Christian

Thirty Feet from Heaven

Thirty feet from where I sit one of the most influential people in my life lies on his deathbed.

He is my father-in-law, Bob.

April 15 will mark his one-hundredth birthday. Fewer than one percent of all Americans live to that age. Bob won’t make it to that date, however. Though he has no illness or disease, hospice has been called in because his body has simply worn out. His time here is quickly ticking away.

I met Bob when I was eighteen. He and his wife, Edie, were visiting their daughter, Susie, for the first time during her freshman year of college. Susie and I were best of friends, and they asked me to join them for a fancy dinner. I recall her dad being incredibly hospitable, gregarious, and a very nice Christian man.

Susie became a Christian after witnessing her dad’s conversion while she was in high school. His transformation was so noticeable it caused her to be convinced that Jesus was indeed Lord.

It was a bit later in our freshmen year that Susie told me about Jesus. I was put off initially, but decided to read the New Testament with an open mind. Everything I ever heard about Jesus was quickly tossed aside as I read the accounts of his life in the Bible for myself.

During the following summer Bob sent me a little booklet called The Four Spiritual Laws. What I read changed everything, including a passage from the Bible’s Book of John: “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).

The booklet continued, explaining that, “By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works that no one should boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9). It also spoke of “confessing your sin” and “accepting God’s forgiveness.”

I suddenly realized I needed to confess my sinful ways (trust me, there were many) and willfully receive Jesus as my personal Savior. When I did, my life instantly changed.

Susie and I married a few years later. The two of us can guarantee you; we never would have adopted children if it were not for the banner of faith that has flown over our family. Nor would I ever had been given the opportunity to assist in the adoption of over 400 foster children in the 1990s. I believe I can also honestly say there are hundreds of individuals who have come trust in Jesus as their Lord because of some of the influential people my wife and I have shared our faith with over the decades.

And at the genesis of it all is Bob.

He has been one of the most generous and charitable men I have ever met. I’ve never so much as heard him utter one curse word. He has no enemies. Even as recent as a week ago he was trying to influence men to better know the Lord.

Unlike other deaths I have witnessed, in Bob’s case the conversations about his bed include occasional laughter. When tears are shed, they are yielded with joy as old school country gospel music plays in the background.

He mumbled to us today, “No medicine.” We think it was his way of saying, Don’t slow me down. I want to see my wife, and my little brother who died as a youngster. I want to see my Savior.

Godspeed, Bob.

And thanks for letting me marry your daughter.

 

No, Jesus Was Not a Refugee

Warning. This post is not meant to cause division. It is being written in the name of historical accuracy and therefore truth. If you find yourself initially offended by the title of this article, I hope your sentiments will cause you to take a step back, cast aside your emotions, and research my claims for yourself.

In recent years, during the Christmas season, it has become increasingly popular to declare that Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were refugees.

The underlying aim of this assertion is designed to tug on heartstrings to compel us to become more compassionate towards the millions of people who have slipped into America without proper documentation. Such evidence legally includes a birth certificate, a medical exam and obtaining required vaccinations, an analysis of any immigration or criminal history, as well as proof demonstrating that the immigrant will not become primarily dependent on the government for subsistence. These are regulations put in place by Congress. Anyone who subverts these rules has entered the country illegally.

It should be noted, as of this writing, the United States grants up to 675,000 permanent immigrant visas each year. In addition to that number, there is no limit on the annual admission of U.S. citizens’ spouses, parents, and children under the age of 21.

The mantra that Jesus was a refugee contends his parents were being persecuted by King Herod and were forced to flee their home in Bethlehem, Judea for Egypt. They are portrayed as poor, destitute, and forced to live in another country where they were treated with shame. However, the Biblical account simply tell us this:

…an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to look for the child to kill him.” Then he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and went to Egypt. (Matt. 2:13-14)

Some popular memes used to set the stage for this bogus refugee theory actually illustrate Jesus, Mary, and Joseph imprisoned like animal in separate cages.

While Merriam-Webster defines refugee as “a person who flees to a foreign country or power to escape danger or persecution.” Refugees are typically forced to leave their country because of some type of impending violence or doom. For example, my grandfather, on my dad’s side of the family, was sent to America from the eastern Russian Empire in the early 1900’s. Antisemitic persecution was on the rise, as were the winds of communism, and my great-grandparent’s made the decision to scrape together the funds to send their 13-year-old eldest son to America in order to give their family line a chance to thrive. He was sent with the admonition, “Get a job, learn English, send for your brother.” We know Grandpa arrived legally in Philadelphia, but we have no idea who he stayed with. The rest of the family never made it to America; we only know that his brother, Jacob, was murdered by Hitler’s Nazi regime in Auschwitz.

Certainly, my grandpa David was refugee.

Now, back to Jesus.

I’m personally no fan of the United Nations, but for the sake of this discussion, the UN defines refugees as “people who have fled war, violence, conflict or persecution and have crossed an international border to find safety in another country.” At face value, it might appear that the Holy Family fled persecution and went from Judea to Egypt, therefore, crossing an international border.

So, what’s the problem?

Despite how modern international borders look today, Mary, Joseph and Jesus never fled the Roman Empire. Instead, they left the Roman province of Judea to seek temporary sanctuary in the Roman province of Aegyptus. Their travel was perfectly legal.

Consider looking at it this way. Maria, Jose and Jesus live in an apartment in Aurora, Colorado. The apartment complex has been taken over by a violent gang from Venezuela, Tren de Aragua. The family is extorted by the gang and threatened, “If you call the police on us, we will kill you!”

The family leaves the apartment complex in the dark of night, fleeing to Kansas, but not before telling the authorities all they know.

Are Maria, Jose and Jesus refugees? No. They are US citizens who moved to another state.

You see, observing antiquity through a modern lens in order to make a popular political point is a bastardization of history.

Jesus and His family moved to Egypt in order to escape King Herod’s murderous intentions, but they had a plan. Their trip was entirely self-funded, due to the gifts of the magi, and their sojourn in Egypt was temporary, as intended. The family remained there until the death of Herod, at which time they returned home (Matthew 2:19–21).

Given these specific details, there’s no accurate parallel to the modern, indigent refugee who asks permission to enter a new country to avoid some calamity, let alone the migrant who enters a country without permission.

So, what’s driving this Jesus was a refugee storyline?

It’s all about being “woke.”

Woke is a recent term that has come to mean “conscious of injustice in society.” A “woke” person is especially attentive to racial discrimination and the issues surrounding it. On the surface, there is nothing wrong with that.

However, Christians should understand that while laws and legislation guard the principle of equal rights for all Americans, no law can change the human heart. The person filled with prejudice and racial hatred will not suddenly be filled with unwavering love simply because a new law is passed by their representatives. Christians know the authentic evil which resides in the human heart (Jeremiah 17:9). Real justice is possible only when individuals have been justified (just as if I never sinned) in Christ Jesus through repentance and receiving Jesus as Lord. Only when we are saved by His blood can we live out the mandate, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31).

Too many Christians have allowed “wokeness” to alter and water down Biblical accuracy in an effort to not offend anyone. The problem is, the Word of God can be quite offensive as it is naturally in conflict with our sinful human nature. As such, and tragically, not everyone is going to make it into the Kingdom of Heaven.

During this Christmas season it would be wise to recall something profoundly said by the Apostle Paul: “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptations, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1 Timothy 1:15).

Happy New Year: Goodbye Democrats, Hello MAGA

Even though he and his fellow Democrats brought great harm to the United States, I actually thank God that creepy Joe Biden became president in 2021.

His term was akin to a loud alarm bell heard by Americans of all colors and creeds. The citizenry became aware of how immoral and insanely out of touch the Democrat Party is with We the People.

For example, during Biden’s four years millions of people from hundreds of nations were allowed to come into our country without a shred of identification. Though so-called fact checking organizations deny this, it’s true:  300,000 children were allowed into the US and are now reported as being unaccounted for—we literally have no idea where these kids are.

On top of that, blue cities have spent millions to house illegals in luxury hotels. This has allowed inner-city racial minorities to finally realize they have been played by the left like a cheap fiddle. These folks are now speaking out against their elected officials with a very loud, compelling voice. Many are even sporting MAGA hats when they protest at their city council and county commission meetings.

The liberals also overplayed their hand with sexuality. Only a liar or a brainwashed idiot can declare that someone born with XY chromosomes is a woman and with XX a man. Many an otherwise liberal parent has turned on the trans ideology after watching their daughter’s sports team compete against a squad with a biological man posing as a woman.

And to think our taxpayer dollars are going to fund the pro-abortion movement, which tries to hide itself under the guise of “reproductive freedom.” What they are really engaged in is no different than satanic child sacrifice. The People are sick of it.

Then there was Joe’s White House Cabinet packed with full-fledged lunatics, many of whom need serious mental health counseling. Take for example the so-called “transexual,” Secretary of Health and Human Services Rachel Levine (actual name at birth, Richard). Forget being a homely woman, he’s an unattractive guy. As the head of HHS Levine approved removing age limits for these procedures: removal of both ovaries; double mastectomy; turning a girl’s clitoris into a micro-penis; surgically removing a boy’s penis; surgical and chemical castration of boys; and permanent removal of the capacity for orgasm for both boys and girls.|

Can you say, “Disgusting?” The voters sure did!

Then there’s the incompetent Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg. The former small-town mayor of South Bend, Indiana was given $7.5 billion to construct EV charging stations, and with that money built less than 250.

Notice I didn’t mention a thing about his sexual persuasions.

I can’t forget the triple crown DEI pick, the White House spokesperson we’ve seen at the daily press briefings, Karine Jean-Pierre. I’ve never witnessed anyone so capable of lying through their teeth in my lifetime.

A majority of Americans rebuked the Democrats, their liberal base, and their RINO accomplices. We hate their taxes. We despise their woke agenda. We loath their endless wars. We’re done with them dividing us by race, religion, and income. We can’t stand their elitist attitudes.

And, lest I forget, we scorn their fondness for communism.

Praise God! A new day has dawned. Donald Trump has rebranded the Republican Party and has used the past four years to implement an effective plan to Make America Great Again. He is determined to cut trillions in waste, fraud, and abuse. He plans on reducing taxes (for everyone), overhauling the healthcare system, rolling back the non-science-based climate agenda (details available in my new book, Climate Cult), reducing the cost of energy, modernizing our military, and bringing the world’s tough guys to the negotiating table.

We must pray for Donald Trump daily. One way or another (use your imagination) the left’s demonic minions are looking for ways to ruin his tenure as the 47th President of the United States of America.

Lord, thank you for this moment. May faith in your Son spread across this nation as we have the privilege to observe America become, as Ronald Reagan once envisioned, “a shining city upon a hill.”

 

Three Rarely Told Thanksgiving Miracles, And…

Miracle #1 – It was November 1620. The Pilgrims’ ship, the Mayflower, accidentally sailed right past the natural harbor in which they planned to land. Good thing.   Hostile natives had seen the boat offshore and were waiting to ambush the ship and its 102 passengers.

Miracle #2 – As they explored another harbor farther north (Plymouth Rock) they discovered an even better situation—a fresh water river teeming with fish, a large flat, previous cleared 3-acre field for growing crops, and a high hill perfect for their cannon to ward off enemies.  A Native Indian tribe had previously developed the farmland, but the entire lot had succumbed to a recent plague. As a result, no native tribes wanted anything to do with the land for fear it was cursed.

Miracle #3 – That first winter of 1620-21 was a horridly cold one. The Pilgrims were hardly prepared and nearly half of the Pilgrim community perished from a variety of maladies. An Indian named Samoset shocked the Pilgrims by approaching them speaking broken English!  Samoset then introduced the Pilgrims to his friend, Squanto, who spoke perfect English.  Together, Squanto and Samoset helped the settlers survive after the first winter.

As opposed to the North American settlers farther south in Jamestown who had a slogan, “Damn your soul, grow tobacco,” the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock were peaceful, God-fearing folks who had wonderful relationships with their native neighbors.  During that first Thanksgiving in November of 1621, the surviving English families had experienced great hardship and loss. Nonetheless, they fellowshipped with deep appreciation for their Indian friends and thanked God for all they had.

To those who foolishly contend America was not founded as a Christian nation, and the founders were all slaveholders, let me just share two more facts. First, the original Mayflower Compact, agreed to by the folks who came across on the Mayflower states:

IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN.

We, whose names are underwritten… Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith… a Voyage to plant the first Colony in the northern Parts of Virginia; Do by these Presents, solemnly and mutually, in the Presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid…

The foundation of the northern colonies of America were certainly God-based. The pilgrims desired to make their new home one that was found upon Biblical precepts,  and becoming a headquarters for sharing the Gospel worldwide.

Second, here are some comments on slavery from a few of those who would eventually, and officially, found the United States of America:

John Adams “A foul contagion in the human character.”

Governeur Morris (wrote the preamble to the Constitution) “A laudable horror…in the defiance of the most sacred laws of humanity.”

Ben Franklin: “Mankind are all formed by the same almighty being,  alike objects of his care and equally designed for the enjoyment of happiness.”

Thomas Paine, one of the most persuasive voices for Independence: “an outrage against humanity and justice.”

Roger Sherman, signer of both the Declaration and Constitution, called slavery, “iniquitous.”

While some of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence did own slaves, the vast majority did not; the same can be said of the Signers to the Constitution. The practice was abolished following a horrid Civil War that saw over 600,000 Americans die. Sadly, America’s original sin still lingers today, with intolerance coming from a variety of sides. This was never the intention of the men and woman who risked all aboard the Mayflower, to establish a one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

God Extends Mercy to America

Mercy implies not getting what you deserve.

Certainly the United States has drifted far off the course originally defined in our founding motto of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. In my book, Climate Cult: Exposing and Defeating Their War on Life, Liberty, and Property, I fully explain the Biblical roots of our inalienable rights expressed in that sacred motto. However, ungodly liberals have steadily eroded those rights replacing life with abortion, liberty with their absurd “separation of church and state” mantra, and the pursuit of happiness by infringing on property rights via regulation, bureaucracy and taxation.

In addition, private American charity has brought great aid to much of the impoverished world, and Christian organizations have poured extensive resources in to spreading the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ to the farthest reached of the planet. The left, or course, sees such actions as foolishness. They would rather send billions of dollars in taxpayer funds to  “aid” countries that dole the cash to tyrants, dictators, oligarchs, and criminals.

But God has given us another chance to get things rights. The Lord spared Donald Trump from death for such a time as this.

Last night he clearly won the presidency, and fellow republicans took the House and Senate (not to forget gaining a lead in governorships across the nation). We now have an opportunity to roll back insane laws and regulations that have stifled our inalienable rights, allowing the socialists in the Democrat Party to gain more control over our lives.

Now we must continue in prayer.

Fervent prayer.

The left is going to try their damndest to put Trump in prison for those ridiculous, unfounded, so-called “criminal” charges.

We must also pray for a genuine revival that witnesses millions of people embracing faith in Jesus as their Lord.

Meantime, the radicals are planning to take action. An opinion piece in this morning’s Washington Post was headlined, The Second Resistance to Trump Must Start Right Now. “He will probably be even more extreme, radical and cruel in his second term than he was in his first,” declares the screed, written by the paper’s editorial board.

What does the rest of the world think? Well, my friends in Nigeria are thrilled with Trump’s victory. They vividly recall when President Trump bluntly asked their former president, “Why are you killing Christians?” My friends in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, South America, and Great Britain are also very excited. They know how much influence a US President can have on their countries.

Good or bad.

But we’re praying for good.

Mercy.

Let’s embrace it.