Categories
America Living It Out In Real Time Spiritual Warfare The Bible The Big Event The Hiram Code The Life of Faith The Mysteries of God Through The Looking Glass

Patriots and Partisans: Restoring America

Tattered flag header

For the last couple of weeks, all eyes in the political arena were fixed on Georgia’s 6th congressional district. Democrats and liberals from across the nation poured money into the campaign of Democrat Jon Ossoff in his bid to defeat Republican Karen Handel. Ossoff outraised and outspent Handel in what became the most expensive race in U.S. House of Representatives history. Liberal actors and entertainers endorsed Ossoff. Liberal politicians campaigned for him, trying to tie Handel to their perception of President Trump’s unpopularity.

In the end, Karen Handel won a decisive victory for the Republican majority, and liberal Democrats were once again left with just the stench of all of the money they had burned through in their failed attempt to further marginalize the 6-month old Trump Administration.

Candidate XRecently I, along with several others, were given access to some confidential information from a clandestine source inside a liberal think tank. The information we received was disturbing, to say the least.

Those associated with this think tank are determined to execute a coup d’état on our President and our government. While they intend to make it all seem legal, make no mistake about it… their goal is to take down President Trump and his entire administration.

The information we were given outlined the steps of action for their plan.

Dr. Frank Wright of Truths That Transform conveyed the seven steps the socialist/anarchist liberals use to destroy any opposition.

  • Ignore – by haughtily dismissing the others viewpoint.
  • Marginalize – view the person as an extremist.
  • Attack – make up fake news and attack the person through the left wing media.
  • Dismiss – use terms such as “history has sown or experts say…”.
  • Vicious Personal Attacks – use personal attacks on the person so you will ignore their real viewpoint.
  • Restrict – use every effort to block the persons message.
  • Aggressive Legal Effort – use legal force to threaten and attack the opponent.

Normally by step 5 the victim will throw in the towel as we saw with Judge Robert Bork, Sarah Palin, and others. Some have survived the vicious attacks, such as Judge Clarence Thomas, but not without a stained reputation.

Then along came Donald Trump.

Monitor 5He met every one of their attacks with a determination not to be defeated, and has now made it to Level 7 — Aggressive Legal Effort. The liberal left have turned to a “special prosecutor” to bring false charges against the President in an attempt to thwart him in the media and public perception.

Remember — liberals believe that “the end justifies the means” and they will lie, cheat, unify, whine, create anarchy, demonstrate, attack physically, and yes… even resort to murder. We’ve seen it before our very eyes in recent days. One of socialist Bernie Sanders’s followers tried to murder Republican legislators at a ball practice about two weeks ago. According to eyewitnesses, the shooter expended more than 50 rounds of ammunition over a 10 minute period before being taken down by police.

There is nothing any more deceptive, dirty, or mean than a cornered liberal. They will never lose or exit gracefully. They have to be voted out or thrown out.

So, how do they control America? There is a “deep state” — a “shadow government” — that crosses all political lines. Only the fictional Netflix series “House of Cards” even hints at the darkness, deception, and death caused by the “hidden government”.

Now, before you think this is all surreal or impossible — conspiracy theory stuff — consider this…

First… They control through NSA surveillance of all communications between American and foreign nations. It is this illegal surveillance that was used against Donald Trump and has now caused the fake charges against him.

Second… Education and the mainstream media are totally controlled by the “deep state.” Most large universities are almost completely anti-American and socialist in their approach. Furthermore, the liberal media uses all its power, resources, and influence to attack political enemies who oppose their agenda.

Third… They control the governmental coffers of money, and through that, much of the business and banking. They can reward and punish financially.

Fourth… They provide immunity and protection for their cronies. The corrupt and criminal Clintons remain unprosecuted while patriots like General Petraeus are criminalized.

Fifth… The “deep state” can silence their opponents through intimidation, coercion, threats, and even death.

America stands on a battle field unlike any we have ever experienced. The forces of hell are operating in the atheistic, liberal, godless entities lurking in the shadows of our great government.

Monitor 1Right now there are brave souls who are daring to try to “drain the swamp” and to clean up our politics. Unfortunately, even the Republican Party bosses are not standing shoulder to shoulder with our President. Those who love America need to send a powerful message in 2018 to the elite in our halls of government… that message must declare, “You will hear us, and you will represent us, or we will unseat you and replace you with someone who will.”

The reason former President Obama never lost a vote while he had the legislature is because they (Democrats) were unified. Unity is the key, and is something in short supply in the Republican party. Do you mean to tell me that the Republicans can unify for a ballgame, but not unify behind the individual the American people chose as President, the agenda we voted for, and the will of the people who voted them into office to represent THEM… for the good of America?

The Bible gives us this dire warning…

“Where there is no vision, the people perish…” ~ Proverbs 29:18a

Now is not the time to quit. It is time to pray, to stand, to speak out, to vote, and to believe. It is the time for the people of God to unify, and for those who have the best interests for the continued health, prosperity, order, and security of our nation to do the same.

IMG_1905

When President Obama was in office, there was very little I agreed with him on. I believed his rhetoric to be divisive. I believed his economic policies were destructive. I believed many of his social policies were godless and immoral. However, I decided I was going to pray for him every day. I encouraged others to do the same. We are commanded in the word of God to pray for those in authority, and we did so. Now I encourage every person reading this who disagrees with President Trump — about anything — to pray for him. God hears the person genuinely seeking Him, and rewards obedience, not anarchy and chaos. LincolnAbraham Lincoln once said, “He has a right to criticize who has a heart to help.” Until you are willing to be a part of the solution, you are a part of the problem. You cannot say you care about this nation if you are stubbornly unwilling to pray for those who lead this nation. As I recently read, “Hoping for President Trump to fail is like riding in a plane, and hoping the pilot fails”. What you may find, if you earnestly seek God on behalf of those in authority, is that His will is different from your perspective.

trumps-paradeI believe that the election of Donald Trump was, in part, due to the faithfulness of many who committed to prayer (and fasting) for our nation.  Now we must come together, make our voices heard, demand that the foolishness and childishness of fake news and false accusations be put aside, and for those in the halls of power to come out of the shadows, and get to work for the good of the American people. And for those who are unwilling to do that, know that your days are numbered, that your election is coming, and we the people have influence, determination, and a vote.

It’s time for patriots to rise!

img_0186

By the way…

I hope you will make plans now to join us for All-American Day on July 2, 2017 at Abba’s House in Chattanooga. Lots of patriotic music celebrating our nation and our heritage, and a moving message by our very special guest, Governor Mike Huckabee. This is an event you don’t want to miss! For more info, click the image below…

Categories
America Fresh Oil New Wine Friendship Living It Out In Real Time Spiritual Warfare The Bible The Big Event The Life of Faith The Mysteries of God Through The Looking Glass

Ready… FIRE… Aim…


So I’m perusing my news feed on social media the other day when I see this headline…

“Chip and Joanna Gaines Under Fire for Maybe
Having the ‘Wrong’ Views on LGBT Issues”

“Maybe”…

Please, take a moment and let that sink in.

“Maybe.”

Chalk outline - crossThe story, posted in The Daily Signal, discussed how the HGTV stars of Fixer Upper were in hot water with some outlets such as BuzzFeed and Cosmopolitan over the fact that they attend a church where the pastor still believes that homosexuality is a sin. Now, bear in mind that the Gaines couple, who happen to be born-again Christians, have never spoken publicly (that anyone seems to know of) about their position on homosexuality and/or gay marriage.

Cue the sirens of the “Thought-Police“.

So, if I’m getting this straight, now we have gone from…

“You are a horrible and despicable person if you speak out against what the Bible calls ‘sin'”, to…

“You are a horrible and despicable person if you think something is a sin”, to…

“You are a horrible and despicable person if I think that you think that something is a sin.”

Folks… we, as a society, have officially jumped the shark.

First_amendment_engraving,_Washington_DCPolitical correctness has indeed reached a tipping point, and for the left-wing crowd that wants to be able to say, express, and champion every progressive, “enlightened”, offensive, and ungodly idea under the auspices of “free speech”, well… here’s your First Amendment at work.

Our nation is sorely divided over LGBT issues. According to The Daily Caller article

According to Pew Research Center, as of 2016, 37 percent of adults in this country still oppose same-sex marriage, while 55 percent approve. That means over a third of Americans are still against same-sex marriage.

Meanwhile, among Christians, 54 percent thought that homosexuality should be accepted in society, per a 2014 Pew study—which means that up to 46 percent thought it shouldn’t be. Among Protestants, 44 percent believe that homosexuality should be discouraged in society.

However, as a minister of the Gospel for the vast majority of my life, I will continue to stand on the truth of the Word of God, and its definition of sin. In our day and time, with cultural forces being brought to bear on those who believe in the inerrancy and timelessness of the Bible, it would be far easier to go with the flow, follow the crowd, and preach an “I’m ok, you’re ok” doctrine that marginalizes holiness and righteousness in the name of a twisted and corrupted definition of “love”. But that isn’t how it works. The laws and principles laid out in God’s Word are sovereign and unchanging. What God says is sin is sin, for He is not bound to bend to the whims of culture and political correctness. He is God Almighty, unchanging from eternity to eternity.

In I Corinthians 13 (The Love Chapter), Paul says…

    Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. (v. 4-8a NKJV)

As a minister of the Gospel, I speak out against things that the Bible calls ‘sin’ — not in spite of love — but because of love…

… Love that puts up with being called a bigot or a homophobe because of my love for the souls of men and women who are without Christ.

… Love that is willing to risk ridicule and derision for the sake of truth.

… Love that wishes, as Christ did, that “none should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9)

But I digress… a little.

The fact is that political correctness in America has reached a point of toxicity, hypocrisy, and absurdity that warrants a long, hard look by the next administration into the injustices and persecution of conservative individuals who have simply stood on their First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and faith, while other — more politically correct — individuals are given a pass on the basis of those same rights.

And for the “who are you to judge me?” crowd to now begin persecuting people because of what they MIGHT believe??? Is that not the very essence of being judgmental? (I wish I could say this is a joke, but you really can’t make this stuff up.)

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. ~ Hebrews 4: 12-13 (NKJV)

In the end, God is the Judge of all. Until that time, whether conservative or liberal, right or wrong, we must all be ready to be offended in some way by some person who has a differing viewpoint from our own. That is the whole essence of discourse or having a conversation — to share differing ideas and opinions. 

And who knows… in the process, we might actually learn something about ourselves, about others, and about what it means to live and exist outside of the bubble of our own ideas. As Christians, we might actually become better informed to make the difference that Jesus called us to make, in the lives of others and in our world. We might start changing minds and hearts because of, not just a message of love and forgiveness, but a lifestyle and attitude that uncompromisingly walks the talk.

 

Categories
America Fresh Oil New Wine 2015 Healing Living It Out In Real Time Spiritual Warfare The Big Event The Life of Faith The Mysteries of God Through The Looking Glass

It’s A Wonderful Politically Correct Life

It’s THAT time of year. The time of tinsel and lights. The time of Christmas trees and trimming. The time of carols, peace on earth, and good will. It’s the time for…

It’s A Wonderful Life!

GB3No matter how many times we view it, it seems that every year, viewing the Frank Capra/Jimmy Stewart classic is as much a tradition of the season of Christmas as decking the halls, drinking egg nog, or wearing ugly sweaters. No matter how many times we see the image of George Bailey running down the snow-filled streets of Bedford Falls, screaming to people, buildings, and other inanimate objects, it gives us hope to know that George will discover the deeper meaning of Christmas, that he will learn a lot about friendship and the love people have for him, that his life does matter, and that Clarence does get his wings.

And we learn all of this, and leave our seats with a warm and happy feeling of hope and joy — not just for George, but for ourselves as well — all the while leaning heavy on the spirit of Christmas, and ignoring…

Political correctness.

Regardless of your political persuasion, the vast majority of people who watch It’s A Wonderful Life (and for that matter, most other Christmas classics) are forced to ignore a fair amount of what we would now term “political correctness”. We have to ignore portrayals, dialogue, and stereotypes that fly in the face of our 2015 social sensibilities. We tend to overlook these things for a variety of reasons…

“Well, that show was filmed a long time ago.”

“Culture was very different then.”

“It’s the season of good will… let it slide.”

GB1“So what are you saying Pastor??? Are you saying that we should crack down on George Bailey, Santa Claus, Frosty, and Rudolph???”

Not at all, and quite the opposite. What I am saying is that maybe we have allowed political correctness to run amok. Maybe we should take a long, hard look at what we consider politically correct, and stop wasting our time fighting over things that matter not an iota while the world goes to Hell. Maybe we should cut each other the slack in January through November that we afford George, Sam Wainwright (“hee haw!!!”), Uncle Billy, and even Old Man Potter in December. Maybe the fact that we are less offended in December lies less in a spirit of good will, and more in the fact that we have become a culture that works very hard to be offended, and go out of our way to wear every offense like a badge of honor. We have become perpetual victims, moving from offense to offense, looking for the next people group we can turn into the next victim and downtrodden minority.

Are there legitimate poor and afflicted in this world?

Absolutely.

My point is that the person waiting in the wings, stirring up dissension, and cashing in on the next “soapbox of social injustice” is probably not a crusader for a cause… they are more than likely simply a voice of division and disharmony and simply cashing in.

The Bible cautions us…

Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry,
For anger rests in the bosom of fools…

Also do not take to heart everything people say,

Lest you hear your servant cursing you.
For many times, also, your own heart has known
That even you have cursed others. ~ Ecclesiastes 7:9, 21-22

Fools show their annoyance at once,
    but the prudent overlook an insult. ~ Proverbs 12:16 (NIV)

Sure, there are things we need to take a stand for… TRUTH being chief among them. But when we go into every situation intent on being offended, we probably won’t be disappointed.

GB2Honestly, we would do well to rediscover the ability to laugh at ourselves. Proverbs 17:22 says that a merry heart does good, like a medicine… But when the offense is legitimate or grave, we should probably step back, take a long look at the situation and our motives, and ask if our offense is better fought through confrontation or prayer.

Then take it to prayer.

 

Categories
America Fresh Oil New Wine 2015 Living It Out In Real Time The Big Event The Mysteries of God The Secret Place Through The Looking Glass

What Motivates YOU?

 

 

Through the Looking Glass

With all of the news in recent months about some courageous Christians in our nation standing up for what they believe in the face of “politically correct” individuals and special interest groups, activist judges, and Constitutional revisionists, I felt this was worth repeating…

Russian author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn made this quote:

You only have power over people so long as you don’t take everything away from them. But when you’ve robbed a man of everything, he’s no longer in your power — he’s free again.

Manipulating a person is easy when you find out what they treasure. What a person fears loss, they can be made to do almost anything.

What an insight into the spiritual realm. As long as we have things that we hold onto tighter than our love for Jesus, we will always live in fear, and will always be subject to manipulation by the devil.

Jesus tells us in His Word that those who “lose their life for My sake will gain it” (Matthew 10:39). If we lay everything that we hold sacred at the feet of Jesus, we’ll find that nothing that we possess can compare to knowing Him.

That is the one thing no one can ever take away.