Christians And The Vote

A friend of mine (see his blog at https://soarusa.wordpress.com) emailed me this link to commenary by Dr. J. Vernon McGee. In this portion of his commentary he goes into the side issue of voting and makes some interesting statements. This clip is about 9 minutes long.

I listened to the video (or more accurately, the audio) and wrote a reply to my friend. He wrote me back, saying my comments should be a blog post. So I decided to do just that. Here is my response to J. Vernon McGee’s commentary:

First of all, I hate the use of this word, “democracy”. Only in the broadest sense that the “free world” is composed of “democracies” are we a democracy. The guys who came up with our constitution knew the dangers of a tyranny of the majority. That’s why they designed our federal government the way they did. The checks and balances of separate powers, a bi-cameral legislature, the electoral college etc. Most Americans are caught up in the political machinations of the “two party system” which is not in the constitution, just in our tradition. The constitution itself was written for a people who had been inculcated with a Biblical world view: to the pure, all things are pure. That is, if EVERYONE takes their civic duties seriously then those who are elected to office will actually represent the values and interests of the electorate. Those in authority actually will care for their constituents. That is a pure concept. Political parties have usurped it.

Nevertheless, if we are to “render unto Caesar” who is Caesar? Applying the concept of Romans 13 “Caesar” is our government. And who is our government? Purely and ideally, it is supposed to be leaders who we, the citizenry, have put into positions to represent us. Not indirectly, We The People are Caesar because we ourselves should be seeking to involve ourselves in our own self-governance. We ourselves are our own government. That’s what freedom is: taking the responsibility to live in such a way so that our neighbors may also responsibly live as they choose. It’s a pure thought: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. To the pure all things are pure. But politics have polluted the pure ideals of what makes America great.

I love J. Vernon, but on this point we take different views. He may be right about the Roman Empire never really disappearing, but in our corner of that decayed empire I hold strongly to my idealism. I accept the idea of a “dictatorship” under Messiah, but under no one else. And I’ll choose the aspirations of a Trump administration any day over the communist practices of the left. Voting is important. America had a real choice and made it. It would be nice if those who claim to believe in the God of the Bible could actually notice that the unusually spectacular vote we just participated in was a good and decent thing. Many on the left are dedicating themselves to fight against the Trump presidency. Is that “democratic”? Does that comport with Romans 13? Nope. Neither.

I think the most telling part of that important passage is that those in authority over us are agents of God and therefore are accountable to Him. If we want our leaders to take that seriously, we should actively vote. The onus is on us. (Ooh, clever) That’s how important voting is to me (in the pure sense).

I believe Christians who are against voting are wrong. Voting can be a powerful way to let our light shine, particularly when we are united. My fervent hope and prayer is that Christians do not forsake their duty to vote.

Hitler! Fascist! Dictator!

Kamala Harris, Democrat leaders and the “mainstream” media calls Donald Trump a dictator. They call him a fascist and say he’s like Hitler. Nothing. nothing could be further from the truth. On October 26 Mark Levin refuted this absolute lie on his program, Life, Liberty & Levin. Watch this show. I’m sure you can find it on the internet. But if you can’t, here are some quotes from Mark’s show:

“Dictators. You know who was called a dictator? John Adams — for the Alien and Sedition Acts. You know who else was called a dictator? President Andrew Jackson. You know who was called a dictator? Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln. And Abraham Lincoln had a lot of generals he couldn’t stand, because they were just like Kelly” [retired general John Kelly]. “They were just like Mattis.” [retired general Jim Mattis]. “Mattis! They were just like Milly” [retired general Mark Milley] “who dares to come forward…because the disgrace of Afghanistan will be right there on his epitaph — Milley’s epitaph — for the rest of his damnable life!”…

“…this propaganda about Hitler may wind up in putting a bullet in Donald Trump’s head.”

“…So I want you to know — the American people — that generals speaking out and trying to destroy a president: that’s not new — that a media calling a president a dictator — that’s not new. I want you to know that. That anti-semitism on the left, whether it’s the New York Times or the Washington Post, whether it is Franklin Roosevelt and his rat-filled State Department like our rat-filled State Department today, and whether it is the current administration, filled with Iranian sympathizers that funded Iran, that funded Hamas and attacked Israel. This current administration, with Kamala Harris as the number two is the most anti-semitic, anti-Israel administration in history — and they bring up Hitler — because Kamala Harris is pathetic, sophomoric, childish — no substance — is illiterate in English — doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”

It takes someone who’s aware of the facts of reality to know that Trump is no Hitler. He is no dictator. He is no fascist. He is the total opposite of those accusations. I am so tired of hearing these evil lies coming from the left. Whoever repeats a lie is a liar. We all have the power to choose where we stand: in the light of truth or in darkness, with the father of lies. Where do you stand? 

Sinking Sand

What do you believe in? What authority can you point to that makes you confident in your belief? Are you standing on solid ground, or sinking sand?

My faith is summed up in the opening line of an old hymn: “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.” (The Solid Rock, words by Edward Mote 1834, music by William Bradbury)

“Sweetest frame” refers to one’s frame of mind — the framework of our point of view — that which we have been taught, and have accepted as being right. “Sweetest frame” applies to our religious, philosophical and worldview preferences that give us a structure of understanding that makes us happy. 

People of all religions tend to lean on those “sweetest frames”, including Christians. A quick search on line tells me there are over 4000 religions in the world today. And more than 45,000 denominations come under the banner of “Christian”. 

Jesus prayed, “…that they [those who believe in Jesus] may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (john 17:21). But so-called believers are divided by thousands of church variations, doctrinal variations, and even variations in how the Bible should be translated and interpreted. Contrary to the prayer of Jesus, “Christians” are not one, not united in Christ.   

“On Christ the solid Rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.” If you are standing on any ground (including those “sweetest frames”) other than the solid Rock, you will surely sink and fall. This truth is found in Luke 6:48-49, which identifies Jesus as the Rock. Other Scripture verses also describe God as the Rock of our salvation, such as Psalm 18:46:

     The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God of my salvation —

Building your house on the foundation of bedrock means living your life based on the Lord’s commands. Acts 4:11-12 tells us, “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Essentially, this is the central message of the Bible, not that we need religion, but that we need Jesus. “Why do I need Jesus?” the skeptic will ask. Because, as the Bible teaches, sin has separated us all from God, and nothing in our power can save us from his coming judgment.  We need a Savior.  

Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” And the first part of Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death…” No amount of religion can ever change that. Pride helps us to lie to ourselves and deny that sin is not in us. And that’s how being “religious” can trick us into thinking that we are “good” if we just do enough “good” things. But that’s all a deception. 1 John 1:8 tells us, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

But God has good news (the “gospel”) for everyone. We find it in the second part of Romans 6:23: “…but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” That free gift is salvation from our sin and eternal life in a relationship with God. This gift is free, but can only be accepted and received by faith, not by earning, not by learning, not by growing, not by showing, just by faith. 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 describes this gospel:

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 

Jesus is the Messiah. He alone fulfills the prophecies of Scripture. He came to earth to give his life as payment for all sin. In John 10:18 he says, “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” (As the Son of God, Jesus is also God, the Son.)

And he did take up his life again…”raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures”, making it possible for all who believe to be raised with him (“Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power.” ~ 1 Corinthians 6:14).

Finally, 1 Corinthians 15:5-8 records that the risen Christ was not only seen by his disciples, but by more than 500 others, most of whom were still living when Paul wrote it. The life, death, burial and resurrection of the Savior of the world are historical facts.  

But the only way any of us can appropriate this gift of the gospel is through faith. If you don’t believe it, you cannot have it. John 1:12 says, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”. Believing is receiving. And becoming a child of God means being born again. Jesus said, “…everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Don’t stand on sinking sand. Look to Jesus for your faith. No religion, no church, no denomination, no group, no mentor, no “sweetest frame” will ever substitute for standing on the solid Rock and believing in his name.  

Note To Christians And Gun Owners

I heard on the news that millions of you don’t vote, and aren’t even registered to vote.

If you don’t vote, your values will not be represented in government. But if all of you were to vote, then your values would be reflected in our government and this nation could begin to be the kind of place we all want for ourselves and our children.

So, why in the world aren’t you going to vote? Please tell me. I want to know.

[UPDATE]  Read why I believe Christians need to vote at https://retiredday.wordpress.com/2018/09/25/lord-move-your-children-to-vote/

Big Trouble

I lament the fact that fewer and fewer folks today have experienced engaging in rational thought, or stepping back far enough from a particular tree that has their interest in order to gain a broader view of the entire forest about them.

The opinion makers — those who frame our discussions — focus on troubles like “Big Oil” or “Big Pharma”. But I claim the right to have my own opinions and I will frame my own discussions, thank you very much. If you step back far enough from your favorite tree that distracts you, you might be able to see that the worst big trouble is Big Government.

I’m tired of hearing this lie over and over again: that government will solve our problems and that government will make our lives better. It’s not just a lie. It’s a fantasy to sucker people into giving more freedoms over to government control of their lives.

And many folks take the bait because they’ve been trained not to take responsibility for their lives. They’ve been raised to expect an easy life, with all their needs supplied by government. They’ve been trained to follow the advice of “experts”. They’ve been dumbed-down and aged-down. They are children who want to play and be given everything they need — not adults who discipline themselves in order to work for their own dreams.

In order for freedom to endure, we all must shoulder our own responsibilities. And our social contract means that we must employ personal restraint in order for all of us to pursue happiness. Big government cannot ever make that happen. Big Government makes big trouble.

Wise up, wake up and grow up! The lie that government will take care of you is a fantasy for foolish, dreaming children. Please take the time to vote. And really think about it before you do.

No Gaza Ceasefire!

The media keeps talking about ceasefire negotiations in Gaza. Those on the “pro Palestinian” side (more correctly, the anti-Israel side) urge that a ceasefire must occur so that innocent civilians may receive food, medical supplies and humanitarian care. They push the idea of a ceasefire as if it is equivalent to ending the hostility, with no more killing and no more suffering. But is it?

Do not forget that on October 7th a cease fire was already in effect when bloodthirsty Hamas thugs raged against innocent Israeli civilians, murdering, raping, burning, decapitating. No Israeli was too old or too young for their slaughter – no baby, no wheelchair- bound senior citizen. 

And do not forget that Jew-hating Muslims have been murdering innocents for decades. Not just firing rockets at civilian targets. Have we forgotten the suicide bombers killing school children, shoppers and wedding parties? Hamas has made clear by their own declarations that this is their same mind-set: they want to “wipe Israel off the map”. 

The media focuses on Israel stopping its military actions, blaming them for civilian casualties and greatly inflating the statistics of their dead and wounded in order to gain international sympathy for their losses. And the media reports those statistics without question, as if Hamas is a trustworthy source of information.

There is a two-fold reason for innocent civilian lives being unnecessarily lost in Gaza, including many children. One, Hamas hides their massive underground military complex near schools and hospitals. And two, Hamas authorities do not allow their citizens to evacuate areas when the IDF gives the people prior notice that they will be entering their area.  

Hamas actually wants civilian casualties. Where is the international outrage for that? Where is the international outrage for the Hamas terrorist’s tunnel system? Where is the outrage for Iran’s dedicated role in funding the overthrow of Israel? Where is the outrage for the fact that Hamas (along with Hezbollah, Houthis and others in the nations surrounding Israel) are terrorists?

What Israel has learned is that as long as Gaza continues to try to wipe them off the map, they will never be safe. The terrorist attacks will never stop. The rockets will never stop. A true ceasefire means everyone stops hostilities — not just Israel, but also the nations around Israel who are supporting Hamas. But the anti-Israel forces are not willing to stop trying to destroy Israel. So, for it’s own survival, Israel must destroy Hamas.

I learned a long time ago in Vietnam that a ceasefire is a mind game played by an enemy who  lacks the ability to win by military force. Its a mind game for terrorists. They use the false peace to lure their target into complacency so that they can regroup and plan their next attack. I saw this played out in Vietnam.

Unlike those who protested the Vietnam war and were caught up in the anti-war movement, I was actually there. I saw what happened. My Army unit worked together with a Marine unit to remove Viet Cong and NVA forces from areas they controlled. The people who lived in these areas had been evacuated for their safety and were living in temporary relocation camps. The goal was to get rid of the communist military so that the people could return in safety to their villages. 

It would take us weeks of fighting to put the enemy forces in retreat and clear these areas, but as long as our forces were allowed to proceed, we continued to make good progress. More than once we would get orders to “stand down” because the North Vietnamese had called for a ceasefire and the American negotiators went along with the idea that a ceasefire would allow for good faith discussions.

But what really happened is this: When the ceasefire was agreed upon, my company (which had been chasing enemy forces out of their area of control) was ordered to disengage with the enemy and set up a perimeter atop a mountain, from where we could only observe enemy activity without engaging them. What we saw were the very forces we had been chasing out were now walking right back in to retake possession of the area we had chased them out of. And we were unable to do anything but watch.

Then, after a few days of fruitless peace negotiations, the ceasefires always ended, leaving us with the task of starting all over again in our efforts to gain control over real estate.

Cease fires are no way to fight a war. That is why we “lost” in Vietnam. In spite of the fact that we were militarily superior we did not fight to win. That wasn’t the military’s fault. That was the fault of the politicians who ran the war.

The point is, a ceasefire in Gaza will only let Hamas regroup, shore up their positions and gather more strength for continuing their fight to destroy Israel.

The responsibility for compassionate care of civilians lies squarely at the feet of Hamas. They prevent civilians from evacuating to safety because they want to hide behind them. And they don’t care if people starve or are killed by bombs or gunfire. They don’t care! But the IDF has already done more than any other military force to minimize civilian casualties and even get needed food and medical supplies to them.  

Some have said that nothing good ever comes from war. I disagree. Consider the American Revolutionary war. Those who hate America rewrite our history and paint us as evil, racist and imperialistic. But we who love the American Dream of freedom are thankful for that war, and every 4th of July we celebrate the document that started it all. 

Aside from that, there is an even more important benefit that comes from war: survival. A nation that defends itself has the hope of survival. That means fighting to destroy the enemy that threatens you. But if a nation does not fight to win, they cannot hope to survive. They will surely be destroyed by those who wish to wipe it off the face of the earth, as in Hamas’ stated goal for Israel.

A final note regarding all these young “pro Palestinian” ignoramuses criminally demonstrating on university campuses: There is no such thing as a Palestine that opposes Jews. Only bigots hate Jews. Palestine is simply the name Rome used for Israel. In other words, Palestine is Israel. 

Although Israel is the world’s only Jewish state, they allow non-Jews (gentiles) to live and work among them. Israel even has Islamic political parties in their own government. Charges that Israel is guilty of genocide and apartheid are totally groundless and simply a product of Islamist hatred. 

But little details like that don’t seem to matter to the hate-filled, terrorist-supporting anti-semites who don’t respect Israel’s sovereignty or its right to exist. They paint Israel as an evil, rogue nation and call for a cease fire. I say, “No!” Destroy Hamas first. Then peace will be possible.

Who Will Win?

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. ~ Proverbs 9:10

Revelation 19:11-16:

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called The Word of God. [John 1:1]

And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

1 Timothy 6:12-16:

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

Pray For Joy Behar. Pray For Our Nation.

“We live in a world of miracles. None of us knows God’s plan, or where life’s adventure will take us. But if the events of last Saturday make anything clear, it is that every single moment we have on earth is a gift from God.” ~ Donald J. Trump

How do we distinguish whether a person is saying, “How great am I?” or “How great is our God?”

Joy Behar called former President Trump’s statement that God watched over him “narcissistic” and “not very Christian”. Sadly, her hatred for the man has blinded her — not just in her judgment of Trump’s words, but in her own lack of spiritual sensitivity.

It takes very little spiritual awareness to realize the reason Trump credited God for protecting him is because it was such a close call. Another millimeter and he would have been dead. He was grateful and humbled.

In Vietnam, several soldiers near me were wounded and killed, while I survived and was never even hit.  One of them, killed in action, was right next to me. That happened before I was a Christian, more than 50 years ago. But I have been thankful ever since because I believe God had his protective hand on me. That doesn’t make me a narcissist. Just the opposite is true.

In order to acknowledge God, realize that he is in charge, and thank and praise him, we have to humble ourselves and admit to our vulnerability to forces greater than ourselves in this world. We must come to a place where we realize our limits before we can confess the limitless power and authority of God over us. That’s not narcissism. It’s the beginning of understanding and wisdom: the fear of the LORD.

When President Trump included in his speech an acknowledgement that God’s hand saved him from that bullet, he gave glory to God — something the Bible teaches us we should do. And throughout the Republican Convention I was struck by how many speakers quoted from Scripture and gave thanks to God. To hate Trump so much that Joy Bahar would label his statement narcissistic and unchristian reveals much about her ignorance of Christianity, the Bible, and even the definition of narcissism.

Trump did not mock God, but Joy Behar did. She equated giving glory to God to narcissism, which might even be considered blasphemy. This is a spiritual issue — not political. It’s not about disagreement, it’s about hate and deception. Trump’s heart and Trump’s statement stand in the light of God’s love and God’s truth. But Joy Behar’s heart and statement cower in the darkness of her hatred. 

Heavenly Father, please break through the darkness of people’s hearts. Forgive them for they know not what they do. Shine the light of your truth on them. Reveal yourself to them. Not just Joy Behar, but all those who listen to her and agree with her. There is no place for their kind of distorted, reprobate thinking in civil society. Open their eyes and ears that they would see and hear your truth. And give us all the discernment we need to know the difference between Christ and antichrist.

Forgiveness And Christians

You received Christ when you believed in his name. By faith you accepted Jesus for who he is — the Lamb of God — and what he has done — the sacrifice of his life for the payment the sins of the world and his bodily resurrection into heaven — the first-born of the redeemed — giving victory over sin and death to all who believe in him — eternal life in Christ.

When you were saved you experienced his love, mercy and grace. You felt ashamed of your sins, and still he forgave you, simply because you received him in faith. The normal response to this salvation experience is that we start trying our best to be good and to be worthy of his favor. But if we are honest with ourselves we must admit that as sinners saved by grace, we are incapable of being sinless, incapable of being worthy. Not a day goes by without our old sin nature rearing its ugly head.

So, in his holy word, God gives us passages like 1 John 1:8-9 to remind us of our daily need to deal with sin. And how do we do that? By convincing ourselves that our efforts to live holy and Christ-like lives are making us sinless or worthy to stand in the presence of God Almighty? Not at all. That is spiritual pride, but we are called to humble ourselves in the presence of the LORD.

We are to deal with sin by abiding in Christ and doing our best to obey his commands. Yet we will continually fail to do this because Christians are not sinless. So we deal with our sin by confession to God and repentence. And in Christ, we are forgiven.

What a wonderful gift is forgiveness! We don’t deserve it. We can’t earn it. But God loves us that much, that he would forgive every sin Jesus was crucified for. Knowing this should keep us humble.

The other day I was thinking about a person from my past. I thought about how he had disrespected me and violated my person. Then I suddenly realized that in my heart I had not forgiven him. And it was hard for me to admit that. I had thought that I had dealt with my feelings, but here I was, bringing up old hurts and wallowing in them.

If Jesus forgives me of all my sins, I also should forgive anyone who sins against me. Hmm…I think I read that somewhere (Hint: Matthew 6:12). Jesus has given us this wonderful gift of forgiving us. How great a joy would it be to share that gift by forgiving others!

Heavenly Father, as Jesus was being crucified, he prayed that you would forgive those who were crucifying him. In like manner, would you forgive this person from my past. And put forgiveness into my heart that I will no longer think ill of this person, but forgive him and be free of all anger or desire to “get even”. I release that urge in the name of Jesus.

A Declaration

Self-evident truths:

Everyone is created equal (meaning given equal consideration by the Creator, therefore deserving equal consideration before the laws of men);

Everyone is endowed by the Creator with certain unchanging and unchangeable rights;

Among these certain rights are included life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

In the world view of the Declaration of Independence, relativism, universalism and socialism (including fascism and communism) cannot be tolerated.

As Dr. Laura used to say, now go do the right thing.