Our eternal almighty God created the universe, all growing things, all creatures, and then Man, some six thousand years ago.  A bit later, God gave mankind several basic rules to follow to insure they stayed out of trouble.  These rules were named the Ten Commandments or The Decalogue.  He gave us other behavior rules in scripture.

When men followed God by worshipping Him, keeping His rules, and serving others, mankind prospered.  But when men turned away from God and His requirements for an honorable and righteous life (those rules again), and lived as they wanted to live, following the desires of their own hearts, things got ugly.  Surprise, Surprise!!!

About two thousand or so years into mankind’s history, things on earth had become so bad, so evil, that God simply had to step in and do a reboot.  He brought the most amazing catastrophic worldwide deep-water upheaval and rainstorm for forty days that covered the earth in water for almost a year.  The only people who escaped were a family of eight stalwart people who followed God’s ways.  The father was named Noah.  Surely, you’ve heard of Noah’s Flood.  It’s strange, even nuts, that when you don’t want to believe something, you won’t – even though you are looking smack-dab at volumes of rock-solid evidence.  Willful ignorance!  [Not surprisingly, the same exact “I refuse to believe” syndrome attaches itself to the proven idea that the Universe is some six thousand years old.]

After the horrendous Flood reboot, things got started right for a time on earth.  But shortly mankind basically told God to take a hike; that they were going to do it their way.  And they did for a time, until God did another partial reboot. Why?  God noticed the people of Babel trying to build a monstrous structure up into the heavens to show God just how great they were.  But one morning, they discovered that groups of them had been given other languages.  So, not being able to communicate well with each other, they split up and went their separate ways.  Thus were formed the many nations and people groups that inhabit the earth today.  Only a few of them followed God. So it has been since the beginning.

At about two thousand years after the Flood, God, being fed up with man’s continuing rebellion and sin, sent His Son to earth as a human to be a witness to the Truths in scripture and to pay the penalty for the sin of those who would acknowledge not following God’s laws.  That Son, Jesus the Christ, became quite literally the Savior for every human in the world who would admit their disobedient lifestyle and ask Him to save them from Hell’s fire of punishment.  Even with that awesome and inspiring act of love by suffering crucifixion for humankind’s sinfulness, people still reject Jesus. Many of us know God raised Him from the dead proving Jesus to be God’s intended Savior!  Those who have prayed to ask Jesus to forgive their sin and now follow Him know they, too, will be resurrected when their course on earth is run.

So now we come to today, the year 2023 in America.  What has happened to us? What do I mean?  I mean, look at the growing evil in our land, or is your heart so hard you can’t or won’t see it? It might help us to back up and review our nation’s history.

In the late 18^th century, a small group of American Patriots decided enough is enough from the dictates of King George III of England.  These 56 Godly men, after Declaring our Independence from England in 1776 and fighting a devastating war against them, also helped write the single most admired constitution in the world.  It was fashioned in great measure from many of the principles found in the Holy Bible.  [Bible means Book, Holy means Set-apart; so it’s The Book Set-Apart from others. And it is Set-Apart by God Himself – it’s His Book to us, for us – if we’ll heed its wisdom!]

For many people, that immediately calls our Constitution into question because the Bible after all, in their view, is an out-of-date document.  Which, of course, is absurd because the Bible, in one of its main tenets, is about man conforming himself to and obeying his Creator.  The sinful heart of ancient man is no different from the sinful heart of modern man.  The Bible is, therefore, still the book that must be used to address man’s sinful, evil behavior.  But I digress.

After our victorious revolution against England, our forefathers began to build what became the richest and most admired nation on the earth. People from other nations flocked to America as the land of new opportunity.  The French nobleman Alexis de Tocqueville after touring America for nine months in 1831, stated in his book Democracy in America, , “The Americans combine the notions of Christianity and of Liberty so intimately in their minds that it is impossible to make them conceive the one without the other.”

So, again – what happened to us – to the US?  Most of us have turned away from God and His Christ and are reaping the terrible result of His removing His hand of Blessing and Protection.  Oh sure, there are many millions of genuine followers of Christ in America, but the leaders in authority at all levels of government in America are now, in the main, not Christians or, if they claim to be, are not all actual followers of Jesus and the Bible.  The proof of our ugly predicament is obvious to all.  Our Federal, some State, and some Local Authorities have supported in law and edicts all manner of evil and perversions identified as such in the Bible.  They have even taken to flouting our laws, especially as it relates to immigration and even crime itself.  We are doing what seems right in our own eyes.  Evil abounds.

So what can be done?  Frankly it’s chicken soup simple.  God has made it very clear.  We must humbly admit we have been wrong and ask His forgiveness – each of us and all of us must do this – from the depths of our hardened hearts. Then turn to Jesus and ask Him to be your Savior. And we MUST see to it that the evil and sinful laws are overturned, thrown out, and replaced with laws that reflect God’s ways outlined in His Bible.

This would surely usher in another Great Spiritual Awakening in America – a mass movement of the Holy Spirit of God across our land from Sea to Shining Sea and from Border to Border!  We must wake up and see the terrible degradation of evil we have allowed and then DECIDE to never allow this to come into our nation again.  God has promised that He would hear and answer such national prayers humbly uttered from hearts broken by what we have done to our once-godly nation.  He will Revive His Church to Holiness and He will Restore our Nation to Righteousness, if we all do our small but crucial part.  Let’s get to it right now – and keep it going all across America!

Prepared with God’s help on December 31, 2022

by:  Tom McDonald, a Christ Follower…

Reflecting on the many strange or sinful behaviors in our culture today drove me to look at some concepts that might help explain what’s going on. I thought of several word pair-opposites, like Truth and Lies, Wise and Foolish, Normal and Strange, Good and Evil, Righteous and Wicked, Reality and Delusion, Sane and Insane…

What do we know about Truth and Lies?
Truth is what is Actual – what is Real. A Lie is what is NOT Truth!

Let’s ally Truth with its natural mate in the word opposite-pairs, yielding:
Truth, Wise, Normal, Good, Righteous, Reality, and Sane.
And then, Lies, Foolish, Strange, Evil, Wicked, Delusion, and Insane. Quite revealing…

Let me list some Behaviors today that seem to suggest quite strongly that the one Behaving in such a way is not Normal, but is a Fool; living a Lie, in Sin. Perhaps even Insane.

Those who…
1. identify themselves as other than who or what they are…
2. believe and/or indoctrinate in the Lies of CRT, DEI or BLM…
3.  try to obliterate our True history via Cancel Culture…
4.  believe incorrectly that Climate Change is caused by Man (Psalm 33)…
5.  believe in or practice Homosexuality or other Sexual Perversions…
6.  believe Murder in the Womb is only Abortion and not Homicide…
7.  attempt to find the One True God in human-designed religions…
8. believe that Communism is an ideal governing system instead of the Truth
it is the world’s most oppressive, destructive, and failed system…
9. use mind-altering drugs because it feels good but destroys them…
10. refuse to work but demand the government take care of them…
11.  can’t see that the mental defectives and the homeless should be properly
cared for in separate facilities established to house and tend to them…
12.  work in governments that allow this Foolishness, this insanity,
this sin, to thrive…
13.  see all this and yet will do nothing constructive or helpful about it….

I’ve observed that these Behaviors are simply Defiant Foolishness. Such Behaviors call into question the mental state of the one behaving in such a manner. The classic case of such behavior is best exemplified when someone claims to be someone they’re not, such as claiming to be Napoleon or Shakespeare, or anyone whom they are not. That is insanity.

Many Americans have adopted these sinful Behaviors (Galatians 5:19-21). It’s proof they have lost their way – serving the false god, Satan, not their Creator God. We are surely headed for the sort of retribution that God’s favored Nation Israel experienced many times for its defiance of God’s Laws. Let’s get something straight right now: Preaching and Teaching on Biblical Right & Wrong(Sin) is Mandatory whether or not it butts heads with Politics, Political Policy or Politicians! One big reason America is in such dire straits may be due to a lack of this type of Preaching or Teaching by churches, schools, dads, and moms.

How do we avoid God’s certain punishment? Repent of our Defiant Behaviors. Ask God’s forgiveness. Ask Jesus to be your Lord. Get to reading and practicing the Book of Truth, the Holy Bible. If it’s you, set a new course for your life based on the Righteous Teachings in God’s Word, the Holy Bible. And let’s be very clear about this: The Bible is completely relevant today because it deals with man’s heart – the same today as it was in the Garden of Eden – sinful. We need more Spirit-led Men & Women of God to not shy from proclaiming the Truth and to stand audibly strong against Sin! How about you???   tbm, 9/22

Most of us Christians have heard that many times in our lives. And most of us probably believe it’s true. What brings me to this subject is when our Sunday study of Romans came to chapter eleven, we had to wrestle with this issue. I decided as teacher, I should do some additional research of scripture to help us all understand what God wants us to understand about this phrase and this idea. This paper contains the results of that research. I have used God’s Word, Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, and The Complete Biblical Library. Man’s opinions are suspect.

Basically, I found that the title phrase isn’t true unless the phrase “as long as we continue to believe in and follow Jesus” is added. Following Him means doing what He tells us He wants of us as detailed in His scripture and through prayer insights. Being neither lukewarm nor cold.

So, let’s capture here several of the scriptures that inform our knowledge of this truth. Is it possible that those who have at one time “believed in” (Pisteuon = believe on, commit to, entrust to; as in John 3:16) Jesus as Savior can turn away, can deny Christ, by not following Him? Of course, that’s possible. NLT quotes from 1 Tim 4:1, 2 Tim 2:12 and then Matthew 10:33. (Words of Jesus will be in boldface)

“Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn
away from the true Faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings
that come from demons.”

“If we endure hardship, we will reign with Him. If we deny Him, He will
deny us.”

“But everyone who denies Me here on earth,
I will also deny before my Father in Heaven.”

Obviously, God sees unproductive Faith as “dead and useless” (see James 2:17). As James in 2:18 says, “I’ll show you my faith by my works.” Now if that is so, does that mean God will not bring someone who once was “saved” (but has now walked away from Christ) into Heaven when they die? Let’s look at that…

In the letter Paul wrote to the Gentile believers in Rome, he said these startling words in Chapter 11, verses 21 and 22.

“For if God did not spare the original branches (the Jews, whom He cut
off the Vine because of unbelief), He won’t spare you either. Notice how
God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed,
but kind to you if you continue to trust in His kindness. But if you stop
trusting, you also will be cut off.” (NLT)

One of the great “assurance” verses is from Jesus’ words in John 10:27-29:

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they
follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will
never perish. No one can snatch them away from Me,
for my Father has given them to Me, and He is more
powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them
from the Father’s hand.”

See also Isaiah 43:13 (NLT)

Sounds like a rock-solid assurance for followers. And it is – for followers. As long as a believer remains a follower, a sheep in the Father’s flock, no one – not even the devil, his demons, or the world’s corrupt system – can snatch us away from God’s loving hold on us. But when we walk away from Christ either deliberately or carelessly and begin to walk with the world and its ways, we will have removed ourselves from His hand. No one will have “snatched” us away; we will have taken ourselves away from Him. We will then have denied Christ by not believing, trusting and following Him. We are then wholly vulnerable to the wiles and lies of the devil, the world, and our own flesh.

Jesus is trying to tell us in many places that there is an “IF” to salvation. It is serious business to forfeit our salvation by walking away from our Faith, either carelessly or deliberately. Knowing our righteous God is a demanding God, why would anyone not believe Him when He says follow Me to your end of days IF you want to join Me in My Heaven?

There are those who cite the four scriptures that speak of God sealing us who have received His Son as our Lord and Savior. Those four are 2 Corinthians 1:22, Ephesians 1:13 & 4:30, and 2 Timothy 2:19. These are all written by Paul as reflected in the NASB and earlier translations. No other writers use this term for these verses. The NLT, for example, in 2 Corinthians 1:22 says “and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.” But Paul also wrote in 2 Timothy 2:12b, “If we deny Him, He will deny us.” So, again, the “sealed” that some cite as proof that once saved is always saved is false.

Remember, Jesus says in Matthew 10:33 “Deny Me on earth, I will deny you before my Father.” In Revelation 2:10 Jesus says, “But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life.” Again in John 15:6 Jesus says, “Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers.” In John 15:10 Jesus defines what He means by “remain” – “When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love…” It cannot be made more clear – those who are once saved must, MUST, remain obedient followers of Jesus to insure joining Him after our mortal death here on earth. Don’t let Paul’s “sealed” mislead you teachers and preachers.

Let’s look at some powerful words from Paul’s magnificent letter in Romans 8:12-14 NLT.
“Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do
what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates,
you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the
deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the
Spirit of God are children of God.”

Then Romans 8:35a,38a,39 NLT.
“Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? And I am convinced
that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky
above or in the earth below – indeed nothing in all creation will ever be
able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus
our Lord.”

These words from the verse-by-verse commentary on Romans 8:13,35, 36, 38,39 in the 39 volume “The Complete Biblical Library” should prove helpful. 8:13. “To allow the things of the world to completely dominate one’s spiritual life is spiritual suicide. This verse is perhaps the clearest, most concise statement of the way a person once in grace can lose his salvation.” 8:35,36. “The perils mentioned by Paul may not be common to us where we live, but we are faced with numberless spiritual perils which threaten our relationship. The one thing that can separate us is spiritual death, described in verse 13. The believer can choose to leave Christ out of his life; then he is separated from salvation by his own will.” 8:38,39. “The secret is to remain “in Christ.” Eternal Security is provided, but it is only available as long as we remain “in Christ.” By the decision of our will, we came into the relationship of being “in Christ.” By a decision of our will, we can choose to terminate that relationship. If we do that, we have lost our security. In summary, there is nothing in all creation that can separate us from the love of Christ outside of ourselves. The only thing that can effect that separation is human will.”

Are there other scriptural proofs of this notion that we can lose our salvation? There are others, many others. God would not let us miss something as important as this by not giving us plenty of warning with corroboration.

The Greek phrase “work out” means “to continually work to bring something to fulfillment or completion.” In other words, our salvation requires attention, just like a garden needs attention to grow and mature. We must work at it by staying close to Jesus, by doing those things He calls us to do, and to always have a healthy fear of offending God and to have an awestruck reverence and respect for Him (Pr 1:7, 9:10; Is 66:1-3a). Each of us is responsible for keeping and maturing our salvation. An excellent statement is verse 13 in Philippians, chapter 2: “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.” (NLT)

Some say Hebrews supports an unqualified “Once Saved, Always Saved.” But does it? Let’s look at Hebrews 6:4-6.

“For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once
enlightened – those who have experienced the good things of heaven
and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word
of God and the power of the age to come – and who then turn away
from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by
rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross
once again and holding him up to public shame.” (NLT).

Though others cannot bring back such a one, the person himself can come back to repentance.

Let’s look at Hebrews 10:26,29,31,38,39 (parallels the thoughts of Habakkuk 2:4b).

“Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have
received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice
that will cover these sins. Just think how much worse the punishment
will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have
treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were
common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit
who brings God’s mercy to us. It is a terrible thing to fall into the
hands of the living God. …my righteous ones will live by faith. But
I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away. But we are not
like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are
the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.” (NLT)

One more scripture to show that we must stay a firm believer and follower of Jesus if our salvation is to be viable and active for bringing us home to be with Him upon our mortal death. This one is from Colossians 1:22b,23:

“As a result, He has brought you into His own presence, and you
are holy and blameless as you stand before Him without a single
fault. But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly
in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you
heard the Good News.” (NLT)

Paul goes on to say in Colossians (1:27; 2:6-8; 3:1-4; 4:2) that because Christ lives in you, you have the assurance of sharing His glory, but that is only so, if you stay in Christ. Verse 6 of Colossians 2 says plainly: “And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus, as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him.” (NLT)

Basically, what all of these verses are saying is that we can lose our salvation assurance of going to Heaven if we drift away from following Jesus Christ as our Lord. We must follow Him to the end of our lives. As Paul says so well, we must run the race all the way to the finish line.

Would God spend so much time and ink with so many different writers
warning us about something that can’t happen?

Paul and other New Testament writers strongly encourage believers to root themselves in the faith and hope of the gospel in order to persevere to the end. “Today in the Word” commentator Doug Moo puts it this way: “God does, indeed, by His grace and through His Spirit, work to preserve His people so that they will be vindicated in the judgment; but, at the same time,
God’s people are responsible to persevere in their faith if they expect to see that vindication.”

The danger of believing this Once Saved, Always Saved shibboleth is that it can mislead some to think they can go on about their business and think that no matter how they live, they are saved. As you see from the scriptures, that is a fraudulent view. In addition, that statement leads some of us to think that when someone who has been saved starts sinning, we say, “Oh, well, he must not have been saved after all.” Which is a statement that is intended to “protect” the lie of “Once Saved, Always Saved”…. And that is simply not so, and is, therefore, dangerously misleading. Someone who is saved can walk away from Christ, as these scriptures have told us.
And there are many others; here’re some, all Jesus words:
Matthew 10:22,33,38; 13:20,21; 24:10.

If one of us walks away from our Faith in Christ, can we repent and return – and will He forgive us and take us back? If we repent, He promises to always forgive us, cleanse us and bring us back into His family. The Heart of Jesus is that He wants none of us to perish (2 Pet 3:9). As long as we don’t commit the unforgiveable sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit, then Christ will always take us back. One of the purposes of the powerful Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) is to clearly show us that our Father will always take back His repentant son, even after the son has turned away in complete denial of his father and his father’s ways, and was considered “dead and lost” (vs 24). To God alone be the Glory! See also Colossians 2:6-10.

The church must teach the truth of God’s Word and not man’s words on any topic. Otherwise, some having come to faith might believe the lie of Once Saved, Always Saved, and decide that they can return to their former life of sin and its supposed pleasures (2 Pet 2:22) falsely believing they can do that because they will always be saved no matter how they live. That is a lie from the pit of hell. A backslidden “Christian” is a terrible witness to the world. Psalm 73:27 says:

“Those who desert Him will perish, for You destroy those who
abandon You.” (NLT)

I hope you now see this critical issue in the light of God’s Word. Once we are saved, we will be forever saved – as long as we continue to follow Jesus. As long as we entrust Him with our lives by living for Him. Our very life eternal with God depends on our living our Faith in Him alone. The fact that we may sin occasionally, does not deny our Faith in Him. It upsets our relationship with Him, but by repenting and asking His forgiveness we re-establish that close relationship with Him in salvation. “But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” (1 John 1:9, NLT) But, as Revelation 2:10,11 and 21:8make clear, those who deny their Faith in Christ will not go to a heavenly home to be with Him for eternity, but such deniers will be thrown into the Lake of Fire. God’s Grace is Priceless!

So, walk with the King today and every day so as to be a blessing for the rest of your life!

Tom McDonald, Christ Follower and Bible Teacher
Original: May 14, 2019. Updated: July 22, 2022
Note: If you believe this view is incorrect, I welcome a scripture-based correction. Thank you….
Soli Deo Gloria…

Recently, some of the men in our church had a good discussion about the issue of Body, Soul, and spirit/Spirit as it came about from reading a portion of a book (On The Inside Looking Out by Carlton Arnold) along with the Bible. I thought it might be helpful to sort through all the comments and summarize them to determine where all this leaves us.

Human Beings consist of:

Body – which is merely the earthly residence for who we are, all provided by God at conception.

Soul – who we are consists of (not mutually exclusive; some overlap):
Our mind
Our will
Our heart (not the organ)
Our personality
Our temperament.
Our emotional make-up
Our conscience
Our spirit

spirit – small “s” (meaning a human’s spirit as different from God’s Holy Spirit)
Some writers of scripture say there is a human spirit that is “outside” of our Soul (called Trichotomy – meaning Body, Soul & spirit), but most writers of scripture are content to consider our spirit to be part of our Soul or the same as the Soul (called Dichotomy – meaning Body & Soul), as I’ve listed it above.
Others consider an individual’s spirit to be what contains our Soul. Still others see our spirit as our “life force” or our life’s energy from God, and our Soul as who we are and who we become as we go through life.

It seems to me that this Trichotomy – Dichotomy discussion is a bit too academically fanciful or artificial. That is to say, all points of view acknowledge there is a human spirit, and admit our spirit, whether the same as the Soul, part of the Soul, or encompasses the Soul, goes to the eternal world for judgment, reward, etc., when our “residence” (body) ceases to function on earth. Why? Because scripture supports the idea that the non-physical part of us goes to be with the Lord after earthly death (2 Cor 5:6-8). And both the spirit and the Soul are non-physical. So, making the distinction between our spirit being part of our Soul, or vice-versa, or separate is frankly a distinction without a meaningful difference for this discussion.

Not incidentally, the Soul of all humans is eternal, redeemed or not.
As one country church sign-board in North Georgia once humorously but so accurately declared:
“Eternity – Your Choice! Smoking or Non-Smoking?”

The real issue that all this brings up is what changes within us when we finally “get it”, then repent and ask Jesus to forgive our sins, and He saves us, regenerates us, redeems us? What follows is the summary of our conclusions:

At conception, God provides us a body and a soul in the womb. Our spirit is not tuned in to God’s Holy Spirit – or Spirit, capital “S” – because from scripture (and personal experience) we know our spirit is “dead” in trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1) – thanks to the first Adam disobeying God in the Garden. We are not tuned in to God, we are tuned-in to ourselves (our will, our mind, our emotions, our wants and desires, etc.). That is why the Apostle Paul and other Biblical writers refer to our Souls as “flesh”. We are self-centered, not God-centered. So, the things of God, which are spiritually discerned, cannot be discerned accurately or reliably by our pre-salvation, unregenerate spirit. In a very real sense, we’re not on God’s wave-length.

BUT, when we turn to God in repentance asking Him to forgive us and become our Saviour and Lord, He forgives us our sins and changes the nature of our spirit from being “dead” to God, to “alive” to God. He essentially flips on the holy light-switch
(Eph 5:8,9). We can then see increasingly clearly those things of God that were hidden before. Some men exclaim that they can read the Bible for the first time with understanding (most of us were like that). Why? Because its author, the Holy Spirit has taken up residence in us. Our spirit is alive to His Spirit. Our direction changes. Our wants and desires change. Our spirit is counselled by His Spirit into a whole new way of thinking and acting. Our once “dead” spirit is now alive to God (Eph 2:4-6). The miracle of redemption!!! We are truly born again; the first birth into flesh, the second into the Spirit.

As Paul says in Romans 8:9 we are no longer in the realm of the “flesh”, but we are, at that point, in the realm of the Spirit. Our spirit is now alive to the Holy Spirit of God (1 Pet 3:18). Our new life in Christ has begun and we will be His for all Eternity,
as long as we continue to follow Him (see the paper ‘Once Saved, Always Saved’ for more on this aspect of our followership). Sadly, choosing not to turn to God in repentance to receive His marvelous forgiveness and redemption, dooms us to be in an eternity without God – which is Hell.

Let me try to put this into the format of an equation.
Before Salvation: Humans = Body + Soul (w/our spirit not tuned to God).
After Salvation: Humans = Body + Soul (w/our spirit alive to God) + the Holy Spirit.

So now you see:
We are not Human Beings on a spiritual journey,
We are Spiritual Beings on a human journey.

Tom McDonald
11/29/18 (Original)
8/5/20 (Updated)

Those against guns think, incorrectly, that banning or controlling guns will stop criminals and others from using them illegally. Criminals, aka outlaws, pay no attention to laws that stand in the way of what they want; that’s why we call them outlaws. Only law-abiding people pay attention to laws. Our lawmakers know this; they just use that argument in hopes that we won’t see through their distraction. There is a dark reason driving those who are determined to take away our guns; they know it would be impossible to take this country into socialism, communism, or other liberty-denying autocratic form of government without first disarming us. One of our Founding Fathers was credited with saying, “Armed people are citizens. Disarmed people are subjects.”

We must not be blind to the central truth in all this: guns do not kill people – people kill other people with guns. We must stop trying to banish the gun and look at better control of people who want to kill others. We must get serious about stopping the horrific killing that these deranged people are determined to bring on us. And one other point (among many others) must be mentioned. We must stop now all thoughts about suing the manufacturers of firearms when some lunatic uses one of their guns to kill someone. If that were allowed, then we should sue all manufacturers of motor vehicles for each and every one of the 38,000 traffic deaths each year. Of course, it’s absurd; that’s the point…

Needed: A three-pronged solution to: 1) Better prevent guns from coming into the hands of crazed, would-be killers; 2) Secure each school to include an instant all-buildings-lockdown in the face of an imminent threat; 3) Re-establish the careful system of identifying and sequestering mental defectives in psychiatric institutions.

Accomplishing Step One: See the Solution paragraph.

Accomplishing Step Two: We must secure our schools, churches, and other gun-free zones. They are the soft targets that attract killers with guns. For ideas, we should look at how we protect other high priority areas of our lives, like banks and certain types of businesses, such as embassies, courts, legislatures, pharmaceutical or cyber-security firms, or jails, or high-tech R&D facilities. What is truly needed is to develop and implement a good solid security system at each of our school and church facilities around the nation. Some schools, and even some churches, are already protected in such a manner. Done wisely, it is not that expensive.

Accomplishing Step Three: We must do something sensible about the 0.1% of us who are mentally deranged enough to entertain such horrid thoughts as shooting up a school, church, concert, theater, or sports event. We must be encouraged to call the 911 system to report apparently deranged people. Such people should be picked up and professionally examined, their living quarters and vehicles inspected, and their on-line activity examined. This procedure should involve a team of three experienced psychiatric professionals before a person can be certified as mentally deranged. When so identified, that person must (MUST) be removed from the general population. To continue to allow such people who are dangerous to themselves and others, to walk among us as though normal – is, well, crazy! We can now see the absurdity of closing the facilities for mental defectives in the 1970s; we must reinstate them sooner than later. The use of psychiatric institutions is essential to provide an appropriate place for our mental defectives. That would today include many of the homeless around the country. It is heartless and deplorable how we have allowed such people to try to exist without rational, empathetic, and humane help in well-managed facilities, even if they don’t want such help.

Solution:

Step One: Pass and enforce a Federal Law that makes it illegal (with stiff penalties) for any government at any level in the United States of America to make any law that would in any way restrict a sane, law-abiding US citizen (21 or older) from owning, bearing, target-shooting, carrying, concealing, or displaying any firearm or any ammunition of any caliber or gauge used in self-defense, sports, or hunting. To purchase a firearm, the intended buyer must successfully undergo a three to seven day (maximum) full background check to include a mental-stability test. No government in the US may in any way restrict a lawful business from designing, manufacturing, marketing, and selling firearms or ammunition. Nor will any court of law entertain any lawsuit that purports to hold the makers of firearms responsible for the misuse of such firearms. Nor will any such manufacturer be denied the right to pursue such a business. Nor will any government be allowed a special tax on the sale of firearms and ammunition. There shall be no law that in any way restricts citizens from exchanging or selling firearms with other qualified citizens. The Federal Government may impose limited restrictions on firearms to be owned by citizens such as no automatic rates of fire, no caliber larger than 0.75, no shotgun gauge larger than 8, and all firearms shall be either handguns or shoulder fired. Any existing firearms laws conflicting with the wording of this proposed law when signed are void.

Step Two: Develop two sets of security hardware and software solutions for the school security requirement. Such a study group must be composed of appropriate people from the Federal, State, and Building Security Industry levels, three from each for a total of nine on the Study Group. This must be, must be, a fast-track study, with a final decision report due in three months. There are good solutions available today, so there is no need to drag this process out. It is an urgent issue and must be approached as such. Implementation will be a state responsibility, but the Federal government should offer help, as appropriate.

Step Three: Implementation of this sensitive element of the overall solution will take some time due to the thought and care that must be exercised in seeing it through to completion nationwide. The effort to re-establish Psychiatric Institutions throughout the nation will cause some people to rebel against such a thing; they will claim irresponsibly that it is inhumane. In fact, it will be quite humane when viewed from the larger perspective of the nation and what leaving these mental defectives on the street can and does lead to. The Study Group must reach a solid solution for implementation within a year. Then complete the full implementation nation-wide within three years.

Responsibility:
Step One: The US Congress must pass, and the Administration implement without delay the draft law detailed in Step One of the Solution. This wording contains all the elements that most interested people and lawmakers believe must be in such a law.

Step Two: The US Congress must quickly convene the study group in Step Two of the Solution and follow through on the timetable to ensure this is handled with the urgency that it obviously deserves.

Step Three: The Us Department of Health & Human Services must, within eight months, draft the full plan to accomplish this vital step. Then, in full partnership with the US Congress, see that the plan becomes the appropriate law that the President will sign. Unfortunately, politics will get in the way of such a massive change to the way we handle this issue; but it must be done and it must be done well so that we can control this one area which provides this entire subject the loophole through which the crazies among us are able to exist and create their mayhem. Enough is enough. Let’s get this done now.

Addendum: As a reminder for us all, let me review what was in the minds of those drafting the Second Amendment. Be not duped by certain politicians on their latest “gun control” crusade. They have almost successfully diverted everyone’s attention from the true purpose of the Second Amendment by saying such things as: “large capacity magazines are not needed for hunting”, or “you don’t need thirty bullets to kill a deer”, etc.

The original intent of the Second Amendment to the US Constitution was and remains to ensure the citizens of this nation can arm themselves (individually or as part of a militia) for personal protection and with firearms that can be used against a tyrannical government, if need be.

That being so, there is also an implied intent of the amendment that citizens be able to arm themselves with firearms comparable in firepower and rate of fire to those weapons a tyrannical government will use. Limiting magazine capacities, denying firearms that “look” like so-called assault rifles, even denying automatic rates of fire (much less the semi-autos) are all leftist exercises to confuse the uninformed and without warrant infringe the Second Amendment.

View this video about the 1946 “Battle of Athens” http://voxvocispublicus.homestead.com/Battle-of-Athens.html This clearly reveals that the unthinkable incidence of a tyrannical government is a real threat – and it has already occurred in this nation at a local level; it is more than possible.

Then view this video to see what gun confiscation has done in Canada:

The Second Amendment is the guarantor of all the other Amendments and even the Constitution itself. The Third Amendment greatly assists understanding the original intent of the Second amendment: view this piece to get more about the Third Amendment’s meaning – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F584p5kJL-U&feature=youtu.be
We Patriots must keep our focus, for Liberty’s sake.

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal suggests there are two main reasons that pastors do not allow themselves to talk about what they consider to be Political issues from the pulpit. One is their fear of being asked to leave. The second is their concern about people leaving the church or not wanting to join the church. Others are concerned about losing their tax exemption. Still others believe their only mission is to spread the Gospel to the world. Most of us empathize with those concerns. However, those pastors who are loathe to call Sin “Sin” from the pulpit or in their community, must remember they are responsible to Almighty God to Preach and Demonstrate His Whole Word straight and True.

Based upon the increase in crime across America, we can make the case that all issues of life are in fact part of the body politic and therefore fair game for discussion if we are to care about returning to a more righteous society. Jesus Christ made it abundantly clear while He was with us and later in His Word, the Bible, that His Followers, the Church today, are to positively impact the culture to include our “governors and kings” for Righteousness (Mt 10:18; Mk 13:9-11; 16:15; Lk 21:12,13). To that end we had best get back to calling Sin what it is, especially from the pulpits in every Bible-based church in America! Only then will church members be adequately equipped to deal correctly with Sin in our culture and its ensuing Crime.

Below we’ve listed some Sins. Note that a few of these are “activities” that are “Political”. Political they may be – but make no mistake, they are Sins that the Christ-following churches must address as Sin, as wrongs, to their members – and with sufficient frequency so that they, the members, know how they are to live their lives according to God’s Standard – and so they know to what standard they are to hold their families and their governing officials.

Aborticide, Adultery, Fornication, Homosexuality
Bestiality, Pedophilia, Lying, Murder
Assault, Covetousness, Unforgiveness, Stealing
Bribery, Cheating, Drunkenness, Disobedience/Defiance
Dishonor Parents, Ignore the Sabbath, Curse God’s Name, Idolatry
Slander, Tempting Others, A Damning Pride, Tithe
Marriage other than one man to one woman, Tattoos (Lev 19:28)
Mislead Children, Pornography, Not loving our neighbors

If we don’t all increase our involvement in our society for Good, much of the insanity of crime without punishment in a few metropolitan areas around the nation could spread to other areas. Such situations as government leaders: refusing to prosecute “minor” crimes; paying people not to work; reducing and/or defunding law enforcement; not stopping, even encouraging, violence in the streets; bringing in paid agitators to stir up division and strife; not accepting office visits from constituents; turning prison inmates loose in society. And then there is the larger national issue of edicts without legislation to cut off our national oil production, allow uncontrolled international border crossings, accept harmful treaties, encourage our enemies, foment strife between citizen groups, condemn protected speech, etc. Most are part of Marxist Doctrine.

If you‘re a Pastor, please consider helping your members to stand up for God’s Righteousness in all corners of America, not just inside the church. And we Christ-following citizens must tell our elected and appointed officials we will insist on their righteous behavior while in office. If they fail us, we must replace them with people who will behave honorably and righteously. And we must do it or we shall lose America as she was founded – on Faith and Freedom. TBM, 6/22

Today in 2022 there are strong malevolent forces in leadership positions in America, who appear intent on destroying the America that our wise and God-fearing Founding Fathers created in response to God’s leading in our Constitutional Convention in 1787. What can we, the citizens of America, especially Christians, do to prevent that oncoming destruction of our way of life. Human beings, devoid of the guidance of God Himself, created this onrushing calamity. Therefore, the solution is not to be found among humans. It is to be found in God and those energized by Him to begin the work to right our ship of state.

So, let’s Pray
Lord, I humbly confess, repent, and ask forgiveness for our many sins, personally and nationally. Our sinfulness grieves me. We are without help or hope without You. Come close Lord, please, and hear our prayers for help – and renewal.

Revive Your churches to Holiness from Coast to Coast, so all pastors and preachers will once again be faithful teachers of Your Word, the Bible. Please help those pastors who refuse to get involved in what they call politics to know that it is always about right and wrong – about Sin and Truth – not politics – and that you have specifically called them to lead their people to impact all levels of the nation’s culture with righteousness.

Provide us a strong, Christ-following man who will be called, stirred and empowered by Your Holy Spirit to lead another “Great Spiritual Re-Awakening” from Coast to Coast and Border to Border in America. Most Americans yearn for America to be restored to Righteousness.

Give us Godly men and women in elected and appointed office to restore us to righteousness at all levels of government (Federal, State, County, City & Town)! Please help us find candidates for office who believe in America as Founded and who want to see her return to that greatness – for Your Glory and our Peace. Make them strong to counter the seditionists, insurrectionists, traitors and the organizations intent on damaging, transforming or destroying the United States of America as You Founded her.

Tear down all immoral laws, and all policies counter to the Bible, and our Constitution. Intervene and bring down the immoral, the profane, and the evil in our land. We plead with You to Deliver us from Evil.

Make us more bold to share the Grace of the Good News of Jesus Christ in a winsome way with more and more people, especially with your elected and appointed government officials, including judges and members of School Boards.

Lord God, in all these things we desperately need your intervention. We have made a mess of it and are pleading with you to help us get it right again.
Soli Deo Gloria – Amen!

America was established as a Federal Republic, a type of nation whose strong supreme power rests in all the citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by their elected officials, who are responsible to those citizens.  The basic working principle of our Federal Republic is it practices limited government, provides for a strong national defense, practices Free-Enterprise in all business transactions, promotes Freedom of Peaceful Religion, and supports a strong Education System guided by parents.  As time has gone on, however, our national government has taken on more and more of the affairs that our US Constitution does not assign to them (Article I, Section 8).  In short, it appears a Federal Republic is not immune from the natural consequence of men in office wanting more and more power.  Our Founding Fathers wrote our enviable Constitution the way they did because they had lived under the authoritarian rule of the King of England and were determined to prevent that form of government for America.

We are now (2021) at a place in America’s History where a growing number of people want to turn America into a Socialist/Communist nation – or worse.  The primary aspect of Socialism/Communism is that the national government is all powerful and reduces individual liberty, or freedom, to a minimum or eliminates it.  Citizens have no say in what is done to them.   In fact, citizens are no longer citizens but subjects.  The end game of Socialism is Communism which is a government in complete control of all aspects of life for its subjects.  It always becomes oppressive and increasingly exists solely to benefit the powerful officials in charge.  It always – ALWAYS – bankrupts the nation and reduces all but the elite officials to poverty.  And any rebellion against such oppression leads to more brutal oppression, incarceration, and often death.  Stalin and Hitler each murdered millions of people.

Now why is our Federal Government having increasing success in accelerating our political machinery toward Socialism/Communism?  Because they have, since about the 1960’s, totally compromised the government education system of America to the point that too many young people have been duped/educated into thinking that Communism is a desirable system of governance.  They have been lied to and too many have bought the lie.  And that’s the way they vote – in abject ignorance of the facts.

But there is yet another sinister player, or two, in this ongoing saga of attempting the death of America as we have known her.  Make no mistake, these are mortal enemies. 

One: Militant Muslims, many of whom are living among us, are of one mind that they are on earth to ensure Islam becomes the dominant Ruler of all the World.  They move slowly to eventually amass enough strength in a nation’s population to become the predominant force in elections.  Once installed in large numbers, they replace all laws with Shariah Law, and deny all religions but Islam under penalty of death.  In some of our larger cities their numbers are such that they have already  established No-Go Zones, where even the Police will not go.

Two:  Radicalism is the Base Strategy of liberalism/socialism/progressivism/communism.  David Horowitz in his booklet “Barack Obama’s Rules for Revolution – The Alinsky Model” lays out the strategy and threat of this poisonous element in our nation.  Quotes are with its page number.

“The essence of what it means to be a Radical is thus summed up in Alinsky’s praise for Satan: to be willing to destroy the values, structures and institutions that sustain the society in which we live.” 18   “Deception is the Radical’s most important weapon, and it has been a prominent one since the end of the sixties.” 23 “The issue is never the issue; the issue is always the revolution.” 26 “…Radicals who are trying to impose socialism on a country whose people understand that socialism destroys freedom: Don’t sell it as socialism; sell it as ‘progressivism’, ‘economic democracy’, and ‘social justice’.” 28  “Until conservatives begin to understand exactly how dishonest Radicals are – and why – it will be hard to defend the system under attack.  For Radicals the noble end – creating a new world – justifies any means.  And if one actually believed, as they do, that it is possible to create heaven on earth, what institution would one not be justified in destroying to realize that future?” 34. “The idea that the world is divided into the Haves and Have-Nots, the exploiters and the exploited, the oppressors and the oppressed, leads directly to the idea that liberation lies in the elimination of the former and the dissolution of the conflict.  This, according to Radicals, will lead to the liberation of mankind.  In fact, it led directly to the deaths of 100 million people in the last century murdered by Radicals in power on the way to their dream.” 36.

The lie is that Radicalism is a beautiful system where everyone has a wonderful life.  Let me end this think-piece with some FACTs – meaning some TRUTHs.  Here’s a partial list of those nations that have succumbed to Radicalism in its guise as Communism:

Argentina: The second richest nation in the world in the 20^th century.  By the early 21st century unbridled socialism had bankrupted them. America is on the same timeline and near its end, too.
Cuba: A fine island nation in the Caribbean taken over by Fidel Castro in 1959 and financially ruined within a decade.  It remains in economic ruin today.
Venezuela: This oil-rich South American nation in early 21^st century went very quickly bankrupt under Communism.
Russia: Fell under Communist rule in the early 20^th Century, ruining their economy and enslaving their people.  They have recovered to a degree but remain under destructive autocratic rule.
China: Radicalism arose after WWII, ruining their economy and enslaving their people; today it is resurging economically because they have adopted carefully controlled “Free”-Enterprise, though the majority of their people still live in poverty or squalor.
North Korea: Perhaps there is no better illustration of the diametric opposites of Free-Enterprise and Radical Communism than to observe two nations of one people on the same peninsula in the Far East.  South Korea is a thriving nation with a vibrant economy under the Free-Enterprise system, while North Korea is a destitute, enslaved Communist nation.  

How could a thinking person want any of the Radicalisms (Liberalism, Socialism, Progressivism, Communism)?  What should we do as citizens who love the Freedoms in our America – even  though some of them have already been severely eroded?  

First:   Commit this terrible issue to continuing Prayer for God to Deliver us from them! 

Second:  Send a copy of this paper to your Senators and your Congressman. 

Third:  Tell all your congressmen you want them to rescind all Social Give-Away Programs and allow no more Spending above Federal Revenues.  Tell them you want them to precisely follow Section 8, Article I and Amendment X of the US Constitution.  

Always Remember:  Faith & Freedom are America’s Foundation

October 6, 2021

God is the only sovereign eternal being without beginning or end.  He is the only god, there is no other.  His power is beyond knowing. He is magnificently creative.  He made all things seen and unseen.  He is present in His creation everywhere at the same time.  He is our maker, our provider, our redeemer, our righteousness, our teacher, our sustainer, our healer, our Shepherd, and our Peace.  He is perfect, holy, just, merciful, and desires our obedience more than sacrifice or gifts.  He is the Light of Life who vanquishes the darkness of evil and death.  His thoughts are above our thoughts.  He loves with an unchanging, boundless love those who follow and worship Him.  His great love impels Him to evidence to us the two great products of Love, Giving and Forgiving; He Gave His Only Son to Forgive our sin.  He wants man to attain to be like His Son, our Lord, Jesus the Christ.  He wants a deep growing personal relationship with each of us.  He wants man to be the very best and highest that he can be, even though saddled with the old sin nature…because He is ever present with us in the person of His Holy Spirit to aid us in our journey toward holy perfection. He jealously guards our covenant relationship with Him because He loves us more than words can express.  He will at some point end all time, space and matter as we know them.  At that time, He will forever remand evil and the doers of evil to their own eternity in Hell – and cause all followers of Christ Jesus to rejoice with Him as His people in His majestic, glorious and Holy Presence forever!  And to Him alone be all Glory!  Amen and Amen!

 

I am a long-time citizen of the once-great and now-falling nation of America. I served in her military for almost thirty years proudly prepared to give my last full measure for her because she was worth it.  Later I was a businessman for some twelve more years doing business in America and overseas.  Now in my golden years I spend most of my productive time in various ministries for my local Christian church.  A singular joy was writing a book for teenaged boys (and their dads or single moms) to help them become men of Integrity and Godly Character.  I tell you this so that you know I am a man who has lived long and seen much, and am committed to defeating those who would tear America down.

Something dark and ugly has begun to creep across our land.  A bunch of angry leftists decided to hi-jack the Democrat Political Party. This new rabble is intent on getting into power to install their socialist, even communist, programs and policies to enslave us.  They think we don’t see them for what they are – Traitors!

They also think we don’t see how horrible the end results are of following such a plan – economic ruin, heartache, and loss of freedoms. They count on the idealism of youth to sway the masses of young people whose immaturity is ripe for manipulation. And many of them are buying in. They are oblivious to the agonizing experiences under autocratic socialism/communism of the people of the Soviet Union, Red China, Cambodia, Viet Nam, Cuba, North Korea, Venezuela and looming now, Nicaragua.

Public discourse used to be civil, even courteous.  Now it is strident and angry with large crowds of paid-demonstrators yelling and harassing, even injuring, citizens who mistakenly drive or walk into such demonstrations.

Some of these angry people have even begun to bring terrible public charges against another person knowing they have not one shred of evidence to support the charge.  For example, the way the US Senate has shamefully mishandled the confirmation hearing of Judge Kavanaugh.  There is no excuse for such a travesty and miscarriage of justice.

But why are the angry so hateful – our economy is the most healthy and robust it has been in decades?  That should be cause for rejoicing, not rage.

Here is what I want to see done with all deliberate speed by our US Congress.  Pass a bill for signature by our President that will label as a Seditionist anyone who advocates a form of government other than the one fully described in our US Constitution. Such person will/must be tried, and if found guilty, remanded to prison for a significant portion of the remainder of their life on earth.

It’s past time for our Legislative Branch to clean up its house and pass bills that make it a severely punishable offense to champion any behavior or activity that is contrary to our US Constitution.  It’s past time for the Executive Branch to act on behalf of all Americans.

It’s past time for the Judicial Branch to insist that all levels of governments in America follow precisely the prescribed actions and policies of our US Constitution; that will surely mean rescission of some Federal laws already on the books that are wholly out of step with the clear wording of our US Constitution.  And they should rescind decisions that are immoral and not addressed in the US Constitution.

At 85 years of age, I have seen Enough!  Justice and Government of, by and for the People are ALWAYS preferable to the Anarchy and Autocracy we seem to be running blindly toward.

Perhaps we are so far gone now that only God Himself can Restore us.  It would be advisable for all of us to Pray for God to Restore America to Righteousness!