LIFE IS SOMETIMES DIFFICULT……


Today, I want to address something that has been weighing on my heart for some time – L I F E. There is a Latin phrase, “Nascimur et nati morimur” which means “We are born and having been born we are dying.” Said another way “We begin to die as soon as we are born, and the end is linked to the beginning.” This is said in a little different way in Ecclesiastes 7:1“A good name is better than a good ointment, and the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth.” NASU Truthfully, we all know that in our mortal flesh none of us will live forever and there will come a day when we cease to “live” in these mortal bodies. The Bible, at least for the believer, refers to this as “sleep”, because it is transitioning from this life to the after-life or eternity. So, there is a process that begins when we discover this world through being born (naturally) and continues until we die (naturally). We call that process L I F E.

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had people ask me questions such as, “Why did God allow this or that to happen?” and “Why do bad things happen to good people?” To me, those are the wrong questions. It is a classic distortion of L I F E by the enemy of our souls, in an attempt to affix blame for anything bad, negative, difficult, or uncomfortable to God. This is not new, we saw it in the Garden of Eden, and based on Isaiah’s writings he used it to persuade one-third of the angels to follow him in rebellion. Yet, tragically many fall victim to this and either blame God for life’s difficulties or become self-deprecating and blame themselves allowing guilt, shame, and a sense of worthlessness to become a prevailing mind-set in their lives. This not only makes life more difficult, it allows the individual to fail to rise above the fray and “become” what God intends for them. To use the Army’s phrase, “Be all you can be!”

The apostle Paul addressed this in Romans 8:28 – “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” NASU I’ve faced the unenviable task of consoling a mother over the death of her daughter and four grandchildren. I stood there speechless as she beat me in the chest, crying uncontrollably yelling, “Why preacher? Why?” I’ve stood by parents who lost a child in an automobile accident due to being hit by an intoxicated driver and heard them question what they had done to bring this about. I’ve stayed up all night with a husband whose wife left him for another man and took their three small children without giving him any explanation. I’ve worked with people who lost everything in a fire, tornado, or flood and saw in their eyes the myriad of questions, concerns, and fears. Yes, sometimes we do things that open the door to disastrous events transpiring in our lives. Yet, there are times when it was not our doing that created the situation, and to blame ourselves or God is the wrong path to follow. God never promised us that life would be without problems. In fact Job said,“Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. 2 He comes forth like a flower and fades away; He flees like a shadow and does not continue.” Job 14:1-2 NKJV You see, LIFE is not without its problems, pitfalls, and difficulties. The question is not why, but what do we do now? We are in the process of being transformed into His image and learning to fully trust Him in everything. I really don’t think any of us are there yet, and with the apostle Paul I say: “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. 16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.” Philippians 3:14-16 NKJV

God gave me a way of understanding this process a number of years ago, and it has provided me comfort in some very difficult times. I needed it when the surgeon came to me as I was waking up in my room after parathyroid surgery and said, “I’m sorry, I was wrong the tumor is malignant and we had to go back in and remove more tissue and we hope we got it all.” I needed it when my urologist advised me that what he saw via the scope was a bladder tumor that he’d seen hundreds of times and he had no doubt it was malignant. I have needed it on more occasions that I care to remember, but drew an immeasurable amount strength from it then and now, frequently. I rest in the comfort of His promise in 2 Corinthians 12:9“…My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness…” NKJV

How God helped me reconcile L I F E is as follows: It’s like baking a chocolate cake from scratch. The multiple and varied ingredients are events, decisions, encounters, and happenings in life. Most of them, standing alone are not good. I don’t know about you but the thought of a bowl of flour is not appealing to me. You may consider raw eggs good (but not me). A spoonful of baking soda, a measure of salt (by itself), the bitter chocolate used for baking or even a cup or two of sugar are not things that cause my palate to become inspired. The only ingredient that I could handle as a stand-alone item would be the milk and truly it is not good for you from a health standpoint. Those things represent L I F E. Obviously in baking a cake you amass all the ingredients and then begin, but in L I F E they come one by one most of the time and usually over long periods of time, but they come. Once you have the ingredients you put them into a mixing bowl, (L I F E) and blend, mix, beat, until those individual ingredients are no longer identifiable as separate items but are now the makings of a chocolate cake. L I F E usually provides us with times when we must endure being beaten to a pulp, but each new ingredient once it is fully blended into our lives, helps move us toward becoming the finished product that God has in mind. If it stopped there it would be difficult enough but it doesn’t. Once you have blended the mix for the cake you pour it into a pan, turn up the heat in the oven and cook it. Sometimes, you feel as though you have gone as far as you can go and cannot possibly stand anything else only to find that God allows you to enter the oven of life where the heat is turned up. That is a necessary part of the process because unless that step transpires you will NEVER have a chocolate cake. Simply, you will never become His design for your life. It’s part of the process! It’s not fair! It’s not fun! Most of it is far from desirable in the individual steps, but when you understand where it is taking you, there can be rejoicing because you will BECOME as John declared in 1 John 4:17“…as He is, so are we in this world.” NKJV This is illustrated in 2 Corinthians 3:15-18“But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” NKJV

Therefore, I encourage you, do not despair but realize God has not lost control? He will guide us in this process called LIFE. He will guide us in this troubled world. He will NEVER leave us nor will He every FORSAKE us, so instead of despair, lift up your eyes to the heavens and your heart to His spirit and REJOICE! No matter how difficult L I F E becomes, think about that chocolate cake you are becoming! IF you have allowed yourself to make wrong decisions, committed sin, resisted His grace REPENT but DO NOT QUIT! If you find that some of the things have come upon you because of your error, don’t quit, don’t beat yourself to a pulp, cry out to Him in repentance and allow the work of the Holy Spirit to “transform” you into what He desires that you become. It’s like the words of a country song where a man gives his wife a message from God saying, “Please be patient, I’m a work in progress.” We all are, and one day we will see Him face to face and behold Him knowing it was worth it all.

This country may cease to exist as we know it. We may find ourselves virtual scavengers trying to find food, shelter, and clothing but HE WILL NOT FAIL. No matter what, DO NOT GIVE UP! Your miracle is just a heartbeat away! L I F E is difficult but what we are now living in the present world is TEMPORARY!

Thank you for indulging me as I have shared my heart and it is my prayer that this will be a blessing to you and if you desire to share it with someone else please feel free to do so. My sincere prayer is “May God bless you and keep you, make His face to shine upon you, be gracious unto you, and give you peace!”

AMERICA DESERVES BETTER OR DO WE????


I know that my title is probably puzzling for those who know me and know how Pro-American, Pro-Constitution, and Pro-God I am. I am still firmly rooted in my core belief that this is the greatest country in the world, bar none. I believe that our system of government as designed and implemented by the framers of the Constitution is the best system the world has ever known, in the governments of men. I would declare that the only thing better would be a world in which Christ ruled completely and everyone accepted and acknowledged His Lordship. That Kingdom will come, but at the present time we are left with the frailty of human governments. None of which are perfect, because none of us are perfect.

But, back to my question – Does America deserve better? I can argue from both sides of that coin, but basically, YES! Our Republican Democracy has been under attack for a long time and has slowly been eroded to the point that recently a Democrat Congressman, said that the President was becoming an absolute Monarch. Of course, he would not say that on all matters but on the matter of the conflict in Libya he did. We have watched our freedoms slowly be taken from us and from the States individually for decades and most of the time little resistance surfaced when it happened. Those in Washington, at all levels, have appeared oblivious to the restraints placed on them by the Constitution and have circumvented it on every hand. Sadly, too many of us were either asleep at the wheel or since it didn’t seem to directly impact us personally felt no need to stand up in opposition. We have become the proverbial frog in a pan of water that has been slowly heated to the point that we succumbed without resistance!. Most of the losses of freedom were gradual and incremental unlike those of the past two plus years under this President.

Today, if we took stock of the freedoms we have gradually given up and those recently ripped from our hands, we would be in shock. Actually, some of us are! There is no question that the debt we now have, had participants from all sides. Only as movements such as the Tea Party began to form at the grass-roots level did anyone in Congress seem to take note of our opinions. Sadly, the result of the 2010 elections has only minimally improved the situation in Washington and there is much more work needed if we are going to convince everyone from the Whitehouse to the Outhouse that we are serious and won’t take it any longer. The interest alone on our debt is unmanageable and yet we repeatedly are told that bigger government and more spending by that big government is the answer. I don’t know about you, but in my personal finances I have never been able to spend my way out of financial problems. I have had to tighten the belt, even when it was difficult. I have had to make sacrifices and eliminate those expenditures that were not absolutely essential and even in some of those had to make adjustments. I know what it is to not have enough money to buy enough food for three meals a day. I know what it’s like to not have money for gas and walked to work part of the time. I know what it’s like to not be able to travel, even to see family due to lack of funds. I’ve been there, done that, bought the T-shirt, and survived. I have had God supernaturally provide for me in more ways than I can enumerate in this short post and am eternally grateful for that. Yet, our government doesn’t seem to understand that principle and knows that the only way that they can continue their insatiable desire to spend is to TAX us more and more. Yet, the more they take from us, the less we are likely to be able to dig our way out of this financial mess our country is in. I’ve had times when I knew it was time to CUT UP THE CREDIT CARDS and did. WASHINGTON NOW IS THAT TIME FOR YOU!

This administration has ignored Congress, judges, the Constitution, and used various governmental agencies to implement its policies and programs. It has ignored the overwhelming desire of the American people for various things to not be implemented. It has lectured us on civility while engaging in the most uncivil attacks on the opposition parties and people. It now has tapped into the Strategic Oil Reserve saying that supply will lower the price at the pump and enhance the economy, yet refuses to allow us to go after the oil resources that are yet underground and untapped. The first lady lectures us on our eating habits and yet in her recent trip she has eaten the very items that we are not supposed to eat and her husband is a regular offender of her proposed diet. It seems that Washington – all of it, feels that everything they say or do is for WE THE PEOPLE but not THEM! I must protest and say what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. If you enact something you participate in it. If you want us to sacrifice, then by all means lead by example! Does America deserve better – YES! Is America going to get better – only time will tell!

I come back to the place that I have every time I’ve written something – We must return to God as individuals, churches, communities, cities, States, and as a nation. We must seek Him first and foremost above all else and we must become people of prayer, else our nation, as the founders envisioned, and we have enjoyed is history. I don’t mean to come across pessimistic, for I am confident in the power of prayer and believe that as Israel of old cried out to God, if we will cry out in humble repentance and sincerity He will hear our cries and heal our land. We absolutely must be honorable individually and demand it of ALL elected officials regardless of party affiliation. As a Christian, a veteran, and an American I have hope that God and the American people will prevail against this present attack on our Republic! That reminds me of the statement in the Book of Judges – “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.” So I say, “The sword of the Lord, and the American people.” (I speak spiritually and am not calling for armed revolution). May God Bless America and you as well!

WHERE IS OUR DELIVERER????


The world has from time to time needed a deliverer to free various groups of people from bondage and in virtually every case it has been the result of “Fervent Prayer”, even “Intercessory Prayer” that has moved the hand of God to provide that deliverer. We can go back to Exodus and see the plight of the Israelites in Egyptian bondage and watch the deliverer arrive in the person of Moses. Numerous times in Scripture we find God providing a man or woman, as in the case of Deborah to lead out of bondage and into victory. Sadly, deliverance lasted only so long as the deliverer lived and then people began to enjoy the ease and comfort of their freedom and drifted back into some type of bondage repeatedly. Yet, the grace and mercy of God was such that when they “seriously” cried out to Him in repentance and desperation He sent them a deliverer. He has demonstrated His longsuffering throughout history to His glory and our shame.

When this fledgling nation called the United States of America was attempting to hammer out a Constitution that would stand the test of time, protect the inalienable rights of its citizens as free men and women they almost failed because of personal ideology, prejudices, preferences and personality conflicts. With the potential of failure looming and seeming assured, God moved on the heart of one man to point the convention in the right direction and not only saved the effort but produced, a document and government that would weather the storms of time so long as it was, adhered to and followed as, the governing document by which our government operates. That man was Benjamin Franklin.

Franklin stood and addressed the weary and despondent participants with the following address as he spoke to the convention and President Washington:

“Mr. President,
“In this situation of this Assembly, groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understanding! In the beginning of the contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayer in this room for the Divine protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered … And have we forgotten this powerful Friend? Or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance? I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth — that God governs in the affairs of men.”

This was a gathering of some of the most amazing thinkers the world has ever known who had forgotten one simple little point in the process. That is when Franklin reminded them of this simple truth that became the cornerstone of the founding of this Republic. He said: “If a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?” He didn’t stop there but added: “We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.”

It was at that time Franklin pressed even further to remind the delegates of what most politicians today and many Americans have lost sight of and is the reason we need a deliverer. He said:
“I firmly believe that without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel. We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded; and we ourselves shall become a reproach and a bye word down to future ages … I therefore beg leave to move — that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business ….”

The delegates agreed with Mr. Franklin and made daily prayer at the beginning of their deliberations a key foundational element in their deliberations and from that prayer came, the Constitution of these United States of America and the Bill of Rights. This is not a nation formed by happenstance but one founded on the principles and guidance of God Himself. I know some will protest but history reveals this as truth and we see it in their writings, the document they produced and should treasure it, defend it, and preserve it. They gave us something the world had never seen before or after and it is in danger of crumbling because of those who disregard and disrespect not only the Constitution but any need for guidance from the Almighty God! If you take God’s guidance out of government you cannot have true freedom and liberty. You will ultimately find that you are living in a state where whomever is in control legislates and imposes their will upon the masses. That state has many titles and is called many things but it is not LIBERTY nor is it FREEDOM!

AMERICA we need a “deliverer” to step on the scene and lead us out of this dismal place of darkness and back into a true relationship with God where we actually make the motto on our money a reality in our government and lives – “IN GOD WE TRUST.” I don’t know who this deliverer is today. I do know who our ultimate deliverer is and that is JESUS CHRIST Himself. It is past time that we talk about praying for this nation and world and time we made it paramount in our lives. I don’t want to live in Tyranny but even if that comes I TRUST GOD. I treasure this country’s founding principles and what it has been for decades. I don’t want to lose it and see the direction now being taken by the leadership (so-called), as a path of destruction. So, I’m crying out for a DELIVERER!

That being said, we all have our own ideas, ideologies, preferences, etc. politically and even spiritually but one thing we must come to terms with is that if we want to keep America Free we MUST:

1. Turn to God with a whole heart.
2. Unite around His Purposes and Principles.
3. Pray incessantly for His mercy and deliverance.

The 2012 election is, in my opinion, the most crucial this country has ever faced. I make no secret of the fact that my political views are conservative and believe that Mr. Obama is destructive to this country. If you agree with me that we need a change in the Whitehouse then I urge you to allow the nomination process play out and once there has been an individual selected to oppose him, stop bickering and nitpicking that candidate and support him or her. If you decide you want a third-party candidate you will facilitate electing Barak Obama to a second term and that would be worse than any candidate the Republicans can choose. At this point, I do not expect a perfect candidate but I do pray for one that will “HONOR GOD”, ‘DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION”, and work with Congress to turn back the clock on many of the destructive things that have transpired over the term of this President. You do not have to agree with me and you are certainly free to do whatever you believe best and that you must do for your own conscience sake. I only ask that you consider what I have proposed and make this nation a matter of serious prayer beginning today, if you have not already done so.

May God bless you and may God bless this great nation!

THE ELECTION OF 2012 MUST BE ABOUT THE CONSTITUTION


In talking to a lot of people about the 2012 Elections (all of them), I find that the interest of many are only the issues that they feel have directly impacted them. With that philosophy we will be a party, a people, and a nation divided and faced with the real potential of four more years of what we have and worse. It is my contention that we either make the 2012 election about the Constitution or we are in danger of losing America as a Free Democratic Republic and live under Tyranny even if it’s not called that. Few people, it seems, have studied the Constitution understand the role of God in the establishment and perpetuation of this nation, and the value of morality and integrity at all levels including those elected to public office. We have become a nation looking out for “number one” and that “number one” being ourselves and that will lead to the demise of any society.

Peter Marshall made a profound statement, “The choice before us is plain, Christ or chaos, conviction or compromise, discipline or disintegration. I am rather tired of hearing about our rights and privileges as American citizens. The time is come, it now is, when we ought to hear about the duties and responsibilities of our citizenship. America’s future depends upon her accepting and demonstrating God’s government.” (Peter Marshall, The Rebirth of America, page 205, 1986, Arthur S. DeMoss Foundation) That is the foundation upon which we must return if we are to see this country restored to what our founders and I believe God intended.

Our founders did not view things from “Left Wing” or “Right Wing” but from ANARCHY or TYRANNY and wanted to prevent both extremes in the writing of the Constitution and establishing this great nation. They wanted to avoid TYRANNY by insuring that the government would not be in the hands of a single person or a selected few. They also wanted to avoid ANARCHY by insuring that we had some government but limited and based on biblical and moral values. James Madison addressed this by saying, “The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite. These powers reserved to the several States will extend to all the objects, which, in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives, liberties, and properties of the people, and the internal order, improvement, and prosperity of the State.” (Federalist Papers, No. 45, pp. 292-293)

They continually warned against creation of a “Welfare State” where the government endeavored to take care of everyone from cradle to grave. Jefferson wrote: “If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretense of taking care of them, they must become happy.” (Bergh, Writings of Thomas Jefferson, 10:342) They warned about taxes that was equivalent to confiscation of people’s money and or property and believed it was IMMORAL for one generation to pass on its debt to the next generation. He makes this clear by writing, “… we shall all consider ourselves unauthorized to saddle posterity with our debts, and morally bound to pay them ourselves; and consequently within what may be deemed the period of a generation, or the life [expectancy] of the majority.” (Ibid. 13:358)

They believed that it was imperative that the electorate be “enlightened” and “informed”. Jefferson again wrote, “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and will never be.” (Ford, Writings of Thomas Jefferson, 10:4) Samuel Adams went so far as to say that public officials should NOT be chosen if they were lacking experience, training, proven virtue, and demonstrated wisdom. Franklin, Adams, Jefferson, Washington and others believed that public office should only be sought out of honor rather than profit or power. In fact Franklin prophesied that failing to follow this would result in an America that had a monarchy though it would not be called such it would be an executive with monarchial powers.

The founders believed that without religion and the overriding recognition of God the Government of a free people could not be maintained and they wove that principle into the Constitution. Although many have attempted to malign Franklin for his religious beliefs he laid out some principles that provided foundational ideas for the Constitution and the basis for the continued success of this nation. He wrote: “Here is my creed: I believe in one God, the Creator of the universe. That He governs it by His providence. That He ought to be worshipped. That the most acceptable service we render to Him is in doing good to His other children. That the soul of man is immortal, and will be treated with justice in another life respecting its conduct in this. These I take to be the fundamental points of sound religion.” (Smyth, Writings of Benjamin Franklin, 10:84)

The framers believed that these truths should uniformly be taught in the public schools:
1. There exists a Creator who made all things, and mankind should recognize and worship Him.
2. The Creator has revealed a moral code of behavior for happy living which distinguishes right from wrong.
3. The Creator holds mankind responsible for the way they treat each other.
4. All mankind live beyond this life.
5. Mankind will be judged In the next life for their conduct in this one.

They came from vastly different beliefs or Sects but agreed on the basic principles and wove them into the Constitution. They encouraged use of public facilities for worship services, sought to establish schools in the newly settled western areas to insure that these principles would not be lost. They believed it was vital that every person be schooled in the Constitution, Religion and Morality. The idea of separation of Church and State was to insure that the Federal Government did not establish a State Religion and otherwise should stay out of religious affairs. They desired freedom of religion and speech for every person. They wanted the federal government extremely limited in its powers and that each branch of government would serve with integrity balancing out the other branches. They never envisioned the Supreme Court or any judiciary as touching the Constitution. They basically established a principle of Government patterned after that of Moses through the advice of his father-in-law Jethro. Each group beginning with the smallest and their selected leader would resolve the problems and issues of the group and if need be appeal to the next larger group, up to the highest authority. This new government they envisioned as of the people, by the people and for the people. We have turned it into government of the government and the people ignored, spurned, ridiculed, manipulated and mistreated.

Today, we have violated so many basic principles laid down by the founders the federal government is nothing like what they envisioned. We have elected officials including the President who ignore or hold disdain for the Constitution and seek to circumvent it. The founders warned that if any branch was ever occupied by people not holding to the principles of God, morality and integrity and failed in their duties to provide the proper checks and balances we would lose our Republic. We are at that place today, that is why I say that the Election of 2012 is about the Constitution.

If we do not get back to the Constitution we have lost this country. My search is for candidates who will support and defend the Constitution of these United States of America. However, first I have to find one that understands the Constitution. I continue my quest to intercede for this nation and elicit the help of all who will dare to become involved. May God Bless this country and may He bless each of you in your struggle for His purposes on this earth!

WHEN INTEGRITY COLLIDES WITH IDEOLOGY…..


The Book of Proverbs offers a beautiful picture of “integrity”, which we would all be well served to not only read but practice. That applies to the individual on the street, the member on the pew in church, the ministers in the pulpit, law officers, all professions and most definitely POLITICIANS!

Proverbs 4:23-27 – “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. 24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth and put devious speech far from you.
25 Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. 26 Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established. 27 Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil.” NASU

As a society and a nation we are in deep trouble when “integrity” and “ideology” collide and ideology wins. Sadly, in my view, that is where we are today in America and much of the world. Too many are willing to say or do whatever is expedient to receive whatever benefit or reward they are seeking. I say that with regard to churches, businesses, professions and politicians. We are facing difficult times and if there was ever a time when INTEGRITY needs to become the cornerstone of our actions, thought processes, and relationships, it is today. People are hurting, fear is welling up inside hearts, families are falling apart, and as a nation we need our moral compass reestablished. There are many things that trouble me regarding the political scene but one of the latest things that bothers me deeply, is the seeming disregard for our moral values coming from the President. I disagree with his ideology and make no secret of that. I disagree with his political agenda and make no secret of that. I do not want him reelected to a second term and make no secret of that. However, when our Navy Seals took out Osama bin Laden I was willing to give him due credit for signing off on the mission. I don’t know if he was, coerced as some have suggested. I don’t know if he did it only for political expediency or because he genuinely considered Osama bin Laden a threat to our National Security. Either way, he had to sign off on the mission for it to take place and I give him credit for that. Many things regarding the incident trouble me, including his unwillingness to give any credit to former President Bush for putting the mechanics in place for the ten years of intelligence gathering to result in this success. It is troubling to me that on his watch, the ceremony for Osama bin Laden included prayers that effectively validated the heinous actions of this terrorist murderer. Additionally, his victory laps, while saying that we don’t need to spike the football, are difficult for me. Yet, I still say “Good Work” on getting Osama bin Laden.

The most recent thing that troubles me is inviting the rapper “Common” to the Whitehouse and saying that he appreciates the way this individual gets kids to focus on poetry. What? What is it that he gets them to focus on and what message does he send? He has rapped praising the cop killer Shakur who has now escaped prison and fled to Cuba is that the poetry that we want our kids focusing on? He rapped, “Burn a Bush cos’ for peace he no push no button/Killing over oil and grease/no weapons of destruction.” Is that what we want them focusing on? Totally disrespecting his predecessor and suggesting that he be burned. This rapper has defended the Rev. Jeremiah Wright who called for God to damn America or was using his liberty to curse from the pulpit. Rev. Wright, a man who has expressed racial hatred and called for the complete annihilation of Israel. Is that what we want our kids to focus on? For me, this is a case of “integrity” meeting “ideology” and integrity losing! Unless this “music artist” recants the statements I have alluded to, he should not be promoted by the Whitehouse as someone our kids can look up to. Mr. President when you allow someone of questionable character, who has openly voiced approval of a “cop killer”, suggested “burning” a former President and defended a preacher who has openly been anti-American, anti-Semitic, and engaged in racist activities you say to our kids, “this is okay and acceptable.” IT IS NOT!

I know that on the scale of life this could be considered a minor point, but it is not with regard to our moral values as a people. I look at this in light of the fact that Mr. Obama has declared that this nation is no longer a “Christian Nation” and that troubles me as a follower of Christ. However, he is not alone in this matter of “integrity” vs. “ideology”. Sadly, there are some on both sides that are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their ideological aspirations even if it means putting integrity in the closet or behind locked doors. Reverend Wright, God may indeed damn America if we don’t wake up, repent, and return to Him, but it won’t be for the ideology you promote it will be because of SIN.

I have posted before that I have committed to interceding for the nation and am doing that. When I see someone in the public arena who demonstrates “integrity”, I immediately begin to follow their activities and actions to see if it is, in my limited view, genuine. Today, I do not know who I will support during the campaigning season, that is way too long, but I will be closely watching for signs of “integrity”. I have seen some signs of it but hold back from naming names until I have opportunity to watch more carefully. Personally, I have not seen it from the President. You may totally disagree with me and that is your Constitutional right to do so. I long for someone to stand up and display integrity, honesty, and forthrightness. I want a leader who will not sacrifice integrity for expediency and will stand resolutely on the side of God and right. Have no fear, if I determine that a candidate exhibits those qualities, I will become very vocal in my support and be willing to offer my time and whatever funds I can afford to his/her campaign.

I am Christian in my core principles and values and conservative in my political views. For me, it is God first and that cannot be lip service but a demonstrated walk that matches the talk. Americans are more educated today than ever and yet we become so passionately involved in ideology that we often diminish or dismiss the importance of facts and the historical record. We dare not allow that to become our compass or we perish as a nation and a people. I would urge everyone who prays, to pray for salvation for our politicians and the forgiveness of God for our nation. I would plead that we all follow the prescription in the passage from Proverbs that I began this blog with. If we do that, we will see the hand of God move and “integrity” will win in the battle with “ideology.” It is my desire and prayer that God bless each of you and that He bless this nation.

The Debt Dilemma….


After watching a video today on the National Debt and it’s enormity I began thinking about debt in general and how it impacts individuals, families, corporations, churches and governments. I won’t get into the debate about whether a person should ever incur any debt or not, only confess that I have debt and we are working to eliminate it. The question or issue I want to address is “What is the effect of debt?” Honestly, I do not have the time, space, or expertise to fully address that question but would like to share a few thoughts regarding it.

The writer of Proverbs, speaking under inspiration of the Holy Spirit makes a powerful statement in Proverbs 22:7 – “…the borrower is servant to the lender.” NKJV Simply put, debt enslaves us. I have a mortgage and a certain percentage of my time is dedicated to earning enough money to make that mortgage payment. Therefore, the lending institution owns a certain percentage of my life, because time is life. Whatever debt you have requires you to invest a percentage of your life to fulfill the debt, making you a servant to that item and institution. My paternal grandfather never owned an automobile because he believed that he should purchase nothing unless he could pay cash for it, and never had the cash to pay for an automobile. My parents did not adopt that philosophy, so they incurred debt, although not a large amount. Most of us grew up in a world where to own a home, possibly a car and other things we had to incur debt and begin making payments to support our lifestyle. Not debating the issue, just stating that whether we over extended ourselves, or purchased what might be considered the basic necessities, we obligated ourselves to a lender and thereby became servants to that lender whomever, it might be. Sadly, I’ve known of preachers who felt a call of God to do or go places, but because of the financial debt they had incurred they felt they could not follow the call. Debt is a harsh taskmaster and quite an unforgiving one at that.

Have you ever said to anyone or has anyone ever said to you, “You owe me one.” If so, you either found yourself with an expected obligation or placed someone under an obligation. The same is true with the phrase, “return the favor.” It carries the idea of obligation. A gift or assistance that requires repayment or an expected reciprocation is not a gift, it is a debt and debts carry no reward spiritually. I have no issue with friends going out for a meal and one pays one time and the other the next, but if done with a sense that I am paying tonight and expect you to reciprocate at some time in the future, then I have indebted you rather than treating you out of the generousness and love of my heart. In a real sense, I have enslaved you to my expectations, and that perception of debt can destroy friendships, relationships and even families. I have had people do things for me that I knew expected nothing in return, but I indebted myself through my sense of obligation or satisfying my pride or ego to repay them. They did it out of a genuine spirit of generosity, but instead of receiving it as such I felt obligated to reciprocate, after all my pride said, “I do not want charity.” If my desire to help them when they were in need was solely out of love, Christian generosity and willingness to help anyone, that is wonderful! However, if I do it because I remember that they did something for me, its debt and creates, a cycle of obligation that is foreign to biblical principles. Galatians 6:10 advises us that as we have opportunity we should do good for everyone, and especially those of the household of faith. My gift of money or service is not just given to the person but to God with nothing expected in return. Having the ability to do it is truly reward enough, and yet I know from a biblical perspective, that God will bless and enrich our lives as a result, but if I show Christian kindness and charity expecting something in return, its debt.

How do you get rid of debt? Nationally, personally, or on a corporate level, you have to stop incurring new debt, and pay down the principal. Simply put, you have to make the interest payments and additional payments on the remaining principal without adding to the principal by additional borrowing. Nationally, we are a trillion miles from that philosophy. We are hearing a great deal about the deficit, but little about the debt. Reducing the deficit only slows the amount of increased debt we are incurring it does not solve the problem. So, nationally if we are to pay off the debt that this nation has incurred, two things have to happen:

1. We must spend less than we take in.
2. We must apply the excess to paying both principal and interest on the existing debt.

Do I think that those running our government or the populace will ever allow this to happen? NO! We have become a welfare entitlement nation, and most politicians and people want cuts everywhere but where it affects them. So we ignore the debt, and make an issue of the deficit, which we must address, but not at the expense of addressing the debt itself. WHY? Because, we are in debt to nations who have long desired our destruction, and through our debt we are, in a great measure, enslaved by those Peoples. That is a precarious position and one that will, in all likelihood, eventually destroy our nation. If we were to cease spending on a national level, and use every dime of revenue to pay on the debt it would not be paid off in centuries, so I see no possibility of it happening. We would, at best, reduce spending only slightly and the excess applied to the debt would require millenniums not centuries to pay off.

That brings me to my final thought which addresses the issue on a more personal level. Let’s examine our own personal lifestyles and determine that we will seek to become debt free. That means more than just a little tightening of the belt it means a radical lifestyle change. What would it mean if every believer was debt free? It would mean that the funds that God places in our hands could not only provide for our necessities, even a few things beyond, and produce trillions for the work of the Kingdom of God. A very wealthy individual told me once that when he realized that debt was servitude he and his wife changed their lifestyle and only purchased what they could pay cash for. They then made investments and gave the rest to God, and over the years God had so engineered their lives that they had more money than they or their children could ever spend. This individual’s giving amounted to approximately 90% of his increase annually, and yet his net worth continued to grow. They were no longer slaves!

I am deeply troubled by our National Debt, but I am more troubled by my personal debt. Yet, I am most thankful for the fact that I owed a debt that I could not pay and Jesus paid a debt that He did not owe so that I could be free spiritually! Thank you Lord for your sacrifice! You paid it freely and willingly, and truthfully asked nothing in return. I received that gift, and on this Easter will be ever so mindful of the enormous sacrifice you made to free me from the bondage of the debt of sin! While, I cannot cease speaking out about some things political, deep inside, my heart cries for freedom, not just spiritually but financially as well. I cry for that personally and for our nation! May God richly bless you on this celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord!

I WASN’T BRAVE – – MERCY REWROTE MY LIFE!


I grew up in an environment where most people honored God, their country and their word. I was, and in many ways still am, a country boy from rural East Texas. We lived a simple life but were never lacking for something to eat, clothes to wear, discipline or love. We were just normal people, pretty much like everybody else around us. We were proud that we were Texans, and even more proud that we were Americans. During the last portion of my high school days, the Vietnam War was escalating, and most of us knew that in all likelihood we would be in the military and many if not most of us would end up in that part of the world called Vietnam, in Southeast Asia. We hardly knew what the fight was all about, but our parents raised us to honor the flag, what it stood and stands for. We didn’t protest the war, burn our draft cards or flee to Canada or some other parts of the world to avoid being drafted. We just waited and when our names came up, we reported to the induction station indicated and served in that branch of the service or joined the particular branch of our choice, but we served. As 18-20 year old, young men we didn’t focus much on politics, we were more interested in girls, cars and trying to make a dollar. Most of us were not particularly mad at anyone, and certainly not enough to want to travel half-way around the world and kill them, but we prepared to do just that. It wasn’t because we were brave, blood thirsty, war mongers, evil or anything like that. It was because our country asked us to do it. Most of us went to Vietnam believing that we were going to fight for freedom; freedom for the South Vietnamese people who wanted out from under the iron fist and tyranny of the communist dictatorship of the North.
I went to boot camp while still 18 and turned 20 in Vietnam. I saw and experienced things during my year there that I have tried to forget since returning home. I don’t talk about it and probably never will other than to say, God spared my life numerous times and looking back I can see His hand of protection during the entire time although I was not serving Him. I would lay awake at night after coming home, because of the things etched in my mind and lived a façade trying to hide the troubled mind and spirit from family and friends. I believe that I did a good job of it and doubt that they ever knew the nightmares and phobias I had developed. I wore a mask, because I didn’t want my mother to have any idea of what I saw or did. I was an empty shell, drinking, carousing, partying, and completely numb to where my life was or where it was heading. I wasn’t brave, but I almost volunteered to go back in the military and go back to Vietnam after being home a few months because, there I knew what to do and how to act, in Texas I didn’t. When you’ve taken up arms against another human being and learned to develop a hatred for that person or people it is hard to shift gears and trust people. I was cynical, skeptical, often unfeeling, and uncaring! I detested every anti-war protester, primarily because people I knew and cared about did not make it back home. They paid the ultimate sacrifice fighting for freedom, and in a sense, the right of those protesters to protest. I stand for that right, but it didn’t make it any easier to accept. I came home on a hospital plane and one of my team mates and I were the only two ambulatory people on the plane. We landed in San Francisco and the men on stretchers were rolled past a fence with several hundred students from Berkley on the other side. They threw feces, gasoline, bottles and insults at and on those men. My friend and I could not take it, and the military police lining the path we had to travel literally pulled us from the fence. We fully intended to take on that crowd. I am thankful today that they had taken our weapons from us prior to departure from Vietnam but I wasn’t then! It would have been 2 against about 300 but we had no thought of the odds, only anger. It was not that we were brave we were Americans who believed in defending this country and those who had sacrificed so much under her flag, but were unable to defend themselves. We were willing to die that day for that purpose.
My life changed after much wandering, when at a small Assembly of God church in Palestine, Texas led by Henry Vincent, I met Jesus Christ. Henry knew the trouble in my soul but we never discussed it. There were people in that church that demonstrated the love of God and no matter how mean or rude I was to them, they kept on loving me and demonstrating something I had never known. When I finally went to a service, I thought they were lunatics and wanted out as quickly as possible. I can only explain returning a second time by saying that although I thought they were completely nuts, I sensed something different, and that something was the LOVE OF GOD! I fell under conviction of my state and my sins and the devil convinced me that I had done too much to ever be forgiven. Now my plight was worse than ever. I had the horrors of my memories of Vietnam tormenting me and was totally convinced I was going to hell and could do nothing about it. That mindset, had it not been for the preserving power and grace of God, would probably have led to suicide! After weeks of people interceding for me, loving me and showing no sign of being offended at my attempts to offend them, I received a message from a couple in the church with a passage for me to read. I had to find a Bible, I didn’t have one. It was midnight and amazingly I was sober, having had nothing to drink that night. I found the Bible and sat at the kitchen table in Palestine, Texas and began to read in the King James Bible, Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” As I read that, something began to break inside me and I began to weep for the first time in years. A light came on inside my head and heart and I said, “That’s it. I’m leaning to my own understanding.” So, I quietly called out to God for forgiveness and I could literally feel a weight lift off my shoulders. It was there my metamorphosis from darkness into His marvelous light became a reality. I was born again! I became a member of the family of God that night. My life has never been the same since.
It still took years before I was be able to go into a public place without feeling the need to have my back against a wall. I must confess that even today I survey a room when I walk in, so I know who is there and where everyone is, but I have a Peace that passes understanding and no longer harbor the hatred that I had learned! It wasn’t bravery that got me through that time in Vietnam it was God’s Grace! I have asked ten thousand times, “Why me Lord?” There were guys who died that testified of Him but I lived! He always nudges my heart and says, “Don’t ask why. Ask what now?” Can I ask you to pray for our men and women putting their lives on the line in various parts of the world? Can I ask you to respect their commitment to fight for freedom, even if you disagree with the particular war or conflict? Can I ask that you express to them a heartfelt “thank you” when you meet them? Treasure the freedom that we have! I urge you to commit to God, your country, your family and yourself to do whatever it takes to preserve that freedom! They are not all brave who serve, just men and women of honor! Had it not been for people who refused allow themselves to become offended by my sinful behavior, I would likely be in hell now! Had it not been for God’s protection I would never have returned from Vietnam. Had it not been for God’s love and grace I would be lost and without hope, but TODAY I have hope because He changed me! Let Him love through you today, you never know whose life you might save, literally as well as spiritually! God Bless!

2011-2012: WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?


With so many varying religions and people predicting cataclysmic events in 2011-2012 one has to ask, “What does it all mean?” I want to preface everything that I say with this:

“I believe in the Bible and trust the God of the Bible not anyone or anything else. I place no faith or confidence in the prophecies or predictions of other religious groups, organizations, peoples or so-called sciences. I TRUST GOD, PERIOD!

Much speculation, has been made regarding the Mayan Calendar predicting the end of the world on December 21, 2012. The Mayan’s were a pagan religion and whether their calendar ending on that date has any significance or not is of little interest to me. Likewise, many have spent their entire lifetime studying the prophecies of Nostradamus and now the focus is on 2011-2012. Many of his previous prophecies have had to be stretched to the limit to make them fit what was and is happening in the world. Doomsday prophets have come and gone with their predictions failing to materialize for the end of the world. Edgar Cayce predicted Armageddon would begin in 1999 in conjunction with Nostradamus’s prophecy of that same year. Jack Van Impe said the end will come after the year 2000 – (do you think?). Richard W. Noone prophesied that the world would end on May 5, 2000. The Uranus Society believed that in 2000 a Pleidaean starship would land on the rising portion of Atlantis in the Bermuda Triangle. They had previously predicted 1985 but adjusted their prediction. The Hindu calendar says we can expect “a rain of blood in towns, villages and forests from 1999 to 2003” but the avatar of Krishna would arrive and establish “The Reign of Righteousness” which would last 108 days. Several Muslim Sufi sects have set 2076 as the end-time. That is the year 1500 in the Muslim calendar. It is also the Tri-centennial of the United States of America. According to the Jewish calendar, 2240 is the year 6000 and the end of time. What does it all mean? Truthfully, NOTHING!

However, there are some concerns about this next year and 2012 leading up to the date of the election. We have global unrest and this administration continually wants to go to the United Nations for their endorsement or condemnation of actions or activities the United States has been or is engaged in. He supports a “global government” although I’m not sure he doesn’t see himself as the head of that government. He is backed, by such “globalist” as George Sorros, the Open Society Institute, Bilderberg Group, Trilateral Commission, Council on Foreign Relations, and others. He has in his corner numerous racist hate groups calling for both , the destruction of Israel and all white people calling them “crackers” and “peckerwoods”. In fact the head of the New Black Panthers advocated killing whites and said, “I love to fight me some crackers.” If I were to use the epithet so disgusting to the black race and most whites I would not only be banned from virtually all social media but probably investigated and charged with something as a “racist”, which I am not.

A Russian scholar Igor Panarin believes that Obama will find some means to declare martial law in 2011 and split the United States into six rump-states and that Russia and China will become the backbones of a new world order. Former presidential candidate Alan Keyes believes that the Obama administration will stage terror and declare martial law in order to cancel the 2012 elections. They are not alone in their fears or beliefs and there are as many theories out there as there are people, almost. Do I think he would be willing to try, yes! Do I think he can be successful, no! It would effectively begin a civil war within this country and probably split politicians, the military, as well as the citizenry. It would cripple the United States and open the door to armed aggression by our enemies and be so devastating that we would never rise from the ashes of that eventuality. Therefore, I am more concerned that this administration will use the numerous Czars, EPA, Justice Department, Homeland Security and other agencies in which they have control to STEAL THE ELECTION rather than prevent it from taking place. I believe there well could be a manufactured false recovery, fictitious numbers and reports to claim success of his policies and false and slanderous accusations toward conservatives running for all offices including the Presidency. It will be devious, diabolical and dirty.

What does it all mean? It means that all Americans who care about protecting this country MUST become engaged in refuting the falsehoods, and supporting the legitimate and truly conservative candidates. It means that all Christians MUST become engaged in serious prayer concerning this nation and our freedoms. I fully believe that we are nearing the end but when that will be, I do not know and until that day comes, I WILL continue to PRAY, SPEAK OUT, STUDY, and VOTE! The principles upon which this country was founded, are precious to me. I have gone into combat under her flag and left some friends behind on the fields of battle. So I’m sure you understand when I say, my blood boils when I hear anti-patriotic statements coming from either side. The principles of Christ are vital to me and I urge every believer to commit themselves to praying for this nation which has been a beacon of light for much of the world for centuries! I do not trust the arm of flesh (man) but I do trust God, so it is to Him that I make my appeal and know that multiplied millions are doing the same thing. Yet, we are instructed to occupy until He comes and to work while it’s day! Are we about to see the end of America and/or the world? I do not know. I do know that I will fight for America, and am content to put the end of the world in God’s hands refusing to fret over it, because that’s God’s decision and not up for vote!

We are a great country and the vast majority of Americans still believe in God even if they do not now serve Him. So, my friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, and anyone reading this blog – follow your heart as to what you should do in the coming days, weeks and months! We have a choice as to what direction this country is going to take and should the majority of Americans desire to continue on this destructive path, I will pray even more fervently and expect God to provide no matter what! That, is what it all means to me! Thank you for allowing me to voice my feelings and thoughts! God Bless America and God bless you!

THE “F” WORD OR WORDS ….


I didn’t use the classical “F” word but, the guy I was talking to do did and called me numerous other names as well. The conversation came up when I overheard him complaining about the fact that his unemployment check, food stamps, welfare check and something else wasn’t enough. He said that he was going to have to cut back on his beer and cigarettes and it just wasn’t right! He ranted for several minutes and the young lady at the checkout counter, where he was buying a case of beer and a carton of cigarettes, was obviously uncomfortable and wishing he would just move on. My reason for engaging him in conversation was two-fold. I wanted to find out more about his situation and family, and I wanted to ask what he thought about the situation in Washington today.

I asked him how long he’d been out of work and it had been over a year since he had held any kind of job and before that had worked off and on at different places long enough to qualify for unemployment, then he would manage to be let go. He said the government owed him a decent living, and all the rich people should share their money with people like him so he could do whatever he wanted, like they did. I asked about his family and that’s when he used the “F” word and asked why the blank I wanted to know. I explained that I was concerned that he might have children and about their welfare. So, I asked if he had children and his response was, “Yeah, five or six, I don’t know.” I thought that was somewhat odd that a person would not know how many children they had, so I dug a little deeper. I asked if he was married and his response was, “No, I’ve never been married, why would I be that stupid?” He used the “F” word again. I asked him if his wife was taking care of the children and he said, “How the blank would I know, it’s not my responsibility, and besides the kids are from different women, and I don’t even know where they are and don’t care.” As I dug a little deeper I found out that he was getting food stamps under the pretense that he had children at home, and drawing welfare on them as well. He was milking the system (illegally) for all he could and blatantly told me that I and everyone else like me owed it to him to see to it that he had money, a place to live, food, clothes and a fine car to drive. He then said, “Obama promised that he’d make you people share what you have with us so I’m waiting on my check, it’s pay back time!”

I told him that there were some “F” words that I’d like to share with him if he would let me. He stared or glared at me and said, “What blanking “F” words?” He used his again. So, I told him that I believe there are “FIVE” vital “F” words everybody should know and incorporate in their lives. FAITH, FAMILY, FRIENDS, FINANCE AND FREEDOM…… That’s when he told me to take a trip that I don’t plan to take using very colorful language and descriptive adjectives in doing so, all the while signaling to me that I was number one in the sign language of today! I wished him a good day and told him that I’d pray for him as he got into his new Cadillac Escalade and drove off.

I truly believe that those FIVE WORDS are cornerstones for life. In fact you might say that they are the “F” words of life! I have long believed that God is the most important person, figure or element in life. Without FAITH it is not only impossible to please God but impossible to truly live. We have faith in many things, but faith in Him is the most important. I recall Jesus asking the disciples a very pointed question in the Gospel of Luke, when they were going to cross the lake and a storm arose while He was sleeping. The disciples were terrified, waking Him and telling Him that they were going to perish. He immediately calmed the storm, then turned to them and asked, “Where is your faith?” (8:25) He didn’t inquire if they had faith. He asked what they had faith in. Too frequently it is in our ability, the government, the doctor, or someone or something else rather than Him. Our faith grounds us, helps to remove our self-reliance, and turn our hearts to dependence, not on man but Him. It has never been the government’s job to provide a living for me or anyone else. Caring for the needy has always been a responsibility of the church, family, and believers. I’m not opposed to seeing a means of assisting those who are truly needy but only so long as we are moving them from need and dependency to sufficiency and productivity.

That brings me to the second “F” word that is crucial – FAMILY. This man had no sense of family, and no support from family. I thank God for my family, my wife, children, mother, brother and sister, cousins and in-laws. They are a source of strength and comfort to me, and I dare not take them for granted or neglect my relationship with them. It has been my experience and observation, that if one has a healthy family relationship they have an established support group that will stand with them through whatever trial that comes. I believe that FAMILY is important to God! He knows, far better than we, how strong a chord a healthy, loving, and committed family is in navigating the seas of life. Sometimes, for me, just knowing they are there has enabled me to face situations that otherwise I would have crumbled under. The rarely knew it but their love, support, and strength gave me the strength, courage and determination to hang on to my FAITH and make it through. I have truly been blessed and I know it!

Then the “F” word that is harder to define and describe comes to mind – FRIENDS. Friends are vital to a healthy life, and true friends are more valuable than great riches. They become the “iron” that sharpens “iron” helping to inspire and propel us to our fullest potential. A “true friend” will not be a rubber stamp for whatever you say or do, but will give you honest feedback when you are wrong and genuine support when you are right. Thankfully, Jesus is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. Without FAITH, FAMILY and FRIENDS our lives would be “existence” not “life”. We would be plodding through this world, day by day, hoping to make it from one crisis to the next. Sadly, that is the state of far too many people in the world, and many in the Church. They wear their masks, hide their wounds, hurts, fears, insecurities and anger but inside they are a seething caldron, ready to explode. They are like an abused animal and given the right circumstances will turn on you in a heartbeat. A person that has “true friends” is a very wealthy person though they be penniless!

Then another “F” word that is important – FINANCE. It’s important because it takes money to survive in this present world. Someone said “money makes the world go round.” Obviously that is a misstatement, but without money you can’t buy the bread you need to feed your family, the gas you need to drive to work, pay the rent, mortgage, utilities and provide the health care you and your family need. When the economy is in the condition that it is today it is imperative that we have FAITH to help us hold on to our “hopes and dreams”. We need FAMILY to help us know and experience love on a human level, that helps us maintain the willingness to keep trying. We need FRIENDS to keep us from becoming isolationist, recluses and withdraw into a bitter world where we die little by little in resentment and anger. It’s difficult to keep the FAITH when your, FAMILY and FRIENDS turn away from you and when your FINANCES go into the tank due to an economic situation that has cost you your employment, and rendered you unable to afford even the basics of life. That is magnified when you see your government taking actions that make matters worse rather than better. The implementation of programs laden with hidden costs making the basic necessities barely affordable brings a sense of hopelessness that is difficult to overcome. You can easily become cynical and angry which increases the likelihood of more difficulty for you because you expect the bad rather than believing for the good or in the good. Without FAITH, FAMILY AND FRIENDS you could easily become a casualty in this battle of life.

That brings me to the final “F” word that is foundational – FREEDOM. It is more than a word, and one usually does not know what it truly was, and how valuable it was until it is taken from them or lost. Today we are seeing our liberties and freedom slowly taken from us as United States citizens. We are seeing our leaders take steps jeopardizing our very existence, and are moving us toward financial disaster as a nation, relegating us to third-world status internationally, in virtually every category. America, once a beacon of hope for the world, feared by her enemies and a comfort to her friends has become an insignificant player on the world scene. This has transpired over a long period of time but has escalated at an astronomical rate in just two short years. We have never had a President who has been so successful in implementing his policies and ideology as this one. His ideology is about as anti-American as you can get and he considers the Constitution a hindrance to what he wants to do rather than a road map to maintain the greatness of this nation. He considers the will of the people inconsequential if their opinion differs from his and considers himself above the law and even ignores court orders and circumvents Congress through his Czars, agencies and executive orders. FREEDOM is a principle, privilege and right that is being assaulted, and we as average American citizens need more than ever, to become anchored in our FAITH, endeared to our FAMILIES, in close fellowship with our FRIENDS and guarded with our FINANCES. We also must be willing to do whatever it takes to maintain or regain our FREEDOM. To me, that means intense, earnest prayer first and foremost. Then, active participation in the electoral and political processes to see people elected to office that, are godly, principled, law abiding, constitutional, and genuinely care about the best good of the people they serve. That assignment will take a considerable amount of research, investigation, questioning and prayer to determine who those individuals might be. Lastly, we must be willing to do whatever is necessary to see our Republic remain a Free Nation. I do not know what it will ultimately take, but as our forefathers in 1776 were willing to give their lives to gain this freedom, we must be willing to pay whatever price to retain it, or we will become a nation of slaves to the elitist ruling class in Washington. Our democratic republic will disappear and will be replaced by some form of tyranny with the government dictating every detail and facet of our lives…

I know that no matter what, God is still God and as David said, “I was young and now I am old and I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his seed begging for bread.” (Psalm 27:25) I trust that statement made by the man God identified as being a man after His own heart. While we are Americans, if we are believers, we are first and foremost citizens of a heavenly kingdom and sojourners on this planet. I cannot cease calling for people to “pray” and “work” for restoration of both God’s rule and reign on the earth and our republic as established by those who purchased our freedom more than 200 years ago. I am praying for a TRUE Christian to occupy the White House. I’m not talking about someone who names the name of Christ, but someone who displays His character and stands firm for His principles. I suggest that virtually every candidate will claim to be that person in the next election but not all will be. Many were swayed by Jimmy Carter’s claim to be a Christian and I don’t question his faith, but his principles and policies were not those of our Lord, so do not be fooled! Hear the voice of the Holy Spirit in your heart and commit yourself to praying and working to see those individuals elected from the city council to the White House. We have some “F” words that are meaningful and vital so let’s focus on them! May the Lord’s best be yours in all that you do!

WHAT SHOULD GOVERNMENT BE?


Over the past number of years I’ve thought about politics, not to run for office but what it is that makes politicians and political parties tick. What is it that makes them do, the things they do, believe the things they believe and act the way they act? I am going to take, a portion of a passage from John 11 to begin this discussion. The Pharisees were concerned about the massive following that Jesus was garnering, and felt that they had to stop him even if it meant killing him. In verse 49 they made a statement that is germane to this discussion. It expressed their real concern and is seen in the latter portion of that verse, “…the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” I believe that the problem in politics today is territorial as well as ideological. Those in power are fearful that if they do not stop their opposition they will lose their “place”. It’s not the “nation” that concerns them but their “place”, their “position”, their “prestige”, their “power” and their “privilege”. They seem to be willing to make any deal, commit any act, and sear their conscience to accomplish the protection of their “place” no matter the cost to the nation or the people who elected them to serve. They call themselves “public servants” but who are they serving? I would suggest that it is not the “public” as a whole, but a select group of people, who have the wherewithal to facilitate their ideologies, provide organizational structure, and even manpower to enable them to exist as the “elitist” they have become or desire to be! We the people are inconsequential and are often an obstruction to their purposes, plans, and desires and are dealt with accordingly.

If I were speaking of a tyrannical dictatorship or communist controlled country this would not be difficult to comprehend, but I’m speaking of America, American politics and Washington, D.C. This is not new and it is not relegated to one political party or the other. However, there are times when one party or group within a party, push the boundaries beyond what was intended by the framers of the Constitution, the founders of this great nation, and forge a direct assault on the very fabric and foundation of this nation and its people. I believe we are experiencing such an assault on this nation and the majority of its people today!

Proverbs 29:1-2“He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, Will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. 2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.” NKJV

I have no concrete way of knowing that those in leadership have been often rebuked by God, but I know they have been reminded of God’s purposes by men and women repeatedly. Yet, they seem to become more, stiff necked and resolved in their determination to bring about their desired goals and defend their desired “place”. That would be easily stopped if it were not for those on both sides wanting to protect their “place” without concern for the Constitution, nation and people. The desire to be re-elected and maintain their “status” or “place” seems to outweigh the desire to do the right thing and move this nation out of crisis and dependence upon foreign governments, special interest groups, and those holding us hostage. They call it compromise and working together but in the end it’s the American people who pay the price and the price is a recipe for destruction.

Our founders gave us clear indication of their view of the role of government. Men like Thomas Jefferson said it well, “…a wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government.” In simple terms, government was to keep the peace, help settle disputes and stay out of the bank accounts of its citizens. My how times have changed! Patrick Henry’s view was also clear, “The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government — lest it come to dominate our lives and interests.” We, lost sight of that and many in Washington today believe that the Constitution is an obstacle not a guidepost for governing. It hinders them from getting what they want rather than guiding them in providing responsible, limited government that allows free enterprise and the creativity of the people to flourish. Likewise, Jefferson again nailed it, “I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.” Ronald Reagan understood this principle as he said, “Nations crumble from within when the citizenry asks of government those things which the citizenry might better provide for itself.” What a brilliant understanding of the role of government and human nature.

We have just been presented with a budget that is 3.7 trillion dollars in size and the proposed cuts are less than 100 billion, a mere drop in the bucket. That’s equivalent to dipping water out of the ocean with a small pail in an attempt to lower the water level. We have, over the course of time, allowed spending, entitlements and governmental intervention get out of control. That situation has been exacerbated exponentially in the past two plus years and the proposals for the next few not only will bring us to the edge of destruction but will drive the bus over the cliff.

We have allowed ourselves to become subservient to the Chinese government who now produces most of our manufactured goods, takes our money and then loans it back to us while buying interest in major corporations, financial institutions, and real estate holdings. The danger in this is, there will come a time when they decide what our government will look like, and the status of each individual citizen. Additionally, we are being held hostage by middle eastern oil cartels because of our government’s refusal to allow us to tap into the natural resources which are abundant in this country and make ourselves self-sufficient in the area of energy rather than the whim of those countries who hate us, oppose our form of government, way of life, and religious freedom. This administration has vowed and is engaged in using the EPA to control and regulate energy, commerce and virtually all business (without having to go through Congress) to the point of destroying our market, force us into default and allow us to be taken over by those who have long been our avowed enemies and allow us no legal recourse.

If you deplete the military, relegate the nation to a state of bankruptcy and bring about such chaos and lack of hope that citizens are no longer able to stand tall and be a deterrent to those who would violently and militarily attack us, you provide a recipe for the success of the prophesies of men like Nikita Khrushchev who said, “We will bury you without firing a shot.” There are, Islamic radicalswho have vowed and prophesied that an Islamic flag will fly over the White House. Our friends no longer trust us and our enemies no longer fear us! That is the state of this land as I see it today! There is a solution but I do not hear politicians standing firm for it.

Our present government, which arrived at this juncture over many years, operates in almost every way in direct opposition to and in violation of our Constitution as well as violation to the directives of Scripture. We have seen in history, there comes a time when God cannot fail to bring judgment, and judgment brings hardship to the just and unjust, just as the rain falls on both. We will not escape! I apologize for my gloom and doom words but I believe them to be accurate and a true representation of the current condition of our nation. Our hope, my hope is found in 2 Chronicles 7:14 and Matthew 6:33. Christians, before you do anything else make those two passages the cornerstone of your activism and life. Then out of those two cornerstones follow the prescription of Ecclesiastes 9:10“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.” NKJV

America is a great nation! There are other great countries and we need God’s help in aligning those nations whose hearts are for God and right to become linked together and stand as one against the onslaught of evil. My friends, I do not care what your political affiliation is! I simply ask that you make Joshua 24:15 the cry and commitment of your heart. “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” If America fails, God will not! However, I do not believe that it’s God’s plan for America to fail yet, so I continue this message of calling for believers everywhere to PRAY and WORK to bring America back to being a nation whose God is the LORD!

Thank you for allowing me to speak my mind! If you share my views, please feel free to share this blog. If you disagree, then pray for me that my eyes will be opened that I may see the truth. I just ask that you not be indifferent!