The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in LVIII a game marred by miscues not only on the field but in the presentation. However this is not a recap of the game, but a discussion of Super Bowl discernment.
Courtesy: UPI
Super Bowl LVIII gave fans its second overtime in its history and produced the the longest field goal , followed by the breaking of it later in the game. The Chiefs also won their second World Championship in a row, getting many fans to whisper the “dynasty”word. These happenings will make this Super Bowl memorable in the annals of NFL history.
What many of us wish we could forget is the constant politicization of the Super Bowl and professional sports in general. These radical activists have succeeding in usurping major sporting events, something which millions of people are watching, and using the forum to force their messages down people’s throats.
Why sing the black national anthem before the National Anthem? Answer: because of the George Floyd inspired riots in 2020. Considering this context one can only conclude the song is played as a constant reminder that racism is prevalent in America.
Courtesy: The Hollywood Reporter
Does racism still exist in America? Of course racism exists , but it certainly is not as prevalent as when “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was written in 1900. The very fact that a black national anthem is even televised to an audience of millions testifies to this reality.
So is the purpose of this song is division? It would seem so.
In its virtue signaling, the NFL seems to agree the National Anthem does not represent black Americans, therefore they must have their own. Doesn’t this hurt, rather than help race relations?
I find it interesting that despite the cries of racial unity, such accommodation only works to drive people further apart. I say this as an American who happens to be black.
As for the Super Bowl commercials , they were less politically offensive than in years past. Laugh out-loud funny was the Christopher Walken commercial, but I have to say I could not tell you the product advertised after first watching it.
The commercials that annoyed me the most were those for Bud Lite and, ironically the He Gets Us ads. I will explain.
Bud Lite basically gave the finger to its loyal consumers when they embraced the whole Dylan Mulvaney transgender campaign. Sales plunged and customers loyalties went to rival brands. The customer backlash was a powerful example of people protesting with their wallets. I just wish certain sports personalities would support the offended, rather than accepting a paycheck from Bud.
Before I get into the He Gets Us ad, let me preface by saying I am a God-fearing man. You probably deduced that from the articles I have written.
With that said, I find these this entire campaign sanctimonious and shallow. While watching, I could not put my finger on why I disliked this ad, but after further thought, it hit me.
The ad shows how we should demonstrate Jesus’ example of love. All well and good, but what’s the significance of Jesus’ love that’s missing from these ads?
Our sin is what’s missing from these ads. In no “He Gets Us” ad does it mention that God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins. (John 3:16).
No, instead it takes Jesus washing the disciples feet and turns it into into a Kumbaya moment of showing kindness to our adversaries. Yes we are called to be servants as Jesus was, and yes, we are to love our neighbor as ourselves, but the significance of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet symbolizes that only He can wash away our sins.
Jesus did this act of humility during the last supper, before going to the cross. Before His death and resurrection the, Son of God took on the sins of the entire world to save us.
Finally, we come to the halftime show: a colorful and bloated display of excessive banality. Usher is fine singer but I lost interest within five minutes due to the scattershot nature of the performance.
I don’t blame Usher. He’s merely following the blueprint of the producers and directors.
Every halftime show is this over-hyped , over-choreographed spectacle of lip-synched medleys. Frankly, it’s stale and boring.
I got an idea, how about going back to basics? Why not bring out some unique marching bands instead? Skillful musicians and precise arrangements are more compelling than some music artist phoning it in.
Anyway, that’s my 2024 Super Bowl discernment. What did you think? Looking forward to your comments.
Lots of speculation over President Donald Trump’s VP choice. Whoever Mr. Trump picks, it must be a Washington D.C. outsider.
Why must Trump bring in someone independent of the Washington establishment? Something taints people after spending enough time in D.C. Even those considered strong conservatives should be viewed with a jaded eye.
Pundits are pushing Congresswoman Elise Stefanik or Senator Tim Scott as solid VP choices. I disagree wholeheartedly.
Rep. Elise Stefanik
While a principled legislator and a defender of President Trump during the Russia – Russia hoax, Stefanik is a member of Congress. This means she makes her living compromising for the best legislation. After all, isn’t that the nature of politics: giving something to get something?
Senator Tim Scott
The same goes for Senator Scott. He seems to be a decent guy, and has defended Trump on numerous occasions, but despite his Christian-conservative bona fides, he’s still an insider.
Yes, I understand the executive branch has to sometimes compromise with the House and Senate. And yes, I understand sometimes “inside baseball “knowledge is needed to get things done.
HOWEVER …
In the times we are living, any compromise with Congress must mean them coming to the people’s side, as represented by Trump, rather than the other way around. This means Washington insiders are the last thing needed due to their exposure to the D.C. virus.
What is the D.C. virus? I call it a contagion that taints politicians’ view of the people, weakens their spines, and grafts them into the hive mentality of doublespeak, fence-sitting and taking “principled” stands only when election time rolls around.
Because of this virus, every soundbite or vote a legislator makes becomes a political calculation. Standing strong on a matter usually comes after wetting that finger and figuring out which way the political winds are blowing. Are there exceptions to this? Of course, and I think Ms. Stefanik is probably one of those exceptions; perhaps even more so than Mr. Scott, in my humble opinion.
BUT…
Non-politicians must step up to fix Washington: ordinary men and women who view the current system with disgust and believe the needs of the American people ( not lobbyists) should take prominence in every piece of legislation.
Key traits needed? They must be unflappable independent thinkers.
This must apply to those running for congressional office and for Trump’s Vice President choice. When it comes to the VP, only one person fits this description: Dr. Ben Carson.
Dr. Ben Carson
Carson is not a politician, but a former neurosurgeon. Why is this important? Neurosurgeons are at the top-tier of the surgical hierarchy.
Neurosurgeons perform precise and delicate procedures involving the brain and the spinal cord. We’re talking high stakes with the risk of maximum harm. If you compare surgeons to military special forces, then neurosurgeons are the Navy Seals of the medical profession.
With this in mind, consider that Carson was the best-of-the-best of neurosurgeons. At 33 years old, Carson was the youngest head of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He gained national attention in 1987 when he and his team performed the first separation of infant conjoined twins. You can read about that here and here.
If that’s not enough to prove Carson is no empty suit, consider his life story: parents divorcing when he was young, growing up in a single parent home, living in poverty, having a violent temper and thought of as dumb by elementary school classmates. He was blessed to have a strong mother who taught him and his brother the value of reading. His Christian faith overcame his past, making him the brilliant surgeon and walk-the walk conservative he is today.
What sets Carson apart is his fearlessness to speak truths no matter who is offended. This was on full display during his 2013 National Prayer Breakfast speech with President Barack Obama in attendance. Carson’s speech stood out because it was antithetical to Obama’s divisive policies of fundamentally transforming America.
Making America great again means looking to the talents, wisdom, humility and patriotism of successful Americans. These are the people we need in political office, not professional politicians.
As Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in Trump’s last administration, Carson got an up-close and personal of D.C. dealings. Some may say that makes him an insider.
No way.
Although Carson headed HUD, he didn’t have to worry about re-election or towing the party line. He made executive decisions, independent of legislative bodies.
Trump needs a loyal wingman who could later take the baton as his successor and pass it along responsibly. Carson most certainly fits the bill for Trump’s VP choice.
The studio, started by Walt Disney, celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 2023, and what did it give the public in gratitude? That’s right, flops.
Why were these movies all box office duds? I dunno, maybe it was because of race-swapped classic characters, girl bosses and other woke propaganda?
Ant-Man:Quantamania… FLOP. Disney’s The Little Mermaid (Live action remake)… FLOP. Wish … FLOP. Peter Pan and Wendy…FLOP. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny… FLOP. TheMarvels…huge FLOP.
The only movie that did well was Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3, but even it made less at the box office than the first two films in the trilogy. Why was GOTG 3 a success? No woke politics in the film, just a good story featuring characters the movie-going public enjoy; no more, no less.
You would think after the box office disaster that was 2023 , Disney would rethink its obsession with woke storylines in their movies. After all, the studio lost billions.
Instead, Disney seems intent on doubling down. Case in point, the recent announcement of a new Star Wars movie , continuing the adventures of Rey Skywalker. Maybe Disney is unaware of fans who checked-out in droves after the last trilogy which featured the divisive The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. Oh well, perhaps Disney thinks this latest offering will bring back the fans since it will be directed by a woman… of color.
Yeah, that’ll do it.
Seriously, is Disney really this stupid?
Let me posit a theory that’s been cooking in the back of my mind for the past year or two: what if this Disney implosion is planned?
Consider that Disney has ruined two of the most successful intellectual properties (IPs) in cinema history: Star Wars and Marvel. What did these two franchises have in common? They both told stories featuring epic heroes and stakes.
Star Wars has entertained generations of fans since its premiere in 1977. Marvel Comics became a cultural phenomenon in 1961 with the debut of the Fantastic Four, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. A year later, Lee and Steve Ditko created Spider-Man and the rest is history.
Remember when fans couldn’t wait for the latest Star Wars or Marvel release? Not anymore. Under the Disney rubric, both brands have been so thoroughly ruined they’ve become objects of scorn to their once devoted consumers.
Woke politics has destroyed both IPs. As President Donald Trump once famously said, “Everything woke turns to s**t.” The moviegoing public has spoken, loudly and consistently, its rejection of woke characters and plotlines; leading to billions in losses for Disney.
Once upon a time, America revered Disney Studios . They created timeless classics still enjoyed by the public decades later, such as: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Pinocchio, Bambi, Dumbo, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan, Mary Poppins, and the Jungle Book. Disney films were once the gold standard of entertainment, offering viewers escapism through stories of love, tragedy, perseverance, adventure, heroism and whimsy. Now, the public is losing trust in the Disney brand.
Disney sucks and it’s across the board.
Again, I have to ask, is this intentional? For decades, Disney was a symbol of Americana, right up there with baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and the American flag. Americana is aspects of shared culture that makes, or made America unique in the world. The word Americana evokes commonality and nostalgia for times gone by.
We no longer celebrate what once was, because Marxist/communist radical elements in our education, government and entertainment have tied our past to nothing but racism, sexism, discrimination and homophobia. Subversives have conditioned at least two generations of young people to despise our past and everything about America.
America used to be symbolized by rugged individualism, strength and innovation. Now our symbols are frailty, weakness and incompetence as manifested in the person of our current president. Our rule of law has been turned against the people , our educational system is failing minorities and propagandizing young -adults.
The so-called experts have muddied the waters so much there are no heroic symbols of American masculinity or femininity. Pop culture tells us the only heroes we’re told to worship are those who represent diversity, inclusion and equity (DIE). They call it DEI, I call it DIE
Based on this destruction of American culture and ideals, is it out of the realm of possibility the enemies of our nation and the world have made it their goal to destroy Disney in the hearts of the American public? Chris Gore and Alan Ng of Film Threat report at Disney it’s all about woke activism rather than talent.
So again, what’s with Disney? Once the gold standard for animation and family entertainment, now it’s bloated, devoid of original ideas and apparently tone deaf to what the public wants. It’s really a shame and I sincerely hope they wake up from woke.
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) agreed on Friday to take up the Colorado case to remove President Donald Trump off the ballot due to the 14th Amendment. The court’s decision will have lasting ramifications in future efforts by the Democrats to keep the 45th President off of other state ballots.
The Colorado Supreme Court ‘removed’ Trump from the ballot in December for ‘inciting’ the January 6 ‘insurrection’ under the 14th Amendment. Critics of the Colorado court say the ruling is nothing more than election interference since Trump was never convicted for insurrection. More on that later.
Here is what insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment explicitly states:
Section 3.
No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any state legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.
As you can see from the language, the 14th Amendment applies to congresspersons, officers of the United States government, state assemblypersons, governors or judges. Nowhere is the President mentioned. Legal scholars say the 14th Amendment does not apply to the President because he is not an officer of the government and, in this case, was never found guilty of insurrection for the January 6 protest /riot.
If Trump was never found liable for inciting insurrection, then the legal basis from removing him from the ballot is questionable. You can’t penalize someone for an accusation without a conviction as Colorado, and later, Maine did. That makes a mockery of the law.
Arguments to SCOTUS will start on February 8 with a ruling following. Trump remains on both ballots pending litigation, in the meantime.
Please note the Colorado ruling was without teeth, playing both sides by allowing Trump back on the ballot as soon as he appealed to the Supreme Court. See this brilliant analysis by Sundance at the Conservative Treehouse.
Presidential CandidateVivek Ramaswamy parries the media like a master in every appearance. His latest interview with NBC’s Dasha Burns is a textbook study in handling the adversarial press.
You’ll see in the interview that Ramaswamy refuses to answer questions to advance the media narrative. He instead pushes back against the narrative to the point of flustering the interviewer with his own interrogation. LOL!
Vivek handles Regime Media like a boss.
NBC News reporter Dasha Burns has a meltdown as Vivek shreds her scripted reality. pic.twitter.com/PUuhjZl7Dj
Ever wonder what America would look like without God? I believe we’re getting a glimpse of America without God. I say glimpse, because I do not believe He has abandoned America…yet.
However, I do believe He is allowing His people, and even those who have ignored Him, to see just how on the brink of darkness America is, spiritually and morally.
The level of evil brought into the light in America and Western Civilization during this time is depressing. Every hour, every day, no matter where you turn, wave after wave of outrage, disgust, horror and blasphemy assaults our minds and psyches. Never has there been anything like this in the history of the United States.
Practically every institution that provided guardrails for our society has been corrupted such as marriage, religion, the family, traditional masculinity and femininity, law, history, the military and education. Issues that in the past we never dreamed to question, such as the biological sexes, are now burning controversies.
We’re talking unrelenting spiritual and psychological warfare, folks. It’s turned up to eleven and this is just a glimpse of America without God.
Who is waging this war and most importantly, why?
But before we address who, let’s discuss why.
Courtesy: Fox News
The why is obvious. Taking America, –the symbol and freedom and liberty for the world—and destroying it from within to absorb into the one-world government plans of our adversaries, is priority number one.
Think about the world-shattering repercussions of America falling: no more national sovereignty, no more Constitution or Declaration of Independence, no more private property or freedom of travel. Imagine our governance replaced by a centralized world government unaccountable to the people.
Who are those wannabe overlords? They’re the Marxist/communists who not only make up the globalists, but have infiltrated federal, state and local governments, and bureaucracies. Our enemies are also the traitorous politicians and bureaucrats who have sold out America for their proverbial thirty pieces of silver.
I choose to categorize these subversives and traitors under one description: the Godless.
The ‘g’ is capitalized in Godless because these nefarious schemers reject the Holy God revealed to us in the Bible. However, this does not mean they are godless (note the lowercase ‘g’).
Since they do not worship GOD, by default, they are worshipping the god of this fallen world: the one who only comes to steal, kill and destroy. This god is better known as the fallen angel, Satan.
We know this by their rotten fruits of lawlessness, division, lies, fear-mongering, hatred, violence, rage, slander, and death. We see these fruits manifested in a wide-open southern border, cashless bail, a two-tiered justice system, the transgender movement, homosexual marriage, drag queen story hours, ‘swatting’ political enemies, the propaganda news media, election fraud, the demonization of fossil fuels, hatred of Christianity, and contempt for the family.
The left cannot create anything beautiful or life-affirming that stands the test of time. Instead, like their god, they counterfeit anything what was long ago established by the Creator. All the Godless can sow is ugliness and destruction.
Every Godless policy they create is based in sin and darkness. What results from this is a weakening of the law and truth.
I know of no other way to put this, other than the Godless hate absolute truth. All they love are lies. What’s worse, they believe if such deceits are spoken enough, people will accept them as truth. Big lie, anyone?
Unfortunately, their canards wither under scrutiny, therefore they must lash out with ferocity against anyone who disagrees with them. The Godless demonize these ‘transgressors’ as bigots, sexists, racists, homophobes, kooks, and conspiracy theorists.
Such tags used to work, because being labeled as such meant you were part of the tinfoil hat crowd or a hate-monger, worthy of shunning. The problem for the Godless is they’ve used those epithets ad nauseum, ironically changing people’s perceptions. Now those slurs to us, ‘the great unwashed’, mean the targeted individual is a truth-teller.
As for the law, the Godless believe their causes such as saving the planet, playing God through abortion, or giving cachet to the multiple gender madness, bestows upon them, virtue. You see, they have a higher calling, therefore, ‘antiquated’ laws are beneath them.
What they have done, instead, is turn the law into a weapon against God-fearing/law-abiding citizens. For example, cashless bail and constantly raising the bar of what constitutes arrestable offenses does nothing to safeguard the people; such actions only aid criminals. Instead of protecting the community from the wolves, the people are gradually thrown to the wolves.
If only politics were the problem, rectifying it would only take voting the bums out. Sadly, what’s happening to America is spiritual. This is spiritual warfare, and it’s evident to anyone paying attention.
Picture what’s happening to American culture as a siege: not a physical encirclement, but a spiritual one. A siege is an operation where an area or fortress is surrounded. Supplies and power are cut off to force the inhabitants to eventually surrender. In this case our spirit, minds, and even our birthright as Americans are the citadels besieged by the Godless.
So what do we do ?
First, you need to be in daily prayer to God. Whether you pray in the morning, evening or all through the day, it is vitally important to spend time with our Heavenly Father. Thank Him for His provision and protection. Praise Him for all He has done for you.
Pray for our enemies they would know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and the Holy Spirit opening their eyes to their transgressions. Pray for revival as a new Great Awakening. Remember to always ask everything according to God’s will, not your own.
Next, read your Bible. Stop using it as a paperweight. Study the Word and get to know the ways of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Don’t just know of Jesus, know Jesus. Only He can set you free from the bondage of sin and fear during these times of intense spiritual warfare.
If you’re unfamiliar with spiritual warfare, the Bible teaches you what it is and how to fight. We are to submit to God and stand against enemy. When we submit to God, we resist the devil and he flees from us (James 4:7).
God communicates to us through His Word. Consistent fellowship with the Lord, melts away fear because “no weapon fashioned against [us ] shall succeed (Isaiah 54:17)”. In fact, in Christ we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37).
Finally, share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Ask God for for opportunities to share your testimony. Remember, our Great Commission to share the gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth transcends anything going on in America or the West.
If more people knew Jesus, they would know truth. And what does the Bible say about truth? The truth will set you free (John 8:32).
Conversely, without God, you are in bondage to Satan and his dark forces. This not only applies to individuals, but to countries, like America, as well.
While driving recently, I found myself captivated by the beautiful hues and clever designs of Christmas lights adorning various homes . I thought, this beautiful season of light comes once a year, but for the Christian, we are to reflect God’s light daily.
While Christmas lights are powered by electricity, the God-fearing man or woman does not produce their own light. Our illumination is only reflective of God’s brilliance.
I will say it again: the Christian’s illumination is only reflective of God’s brilliance. It doesn’t matter how good we think we are or the amount of virtue signaling we do.
Our light shines to the degree that we are in God, through faith in Jesus. Prayer, study and obedience power our radiance.
In other words, diligent study of the Bible, fervent prayer, unbreakable faith in Jesus, and obedience to God’s commandments means the brighter your light.
On the flip side, let’s look at how to reflect the world’s darkness.
Just use your Bible as a paperweight, place your faith in dubious scientific predictions of doom and modern philosophies that produce narcissism and division. You can also disparage biblical laws and proscriptions as patriarchal or outdated.
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.–Matthew 5:14-16 (NKJV)
Is anything coming between your reflection of God’s light to others? I can raise my hand to that. For instance, Jesus tells us to love our enemies and to pray for those who curse us.
Really?
We are to do good for those who hate us and those who spitefully use and persecute us.(Matt. 6:43-48) I have a tough time with those verses because, frankly, they are hard. I would love to see verses like “I will smite thine enemies”, or something along that line.
Just picture the face of the worst political or cultural figure you can think of. Now, ponder how much they hate and revile you because of your faith in God and /or political ideology.
Finally, think of the blatant injustice in the aftermath of a certain January protest , a two-tiered justice system, subversion of parental rights, gender chaos, the on-going normalization of pedophilia and other perversion.
Honestly, I have had a hatred toward the practitioners of all these cultural and spiritual assaults. Yet, God wants me to love my enemies?!
Yes.
We are to love them, because He first loved us. Oh man!
If God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to sacrifice Himself for our sin (John 3:16), that means He loved us while we were His enemies. What made us His enemies? Sin.
Oh, you say your sins were not as bad as these guys in power right now? Sorry, but that’s no excuse. All sin is a heinous capital offense in God’s eyes, worthy of the death penalty.
We’re only saved because of our faith in Jesus: God’s infinite grace allowed this. God calls us to love and forgive others for their trespasses( sins and offenses) against us as He mercifully does for us. This, so we may be sons and daughters of our Father in heaven. (Matt.5:44-45).
The season of light reminds us Jesus is the light of the world. It is only in Him, we can overcome the darkness in our hearts to love and pray for our enemies. Jesus set the standard when He asked the Lord to forgive those crucifying Him “for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34)“.
“Love is love” the world declares as if love just happens. Love isn’t love as the world tells us. It must have an origin, a source. God is the origin of love and Jesus is the source for us. His love was sincere and without hypocrisy, yet, He boldly called out evil.
Paul encapsulated this in Romans 12:9:
Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. (NKJV)
Just because we are called to love our enemies does not mean we are to act as doormats. We do not excuse , rationalize or condone the evil committed by our persecutors. Abhor is another word for hate. Therefore, we are to hate evil and wickedness just as God does. “Cling to what is good,” means we cling to everything that honors and glorifies God. For instance, praying for our enemies.
So with Christmas and New Years approaching, another season of light will come to an end for the world. But as Christians , may we take this season to ponder how much we reflect God to that darkness-filled lost world.
“Are you a God-fearing man?” That’s a question a close Christian brother of mine sometimes asks before witnessing to other men.
When he shared this with me I was immediately struck by the term. It’s old-fashioned , masculine and at the the same time, humble. I thought to myself, I have to write a column about the question, “Are you a God-fearing man?”
So here you go.
First of all, what is a God-fearing man? The obvious answer is in the term, a man who fears God. Makes sense, right?
But digging deeper, we find that “fearing” God is more complex than just living life afraid of God. First, let’s look at what Proverbs says about fear:
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.–Proverbs 9:10
The fear referred to in Proverbs is reverence of the Lord. Before one can gain true wisdom, he must revere the Lord as Creator, Heavenly Father and Provider. To not hold God in awe is foolishness.
However, Jesus speaks of fear in a different context when detailing why we should not fear man, but only the Lord.
“Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”–Matthew 10:27-28
Jesus is, of course, speaking of God as the one who “is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Yet, in the next verse, Jesus speaks of God’s love for us:
“Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
So God can banish you to hell , yet love you so much that all the hairs of your head are numbered? The best picture I can think of to describe this is a Godly earthly father: He loves you , yet sometimes has to discipline you.
If that fails to take hold, fathers sometimes have to make the tough decision to let you experience the consequences of disobedience. Sometimes the cost of this is devastating and life-changing.
While not perfect, I hope the previous analogy paints a picture of God allowing people the consequence of hell for a life of unrepentant sin.
Like a loving father constantly warning his children of the dangers of disobedience, so God sends warnings to the world. First the prophets, then Jesus, then the apostles and now Christians. This, so no one has an excuse of not hearing the gospel.
Af the forefront of this evangelism are God-fearing men, answering the Father’s call of using our talents to share the good news of Jesus Christ. God sent His Son to die for our sins so we could be saved from eternal punishment. All we have to do is repent from sin and place our eyes on Jesus as Lord and Savior.
“Uh …hold on,” says the secularist.
“God-fearing men? Oh great, they’ll push their religion onto everyone. What are we talking now, a theocracy for America?”
Here’s a news flash. WE are living smack dab in a religious theocracy!
The problem is it’s a secular-leftist, pseudo- religious theocracy. I’ll prove it.
The sacrament for this secular-leftist theocracy is abortion. Nothing else explains the feverous zeal to protect a women’s right to kill her baby. I’m convinced that abortion is ritualized sacrifice designed to appease the secular-left’s god. Here’s a hint, their god is not the God of the Bible and certainly not the Creator of the heavens and earth.
Everything about this pseudo-religion is a counterfeit of God’s creation. Marriage between a man and a woman? We’ll allow same -sex marriage . The family? Government will tell you how to raise your children. Men as head and protector of the family? Government will take that role for single-parent families. Truth? Truth is whatever the secular-leftist narrative needs it to be.
Want to have a trouble free life? Shut your mouth, pretend not to know things and go along with everything like it’s normal. Want to be diminished, ridiculed , and cancelled? Stand for outdated concepts such as Christianity, the Bible , the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
Those are your choices under the Secular-leftist religion: Living under the fear of the state, or choosing to live according to the fear of the Lord. The God-fearing man chooses the latter and rejects the former .
The God-fearing man takes seriously the biblical warning of friendship with the world making one an enemy of God (James 4:4). He believes Jesus’ promise of hatred from the world since the world hated Him first( John 15:18). But the God-fearing man also has faith and believes that in persecution comes blessing and reward in heaven (Matt. 5:10-12).
So if God exacts death for our sin, isn’t that it? If we’re dead, what difference does it make?
The problem is you don’t actually “die.” Everyone of us when our physical bodies die, will receive an eternal body. That is, a body built for eternity.
Got it?
Now here’s the deliniation.
Those who accepted Christ as Lord and Savior will have bodies equipped for eternity living under God’s presence in heaven. Now here’s the bad news:Those who rejected the gift of grace through His death and resurrection, will have bodies equipped for wrath. The “death” is total separation from God.
Jesus spoke of hell more than anyone else in the Bible, describing it as outer darkness, fire, torment and full of weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Sin, any sin, is a capital offense per God’s law. He is holy therefore, He cannot, and will not tolerate sin.
Most pastors leave hell out of their sermons, so as not to offend or scare parishioners. This is preaching the “modern” gospel which ignores the truth that the consequence of a choice of unrepentant sin is eternal punishment in hell.
Focus on that description , eternal. That means not one hundred , a thousand or ever a million years living under God’s wrath, but forever.
Fearing God means living a life with the knowledge that everyone is accountable to God. This fear is also accepting that everyone, every man, woman and child has fallen short of the glory of God, due to sin.
God-fearing men (and women) only become as such, because they understand the eternal consequences of rejecting Jesus. The Christ is our only salvation from hell.
The God- fearing man knows we are literally enemies of Jehovah without Jesus as Lord. This is frightening and ,at the same time, humbling when you understand only God’s grace saves us.
God sent His only Son as the perfect sacrifice for our sin. Jesus willingly faced God’s wrath and eventual death to save us. His resurrection provided the gift freely offered to us.
We live in a world where leaders are God-mockers instead of God-fearing. They are weak, vindictive, deceitful, hateful , spineless, fearful ,dishonorable and arrogant with no moral foundation. Their schemes are anti-God, anti-life and idolatrous.
Can you see why we need God-fearing men in leadership? Only men who understand their accountability to God should be trusted with power.
What say you Christian? Are you a God-fearing man?
God is revealing to American Christians a government that has contempt for the foundations of America. This epiphany is ugly and downright unsettling, but take heart, God is in control.
Yes, we have a desiccated, morally bankrupt figurehead as president.And yes, the statesmen standing as a bulwark for the people are few and far between.
So why should Christians be joyful ? We take heart because God is in control.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. –Romans 8:28-30 (English Standard Version)
What the world throws at us as evil, God uses it for our greater good. He is conforming those He has called to the image of His Son. Why? God is in control.
The question then becomes, do we believe that God is sovereign, no matter the circumstances? If we have faith then why do we worry ?
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.— Phillipians 4:6-7
God commands us not to worry or be anxious about anything. We do this by taking everything in prayer and petition to the Creator. And here’s the kicker: we do this with thanksgiving!
What is thanksgiving? It is thanking God in advance for answering our prayer. In other words, we pray with the expectation that God not only hears our requests, but answers them.
When we pray in this manner, God’s peace guards our heart and minds in the supernatural power of Christ Jesus. Do you understand what this means? We have access to this power no matter the circumstances.
So when you become despondent about the evil ascending in our governments and institutions, put it to prayer. Pray your honest thoughts and feelings about the situation and for God’s will to prevail. Then expect and thank Him for answering your heartfelt prayer. Do this sincerely and often and soon your believing and non-believing friends will see Christ’s light in you.
Instead of worrying about the assaults to the rule of law, why don’t we pray for God’s justice to prevail? Instead of grumbling about the latest political outrage with your friends, why not encourage a group prayer?
God promises to protect His people even amid a world spinning out of control. Our Heavenly Father covers us in His protection (Psalm 91:4 , ESV) and He sealed us with the Holy Spirit.( 2 Cor 1:21-22 , ESV)
Nothing is happening in America, and the world, has caught God by surprise. What satan purposes for evil, God uses for our greater good. Remember to take heart, God is in control.
The Declaration of Independence… America’ first document of liberty. When is the last time you read it or maybe you’ve never read it all? Why is it important that we even know it?
For a document that is the foundation America was built upon, we don’t hear much about the Declaration of Independence except for the 4th of July. Even then, America’s first document of liberty takes a backseat to barbecues, parades, and fireworks.
Schools certainly don’t teach the Declaration of Independence with the same intensity as they do about America’s inherent racism, gender identity, and climate change.
Is it any wonder this country is weakening and possibly dying? Much like gender confusion, we’re not sure who we are as Americans.
How did this happen, this radical yet gradual transformation? Why does the only thought uniting us right now is the question, “What the heck is happening to this country?”
The answer is simple. For generations, we farmed out our stewardship of liberty from ourselves to government.
This was and is a tragedy in its truest definition. Picture us as the sheep, giving wolves the power to shepherd us.
Let’s get this straight, government is God’s divine construct for the people’s protection and , therfore, necessary. The problem is, historically , man’s fallen nature and insatiable lust for more power, corrupts governments.
You get the picture?
Unfortunately , America is a testament to that truism of man’s fallen nature and insatiable lust for power as we slouch into tyranny.
Patriotic Americans have an inherent hatred of tyranny. It is in our DNA because tyranny sparked the American colonies to break away from the British Crown. Hence, the Declaration of Independence.
For those educated in the American public school system, you may have forgotten the Declaration of Independence was a formal assertion by the people of the right to choose their own government. The first document of liberty presented to the world the colonists’ case for revolution against British rule.
America’s first document of liberty: The Declaration of Independence
Here’s the part most people know about the Declaration of Independence:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
Powerful and timeless words:A resounding testament to the wisdom of the Founding Fathers.
But guess what? Those words are the second paragraph of the D.o.I.
What’s in the opening paragraph, the opening statement of their case? This:
In Congress, July 4, 1776 The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
In this introduction is the justification to separate from British rule according to the Laws of Nature and of God, the Creator of Nature. Simply put, they declared their revolution a righteous cause.
And here’s what follows that section about “…Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness:
—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Governments are instituted deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. This means the government only has power if we consent to it. Put another way, the government serves at our consent.
Wait…what? Government serves at our consent? How many of you have forgotten this? Let’s continue.
“That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it and to institute new Government. ” This is the part that our rulers want to keep the younger generation ignorant of: their right to get rid of government that’s become destructive. Uh-huh, it’s a Right with a capital R to remove it and replace it with government dedicated to protecting the country and the people.
Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.
Of course the Founders ,in their brilliant wisdom, cautioned that that nothing is casual about revolution. It opens the door to the ugliness and brutality of war. Revolution can also be a double-edged sword: The government you get might be worse than the previous . A classic example was the French Revolution. Two modern examples include Communist takeover of Cuba (1959), led by Fidel Castro, and the overthrow of the Shah of Iran (1979).
As follows, the colonists took the course of revolution with prudent deliberation and presented their case to England and the world.
But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
The Founders then lay out in detail the long train of abuses and usurpations, which you can read here. Read and re-read, especially the passages made challenging because of the proper English of the time. Use a dictionary if needed.
After the extensive checklist of abuses comes the build-up to the robust climax of to the Declaration , beginning with this statement :
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Seems like Deja vu all over again.
The Founders ensured that our system of redress lay in our vote. But what is the state of our vote in America now? Instead of defending that sacred vote of the citizenry, bought and blackmailed politicians legislate to weaken our power at the ballot box.
Who’s fighting for us? Local district attorneys? Many of them are corrupt. The legislature? They’re beholden to the DNC and the RNC instead of local interests. Congressmen and Senators? With few exceptions , party interests trump the people. Federal judges? Certain jurisdictions place partisan politics above the rule of law. The president? The compromised Biden Administration is America-last first and always.
So here we are, a sea of enemies within. It’s up to we, the people. But what do we do? The odds seem against us.
Now you have an idea of what the 56 signers of the Declaration must have felt. Read the last line before the signatures:
And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
Divine Providence is the governance of the God throughout His creation. The Founders were mostly God-fearing men who placed their faith and trust in His perfect will.
Many of these men lost their lives , fortunes and even families. As for their sacred honor, it has stood the test of time.
Paul Harvey: “Fate of the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence”
We have forgotten the meaning of the Declaration of Independence. In the times we are living, this blissful ignorance is not just unacceptable, it is negligence.
By not knowing the origin, the inflection point of this country and the sacrifices made, we allow scoundrels to dictate who we are.
Make it your mission to study this fundamental deed of freedom. This is not a call for violence or revolution, but a clarion to throw off the spiritual and intellectual chains of Marxism, socialism and communism that have clouded our thinking and divided us.
Become inspired by the faith and trust the Founding Fathers had for God. Learn America’s first document of liberty to the point where you can articulate it for anyone, especially your children and grandchildren. We will re-embrace our American heritage when we fear God more than man.
