It's A Great Time To Pray!

     I feel like we are sitting on a big bubble that's about to pop.  And I'm not talking about any financial bubble -- even though the world economy is hanging on by a thread, and there seems to be no end in sight of the crippling debt; both for individuals and nations.
     No, I'm talking about the escalating situations swirling around Iran.  It is not enough that they capture two Navy ships, detain our sailors, and broadcast a propaganda apology that highlights the failure of our government to maintain control of the situation (let alone save face).  In addition, the alleged cooperation between Iran and North Korea in constructing a nuclear warhead cannot be ignored.
     The Washington Free Beacon reports that it believes that Iran is housing some of its key nuclear weapons-related technology in North Korea in order to avoid detection by international inspectors.  In fact, just a week ago North Korea claimed to have successfully tested a miniaturized hydrogen bomb, giving credence to lawmakers and regional experts who are warning that Pyongyang and Tehran are continuing an illicit clandestine partnership enabling the rogue nations to master nuclear technology.

     North Korea's boldness in executing the test has only served to encourage the recalcitrant Iranians.    One expert on the inner workings of the Iranian regime stated, "The entire world may well consider North Korea a failed state, but from the view point of the [Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps], North Korea is a success story and a role model: A state which remains true to its revolutionary beliefs and defies the Global Arrogance."  Our sailors on their knees with their hands behind their heads is a pretty darn arrogant illustration of them thumbing their noses at us, don't you think?
     So now you have Iran, fresh from humiliating the United States, being sneaky with their nuclear bomb activity, and the U.S. just days and hours from lifting the sanctions off the rebellious nation.  And then we hear the reasonable voice of retired Lt. General William "Jerry" Boykin, who tells us, "Whether you believe in prayer or not, could I suggest that this is a great time to pray for America and ‪Israel‬? Frankly, it is the only real hope that we have."  Is it really all that bad?  I'm afraid it is.
     Because the sanctions have cost Iran more than $160 billion in oil revenue since 2012 alone, they are expected to resume selling oil on international markets and using the global financial system for trade.  Iran has the fourth largest oil reserves in the world and the energy industry is braced for lower prices, which will directly impact our economy, and not in a good way.  In addition, Iran will also be able to access more than $100 billion in frozen overseas assets.
     But here's why General Boykin says that this Iran deal is so dangerous:  First of all, the U.S. and Iran cannot even agree what is in the deal.  The U.S. claims that Iran is in violation of the deal after recently firing two ballistic missiles.  Iran says the testing is not specifically mentioned in the deal, and therefore, they've violated nothing.  Secondly, Iran has never signed the deal.  So, seems to me that if a contract has not been signed, then neither party owes any accountability to the other.  And although Congress will vote in a week or so on imposing new sanctions, that's most likely a dead-end street, too, with a President who is quick to remind everyone that he has the power of the pen.
     As if this is not enough, we need to recognize that Iran is a dangerous detriment to world peace.  Iran has rejected any international inspection of military sites that are thought to be developing nuclear technology (threatening war if any attempt is made), giving them free reign to proceed with their nuclear projects.  Add to that, their consistent shouts of "Death to America" and "Death to Israel" does not speak to a desire for peaceful relations; nor does their reception of Russian S-300 missiles.  And if anyone in the world is naive enough to think that the money they will receive from the U.S. will go to economic relief, rather than to support Iran's ongoing affiliations with terror groups throughout the Middle East, then General Boykin is right --- we don't stand a chance without prayer.
     So, at this late date, it certainly appears that Iran will proceed with its nuclear program with no regard for any "deal" with the United States.  And they have made their hatred for us and Israel quite well known over the  last few years.  They have vast influence over the sectarian strife throughout the Middle East, and in just a few days, we will be handing over $150 billion of our money to help them further all their causes.  Does that sum it up for you?
     Where this all leads, I simply do not know.  But it sure seems to me that Iran is running headlong towards their apocalyptic goal, unabated and uninhibited.  But for now, I suggest that we all follow General Boykin's advice and PRAY!  After all, he is one of the original members of the US Army’s Delta Force; the former Commander of the Army’s Green Berets, as well as the Special Warfare Center and School; and the former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence -- all prestigious military titles that speak to his understanding and comprehension of these times in which we live.
     But he is also an ordained minister, and it is his command and grasp of that job position that qualifies him to tell us that prayer is the only real hope we have.... I suggest that we follow his orders, and hit our knees!

Psalm 145:18-19   "The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear Him; He also hears their cry and saves them."
   
   

Like Lambs To The Slaughter...

     You know how you sometimes have that nagging thought at the back of your mind, but then you think perhaps you are reaching a bit --- until someone else proposes the same thought with equal passion, and you know it is an affirmation from God?  That's what happened to me this morning.
     As usual, I start my day off with personal time in my Bible as I commune with God, trying to gain a bigger, and more intimate, knowledge of Him.  I was reading the Book of Proverbs, specifically Chapter 7, and I was instantly impacted by the vision the Scripture presented.  On the surface, the text was describing the advice that a loving father was giving to his son... to keep and treasure the commandments of the father; to cling to wisdom and understanding and insight, in order to avoid the enticement of "the loose woman", who was not only a "fallen woman", but sly and cunning of heart; turbulent and willful.

     This "harlot" was seen as bold and adventurous, blatantly tempting the son, and impudently offering herself to him without hesitation.   She lures him to come home with her and make love on her luxurious couch and cushions of tapestry, with striped sheets of fine linen of Egypt.  She teases his senses with the suggestion of a bed perfumed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.  She assures him that the good man of the house is not at home; that he has gone on a long journey and taken his treasure with him, only to return home at the appointed time.
     Then Proverbs tell us that "with a justifying and enticing argument she persuades him, with the allurements of her lips she leads him [to overcome his conscience and his fears] and forces him along into her house.  Suddenly he [yields and] follows her reluctantly like an ox moving to the slaughter, like one in shackles going to the correction [to be given] to a fool, or like a dog enticed by food to the muzzle, until an arrow [of passion] pierces and inflames his vitals; then like a bird fluttering straight into the net [he hastens], not knowing that it will cost him his life."
     I knew, with a sinking heart, that this was an accurate analogy for the path our country has taken; and sadly, the experience of too many Christians who have been enticed to abandon the commands of God in order to follow the harlot and what the world has to offer.  I know I am not the only one who sees it.  And sometimes I think that my justification for this opinion falls on deaf ears.
     But then someone else speaks up with a voice much louder than mine.  Today it is Naghmeh Abedini, the wife of imprisoned Pastor Saeed Abedini.  She says God has shown her how Satan is lulling the Body of Christ to sleep; that many Christians are befriending the world, seeking fame and popularity before all else.  
     Naghmeh is in the midst of a three-week fast to refocus her relationship on God.  "A main theme during my time of prayer and fasting seems to be becoming aware of our (my) friendship with the world as followers of Christ," Naghmeh writes. "I am being made more and more aware of how we (including me) are allowing its subtle ways get to us and it is putting the body of Christ to sleep."

     And she has seen a much broader view of the world than I have; traveling around the world in recent years, campaigning for the release of her husband, Saeed, who is imprisoned in Iran.   "My travels over the last 3 years have opened my eyes to the condition that the Body of Christ is in. Pursuing fame, wealth and 'followers/numbers' has become normal in the Christian world. We are becoming like the world and we are totally Ok with that. Yet the Scripture has serious warnings, even calling us ENEMIES OF GOD."
     Whether, we see ourselves as the foolish and tempted son of a faithful and sovereign father [in Proverbs 7], or as the Body of Christ being lulled to sleep in Naghmeh's vision of the Church, the message is the same ... we are ignoring the teachings and commands of our God, and have strayed onto the path that the harlot has so cleverly offered us.  As in the Proverb, she has offered to let us share with her the feast from her "peace offering".  But if we Christians understood what this offering symbolized, we would know that it is to be dedicated to God in full; that we must not think we are worthy or equal to share in what is the Lord's.  The peace offering is to be an acknowledgment of being made whole through the peace of knowing and experiencing God's forgiveness, and it signifies the peace that Jesus's sacrifice brings us -- we have no right to "share", or take credit for that offering.  But, just as the harlot deliberately sought the son, so has the Enemy ensnared us to share in his blasphemous feast.
     I guess the thing that is most clear to me is that we, who can see, are seeing clearly and with great spiritual discernment.  We are solemnly aware that the harlot -- this shiny, tempting, alluring world -- has led us down her path, and her victims are countless.  For me, the sad climax to this analogy from Scripture, is that just like the wayward son, and Naghmeh Abedini's sleeping Body of Christ, the harlot's house "is the way to Sheol (Hades, the place of the dead), going down to the chambers of death" ... and how many do not know that following her will cost them their [eternal] lives?

Thank you to Charisma News for the report on Naghmeh Abedini.

Proverbs 7:6-8     "For at the window of my house I looked out through my lattice.  And among the simple (empty-headed and emptyhearted) ones, I perceived among the youths a young man void of good sense, Sauntering through the street near the [loose woman’s] corner; and he went the way to her house."

Nothing Ever Really Changes

     As if we need more evidence that man's love of idolatry and false gods has always been present, news comes that a group of of European architects has proposed to build a 21st-century version of the Colossus of Rhodes, the ancient Greek statue erected on the island of Rhodes in the 3rd century B.C. The original ancient statue was of the Greek titan-god of the sun Helios, erected in the city of Rhodes, on the Greek island of the same name.
     One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, it was constructed to celebrate Rhodes' victory over the ruler of Cyprus, Antigonus I Monophthalmus, whose son unsuccessfully besieged Rhodes in 305 BC. Before its destruction in the earthquake of 226 BC, the Colossus of Rhodes stood over 30 metres (98 feet) high, making it one of the tallest statues of the ancient world.

The new proposed statue of Helios, sun god

     But the new version would stand 500-feet tall (five times larger than the original) and serve as a cultural center, as a library, an exhibition hall and a lighthouse on Rhodes, the largest of Greece’s Dodecanese islands.  This island is known for its beach resorts, ancient ruins and structural remnants of its crusades-era occupation.  I find the estimated cost of the statue ($283 million) to not only be offensive in light of the decimated Greek economy, but just another monument to man's obsession with pagan gods and his rebellion against the One True God.
     The fact that the statue honors the god Helios is just a perpetuation of sun god worship that has existed since the beginning of civilizations.   The imagery of the sun as the ruler of both the upper and the lower worlds that he majestically visited on his daily round is prominent among all the ancient cultures.  Even The Encyclopedia Britannica gives credence to sun worship:  "The sun is the bestower of light and life to the totality of the cosmos; with his unblinking, all-seeing eye, he is the stern guarantor of justice; with the almost universal connection of light with enlightenment or illumination, the sun is the source of wisdom."  I found it extremely sad and disturbing to read this once venerated source of knowledge equating and venerating all the ancient religions as equal to Christianity.  Here are some of the points they made about sun worship:
•  These qualities—sovereignty, power of beneficence, justice, and wisdom—are central to any elite religious group, and it is within these contexts that a highly developed solar ideology is found. Kings ruled by the power of the sun and claimed descent from the sun. Solar deities, gods personifying the sun, are sovereign and all-seeing. The sun is often a prime attribute of or is identified with the Supreme Deity.
•  In ancient Egypt the sun god Re was the dominant figure among the high gods and retained this position from early in that civilization’s history ...  Surya is glorified in the Vedas of ancient India as an all-seeing god who observes both good and evil actions ... In medieval Iran, sun festivals were celebrated as a heritage from pre-Islamic times ...
•  During the later periods of Roman history, sun worship gained in importance and ultimately led to what has been called a “solar monotheism.” Nearly all the gods of the period were possessed of solar qualities, and both Christ and Mithra acquired the traits of solar deities. The feast of Sol Invictus (Unconquered Sun) on December 25 was celebrated with great joy, and eventually this date was taken over by the Christians as Christmas, the birthday of Christ.  (The obvious attempt to equalize our Savior with other gods, and with sun worship is unmistakable).

Ancient Colossus of Rhodes

     I will grant you that the Greek Mythology gives us a fascinating picture into man's attempts to create his own gods.  The island of Rhodes derives its name from the nymph Rhodos, who bore seven sons to the sun god Helios, the patron of the island. Three grandsons of these offspring were the heroes of the three principal cities on the island: Camirus, Ialysus, and Lindus, which were named after them. In honour of Helios, Panhellenic games, the Halieia, were held on the island every five years, and each year a chariot and four horses (quadriga) were thrown into the sea as an offering to the god (who was believed to ride such a chariot across the sky each day).  It is almost funny to discern that this was all the result of man's attempt to explain God's creation of the sun -- except that we know it is the result of the Enemy's lies; his never-ending attempt to blind us to the true knowledge of our Creator.
     Other mythological associations with the islands include the belief that the Telchines had a workshop on the island. They were believed to be an ancient semi-divine race that invented, and were particularly skilled at, metalwork. Hercules was also worshipped on the island as the founder of the first settlement. Other important cults were dedicated to Apollo, Zeus, Athena, and Dionysos, and during the Hellenistic period the island adopted several Egyptian cults such as those of Sarapis and Isis ... and it all leads back to Nimrod and rebellion towards God.
     But knowing that Helios was not only the Titan god (translate as part god (fallen angel)/part human) of the sun, but he was also the guardian of oaths and the god of gift of sight.  His description shows just how far the devil was trying to go to equate him with Jesus, the Son of God:  "[Helios the Sun] rides his chariot, he shines upon men and deathless gods, and piercingly he gazes with his eyes from his golden helmet. Bright rays beam dazzlingly from him, and his bright locks streaming from the temples of his head gracefully enclose his far-seen face: a rich, fine-spun garment glows upon his body and flutters in the wind, and stallions carry him. Then, when he has stayed his golden-yoked chariot and horses, he rests there upon the highest point of heaven, until he marvellously drives them down again through heaven...".
     So, nothing has really changed.  Man is still trying to bow down to an image of a god he has created.  The new statue of Helios will be bigger and grander and more shiny than the original; just a bigger false idol than the first, and a sign of how obsessed we are to worship anyone or anything other than the True Light of the World.  The Colossus of Rhodes was destroyed by an earthquake in 226 BC.  I shudder to think of the destruction that is coming upon the newest version of this pagan god.  Will we never learn?

Deuteronomy 12:30    "Be watchful that you are not ensnared into following them after they have been destroyed before you and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? We will do likewise."

Where Are The Feminists?

     In our current political season, a favorite rallying cry is that there is "a war on women".  It is usually lodged against the Republican Party to describe their policies and legislation as a wide-scale effort to restrict women's rights, especially reproductive rights.  As unmerited as this charge is, I realize that the so-called Feminists in our nation love to play the victim card, and are always on the look-out for causes or women who have been wronged.
     So, why are they so silent about the abuse being heaped upon the women of Europe by the Middle Eastern refugees?  They love to throw the word "misogynist" around, and what could be more representative of hatred or disrespect towards women than headlines like this at The Daily Mail:  "Migrant rape fears spread across Europe: Women told not to go out at night alone after assaults carried out in Sweden, Finland, Germany, Austria and Switzerland amid warnings gangs are co-ordinating attacks."
     I mean, Donald Trump is loudly and vociferously castigated across the airwaves for his admittedly crude remarks, while not one of those feminist political strategists makes a peep about young women being fondled, raped, and being subjected to all manner of physical violations by gangs of Muslim men.
     The warnings in Europe come as reports emerged that Austrian and German police tried to cover-up the issue over fears of reprisal attacks on asylum seekers and damage to the countries' tourist trade.  Where is the uproar over the last part of that statement?  Putting money ahead of the safety of their young women?  Where are all those radical feminists who scream about gender equality, racial justice, the silencing of women?
     Where is the outrage over the chilling police report (about the attacks in Cologne, Germany) which describes women being forced to run through a 'gauntlet' of drunken men while officers themselves were mobbed by victims claiming they had been sexually assaulted.  Where are the champions of a woman named Jenny, who suffered serious burns when a firework was shoved into the hood she was wearing? "I heard a sizzling sound in my hood," she said. "I somehow tried to get the firecracker out of the hood. Then it fell into my jacket and burned everything. The scars will be permanent. I was lucky that it didn't explode."
     In Sweden, a gang formed a ring around girls and started molesting them. A police spokesman said, "They grabbed their breasts and genitals. In some cases they tried to drag girls into a waiting car, but those girls escaped, luckily."
     Perhaps the most chilling report is that which comes from German police, who have confirmed what they found on one man they have arrested from the gang of Arab and North African men who attacked women in Cologne.  Written on pieces of paper, police discovered lurid phrases in Arabic translated into German for him to use against women victims.
     Among the threatening messages was: "I'll kill you."  The notes also had the phrase for "nice breasts" and "I want to have sex with you."  The suspects arrested from the Cologne sex attacks reportedly included 9 Algerians, 8 Moroccans, 4 Syrians, 5 Iranians, 2 Germans and one each from Iraq, Serbia and the USA.
     So, once again, I ask, Where is the outcry by American feminists?  Why are they not marching in the streets, as are the German protestors who question just how their government is prepared to react to this outrage, and frankly, the danger it presents their women?  Is it that they fear it will contribute to another of their cause célébres, "Islamophobia"?  It is true that the people of Europe are trying to determine how the flood of refugees is going to affect their countries.  And after the New Year's Eve attacks in Cologne, it has inflamed a debate over Germany's ability to integrate the 1.1 million asylum seekers it took in last year alone.
     The facts remain... there is a clash between cultures.  Middle Eastern refugees see Western women in skimpy clothing and hugging and kissing in public.  In their culture, that equates to prostitution.  Does that necessarily lead to the flagrant rape and molestation that Europe is experiencing?  Or is there something more sinister at foot?  Regardless, there is a cancer spreading in Europe, and the growing crimes against women threaten to release an explosive reaction upon an already nervous and anxious European population.
     So, are we prepared to deal with similar ramifications from our own refugee policies?  Will the feminist politicians speak out for the potential victims, or will they remain silent, so as not to offend those of a different religion?  Do not think that we will remain unscathed in this nation.  I pray that our communities and cities, and those who are elected to protect us, become aware of this potential problem before it happens here, and prevent the horrendous experience of European women.  American feminists, this is your challenge.  What are you going to do about it?

2 Corinthians 5:11    "Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience."

What Is REAL Courage?

     You know, with all the alerts from around the world warning us that evil is encroaching upon our security, it would be easy to give in to the unsettling fear and worry.  I'm afraid that, as a culture, we have lost the sense of self-preservation and the responsibility to protect ourselves that was a hallmark of our ancestors.  Are courage and heroism no longer desired traits?

     We seem to have exchanged our instincts to defend and safeguard ourselves and our families for the idea that others will do it for us (like the government) -- or even more ridiculously, that it will never reach our shores.  Then again, we have become a society that puts more stock in the perceptions and interpretations we see on our TV and movie screens than we do in our own lives.  We sit back and watch celebrities play real-life characters in movies like American Sniper and the upcoming 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, and look upon those actors as heroes, relegating the stories of the actual men to two-and-a-half hours of whatever the screenwriter chooses to highlight.  So, we are able to transfer those acts of courage onto a movie star, and give no further thought to the real struggles that those real-life heroes face -- or, even more importantly, how we might be called upon to respond in kind.

Bradley Cooper, as Chris Kyle

     That's why it sickens me when I see and hear the accolades heaped upon actors like Bradley Cooper, Liam Neeson, and Edward Norton (and the additional 97 celebrities who joined them) for signing a letter to the President in support of gun control.  What are we to think of them?  If they truly believe that "guns [are] far too easily available to people intent on doing harm", are we to assume that they lack a moral compass or conscience because they have no problem making millions of dollars playing characters who use guns to defend themselves, the weak, and the defenseless?

     Don't be mistaken -- I'm not looking to turn this into a gun control argument, although I do find their argument for enhanced background checks without logic -- as Breitbart.com states, "It is hard to figure out which is most embarrassing, the fact they cite a shooting where the gunman and gunwoman passed a background check for their handguns–San Bernardino–or the fact that they cite Sandy Hook, where Adam Lanza went around background checks altogether by stealing his guns."  But, back to my real point -- It is that they don't deserve to be compared to the flesh-and-blood heroes they portray; nor do I think they comprehend what lies at the foundation of real courage. 

     Let them spend one day, even one hour, in the shoes of men like Chris Kyle, or Glen Doherty, or Tyrone Woods, and maybe... just maybe... I would listen to what they have to say.  Instead, let them visit with Jeff Struecker, a real-life survivor of another blockbuster movie, Blackhawk Down.  Maybe it is easy for actors, once the cameras stop rolling, to discard the persona of the dead men they are playing.  But let them hear Jeff Struecker tell his story of what it was like those fateful hours in Mogadishu, as the Army Rangers/Delta Force attempted to secure the area after a UN peacekeeping mission went awry in the middle of Somalia's civil war.  Let them hear, first-hand, how Ranger PFC Todd Blackburn failed his fast-rope drop-in and fell 70 feet to the ground headfirst.  Let them experience the horrors that surrounded the Rangers and Delta Force operators, as they secured the perimeter, and how the subsequent efforts to rescue the fallen ranger led to two helicopters being shot down and 18 deaths.  

     Let Struecker relate how he rescued Blackburn, who was unconscious and bleeding through his nose and mouth, and stretchered him to a Humvee that would drive him to the base; how he drove carefully through the alleys of Mogadishu, so as not to jar the injured soldier.  And then, let them try to imagine what it was like as Struecker paints them the following picture:  "Turning a corner, the entire city erupted with gunfire.  We were being shot at from a 100 different directions, it seemed like—from rooftops, from alleyways and from doorways and windows. There were rocket propelled grenades and automatic gunfire from AK-47s from 20, 30 feet away."  

     Rear gunner Sgt. Dominick Pilla was killed by a militiaman waiting in ambush. "When I turned and looked over my shoulder, it looked like the whole back of my vehicle had been painted red with Dominick Pilla's blood," says Struecker. "I thought I was going to die in the next moments, but then I remembered I was in charge and I needed to get myself under control if I was going to get my men out of there."  It is one thing to play those emotions as an actor; it's quite another to actually live them.

     But here is the part of the story that I'm fairly certain these actors cannot understand, and where the heart of what courage really is comes into play ... The column of Humvees managed to escape the hostilities in the city and return to the base. Medics and surgeons ran to stretcher in Blackburn. Meanwhile Struecker thanked God that he had gotten out alive.  At that moment, the platoon leader informed Struecker that a Black Hawk helicopter had been shot down, and that the pilot needed Humvees to go rescue him. A special operator counseled him to wash the blood off the Humvee first so as to not terrify the new crew.

     As he washed the Humvee, he experienced convulsions of fear like he had never felt before. "I was totally and completely certain that I was going to die," he said. "And every fiber of my being was saying, 'No, Jeff, don't do this. This is crazy. It's suicide. You're going to get yourself killed if you go back out there.'  But then he remembered he was a Ranger, whose creed is to never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy. As a Christian, he started to pray.  

     "God I'm in big trouble right now, and I need your help because I'm certain that I'm going to die tonight," he said.  The Lord brought to his mind the recent Bible devotional about Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. There, Jesus said, "Not my will, but yours be done... Jesus, the perfect sinless Son of God, walked into the hands of the enemy and He willingly, freely gave His life up so that your sin and my sin could be dealt with once and for all," Struecker relates. "At the back of that Humvee, I prayed, not my will. From that moment on, God once and for all dealt with that fear. I had no worries about what was going to happen to me that night."

Jeff Struecker

     I'm pretty sure that no Academy-award winning actor could accurately portray how that changed Jeff Struecker.  "I realized if I go home to my family in Georgia or go home to my Father in heaven, in either case, I cannot lose because of what my Savior Jesus Christ had done for me.  That alone gave me the peace to go back and forth into the streets repeatedly for the rest of the night."  And that he did, miraculously avoiding death as an RPG bounced off the hood of his Humvee, and gunmen opened fire on him with AK-47s from point blank range.

     Note that it was the peace of God that gave Jeff Struecker his courage.  That kind of courage doesn't come from the efforts of a man, and that is something these actors may never realize.  But Struecker's fellow soldiers saw it, and wanted to know how he did it.  They approached him, "Jeff, there was something different about you last night, and I want to know what it was,'" Struecker says.  "For the next 24 hours, I had guys lined up to ask me about Jesus Christ because they could see the difference that He makes when you're getting shot at and when the bullets are flying." 

     "Before that night, I thought you could transform the world through military prowess and national power," Struecker said. "But I realized something in Mogadishu, Somalia: There is only one force great enough to transform the world, and it is the Holy Spirit of the Living God through His Son Jesus Christ."  And that's why, after counseling a large number of comrades shaken by death, Struecker realized God had something greater for him than "kicking in doors and slinging lead at the enemies of our country," he said.  He became a Chaplain for his same Ranger regiment.

     And that is my definition of a hero.  You see, Jeff Struecker learned what real courage was that night, and how to deal with his fears, as he experienced the tragedy that was Mogadishu.  In the Bible, courage is the opposite of fear. When Struecker prayed for God's will, and not his own, we can see God working in each incident in those dark alleyways of Somalia.  It was not natural for Jeff Struecker to be brave and courageous, but with God protecting and guiding him, he could have courage because he was confident in Him.

     That is something that only comes from knowing God.  That is what allows a man to be called a hero.  It will never come from "playing" a hero.  What Jeff Struecker learned that night in Mogadishu is what each one of us needs to learn as we face the uncertain future and our own fears.  We need to stop play-acting, and relying on our roles as Americans, or successful businessmen, or church leaders, or whatever part we're playing in our life's story.  We need to allow God to replace that fear, and come to the understanding of His sovereignty, and that His plans and purposes cannot be stopped; that every circumstance of life is subservient to His will.

     I began this post by saying that it would be easy to give into our unsettling fears and worries, and that we have lost the sense to defend ourselves.  But we must realize, as I believe our ancestors did, that God is our defense and our shield; that He is the one who makes it possible for us to do acts of courage because He takes away our fear and replaces it with confidence in His will and purpose for our lives.  Real men, like Jeff Struecker, have experienced fear and overcome it with their trust in the will of God.  May each of us experience that same Godly courage in the days to come.

Joshua 1:9    Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Psalm 136:1

Give thanks unto the LORD for He is good:

 for His mercy endures forever."

     His mercy endures forever ... that is a familiar and comforting refrain for us Christians.  And it is a repetitive honor sung throughout Psalm 136 to the glory of our Lord... twenty-six times to be exact.  And perhaps it is repeated so often in the Psalm because Israel knows, from their history, that God takes great pleasure in being recognized for his continual love and mercy.

     They can recall the Temple being filled with the presence of the Lord in a cloud, when the trumpeters and singers joined in unison, accompanied by cymbals and other instruments, and as with one voice, gave praise and thanks to the LORD, raising their voices in praise to Him and singing: "He is good; his love endures forever" (2 Chronicles 5:13).  Or perhaps they remember, in Jehoshaphat's time, when God gave them victory over the invading armies of Ammon and Moab after Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise Him for the splendor of His holiness as they went out at the head of their army, saying: "Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever." (2 Chronicles 20:21-22).

     Notice that the entire Psalm gives a very convincing picture of who our LORD is, and why we should not only give Him thanks, but recognize that "His mercy endures forever".  We thank Him because He is great and good in Himself (verses 1-3); He is the Creator of the world (verses 5-9); He is Israel's God and Savior (verses 10-22); He is our Redeemer (verses 23-24); He is our Provider and the God of Heaven... and His mercy endures forever (verses 25-26).  

      Obviously, this mercy is to be acknowledged and praised.  But what exactly is "mercy"?  The Hebrew word is cheçed, and suggests God's strength, steadfastness and love; His generosity and loyalty.  God remains committed to His promises and Covenant, but retains His freedom toward the manner in which He will extend those promises (through both discipline and redemption).  But it endures forever!  His mercy is permanent, and it is reliable.  

     It has been clear that God responded to the praise and honor given to Him in the Old Testament.  The Chronicles of the Bible record not only His appearance, but the victories that are possible when His people raise their voices in praise, and remember His faithfulness and perpetual mercy.  For us, in the 21st Century, the final implementation of God's mercy is eschatological -- it is the goal and end of all salvation and history!  Because of His enduring mercy our hearts will be full as we enter into His Heavenly presence, and His mercy will be the subject of our praise for all eternity.  I can hardly wait! 

The Tale Of Two Extremes

     The following news item comes to us from Rudaw, a Kurdish media network, whose aim it is to impart news and information about Kurdistan and the Middle East.  Nadia Murad, a 21-year-old Yezidi woman who escaped the clutches of Islamic State (ISIS) militants and went on to highlight the plight of women kidnapped and enslaved by the group, was officially nominated by Iraq on Tuesday for the Nobel Peace Prize.

     The Iraqi government said, in a statement announcing the nomination, "“She is the symbol of women’s struggle against the dark forces aiming to degrade women. Nadia talked about the plight of Yezidi women abducted by ISIS, and she asked the international community to rescue a record number of 3,400 Yezidi girls and women from the hands of ISIS."  Murad was kidnapped by ISIS along with thousands of other girls and women, when the predominantly Yezidi city of Shingal fell to ISIS in August 2014. She has traveled around the world to shed light on ISIS atrocities against the Yezidi religious minority, and told her personal story before the UN Security Council this last December.
     The U.K.'s Mirror, related her testimony before the UN:  "Rape was used to destroy women and girls and to guarantee that these women could never lead a normal life again," she told them.
     Nadia described her horrific ordeal, saying how she was taken by bus to a building in the ISIS stronghold of Mosul, where thousands of Yazidi women and children were exchanged by militants as gifts.  A few days after she was taken by a man, she said: "He forced me to get dressed and put my makeup on and then that terrible night, he did it. He forced me to serve as part of his military faction, he humiliated me every day."  When she tried to flee, she was stopped by a guard.  "That night he beat me. He asked me to take my clothes off. He put me in a room with the guards and then they proceeded to commit their crime until I fainted," she said.  She sobbed as she begged the Security Council: "I implore you, get rid of Daesh (Islamic State) completely.
     But Nadia is not the only victim of the deterioration of the Middle East.  We, here in the U.S., have struggled to understand the civil war in Syria.  Who are the good guys?  Who are the bad? Why have we chosen the rebel's side?  While I believe that we are intentionally kept in the dark, there is no escaping the human toll in that war-torn country.
     BBC News reports that civilians are under siege, and Opposition activists in Syria have told the BBC that people are dying of starvation in the government-besieged town of Madaya, near Damascus. Reports say residents have resorted to eating grass in two Shia villages further north, Foua and Kefraya, which have been blockaded by rebel forces for even longer.  The World Food Programme and the International Red Cross describe conditions in some areas as "extremely dire", after nearly five years of civil war.
     The U.N. has released figures of nearly 400,000 besieged citizens throughout the country of Syria, and the meager supplies that have reached them is clearly disturbing:  "In September, some 7,800 people were reached with water, sanitation and hygiene assistance in one besieged location. In October, 10,500 people in besieged locations were provided with food, health and basic relief assistance and some 16,700 people were provided with water, sanitation and hygiene assistance. In November, 1,077 children received textbooks and 50 children were provided with winter clothes," the  UN report states.  "No other assistance reached the besieged areas in November."

     That leaves the civilians trapped inside areas under siege depending on black market supplies at inflated prices.  The UN Human Rights Council found that "Trapped without basic necessities and under constant fear of deadly snipers or bombardment, [Syrians are suffering] severe psychological trauma, and desperation characterizes the besieged communities", resulting in people, particularly the vulnerable, dying of malnutrition and lack of access to medicines and electricity.  A resident of the town of Madaya, Abdel Wahab Ahmed, told the BBC, "People here have started eating earth because there's nothing left to eat," he said. "Grass and leaves have died because of the mounting snow." He described the lack of medical facilities for the sick and vulnerable as "terrifying".  He continued, "Citizens are dying. They're eating stuff off the ground. They're eating cats and dogs."
     A spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross, reported that people had begged him for baby milk when he travelled to Madaya in October (the last time aid reached the town). Mothers were so malnourished they were not producing milk, and there was no way to feed newborns and young babies, he was told.  A local official in Madaya told the Associated Press that the cost of goods had recently soared, with wheat costing about $250 for a kilogram and powdered milk more than $300.  (Is anyone else thinking of Revelation 6:5-8?).

     Perhaps the saddest aspect of this siege is that out of the 400,000 encircled citizens, only 460 people were evacuated under the auspices of the UN and Red Cross by means of a local agreement covering the four besieged towns of Zabadani, Madaya, Foua and Kefraya.  That leaves hundreds of thousands still in danger of dying from malnutrition, disease, and lack of basic human comforts.

     While half-way around the world, Millennials here in the U.S. revealed through one of the never-ending surveys that our culture is fond of, that they expect to retire early, with 15 % of them believing that winning the lottery is a viable retirement strategy, while 11% expect to be "gifted" money for retirement.  I'm assuming that they think that somehow the government is going to come up with a new entitlement program for them, just because they will need it.  Sadly, their concepts of what it takes to survive the current economic market, as well as their understanding of how current and world events will affect them is based on faulty assumptions.

     The problem is that they have educated themselves through their phone devices and the internet, and do not understand that, in reality, they have just been programmed by the Beast System.  They believe what is furnished them on their news feeds, and rarely do their own research.  In fact, the education system they have grown up in has discouraged critical thinking and urged them to embrace "group think" and the collective mindset.  

     That being said, I am not ready to disparage the entire Millennial Generation.  I personally know several that give me hope; young men and women with curious minds that seek to add to their knowledge, rather than accept what they are spoon-fed.  They are the hope for the future.  But are there enough of them to change the course of the world?  Will they turn to the Creator and away from the Beast?  And I fear this widening chasm among the world's population.  I'm afraid that what I have disclosed about the experiences of the youth in the Middle East will not be detained to that region.  In these two scenarios, we are seeing the extremes of constant war and relative safety; famine and waste; poverty and wealth... and I do not know if the Riders of the Apocalypse have begun their foray or not, but I'm not ready to discount them, either.

     It seems as if we are barreling towards the End Times and no one is putting the brakes on.  I know that our God is Sovereign and in control; and I know there is a purpose for each of us in His plan.  I just don't want the youth of this country to be ignorant that they have a part to play -- and it is not the part that this world system would assign them.  Please, Lord, help those of us who understand what time it is to guide them to You; to help them to throw off the beguiling veil through which they see the world; and to help them engage their minds and spirits for a greater purpose.  I'm feeling it stronger every day --- this is the generation that must stand; and we can help that happen, with Your Grace, Mercy, and Power.

Matthew 6:25     Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 

The Founding of America: What Is The Truth?

     In yesterday's post I broached the subject of the founding of this nation and our Christian roots.  Today I will attempt to put forth my personal opinion that, from the beginning, there was a battle between God and the Devil; between Christianity and false gods, for control of the destiny of this nation.

    Before I present my views, I have to admit that I have always unabashedly believed that America was a Christian nation from the beginning.  I can remember studying American history in school and learning how nearly all of the colonies were founded for religious reasons; by people seeking to worship the Christian God without interference from kings or governments.  

     Yet, as I have studied this phenomenon throughout the years, it has not escaped my notice that, at their formation, all of the 13 colonies had some form of state-supported religion, while only 8 of the 13 had an official religion.  If one takes the time to study this deeper, I think it is fair to say that we should understand this to mean that religion played a very important role in the founding of this nation.  Faith in God was seen as a positive and valuable commodity for the foundation of a successful society.  We, of a certain age, remember our history lessons of the Puritans and Pilgrims, who wanted to base the laws of their respective colonies on the laws of God.

     You can study the various charters of the original colonies and get a good idea of how important they felt Christianity was for the future of their citizens.  And the importance of worshipping the Christian God was always at the forefront.  In its Declaration of Rights, the colony of Virginia stated:  "That religion, or the duty which we owe to our Creator and the manner of discharging it, can be directed by reason and conviction, not by force or violence; and therefore, all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience; and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love, and charity towards each other."

     The 1683 New York Charter of Liberties and Privileges stated:  "THAT Noe person or persons which professe ffaith in God by Jesus Christ Shall at any time be any wayes molested punished disquieted or called in Question for any Difference in opinion or Matter of Religious Concernment".  

     The 1776 Delaware State Constitution required the following oath from anyone serving in the legislature:  "I _______, do profess faith in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ His only Son, and in the Holy Ghost, One God, blessed for evermore; and I do acknowledge the holy scriptures of the Old Testament and New Testament to be given by Divine Inspiration."  I could go and on, but you get the picture.  If you'd like a closer inspection of the original colonies and their charters, click here.  

    But before I leave this portion of my argument, I just want you to see that early colonial laws and constitutions such as the Mayflower Compact, the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, and the Massachusetts Body of Liberties are filled with such language—and in some cases, they incorporate biblical texts without apology.  Perhaps more surprisingly, tolerant, Quaker Pennsylvania was more similar to Puritan New England than many realize. The Charter of Liberties and Frame of Government of the Province of Pennsylvania (1681) begins by making it clear that God has ordained government, and it even quotes Romans 13 to this effect.  (In all fairness, it is important to note that while the founding documents of each colony point to state-supported religion, the requirement that states support particular religions, or mandate participation in religious practices, was discontinued after 1850.  This does not mean that they opposed religion, but rather left it to the conscience of the individual, instead of being required by law).

     And that old familiar argument that the Founding Fathers were Deists, rather than Christians doesn't really hold up under closer inspection.  History tells us that only a handful of the Founders --  Benjamin Franklin, Ethan Allen, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and (if we count him as an American) Thomas Paine -- might have actually embraced this viewpoint.  But one cannot deny that they were heavily influenced by Christian doctrine and ideas.  That is not to discount the influence of the Scottish Enlightenment, which asserted the fundamental importance of human reason combined with a rejection of any authority that could not be justified by reason; or John Locke's "Natural Rights Philosophy" which stressed the rights of the individual to life, liberty and property.  There is strong evidence that the Founding Father's were greatly influenced by these philosophies some 150 years after Jamestown and Plymouth.  But there is equally strong evidence that they still believed in Massachusetts Governor John Winthrop's vision of “a shining city upon a hill” (a reference to Matthew 5:14). Like the Puritans, the Founders separated church and state, but they clearly thought the two institutions should work in tandem to support, protect, and promote true Christianity.

     I understand that if you are not Christian, and do not want to see our country as a "Christian nation", then nothing I can say will convince you.  And most likely, any mention that there was a competing force for the spiritual allegiance of America will fall on deaf ears, too.  But I would like you to consider the following...

     Is it possible that there is a very real paradox in regards to the founding of this nation?  Is it possible that our Founding Fathers were patriotic Christians while simultaneously pledging Masonic oaths?  It is certainly something that I cannot deny.  In fact, in the late 1950’s and early ‘60’s, the Masonic Service Association published a series of documents highlighting Freemasonry’s connection with the early history of the United States, and these are among the numbers they reported:  

•  Signers of the Declaration of Independence: 8 confirmed Masons, 24 possible, 24 with no affiliation.

•  Signers of the Constitution: 13 confirmed Masons, 7 possible, 19 with no affiliation.

•  General Officers of the Continental Army: 33 confirmed Masons, 15 possible, 26 with no affiliation.

     In a 2012 article, written by Jamie Brendan for Endtime Magazine, titled, Founding Fathers: Christians or Masons ... or Both? the author writes, "Not unlike many Masons today, it’s very likely that a number of the founding fathers who were members of the Lodge failed to understand the spiritual significance of Freemasonry – principally that the Lodge is a universal melting pot of religions and mystical concepts. In fact, of all the accusations made against Freemasonry, this is one which the Lodge gladly promotes—religious universalism."  

     And I contend that it is in fact, this very universalism, that the Bible predicts will overtake mankind as part of the New World Order, and a One World Religion.  Just read what the Masonic Service Association has to say:  “Masonry is not Christian; nor is it Mohammedan nor Jewish nor to be classified by the name of any other sect. The power which has held it together, the chemical which has caused its growth, the central doctrine which makes it unique, is the opportunity it affords men of every faith, happily to kneel together at the same Altar, each in worship of the God he reveres, under the universal name of the Great Architect of the Universe.”

     So, for those who have insisted to me that their fathers and grandfathers were Masons, and it is not a religious organization, but rather just "a union, of sorts; founded on the history of bricklayers, etc.", I would like to ask the following question:  who are they kneeling to at the Altar?  It certainly is not YHWH, the One True God!  And I do not disagree that those who are at the lower levels of Masonry do not have any idea of the true purpose of the Lodge.  They will consistently proclaim that it is to do charitable work and to provide needed services to the poor.  But believe me, I have read the oaths taken at the highest levels (30th - 33rd degrees) and they are blasphemous to my God!  

      And it does not give me any solace that, as Jamie Brendan writes, "the one place where historical Freemasonry is most evident is in Washington DC.  It’s at this vital governmental hub that Masonry has left an indelible mark on the nation’s fabric. The Capitol Building, the White House, and many other federal buildings were either designed by Masons or dedicated by a Masonic ceremony of “corn, wine, and oil.”  In fact, the entire city of Washington DC - including large sections of its street layout – is liberally laced with the fingerprints of Freemasonry and astrological symbolism.  Moreover, Washington Monument, the tallest structure in the capital city, is an openly recognized Masonic edifice, with a meaning directly connected to ancient Egyptian belief systems [so too are many other obelisks scattered across the United States]."

     I'm sorry that I am unable to explore this paradox to the extent that it deserves... it would take several days of research and posting to do it justice.  But suffice it to say that the paradox is real, and both sides of the argument have merit.  America does have a Christian heritage.  The earliest Americans recognized the importance of Christian morals, church life, and a degree of common sense based on God’s Word [the Ten Commandments, for example].  Also, our history of thousands of immigrants who fled to America because of the persecution they experienced while standing for Christ in their homeland proves that America was a beacon of Christian hope.  And I do not think we can deny that there were real, faithful men of Christ among those who forged our new nation.  

     But it is not the whole story.  While the founding of America was based on Christian values, we also must admit that America has been guided by men who belonged to secret societies (not only the Masons, but the more modern Skull and Bones Society, comes to mind).  We need to realize that America, along with Europe is experiencing a clash of our historic roots; that is what we are seeing today.  We Christians need to stop focusing on the past and denying that our influences have changed, and that outside forces are attempting to transform us.  As much as it hurts me to say this, we need to face who we are becoming as a nation.  We Christians have no intention of changing, but there are those spiritual forces who are combining with those who embrace secret societies in order to force us to change.  Yes, I am still prepared to say that we were founded as a Christian nation... As I said yesterday, God intended for this nation to be dedicated to Him -- but the devil was not going to let that happen, if he could help it.  As noted above, freemasons had influence on our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution.  

      The truth is, there has been a battle over America since its founding.  Our Christian roots are real and they are solid.  We are the heirs of our forefather's commitment and obedience to Jehovah.  But we need to realize that there is a battle for the soul and spirit of America, and the Enemy's forces have been organizing and following their plan for nearly 240 years.  We need to get on board with God's battle plan if we are to save this nation.  Our Founding is in the past.  We need to let go of the romantic vision and come together to defeat the Enemy.  His forces are marching toward globalism, ecumenicalism, and his New World Order.  Maybe we need to concentrate less on preserving the sentimental image of the United States of America, and join forces with the angelic hosts to bring in the Kingdom of God.

Job 12:23-24    He makes nations great, and He destroys them; He enlarges nations [and then straightens and shrinks them again], and leads them [away captive].  He takes away understanding from the leaders of the people of the land and of the earth, and causes them to wander in a wilderness where there is no path.

Our Nation Is In Danger

     It seems that most of the people I know sense that 2016 is going to be a watershed year; a turning point towards massive change.  The question is... will it be a change that will better our lives, or changes that finally drive us over the cliff?

Graham on his "Decision America 2016" tour

     I must say that I have to agree with the sentiments that I am hearing from Franklin Graham, the 63-year-old son of Billy Graham, the most renowned Christian evangelical preacher of the last seven decades.  As Graham says, we all instinctively know that our country is "in big-time trouble".  He says, "We’re in trouble spiritually. We’re in trouble economically. We’re in trouble racially."  Who can deny that?  Even if you are an American who agrees with our cultural swing towards abortion, same-sex marriage, and transgenderism, you cannot deny that the racial divide in this country is snowballing and the job prospects for the next generation(s) are not looking good.  As a nation, we are becoming fractured and are in danger of splitting beyond repair.
     Unfortunately, the answer to our troubles will not be found in politics, and specifically in neither major political party.  We have a spiritual problem, whether anyone wants to admit it or not.  In fact, just as Graham expressed at a recent rally, "The moral and political walls of our country are crumbling... Our educators and our politicians and our churches seem, many times, to be more concerned about political correctness than God’s Truth and Righteousness."
     Graham points to Godlessness as the culprit.  He points out that our nation was built on Biblical principles, and we have strayed from them -- and he especially identifies the time period after WW II and the successful battle to defeat the threat of Communism.  But I believe the spirit of Godlessness began far earlier than that.  And if you ask my husband, he will tell you that he believes that from the beginning, the Founders didn't do enough to establish this as a God-fearing nation; allowing Freemasonry to co-exist alongside Christian values in shaping the foundation and direction of our country.
     This is a different topic for a different day -- actually tomorrow, I will attempt to examine this paradox further.  But let me just wrap up this point by saying my personal view is that God intended for this nation to be dedicated to Him; and those who first settled here believed that they were doing so as part of a covenantal relationship with God, and with clear intentions to glorify Him in the advancement of the Christian faith.  The fact that it quickly got off track does not negate the original plan.  But more on that tomorrow... back to the appropriateness of Franklin Graham's call to action.
     He asserts that it is time Christians get in the game; to run for office, to vote, to pray for our country, and to get involved in our education system, and every avenue of society.  “Our job as Christians is to make the impact of Christ felt in every phase of life—religious, social, economic, and political,” Graham continued.  I agree!  Where are the Christians who are willing to declare and live their faith as mayors, city council members, county commissioners, judges, school board presidents?
     In fact, in an attempt to overcome the growing secular mindset of this nation, Graham has gone so far as to prevail upon all Americans to take a pledge honoring God at home (by living biblical principles through marriage), in public (by standing for biblical principles and serving those in need), and with their vote (by supporting candidates who uphold biblical principles).  He also asks Christian Americans to pray fervently and faithfully for America, agreeing to register to vote and to prayerfully consider running for office.
     While I agree that if every Christian in America was faithful to fulfill all the aspects of this pledge, we would begin to see a difference in the cultural and political spheres of our nation, I believe that our commission from the Lord goes beyond these measures.
     At a recent discussion in the awesome Ladies Bible Study that I attend, the subject came up of discipling Christians; that, as the Church, we Christians don't do enough to guide and counsel new members of the faith in the way of Godly living --- which, I think we would all agree, would greatly strengthen the Church.  But I would to add to that my fervent belief that we need to not only educate, encourage, and strengthen the Church; but we need to introduce those outside the Church  -- those "of the world" -- about Godly living and their need for a Savior.  THAT is how we change and revive our nation!  I contend that it is precisely because we Christians have tended to concentrate our efforts inside the four walls of the Church that our nation and the world has gotten into such a big mess.
     My husband and I have been meeting and talking with several people in our home who are like-minded about the state of the world, and have expressed their innate sense that they need to get right with God in the midst of this chaos.  But they would never have been comfortable in approaching a church; nor would the church have had any viable way of coming into contact with them... the two groups were on isolated and parallel paths, and were never going to intersect.
     If we are going to truly avert the dangerous course this nation is set upon, we Christians must engage with the world.  We must leave our comfort zones and "church bubbles", as a good friend of mine describes it, and be bold in sharing our faith in every circumstance and to every person, in order to attract those who "sitting the fence" and who are capable of making a decision for God.  We all know that there are those who have committed their lives to evil or whose spirit is just dead within them; they have no desire for God.
     But I promise you there are millions who long for Him, but just don't know how to go about it, or who feel they might be embarrassed in a "formal" Church setting, so they never pursue it on their own.  It is up to us to pursue them!  We are all spirit beings, and as we grow closer in our spirits to the Lord, we will be able to discern those whose spirits are in need of Him, and we will be drawn to them.  Just think ... if every Christian made it his pledge to God to seek after one lost sheep to bring them into the fold ... can you envision how that would begin to change this nation?
     So, I applaud Franklin Graham for his efforts to wake up America to our shared plight.  Our fall cannot be fixed politically or by political correctness.  BUT, we can begin to turn towards God and blaze a new trail of American commitment to our Creator.  It's time we take that path ... we MUST take that path... before it is too late!  C'mon, Christians ... get in the fight, because we are in a battle for our nation and the eternal lives of millions!

Isaiah 6:8      And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

 

The Stand-Off In Oregon: Who's Right and Who's Wrong?

     Once again, there seems to be a powder keg about to be lit in America.  This time it is a standoff that involves the Hammond family of Oregon and the Federal government, and self-appointed patriots, spearheaded by Ammon Bundy of Nevada, who sincerely believe they are guarding the Constitutional rights of citizens.  But it is easy to get caught up in the rhetoric and the emotions, and difficult to discern the truth from the innuendo and personal agendas.

      After reading several accounts from various news sources, this is the case, as I understand it.... Everything takes place in the context of the Fish and Wildlife Service buying up all the land around the Hammond ranch for a wildlife refuge. Apparently owning half the land in the West was not good enough for the feds; more was better. Then, the feds allegedly took what seemed like retaliatory actions against the Hammonds after they refused to sell.
     The current crisis stems around what were designed to be controlled burns (or fires) conducted by the Hammonds in 2001 on their land; the first, to reduce juniper trees that have become invasive in that part of the country. That fire burned outside the Hammonds’ private property line and took in 138 acres of unfenced BLM land before the Hammonds got it put out. No BLM firefighters were needed to help extinguish the fire and no fences were damaged.  Interestingly enough, a range conservationist for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) stated that this fire improved the rangeland conditions owned by the BLM.  Let me also say that burns such as this are common among ranchers and farmers in order to control invasive trees and plant life that can prohibit farming and grazing on private lands.
     There was then a second fire, in 2006, which was a backfire started by Steven Hammond to protect their property from fires being set by lightning.  Steven's wife, Susan, later testified in court, "There was fire all around them that was going to burn our house and all of our trees and everything. The opportunity to set a back-fire was there and it was very successful. It saved a bunch of land from burning.”  However, the BLM asserts that one acre of federal land was burned by the Hammonds’ backfire, and Susan says determining which fire burned which land is “a joke” because fires [from the lightning strikes] burned from every direction.

      The result of this actions was convictions by the federal government against the Hammond's for two counts of arson.  The dispute was over whether they intended the fires to spread to public lands, and a jury convicted Steven Hammond and his father, Dwight.  The judge in the case said that the damage to some juniper trees and sagebrush did not warrant the five-year mandatory minimum sentence under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, and sentenced Dwight Hammond, the dad, to three months, and twelve months and a day for Steven Hammond, which they have served.
      But now, the Ninth Circuit has held that the minimum five-year sentence was not so disproportionate as to violate the Eighth Amendment’s “cruel and unusual punishment” clause. So,  now the Hammond's have been resentenced to five years in prison, under an antiterrorism law passed by Congress.  In fact, they made it clear that they intended to voluntarily turn themselves in and serve out the remainder of their sentence, under those federal minimum sentencing statutes, and after losing  in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.  And that brings us to the current standoff in Oregon.
     Since the Hammond's are willing to return to prison to serve the full five years of the mandatory minimum, they do not wish any interference from anti-government or patriot groups which see this case as an overreach by the government.  The Bundy group, however, is the same group of people who backed Cliven Bundy, a Nevada rancher, who accused federal government officials of trying to illegally push his cattle off of protected BLM federal land.  That standoff came perilously close to pitting armed civilians against federal government agencies, with echoes of Ruby Ridge and Waco.  Fortunately, the government backed down and disaster was averted.
     But, somehow the Bundy group feels strongly that it is imperative they take a stand for the Hammond family, even though the Hammond family has not asked for help, nor do they want it.  Furthermore, since Saturday, the Bundy protesters have taken over the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge visitor’s building, and refuse to leave until the five-year prison sentences handed by the Justice Department to the Hammond's are softened.  
     Naturally, this has caused a firestorm among politicians, lawmakers, constitutionalists, and patriot-minded Americans.  Everyone from Presidential candidates Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, to Oath Keepers founder, Stewart Rhodes, to TV personality Montel Williams, have weighed in.  Rubio and Cruz both call for an end to the standoff and the end to lawlessness.  Cruz said, “Every one of us has a constitutional right to protest, to speak our minds.  But we don’t have a constitutional right to use force and violence and to threaten force and violence on others. And so it is our hope that the protesters there will stand down peaceably, that there will not be a violent confrontation.”  Rubio added that while he agreed with critics of federal land use policy, “Let me just say, first of all, you’ve got to follow the law... There are states dominated by the federal government in terms of land holding and we should fix it, but no one should be doing it in a way that’s outside the law. We are a nation of laws, we should follow those laws and they should be respected.”
     While the Oath Keepers organization is a non-partisan association of current and formerly serving military, police, and first responders, who pledge to fulfill the oath all military and police take to “defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic”, they do not intend to insert themselves in a situation where they are not wanted.  Their founder, Stewart Rhodes, released the following statement:  We cannot force ourselves or our protection on people who do not want it.   Dwight and Steven Hammond have made it clear, through their attorney, that they just want to turn themselves in and serve out their sentence. And that clear statement of their intent should be the end of the discussion on this.  No patriot group or individual has the right or the authority to force an armed stand off on this family, or around them, against their wishes.  You cannot help someone who does not want your help, and who are not willing and ready to take a hard stand themselves.
     But then there are those like Montel Williams, who appears to encourage lawlessness by government officials, themselves, in the face of constitutional protests.  Williams said in several Twitter messages he’s quite OK with authorities using deadly force to take out the Oregon protesters who’ve taken over a federal building – that they’re “buffoons” with “terrorist” tendencies and unworthy of constitutional protections.  What?!?  Deadly force?  Unworthy of constitutional protections?  As nervous as it makes me for the protestors to push the envelope of civil disobedience, this kind of talk from a celebrity mouthpiece sickens me.  Since when does a private citizen feel compelled to call for deadly force against another citizen?  And who is he to judge that they are not due constitutional protection?
     While it sometimes seems to me that man's laws are becoming subject to tyrants and public opinion, I must remind myself that all government has been instituted by God.  I know, I know, that is so difficult to understand in the midst of perceived injustice.  But we must remember that there can be NO power, of ANY government, except what God allows.  So we must always keep in mind that He is working out a purpose that is probably far different than what any personal agenda for “improvement” that we deem necessary.  When our leaders are self-serving—or even outright devilish—it is God’s responsibility to remove them—NOT OURS!
     If ever there was injustice, it was the Roman tyranny over Judah when Jesus walked the earth.  Yet our LORD did not advocate the overthrow of the Roman government, even though He could have called down armies of angels to do His will.  It is a difficult concept for us humans to know how to act in love and righteousness when faced with corruption, unfairness, tyranny, and repression.  No matter how hard it is to understand, we are called to follow our nation's laws until they are in direct conflict with God's laws -- no matter how wrong or unfair they seem.  From my Biblical standpoint, the Hammond's have taken the high, and more difficult, road.  May God's peace abound in the wake of their tough decision.

Thank you to Patterico's Pontifications website for the clear and precise understanding of the Hammond family's court cases.  

I Timothy 2:1-2     "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty."