140 Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men; Preserve me from violent men, 2 Who plan evil things in their hearts; They continually gather together for war. 3 They sharpen their tongues like a serpent; The poison of asps is under their lips. Selah
4 Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; Preserve me from violent men, Who have purposed to make my steps stumble. 5 The proud have hidden a snare for me, and cords; They have spread a net by the wayside; They have set traps for me. Selah
6 I said to the Lord: “You are my God; Hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord. 7 O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have [a]covered my head in the day of battle. 8 Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the wicked; Do not further his wicked scheme, Lest they be exalted. Selah
9 “As for the head of those who surround me, Let the evil of their lips cover them; 10 Let burning coals fall upon them; Let them be cast into the fire, Into deep pits, that they rise not up again. 11 Let not a slanderer be established in the earth; Let evil hunt the violent man to overthrow him.”
12 I know that the Lord will maintain The cause of the afflicted, And justice for the poor. 13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name; The upright shall dwell in Your presence.
There’s plenty to fear in our current world: wars, rumors of war, pandemics, rising crime rates and invasion at our souther border. Yet the Bible tells us to fear not. Simply put, when we fear God, not man, our Heavenly Father blesses us with peace and wisdom.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.–Proverbs 9:10 (English Standard Version)
If the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, what does the fear of man yield?
The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe. –Proverbs 29:25 (ESV)
The American Heritage dictionary defines a snare as: 1.A trapping device, often consisting of a noose, used for capturing birds and small mammals. 2. Something that lures or entangles the unwary.
When a snare catches an animal , the noose tightens as it struggles to get away. This provides a perfect metaphor for fearing man.
How does the fear of man snare people? Worrying what people think or say about us can cause us to stay silent when we should witness or defend our faith in Jesus. You may even decline to stand against evil due to worries of loss of livelihood, reputation, or even your life.
The reality is we are compliant to what we fear. Yes, we obeyed our parents as children our of respect, but mostly because we feared the consequences of the belt or grounding.
Remember also as a child going along with your group of friends because of peer pressure? We did so out of fear of ostracism.
I’d like to now revisit a situation in recent history in which all the fears mentioned above were encapsulated into a single, surreal event: the Covid pandemic . As you will see, this was a snare on many levels.
Many of us lost loved ones due to Covid, which was terrible and tragic. The elderly and those with chronic chronic conditions were most at risk. Yet ,instead of focusing on those who were at risk, government aided by the media chose to frighten every citizen out of their minds.
Numbers were inflated by hospitals . People who died in car accidents or had heart attacks, etc were said to have died of Covid if they even had a trace of the virus at the time of their death. This practice only aided in the panic.
Infected elderly people were returned to nursing homes under orders by health officials, leading to more deaths and inflating the death toll. This was largely ignored by the press, who instead focused on stories of food and toilet paper shortages, overwhelmed emergency rooms or how Covid would affect the incumbent president’s reelection. If this wasn’t bad enough, one news outlet had a Covid death ticker running during each broadcast.
People did anything they could to get out of that snare, as indicated by their blind allegiance to every arbitrary government edict. Many comforted themselves they were doing good and protecting elderly loved ones as they surrendered to tyranny.
People wore masks everywhere, even when walking with their spouse in the park, or driving alone. They stayed six feet apart even though the rule was unscientific.
Families hunkered down, isolating themselves from friends and loved ones. Many parents didn’t pushback against schools shutting down; forcing their kids to learn via Zoom. Many Christians stopped going to church due to fears of catching the virus.
On the other hand, many God-fearing Christians chose freedom over authoritarianism. They resolved not to live in fear, because they believe God determines their calling into heaven. If Covid was to be that opening of the door to eternity, then so be it.
These men and women continued social gatherings during the lockdowns. Despite following mask mandates early on , they later declined when reports came out questioning the effectiveness of the mandates (which recent reports have validated). These were men and women who walked into supermarkets unmasked and allowed their kids to have sleepovers with friends. Their fear of God trumped their fear of man.
So we can confidently say,“The Lord is my helper;I will not fear; what can man do to me?”–Hebrews 13:6
Why did I spend a good part of this column revisiting Covid? We are in an election year in which certain forces do not want the return of a certain president. We’ll refer to him as DJT.
Covid coincidentally came just before 2020 presidential campaign, along with rioting in major cities. If this happened as a prelude to campaign season, what do you think these forces have planned in 2024? After all, this DJT is winning primaries and surging in polls? It’s not difficult to imagine.
Let me encourage you to fear not as wars, rumors of war, threats of future pandemics and terrorist attacks loom. Pray often, study your Bible,and trust in the peace and protection of the LORD through your faith in Jesus.
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.–2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV)
If conviction reveals your fear of man as greater than your fear of God, take heart. You do not have to remain enslaved.
Jesus sets you free when you ask Him to be Lord and Savior of your life. Surrendering your life to God, though Jesus and the by the power of the Holy Spirit, reveals truth and takes away fear.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.–Romans 12:2 (ESV)
Now is the time to do this. I hope I am wrong, but I believe 2024 will be unlike any year in our lifetime. Those who keep their eyes on Jesus will be steadied by the power of the Holy Spirit no matter what happens. Therefore, we can encourage others to fear God, not man
Could God ignore your prayers for others or the country? Could He even make it His mission to oppose your plans?
All it takes is pride to become God’s adversary. Why? God hates pride.
The type of pride we’re talking is not that of job well done or of others. No , the pride that separates us from our Heavenly Father is thinking too highly of ourselves above all others.
The danger for Christians is puffed-up thinking because of one’s position in Christ, or spiritual gifts they’ve been blessed with. This is represented in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18:9-14 (New International Version):
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Note the last verse: “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” This means God will humble any believer who exalts himself and lift up the humble person who has a truthful view of himself.
Few churches teach that God could ignore your prayers and literally war with you because of pride. Just read James 4:6 (NIV):
“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
C.S. Lewis said of pride :
C.S. Lewis
“According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.”1
Why does pride lead “to ever other vice?” Pride says my needs come first and therefore elevates me above everyone, including people and God.
We are emulating the devil with haughty eyes and a proud heart (Proverbs 21:4-24). Instead of reflecting God’s light, the devil darkens us. This is the reason “pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16-18).
The opposite of pride is humility, and we must humble ourselves, as Jesus did, to be children of God. This means becoming a servant to others instead of expecting others to serve you. In other words, placing the needs of others above your own. Isn’t that what Jesus did when He walked the earth?
Humility is confessing your sins and repenting to the LORD, asking God every day to make you more like Jesus , and asking God to answer prayer according to His will. When we humble ourselves in this manner, we can have confidence God hears our prayers for family, friends, country, enemies and ourselves.
Seek humility as if your life depends on it, because it does. Do not conform yourself any longer to this world with exalts pride as virtue. God promises to lift us up in due time when we come to Him with brokenness. He offers only resistance to those arrogant in their own eyes.
1 C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2001) 121-122
“RINO Season,” the latest from Joe Dan Gorman’s, Intellectual Froglegs has dropped. Check it out! In my humble opinion, this is one of his best episodes.
If you’ve never watched Intellectual Froglegs before, it interweaves, headlines, spot-on political commentary, humor, great music and Christian faith. All of this is done in quick cuts and longer segments. Throughout, Mr. Gorman’s information makes you laugh, encourages your love for God and America, and makes you think.
Highlights of this installment, include Joe Dan’s interview with Dr. Naomi Wolf, who discusses her red-pill moment, calling out the Republican National Committee (RNC) for continuing to support Chairman Ronna McDaniel ( aka, RINO Senator Mitt Romney’s niece. Nepotism? Nah!!), and reminding you of the stakes of the 2024 Presidential Election.
For New York Times readers, RINO means Republican In Name Only. Anyway, would love to read your thoughts about the show.
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.
How do we stop fearing when everyday the enemies of God and America bombard us with alarm, dread and uneasiness? The answer is simple: Seek the Lord with all your heart.
Here is a truth: our enemies are godless. Their father is Satan and they serve him in every capacity from when they rise to when they slumber.
Some gleefully worship the father of lies; those are the ones in power. You can see the evil in their eyes and in their faces.
However, most of the lost do so by default, because they either do not know Jesus or flat-out reject Him . What they fail to understand is if Jesus is not Lord of your life , then the devil is your dictator.
Don’t take my word for it. Look at their bitter fruits.
Most everything about our enemies is corrupt or counterfeit. Since they hate God, they hate beauty and worship ugliness. Their hatred of the Heavenly Father also causes them to equate lust with love and speak lies as truth.
Instead of worshiping God ,they worship goddesses or created things such as the earth. They do not know wisdom , only foolishness. This results in group thinkers who exalt chaos and division while scorning peace and unity.
The godless wallow in lawlessness while turning the law against the law-abiding . They call Christians weak-minded for fearing an invisible God, and not fearing their alarmist predictions of climate change or killer viruses.
Look at how the godless strenuously work to mainstream such perversion as drag queen story hour. All it takes is playing on people’s sense of justice , fairness and guilt. Note also their zeal for cancel culture and censorship of those who rebuke their efforts to normalize aberrant behavior.
Censorship isn’t alien to an ideology that hates the Holy Bible, the Constitution , America as founded , godly marriage, the family, children, masculinity, patriotism and the flag. Cancel culture is also no stranger to the godless.
Cancelling someone is the equivalent of salting the earth after destroying an enemy. One’s character is assassinated with cancel culture, but so are the reputations of friends and associates of the target. As if this isn’t bad enough , the merchants of venom then destroy the ability of the victim to make a living.
Such cold, vindictive evil would shame a God-fearing person, but it’s merely a form of control for the godless. Keep in mind that control is a reaction to fear. (More about this later)
This is why the godless value an all encompassing government versus a limited government, compliance more than freedom, and libertinism over liberty.
Everything , every action, dictate or outrage that comes from the godless comes from a spirit of darkness and fear. God -fearing Christians, especially those who follow politics and engage in the culture war ,scare the godless.
Why is this so? It seems odd since the godless dominate the corporate media , Hollywood academia and globalism. Their rhetoric and arrogance give the impression of the having the upper hand. However, they hate of the light of Jesus reflected by God-fearing Christians, especially those engaged in the culture war.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.—John 3:20 (English Standard Version)
Remember Jesus told us as the world hated Him, it will hate us. So how was Jesus sinless despite His enemies twisting His every word and looking for any excuse to kill Him? Even when Jesus drove the moneychangers from the temple , He committed no sin in His righteous anger.
Yes , Jesus was and is the Son of God . However, He walked the earth fully man and was tempted in every transgression. I believe He was able to resist because He constantly sought the Father in prayer.
How did the disciples stop fearing? They constantly sought the Lord in prayer.
We can do the same.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.— Psalm 34:4 (ESV)
..(F)ear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. —Isaiah 41:10(ESV)
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.–Romans 8:26 (ESV)
So, may we stop fearing the godless? Stop fearing whether or not they will like you or even their threats. Place your fear only in God , which is the beginning of wisdom.
In wisdom we learn we have truth with God. That same insight tells us our enemies are weak because they have neither the Lord or truth.
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.
When viewing the current state of America, with widespread political corruption, crime-ridden big cities and gender madness, discouragement is an easy default. But be encouraged: as Christians, God is working everything to our greater good (Romans 8:28).
What is our greater good? Our faith. For without faith it is impossible to please God.
Yes, things really suck in America, spiritually. WE are experiencing, in real time that when a country turns from God , it turns to doctrines of demons.
Satan is in literally in the White House, influencing the president. One of President Joe Biden’s highest paid staffers is a satanist.
We’re talking paganism here folks. This whole “your truth ” vs “my truth” arises from people thinking they are all knowing. Idolatry causes this state, whether they are worshipping a false god , a deceiving spirit ,or themselves.
Other proof of America’s regression to paganism include, tribalism, occult practices, sex trafficking of women and children and abortion. yes, I said abortion.
Have you ever wondered why pro-choice activists rabidly protect this barbaric practice? Sixty million babies…60 million, aborted since 1973 is an afterthought to these people. I believe this is because abortion is a form of child sacrifice , and other Americans are coming to this conclusion.
Artist depiction of the pagan god, Molech
Just observe the religious zeal in their eyes and the personal attacks when you challenge their protection of abortion. This goes way beyond protecting a woman’s right to choose and has everything to do with placating Molech.
Now am I saying every pro-choicer knows they are participating in a grand form of child sacrifice? No. The street level activist believes they are fighting for a righteous cause, a civil right. It’s the upper echelons that know the plan and defend the practice. They craft the propaganda that seduces the undiscerning into willing foot soldiers.
Like I said, it’s demonic. And so is the embrace of this gender chaos. What has the country come to when a child cannot vote or join the military until he or she is 18, cannot legally purchase alcohol until the age of 21, yet can make make decisions about their gender before adolescence?
Our country is descending into spiritual madness courtesy of the secularist/Marxist pawns of the principalities of darkness .
So why do I say be encouraged? Because, amid the darkness, we as Christians have a tremendous opportunity to be light. We’re light because we reflect Jesus and the brightness of our light is commensurate to our faith.
There’s that word , faith, again. Let’s discuss why if you have it, there is no need for fear or worry .
Faith is like exercising a muscle: the more you work the muscle the bigger or more defined it becomes. You can sit around and visualize yourself as muscular all you want, but until you pick up that weight or complete those pushups, you’re still that out- of -shape guy or gal.
The same goes for faith. It must be practiced.
Prayer and Bible study are part of exercising faith. If you are doing these things consistently your faith will have a solid foundation. We build our faith from this point by obedience.
Obedience means a willingness to go where God leads you even if you do not see the outcome. This is where faith comes in, a belief in things unseen as if they were.
When we walk in faith, God walks with us in our circumstances. In other words, in our successes and failures. God promises never to leave us or forsake us. We can be glad that God is doing a work in us, perfecting us. That work won’t stop until we are in with the Lord in heaven.
When we are obedient to bring the Gospel to a fallen world , or in Americans’ case, a fallen nation. Be encouraged because nothing can stop the mission.
Historically, persecution and martyrdom never stopped God’s Word. If anything, these obstacles instituted the opposite effect, causing the Gospel to flourish.
In this hour of darkness is the American Christians’ opportunity to shine brightly. God has appointed you and me for this hour.
Yes, the times appear bleak and hopeless. But take heart, when the odds appear against the church is when God does His greatest work. We only stifle His glory when we hesitate in fear.
So welcome the persecution, and remember that your life is not your own, but was ransomed by the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. Remember also that you can do all things in the name of Jesus. His name is above all others and the day will come when all will bow before Him.
I believe God is revealing the level of evil we are living under for a purpose: to show us only God can fight this battle . We are perfected when we allow Him to move through us.
