom:  At the end of the game, when most of the pieces are gone, Kings typically take a more active part in the struggle, and Pawn promotion is often decisive in determining the outcome.
     What is "Pawn Promotion"?  In short, it is the advancement or elevation of a Pawn to a prominent position that has an effect on the endgame.  And it usually happens at the point in the Chess match when there are very few pieces left on the board.  Can you see how PLW's comparison has some validity?  God is moving us where He wants us, and I absolutely believe that He is moving us into positions of spiritual power to effect the results of the Game.  And as we find ourselves removed from our comfortable systems, we may feel as though we are the lone Pawn on the board.  But remember that God has placed you there and He is taking a more active part in your life.  He is "promoting" you to become a part of His system. 
      Is it scary to find yourself being moved into a new position?  You bet it is!  But you have two choices.  You can either retreat into the cocoon of your safe system (whether it be your church, your family, or the recesses of your mind) and fail to take advantage of the opportunity; OR you can accept your "promotion" and take it one step at a time and let God lead you towards new heights that will glorify Him.  Believe me, His system is restful, secure and trustworthy.  Don't be afraid to embrace that move!

Psalm 143:10     "Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!"

The Devil Is In the Details

     Today's post is kind of a fast-forward from yesterday's thoughts, and shows what we have reaped from not paying attention to who has been running the country.
     I ran across an interesting article on the website for Dave Hodges' Common Sense Show.  In the article, he presupposes that there is indeed a secretive power elite (called the New World Order) with a globalist agenda, conspiring to eventually rule the world through an authoritarian world government.  Of course, they can only accomplish their goal by replacing sovereign nation-states through carefully orchestrated events and propaganda that present this agenda as the natural progression of human history.  Got that?
     Ok, Mr. Hodges suggests that there are five "variables", or factors, that these global elites must control in order to suppress an individual's or nation's freedoms.  Let's take a look at these factors, and his hypothesis on each one, and see if this is/could happen in America.

     Factor #1:  The Media:  Six corporations control 98% of the media. These same six corporations virtually control everything that most people see, hear and subsequently believe. The CNN’s and FOX networks have successfully turned the majority of our people into sheep who are willing to accept any form of dictatorship so long as it is endorsed and glorified by the news media.
      I must admit that I know far too many people who take the so-called "news reports" from CNN, MSNBC and FOX as "the gospel".  "I heard it on FOX News" is often their confirmation that they've heard the truth.  What they don't understand is that the powerful men that own these corporations, also control the narrative that the talking heads spew.  Don't be fooled!  These men have their own agendas, which are mirrored by what, and how, "news stories" are reported.  The reporters are not necessarily independent journalists and are, more often than not, hired lackeys of their commanding bosses.
     The hope we have lies in the alternative media that consists of independent researchers and bloggers who owe their allegiance to no one.  We must be discerning in accepting their "facts" as truth, but for the time being, they provide an influential option to the ever-declining state-run media.
     Factor #2:  Social Factors:   The majority of Americans still believe in hard work, their religion and traditional family values which honors the sanctity of marriage as defined in the Bible. Through the control of the media and an increasing control of the government, Americans are being forced into glorifying every form of behavior, previously considered to be perverse and the traditional values of the American family are under attack by the media, Child Protective Services and the education system.
     It doesn't seem that long ago that everyone shared a "let bygones be bygones" social philosphy ... as long as we didn't inflict physical harm upon each other, Americans were willing to be tolerant of different opinions about lifestyle choices.  But now there is developing a deep divide in this country, and an extremely vocal minority is demanding, in authoritarian ways, that everyone should adopt their ideas and ways.  Instead of truly following a policy of "freedom of choice", we (the Christian conservatives) are being forced to comply with the intolerant dictates of those who once blamed us for intolerance.
     But the one thing that these social tyrants, whether Elite or not, cannot control is our minds and hearts.  They may pass laws that restrict our actions, but they can never legislate our values and our morals.
     Factor #3:  Economics:  One unelected entity controls the nation’s banks, The Federal Reserve. The same people control all governmental legislation for all economic policies including the Stock Market. When the super elite get caught with their proverbial hand in the cookie jar and suffer major economic losses, they simply steal from the people and call it a bail-out. As a result, we have had the bail-out, the son of bail-out and the grandson of the bail-outs.
     We cannot deny that since The Federal Reserve's inception in 1913, the dollar has never been the same.  And now they have themselves backed into a corner with all the money they have printed.  There are all kinds of scenarios that the so-called conspiracy theorists (but are they right?) suggest .... Russia, China and India will soon be purchasing Iranian oil in gold and bypassing the dollar as the only medium of exchange (i.e. the Petrodollar);  this will lead to false flag provocations both abroad and at home, which will result in martial law and the global suppression of citizen opposition.  The NWO would be ushered in!
     If this scenario is true and plays out, it will be more important than ever that individuals be prepared with long-term food storage and survivalist plans.  The longer you can keep from being sucked into their system of control by growing your own food and trading and bartering, the harder it will be for them to force you to "get in line".
     Factor #4:  Military:  If the super elite have made serious miscalculations on the path towards establishing a New World Order, the handling of the American military is a prime example.
     From all appearances, the American military offers us a semblance of hope against the designs of the NWO.  But that will only last as long as each service man and woman holds tightly to their oath of defending the Constitution.  One cannot ignore the struggle for the heart and soul of our military when we see the firing of over 260 senior command military officers, and the downsizing of the military to pre-WW II numbers.
     Do the young recruits embrace (let alone know) the proud history of our military?  Will the American people continue to support our returning veterans and stand shoulder to shoulder with them to defend this great nation?  The NWO cannot succeed if the Military stands strong and unwavering.
     Factor #5:  The Government:  The NDAA, Executive Order 13603, the Patriot Act, NSA spying, the use of the election fixing electronic voting machines, force feeding us GMO’s, the punishments of whistleblowers, the alleged militarization of the law enforcement, the corruption in the halls of Congress, and so much more ....  all lead to a NWO-like conclusion.  
     Our national election process is due for some massive changes.  Term limits would be a good start.  But it's obvious that our political process is drowning in misconduct, profiteering and criminality.  The Elites pre-determine our next Leader, and the people's voice is discounted.
     Now all that is changing with the advent of active grassroots organizations and bold Americans who are becoming involved in their government for the first time.  We need new voices and fresh blood!

     Ultimately, we need to realize that it doesn't matter if you actually believe Dave Hodges and subscribe to his theory of a New World Order, or an elite group of people who seek global control.  The truth lies within the pages of the Bible.  The Good Book tells us that such a time will come and the real key to defeating these powers is for this nation, and all peoples of the world, to turn back to God.  Because, in case you don't realize it, the entities behind the NWO are the Enemy's elect; they are doing his dirty work.  Can't you see his fingerprints all over their agenda?  And we need to remember that even if it looks as if they are defeating us -- that the Enemy's plan is taking hold -- there is always a remnant that will never give in, never consent, and never surrender.  There is always hope!  Let others take their marching orders from the Fallen One; I will play by God's rules and victory will be mine!!

Romans 8:38-39      "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
   

If Only We'd Paid Attention!

     I sometimes give myself the luxury and joy of watching the old TV Westerns that AMC shows on Saturday mornings.  It takes me back to my innocent childhood; that time when I was unaware of the sinister plots underway that would forever change the direction of this country.
     This past Saturday, I turned on AMC while cleaning up the kitchen after breakfast.  I smiled to see that the selection this morning was an episode of The Rifleman.  That just happened to be one of my father's favorite shows, and I remember sitting at his feet and trying to count how many times Lucas McCain fired his lever-action repeating Winchester '94.  I never was quite sure whether it was 14 or 15 times.
     This was a particularly early episode; I was only 7 when it originally aired and couldn't remember the plot.  I was vaguely aware that it had something to do about a prison wagon of criminals who took over the town, until Lucas called the leader out and regained control of the situation.  Typical "Lucas to the rescue", I thought.  So it played in the background as I finished loading the dishwasher. Just as I went to turn off the TV, it was at the end of the episode when programs of that era gave the audience a little life lesson to chew on.  This time it was an exchange between Lucas and his son, Mark, that caught my ear.  I want to share it with you, because it has such great implications for today.

Mark:  Pa, those men could have taken the town away from us, couldn't they?
Lucas:  They could have taken it physically, but they couldn't have kept it.  It takes more than guns to hold a town.  No, son, the only time a town, or even a country, is really lost is when the people livin' there get careless how it's being run and stop paying attention to it.
Mark:  You mean like the Roman Empire?  We're learnin' about that in school.
Lucas:  Then you know the value of studying your history.  And you were 100% right, son, when you said "like the Roman Empire." By knowing the mistakes people made hundreds of years ago, we can learn a lesson and profit by not making the same mistakes ourselves.

     Then Mark furrows his brow, deep in thought, and says, "Well, I hope so....".  Then you hear that sound effect that indicates something ominous on the horizon, and Lucas stares off in the distance, clenching his jaw, as the screen fades to black.
     I was amazed that a 1960's-era TV show had captured exactly what we have allowed to happen.  Pure and simple ... we got careless about how our country was being run.  And what has been the result?  Exactly as young Mark conveyed; we have become the Roman Empire.  But did we learn from history?  Apparently not!  Just like Rome we are suffering religious discord; financial and political ineffectiveness; and the end of an effective field army.   The abuse of power by Roman leaders eventually led to civil wars and the disintegration of the Empire.
     At the moment, our civil wars are limited to wars of words over policies and ideologies.  Let us pray that they don't become more than that.  But we have obviously not learned our lessons from the mistakes made in the past.  Just like Rome, we have become comfortable in our state of prosperity and smug in our self-proclaimed invincibility.  And we stopped paying attention. 
     So much of the decline has happened in my lifetime and it's hard to swallow that the decline could have happened so fast.  Is there time to change our direction?  Are we still able to learn our lesson and act upon it?  Only God has the answer.  But I can hear the music swelling in the background, and it doesn't sound reassuring....

1 Corinthians 10:11    "Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come."

James 1:12

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial,

 for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.

     This week I have been overcome with the sense that our trials and tests; not only as Americans, but as Christians, are soon to be upon us.  Any number of respected economists are predicting an imminent collapse of the dollar, our economic system, and our society.  Then there are the spiritual watchmen, who point out the prophecies of the Bible that are playing out in real time, and share their own personal revelations of these days.  None of it bodes well for the world.

     And none of this should take us by surprise, nor should we think it can be avoided.  The Bible tells us it will all come to pass.  From the Prophets in the Old Testament to the Revelation of Jesus Christ, given to the Apostle John in the New Testament, we are told that we will struggle and be persecuted in this life, but that faith in our Savior will be rewarded in the next.  Our faith will be tested; our ability to trust in God will be challenged, and in the end, we all stand before Him to receive our just rewards.

     So the fact that the trials are coming, is a given.  The question is this: will we be able to resist the temptation to deny Him in order to make things easier for ourselves; or will we endure because of our strong foundation and belief in the saving grace of Christ?  Will we stand for Him when the world promises certain death, clinging to the hope of eternal life in the world to come?  

     I pray that you are sure of your decision!  You must be aware that you will have to make some difficult decisions in the coming days, months and years.  In fact, in Revelation 2:10, Jesus's instructions to the Church at Ephesus is valid for us today: “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

     As in James 1:12, the Crown of Life is a promise and a reward for enduring the trials about to come.  This crown is available to all believers, but is especially precious to those who endure sufferings, who bravely confront persecution for Jesus, even to the point of death. In Scripture the word “life” not only shows a relationship that is right with God, but is a description of who Jesus is to us ... He gives us spiritual "life" by bestowing on us "the living water" and the "bread of life".  

     What do we have to do to receive this Crown of Life?  Our Scripture today says it is promised to all those who love God.  And how do we love Him?  By following His commandments.  And I don't think there is one of us who can say our culture and the world are not doing everything they can to condemn us for honoring those commandments and "remaining steadfast".  

     But endure we must!  So, as we encounter and persevere through the inevitable trials, pains, heartaches, and tribulations—whether sooner or later—let us keep our eye on that prize, and receive the crown of life that awaits us.  It is by God's design and desire that we find ourselves living in these days; and it is through His strength and authority that we will be victorious!

     

     

The EPA and Riverton, Wyoming

     Have we become so de-sensitized to over-reaching federal agencies that clear violations of the Constitution are simply ignored?  Have we just resigned ourselves to a behemoth Government?  I was appalled to realize that this story is actually a couple months old, yet I knew nothing about it until PLW heard it mentioned on a podcast.
     It seems that the Environmental Protection Agency has declared that Riverton, Wyoming is part of the Wind River Indian Reservation, undoing a 1905 law passed by Congress.  This has understandably angered state officials.
     The Daily Caller reports that Governor Matt Mead, has vowed not to honor the agency’s decision and is preparing to fight in court.  “My deep concern is about an administrative agency of the federal government altering a state’s boundary and going against over 100 years of history and law,” Mead said in a statement. “This should be a concern to all citizens because, if the EPA can unilaterally take land away from a state, where will it stop?”
     So, let's look at this story from a Constitutional aspect.  The EPA is an agency of the U.S. federal government which was created for the purpose of protecting human health and the environment by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress.  It seems that the Wind River Indian Reservation submitted an application to get funding for air quality monitoring under the Clean Air Act.  Somehow, the EPA determined that this application qualified the Reservation to be treated as a state, and the EPA decided that the boundaries established by the 1905 law were not to be honored.  The EPA then granted the tribes' claims that the Wind River Reservation actually extended over 1 million acres beyond the boundaries that the 1905 law established.
     I have to agree with state officials, who have filed a stay against the EPA's decision to revise the boundaries, by stating that the agency has effectively overruled an act of Congress.  And why isn't anybody screaming about the Tenth Amendment?  It clearly states that "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."  Where does an Agency (who is bound by the laws of Congress) get off thinking it can overstep its authority and ignore the State and the people of Wyoming?
     Everything is upside down in our government!  Why isn't Congress calling the EPA on the carpet for stepping outside their jurisdiction?  Why is the Wyoming Congressional delegation appealing to the EPA, as if the Tenth Amendment doesn't exist?
     This whole controversy arose from a 2009 tax case that the state urged the courts not to drop because of the “implications of ruling on a boundary without the federal government and Eastern Shoshone being involved in the case,” reports the Casper Star-Tribune.  State courts have heard at least two cases on the boundary in the last three decades — one 1980s Wyoming Supreme Court case found that Riverton was part of the reservation, and another state high court case in 2008, which found that the town was in Wyoming.
     Back in 2009, State Attorney General Marty Hartsocg had this to say:  "We don’t have a fully binding decision.  We do in the state, but the state is then put in a position of having to rely on the federal government’s view for its direction."  Why do they need to rely on the federal goverment's direction?!? Am I just not understanding the Tenth Amendment properly?  Or have the States, through time, simply abdicated more and more of their powers to the Federal Government, and hence to the myriad of agencies that have been spawned through a vacuous bureaucratic system?  Is this why the Federal Government and their Agency heads feel empowered to grab more and more dominion away from the People?
     And speaking of the people, what about the 10,000 residents of Riverton?  What are the tax, state services and law enforcement implications?  Are they subject to the Tribal Police or state law enforcement officers?  But the bottom line is this ... why is the EPA allowed to be a part of this decision at all?  Is it a surreptitious plot to seize private property and put it all under control of the US government?  Sounds crazy, huh?  But so did the canceling of millions of health insurance policies just a few short years ago.  Here's hoping that the State of Wyoming will uphold its Constitutional rights.  The ability for the rest of us to engage in these Tenth Amendment violations may be determined by their willingness to fight back.

Proverbs 24:11     "Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter."