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No More Recreational Christianity!

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You might be thinking, “Well I’m a Christian and I enjoy recreation!” I do too. I’m not talking about squelching fun in fact I encourage it. In the context of this blog, I’m using recreational as light, undemanding, even entertaining, Christianity.

Christian living encompasses an obligation beyond what feels good or is easy and comfortable. God isn’t expecting us to be the smartest person in heaven. He’s going to be more interested in how we used the gifts and talents He gave us to further His kingdom here on earth to overcome pervasive evil.

Yes, being a Christian goes beyond fellowshipping and enjoying the company of like-minded believers, even beyond our personal spiritual maturity, although these are all important elements of our Christian life. But even more important is our willingness to go where Christ calls us to go and do what He says to do. I’m not suggesting going on the mission field, unless that’s where you feel God calling you. When we look around us with discernment, we see a huge mission field of evil engulfing our world from the government to the schools.

It’s easy to think there’s nothing we can do about it. Or, who are we to get involved? I would answer, “We’re Christians. That’s who we are and that’s why we do get involved. If not us, than who? If not now, then when?”

The Bible tells every Christian, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed.” Pr. 31:8 NLT

Right now, our children and grandchildren are being crushed by evil in a secular culture that sees them as innocent prey. In schools. Libraries. Entertainment. The medical profession. Satan puts a bullseye on children he can’t murder in the womb.

Abortion is a sacrament of Satan. It’s demonic. Satan knows he can’t kill God, so he breaks God’s heart by killing or deceiving God’s creation using demonic industries like Planned Parenthood that performs the majority of abortions and is one of the top producers of gender alternation medications. Assaults on children by Planned Parenthood, the medical profession, and the Democrat transgender agenda are evil golden cash cows.

I found myself yelling at the television when Democrat Congressman Jerry Nadler told Congress we need more illegal immigrants because Americans are having less babies and our population is diminishing. He admitted the Dems do have a plan to replace American citizens with illegals. I wanted someone to tell him, “The population is decreasing because the Democrats support the murder of babies, transgenderism, and castrating, mutilating, and chemically sterilizing young children!” That’s not a political statemen; it’s factual.

You might think we won the battle of abortion when Roe v Wade was overturned. While that was an amazing accomplishment, the battle is far from over as each state now sets its own abortion laws and Biden is trying to codify abortion as the law of the land. Every time a red state passes strict abortion regulations, the Biden Administration sues that state! The Federal government has also approved abortion pills mailed into states that prohibit the sale of them, like Idaho where I live. That’s why abortion will be a central part of the Presidential campaign. Sadly, many pro-life politicians have been defeated. There are a number of pro-abortion Republicans in both the Senate and Congress who have either bought the “healthcare” lie or aren’t willing to tell the truth about abortion. They compromise to win.

I was happy to see our Idaho legislature changing the terminology for our state to reflect the true sanctity of life. Fetus and stillborn fetus are now replaced with preborn child and stillborn child.

I know you’ve seen an infant recently in your family, church, or community. What a blessing that child is but we weep for all the precious lives ended before they could begin. Only those deceived by Satan would champion indiscriminate sex over a precious conceived life. If you study this issue, you quickly learn that Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, first called Planned Parenthood the American Birth Control League. She’s credited with originating the term birth control. Research shows that her intent was that women could have sexual pleasure without the responsibility of pregnancy. It also involved eugenics, as she wanted to eliminate blacks and any child with potential birth defects. Straight from Satan’s playbook.

I challenge you to find anywhere in the Bible where God, the Creator of life, uses the term birth control, or espouses the concept of humans, instead of God, controlling birth. Just the opposite. Man also thinks he can control the weather. Again, trying to usurp God.

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.  Gen. 1:28

An atheistic mind that believes there is no God, concludes there’s no need or respect for human life. It’s a false humanism religion denying that we are both body and soul. Exactly where our secular culture is today and yet so often the church is afraid to talk about this or expose the satanic repercussions. We’d rather talk about things that make us feel good—recreational entertaining Christianity instead of righteously effective Christianity.

Planned Parenthood is also behind pornography and “Sex Ed for Social Change” in schools, school libraries, and public libraries. If they can corrupt innocent minds with sex and sexual deviations, they control them for life. Those who are paying attention can clearly see this is all a prelude to normalizing sex with children, pedophilia. It’s already happening as we saw in the movie Sound of Freedom. Child sex trafficking rings are prevalent, especially with the border invasion. Horrible stories appear in the news like videotaping toddlers being sexually abused while perverts attempt to lower the age of sexual consent for children!

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Matt. 18:6

Does that seem too extreme to be true? Many of us can remember when sex outside of marriage was taboo. Virginity was cherished. Living together before marriage was unacceptable, and if a couple got pregnant, they got married. Sex, nudity, couples in bed together, multiple lovers, and promiscuity weren’t allowed on television. Now it’s all been normalized and somehow Christians let it happen.

Let marriage be kept honorable in every way, and the marriage bed undefiled. For God will judge those who commit sexual sins, especially those who commit adultery. Heb. 213:4

Every Christian must defend morality! One day, we’re all going to stand before God and He’s going to ask what did you do, or not do, about the evil corruption in your culture.

I would encourage you to listen to this YouTube conversation with Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills and Seth Gruger who has a Pro Life Ministry, A White Rose. I learned that Pastor Hibbs is an abortion survivor. In his teens, he overheard his mother telling someone that a neighbor discovered his mother mutilating herself by trying to abort him with a coat hanger. After three weeks in the hospital, Pastor Hibbs’ life was saved. He didn’t understand the complete impact of his rescue until he later became a Christian. How many future pastors, presidents, inventors, physicians, missionaries, parents, musicians, athletes . . . God’s children . . . weren’t rescued and saved? If you’ve ever heard Pastor Hibbs preach or speak, you know he’s living out his purpose.

We were all saved and called to a purpose that promotes God’s kingdom here on earth. We must discover that purpose and fulfill it for the Lord’s glory!

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. Romans 8:28-30

Update on Our Local Library

Some of you have been following my unexpected and unplanned role spearheading the removal of obscene and pornographic books targeted for children in our local library. You can read the history in my blogs Jesus Reveals the Opposing Fathers of Truth and Lies and Be Alert for Where and When the Lord Wants You to Get Involved!

As an update, a friend and I accepted an invitation to meet with the librarian who at first was determined that we were censors. But after talking with us, she agreed to amend the board minutes referring to us as “people in favor of censorship” and suggested I send a letter to the library board asking them to review the books according to Idaho’s definition of pornography.

In God’s perfect timing, our Idaho Legislature’s House State Affairs Committee has introduced a new bill for libraries to either remove or move to a designated “Adults Only” section of the library “harmful materials” directed to minors, or materials that include “nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or sado-masochistic abuse.” Under the Legislatures definition of “sexual conduct this includes any act of homosexuality. With this new legislation, students, parents and legal guardians could fill out a written notice to libraries asking to relocate a library item that they deem “harmful” to the adult section. A library that doesn’t comply would be fined.

There was a similar law last year that made its way to Governor Little’s desk and he vetoed it. One Republican vote prevented overriding the veto. They’ve revised the bill according to the changes the governor asked for and are hoping to get this one passed. I’m happy to see Republicans didn’t give up, as I haven’t given up.

I’m not telling you this story for pats on the back or an at-a-girl. I’m sharing it to make the point that we never know where God is going to “call” us to get involved for a just cause. I would’ve never predicted I would be enmeshed, let alone the spokeswoman, for this issue in our little town, but God knew. Therefore, I can’t be deterred or dissuaded. Instead, I ask for prayer and go where He leads and change is happening for the good. I want to encourage each one of you to do the same.

When Hobby Lobby won the case in the Supreme Court to not be required to offer abortion in their employee’s insurance plans, California sent a letter to churches that California wasn’t going to abide by the ruling and churches would be required to offer abortion to their employees. Pastor Hibbs went to battle against it and eight years later, won!

We know God’s truth and we must stand our ground for it wherever God has planted us!

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matt. 5:13-16

4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 6 And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete. 2 Cor. 10:4-6

Please leave a comment here and check back for my reply.

January 15, 2024
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10 Ways to Share the Gift of Jesus This Christmas

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If you go online and search lists of words that best characterize Christmas, you’ll find words like gifts, family, friends, decorations, busyness, happy, magical, celebration, dazzling, lights, baking, winter, shopping etc. Those are all appropriate words that apply to Christmas, but sadly when most people think of Christmas, they don’t think in biblical terms unless they’re Christians. Even some Christians busily preparing for Christmas don’t readily consider the foundational reason for Christmas. Instead, many first think of words that describe the commercial, cultural, and even secular aspects of Christmas.

Some people, like the Pro-terrorists-Hamas activists at New York City Rockefeller Center’s tree lighting ceremony, are suggesting that Christmas be canceled this year! How dare they? How quickly they forget that Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus! Or could it be because Jesus was a Jew that’s exactly why they want it canceled?

Christmas is also a federal holiday formally recognized in the United States by the House of Representatives, the Senate, and President Ulysses S Grant who signed a bill designating Christmas into law as a legal holiday in 1870. It’s actually the only federal Christian holiday, even though it has become greatly secularized. So to even suggest Christmas be canceled, you know it’s the work of the enemy trying to deny the Christian celebration of our Lord and Savior’s birth, a Jew born in Judea in the city of Bethlehem.

Federal businesses have attempted to prohibit employees from showing any Christmas displays because “it might offend someone who doesn’t believe in Christmas.” Denying Christmas is offensive to me! It’s a weak excuse that should offend every Christian and be illegal.

Christmas is a federal holiday whether it offends someone or not. Post offices, banks, schools, federal offices close on Christmas. Secularists in schools now call Easter a “Spring break” and since it falls on Sunday, they’ve gotten away with minimizing the Christian significance. But not so with Christmas and we must not let them. Every employee in every business should be allowed to decorate their desk or work area for Christmas.

As we watch the Islamist countries joining against the tiny country of Jews in Israel, God’s chosen Holy Land, while activists and protesters threaten Jews in America, you can be sure that Christians are next. We must never bend or succumb to any attempts to change language or prohibit the public celebration of our Savior’s birth or His resurrection. Even though the Christmas tree isn’t biblical, it’s associated with Christmas even at the White House, so Christmas trees and manger scenes should be allowed in public places.

BTW—the heart of the word Christmas is Christ! The English term “Christmas” comes from the combination of the words “mass” and “Christ. Never forget that it’s CHRISTmas!

What Can Christians Do to Remind People of the True Meaning of Christmas?

Unfortunately, this year Christmas won’t be celebrated as usual in Bethlehem. The city’s municipality announced the traditional Christmas decorations and lights in Manger Square “will not be put up in an effort to show solidarity with those suffering in Gaza.” Bethlehem Pastor Stephen Khoury doesn’t agree with the decision. “So if they want to not do the light celebrations, that’s fine. I don’t like it, but it’s a decision. They’re not holding us back from doing prayer services and doing a Christian religious service. They’re not holding us back or stopping us from doing that.”

In a CBN article by Chris Mitchell, “As Christmas Decorations Go Dark in Bethlehem, Pastor Shines Light of Jesus with Tent Display,” Pastor Khoury outlined his plan to keep the focus of Christmas on Jesus. “So, here’s what we’re doing: where we tell people to let the lights go out, but let the light of Christ shine, let the decorations be taken down, but let the symbol of Christ’s promise be heard, and stand – what we’re doing in the month of December, and probably till the early January is, we’re going to set up a tent.”

 “We’re going to call it the nativity encounter Christmas tent, the Hope tent,” Khoury told us. This nativity encounter tent is, we’re going to get people to walk through this tent . . . And it’s a Bible discovery experience. And people can feel –touch something – dealing with what it would have looked like during Christ’s days in Bethlehem 2000 years ago. And they walk out the other side getting the message that the miracle has happened here.”

“We are bringing it back to ground zero and that the Christmas season, it’s about Jesus. He’s the reason for this season. And that’s what I plan to do throughout Christmas. And we invite the world to pray, to stand and to come volunteer with us at this tent,” he said.

That started me thinking about ways Christians could keep the focus on Jesus Christ this Christmas. I love how Samaritan’s Purse, who does the Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes, sends their teams to help in areas of crisis, disaster, and pandemics like Covid, always making it clear they’re helping and serving in the name of Jesus Christ as they share the Gospel wherever they go. Even the shoeboxes include the Gospel message.

How can we imitate a similar outreach as individuals this Christmas and openly share the true reason for Christmas, the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His birthday should be a reminder of the reason He humbled Himself to come into the world as a baby to die on a cross to offer forgiveness and eternal life to you, me, and everyone who believes in Him.

Following are 10 ideas to share the gift of Christmas with others, remembering that helping others actually helps us. I’m sure you can think of more.

  • Give the Gift of Encouragement. Instead of writing letters to Santa, have children write letters to people who need encouragement this Christmas or include them in your Christmas card list. For example: military, first responders, police, medical staff, nursing home residents, or hospital patients. Be sure to include a Scripture or two from the biblical Christmas story.

So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. 1 Thess. 5:11 NLT

  • Give the Gift of Hope. Adopt a disadvantaged family in your church or community. Bless them with Christmas presents like age-appropriate Bibles, Christian authored books, personal necessities, toys, or provide a special meal. Include a Gospel track* with the food and goodies. Ask if you can pray with them for any prayer requests.

I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. Eph. 1:18 NLT

  • Give the Gift of Joy. Find simple ways to bring a smile to someone’s face during the Christmas season. For example, pay for the car behind you at a drive-through and give the cashier/server a Gospel track* to include with their order. Give an extra track to the server and be sure to leave a nice tip.

You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. Ps. 16:11 NLT

  • Give the Gift of Kindness. Offer your time and energy to someone in need. Hang lights for an elderly neighbor or help decorate their house. Wrap presents for an overwhelmed new mom or someone recovering from an illness or surgery.

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Col. 3:12 NLT

  • Give the Gift of Words. Speak words of affirmation and affection to your friends, family, customer service, waiters/waitresses, store employees . . . Take time to write a personal note in your Christmas cards or Christmas letter.

Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. Pr. 16:24

  • Give the Gift of Faith. Read the biblical Christmas story with your family. If you read a chapter in the Book of Luke starting December 1, you’ll finish on Christmas Eve. You still have time to catch up. Look for opportunities to talk about what Christ’s birth means for your life today.

Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation. By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. Heb. 11:1-3 NLT

  • Give the Gift of Peace. In the midst of the hustle and bustle of the season, and the unsettling news reports, set aside at least one “silent night” a week for the family to be home. Light a fire if you have a fireplace, curl up with cups of hot chocolate or tea, play worship Christmas music, and take a few moments to rest and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

  • Give the Gift of Hospitality. Invite someone to your home who may not have family close by or host a Christmas open house for your neighbors, friends, family, fellow workers, or Bible study group.

Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. 1 Pet. 4:9 NLT

  • Give the Gift of Time. Help nursing home residents write Christmas letters and read the Christmas story to them from the Bible. Offer to baby-sit so busy parents can go on a date or Christmas shopping together. Spend a few hours volunteering at a shelter. Help with Christmas festivities or services at your church or community.

Serve one another humbly in love. Gal. 5:13

  • Give the Gift of Love. Presents under the tree won’t make you or anyone else happy for long, but the presence of Jesus will! The happiest Christians are evangelistic all the time, not just at Christmas. Engage people with the love of God.  

“Love is never wasted for its value does not rest upon reciprocity.” C.S. Lewis

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave[a] his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NLT

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Luke 2:8-12 NLT

*You can purchase Gospel tracks from places like Christianbook.com, but I also found a Souls for Christ Ministry that offers free printable tracks to make yourself.

If you missed my November newsletter, the opening article is “An Urgent Message of Christmas” and includes my Christmas poem “Time to Sit with You.” Here’s the link.

Please leave a comment here and share your thoughts and ideas with others. I reply to every comment.

December 4, 2023
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Is Giving Thanks a Lost Tradition?

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This week is Thanksgiving when many of us will gather with family and friends to eat a big delicious traditional meal. Maybe watch football, play games, fellowship, and hopefully say a prayer thanking God for the many blessings we enjoy in our life. Often, the only time we really focus on the true meaning of Thanksgiving is during that prayer before the meal we’re all anxiously awaiting with anticipation and appetites! If you’re looking for some ideas of how to offer a Thanksgiving prayer for various circumstances, I wrote a Crosswalk article on that topic—4 Prayers to Say At the Thanksgiving Table.

Last week, I learned a term that was new to me. As Dave and I were shopping at Trader Joe’s a full week prior to Thanksgiving, the aisles at this store and Costco were jam packed with shoppers. I commented to the Trader Joe’s checker that I was surprised people were shopping so early for the big meal a week away. Both she and the bagger simultaneously said, “Friendsgiving.” I didn’t hear what they said, so they repeated it several times. When I had a questioning look on my face, the checker said many people get together for a meal with their friends the weekend prior to having a family Thanksgiving celebration later in the week.

I love that idea. We’ve done that in the past too, as well as invited friends to the family dinner. But I’d never heard it called “Friendsgiving” before. When I posted about Friendsgiving on Facebook, I received many comments from people, including my daughter, who said it wasn’t a new term. Just new to me, I guess.

Thinking about Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving brought to mind a thought I’ve had for quite a while. Are we raising generations that have forgotten the courtesy of expressing gratitude not only to God, but also to others? Let me explain. I’m a boomer. My generation was born between 1946-1964. As soon as I could print, or even scribble, the expectation was that when I received a gift from someone, especially for birthdays or Christmas, I sent a thank you note to the gift giver whether it was family or friends.

When I was married, part of the shower and wedding preparation was ordering thank you notes to send out for the gifts we received. And when I was pregnant and received shower and baby gifts, as crazy as it was being a new working mom, it was a given I would make the time to send thank you notes.

I’m finding this thank-you etiquette courtesy is now a lost tradition. Yes, today it might be an email or text instead of a mailed thank you card, but often those aren’t sent either. Somewhere along the generational sequence, one generation didn’t pass down to the next generation the importance of showing gratitude for the gifts they receive. And we wonder why we’re watching generations of entitled children and adults today who expect someone else to pay for college loans they willingly took out and then complain about having to work 9-5 jobs!

Author Carol Roth says Gen Z’s (1997-2012) woes with fulltime work stem from “their parents failing them.” Here’s a quote from her article. “While it’s easy to dunk on these young people, I really blame the parents. This hurts, because Gen Z is being raised in large part by Gen X [1965-1980], which should make the kids awesome and self-sufficient.” She goes on to say that “young people consuming Marxist propaganda online and even in school it’s not surprising they want to do as little works as possible while still expecting food, clothing, shelter, entertainment and more will just fall from the sky for them.” I was happy to see she suggested mentorship as a solution.

But an even sadder consequence of not feeling compelled to be grateful to those who sacrifice their money and time on a gift or providing a college education or offering them a job, is we now also have a generation that has forgotten to say thank you for the sacrifice Jesus made to give them the gift of salvation.

It only takes one generation failing to pass down their faith, traditions, work ethic, or even the courtesy of showing tangible gratitude for a gift, for these things to be forgotten or eliminated from a culture, as we’re watching today with the void of Christian beliefs in government and in families.

Make This Thanksgiving a Wake-up Call in Our Life and Families

Even more important than thanking each other is to give thanks to God who is the provider of every good thing in our life.  I like how Dr. David Jeremiah presents the importance of experiencing continuous daily thanksgiving in his November 18-19, 2023, Turning Points Magazine weekend devotion titled “Thank Goodness!”

“Thanksgiving is understanding that blessings are hiding all around us, and we must find and focus on them. It’s the attitude of knowing we have a God in charge of all. It’s the habit of pausing to whisper, ‘Thank you Lord,’ throughout the day. It’s finding good times even in bad times and rejoicing even in sorrow. It’s noticing the color of flowers, the shape of clouds, the smell of fresh bread, and the comfort of a soft pillow at night.”

“Gratitude leads to ‘glad-itude.’ Counting our blessings is a positive step toward erasing our heartaches. The psychology of thanksgiving comes from the very mind and heart of the God who told us to be vigilant in thanksgiving (Colossians 4:2) and ‘in everything give thanks; for this the will of God in Christ Jesus for you’ (1 Thessalonians 5:18).”

With the birth of Christ, there were no longer Old Testament feast days of thanksgiving. All the ceremonial celebrations of Israel were fulfilled in the Messiah.  Instead, we’re told to give thanks in and for everything—the good and the bad times. As we gather together to celebrate our American holiday of Thanksgiving rooted in the harvest celebration of the Plymouth Pilgrims in 1621, let’s be reminded to give thanks in everything and to everyone—today and every day.

I personally want to thank each of you who take the time to read my weekly blogs and monthly newsletters. I appreciate your comments on the blogs and also for those who share on social media or forward them on email. We really are blessed to live in a time when we can freely communicate with each other across the miles and expand our friendships even to those we’ve never met personally. It’s a blessing I don’t take for granted and a ministry I take very seriously.

As the apostle Paul would say, “May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love to all of you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Cor. 16:23-24 NLT

Have a blessed and grateful Thanksgiving from Dave and me.

PS There won’t be a Monday Morning Blog on November 27, but I’ll be back December 4. Can you believe it’s almost December?

Please leave a comment here and I will reply.

November 20, 2023
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Only One World Event Will Bring Peace in The Middle East!

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For the past two weeks, we’ve read the horrifying reports of the unprovoked surprise heinous attack of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists, targeting women, children, families, and the elderly in Israel and Israel’s declaration of retaliation war. War that Israel says won’t be over until they completely wipe out the threat of Hamas. But as this war rages on, other Arab countries surrounding Israel are attacking from all directions. Hamas and Hezbollah – clients of Iran and controlling Gaza and Lebanon respectively – are the attackers, with Syria shelling and threatening. 

In America, we also saw the unexpected pro-Palestine protesters on college campuses chanting “Israel, Israel, you can’t hide. We charge you with genocide.”  Or “free, free Palestine, long live Palestine.” “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” essentially calling for killing of all Israeli Jews. A coordinated insurrection in the Capitol while voting was occurring for a new House Speaker saw sit-in protestors from the pro-Palestine groups “Jewish Voice for Peace” (JVP) and “IfNotNow” wearing black T-shirts that read “Not in our name. Jews say cease fire now.”  Where is the responsive outcry and denouncement we saw from January 6th? (For more information on these groups see note at the end of this blog)

Hamas’ evil carnage led Israel justifiably to defend itself against current and future attacks. Israel will not walk away from American and Israeli hostages in Gaza, and neither should America.

Hal Lindsey reveals the obvious: “How can anyone seriously defend rapists, human butchers, beheaders of babies, slaughterers who burn people alive in their own homes, and who parade the dead through the streets? Yet we’re seeing their defenders all over the world. In a stunning bit of irony, some use their defense of debauchery as a form of virtue signaling.”

The chanters and protesters are promoting annihilation of Jews in our ally Israel and cheering for terrorists! How did such a large sect of anti-Semitism fester in our country? Many propose it’s coming from college professors indoctrinating, actually brainwashing, students. How did the professors become such Jew haters? Willful ignorance or spiritual darkness.

I wonder how many churches have had, or will have, the discussion of how the friction between Palestinians and Israelis began in the Book of Genesis. Or how no human intervention or even “Abraham Accords” will ever bring peace to the Middle East until one major world event happens.

I see well-meaning Christians posting on social media crying out for peace in the Middle East. However, biblical history and prophecy reveals that only one person can bring about peace. It’s not a President, a statesman, a country leader, a contract, a covenant, agreements, not even President Trump though he came close . . . no act of man will result in lasting peace in the Middle East or anywhere in the world until the glorious return of Jesus Christ!

When Did This Middle East Conflict Start?

In 2021, I wrote an article for Crosswalk “3 Important Lessons We Can Learn From Hagar in the Bible.” While some might not have considered it a particularly relevant article at the time, it reveals the background story of what we’re watching in real time with the war in Israel. Hagar was part of a drama that would influence conflict in the Middle East for thousands of years to come. You’re probably familiar with the story, but maybe not the connection it has with the war we’re watching take place today. Let’s review the beginning of the ongoing feud between Palestine, which is not a country, along with Arab countries against Israel.

When we first meet Hagar in Scripture, she’s an Egyptian maidservant to Sarai (later called Sarah) the wife of Abram (later called Abraham). Sarai was infertile and desperately wanted a child. God had told Abram that he would have an heir, a son, and yet as time passed the aging couple still didn’t have a baby (Gen. 15:2-5).

Sarai became impatient with the Lord and thought He had kept her from having a baby and came up with her own plan to give Abram a family.  “So she said to Abram, ‘The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.’” (Gen. 16:2)

A slave in those days had no rights. When her barren mistress Sarai decides to take matters into her own hands and use Hagar as a surrogate to provide her husband Abram with a child, Hagar has no option but to obey.

When Hagar discovers she’s pregnant, she foolishly acts superior to her mistress, forgetting this was just a surrogacy arrangement. Maybe pride led her to flaunt her growing baby bump in front of Sari. She could give Abram a child and Sari couldn’t. Now it was obvious that their infertility was Sari’s fault and not her husband’s. This child would technically be Hagar’s and Abram’s baby, Sarai’s blood wouldn’t be flowing through his veins but Hagar’s Egyptian blood would. Sari’s blood boiled with jealousy.

The relationship between the two women became hostile and Sari complained to her husband. Not wanting to get involved in this female dispute, Abram told Sari that Hagar was hers to do with what she wanted. Sari took that as permission to treat Hagar harshly and mistreat her.

Feeling lonely, hurt, abused, used, and rejected, Hagar ran away. Anything had to be better than what she was experiencing at the hands of Sari. But what she didn’t expect was an encounter with God. He heard her cries of affliction.

7 The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”

“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered. 9 Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” Gen. 16:7-9

It was hard to hear that God wanted her to go back and endure abuse, but there was more.

11 The angel of the Lord also said to her:

“You are now pregnant
    and you will give birth to a son.
You shall name him Ishmael,[a]
    for the Lord has heard of your misery.
12 He will be a wild donkey of a man;
    his hand will be against everyone
    and everyone’s hand against him,
and he will live in hostility
    toward[b] all his brothers.” Gen. 16:11-12

Hagar returned and had her child and named him Ishmael. But alas, this wasn’t a happy ending. When Sari, now renamed Sarah, sixteen years later had her own miracle son Isaac as promised, Hagar’s son Ishmael started teasing his little toddler half-brother Isaac. That was the last straw for Sarah, and she demanded that her husband send Hagar and her son away for good.

The father of both sons wasn’t so agreeable this time. To his surprise, God intervened and told him it was God’s will to let them go. There was a plan for each son.

11 The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son. 12 But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. 13 I will make the son of the slave into a nation also, because he is your offspring.” (Gen. 21:11-13)

Right there you have the declaration from God of two nations. One would be the promised nation of Abraham, but God had revealed to Hagar about the other son, “He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.”

Modern day Palestinians are the Arabs who are primarily the descendants of Ishmael. Some of the modern-day Palestinians are also likely descendants of Lot (one of Abraham’s relatives whose two daughters gave birth to the peoples of Moab and Ammon, (Genesis 19:36 – 38). Some are also possibly descended from Esau, the twin brother of Jacob (Israel) and son of Isaac (Genesis 25:25 – 26).

Although the Palestinians are in Abraham’s lineage, they weren’t given the same blessings and inheritance as Isaac. Isaac was Abraham’s only promised son conceived with Sarah. Therefore, God declared that Isaac would inherit the birthright (firstborn) blessings, which included Canaan (Genesis 15:16 – 21, 17:6 – 9, 21:10 – 13).

And the Lord appeared to him (Isaac) and said, “Do not go down into Egypt. Live in the land which I shall tell you of. Stay in this land, and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your seed, I will give all these lands; and I will establish the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. And I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and will give to your seed all these lands . . .” (Genesis 26:2 – 4, see also 15:16 – 21, 17:6 – 9, 21:10 – 13).

What Will Bring About Lasting Peace in the Middle East?

Old Testament prophets saw what God was going to do in the future, but like us today, they didn’t know the timing. Zechariah foresaw the nations streaming to Jerusalem to learn about God from the Jews. “‘And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord Almighty and to entreat him.’ 23 This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.’” Zech 8:22-23

Isaiah saw a time when animals and humans would live in peace together.

The wolf will live with the lamb,
    the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling[a] together;
    and a little child will lead them.
7 The cow will feed with the bear,
    their young will lie down together,
    and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
    and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
9 They will neither harm nor destroy
    on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
    as the waters cover the sea. Is. 11:6-9

The New Testament writers reveal the only answer to worldwide peace. There will continue to be wars until this one event ushers in the Kingdom of Peace—Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, returns to earth to reign for a thousand years (Rev. 20:1-6)! Hallelujah!! But this won’t occur until after the church is raptured (1 Cor. 15:52) and the seven years of terrible tribulation (Matthew 24:29-31).

What Do We Do Until the Prince of Peace Returns?

  • Learn from Sarah’s impatience to wait on the Lord’s timing!

Sarah and Abraham’s contrived plan to fulfill God’s promise instead of waiting for God’s perfect timing and plan didn’t end well. We can’t outsmart or out due God. His plans always are for good and will prevail, but we’ll pay a price when we’re impetuous and prideful thinking we know better than God.

22 The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife.[a] 23 The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God’s own fulfillment of his promise. (Gal. 4:22-23)

  • Pray for reconciliation and peace in our own families.

Just as God promised, Ishmael founded a nation, but to this day his descendants continue to be in conflict with the nation founded by his half-brother Isaac. This is a family feud passed down through generations and won’t be resolved until Christ’s return. But we can work in our own families to stop generational infighting.

  • Share Jesus and the Gospel

We don’t know when the rapture will take place, but many feel it’s an imminent event. We only have until then or until the Lord takes us home to do the work He’s assigned every Christian here on earth. We’re all called to be missionaries, evangelists, and witnesses for Him. I like the way Dr. David Jeremiah puts it, “Find a way to do what you’re good at and leverage it for the Kingdom of God. Don’t live for yourself live for the Gospel. Love for the salvation of others. Live for testimonies.”

  • Don’t live in fear at the trouble we’re watching in today’s world.

We’re living in the predicted biblical times that will occur before the end comes. When the Prince of Peace returns, there will be peace on all of the earth, not just the Middle East. Until then, we pray for His return and for those who aren’t ready for His return!

Pray for the unsaved Jews who haven’t accepted Jesus as their Savior and for the safety of the tiny Christian community in Gaza that they would have the opportunity to share the Gospel.

 “In a world of turmoil and despair, you must find your peace above and beyond the natural realm. Arise in spirit and know that I am God and that I will lead, guide, direct, and protect you when you put your trust in Me. I am your firm foundation and your very present help in trouble. Believe it!” Psalm 46:1-4—“Small Straws in a Soft Wind” by Marsha Burns,

Some excerpts regarding Hagar are from Everyday Brave: Living Courageously as a Woman of Faith

Note: I encourage you to listen to the Mark Levin Sunday night 10/22/2023 program Life, Liberty, and Levin to learn more about how Hamas is infiltrating America. The JVP, Jewish Voice for Peace, views itself as the “Jewish wing” of the Palestine Solidarity movement and seeks to end the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza strip, and East Jerusalem. They were founded by radical Marxist Jews. IVP is part of a network of NGO’S that promote manufactured definitions of apartheid to extend ongoing campaigns that seek to delegitimize and demonize Israel.

The Free Beacon says JVP advertises itself as the: “largest progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization in the world.” They are strongly in opposition to the nationhood of Israel and they are obviously very active here in America.

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October 23, 2023
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Be Alert for Where and When the Lord Wants You to Get Involved!

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If you follow me regularly, you know I’m always challenging my readers to be Christians of action and not just full of biblical knowledge. It’s one thing to know the Bible; it’s another to live the Bible. The Lord wants us to do both. Not only be knowers of the Word, but also doers. In our volatile world today, we don’t have to look far for where we can get involved in promoting good where evil is invading our culture.

It’s easy and comfortable to be armchair critics where we sit on the couch and watch on television, social media, or our electronics the world atrocities contradicting reason and right. We complain about how insanely wrong things are today.

We might even gather in groups and discuss our opinions and complaints, but talk is powerless unless we put our disgust and distress into some kind of positive action to make a difference.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22

There was a time when our frustration focused mostly on the world stage or maybe even centered on our government, but Satan is shooting his flaming arrows into our neighborhoods, families, schools, and yes, even, our churches.

We’re watching horrific pictures and narratives of evil at its worst as satanic barbarians attempt to wipe out the country of Israel. An evil attempted genocide of Jews we never expected to occur again after the Holocaust. How could this current atrocity happen to one of America’s allies and the people God has called His chosen?

I think some of the surprise attack came from relying on technology that can always be hacked or fail. Also, complacency and apathy to the reality that until Jesus returns for His church, Satan really is the ruler of the world.

We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one. 1 John 5:19 NLT

We must remain alert to the enemy’s tactics, which are ALWAYS evil and destructive with the motive of deception and denial of God’s principles.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8 NKJV

Complacency masquerading as “tolerance” has allowed the enemy to infiltrate almost every area of life today. Americans think we’ll never be blindsided by a 9-11 style attack again. We take our shoes off and go through metal detectors and put our liquids in 2 oz. bottles to board an airplane because that was the vehicle of evil used the last time, while millions of illegals flood our borders and throw away their passports and ID’s once inside so they can assume new identities in America. Why would anyone want to do that? You know it isn’t for good. Are we ready? Is the church ready?

I’m not talking provisionally ready; I’m talking spiritually ready. Are our loved ones ready? Are we willing to reach out with the gospel to those who aren’t?

Yes, it can be uncomfortable. Inconvenient. Unpopular. Challenging. Scary. But when I find myself in those situations, I rely on the promise God gives us in Luke 21:14-15 . . .

14  Don’t worry about what you will say to defend yourselves. 15 I will give you the wisdom to know what to say. None of your enemies will be able to oppose you or to say that you are wrong. Luke 21:14-15 CEV

My Recent Getting Involved Experience

I hope you know I would never challenge you to do something I’m not willing to do myself. My mantra for years has been that the church, you and me, need to get involved in our local communities to right any wrongs that God brings to our attention. I’ve also said that we shouldn’t look only at the national level, but open our eyes to what’s going on in our own backyards. Maybe it will be running for office or actively supporting candidates who support our values. Every position is important from school boards to library boards.

I also would encourage you to investigate Christian-based organizations keeping a pulse on what’s happening in your area. I follow several in Idaho and one of those is Freedom Foundation. I receive their emails which often expose unethical issues in our state and draw our attention to pray over, and if we feel the Lord leading, to get involved. Since I live in a very small rural community most of the issues I read about are not in our area. But several weeks ago, there was an email from the Freedom Foundation addressing sexually obscene, pornographic, inappropriate books for children discovered in our local community library.

How could I ignore this? I couldn’t. So at first, I just posted the article on my social media page and a community social media page. Little did I know I was starting a firestorm! The comment attacks were fast and furious. I have to admit I was shocked that so many people were in favor of these books.

My main question was why were the books in our library? What was the purpose in making them available to our local children? But instead of answers, I received attacks on Christianity and my “morals,” although I never said I was a Christian. But it seems if you took a moral view of this atrocity, you must be a Christian. I was told, “keep your morals in your church.” I wondered what kind of “morals” the accusers had.

I learned there was a “Material Reconsideration Form” we could fill out to request these books be removed from the library. So I announced the situation to my church congregation and asked others to join me in filling out the forms. I was encouraged that many did. The two-sided form wasn’t easy to fill out and it required reviewing the dark material in these books, which I didn’t want to do. I felt like I needed a shower. How would I get the images and words out of my mind? It was just too dark.

Did I really want to do this? When my grandchildren were younger and visited us, I used to enjoy taking them to the children’s section of our library as a fun activity, but they’re older now, so these books weren’t affecting me personally. But I care about all children. I care about the next generation.

You would recognize some of the book titles as the same books parents are bravely contesting and reading aloud in school board meetings. Now God had brought them to my attention in my town. I had a choice to just complain or take further action beyond filling out the forms.

Then I discovered a podcast “Banned?” with Pastor Jack Hibbs interviewing Karen England, from Capitol Resource Institute. In this podcast, they discuss the sexually explicit and pornographic books that are plaguing our public-school systems and public libraries. Karen kept pointing out that we may be surprised to learn this isn’t only a problem in liberal cities, but many of these books are often available in conservative “red states” as well. They were talking about the very books in our “red state” small community library or on their website as an e-book download that children could access.

“Banned?” is an important podcast for every parent, grandparent, and concerned citizen to hear. It’s hard to listen, and yes, it’s dark, but that’s where Satan does his work. Especially, if you’re in a “red state” like we are in Idaho and think that none of this could happen in your local library or school. It is happening in school districts and libraries throughout our state! You can’t escape it.

It was a timely podcast for me. I thought if this brave Christian woman, Karen England, can subject herself to knowing the content of these books and go around the nation exposing them to protect our precious children, I can and will do my part.

I prayed long and often late into the night for God to give me the words, wisdom, and courage to take a stand and encourage others to join me. Many did. We attended the next library board meeting where those opposing our “moral” position and those joining me opposing the books each were given three minutes to present our arguments to the board.

Even a young twenty-year-old woman courageously read a disgusting sexually graphic page from one of the books and others told testimonies of the horrific acts that occur when young minds are exposed to pornography. To the board’s credit, they listened and allowed everyone the opportunity who wanted to speak. They recorded the meeting, and we were told they would review and make their final decision, which as of this writing we haven’t received.

Applause and Assaulted

A group of us stood outside the library hugging and thanking each other for speaking out and for those that came to support us. But as you can imagine, not everyone was happy about us being there. It only took a day for me to be attacked personally on the community social media page. I received the usual “hater” slander, my ministry was ridiculed, and I was pretty much told to stay in my own Christian lane. Which actually I was!

I could also see the delusional confusion when the slanderer accused me of making the young woman read the vulgarity from the book and referred to her as my “daughter”?! I had no idea she was going to read or what she was going to say. I was just delighted to have the next generation participate and speak the truth.

Sometimes you just have to laugh at delusion. The Lord reminded me I should be flattered they thought this 20-year-old was my daughter, since my own real daughter just turned 50!!!

Jesus told us to expect persecution but also not to stop sharing the gospel because there are some who will listen just as He experienced.
Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. John 15:20

Paul said, 12 We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly. 1 Cor. 4:12:13

I’ve chosen to not give the satisfaction of answering the latest slanders because I choose not to escalate the discussion with those who are blinded by lies. That’s a lose/lose attempt and only gives them more of a platform. I can only pray that one day their eyes will open to the truth.

As an author myself, I know that authors write to a target audience with a purpose and focused message. I can’t imagine what kind of mind writes this smut for children. An author would have to have a sinister agenda and purpose to write books like these directed towards children. Their purpose is either pedophilia or grooming.

If you saw the movie Sound of Freedom, they really are coming for our children! I wrote a blog last year on November 8, 2021 by that very title They’re Coming for Our Children! We can’t stay silent.  

Jesus didn’t say living the gospel-life would be easy. It’s often heartbreaking to see so many people championing evil as a “freedom” when we’re talking about innocent little minds and bodies. If you’re willing to take action in the schools and libraries in your area, I want to leave you with this tool.

Obscenity Law Defined: Supreme Court Defines Obscenity

Roth v. United States, 354 U.S. 476 (1957).  Ruled on two criminal convictions for obscenity. The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the convictions, holding that obscene speech is not protected by the First Amendment.  It further determined that the standard for obscenity is “whether, to the average person, applying contemporary community standards, the dominant theme of the material, taken as a whole, appeal to prurient interest. (Emphasis added)

Miller v. California, 413 U.S. 15 (1973), reaffirmed the Roth ruling. “In sum, we (a) reaffirm the Roth holding that obscene material is not protected by the First Amendment; (b) hold that such material can be regulated by the States, subject to the specific safeguards enunciated above, without a showing that the material is “utterly without redeeming social value”; and (c) hold that obscenity is to be determined by applying “contemporary community standards” not “national standards.” (Emphasis added)”

Where is God asking you to get involved?

[God] who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, 2 Tim. 1:9 NKJV

 “Today is no random day. It’s a God-planned day for His devoted children.” Greater Purpose by David Jeremiah

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The middle picture is from Andrew D Griffin of Love Alive.

October 16, 2023
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4 Prayers Asking God to ‘Give Us This Day’

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We all woke up to the news on Saturday October 7 that war had broken out in Israel. The terrorist group Hamas unleashed a barrage of rockets from Gaza into Israel, reaching as far as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Sabbath tranquility in Israel was ruptured on a day marking the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret and the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War in which Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism and a time of atonement and forgiveness. The current incursion during Simchat Torah in Israel revived painful memories.

Iran financially and ideologically supports Hamas in their desire to annihilate Israel. As of this writing, Hamas has taken hundreds of hostages including families, children, and the elderly and thousands of Israelis (maybe even Americans) are dead or wounded. There were 3500 rockets in 6 hours of surprise Gorilla warfare and a barbaric ISIS-style attack against civilians. “Hamas is running the streets killing civilians” one local said. Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu responded with full military mobilization and declared, “This is war!” Israel is calling this their 9-11.

Pastor Jack Hibbs responded on his Facebook page: “Throughout the decades, in our Bible prophecy, updates, and teachers, I have been preaching on this scenario for years. Now, keep your eyes on the Pacific Northwest for China to go against Taiwan or North Korea to do something stupid. Do not be surprised if simultaneously we see Hezbollah in the north of Israel, coming out of Lebanon and Syria. We could be looking at the setup of either Isaiah 17 or Ezekiel 38 or both.”

Since this attack was planned, funded, and equipped by Iran, Hal Lindsey considers it a precursor to the war prophesied in Ezekiel 38-39—a war led by Russia and Iran. All experts believe Russia is also tied to this current terrorist attack on Israel.

No one expected this day when they went to bed the previous night. Somehow it slipped by Israel’s top-notch Intel. But it happened. That’s exactly how the day of the Lord will come when God raptures His people from earth to heaven. It will be even more dramatic than war in Israel. It will usher in the 7 years of tribulation, which will make the evil we’re watching in today’s culture look mild. Praise God, if you know Jesus as your Savior, you won’t have to endure that horrific time, but I wonder how many of the Israelis who died knew Jesus as their Messiah?

We don’t know how this war in Israel will escalate or how it might even affect us here in America. Many people have been physically “prepping” for some world clash, but my response is always how many are spiritually prepping? How many are ready to meet Jesus? Your cupboards may be full but if Jesus isn’t filling your heart, it’s all for naught. It’s the difference between eternal death and eternal life.

A colorful plaque on the wall in our dining room reads, “Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread.” I placed it in the room where we eat because we typically associate bread with a meal. But there are so many other areas of life to ask God to give us what we need for this day.

Especially helpful during a morning devotional time is asking God to bless this day and prepare us for whatever He knows is going to happen in our life, particularly those things that might catch us by surprise. We read in the Bible that God wants us to take life one day at a time, but always be ready for the unexpected and the day He takes us home to be with Him. No one knows the day or time, but it will happen when we least expect it, in the wink of an eye.

 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” Matt. 24:36 NKJV

Where Can We Find ‘Give Us This Day’ in the Bible?

During Jesus’ ministry on earth, He was continuously teaching and mentoring his twelve disciples. Prayer is an essential part of the Christian life so the disciples often observed Jesus praying. One day the disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray. Matthew 6:9-13, the “Lord’s Prayer,” is Jesus’ response to His disciples and to us on how we should pray. Many have memorized this prayer often recited in church or used as a model for prayer.

9 In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Matt. 6:9-13 NKJV

In verse 11, Jesus was referencing the daily bread, “manna from heaven,” God sent each day to meet the needs of the Israelites for food as they wandered in the desert. That the God of Israel could provide daily food for them was a confirmation that He was watching over them and guiding their life both physically and spiritually.

Jesus emphasizes this point in John 6:32 NKJV, Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.”

Jesus then referred to Himself as the living bread, “For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” John 6:33 NKJV

 Next, Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” John 6:35 NKJV

By emphasizing in Matthew 6:11 that we ask God to give us bread only for “this day,” Jesus was referencing the biblical history the disciples would know that God only sent the Israelites enough manna for each day. He wanted them to have confidence that there would be just enough for one day and He would rain down more the next day. If they tried to horde extra, it spoiled. They needed to trust Him for their daily provision. And so should we!

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not. 5 And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.” Ex. 16:4-5 NKJV

Moses also reminded the people that spiritual food is as vital to life as physical food.

So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. Deut. 8:3 NKJV

Jesus referred to Deuteronomy 8:3 in Matthew 4:4 NKJV when he spoke of spiritual bread. But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

What Does It Mean When We Ask God to Give Us This Day?

When we’re sick or going through financial or personal problems, we want answers for the future, now. How is it all going to turn out? What can we do to change things? Maybe we have enough to get by today, but what about tomorrow and the next day? We ask God to show us His plans and assure us that we’ll be fine. It’s all going to work out okay.

Matthew 6:25-27 is one of Jesus’ famous lessons about worrying about the next day. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

Still, we worry until we learn how to turn each day’s needs over to God in prayer and trust that He has everything under control.

4 Ways to Pray Asking God to “Give Us This Day“

Pray for God to Give Us This Day: Provision

Dear Father, You know our needs before we even ask but still You tell us we have not because we ask not. So Lord, I’m asking You to provide for my needs, maybe not my wants, but enough. Show me what I must do to work with You to obtain what’s sufficient for this day. These are scary times. The shelves at stores are emptying, prices escalating, and we worry about providing food and clothes for our family today. With Christmas quickly approaching, how can we afford gifts?

Lord, could this be Your way of helping us focus on the true meaning of Christmas?! Remembering that it’s not about how many gifts we give, but the gospel message we share with people who are more open to hearing about the gift of Jesus at that time of year.

Please help me not to panic and start hording and hiding away food and supplies. It didn’t work for the Israelites with their hording manna for more than a day and it won’t help for me to take from others who might need provisions more than I do. Guide me into prudent buying and give me wisdom to discern between a want and a need.

Thank You Holy Father for the abundance You’ve poured down on a country that seldom gives You the glory. Let me be the voice that says I have enough for this day, and I want to take time to enjoy and appreciate the Lord’s provision for my loved ones and me. Everyday give me a heart of generosity to give to those who might not be as fortunate as I am. I praise You Lord for Your abounding love and grace to all those who love You. Amen

Pray for God to Give Us This Day: Peace

Heavenly Father, You see from Your throne in heaven the chaos and crises befalling our world, and especially today in Israel. A world that is rejecting Your moral biblical values and principles. How this must break Your heart. Lord, it breaks my heart, and sometimes I lose my peace and am filled with anxiety when each new day brings more discouraging news. It seems like evil rules instead of You.

Please help me wake up in the morning with a sense of peace when I look out the window and see all that You’ve created and the sun has risen again on a new day. Remind me to thank You each night for another day of life.

When my thoughts wander to worrying, bring me back this day to remembering John 14:27 where Jesus assures us, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” I pray Lord that You will bring peace to Israel and draw many hearts to Jesus during this horrible assault on their country. Amen

Pray for God to Give Us This Day: Joy

Dear God, I’ll admit I’m not joyful each new day. I want to be because I feel better physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I need to smile and laugh more, but I look in the mirror and see frown lines on my face. More importantly, Father, I need Your joy to fill my heart and soul. Please help me to laugh. Give me a daily dose of joy.

I know Your Word tells me that joy is a fruit of the Spirit, as is the peace I so desperately crave. Just knowing You, Lord, as my Savior should fill my heart with bubbling over joy. Please help me this day to put a gospel song in my heart and a kick in my step that draws others to the joy of knowing the Jesus they see in me.

Fill me anew this day with Your Holy Spirit. Your living water. Your hope. Your peace. Remind me that the joy of the Lord is my strength (Neh. 8:10)! “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me” (Psalm 51:12). Amen

Pray for God to Give Us This Day: Trust

Precious Lord, I give this day trusting You will not give me more than I can bear but will always give me just what I need to stand up under any adversity. Father, I know that the foundation of my faith is trust in You in every way and every day. Trust is believing in what I cannot see but knowing that You see all and only want the best for me.

Lord, it’s a constant daily process of turning all my life, not just portions of it, over to You completely. Giving up control when I want to do things my way. I need You to remind me when I’m falling off course or trying to do things on my own. Each day unfolds with new challenges and opportunities, and I must seek You moment by moment in making decisions and choices.

Keep this song in my heart: Trust and obey for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. I see clearly now that You are my source of provision, peace, and joy and I implore You dear Lord, help me to trust in You and You alone this day and every day. Amen

Pray Like Today Is Your Forever Day!

Like Israel, we don’t know what tomorrow will bring, or for that matter even the rest of today. But God tells us He has numbered each of our days. While we’re here on earth, He knows the plans He has for us. So, it’s only fitting that we would turn this day and each new day over to Him to guide and lead us in what we say and do. How we feel and hope. How we respond and react. How we love and let love.

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
    His mercies never cease.
23 Great is his faithfulness;
    his mercies begin afresh each morning.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
    therefore, I will hope in him!” Lam. 3:23-24 NLT

Pray for peace in Jerusalem.
    May all who love this city prosper.
7 O Jerusalem, may there be peace within your walls
    and prosperity in your palaces.
8 For the sake of my family and friends, I will say,
    “May you have peace.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
    I will seek what is best for you, O Jerusalem. Psalm 122:6-9 NLT

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October 9, 2023
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Once I was Blind, But Now I See!

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This week, I’m doing something I occasionally do and that’s promote a movie with a message that everyone needs to see and hear. I’m talking about the movie The Blind in theaters this week. Dave and I went to see it on 9/29 and even though I knew most of the story of Duck Dynasty’s Phil and Kay Robertson, I really didn’t know how bad it was before Jesus came into their life.

Decades before “Duck Dynasty,” Phil and Kay Robertson suffered a stormy early period of ten years in their marriage marred by Phil’s alcohol abuse and infidelity. “The Blind” captures their story of struggle, redemption, and hope.

When we were finding our seats at the theater, I saw a young teenage couple and asked if they knew what the story was about. They smiled and said they did. I told them how happy I was to see them there and that this film was reaching the next generation. After the movie, Dave and I started talking to a couple sitting next to us and discovered we had the same conservative faith beliefs and burden to protect children in our state’s schools and libraries. We were blessed to make new like-minded friends.

Let me backtrack a bit. Dave and I enjoyed watching the Robertson family with their four married sons’ families and Phil’s brother Uncle Si in their Duck Dynasty reality show adventures. That sparked our interest in learning more about them since the whole family was obviously Christian and they weren’t afraid to talk about their faith, Jesus, and family.

After Duck Dynasty ended, many in the Robertson family branched out with other shows, podcasts, books, and ministries.

Dave and I have a remote connection to the Robertson family. Their third son Willie Robertson’s wife Korie is the daughter of John and Chrys Howard owners of the former Howard Publishing that published my first two books, Dear God, They Say It’s Cancer: A Companion Guide for Women on the Breast Cancer Journey and Praying for Your Prodigal Daughter: Hope, Help, & Encouragement for Hurting Parents. The Howards later sold their publishing company to Simon & Schuster, which still publishes those two books.

I never personally met Miss Kay [as she’s fondly called] or Phil Robertson, but they spoke several years ago in Nampa, Idaho and Dave and I attended. Phil is a bold evangelist and speaks freely about his life before Christ and the change accepting Jesus as his Savior made in his life, his marriage, and his family.

Recently, we heard Phil and Miss Kay interviewed by Kirk Cameron on his TBN program Takeaways. They said that their children felt the couple’s early tumultuous marriage years needed telling to share the miraculous transformation Jesus made in Phil’s life and Kay’s belief in him when he was haunted by the demons of alcohol, infidelity, and childhood memories. I don’t want to give away any spoilers because you need to see the movie, but to quote Phil, “You’ve got to come to the end of yourself to find the beginning of God.”

It’s one thing to read and even hear Phil and Miss Kay’s testimony, but to see it visually in this film is indescribable and inspirational. The portrayal of Kay and Phil is raw, open, and vulnerable. They hold nothing back of how bad things were and how good God is. In the Kirk Cameron interview, Phil revealed something I hadn’t heard before that he had learned of fathering a now 45-year-old daughter during his time of infidelity. She’s welcomed into the Robertson clan.

Their son, Willie Robertson, said in an interview with USA Today Network about The Blind, “It’s the early years of their marriage, so it’s gutting and raw. It’s definitely not ‘Duck Dynasty.'”

 “It tackles big issues – mental illness, depression, alcohol abuse,” Willie said.

Willie and his wife Korie Robertson produced the movie with their Tread Lively production company.

“Mom and dad have been very public about their early struggles, but seeing it up there on the screen really made it real for all of us,” Willie said. “It’s tough for them to open up that part of their life, but they’ve been willing to do it to try to reach others who are struggling. People see the family and ‘Duck Dynasty’ and think, ‘They have everything,’ but this story illustrates we had hard times like everyone else,” said Willie, who was 2 when his parents separated for a time.

“It’s powerful,” Willie said. “It’s a story of hope and redemption that shows you’re never too far gone to be saved.”

“In this movie, ‘The Blind,’ we let go of everything. We’re telling it,” Miss Kay says.

The 10-year span in The Blind depicts what Phil Robertson himself describes as his wild rebellious years of substance abuse and cheating before turning to God and building the clan’s Duck Commander duck-call manufacturing business into an empire in rural West Monroe.

Why would the Robertson’s be so open, vulnerable, and transparent about such a dark time in their life? Because they care more about saving lives than saving their reputation. Their testimony is one of redemption, love, and forgiveness. A wife who didn’t give up hope for her husband and a Jesus who can save even the most despicable wayward person. A testimony shared to bring others to Jesus.

It’s not about how bad you were, it’s about how good God is! He goes after the one that was lost even though 99 are saved. Which gives each of us hope for those we think will never change their life. If God could turn heathen Phil into an evangelist, he can and will save anyone who surrenders his or her life to Jesus Christ and seeks forgiveness for their sins.

“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. Matt. 18:12-13

Why Share Our Testimony?

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. —1 John 5:11-12

But as for me, how good it is to be near God!  I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, And I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do. —Ps. 73:28 NLT

There’s no greater witness to God’s goodness than sharing what He’s done in your life. No one can question your testimony because it’s your personal experience. As we mature spiritually, we move beyond just remembering God’s goodness for our own benefit and start retelling our testimony to help others just like Phil and Kay have done.

We all have varied life testimonies in addition to our salvation testimony. Some of you have heard my “Feed my Sheep” testimony. If not, you can read a little here. I never tire of telling my story as History.

You may not think you have a testimony if you’ve been a Christian most of your life and life has gone smoothly. You can’t relate to Kay and Phil’s story or maybe even mine. God has been walking beside you guiding your life every step of the way. But that’s your testimony to others who worry about losing something by turning their lives over to God. You’re a living example of how good God really is!

Maybe you’re stumbling under the burden of a hidden past you’ve been too embarrassed to talk about and hope will never be revealed. Now may be the time to deal with those buried hurts and hang-ups. Like Phil and me, once they’re out in the open, Satan can’t use them against you anymore.

When I felt God leading me to write Praying for Your Prodigal Daughter, I had to ask my daughter if she was okay with me revealing the prodigal time in her life before she accepted Christ as her Savior. I assured her that I would also be sharing how I was a prodigal raising a prodigal.

I write her response in the Acknowledgments: “My dearest Kim, you will always be my “baby. To share our story, to bare our souls, is no little thing. I admire and celebrate the beautiful, humble, and courageous Christian woman you have become. When I shared my vision for this book, you were on board and willing to let me expose our lives on these pages, all for the glory of God. That’s no small concession, since our life together has had many twists and turns—some we regret and others we celebrate. I thank God for making both our paths straight. We were lost and now we’re found. I love you baby.”

Kim told me, “Mom, if we can help one daughter and her parents, we need to share our story.” Kim also writes in the book what she was feeling and thinking during her prodigal years.

God redeems your story by surrounding you with people who need to hear your past so it doesn’t become their future. Like Phil and Kay’s testimony and Kim’s and mine, it’s the opportunity to give purpose to a crisis.

You might not make a movie, write a book, or tell your testimony from a stage, but God will bring people across your path and the Holy Spirit will prompt you to share. Every day, you encounter opportunities to share your testimony, and every time you tell it, you’ll remember how good God has been to you.

Revealing is the first step to healing!

Just like Phil’s spiraling down and my backsliding years, our testimony isn’t about how bad we were. Our message is the redemption and forgiveness available through our initial salvation or a rededication to Jesus Christ.

When people ask me how I made it through life’s difficulties, the best answer is, “I couldn’t have done it without God.” That’s your best answer too. It opens the door to share your story. By the way, your story doesn’t have to have a “happy ending” like the Robertson’s or mine for you to share it.

Your story becomes your testimony when the focus is on God, not on you. It’s not a time to tell someone else’s story. Stick to details that pertain to you and those willing to let you include them in your story.

When anyone tells me about an encounter with God, or a memorable circumstance in his or her life, I always ask if they’re writing it down because God is going to use it as a life-experience testimony. My ministry tagline is “Sharing Life Experiences and God’s Faithfulness.”

I’m reminded of the Apostle Paul [formerly Saul], a persecutor of Christians before he was struck blind by the Lord on the road to Damascus in Acts 9:1:1-18.

 So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized.

Later in Acts 22:1-16, Paul told his testimony of transformation from being an enemy and persecutor of Christians to an evangelist sharing the Gospel.

As I watched in The Blind, Phil Robertson’s retreat into the forest almost living like an animal during his darkest times, I was reminded of the story of King Nebuchadnezzar’s testimony of living like a wild animal until he also surrendered to God (Daniel 4:1-37).

At the closing of The Blind movie, they showed comments on the screen. One was what Miss Kay said to the former pastor of the West Monroe White’s Ferry Church of Christ who visited Phil in Junction City during his darkest hour, planting a seed that eventually sprouted. Kay said to the pastor, “If you can help save Phil, he will go on to help save thousands.” Which Phil certainly has done!

While many may know of Phil’s tenaciously outspoken faith now, they may not know the hard and twisting road he walked before surrendering to Jesus. The title “The Blind is a play on words and refers both to, “I was blind, but now I see” (John 9:25), and to a shelter that conceals duck hunters called “the blind.“

“I think maybe if these people watch the movie and see how I was, and then they look at me now and see how I operate, [it will give them hope],” Mr. Robertson said. “You got to remember all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God so I’m not the only person that has sinned. The way out is faith in Jesus Christ.”

“I would have never dreamed I would be out there preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ when I was back there getting drunk as a skunk,” he continued. “But when that happened and I was freed from it, [everything changed]. That’s why I’ve been saying ever since that happened and I came to Jesus [what God can do].”

“Our prayer is that people will see the movie and know there’s hope. It’s never too late to be saved.”

“Jesus—that one sacrifice—has made perfect, forever, those who come to Him. If you just think about it, His blood gives us the opportunity to move beyond our sinful self,” Mr. Robertson said. “What do you get when He shows up, when you come to Him by faith? Love, joy, peace, patience…. It’s well worth the effort to follow Jesus faithfully.”

Amen!

If you didn’t receive my September newsletter, here’s the link. I would encourage you to read it.

Some of the “Why Share Your Testimony” discussion above is from my book Forsaken God? Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten.

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October 2, 2023
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Breaking Up Is Hard to Do!

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I’m sure you’ve broken up with someone in your lifetime. Maybe you found someone you liked better. Or maybe you learned the person wasn’t who you thought they were. Or maybe they were even talking bad about you behind your back. Or just maybe you discovered your values were at odds with theirs and you weren’t willing to compromise on your values and morals.

On different occasions in my life, I’ve broken up for each of those reasons. When we become Christians, the Bible tells us clearly to leave the old life and ways behind and choose to follow Christ in our relationships, words, actions, thoughts, time, and money. It might even mean breaking off a close relationship because that other person is tempting and luring you to return to wicked ways you’ve already asked God to forgive you for and you don’t want to regress. You want to live a new life in Christ.

 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Cor. 5:17 NLT

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. Rom. 6:6

Occasionally, God points out that something or someone has become an idol in our life. God warns us to have no other gods or idols before Him. We may need to break up or break away from anything that becomes more important to us than God or change our perspective and outlook on whatever is getting more of our attention than God is.

“You must not have any other god but me. 4 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.” Ex. 20:3-4 NLT

Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 1 Cor. 10:14

Breakups are painful. Hard to do. Sometimes freeing. Other times grieving. But often something you know you need to do to honor Jesus and your witness for Him. God may want us to use our breakup as a wakeup call to others. That’s the message I’d like to share in the remainder of this blog.

We’ve all seen the impact consumers can have when the woke agenda attempts to normalize sin and sinful behavior. Before anyone starts calling me names, I proudly identify as a Bible-believing Christian. My identity is in Christ alone. I’m not “homophobic,” I’m sinphobic! I think I coined a new word since spellcheck doesn’t like it. Webster’s Dictionary describes phobic as “having an intolerance or aversion,” and that’s exactly how I feel about sin. Anyone’s sin, including my own. But especially when the media, government, fringe groups, and even some pastors try to tell me I should be “tolerant” of sin, I’m gonna say a resounding, “No Way!”

Jesus was NEVER tolerant of sin. He spent time with sinners with the sole goal and purpose of helping them turn away from their sin and repent, not to celebrate, party, and revel in their sin or impose it on others. Jesus gave His life on the cross to free us from sin, not parade sin in the streets, teach it in schools, or ignore it in churches. He told the woman at the well living in sin with her boyfriend and the woman caught in adultery, “Go and sin no more.” He went to Zacchaeus’ house and even to the Pharisees’ homes to share the truth with them in hopes some would be saved from their sinful, prideful lifestyle.

So that being said, here are a few breakups I’ve experienced with businesses who finance, support, encourage, and promote sin. Maybe you’ll want to break up with them too if you haven’t already. We can make a difference as we saw with what is now termed the “Bud Light” effect when the beer brand decided to make their mascot a lunatic and very sick man impersonating as a woman. Hubby and I don’t drink beer, but we cheered the effective reaction and response from the conservative population who support the way God created us as either a man or a woman and never the two shall exchange bodies!

Here’s Some of My Breakups and the Whys

#1 Breakup with Target-In 2004, the Target retail chain announced a new corporate policy that banned Salvation Army bell ringers and their collection kettles from Target storefronts. Next, they banned employees from saying “Merry Christmas.” Then slyly they stopped having separate areas for little boys’ and girls’ toys and bedding. Their woke agenda continued to get worse with a crescendo this year of placing obscene clothing in the front of their stores and next to the children’s section, even displaying alphabet mafia clothing for babies!!

That’s what happens when you take Christ out of Christmas; it’s a deep dive into hell. Needless, to say we broke up with Target many many years ago and have NEVER missed them!

#2 Breakup with Starbucks—My breakup with Starbucks was brought on by their huge financial support and endorsement of gay marriage. But that was only the beginning. They also support abortion, the alphabet sexual perversion, pronoun reassignment, gender mutilation and castration even of children, and the entire radical liberal agenda.

When we lived in California back in 2008, voters voted in Proposition 8, which “provides that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.” It passed 52% to 48%, by a margin of about 600,000 votes. The Protect Marriage campaign supporting Proposition 8 constantly invoked the “far-reaching consequences” of legal gay marriage, particularly the implication that school curriculums would be required to teach that gay marriage is “the same as traditional marriage.”

Pollster David Fleischer, in his analysis of the election results, found that the greatest shift toward “Yes” among undecided voters was “among parents with children under 18 living at home—many of them white Democrats,” who feared the effects of legal gay marriage on their children’s public education. Evangelicals and Republicans formed the core of Proposition 8’s support. Sadly, the people’s will was overturned and gay marriage was legalized.

What these parents feared most has become our reality today. The Biden Administration labels parents who protest the sexual/pornographic indoctrination of their children as domestic terrorists. Many Evangelicals and Republicans today seem defeated and fear speaking out against the cultural demise.

When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, Starbucks announced it would reimburse travel expenses for employees who “need” abortions and cannot get them within 100 miles of their homes. They also provide insurance coverage for mislabeled “gender-affirming care,” which is actually gender annihilation, and cover travel expenses for employees who don’t have access to this horrible atrocity near their homes.

One article said, “Starbuck’s customers and workers tend to be more liberal.”

I’ve been laughed and scoffed at when I compare Starbuck’s logo signs with Asherah poles from the Old Testament. But after my breakup with Starbucks, that’s how I see them. Like an idol, the Starbuck’s logo sign used to magnetically draw me to pay an insane price for a calorie-ridden cup of coffee! Now I see that sign and pray for everyone still deceived into throwing money at a company whose values are the opposite of God’s.

The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. They forgot about the Lord their God, and they served the images of Baal and the Asherah poles. Judges 3:7 NLT

Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. 1 John 5:21

#3 Breakup with Disney—I remember going to Disneyland as a child not long after it opened. I was so excited to take my daughter and then later her children to enjoy the “happiest place on earth!” Tragically, they’ve become the wokest place on earth with their corporate executives caught on video saying their goal is to include as much of the DEI and satanic agenda as possible by rewriting beloved children’s movies to depict gay, trans, morally sick people.

“Diversity” is a word you hear repeatedly along with “inclusive” and yet they now exclude conservatives, Christians, and godly values in all their movies and disgusting remakes of old favorites.

Diverse has become perverse!

#4 Breakup with Kohl’s—I was never much of a Kohl’s shopper, but like Target, they support the alphabet sexual agenda, especially during June.

#5 Breakup with Bed Bath and Beyond—I enjoyed this store because it didn’t matter how old the coupon, they would take it. Then they showed their true liberal loyalty by canceling Mike Lindell’s line of My Pillow because he was questioning the 2020 election. We stopped shopping at BB&B and threw away the coupons.

#6 Breakup with Maybelline— When they had a bearded man as a model for their makeup!

#7 Breakup with Fred Meyer/Kroger—Of all our breakups, this one is by far the hardest. We live in the mountains of Idaho over an hour away from major shopping. So, when we go down the hill to Boise, we appreciate one-stop shopping where we can get most of our needs from food to housewares, pharmacy and clothes. For twelve years, Fred Meyer was that store for us. We took advantage of their digital coupons, savings on gas, first Tuesday of the month and every Tuesday in December savings for seniors, and savings for Veterans on the 3rd Thursday of the month.

This is an extremely painful breakup for both of us. Here’s why we’re parting ways with our treasured Fred Meyer and all Kroger products, since Kroger merged with Fred Meyer. You may have a Kroger store with a different name than Fred Meyer.

The gay, trans, alphabet “pride parade” and “celebration” of their sinful and perverted way of life not only dominated the month of June in Boise, Idaho’s Capitol, but because of Covid last year, they moved their parade and festival to the second weekend in September. When I got home from our church Women’s Retreat that same weekend, my daughter told me what took place in Boise. First, she sent a picture of the Fred Meyer float with children on it, then the heartbreaking photo that Fred Meyer not only participated in the parade, they also actually put it on!

This year’s parade title was “The 2023 Fred Meyer Pride Parade.” The parade was at 9:30 Sunday morning, I imagine so Christians would be in church and not protesting this debauchery.

Mad and grieving, I dashed off two emails to Fred Meyer corporate. The only response was an automatic form email confirming they had received my “valued customer” comments. I don’t feel like a valued customer. I feel like a betrayed ex-customer!

#9 Breakup with Walmart, Albertsons, and Wells Fargo—We seldom shop at Walmart, but they were a sponsor of the Boise pride parade as was Wells Fargo where we had already closed my ministry account many years ago when they went liberal woke. I don’t shop at Albertsons, but they also had a float in the parade.

What Does a Breakup Accomplish?

When God told Abraham that He was going to destroy his nephew Lot’s town of Sodom and Gomorrah because of their horrible sin, Abraham asked God if He would spare it if there were 10 righteous men. God said He would. But the night before Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed, two male angels came to Lot’s house and a group of despicable men surrounded the house demanding Lot send those men outside so they could have sex with them. Do you remember that? Sexual perverted sin has been going on since the beginning of time, but never in my lifetime was sin celebrated in the streets until now.

The picture opening this blog is not when Obama lit up the White House for the legalization of gay marriage. No, it’s the Boise Capitol during the September Fred Meyer pride event on Friday night September 8th and Saturday September 9th. Since it was illegal to have the lights on government property, they solicited donner money to set up lights across the street and shine them on our beautiful Capitol. That should’ve been illegal too!

My blood pressure is rising and tears flowing just writing about this. We must have more than 10 righteous people in Boise because God has allowed us to remain a red conservative state, but how long Lord will You wait for those righteous people to take a stand against this evil? People used to try to hide their sin, but the current culture wants to flaunt their sin and force people to accept and embrace it. Indoctrinate our children.

Gay marriage was only the beginning and would never be enough. When Satan gets a foothold, he never stops.

Why do you boast about your crimes, great warrior? Don’t you realize God’s justice continues forever? All day long you plot destruction. Your tongue cuts like a sharp razor; you’re an expert at telling lies. 3 You love evil more than good and lies more than truth. Ps. 52:1-3 NLT

I want you all to remember what the Bible says in Romans 1:24-28 NLT

24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.

You may think I’m being too extreme, but God is watching where we spend our money and what we’re supporting. We can’t tithe on Sunday, proudly give to missionaries, and then throw money at businesses whose values are the opposite of ours because it’s more convenient or we like the products. That goes for our investments too! We must be good stewards of what God gives us. He’s watching. He knows. Do we speak one thing and do another?

As a cohesive likeminded group, we can make a difference. Many of the companies I listed, and others, are either going bankrupt or losing billions of dollars from conservative consumer pushback. When a restaurant in Boise was having drag brunches, I wrote about it and even stood up in church and told the congregation what was happening at this Italian restaurant. That restaurant is now closed.

If you’re thinking these breakups are unloving, 1 Corinthians 13:6 reminds us, “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” When we know the truth, we have no excuse for not living it. God will keep us accountable.

Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Phil. 2:1-2 NLT

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September 18, 2023
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When Brave Choices Regarding Our Children are Hard!

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When I was writing Everyday Brave: Living Courageously as a Woman of Faith, I chose “Brave Choices” as the chapter to feature Jochebed, the mother of Moses. We know how terrible our culture is for children today, but when Moses was born, Pharaoh was demanding the murder of all newborn baby boys. Parents and children have been the object of satanic attack since the beginning of time.

Today, we have our government calling parents domestic terrorists for trying to protect their children from Marxist propaganda and perverted sexual grooming in schools. In some cases, those parents have been falsely labeled, targeted, canceled, and even lost their job, as one California mother experienced. Even still she says, “It’s been tremendously stressful, absolutely devastating to my family … Hopefully people will be inspired to just be courageous and strong and supportive of each other. And it’ll inspire parents to stand up for their children and come together as a community to not let cancel culture happen to anyone else.”

Marxists are running the American Library Association and pornographic books are considered curriculum in schools. Emergency room visits by children and youth with mental and behavioral health emergencies in the United States have been increasing over the last decade with an increased prevalence of depression and suicide.

Parents and grandparents can relate to Jochebed when they send their kids out the door to school not knowing what harm might come to them physically or mentally. Imagine Jochebed’s angst when she was making her legendary brave choice. As she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, her heart twisted in turmoil: the joy of a new mother competing with fear for his life. Egyptian Pharaoh, observing the Israelites were multiplying too fast for his comfort, had commanded the killing of every Levite baby boy upon delivery.

Fortunately for Jochebed and Moses, the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, feared God more than Pharaoh and made the brave choice to defy Pharoah’s death command; “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.” (Ex. 1:16)  Selective infanticide even back then.

How the midwives must have feared for their own lives when the dreaded Pharaoh summoned them and angrily demanded to know why they were letting the baby boys live. Without wavering or hesitancy, they calmly answered that the Hebrew women were much stronger than Egyptian women were and they delivered before the midwives arrived. These two women risked their own lives to save lives. Discovery of their secret would surely result in punishment or even death. Instead, God blessed their courage and grit, “So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous.” (Ex. 1:2)

God also caused Pharaoh to believe them so the king decided to take matters into his own hands by sending his soldiers to locate and drown newborn Hebrew males in the Nile River. Jochebed trembled with trepidation hearing the wails and screams of new mothers as soldiers ripped infant boys from their arms and mercilessly drowned the crying babies.

Jochebed and her husband Amram cried out to God to spare their precious son and trusted God to answer. For three months, she nursed and tended to her baby, while trying to muffle his cries and coos and cautioning her two older children, Miriam and Aaron, not to tell anyone about their new baby brother.

When she could no longer hide her baby, Jochebed resolutely wove together a basket to keep him safe from the flowing waters, swaddled him in a blanket, nestled him in the basket, and prayed as she tearfully slipped him into the Nile to float downstream, not knowing his ultimate fate. Would God protect her precious baby? Would the soldiers discover him? A mother’s distraught tears—a heart-wrenching choice.

Living Everyday Brave!

In an article titled, “Living Every Day Brave,” Rachel Linden wrote, “Today I am choosing to be every day brave. What does that mean, you may ask? In essence, every day brave means choosing courage in the face of challenge. Believing that on the other side of fear is something better. It means embracing bravery as a mantra, a habit, a way of life, and embracing it every single day.”

Some choices are easy, but others not so much. While vacillating between options, we’re often weighing the effect of our choice on ourselves or someone else. Sometimes, we have to dig deep to find the courage to make a hard choice . . . a brave choice we may not want to make, especially when it comes to our children.

In Putting the Basket in the Water: Trusting God in the Next Phase of Your Child’s Life, children’s teacher and author Ashlei Woods wrote:

“There comes a time – many times, actually – in the lives of our children where we have to put the basket in the water. We have to let go and trust the plan of the Father. The world is a scary place – a place where we fear our children could drown. But we must remember that we have to let go so that God can draw them from the waters for His great purpose. He has called us to be their parents, but they were His first.

My friend, whatever water you may be getting ready to put your basket into – remember that you have to put them in the water for God to draw them out and place them into His perfect plan. Though you might not be physically present with your child as much during the next phase of life, you can always petition the heart of the Father on their behalf.”

Susan Reinhardt commented on Facebook about Ashlei’s quote above, “I need this message again and again, reminder after reminder. The “water” grows much more tumultuous every day and can be terrifying, especially since I now have grandchildren to pray for as the world’s agenda is to own their souls. Praying, praying, praying!”

Susan has the answer for all of us with children or grandchildren heading off to school this year as the schoolroom turns into a political and spiritual battleground. As I was writing this blog, I came across an Op-ed by Jeannie Cunnion, “I’m a mom who left it all on the field raising my sons and I can’t stop smiling and crying.” The subtitle is “God was our coach and our leader, but now it’s time for my son to move on to college.” As the Lord led me to read this article about a mom sending her firstborn off to college, putting the basket in the water if you will, Cunnion shared why like Moses’ mother she could let the basket go with confidence. Here’s what she said:

“I know this: What I get right and what I get wrong does not determine who my child becomes. Yes, I play a vital role in his life. My words and actions matter greatly. But God’s sovereignty over my son’s life supersedes my significance in his life. What I’ve done is significant. But what God can do is supreme. And His wild grace covers us both!  

But more than anything, God was our coach. He’s our leader and He held us together. And for all the things I got wrong, this is one thing I got right – I left it all on the field and I entrusted the outcome of our effort to God. I trusted God with the son He entrusted to me. God knows what my son needs in this next season. He loves my son in ways I can’t comprehend.  He has a plan for my son that is better and bigger than what I often felt pressure to orchestrate for him.” 

Our Children and Grandchildren Need to be Prepared to Make Brave Choices

God lets us all make our own choices, yes even our children and grandchildren. They have free will, but we as parents and grandparents can make the decision to ask God that they would follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance. S. Hawkins writes in his devotional The Believer’s Code, “An amazing aspect of God’s love for us is the fact that He gives us choices. We are not His puppets . . . . He loves you so much that He allows you to make choices in life. While most of the choices are small, some have the potential to be life-altering.” It’s those life-altering choices that keep us on our knees for our children and grandchildren.

They are His creation, made in His image, but he will not force then to remember that or to make choices according to His will or His commandments. That’s the hardest part in letting go. Some choices could change the trajectory of their life and that’s what scares us, but Janet Denison wrote in an article in Christian Parenting, Push the Basket from the Shore, the following wise advice for every parent and grandparent: “Put the basket in the water—then push!”

“Congratulations to all of you who had to put your babies in a basket for the first time and especially for that last time. Pray that they will row in God’s directions instead of anyone else’s—even yours. Pray that they will serve God and become who he has called them to be. Look forward to watching them achieve their [Jeremiah] 29:11 life.”

“How did Moses’ mom ever place her baby in that basket and shove it in the direction of Pharaoh’s house? It was impossibly difficult, but she wanted her boy to live. 

You will bless your kids if you follow her example. And, chances are, they will bless you in return. The baby Moses grew to become the man God used to save the children of Israel from slavery.  Weave the baskets, put them in the water, and equip them for their journey. Then give them your blessing as they shove off from the shore. It’s not easy, but it’s the right thing—actually, the ‘God-thing—to do.” 

I would add though that we as parents and grandparents must continue the battle to bring God back into our schools and actively do our part in preventing Satan from using public schools to indoctrinate our children. I read a great meme “It’s not about who is right and who is wrong. It’s about what is right!” We should all be fighting for God’s definition of right to prevail against opposition from those who are trying to turn our culture into Sodom and Gomorrah. It didn’t turn out well then and it won’t now either.

Please leave a comment here. I appreciate your thoughts and always reply.

*Portions of this blog were excerpts from Everyday Brave: Living Courageously as a Woman of Faith.

Who Me Everyday Brave?

August 21, 2023
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Loving God and America is “Dangerous” in 2023!

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People come and go over the generations, but demons remain the same from the days of Noah, Elijah, Ahab, Jezebel, and Jesus until today.

Satan is real and his army of demons are continually at war with God’s people. Jesus dealt with demons that understood His true identity and obeyed His command. He cast out demons from a man with an impure spirit – “My name is Legion; for we are many” – into a herd of pigs that rushed over a steep bank into a lake and drowned (Mark 5:1-13).

Author, Lit. Col. Robert Maginnis (ret.) writes in an opinion article, “Today, Satan’s demonic army is very active. They manifest themselves through various practices such as divination, witchcraft, channeling and wizardry (Deuteronomy 18:10-12). They deceive, attack the human mind with the intent of control, and they leverage power to take captive people, especially the prominent.” The Scripture Maginnis refers to here also says in verse 10, “never sacrifice your son or daughter”!

Hal Lindsey reminds us that, “Like it or not, we live in a war zone. Bombs of deceit, violence, and rage explode all around us. This spiritual war is not hypothetical, and it is not a metaphor. It is a real war with real casualties and real collateral damage. But a spiritual war is not to be fought with guns, fists, or missiles.”

4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

Just like Jesus doesn’t change, neither does Satan. That’s hard to hear and accept, but it’s true. Satan’s goal is the same as it’s always been to tempt, deceive, and destroy God’s created people with sinful and evil practices and choices.

I encourage you to listen to a podcast with Charlie Kirk and Pastor Mark Driscoll. Pastor Driscoll’s recent book New Days, Old Demons: Ancient Paganism Masquerading as Progressive Christianity, describes how the entire apparatus of modern wokeness—transgenderism, child mutilation, abortion, even drag queens—is simply a repeat of themes from the Old Testament starting with Ahab and his evil immoral wife Jezebel, whose evil ways passed down from Genesis to current times.

 There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. 1 Kings 21:25

In the podcast, Driscoll explains that the Bible doesn’t just retell what happened in the past, but forecasts what will always happen in the future. The same political and cultural issues chronicled in 1st and 2nd Kings are the evil issues we see in our culture and politics today. Progressive, woke, soft-woke Christianity / pastors are rooted in the same demonic realm.

If we tolerate evil demonic forces, they will dominate! Jesus told the Church in Thyatira in Revelations 2:20-21, “But I have this complaint against you. You are permitting that woman—that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet—to lead my servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. Rev. 2:20-21

Praise God there are spiritual warriors amongst us today who aren’t afraid of the demonic principalities coming against them because these men and women of faith allow the Holy Spirit to guide and lead them. I want to highlight two mighty warriors for God who understand that Satan and his demons work through men and women blinded by evil who want to replace God with government. These men of valor are saying not on our watch!

I hope you stand with them and me in agreement. Even though we don’t have the platforms of these two courageous Christians, and many others, we can support them in prayer, encouragement, and however the Lord leads you.

Two Modern-Day Spiritual Warriors

The first Christian warrior I’m going to discuss is Sean Feucht because he made national news right here in my home state of Idaho when he brought his Kingdom to the Capitol tour to Boise and received demonic pushback. This isn’t the first time it’s happened to Sean, but it became big news because Idaho is considered a red, conservative, Republican-dominated state. Beware: that position isn’t guaranteed nor is it one we can rely upon complacently as evidenced to what happened to Feucht here in my beloved Idaho where Sean was called “dangerous” by the local newspaper, The Statesmen, for daring to bring God and worship to the steps of the Capitol.

You can read the entire news coverage with details here “Christian singer mocks Idaho newspaper calling worship gathering ‘dangerous.’ ‘Good news is that God wins’. But a synopsis is that ahead of his scheduled stop in Boise, the Idaho Statesman’s editorial board wrote an opinion article attacking Feucht and his allies as “dangerous activists” and “charlatans” “who want to inject their brand of Christianity into government.” The Idaho Statesman’s article spewed the following hate propaganda . . .

“Feucht and his group are playing on the same, tired, worn-out, BS, far-right ‘fears’ that evildoers on the Left are coming for your children, through the schools, through the libraries, at Pride festivals and drag shows,” the opinion piece read. While conceding that his “hate speech” was protected under the First Amendment, the editorial board warned it was still “dangerous.” “The danger comes when these groups impose their religious views on others and inject church into the state through the power of government, as we’ve already seen in Idaho through the most restrictive abortion ban in the country, attempts to put a bounty on libraries and bans on gender-affirming care for transgender youth. No one is telling these groups to abandon their religious beliefs. We’re just telling them to keep their religion in their church and out of our government.”

The Statesman doesn’t think using the power of government to kill innocent babies in the womb, sexually mutilate and castrate children, and allow the teaching of perverse sex in schools is “dangerous,” only biblical principles are “dangerous.”

If you read the full hit job in the Statesman titled “Keep Your religions out of our government. Dangerous activists coming to Idaho Capitol,” you’ll see that a group of “faith leaders” in the Northwest (Feucht went to Olympia WA and Salem OR Capitols before coming to Boise) sent a letter to legislative leaders to denounce “the appearance of these faith peddlers, whose views are full of hate.” Here’s an excerpt from these so-called “faith leaders” who must’ve all gone woke to protest Christian worship at Capitols and reject biblical principles!

Here’s an excerpt from the letter: “As faith leaders in the cities of Salem, Olympia and Boise, we are writing to inform you of an anti-LGBTQ+ speaker coming to each of our state capital cities this week and ask you to speak out against anti-LGBTQ+ bigotry,” the faith leaders wrote in a letter to state legislative leaders. The letter from the ‘faith leaders’ continued: “Sean Feucht has spent the past year capitalizing on anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments by railing against Pride Month, even embracing the exclusionary label of ‘Christian nationalist,’ and declaring that people with his narrow view of Christian theology should make all laws in the United States. “We reject these attempts to cloak bigotry in religious language, and we ask you to do the same.”

Sean Feucht’s response:

“It’s all part of the King coming back,” Feucht said at an event in Tulsa, Oklahoma. “That’s what we’re practicing for. That’s why hell hates that we’re worshiping at every Capitol across America. That’s why we get called, ‘Well, you’re Christian nationalists.’”

Feucht understands why his Christian beliefs cause friction. “When you’re doing something BIG for the kingdom of God, the opposition is LITERALLY Satan. The good news is that GOD WINS,” he wrote on Twitter, after Satanist counter-protesters showed up to the Boise event.

“I don’t begrudge the Statesman for what they wrote—they are well within their Constitutional right. We both exercised our rights under the same amendment. What they wrote is not so much a critique of the Let Us Worship Movement as it was a shameless plug for the LGBTQ agenda. To stand on the Bible is dangerous in the year 2023, especially when that truth conflicts with the LGTBQ agenda,” he wrote.

He also tweeted: More than 12,000 “dangerous” God-fearing, America loving worshippers flooded the capitols in Washington, Oregon & Idaho! Thank every one of you for TAKING A STAND for Jesus in your state!

In another satirical tweet mocking the media article and protesters, Sean wrote: “Beware! Kids singing with flags! Hurry up and ban flag waving DANGEROUS Christian kids from the capitol before someone gets hurt!”

On a Facebook post he wrote: “’He who sits in the heavens laughs.’ Sometimes you gotta just laugh at the enemies pathetic attempts to stop the spread of an unstoppable kingdom. He’s weak. He’s lost. He’s got no new tricks. PRO TIP FOR 2023: Laugh your way through victorious living.”

Sean mocked those trying to mock God! He uses humor to combat their vicious attacks and he always prays that some of the Satanists, abortion-rights protesters, LGBQT mafia, and media find salvation at his worship events. He’s reported that many have come to accept the Jesus they initially came to denounce. Still, he concedes, “To stand on the Bible is dangerous in the year 2023.”

As protestors and satanists yelled profanities the entire two hours the Boise Capitol allowed the worship event, Sean’s team passed out individual communion packets. The entire worshipping crowd took communion together with Sean on his knees in front of the Capitol declaring the blood of Jesus over the building and the city. The worshippers did a joy dance around the Boise Capitol and Sean rang the Freedom Bell he said was the first one he’d seen accessible at a Capitol. Then he sang a song about freedom. “I can hear those Liberty Bells rattling rattling the gates of hell. I can hear those Liberty Bells ringing ringing. It’s the sound of freedom. The gates of hell will not prevail!”

The only way to fight satanic demonic spirits is with the Spirit of the Lord, which Sean and many of us “dangerous Christians” fully understand. For more information about Sean’s Let Us Worship Ministry go to his website and learn when he’s coming to your Capitol or city.

The second Christian activist I want to highlight is actor/author Kirk Cameron who has several faith-based children’s books published by Brave Books. Cameron has been trying to host faith-based story readings for children at libraries to counter drag queen story readings and receiving pushback initially having 50 libraries prevent him from coming. He sent them all letters asking them to reconsider and many did, but he’s also had to contend with drag queens, Satanists, and trans people showing up to harass him and the audience of parents and children.

 In spite of the attacks, Cameron pushed forward and declared August 5 to be a See You at The Library national event with over 300 libraries across the country booked by everyday patriotic people to read books to children that cherish family, faith, and patriotism. Kirk says he’s “passing the baton to the people.”

But two days before Kirk and Riley Gaines were to read books to children and families on August 5th in another so-called red state at the Huntsville Alabama Library coordinated by Moms for Liberty, the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library System said it would no longer accommodate the book-reading event “due to concerns about logistics and security” as popularity for the event grew.

Cameron and Brave Books used law firm First Liberty Institute to send a letter saying it was “prepared to vindicate this violation of our client’s civil rights in court,” as a discrimination against religious groups. The library reversed course and allowed the book reading limited to 225 attendees and the police restrained 100 protestors outside.

“We must stand our ground and fight for our public institutions,” Brave Books CEO Trent Talbot said. “The foe we fail to meet at the gate in our own generation is the foe we let into the city for the next.”

Cameron said, “I believe this reconciliation between us and the Madison Public Library is a testimony to the strength and power of moms and dads gathering in prayer for the blessing of their community. Both sides rose to a higher ethic than we often see in today’s polarized society.” He also said, “By seeking the common good and love for our neighbor, we found a solution … See you at the library!”

Gaines said, “We’ve seen this before. The library has come up with an excuse to prevent us from sharing wholesome messages to children and their families because they don’t want to be associated with it.” She added, “The people have shown they want to attend this event and to support the mission of Brave Books. Situations like this embolden activists and ANTIFA. She also said, “I’m happy to say the event now a go again, and we will continue forward with full force! It’s times like this where we must stand our ground as conservatives but more importantly as Christians.”

Here’s an alarming fact. Brave Books uncovered a video discussed in an interview with Cameron where the federally funded American Library Association headquartered in Chicago teaches librarians specifically how to stop Kirk Cameron from coming to their library!  The methods included permitting rooms to be booked only by local library cardholders as well as offering “alternative,” diverse programming on Saturday at the same time as the “See You at the Library” events. An ALA executive, in a live-streamed presentation suggested that members hold a “library-sponsored Pride festival the same day and fill the library with rainbows” to share messages of “inclusion and diversity.”

Yet the ALA has no problem with drag men reading to and sexually gyrating in front of children in their libraries. That’s demonic!

Be Dangerous for Jesus!

It’s true that the Bible, Christians, and Christianity are dangerous to Satan, demons, and all forms of evil! That’s why the Lord tells us “12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Eph. 6:12

Just like God created earth with a physical and spiritual realm, He created humans with an earthly body, soul, and spirit. We take great care of our physical bodies but can neglect that we have a choice as to the spirit that resides inside us. Either the Holy Spirit or a demonic spirit will take residence in our heart. THERE’S NO OTHER CHOICES. NO NEUTRAL.

We see the spiritual forces of evil manifested in our culture, government, laws, schools, libraries, medicine, and people who consider God dangerous. What they’re saying is that to them Satan is safe.

Lord, help the deceived understand that heaven and hell are as real as God and Satan. 

The teaching of your word gives light, so even the simple can understand. Ps. 119:113 NLT

If you haven’t seen my July newsletter, I encourage you to read the opening article 4 Prayers Asking God for a Hedge of Protection. Here’s the link.

I love to read your thoughts. Please leave a comment on the website blog and I’ll reply.

*The opening picture is of Sean Feucht’s worship team and the worshippers in front of the Boise Capitol on July 30, 2023. I hope it wasn’t too big, but I wanted you to get the full effect.

August 7, 2023
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