Sodom And Gomorrah & Lawlessness in America

I know that sounds like a sensational and overdramatized title for today's post, but let me share some information with you and see if you might not agree that it is appropriate. Our little Home Church group has been studying Genesis and considering all the resources throughout history that give us a broader picture of what was going on in this pivotal Book of the Bible. 

So much history of the world [and man's relationship with God] is packed into these 50 chapters and sadly, much of it is ignored, skipped over, or disavowed by the modern [and make that Western] Church, that I fear we don't see the comparisons with our current generation. Not only is the average citizen unaware that Satan planned to corrupt mankind's God-created DNA in Genesis 6, but they don't see that that perversion mirrors all the present-day scientific experiments with vaccines, gene editing, DNA sequencing, and human-animal hybrid experiments -- and neither do Christians see it!

So, our little Home Church just finished getting into the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18 and 19. To be honest with you, the Bible gives very little detail about what made these two cities so evil in the eyes of the Lord. What we do know from Scripture is this: The Lord Jesus, accompanied by two "men" appears to Abraham, sitting outside his tent. Abraham runs to them and bows down to the ground, indicating that these are no ordinary men, but actually this is Jesus and two of His angels. who have come to announce to Abraham the promise of an heir from God. Remember, Abraham is familiar with God's voice. If you are a student of ancient texts such as the Book of Jasher, then you know that Abram studied at the feet of his Eight-Times Great-Grandfather Noah, so he knew all about YHWH, and heard His voice call him out of the land of Ur to go to Canaan. So by the time Abraham is 99 years old in Genesis 18, he's pretty familiar with the Lord!

After this amazing promise of an heir, Genesis says the Lord and His angels "got up and looked towards Sodom". It seems that their visitation to earth had a two-fold purpose. The Lord says that the outcry of the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was so great, and their sin so grave that He was going to see for Himself if they had acted as vile and wicked as the cries coming to Him indicated (Genesis 18:20-21).  It is hard for us to imagine just how wicked because there is little detail given in Scripture to describe the lengths that the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah went to in their rebellion and perversion.

But, the ancient Book of Jasher (referenced in Joshua 10:13; 2 Samuel 1:18; and 2 Timothy 3:8) leaves no doubt as to why the Lord and His angels came in answer to the cries that had ascended to Heaven! For those who shy away from this historical reference material because it was not included in the Canon, the fact that God chose to reference it in the Bible tells me that it carries some credibility with Him. I use it for historical perspective and have found that it aligns with Scripture; it just gives us more details that expand our understanding of what the Bible reveals. 

That being said, here is just a portion of what was understood by the ancient Israelites regarding the abominations of wickedness in Sodom and Gomorrah:  And by desire of their four judges the people of Sodom and Gomorrah had beds erected in the streets of the cities, and if a man came to these places they laid hold of him and brought him to one of their beds, and by force made him to lie in them. And as he lay down, three men would stand at his head and three at his feet, and measure him by the length of the bed, and if the man was less than the bed these six men would stretch him at each end, and when he cried out to them they would not answer him. And if he was longer than the bed they would draw together the two sides of the bed at each end, until the man had reached the gates of death. (Jasher 19:3-5)

And when a poor man came to their land they would give him silver and gold, and cause a proclamation in the whole city not to give him a morsel of bread to eat, and if the stranger should remain there some days, and die from hunger, not having been able to obtain a morsel of bread, then at his death all the people of the city would come and take their silver and gold which they had given to him. (Jasher 19:8)

Then the Book of Jasher reveals that Lot, who lived in the city of Sodom, is blessed with a daughter named Paltith. Her soul was moved with pity for a man who lay in the center of town, starving from hunger... she fed him secretly with bread for many days, and the soul of this man was revived. For when she went forth to fetch water she would put the bread in the water pitcher, and when she came to the place where the poor man was, she took the bread from the pitcher and gave it him to eat; so she did many days. And all the people of Sodom and Gomorrah wondered how this man could bear starvation for so many days (Jasher 19:27-29). It wasn't long before the townspeople became suspicious. Why wasn't this man dying? So three men hid to watch and see who was feeding the stranger in their midst. They discovered it was Paltith and took her before the judges and asked what her punishment should be. Jasher 19:35 reveals her fate: And the people of Sodom and Gomorrah assembled and kindled a fire in the street of the city, and they took the woman and cast her into the fire and she was burned to ashes. 

Paltith wasn't the only one who suffered because of her righteousness. A young woman in the nearby sister city of Admah also defied the wickedness of her city and gave bread and water to a sojourner. When it was discovered that she transgressed their law, the judges also sentenced her to death ... The people of those cities assembled and brought out the young woman, and anointed her with honey from head to foot, as the judge had decreed, and they placed her before a swarm of bees which were then in their hives, and the bees flew upon her and stung her that her whole body was swelled. And the young woman cried out on account of the bees, but no one took notice of her or pitied her, and her cries ascended to heaven. And the Lord was provoked at this and at all the works of the cities of Sodom, for they had abundance of food, and had tranquility amongst them, and still would not sustain the poor and the needy, and in those days their evil doings and sins became great before the Lord.  (Jasher 19:36-44)

The rest of Jasher 19 coincides with what the Bible reveals ... the Lord sends the two angels to Sodom to destroy it because not one is found righteous among all the inhabitants. Not only have they been starving the poor and oppressed, but they demand that Lot send the angels out so that they might have sex with them (Genesis 19:4-5). Haven't heard that in your Church? Here is what the Amplified version of the Bible says: "the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, surrounded the house, all the men from every quarter; and they called out to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we may know them [intimately].” The Complete Jewish Bible (an English translation of the Hebrew Tanakh) actually says, "Bring them out to us. We want to have sex with them"! So, here we have a suggestion of sex between angels and men that mirrors what happened in Genesis 6 when Fallen Angels came down and had sex with earthly women. We saw how that ended! God chose to flood the world!

 As if all this is not enough to show us just how evil and wicked Sodom and Gomorrah had become, Jasher also reveals this ... In those days all the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, and of the whole five cities, were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord and they provoked the Lord with their abominations, and they strengthened in aging abominably and scornfully before the Lord, and their wickedness and crimes were in those days great before the Lord. And they had in their land a very extensive valley, about half a day's walk, and in it there were fountains of water and a great deal of herbage surrounding the water. And all the people of Sodom and Gomorrah went there four times in the year, with their wives and children and all belonging to them, and they rejoiced there with timbrels and dances. And in the time of rejoicing they would all rise and lay hold of their neighbor's wives, and some, the virgin daughters of their neighbors, and they enjoyed them, and each man saw his wife and daughter in the hands of his neighbor and did not say a word. And they did so from morning to night, and they afterward returned home each man to his house and each woman to her tent; so they always did four times in the year.

I share all this with you to ask you to pray for our nation. If the events I have described in ancient Sodom and Gomorrah resulted in the Lord deciding to destroy it, what can we expect from the rising lawlessness in America? Although we have slowed down the abortion rate, it is still allowed in some states. I do not doubt that the cries of the victims of Child pornography and human trafficking have reached the heart of Jesus in Heaven. And everyday, there is another horrifying video on the nightly news of some wickedness done against an innocent person ... a mother pushing her child in a baby carriage is run over by a hit and run driver; a celebrated athlete is nearly blinded by a pipe thrown at her head by a homeless man as she simply walks down the street; a pedestrian is run over by a car, and the passengers jump out and rob the victim as he lies motionless on the street; our highest judges in the land receive death threats, while our government leaders appear to line their own pockets as they sell us down the river to foreign entities. And I don't know if you remember actress Lucy Lui appearing on Oprah and sharing that she has sex with angels. Sure looks to me as if Sodom and Gomorah have nothing on us! It is now becoming commonplace to see articles like the one written by Nick Burns, titled Savagery in America is a Symptom of an Increasingly Disordered World, and another one by Abraham Blondeau, in which he states, "Violent Crime is Consuming America."

So, as our Home Church discussed the evilness in the Bible of Sodom and Gomorrah, it was mentioned by someone, "I sure hope we aren't that bad, yet". I'm not so sure. The way we are headed certainly seems as evil to me. Abraham asked God to relent from His plan to destroy the wicked cities if He was able to identify 5 righteous people. I think God readily agreed because He already knew that no one was righteous and He would be carrying through on His threat. Now, I know we still have righteous people in our nation and we are all certainly praying and repenting. But there are times it seems that the wickedness is outrunning us. So, I just want to keep encouraging everyone that we walk as the Ekklesia and we must never acquiesce or concede our role! The world may know and embrace lawlessness, but we know the Law of Heaven and the Judge of Righteousness! We will never bow or yield to anyone but Him!

2 Peter 2:8 ...  (for that just man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by what he saw and heard of their lawless acts),        

  

What Was Prophesied Is Now Upon Us! (Part Two)

I have enjoyed my reflections on how God has brought me through seasons of sharing His thoughts on different subjects. During the 11 years of this blog, He has instructed me to warn readers about what was coming against our nation in the physical, while always pointing back to Him. Then He transitioned me to showing what was happening in the spiritual realms against us, and why we need to understand and participate in spiritual warfare. Then He moved me into revealing why we need to see and enter the Kingdom of God and how our status as Kingdom ambassadors interfaces with what is going on in the world, and how we are to impact lives for Him. Now, it is like He is bringing me full circle; bringing me back to warning that the things He first pointed out to me are coming to fruition, and we need to employ everything He has revealed up to this moment to make sure we are seeing His will done on earth. So, let me take us back to a couple of posts that were forewarnings of our current existence ...

God Made A Farmer (February 8, 2013) ... (This post was written over 9 years ago, but it could as easily be about current events). This is what I wrote then: "If you are not aware of the plight of our farmers in this nation, then you've probably had your head buried in your iPad too long. According to an article from The Guardian, we are faced with a significant problem: our grain reserves are at an all-time historic low, due to the drought of 2012 and its continuation into this year. So what effect will that have on our food production and world famine? 

Lester Brown, president of the Earth Policy Centre in Washington, D.C., and one of the world's "leading environmentalists", says that extreme heat and drought in the U.S. will have consequences for the world's hungry.  "We are entering a new era of rising food prices and spreading hunger. Food supplies are tightening everywhere and land is becoming the most sought-after commodity as the world shifts from an age of food abundance to one of scarcity," says Brown. "The geopolitics of food is fast overshadowing the geopolitics of oil."  He warns that the global food supply system could collapse at any point, leaving hundreds of millions more people hungry, sparking widespread riots and bringing down governments.  According to Brown, the Middle East and Africa are especially vulnerable.  

But here's the caveat to this report:  it is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, known economic globalists, as well as climate theorists.  Furthermore, Gates believes one of the solutions to world hunger is through the genetic modification of foods (think of his unpalatable "impossible meat" in 2022), and he has invested not only in companies such as Monsanto, who have engineered genetically modified (GM) foods, but also invested in agriculture in Africa.  Whether true humanitarianism or something more dangerous is behind his interest and his money, you can guarantee that the world's agriculture will be affected.  These kinds of reports and the genetically modified food technology do not bode well for the American farmer OR the American consumer. 

Neither does the sale of domestic farmland to institutional and foreign investors.  Farmland is an attractive "hedge" for investors looking to put their money into commodities that are safer than the stock market.  And countries such as China, with its exploding population and economy are eying the U.S. exports of corn, soybeans, and wheat.  And according to writer Steve Shenk, "the United States, like a short-sighted trust fund baby, is selling off their financial future along with their source of food for a quick grab of cash today."  Shenk goes on to report, "Foreign ownership of farmland is almost double what it was twenty years ago. In fact since 2004, foreign ownership of American soil has grown by almost thirty percent."  Kind of makes me a little nervous about who is protecting our domestic food supply!"

That was then ... this is now: China's American agricultural land holdings have increased over tenfold in the last decade, and at the beginning of 2020, investments from China held $2 billion of American agricultural land. Add to that the massive drought in this country and the sentiment amongst the current Administration that paying farmers to leave their land fallow is a solution to the "climate crisis", and you have the perfect storm for famine in this country and the world, since we are a major exporter of food to the world.

I ended that 2013 post with this comment: "There will be many who say this is a lot of fuss about nothing.  But are you willing to trust your food supply to the likes of Bill Gates or China? Do you have plans if the price of food suddenly sky-rockets? What about Heirloom seeds to grow your own food? This is something to think about, people! Drought and weather conditions are unpredictable, and so apparently is the world's food supply. Don't take your "daily bread" for granted!"

God is once again highlighting this situation and it is much more dire than it was 9 years ago. I pray that you have prepared accordingly, and that God provides for you and your family.

The U.S. Economy & The Price of Oil: Could The Fix Be In? (November 29, 2014) ... At the time, America was enjoying low gas prices and our supply was growing faster than the demand for gasoline. U.S. car manufacturers were building more fuel-efficient cars, which created less demand for gas, which directly effected the bottom line of oil companies. Although foreign markets, like China and India, were developing a market for increased supplies of gas and oil, there was not a huge desire for exporting our oil.

In my post, I went on to discuss the purpose of OPEC to monitor the oil market and decide collectively to raise or lower oil production in order to maintain stable prices and supply. I had questions about who was lurking in the background, influencing the decision-making.  At the time, OPEC members were primarily from the oil-rich Middle East, with Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia being among the founding members. 

Today, Russia is part of what is known as Opec Plus (Opec +), an informal alliance of non-Opec nations exporting oil. My understanding is that they are producing far less than they pledged. And since there is a huge push in our government for climate control by ending America's use of conventional energy (coal, oil, and natural gas), our oil production has plummeted, while our gas prices have risen astronomically, and we are begging oil from Middle Eastern potentates.

I find it fascinating that God showed me this in 2014, and here is what He prompted me to write: "The American economy is nosediving, and we may not have an oil industry to continue the masquerade. And who would love to see that scenario take place more than Russia? Through our sanctions, we have attempted to compromise their economy.  So, through their alliance with oil-rich Iran, this would be an opportunity to reciprocate. What better way to ensure their leadership in the world's oil supply, while striking a blow to our own status, and more importantly, our economy?"

The rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the NATO fiasco, and the rapidly diminishing reputation of the US are all contributing to the effects of oil shortages in our nation which has enough oil in the ground to fuel our economy for decades -- nearly 2.2 trillion barrels of known oil shale deposits -- the largest in the world, according to the Bureau of Land Management. Yet our store shelves lie bare because of the cost of fuel to truck food and supplies across the country.

The statement I made in 2014 still stands ... "I am no expert on the petroleum industry. And I know these are all fractured thoughts and ideas, but when my spider senses are tingling like they are now, I have to give voice to what my instincts are telling me. Things are not as they seem, and something tells me that the puppet masters are  working their strings and the game is rigged. Is our house of cards about to come tumbling down?"

These issues that I have revisited are still at the forefront of our issues as a nation, and will have great influence on the future of our beloved nation. God revealed them over a decade ago, and yet we seem to have gone further down the rabbit hole. But our answers don't lie in government policies. They are spiritual in nature, and if we don't wake up to that fact and begin battling on that level, well .... all the kings horses and all the kings men won't be able to put us back together again. 

Psalm 2:1    "Why do the nations assemble with commotion [uproar and confusion of voices], and why do the people imagine (meditate upon and devise) an empty scheme?"

What Was Prophesied Is Now Upon Us! (Part One)

There are days when the Lord tells me to reflect upon how far we've come; to take a look at what the Holy Spirit was prompting me to write in the recent past, in the hope that I can see what He is showing me now. This December will mark the 11th year that I have been obedient to write this blog because He asked me to encourage people who were beginning to discern that this country was going down a different path than the one we assumed would always be there.

There were many times that I didn't want to share what I received, because the conscience of the American people was not ready to accept it. I knew I would be labeled a "conspiracy nut", a heretic, or worse. But God was showing me through His Spirit, and what I instinctively discerned [in my spirit] from world events, that I needed to alert those with "ears to hear, and eyes to see." 

It's been 11 long years of trying to do that through this blog. There were seasons of great numbers of people from all over the world who responded to what God revealed through my words. I was amazed that someone in China or Ukraine was hearing from God as I was, and that we were united in our desire to share God's promptings so that more people could come to the Saving Grace of Christ. I was blessed to be in community with some very wise men who had the ear of Americans who were "waking up", and through their blogs, podcasts, and books, were getting God's message out. 

So, all of this to say that I listened to God and have gone back to those early posts (many of which I had forgotten I even wrote) to see what He wants to show me in this day. Here are just some of the admonitions He highlighted then...

Facing The Monster (December 22, 2011) ... This post appeared just 11 days after I launched this website, and included short reviews of two books that were brought to my attention. They weren't for the weak-hearted, and helped me grasp the severity of our national situation, and gave me an opportunity to see what the future might look like.  Enemies, Foreign and Domestic shares a possible scenario in which the Government sets up a down-and-out war veteran as a sniper responsible for a mass shooting in a football stadium --- creating a smokescreen for the purpose of eliminating the Second Amendment gun rights of the citizenry. After reading this book I realized how quickly our rights and freedoms could be seized by a tyrannical government, and how important it is to develop a mindset that clearly sees the fallout from that scenario. And the most surprising element of the book? The hero is a WOMAN! 

One Second After is a sobering account of what it looks like if a rogue nation detonated an EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) over the continental U.S.  Anything electronic would be instantly rendered useless.  Think about it.....what would society be like without computers, phones, cars, medical equipment, refrigeration?  Answer---in a single moment, we would be thrown into the Dark Ages.  And how many people would be able to navigate that scenario?  How do you think the entitlement crowd will react?  They have been told they deserve all that's been given them, so do you think it's realistic to expect them to not just take it now?  And what about the evil elements of society?  How would you maintain law and order?  And what if you, or a loved one, needed medication to survive?  What does that scenario look like when life-saving medicines are no longer available, or there is no way to store them?

Both of those books are still very relevant for today's world. I ended that post with a challenge to face the monster; just as I would challenge anyone today ... both of these frightening scenarios offer us a chance to be prepared, primed and ready to guide our families and others to safe ground. In 2011, the plots of these books only existed in the imaginations of the authors. Still think so?

The Devil At Work: Human Sex Trafficking (May 10, 2013) ... I used this post to reveal the ugly truth of Sex Trafficking in America. At the time, it was not at the forefront of our national dialogue, although it was a billion dollar, international business hidden in plain sight and covered up by those in power. I wrote of "the long record of this kind of abuse by members of the diplomatic corps and employees of international organizations in Washington... but is it a monstrous problem right here at home. And what every parent needs to know is this: the computer and social media are valuable tools for those looking to exploit your children." 

This sounds like such a simple and benign description these days, knowing how prevalent this problem is in our nation today. I stand by the questions I posed in that 9-year-old post: "I struggle to make sense of this shameful and brutal treatment of our fellow human beings.  Have we lost all sense of our moral compass?  What has happened to our integrity?  Are we no longer able to determine what is right or wrong?  And what about our responsibility to respect other people?  And finally, those who traffic in the human sex trade cannot possibly have any compassion for their victims. This amounts to nothing less than slavery .... an institution that has been abhorred in this country for over a century and a half.  Yet, even in this supposedly enlightened generation, there are people who willingly contribute to this degradation of the human race; and worst of all, their consciences don't seem to bother them as they exploit their prey for the almighty dollar." Sadly, we have only gone further down this road to hell. My questions are still relevant, but the powers-that-be don't even give them a second thought. And God's heart continues to break, as His anger grows.

The Southern Border: What You're Not Hearing (September 10, 2014)... In this post, I shared an up-close and personal view of just how bad it was on the Texas border 8 years ago.  Never mind what you might have heard the talking heads or the White House Press Corps say at the time ... listen to the first-hand account of someone who was living the reality: Rusty is a lifelong rancher along the border of Texas and Mexico. He describes how the Mexican drug cartels are using death threats, assault, and attempted murder to drive ranchers and their families off of their land... "The only thing we [the American public] hear about is women and kids… and when they make huge drug busts, that’s what we hear about.  We don’t hear about the gang-bangers coming across, we don’t hear about the terrorists coming across.  We don’t hear about the violence going down on the border.  I had a rancher call me last week, and begging for help on 15,000 acres.  He had been moved off his ranch because he doesn’t feel safe with his family there.  He’s been shot at and threatened.  We don’t hear that [on the news]."

Perhaps the most frightening information coming from this interview was Rusty's account of the child abductions, sex-slave, and prostitution threats:  "They steal kids. Literally, they steal kids. Depending on how good looking they are, they’re gonna start at $35,000 to $45,000 dollars per kid. Blond haired, blue eyed little boy, little girl, is anywhere from $50,000 to $75,000 dollars, depending on how old they are. The older they are, particularly for girls, the more the price goes up. There’s been some girls that have been missing here, for five years from Brownsville, they were stolen when they were thirteen. One of them was found in a whorehouse in Mexico City. Her parents bought her out [from the cartels]– they bought her out for a million-five."

That was then! Multiply that by 100 and you might get a hint at what is happening today on the border! When God showed me this in 2014, I did not believe that it could get any worse. But the media still is not covering it adequately and so much of the country does not believe it is happening. I was challenged by an old college friend who refused to believe this was nothing but political propaganda, and asked me how did I know any of this was real. My answer: Me and my neighbors are living it!

These are just a few of the stories that God brought to light and prompted me to write about nearly a decade ago. At the time, I was castigated by many commenters for false witness, but I clearly heard in my spirit to warn Christians [who might find my blog and actually read it] to stand up and be counted for! This was a season of writing where God revealed the coming evil in hope that knowledge would bring power to the spirits of His children to resist evil forces that were rising up in our country. As you can clearly discern, the evil has only grown. I invite you to tune in for the next post that will show you where God took me next and what He requested be made known. I pray that we pay attention to revelations of the past while we still have time to repent and be redeemed in our present. 

Jeremiah 11:18   Then the Lord gave me knowledge [of their plot], and I knew it; So, You [O Lord] revealed their deeds to me. 

 

The Word From the Lord is "Restored Families"

 

That is what I heard in my spirit as I asked Jesus how we can save this nation. That may sound confusing or too simple to some, but it cannot be denied that we have been seeing the deterioration of the American family for some time now. God's plan for the family unit has degenerated from the Biblical model He established as a father, mother, and children to become any combination the human mind can imagine ... two fathers or two mothers with science-enhanced children; children who choose to change gender; children born outside of wedlock, and far too many one-parent families.  Furthermore, children were called blessings by God, and He instructed His creation to "be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and govern it". But men sacrificed their children to idols, and children became a commodity; to be eliminated when desired. God grieved then ... and He grieves now.

You see, the Bible chronicles the effects of disobedience so well. And although it might seem an exaggeration, the Word shows us that it only takes one generation to abandon the morality established by God in order for a nation to fall away from Him. The result of this rebellion is the absence of the Presence of God, and a generation that loses His blessings as they choose to follow other gods. The great English theologian John Wesley stated it perfectly: "What one generation tolerates, the next generation will embrace". There has been a continual sliding away from Godly principles towards lives that mimic the temptations of the world. 

When this nation was founded, the majority of the country looked to the Bible when establishing its laws and governmental structure, its educational systems, and the accepted conduct of society. And the nation flourished. But just like ancient Israel, when one generation begins abandoning God and His commandments, disobedience becomes the norm, and the next generation no longer knows the boundaries that holiness establishes. It happened over and over again in the Bible... the people would rebel, God would rebuke them and turn them over to the consequences of their choices and the idolization and worship of false gods became the pattern. They would repent, God would forgive them and bless them and they would again prosper until another generation began corrupting God's guidelines and the moral decay would start all over again.

Nothing is different here in modern-day America. And this pattern is easy to see among our own families and generations.  Two generations ago, families attended church together; they knew the Lord and the history of faith in their bloodlines. Today, it is rare for the Millennial generation to declare faith in a God they've never known, or to acknowledge that they are bowing down to the false gods of our culture: entertainment, technology, social media, material wealth, sex, or politics. 

But who is to blame for this decline in our families, culture, and nation? In the Bible it was the parents and the priests. Same thing now ... for the 246 years this nation has existed, it has been the parents and the pastors who kept us on track. But one only has to look at how both of those turned from the God of the Bible [as their guide] and began to conform to the dictates of the world. The parents lost their way, turning the instruction of their children over to the programs of godless universities. The churches lost their way, allowing the government to determine what they could teach and preach. And both became part of a nation that once followed the ways of the Lord, but no longer knew Him and did evil in His sight. We have a generation whose god is their phone and Social Media -- it is where they get their morals, their identity, and their value. 

Ancient Israel always seemed to have a king who rose up and returned the people to the Most High God. This ruler would remind the people of all God had done for them; he would remind people of their history with God. I fear that we have a more difficult struggle because our history is being revised, rewritten and erased. The Kingdom of God is a concept to be ridiculed and mocked. And too often, it has become a buzz word in the Church as the latest theme for evangelism; it's trendy, but no real staying power. Where are the Spurgeons, the Tozers, the Moodys? Although I am greatly heartened as I see individual Christians and the remnant fervently seeking to make the Kingdom a reality, we need to see Church unity become a force for real change in the moral foundation of this country.

Also, I think we have forgotten that we serve a jealous God. He is Jehovah Qanna. He will not stand for any rival. He is not envious; that signifies greed. Our God possesses righteous jealousy because of the Goodness of His love for us, His children, and His relationship with us. He desires our worship because He deserves it; He is the best thing for us. And if we are worshiping anything besides Him, we are headed down a path to destruction.

So, it is time for us to repent and return to the path of righteousness in this nation. And it starts with restoring our families! God will once again bless this nation with His righteousness and prosperity when we dedicate ourselves to raising up a generation that will abandon the ways of the world to follow Him, and Him only! This nation can be redeemed when our churches start equipping their members to resist the secular culture; teach the children [in spite of what Twitter or Facebook says] that all gods are not the same; throw off the shackles of government; and actually GO OUT to disciple and baptize in the Name of Jesus!

Let us not see the name of America be dragged through the mud any longer. Let us fortify the next generation with the Truth of the Word so that they might know the Lord. And it starts with the family. Enemies of God have always found it easy to corrupt a God-fearing nation when the people get lax about securing faith for the next generation. It is up to us to begin restoring our generations to a knowledge of the One True God. Without Him, we will continue to compromise and fall for the lies of false prophets. It is time we declare that we have the power of the Holy Spirit with us and in us! We can overcome the rebellion against God and re-establish our greatness when we restore our families. Let those with ears to hear, receive the Word from the Lord!

Psalm 71:18   Now that I am old and gray, do not abandon me, O God. Let me proclaim Your power to this new generation, Your mighty miracles to all who come after me.

 

Are You Prepared For A Journey In The Wilderness?

Remember the story of the Israelites wandering in the desert/wilderness for 40 years after their Exodus from Egypt? Have you ever studied why they were denied entry into the Promised Land? In short, it was a matter of trust. God comes to Moses who is tending his father-in-law's flock in Midian and announces that He has come to earth "to rescue His people from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey" (Exodus 3:8). 

As they approach the Promised Land, God instructs Moses to send 12 spies to survey the land. After 40 days of exploration, ten of the spies gave a bad report ... "We look like grasshoppers to them"! Only Joshua and Caleb said, "We can do this"! And who did the people believe? The doubters! And because of their doubt and unbelief, God sentenced them to wander for 40 years before allowing them to enter the Promised Land -- one year for every day they explored the Promised Land. It was a time of apostasy (Gold Calf) as well as miracles (manna from Heaven); a time of failure and of ultimate victory. 

So, this is what lack of trust in God and His promises looks like. We would do well to take note. America has always been seen as the land of milk and honey, but what can we expect if we show contempt to [and for] God like the Israelites did? And what is it like if you find yourself in a desert or wilderness not of your own making? Is God still the God of promises? I suspect that we may yet know what that looks like in our lifetime.

But I would like to share a personal testimony that will give you hope of how God provides and protects when we walk by faith and not by sight. This is a story of the period in my life that I refer to as “My Seven Years in the Wilderness”.  But I don’t associate my “wilderness” as it is usually ascribed in the Bible. As I stated above, most will think of the Golden Calf and the failure to follow God’s commandments. Those were definitely deserving of punishment, which is how we usually see that episode of history. But we fail to see that those 40 years were also a time God was calling the Israelites back to Him; to reveal Himself to them and begin to prune them for a greater purpose.

 

Likewise, my seven years in the wilderness were not a form of God’s punishment for any rebelliousness or disobedience on my part. On the contrary, it was a time of drawing me out of the world and into a place of refining and removing the obstacles to our relationship. It was where I learned to rely on Jesus. Let me explain… The year is 2001. My husband, Mark, has been gifted by God with an amazing artistic talent and he had come to me five years prior, saying that he wanted to leave his corporate job and pursue a professional art career, believing that God was calling him down this path. I knew and believed in his talent and didn’t want him to one day be 70 years old and wish he had trusted his instinct. So we agreed that I would continue working my job, supporting us with my paycheck as he got his career off the ground. We happily sacrificed to embrace this new adventure, and true to His promise, the Lord was faithful to Mark as he worked hard to develop his natural skills and grow in reputation due to his talent. 

 

At the end of five years, he came to me and said if he was going to advance to the next stage of his career, he needed my help to take over the business end, i.e. building and maintaining a web site, scheduling shows, ordering supplies, handling travel arrangements and applications to art shows, and all the accounting duties. He needed to free up his time to meet the growing demand for his art... (Gulp)! We’d gone from two guaranteed paychecks to one, and now, could I go from my guaranteed paycheck to no paycheck? Could we make it on the sporadic (and definitely unguaranteed) income of an emerging artist? I used to laugh when Mark would say that “artist” was the only occupation that had the word “starving” preceding it. That didn’t seem so funny now.

 

But how could I say no? I believed more than ever in his talent and that we had made the right decision, but the fear of lack of money that I had inherited from my father was soon my constant companion. I had been raised to never be late paying a bill, and to always make sure you had the money in the bank to take care of all your expenses. My father did not possess trust in the Lord, and while I was saved and knew in my heart that He was leading us on this journey, I had to confront that generational bondage of fear and learn to throw off those chains.

 

I’m not lying when I say that it was a struggle for me. The cost of living was too high in Austin, where we were living at the time, and we knew we had to move from a home his parents owned. So, I turned in my resignation at my job, and prepared to take the biggest leap of faith at that time in my life. We had friends who arranged for a seven-year lease on 169 acres outside a dusty little town situated 90 miles west of San Antonio. There was a little farmhouse on the property, which was going to need to be renovated to be habitable, and although we were only leasing, we decided to take out a small loan to remodel it and make it comfortable for the next seven years.

 

So, we spent the next couple of months buying supplies and traveling the two hours back and forth from Austin to Sabinal, tearing out walls, pulling up orange shag carpet, refurbishing hardwood floors, and installing new cabinets. It was bright and early one Tuesday morning in September, when we exited Lowe’s with our cabinets and turned on the radio in the truck to hear that the first plane had crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York. We looked at each other in utter shock, knowing our world was about to change in a drastic way, and Mark said, “Well, it’s a great time to be an artist”. 

 

But while my mind authomatically went to fear and doubt, I was blessed to be married to a man who dug deep into his faith and soldiered on, believing that God would never abandon us. He deserves so much favor from God for the patience he showed me in those years, because the Enemy knew right where to aim his fiery dart. I was going to have to learn to adjust on many levels. I had a strong work ethic, and was used to working an 8-5 job and putting in long hours when needed to make sure I did my job well. I no longer had that structure and I found myself lost with how to occupy and organize my time and new duties. I actually felt guilty if I wasn’t doing something every hour of the day. I didn’t know how to enjoy the freedom of being self-employed and the rewards of being in control of your own opportunities and destiny. 

 

On top of that, I was struggling with the change [and real] difference in our income. I had to learn how to budget differently because in the art business, you never know when a sale will come your way. You might be rolling in the dough one month and make zilch the next. I was constantly aware of how much was in the bank and looking at the stack of bills before me. I prayed for God to take the fear from me, and to help me to trust Him. I knew my doubt and unbelief were a sin, and I had to decide to just walk in faith and lean on Jesus to provide. I would do good for a few weeks and then, Bam! An unexpected expense would arise and the devil would have me in his clutches again. It was a couple of years of taking one step forward, and two steps back.

 

But I was determined to overcome my fears and learn to rely on the Lord for our provision. I worked hard at taking my eyes off the stack of bills and rejoicing in all the small, yet incredibly blessed joys of living a simple life in the country. I began to see how God was removing me from the trappings of the world and was giving us freedom to become all He had designed us to be. Things that would have sent me spiraling downward just a year ago, now didn’t seem so earth-shattering. I was able to look back at how God had delivered us from a similar situation months before, and began believing that He would do it again. I was building a history with Him. And my husband and I were growing in our faith together; seeking a bigger understanding of our relationship with Him, and enjoying a Bible study on the Book of Daniel. Then the devil decided to come calling again.

 

If you could see my husband with our animals, you would know how much he cares for all of God’s creation. One afternoon, I was in our bedroom, working on a novel I was writing, and I heard one of our dogs barking and then making an unusual crying sound. I alerted Mark and he went outside to check, and a 6-foot rattlesnake had attacked our dogs, mortally wounding his favorite Jag terrier. We ended up losing two dogs that day and the pain I saw my husband experience ripped my soul apart. He had been my strength during my period in this wilderness, and now it was my turn to return the blessing. I knew the Enemy had struck where Mark was most vulnerable, and it would have been so easy to abandon our studies and step away from God for a spell, but I continued to speak into Mark that we would not let the devil deter us from getting closer to God. We would not give in to the devil’s plan to separate us from our growing faith. I prayed that night and clung to the strength that is Jesus; remaining in Him through that night, and was rewarded with Him remaining in us through the following days as we climbed out of our grief and plunged ever deeper into His Word. The devil would not win that battle!

 

We continued our studies, learning more and seeing our spiritual knowledge expanding. And while finances didn't get easier, we were now more focused on what we had in our changing relationship with God, and not so much on what we were lacking in money or material wealth. We had good, Godly mentors in our life, and it was during this time that my prayer life grew and I started recognizing that I was beginning to hear from the Holy Spirit and was actually finding joy in my wilderness. And I have never forgotten the day that I heard in my spirit, "If you will be faithful to Me, I will be faithful to you". I knew that I had crossed a threshold in my faith. I was content with what we had ... it wasn't much by the world's standards, and there were still times that nothing was left in our bank account at the end of the month, but I was beginning to fear less and trust more! I was determined to remain steadfast and faithful, and I believed in God's promise that He would do the same.

That was 16 years ago. And at the end of that 7-year lease, God had humbled me, taught me obedience and to rely completely on Him. Ultimately, He led us away from 129 acres and a house that belonged to someone else, to our Promised Land: 3 beautiful acres, a home we designed [and took an active part in building], and a studio for Mark. We are still far from a huge bank account, expensive cars, and opulent vacations, but we are prosperous in the ways of the Lord. Here in our Promised Land we have been sanctified and anointed to serve Him in an Inner Healing Ministry and been blessed to have all our financial needs met. We have grown so much in our relationship with the Lord and have come to know other faithful and obedient people. We are finally at a good place in body, soul, and spirit.

But we see the storm clouds on the horizon. The world is teetering on lawlessness and the Lawless One is making himself known. Will the world plunge us back into a wilderness where contempt and loathing for God and each other will bring more testing? I pray that there are enough of us who are praying and repenting that God will spare our rebellious nation. But if not, then I know what it is like to walk in the wilderness and still seek Him; to feel like the darkness is encroaching, but still see the Light; to hear the whispers of defeat from the Enemy, but hearing the voice of my Lord declaring He is with us and victory is ours! No matter what comes, we cannot give in or give up! God will never take us where His grace will not cover us nor His power deliver us! So if "the wilderness" is in your future, remember this: if you abide in Him, the journey will not be permanent! He has a plan for your life. Live for Him in obedience, reliance, and steadfastness, and your journey will bless you hundredfold!

Isaiah 40:3-5   A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Let Go or Be Dragged"

I am the most at peace and confident when I am writing. I am able to shut out the world and just receive the thoughts and words that result in something that I hope is worthy of consideration by my fellow inhabitants on this earth. I guess it's that part of me that is made in the image of God; the part that delights in creating the written word. I have shared before about the time a word from the Lord was spoken to me by a man I met only once. He told me the Lord wanted me "to be the pen, and not the blank piece of paper". He shared that God had made me to be a writer, and He wants me use my gift simply to please my Creator, and with no other reward in mind.

So, I have written an unpublished fiction book, an anthology about America under a pen name, a book on the Kingdom of God, and written this blog for 11 years. Now, I am happy [and humbled] to be involved with another anthology titled "Let God or Be Dragged", which includes stories by 13 authors relating how they experienced freedom in their lives from negativity and trauma. I daresay that everyone walking this planet has faced some form of these trials in their life. In the book, I relate a time in my early adulthood when poor choices resulted in a traumatic period of feeling like I was alone with no way to climb out of the hole I had dug for myself. I had to make a choice whether to let go, or be dragged deeper into that well of defeat. For me, Jesus was the answer. And that has had me thinking of the many examples we have in the Bible of men and women who faced that same dejected spirit; who found themselves downcast, disheartened and miserable. They, too, had a decision to make -- cry out to God or stay mired in the situation they found themselves in; whether by their own poor choices or other extenuating circumstances.

Four people come to mind: Job, Joseph, Moses, and Peter. First, let's take a look at the life of Job. He was a man who had it all ... wealth, a beautiful family, standing in the community. Then Satan asked God to allow him to test Job's faith. And he lost it all ... the money and livestock he had accumulated; a storm took his children; disease ravaged his body; and his wife begged him to denounce God. Talk about negativity and trauma! Everyone told him he should reject God and just die! Job could have let himself be dragged into the depths of despair and humiliation, but he decided to let go of all the bad advice and trust in God to deliver him. For thousands of years, the world has known the story of Job's faithfulness.

The next story we take a look at is about Joseph, the youngest and favored son of the patriarch Jacob. In his youthful enthusiasm, Joseph shares with his brothers a dream that he has where God shows that he will have great power and influence to help Israel in a time of significant trouble. But his brothers mistake his enthusiasm for pride, and they react in anger and jealousy, selling Joseph into slavery. This turn of events certainly qualifies as a time of negativity and trauma! But Joseph doesn't give into all the ways that the Enemy tries to divert his purpose. He never gives into the despair or the doubt that his long-ago dream was a mistake. He doesn't let himself be dragged into giving up, but continues to remain steadfast in who God made him to be, and rises to be Pharaoh's right-hand man, delivering Egypt out of a famine and saving his brothers and the families of Israel from starvation. 

Moses is our next hero. His life covered the whole spectrum of negativity and trauma! Born to a poor Hebrew family, he is saved from a death warrant issued by Pharaoh against all Hebrew male babies. He then becomes an adopted son of Pharaoh, himself, only to lose all that power and position when He kills a man and is forced to flee to a life of exile and what he must have felt was failure. Did God really have a calling on his life? He tried every excuse in the book to convince himself [and God] that he was not fit for the job. But it was in that identity of disappointment and inadequacy that Moses came to know the face of Almighty God and surrendered to the sovereignty and majesty of YHWH. It took him a long time, but he was finally able to let go and step into the destiny God had reserved for him, and him alone. He would no longer let himself be dragged along by a spirit of insignificance. He found a way to climb out of the pit and scale the mountain!

Finally, I want to consider the disciple and Apostle, Peter. His story is one of great highs and disparaging lows. It may seem that he was plucked out of obscurity to become the leader of Jesus's disciples; that he was just a simple fisherman who won the lottery ticket of faith. But remember, Jesus has known the purpose for which we are created since the foundations of the world. Peter was very specifically chosen by Jesus. He knew all about the negative situations Peter would face, and was intimately familiar with the trauma Peter would witness and experience. But Peter was created and born to lead the early Church and he would not be dragged away from that divine assignment! He would learn to let go of condemnation and harassment by religious and political leaders. He would learn to let go of ego and pride as he embraced Jesus's mission for the Father. And he would learn to let go of self-condemnation and doubt for denying the Christ. He could have let himself get dragged along by the negativity of hopelessness after Jesus's crucifixion, but by the grace of God, he let go ... and became a spiritual force to introduce the Kingdom of God into a lost world. These men are just a few of the examples throughout the Bible that stand as witness to the power of God in our lives. 

  So, I would like to invite you to read this modern anthology of people who are overcomers.  My part of this little book points to Jesus as my strength to "Let Go or Be Dragged". Every story in this powerhouse of a book is unique to the individual author, and I think you will find inspiration, motivation, and courage in every narrative that is shared. It's not only the heroes of the Bible who overcome. We each have a story to tell, and I pray you let Jesus be the author of yours!

Here is the link to the e-book, Let Go or Be Dragged: https://amzn.to/3IAA8pz  

Ecclesiastes 3:6   A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

 

Obedience, Faith and Discipleship: The Road To Jesus

 

I have really been endeavoring to seek the wisdom and counsel of the Holy Spirit in how to walk closer with Jesus. I don't say that out of a desire to be more "religious" or to meet any kind of standard that the organized Church might put on me; but out of a heart that discerns what shape the world is in, and a longing to more fully follow Him in this season. To that end, I have been studying a particular passage in the Bible, as well as diving into a deeply powerful book, called The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Dietrich was the martyred Lutheran pastor who defied Hitler and the Third Reich while attempting to expose the mass murder of Jews in his homeland. He was hanged as a spy mere days before the Allies arrived in Germany to liberate the concentration camps, and although he did not live to see that evil empire defeated, what he wrote about following Jesus is especially poignant and instructive for today.

In light of all this history, here's where my head and my heart are ... What does it mean to be a true disciple of Jesus? How do we get there? What is the cost? First of all, we must all understand that what Jesus taught about discipleship over 2000 years ago still holds true today. We are not any more enlightened, or sophisticated in our faith than the first disciples who answered His call to follow Him. If anything, we are more involved in the world and our selfish ambitions. 

So, what is the significance of Obedience when considering Discipleship? Mark 2:14 gives us a clue ... As Jesus was passing by, He saw Levi (Matthew) the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax collector’s booth, and He said to him, “Follow Me.” And he got up and followed Him. Notice that it was Jesus who initiated the call to Matthew. And the call was responded to immediately with obedience. There is no evidence that Matthew had any prior knowledge or relationship with Jesus, the Christ. And I want you to understand that Matthew didn't respond out of faith, because as of yet, he had none. 

It is as simple as this: Jesus called and Matthew responded out of obedience. There were no promises of wealth or status if Matthew followed Him. In fact, by being obedient, Matthew left his life of relative security for a life the world would categorize as absolute insecurity. Yet, in reality, there is no life more secure and safe than one spent in fellowship with God's Anointed One! We leave a life that is bound in rules, parameters and legalism for a life that has infinite possibilities when we bind ourselves to Jesus. Nothing else in this world matters but following Him! Matthew's story is a testimony of a man whom Jesus summoned, and the response was one of obedience; forsaking all else to follow Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 

Keep this in mind as we take a good look at Luke 9:57-62 and hearken unto the words of the Messiah... As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus told him, “Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.” He said to another, “Follow Me [accepting Me as Master and Teacher].” But he said, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.” But He said to him, “Allow the [spiritually] dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and spread the news about the kingdom of God.” Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord [as Your disciple]; but first let me say goodbye to those at my home.” But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back [to the things left behind] is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Notice that Jesus is addressing three different people here, all who profess to want to follow Him. How do our 21st Century responses compare to the 1st Century responses to the call of Jesus? First of all, the first man offers to follow Jesus without waiting to be called. But Jesus gives the man a warning -- He shows the would-be disciple that life following Him will not be easy nor comfortable. Even foxes and birds have places they call home, but His life is one of never knowing where He will sleep that night. In fact, Jesus knows He's on the way to the cross and suffering is His fate. Today, how many times do we see our fellow Christians declare that they are ready to be a follower of Christ, yet there is no evidence they've been called by Jesus nor that they have considered the cost or consequences of following Him in this fallen world? They know nothing of the suffering or what life with Him will require. Jesus's lesson to this would-be disciple is that no man can voluntarily call himself to such a destiny. To be genuine, the call must come from Jesus and the response must come from obedience alone; from a change of heart that instinctively knows the life to which they are being called.

Next we see Jesus actually initiating the call to the second candidate for discipleship who asks to be allowed to go and bury his father first before he answers Jesus's call on his life. This man is conscious of the Jewish laws that burial of the dead must be the same day. Yet there is no information that the man's father has even died yet. Perhaps he is like his 21st Century Christian counterparts whose hearts like the idea of following Jesus, but want to set their affairs in order before making that commitment. Jesus responds with a command to follow Him and to let the spiritually dead bury their own. Because this man is not ready to submit to the call on his life, there is a barrier erected against authentic obedience. If this man's father has truly died ... does he follow the Jewish law regarding burial, or does he answer the call of Jesus? There are times the call of Jesus will look as if it goes against every standard "the Church" has mandated for men. But the true disciple will know that nothing on earth can keep him from accepting that call because it is irresistable.

The third would-be disciple is somewhat like the first; he thinks he can set his own terms when it comes to following Jesus. He earnestly desires to follow Jesus but is beset by the rules of the world, which he feels must be met before he can be allowed to accept the offer. His response seems to indicate that he thinks he must satisfy the order in which his calling will be rendered legitimate. How many times do we Christians today submit to man's understanding about what our calling is to look like? Do we assign a list of objectives to meet before we can call ourselves a follower or disciple? Do we ascribe more value to the title than to our obedience? If we cannot simply surrender to Jesus's call on our life, then we may find ourselves in conflict with both Jesus's desire for us and our own sincere desire to be a disciple. If our response to the call on our life is, "Yes, Jesus, but first ....", then we are not going to act out of pure obedience. That response proves that one is not willing to pay the cost of genuine discipleship. 

As you can see, to follow Jesus in obedience means leaving the old behind for a new life that Jesus is calling you to; this is where faith becomes possible. If we refuse Jesus's invitation and stay in our safe and secure situation, then we never learn to believe out of faith. It is a scary place to be, but the rewards are so great! When we are able to respond out of obedience, then we have the opportunity to learn to trust in Jesus as we enter into true dependence [on] and in relationship with Him. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes so well, "Had Levi (Matthew) stayed at his customs booth, Jesus might have been his present help in trouble, but He would not have been the Lord of Levi's whole life. In other words, Levi would never have learned to believe. And Peter had to leave the ship and risk his life on the sea, in order to learn both his own weakness and the almighty power of his Lord". Both men left an old reality for a new, unknown one, and all for the sake of obeying the Voice that called them.

We must also discern that it is the obedience to the call on our lives that ultimately makes true faith possible, they are interdependent. Again, Bonhoeffer explains it much better than I can: "Faith is only real when there is obedience, never without it, and faith only becomes faith in the act of obedience". This is what I know ... we must take that definitive step [out of faith] into obedience, and as faith grows, we become "teachable" and the Lord's passion for mankind becomes ours. That includes both Christ's suffering and his rejection. His heart is for those He desperately loves and it is His willingness to suffer at the hands of men and to die despised and rejected by men which are at the center of His going to the Cross. Jesus makes it clear that to be a disciple of His, we must be willing to become like Him, in both the good and the bad of His incarnate existence. 

But have you thought about the fact that Jesus gives us a choice ... IF any man would come after Me....". We have the choice to become like Jesus; we have the choice whether we will follow Him in obedience and faith and deny ourselves in order to become His "disciples" by abiding in Him. But it comes at a cost; one that Jesus was willing to pay and if we are to become His disciples, then we must be willing to follow Him in all His ways. And that word "to abide" means to endure, persist, survive, conform to, to remain [in], and to suffer. So as we grow in obedience and faith and become teachable by the Spirit of the Lord, we grow into discipleship -- moving from being a pupil to being an imitator of Christ. True Discipleship is fearless; being willing to go where you cannot comprehend the road you will be asked to take; yet you are willing to go only where Jesus leads you. You are willing to pay the price of the irresistible call on your life to follow Your Master. My final word is this: True Discipleship is not for the fragile, the fearful, or the doubter. It is not an easy road ... but, oh, my friends, the rewards will be extraordinary when you meet Jesus face-to-face! Do you have what it takes, and are you willing to pay the cost to be called "Disciple" of the Living Christ?

John 15:8    My Father is glorified and honored by this, when you bear much fruit, and prove yourselves to be My [true] disciples.

 

 

 

July 4th Thoughts 246 Years Later: The Spirit of '22

I am unabashedly proud of what July 4th stood for 246 years ago.  Mind you, I do love the fireworks and the parades and the flag-waving --- all of it! And I love the history of this momentous day. But, as we are gathered for family BBQs or enjoying a long holiday, I wonder how many Americans stop to consider what that first July 4th truly meant.  Considering that in a poll I saw this morning, only 39% of Americans are proud of our nation, I would venture that it's of primary importance that we revisit exactly why this holiday should be celebrated by every citizen.

I want to share a small portion of President John Adams' Inaugural Address. Adams, along with his cousin, Samuel Adams, played important roles in the foundational government of our country, and it is their vision that we desperately need to preserve. Adams spoke these prophetic words at his inauguration in 1797: "In this dangerous crisis the people of America were not abandoned by their usual good sense, presence of mind, resolution, or integrity. Measures were pursued to concert [in cooperation] a plan to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty. The public disquisitions, discussions, and deliberations [which have been] issued in the present happy Constitution of Government".

We are definitely "in a dangerous crisis" in this country! And how I wish the people of America still possessed the good sense, presence of mind, resolution and integrity that those brave men undertook to declare their independence from a tyrannical government. It wasn't all sunshine and roses, however. Much like today, the inhabitants of the 13 colonies were divided regarding the road the nation was going down. And full support of the Declaration of Independence was not supported by all members of the Continental Congress. A representative of Congress rode horseback 80 miles to reach Philadelphia and break a tie in support of independence. In fact, the names of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were withheld from the public for more than six months to protect the signers. If independence had not been achieved, the treasonable act of the signers would have, by English law, resulted in their deaths. They believed that strongly in their bid for freedom! It's not difficult for me to see that we have taken our independence and liberties for granted!

And we cannot celebrate this day without acknowledging that the Declaration did not address liberty for all. In its opening paragraphs, the statement is made, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights". I want to make two points here: 1) For the first time in history, leaders of men recognized that "Nature's God" had given all men certain rights that could not be usurped by tyrannical governments.  2) I recognize that this seems hypocritical in light of the fact that many of the Southern Founding Fathers were slaveholders.  The writings of the Founding Fathers show that many of them acknowledged that slavery violated the natural rights of the enslaved, but knew that the abolition of this abhorrent practice would need to take a back seat (for the time being) to the larger goal of securing the unity and independence of the United States from Britain.  Sadly, they "kicked the can down the road" to be dealt with by a future generation; the reality was that the freedom of the nation needed to come before they could address the freedom of the slaves. That issue would be dealt with 84 years later when the new nation was ripped asunder by the Civil War. We have not been a perfect nation -- and we still aren't -- but it's exceedingly important, now more than ever, that we protect the vision and concept of this free nation! We have come so far in a relatively short time when you consider the entire history of the world! 

So, what exactly was meant by "unalienable rights"?  As I wrote in a February 9, 2013 post, I would venture to say that most Americans have a distorted idea of what "unalienable" means.  I would further conclude that they think it takes its meaning from the word "alien", signifying that these "unalienable" rights were unfamiliar or foreign to men of that time.  That is a wrong interpretation, and we actually mispronounce the word altogether.  In 1776, when the Declaration was written, this word was not pronounced as un-alien-able; the correct enunciation was un-a-lien-able, as in "a lien", a form of security interest granted over an item of property to secure the payment of a debt.  For instance, the bank holds a lien against your car, until the note is paid off. 

What the Founding Fathers were actually saying was this:  the natural rights that have been given to us by God are not subject to a lien by any king or ruler; they are ours to possess outright. In other words, our rights are not determined by governments; or granted by them; and cannot be legislated by them.  It was the first time in the history of the world, that a nation of people dared to declare that they recognized God's rulership and authority as being above that of any monarch or crowned head. This was an important step in the evolution of a nation and of mankind.  The Founders of our nation were declaring that they were ready to live their lives as free men, unencumbered by the heavy hand of an oppressive authority; that they wanted to live their lives according to the "Laws of Nature", which in the 18th century meant certain fundamental principles or moral standards that were apparent to everyone.  

I ask you ... as a nation, are we still that people? Do we recognize the natural rights of ALL men? Are we willing to be governed by the fundamental principles and moral standards of the God of the Universe? Are we able to overcome the division that separated those original 13 colonies and which instigated the War Between the States? Oh, Lord, how I pray that we are still a people who resemble the ideals upon which this country took such a courageous leap! And if we aren't, what's to become of us? I recommend you consider that question with solemnity. You have a choice ... During this long weekend you can go back to your hamburgers and hot dogs, or laugh off my thoughts as inconsequential; OR you can do a serious study comparing who we were in 1776 and what we've become, and determine that it is worth fighting for and make the effort to teach your children its importance. 

Those were days of far-reaching consequences; just as these days are.  We are faced with no less a serious choice. Will we continue to labor under repressive directives from a governing body that pays no mind to our concerns? Or will we decide that our liberties are precious and worth standing up for? I contend that there is not much difference between the significance of that July 4th and this one.  The only question is are we as brave and committed as they were? And believe me, the future of our children and nation -- and maybe even their survival -- depends on understanding the significance of July 4th and why it is worth celebrating. 

Job 8:8-10     For inquire, please, of bygone ages, and consider what the fathers have searched out. For we are but of yesterday and know nothing, for our days on earth are a shadow. Will they not teach you and tell you and utter words out of their understanding?