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Jesus Doesn’t Just Get Us, He Saves Us!

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Like some of you, I watched the Super Bowl. I’ll admit, I know nothing about football, but I do enjoy watching the commercials. Dave forgot about that at first as he had recorded the game and we typically fast forward through all commercials, which we did do with the halftime show. Watching the commercials with an overtime game made for a long program, but the ending was exciting.

What I want to talk about in today’s blog is the two “He Gets Us” commercials during the game. You can read my thoughts on last year’s He Gets Us commercials @ Yes, He Gets Us, But He Doesn’t Want to Leave Us Where He Found Us.

My overall opinion of the 2024 He Gets Us commercials, Who Is My Neighbor? and Washing Feet, were much like last year. They reinforced the secular voices calling Christians who oppose a sinful culture as intolerant and haters. The commercials falsely portrayed Jesus and condemned Bible-believing Christians. That was the inference I got from watching them and I’m sure many others did too.

The two commercials depicted a social justice Jesus who loves everyone. He does love everyone, but He doesn’t love everyone’s sinful actions. Jesus hates sin that destroys the people He loves. He went to the cross to offer redemption, forgiveness, and salvation from our sins. These commercials don’t portray or even imply that gospel truth.

Who is My Neighbor? depicted a variety of people culminating with a final slide: “The one you don’t know, value, or welcome.” Insinuating that these people, or people like them, aren’t visible even to preachers, missionaries, evangelists, outreach ministries, churches . . . . Christians.

As believers, we know the biblical reference is Luke 10:26-37. A nonbeliever probably wouldn’t recognize that reference.

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 “What is written in the Law?” he [Jesus] replied. “How do you read it?”

27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]”

28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Jesus went on to share the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37.

The second He Gets Us commercial had a variety of people having their feet washed by people who looked different than them. The ending slides read, “Jesus Didn’t Teach Hate. He Washed Feet. Jesus Gets All of Us.” If you didn’t see the commercial, here it is. You can make your own determination. But what raised me up off the couch, just like last year, was their implication that if you oppose sins like abortion or homosexuality, you’re a hater. Feeding right into the Marxist, secular, and dare I say, partisan political agenda and propaganda.

Actually, Jesus only washed the feet of his disciples. In Luke 7:36-50 we read the story of a sinful woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears of repentance. “As she stood behind him [Jesus] at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.” (vs. 38)

Washing feet in the Bible isn’t only a symbol of humility and service, but also a powerful metaphor for spiritual cleansing and forgiveness. It symbolizes the spiritual purification and reconciliation offered through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. In 1 John 1:9, we’re told, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

The He Gets Us commercial didn’t portray the significance or true meaning of foot washing. Jesus does love all of us, but He wants us to repent from our sin, turn away from it, and ask for forgiveness. That’s the complete message of the Gospels. “Then Jesus said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’” (vs. 48)

Questioned about the use of foot washing in a CBN interview, Jason Vanderground, president of the marketing firm Haven and co-creator of the He Gets Us campaign, said their goal was to get people to go to the He Gets Us website to ask their questions and learn more about the meaning of the ads. When asked how many people actually responded, he evaded the question and told a story about someone who talked to them in the streets of Las Vegas.

Pastor Inspired to Make ‘He Saves Us’ in Response to ‘He Gets Us’

Interestingly, in Northern Ireland, Pastor Jamie Bambrick was watching the Super Bowl and saw the He Gets Us commercials as a missed opportunity. I totally agree. He graciously said they might be well intentioned, but they “put a Jesus-shaped stamp of approval on the values and actions of our generation common today. Things Jesus considers sin and is strongly against like homosexuality and abortion.”

“I think a lot of Bible-believing Christians viewed [‘He Gets Us’ ads] and went, ‘You know what, this just isn’t a reflection of the Gospel, and it’s not a reflection of our heart toward the lost, either'” Bambrick said.

Pastor Bambrick emphasized that the He Gets Us campaign portrays a false gospel of what the church must do and therefore Jesus would do. The ads imply your sins are not a problem or something needing repentance. You see a message that all God wants the church to do is love, affirm, and accept everyone and their actions, even when sinful. We do love, but we don’t affirm every action and we don’t accept everything as being moral and right.

Christian Post reports that Pastor Bambrick believes the ads were implying that “if the Church calls people to repentance, if the Church calls people to turn from sin, that is preaching hate, which of course it isn’t. . . That is an act of love, it’s an act of grace” he said.

“My experience with most Christians is that we actually love those who are in sin, but we love them enough to want to see them set free from their sin,” he said. “We love them enough that we want to see them delivered and brought to newness of life in Christ; to turn from their sin and be saved from it — both obviously from the eternal consequences of sin, but also in this life, how much better it is to walk with Jesus.”

He went on to ditto my reaction that the perception from the He Gets Us commercials will be that Christians who are calling on the world to turn from their sins are haters preaching and teaching hate. These commercials played right into the playbook of attackers of Christianity who call us the “oppressors” because we’re against killing babies, gender manipulation, mutilating children, and same-sex sexual relationships.

The true gospel is not a message of hate; it’s a message of love that Jesus is calling us to share. He loves us enough to lay down His life to cleanse us from our sins while we were sinners. That’s not hate, that’s amazing love. Love says we see you as someone who can be rescued from your sin!

So Pastor Bambrick felt inspired to make a powerful video ‘He Saves Us’ of people with testimonies of life-changing transformations. The slideshow in Bambrick’s video includes Kat Von D, a tattoo artist and TV personality who became a Christian after renouncing witchcraft; Josh Timonen, who became a Christian after helping atheist Richard Dawkins write a book against God; John Bruchalski, an abortionist turned OB/GYN; and Steven Bancarz, who repented of New Age practices.

Other portraits include former jihadist Mohamad Faridi, former KKK member Mike Burden, former drag queen and prostitute Kevin Whitt, former porn star Brittni De La Mora, former gang leader Sebastian Stakset, former drug addict Jeff Durbin, former trans-identifying woman Laura Perry, and former lesbian activist Rosaria Butterfield.

All slides show their former and current life with the same music in the background as in the He Gets Us foot washing ad. Closing captions on He Saves Us are: “Jesus Doesn’t Just Get Us. He Saves Us. He Transforms Us. He Cleanses Us. He Restores Us. He Forgives Us. He Heals Us. He Delivers Us. He Redeems Us. He Loves Us. Such were some of you.”

Pastor Bambrick said he hopes his video shows “the heart of Jesus” and reflects the love Christians have for those who remain enslaved to their sins.

‘He Saves Us’ is one minute, as was the foot washing slideshow. The two He Gets Us ads totaled 75 seconds. 30 seconds of commercial time during Super Bowl costs $7 million, not to mention the cost of making them. What a waste of money and opportunity.

Pastor Bambrick made his video in an hour, posted it on X, and it immediately went viral with millions of views. Praise God! He said the majority of comments were encouraging and positive.

Here is more of his interview Pastor Makes a ‘He Saves Us’ Ad in Response to ‘He Gets Us’ Super Bowl Ad, and It Goes Viral | CBN News. I hope you’ll take a minute to check it out and especially watch He Saves Us and share.

Let’s hope that He Saves Us and even He Gets Us has people talking about Jesus. We can pray that they open doors for people to seek out the true Jesus of the Bible.

Jesus was perfect as a human. Not one of us is perfect. Even though if you look closely in the first frame of the foot washing commercial, the girl on her knees doing the foot washing is wearing a white T-shirt that says “perfect.” A subtle message that believers see themselves as perfect. Not so.

Jesus was and is God. That’s the Deity and saving grace of Jesus that’s missing in the He Gets Us campaign. “The Father and I are one.” John 10:30

He understands us. He loves us. He wants us to live holy lives. He doesn’t want us to live sinful lives. He Saves Us.

15 For we do not have a high priest [Jesus] who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Hebrews 4:15

Library Update

On Valentine’s Day, three of us attended the Garden Valley Library Trustees Board Meeting for the second time where we were successful in having removed from their November minutes the reference to us as “people in favor of censorship.” We continued to request that seven books targeted to children with obscene and pornographic material be removed from the library shelves and the online library catalogue.

I read the Idaho 1972 code on the definition of obscenity and pornography to minors. Another person shared the lack of trust in the library being a safe place for children, and a third person shared the American Library Association that presents books and policies to libraries is now being led by a Marxist Lesbian whose intent is to destroy capitalism, the family and subvert Christianity. The board said they would consider these requests, but we’ll need to continue attending future board meetings.

I’m interested to get your thoughts on this blog. Leave your comments here and I will reply.

February 19, 2024
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Jesus is Our First Love!

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I know I don’t have to remind you that this Wednesday is Valentine’s Day! A day we traditionally show that special someone how much they mean to us. It can also be a difficult time for someone who doesn’t have an object of their affection to dote on or to be the recipient of doting…but it doesn’t need to be a sad day for those who know Jesus as their First Love!

My First Prayer Garden

Almost thirty years ago, I realized that even though I was happily married after being single for 17 years, my love for my husband wasn’t to take priority over my First Love, Jesus Christ. The Scriptures are so clear about this. When we were first married, we vowed to each other that we would always put Jesus at the center of our marriage.

We love each other because he [God] loved us first. 1 John 4:19 NLT

I never wanted Jesus to say about us what He said about the church in Ephesus in Revelations 2:5 NLT “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!”

The NIV translation says, “ Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.”

Just as our earthly relationships take time, energy, and nurturing, I knew my spiritual relationship with Jesus required the same attention and devotion or it could become stale and routine. So I decided to approach my devotional time with Jesus each day with the same attitude I would lavish on my earthly love, Dave. I set about finding a special place to spend time with my First Love and I called it my prayer garden.

At that time, we were living in sunny Southern California, so I could have my quiet time outside almost every day. I’ll share with you in a moment how I have this date with Jesus now in our home in Idaho.

Thinking of Jesus as the lover of my soul and the One I love above all others, gave me the idea of creating a romantic atmosphere for my daily “Quiet Time” with Jesus. It needed all the touches of a special date. First, it must be quiet and free of interruptions, so that meant outside. Since my backyard was all cement, I arranged colorful potted plants in a shaded alcove of the patio and hung a hummingbird feeder. Our house overlooked a small lake, so I had a beautiful view. I placed a chair for Jesus and a chair for me with a small table in the center for a romantic fragrant candle. I later added wind chimes, and my son-in-law made a waterfall. Walla, I had a Prayer Garden.

The importance of having the chair for Jesus was to remind me that even on the days when I was rushed and missed our date . . . Jesus was still out there waiting for me. Every time I looked out at that prayer garden, my heart ached because I had neglected my First Love for whatever was happening in my life that day.

My Date Bag is Always Packed

Then I packed a date bag with my Bible, a journal, devotional, highlighters, pens, Post-it notes, current Bible Study, and oh yes, a lighter for the candle. One trip back into the house for something I forgot could be a major distraction.

First thing every morning, I grabbed my cup of coffee, my date bag, a blanket or sweater if it was chilly, and headed out for my date with Jesus in our Prayer Garden. Here is a major key to intimate time with my First Love—I shut the door to ALL interruptions. In those days, we didn’t have cell phones, so I let the answering machine take care of any phone calls and the family knew when I was having my Jesus date, the Do Not Disturb sign was out.

Now I was ready to read God’s love letter to me in my Bible, pray, journal, and work on a current Bible study. Most importantly, I could take time to hear God’s still small voice saying how much He loved me and telling me the plans He had for me.

When our date was finished, I repacked my date bag and put it back in the same spot every time by the patio door so it was ready for tomorrow’s big date. If the weather wasn’t good, Jesus and I curled up together on the couch and I played soft instrumental worship music in the background.

Idaho Dates with Jesus

When we were looking for a new home in Idaho, two things on my priority list were a writing room with an “ah ha” view and a place to have my special Quite Times with my First Love. As we toured homes, I was always looking for both, along with a kitchen with a scenic view, I could see the fireplace, and easily chat with visiting friends and family. In other words, don’t wall me in while I’m cooking!

Praise God we found the perfect home for us. Now that we live in Idaho with its four seasons, my Quiet Time locations change with the season. When the weather is nice, I’m out in the deck swing, and when it’s snowing or cold, I have a Quiet Time chair next to the fireplace with a beautiful forest view from our many windows. I still have my Quiet Time bag packed and ready to go depending on where I’m having my date with Jesus. It’s my most favorite part of the day!

At the end of our date, I sit back close my eyes and linger in conversational prayer being sure to let my First Love talk to me. He always whispers words of love and endearment as He reveals His plans, visions, and goals for us. Often, there are answers to prayers and previous questions. Many times, we just share a sweet silence.

“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” Ps. 46:10 NLT

Like any wonderful date, I hate for it to end, but I know my First Love will be waiting eagerly for our special meeting tomorrow.

To keep romance exciting, it’s good to vary the activities on dates, so I constantly add freshness to my Quiet Time with variety. Each Christmas, I pick out a new devotional for the coming year. Sometimes, I select one with an area for journaling love letters to the Lord. I start my Quiet Time date by praying the armor of God from Ephesians 6:10-18 and would never think of going into my day without this spiritual protection. I alternate working on my small group Bible studies or one I am doing for fun. Some years, I read completely through the Bible, and other times, I leisurely enjoy the Scriptures.

 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matt. 22:36-39

How about you? Tell me about your dates with Jesus.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Here is a poem I wrote about my California Prayer Garden. Enjoy!

OUR PRAYER GARDEN

You wanted to meet me early in the morning

            In a place that was special to just you and me.

My heart was willing, and I had such a yearning

            To talk and be in your presence daily.

I began to arise just after the sun came up,

            And  searched for a place where we could meet.

It had to be quiet where no one would interrupt,

            For the time that we shared would be so sweet.

I moved from room to room,

            As I tried to find the aura,

For you and me to just commune

            Every day at the same hour.

As we began to spend our time,

            I felt you nudging as I would pray:

“Our get-togethers need fresh air and sunshine.

            Let’s be amongst the beauty of the day.”

Of course, it was there all along.

            The table, the patio, the view—

I had all the makings for a Prayer Garden,

            But flowers were sadly very few.

A “green thumb” I have never been,

            But I knew this was the spot for us.

And it would not be a Prayer Garden,

            Without the ferns, oleanders and hibiscus.

A shopping trip to the nursery was fun,

            Even though I didn’t know what to buy.

Some flowers wanted shade and others liked sun,

            So I just bought what caught my eye.

Soon my garden was worthy of comment.

            The flower beds were colorful and in full blossom,

 And the array of potted plants carpeted the cement.

            The transformation was truly awesome.

One final touch called out to me,

            Wind chimes to catch Your breath in the breeze.

A hummingbird feeder for quiet company,

            In the place where we will meet when ‘er You please.

Jesus, I know now why you sought a garden

            When you went to pray alone that night.

Amongst Your creation God’s presence is sovereign,              

            You just know God’s plans will turn out right.  Janet Thompson 7/17/96

Please leave a comment here to this blog. I always reply and enjoy reading your thoughts.

 I apologize that the link to reply to last week’s blog wasn’t working, but it is now if you would like to leave a comment or haven’t read it yet Respect Your Weapons of Fasting and Prayer!

One more thing. Thinking about those who might be alone on Valentine’s Day, many people in our churches can feel marginalized. I wrote an article for Crosswalk.com that I hope you’ll share with the pastors and ministry leaders in your church. It’s a slideshow if you read it on a computer. 13 Ways to Recognize the Overlooked People in Your Church.

February 12, 2024
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Respect Your Weapons of Fasting and Prayer!

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I hope you didn’t look at the title and discount this blog because you saw fasting. Hang in with me. I’ll explain why I chose this topic after battling with it myself for over a month.

Each week, I wait on the Lord to reveal a topic to write on and He never lets me down. Sometimes it’s at the last minute. Other times, I look for more confirmation, especially if it’s a hard one to tackle and maybe not one I’m eager to apply myself!

Dave and I watch Flashpoint on Victory News Channel. Pastor Gene Bailey, who hosts the program, has been encouraging the “Flashpoint Army” of viewers to join a Corporate Fast for our nation from February 5th through the 25th. I felt a tugging in my heart every time I heard him talk about it. I struggled with the Lord. With my health could I actually fast?

Then last Wednesday morning, January 31st, I opened my email and saw CBN was covering live the 2024 National Prayer Breakfast in DC, so I decided to watch. The keynote speaker was Senate Chaplain Barry Black. He started by saying he wasn’t a speaker, he was a pastor, and so his message that morning would be from the Bible. His topic was fasting!

Now, I knew God was trying to get my attention! He wanted me to share about fasting with all of you, who like me, have been praying for a spiritual revival and reformation in our churches, nation, and government. Or maybe you need a spiritual breakthrough in your life. I’ve shared in previous blogs about my ongoing battle with our local library to remove inappropriate obscene books harmful to children. I’d prayed continuously (1 Thess. 5:17), but I hadn’t fasted.

I told my husband the Lord wanted me to not only write about fasting, but also join the 3-week Flashpoint Corporate Fast. His initial response, “You might lose more weight!” Now to some that might seem like a good thing. In my case, I need to maintain my weight so Dave had a legitimate concern.

Some of you might have health issues that don’t allow fasting food for extended periods, but you could fast a meal, do a liquid fast, or fast a favorite food or activity. Chaplain Black said many at the Capitol join him in the Wesley Fast and Prayer on Wednesdays when they fast until 3 pm. John Wesley originally advocated fasting on both Wednesday and Friday as a weekly spiritual discipline and wouldn’t ordain anyone into the Methodist ministry unwilling to fast both days.  But later, he only fasted once a week starting at sundown Thursday and ending at 3 pm on Friday. That seems doable.

There’s nothing magical about those days. If another day of the week works best for you then pick that if you want to only do a one-day weekly fast. Be flexible. Listen to the Holy Spirit so you don’t focus more on the fast than the reason for it—to draw closer to God and hear the Holy Spirit more clearly.

Fasting doesn’t always have to be food. Maybe it’s something that has a grip on you like screen time, television, news media, social media, junk food, or even caffeine and fasting it would be a significant sacrifice.

Why Fast?

Intermittent fasting is a popular diet regime, but spiritual fasting isn’t about weight loss, it’s about spiritual gain. Food has power. Food motivates. Food addicts. Food controls. We’re often willing to spend more time and money on our food purchases and preparation then we spend on our time with the Lord. Esau traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a bowl of stew!

Fasting helps us crave spiritual food from God more than physical food from the refrigerator or pantry. Fasting intensifies the powers of our prayers. Fasting is more dependent on faith than any other spiritual discipline. When we fast, we believe that God’s going to show up. We hunger and thirst for righteousness and knowledge more than food and drink.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matt. 5:6

Many describe fasting as a lifting of the fog of fear, doubt, uncertainty, and worry revealing clarity of vision on what God wants us to learn from His Word and the Holy Spirit.

Fasting is often portrayed as hard and painful. It is a form of self-denial, but the purpose of spiritual fasting is to focus on God instead of what you’re fasting. Every time you go for the remote or to check social media or grab that snack or cup of coffee, instead you stop and pray for God to have more sovereignty over your time, mind, and body than food or the outside world.

Your desire becomes more for God than the object of your fast. Many testify that fasting and prayer, not one or the other, is the most powerful effective spiritual road to revival. We know we need revival in our country and in our government, but maybe it’s revival in your home or in your life.

Examples of Fasting and Prayer in the Old Testament When Seeking God’s Intervention for Their Nation

Moses: This happened when I was on the mountain receiving the tablets of stone inscribed with the words of the covenant that the Lord had made with you. I was there for forty days and forty nights, and all that time I ate no food and drank no water. 10 The Lord gave me the two tablets on which God had written with his own finger all the words he had spoken to you from the heart of the fire when you were assembled at the mountain. Deut. 9:9-10 NLT

Nehemiah: When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven. (Neh. 1:4 NLT) On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads. 2 Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors. 3 They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God. Neh. 9:1-3

Esther:  “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.” Esther 4:16 NLT

Daniel: So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting. I also wore rough burlap and sprinkled myself with ashes. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: “O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands. Dan. 9:3-4 NLT

In the third year of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia, Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar) had another vision. He understood that the vision concerned events certain to happen in the future—times of war and great hardship. When this vision came to me, I, Daniel, had been in mourning for three whole weeks. 3 All that time I had eaten no rich food. No meat or wine crossed my lips, and I used no fragrant lotions until those three weeks had passed. Dan. 10:1-3 NLT

Jonah:  The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow. Jonah 3:5 NLT

Examples of Fasting and Prayer in the New Testament.

Many have falsely claimed that fasting was only a spiritual discipline for the Old Testament, but the Bible contradicts such a fallacy. I don’t know why we don’t hear more sermons on fasting.

Jesus: For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. Matt 4:2 NLT

Anna There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child [Jesus] to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:36-38

Paul: He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink. Acts 9:9 NLT

Church Elders: One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” 3 So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way. Acts 13:2-3 NLT

Paul and Barnabas: Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. Acts 14:23

 The disciples fasted after Jesus ascended into heaven, as should we as His disciples: One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, “Why don’t your disciples fast like we do and the Pharisees do?” 15 Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. Matt. 9:13-15 NLT

Examples of the Thompsons Fasting

  1. Our first year of marriage blending a family was horrific. Without keeping Jesus at the center of our marriage, we would’ve never made it. On Mondays, we did a liquid fast and prayed for our family and protection from the enemy. We were both working and would call each other during the day for encouragement. Those Monday liquid fasts drew us closer to the Lord and to each other and helped us not just endure, but experience victory!
  2. When my daughter Kim and her then fiancé Toby accepted Christ in a premarital course we gave them as an engagement gift, we prayed and fasted for them to want to be baptized. Dave fasted tortilla chips, a daily bread of life for him to this day. I was addicted to Diet Coke, so that’s what I fasted. Soon Kim and Toby both started asking about baptism and Dave and I helped baptize them two weeks before their wedding. Dave went back to eating tortilla chips; I never drank another Diet Coke. The Lord removed the desire.
  3. Two of our daughters and their husbands experienced infertility. Dave and I both fasted all sweets and desserts as we prayed for the Lord to let them become parents. We didn’t tell anyone what we were doing, as we never did, according to Matt. 6:16, 18 NLT And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get . . . Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. But after not even eating birthday cake on our own birthdays, the family started noticing. After many months, Shannon became pregnant and had a baby boy, but Kim still wasn’t a mommy, so we kept on fasting and praying. Seven months later, Kim and Toby adopted our grandson Brandon, and the night they picked him up she called and told us to go out and have a hot fudge sundae!

“When praises go up blessings come down.” 2 Chron. 20:5-6

The Thompsons 2024 Fast

Dave and I are uniting with the Flashpoint Corporate Prayer and Fast to take a stand for biblical changes in our nation, culture, and world. Following is Flashpoint’s prayer list. The last four items I added, and this is not an exhaustive list for us.

  • Prevention of anti-God government decisions
  • Closure of the wide-open Southern border
  • The large number of supporters, especially in colleges, of the horrific Oct. 7 attack on Israel
  • What our children are being exposed to in schools and libraries
  • The unabashed censorship and attacks on Christians and biblical ideals
  • End abortion entirely
  • Remove men from women’s sports
  • Stop the gender confusion and mutilation of our children and end transgenderism
  • Removal of obscene and pornographic books from our local library

Together, from Feb. 5-25, we will set our faces toward God in order to bring about breakthrough. Why three weeks? Due to stubborn national and global strongholds, an extended time of fasting is necessary. They say it takes 21 days to change your life, to change your story. It takes 21 days of repetitive confession to change an inner narrative. We’re hoping to change our country. Also, Daniel fasted for 3 weeks.

What Flashpoint and We Are Believing for, Nationally and Globally, in this Fast:

  • An awakening to God in the Body of Christ
  • An awakening to God in Israel
  • An awakening to God in America and the nations
  • Fair 2024 elections
  • Ministry breakthroughs
  • Personal breakthroughs
  • Preparing for all that is coming

Pray and seek God for what He might be asking you to lay aside during a fast. Take that time to allow the noise to be silenced so His voice can be heard more clearly. Allow God to pinpoint the things He’s asking you to surrender.

The battle is not ours; it belongs to God. But we’re in the Lord’s army and fasting and prayer are weapons He’s given us to use towards victory. Fasting isn’t a way to get a better response to prayer. True fasting is a means of fostering a humble, repentant approach to prayer.

“He can turn our crisis into conquest. Release the power of your praise before the victory is won.” Chaplain Barry Black

Other Resources

PS Sorry this was long, but I always like to post the text of the Scriptures I’m referencing.

I’m so interested to read your comments on this article. Please leave a comment here.

February 5, 2024
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A Child Is Not a Problem to be Solved, But a Person to be Loved!

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There once was a young boy whose mother had seven husbands. In a one-night-stand between husbands, she got pregnant. She chose to have her baby and a future husband chose to adopt her son and give him his last name. Do you know who that was? If you saw the movie Jesus Revolution, it was Pastor Greg Laurie!

In last week’s blog, No More Recreational Christianity, I talked about Pastor Jack Hibbs’ testimony of being a survivor of his mother’s botched attempt at aborting him with a coat hanger.

Steve Jobs, Apple founder, was adopted shortly after birth. Jobs’ biological parents weren’t married. He said, “I wanted to meet my biological mother mostly to see if she was OK and to thank her, because I’m glad I didn’t end up as an abortion.”

Some of you know the testimony my daughter and I share in my book Dear God, Why Can’t I Have a Baby?  It’s the story of my amazing grandson Brandon’s 15-year-old birth mother choosing to give him life so that my daughter and her husband could adopt him at two-weeks, and we could become his forever loving family. This teenage girl actually hid her pregnancy until the 7th month so she could keep her baby even though he was her second child! Somehow at her young age, she understood the value of life and didn’t impose her poor sexual choices on denying life to the children she conceived.

Many of you might have similar stories in your family. Our testimonies are powerful, and God can use each one to encourage mothers to choose life for their babies.

If you’ve had an abortion, you can ask Jesus for forgiveness and seek Christian counseling to help you with any regrets. You’re also a perfect person to encourage other women to avoid making the same choice. God can use all our experiences for His glory if we let Him.

March for Life 2024!

January is Sanctity of Life month. The 51st March for Life at the National Mall in Washington DC was on January 19 this year and the snow and cold temperatures didn’t deter thousands from marching for life. I’m not sure how they originally determined January to be the month to honor human life, but maybe it was to start the New Year with everyone remembering how important the gift of life is from God our Creator. A perfect segue from Christmas.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us.” Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! (Genesis 1:1, 26, 31 NLT).

Why then are so many choosing to destroy this amazing gift of life and how has it become so political? Sadly, many things have become political rather than moral. For example, two moral bills supporting pregnancy centers and pregnant college students passed on January 18 by a Republican majority Congress, while every Democrat present voted immorally against them.

How could anyone with a conscience or heart vote against helping pregnant women and innocent babies? But Democrats vote in unison against the sanctity of life consistently. Could it be because one of their largest donors is Planned Parenthood, the biggest industry dedicated to murdering babies?!

The Pregnant Students’ Rights Act passed by Congress ensures that universities and colleges must provide information to pregnant students about rights, accommodations, and resources available. Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (R-IA), who authored the bill, said, “It’s unacceptable that pregnant women on college campuses are often pressured to have an abortion. My bill ensures young women are empowered to choose life and create the best future for themselves and their child.”

“Pregnant college students should never feel like abortion is their only option,” said Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL). “The Republican-led House took a huge step in empowering women to choose life by passing this legislation. I encourage my Senate colleagues to follow suit and work to ensure young women are aware of all the resources available to them and their babies while pursuing their education.”

“This vote should have been an easy one for every politician who claims to care about women’s rights, and those in the Democratic Party who voted to keep women in the dark about their legal rights should be ashamed,” said Students for Life Action (SFLAction) President Kristan Hawkins. “Still, this is a great day for the Pro-Life Generation as years of campus advocacy has led to this historic moment – the first SFLAction-inspired federal bill passing the House,” she added.

The Parenting Women and Families Act prohibits the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing a Biden Administration proposed change in regulations that would essentially cut funding for pregnancy centers.

“We applaud House pro-life leaders for their work in ensuring resources and funding are made available for women, children, and families in need,” stated Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “In a post-Roe America, it is vitally important that resources are made available to support mothers and their babies both before and after birth.”  

Tobias continued, “In longstanding narrow-mindedness, every Democrat present voted wrong and failed to support these reasonable measures because the bills do not promote abortion. Once again, leaders in the Democratic Party have shown their allegiance to the abortion industry and its extremism.”

I wanted to watch the National March for Life on TV, but the only channel Dave found it on was a Catholic channel. CBN carried it too, but he found the Catholic channel first and as I listened to their discussion after the march, it was so encouraging to hear the commentators and guests, even young children and college students, talk about what they’re doing on their school campuses to promote life for every baby.

Biden who professes to be a “good Catholic,” is the most pro-death President in my lifetime. So why would a Catholic President fight against every attempt to protect the unborn, even trying to pass bills that remove the tax status and funding from Pregnancy Care Centers? Pro-Abortion Biden has weaponized the legislature to try to codify abortion up to birth. Barbarianism. What Catholic or Christian even thinks of such an atrocity? Only someone who has sold their soul to the devil for power and money. The abortion industry, aka killing babies, is lucrative to everyone involved.

Herod in Matthew 2:13-18 had all the boys two-years-old or younger slaughtered trying to kill the newborn king he had heard was born. Baby Jesus’ life was spared.

Pharaoh thought the Egyptians were multiplying too fast and he might lose power, so he had all the baby boys murdered at birth. When that wasn’t working, he had the babies drowned in the Nile, but baby Moses survived that genocide attempt and was adopted.  

Also, in the Old Testament pagan child sacrifices were made to Molek.  “‘Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molek, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.” Lev. 18:21

We falsely think we’re such a civilized culture today that we would never let something like the above scenarios happen. Yet millions of baby sacrifices have occurred in their mother’s womb as the babies are horrifically poisoned, chemically burned, crushed, suctioned, injected, or impaled, and often pulled out piece by piece. Even with the end of Roe v Wade, some states like New Jersey allow the infanticide sacrifice of babies through all nine months. Barbarism in the 21st century.

The next major battle is the abortion pill as the Supreme Court reviews a case involving access to mifepristone, which the FDA has approved. Justices are set to review a ruling by a federal appeals court to allow distribution of this abortion pill indiscriminately by mail, essentially performing home abortions. Many say the abortion pill is four times more dangerous than surgical abortion and girls and women end up in emergency rooms. The drug blocks nutrients and starves the baby to death.

Our secular culture and ruling government continue to spread the lie that babies are expendable if they’re inconvenient or unwanted. Kamala Harris is visiting school campuses touting the lie that abortion is a woman’s Constitutional right. She shows her ignorance of the Constitution.

After telling his own abortion-sparing life story when his unmarried parents chose to give him life for which he thanked them, House Speaker Mike Johnson pointed out in his March for Life speech that the Constitution and Bill of Rights says, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Johnson continued, “All men are created equal, not born equal.” Equality originates in the womb, not at birth. Then he affirmed, “Our rights come from God, not the government. Your value is given to you by your Creator.”

Christians Must Change a Culture of Murder to a Culture of Life

One of the March for Life speakers said, “Abortion is like hiring a hitman. It’s murder of a human life. There’s no other way to consider it.”

Speaker Johnson reminded us of others before us, like President Lincoln and Susan B Anthony, who changed public opinion and encouraged us that we can do the same.

Abortion is the only weapon the Democrats have in the 2024 election because they don’t have any accomplishments to brag about since they’ve done nothing in the past three years except try to turn our free country into a Marxist dictatorship.

Pro-lifers, conservatives, Republicans, Christians need to change our approach in discussing abortion because what we’re doing right now isn’t reaching the majority of people, especially women. We’re characterized as not caring about women’s “rights.” I think the March for Life has realized that as their theme this year is “With Every Woman, for Every Child.”

Pastor Greg Laurie shared his testimony and gave the closing prayer at the March for Life before the marchers took off walking. He also wrote an article Why Pro-Life Is the Only Biblical Position. I hope you’ll take a moment to read it now. He speaks with conviction as a Bible-preaching pastor and a life spared for a purpose. He said it took a while to realize his life was planned by God, as is every life, even those who were not given a chance to breathe.

In the article, Pastor Laurie said, “Our culture tries to dehumanize these babies with rewordings and euphemisms. They call murder ‘terminating a pregnancy’ and they label unborn babies as ‘fetuses,’ ’embryos,’ ‘globs of cells,’ ‘uterine contents,’ or ‘products of conception.’ But the reality is that they are innocent children, made in the image of God, and they have every right to live. If you don’t agree with that then, frankly, you disagree with the Bible.”

Sadly, many churches are moving away from the Bible and that never ends well.

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. —Psalm 139:13–16 NLT

I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations. —Jeremiah 1:5 NLT

Pastor Greg points out God says, “I formed you in your mother’s womb.” God doesn’t say, ‘I waited until you were born to have a plan for you, because you were not yet really a human, but only a mass of tissue.’”

God has a plan for every child, even before birth, but He lets us make our own choices. Sadly, many people today are choosing pro-death instead of pro-life. This isn’t helping women who most certainly will be emotionally, mentally, or physically damaged from taking the life of their child. Silently enabling this choice instead of sharing the truth with love and grace is not biblical.

We as a church must never stop encouraging people to choose God because God changes everything in a person’s life. Before that, they’re not going to listen to Scripture because they either don’t believe in God or don’t care what the Bible says. They’re going to live life their own way. That’s really the root cause of abortion and all evil.

Churches Must Get Involved to Save Human Lives

It’s been a long time since I’ve heard a sermon on the sanctity of life. January 21, 2024, Sanctity of Life Sunday, would’ve been a perfect day to give one. But here’s what we can do . . .

  • We can use our vote. Pastor Laurie writes, “To refrain from voting is irresponsible and bad stewardship. Scripture tells us, ‘To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin’ (James 4:17 NKJV). We should vote for the candidates and policies that best reflect the values we find in Scripture, and that includes voting pro-life.”
  • MyFaithVotes.org provides voter guides for how to vote as Christians biblically in upcoming elections.
  • The church was always supposed to be the place where those in need could go to get help and praise God there are Christian operated pregnancy resource centers across the United States that help the mother and child before and after birth for free. We can find one and offer to volunteer or donate.
  • Start pro-life prayer groups at your church.
  • Attend local prayer rallies for life.
  • If you have a testimony, share it.
  • In my book Mentoring for All Seasons, I have chapters on how to mentor young women considering abortion and those who have had abortions.
  • Don’t apologize for being Pro-Life. Remind everyone you’re in a discussion with on this topic that they were given life. Ask if they’re glad their mother chose life? No one has the right to deny another person the same opportunity.

This truly is our generation’s human rights movement. We’re making progress with Roe v Wade being overturned, but the battle isn’t over in the states. The battle won’t end until abortion, the killing of unborn babies, is unthinkable. A civilization is measured by how it treats its most vulnerable.

“Let’s all pray and ask God to send a spiritual awakening to our nation—we really need it.”—Pastor Greg Laurie

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

January 22, 2024
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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.

Please leave a comment here. I reply to all comments.

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

Please leave a comment here. I reply to all comments.

September 18, 2023
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Truth is Love! Not Sharing Truth is Hate!

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Christians know that God and His Word is our ultimate source of truth, victory, justice, and freedom! When we remain close to Him, we operate out of each of those realms, but when we distance ourselves from God, even as Christians, we falter.

Sadly, we’re living in a country with a culture that is determined to distance actions, accountability, laws, behavior, and morals as far away from God’s Truth as possible causing us all to suffer the consequences, even in the church.

To silence Christians, Satan is using the tactic of calling the speaking of truth hate speech and yet sharing the Truth of the Gospel is the most loving thing anyone can do to help someone experience eternal life and not eternal hell.

Sadly, many pastors today are afraid of the truth and so avoid even talking about the downfall of our culture that is being imposed on congregants as well as innocent children. They’ve forgotten that their role is to speak truth to power and protect their congregation from falling into the trap of accepting sinful lifestyles as normal. Speaking the truth is not hate, it’s love and every pastor’s assignment from God.

11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Eph. 4:11-13

I find it interesting and a little disconcerting that some politicians and grassroots activists’ groups are more willing to speak the truth than many pastors.

Kirk Cameron, actor and Christian children’s book author, spoke the truth that what the transgender activists did at the White House is not brave — in contrast to the words of the President, who characterized it as such. “That’s an abomination,” said Cameron, and a “disservice and disrespectful to the brave men and women [who fought] on the beaches of Normandy [June 6, 1944,]” he added, including his own grandfather — who was a Navy corpsman during World War II. “Bravery is a call to courage to do the right thing, not to violate morality and undermine the very foundations of America.”

Following are others who spoke out against the pornographic display of promiscuity and sexual perversion entertained by the President at the White House during a “Pride” event last week where the gay flag was displayed prominently, in breach of the US Flag Code, between two American flags and Biden said that men dressing up as women were the bravest people he’s ever known?! The military, police officers, fire fighters, first responders, and even his own Secret Service aren’t the bravest people he knows. No, in his deceived mind and soul he gives that distinction to depraved men sexually cavorting and flashing on the White House lawn.

 “I’m livid and incensed by this White House, not only for the kids present at this event, but the message this sends to children across the country. Biden’s disregard for commonsense and protocol is deeply troubling. This obscenity is never acceptable, let alone at the White House that belongs to the people.” Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C.

“This is yet another example of the radical left shoving trans propaganda in the face of the American people. In our schools, at the White House, where does it end? The fact that this happened on White House grounds makes Biden look like the real boob.” Conservative radio host and former California gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder

Following is one of my favorite quotes because it states the truth so clearly and lovingly!

“When someone says they’re trans, it usually means something else is badly wrong in their life. Confirming the confusion isn’t compassion, it’s cruelty. Joe Biden is celebrating that cruelty. Let’s abandon the farce that the ‘humane’ thing to do is to affirm their confusion, rather than to actually help. It’s inhumane.” Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, Republican Presidential candidate

After the White House agreed that topless trans activists were “inappropriate and disrespectful” and would not be invited back to the White House, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also asked why anyone would want to have that kind of curriculum “jammed into a second-grader’s classroom?”

Quotes above are from GOP candidates condemn Biden for illicit mishap during White House Pride event: ‘Very revealing’

Here’s What Parents’ Rights Groups are Saying!

“I agree with Gov. DeSantis in his analogy to his parental rights bill,” Sheri Few, president and founder of United States Parents Involved in Education said. “If it is inappropriate for adults, why then is it OK for children? The same can be said for the pornographic and vulgar books in government schools that are being objected to by parents across the country. I believe Pride celebrations, with their lascivious and drunken displays, are a true reflection of the mental health issues that accompany this often promiscuous lifestyle. Attempting to make ‘LGBTQ Pride’ palatable for children is merely another way to indoctrinate children with the Leftist agenda.”

Parents’ Rights In Education Executive Director Suzanne Gallagher said, “Public display of nudity at the national capital, and elsewhere by extreme far left LGBTQAI+ activists is an extension of their larger agenda. It is the goal of the far left to change the culture, by removing all sexual moral stigma. They are doing so by using public schools and mandating K-12 comprehensive – every child, every grade, every subject – sexuality education.”

“The nationwide response we are receiving regarding this trend, promoting and demanding acceptance of all sexual behaviors at any age with anyone, is negative,” Gallagher added. “Most people want higher, not lower, moral standards for themselves and their kids.”

“Parents and allies are tired of seeing and hearing it everywhere, every day,” she added. “Students are done with it in their schools, too. Polls show the net effect is less, rather than more, respect for those demanding it.”

CEO of American Family Association Action, Walker Wildmon said, “Our nation was built on a respect for biblical morality and decency with immoral behavior discouraged and even outlawed in many cases. It is sad that what was once deemed indecent behavior that brought about shame is now being flaunted by the president and other leaders in our government. Our nation must return to a biblical ethic of family where we promote that which is truly good and acceptable.”

Amen!

Quotes above are from Parents’ rights groups slam WH over topless trans activists at Pride event: ‘I agree with Gov. DeSantis’ The White House acknowledged topless transgender activists at the Pride event were ‘inappropriate’

What Are You Hearing in Your Churches?

Did you hear any of the above condemnations of the “Pride” or left agenda from the pulpit on Sunday? I hope so because weak pulpits create weak Christians who allow and maybe even justify elicit behavior from our White House to our classrooms. I’m here to tell you that is NOT what God wants or Jesus would tolerate. That is NOT love!

I know your grief when family or friends are influenced by this, or any, evil agenda. But just because they’re our loved ones doesn’t make their sinful confused choices or skewed definition of truth or love acceptable or any less sinful.

Love doesn’t affirm lies or deprecate truth.

Love doesn’t compromise the truth because sin destroys.  Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 1 Peter 3:15 NLT

Love corrects. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights. Pr. 3:12 NLT

Maybe you’ve heard the argument, like I did, of using Matthew 19:12 to justify gay or trans lifestyles. “For there are eunuchs who were born that way,” insinuating I guess that some are born as gay or trans. But eunuch here refers to being born impotent, not sexual preference.

It’s important to look at the rest of the verse as we can never take Scripture out of context, “and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others . . .” Sadly, that’s the evil happening today with children being castrated either with drugs or surgery.

Eunuchs were often male servants castrated in biblical times by those in power over them, so the men couldn’t have sex with the women in their household or royal entourage. It didn’t mean it was a good or justified mutilation just because it’s in the Bible. The Bible exposes many evil practices.

The remainder of the verse continues, “and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.” That meant those choosing to live in celibacy, maybe like Catholic priests and nuns today, or even those who are tempted to be gay but stay celibate and don’t give in to their sinful lustful temptations.

Interestingly, Jesus’s timing right after Matthew 19:12 are the following verses titled “The Little Children and Jesus.” 13 Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there. Matt. 19:13-15

Here’s my point: Just because someone we love is living a sinful lifestyle doesn’t make it right. Believe me, I understand because I’ve been there. My daughter and I wrote about this in Praying for Your Prodigal Daughter; Hope, Help & Encouragement for Hurting Parents. Because we love our child, relative, or friend, we pray their eyes will open to the truth and they’ll no longer be blinded by Satan’s lies. Gay or trans was not the issue I prayed daily from Scripture for my daughter, although there are stories in the book of other mother’s praying against that sinful lifestyle.

I loved my daughter enough to NOT want her spending eternity in hell but instead to be in heaven with me someday. I wanted her to know Jesus personally and how He wanted her to live. So, I loved her unconditionally, but never condoned her living with her boyfriend. Today, that would seem like a minor sin, but as we know, there’s no minor sins. Even though living together unmarried has become normalized by culture, and even some churches, it’s still a sin in God’s eyes.

We’ve watched how far culture has fallen as to what’s ‘acceptable.’ Now we’re all exposed to a federally imposed month dedicated to celebrating perverted sexual sin from the streets, schools, and the Peoples’ House, the White House. Children are literally taught about sexual perversion as early as kindergarten!!

I said last week in Why The Serpent Is Still Going After Women, that Satan knows NO boundaries. God is giving us a glimpse of what the tribulation will look like after the rapture. He continues to provide more time for the church and Christians to care and love enough to share the Truth with everyone we know who has not committed their entire life to Jesus or is living in willful sin. Because as bad as it is now, it will be like this on steroids during the tribulation and who would want a loved one living through that hell on earth?!

Who do you love enough to share the Truth with today? Don’t wait for your pastor to give you the marching orders, Jesus already has. Remember: Truth is Love; Not Sharing the Truth is Hate.

22 And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. 23 Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives. Jude 22-23 NLT

31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 NLT

But Romans 1:18-32 plainly states the fate of those who will encounter God’s wrath if they continue living a perverted sexual or sinful lifestyle.  “24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie.”

Do you love someone enough to pray daily for them to avoid this fate? I hope so. I’m so glad I never stopped praying for my daughter, and she’s glad too!

PS: After I had already written this blog, a friend sent me the link to a sermon by Pastor Gary Hamrick of Cornerstone Chapel, Leesburg, VA, titled “A Biblical Response to the ‘Transing of America–Romans 1:18-28.” Pastor Hamrick boldly, bravely, and lovingly says so much of what I wrote above and in previous blogs. This is a pastor not afraid to share the truth with his flock! I hope you’ll listen to Pastor Hamrick, who tells a very interesting and revealing story of a trans man visiting his church.

“It is not loving to affirm a lie.” Pastor Gary Hamrick

If you received this blog by email, please leave a comment on the website here. I reply to all comments. While scrolling Facebook, I saw this meme that summarizes everything I just said in this blog pretty well.


June 19, 2023
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Why Did It Take Beer to Motivate Conservatives and Christians to Boycott Woke?

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By now, you probably know what I mean by the “Bud Light” fiasco that infuriated beer consumers to boycott Anheuser Bush. Bud Light actually thought they would attract more consumers by being “inclusive” to the woke agenda and put a picture on their beer cans of Dylan Mulvaney, a male who dresses and acts like a little girl. They were actually shocked when it backfired. They expected Bud Light beer drinkers, who typically were masculine middle class working men, to join woke craziness and embrace this insane lunacy!!

They probably thought why not? President Biden actually invited Mulvaney to the White House and had a conversation with this ridiculous woman imposter. That just illuminates the deception and sickness in the White House.

Instead, Bud Light discovered it was the tipping point for conservatives to rise up and say enough!!! You’ve gone too far when you mess with our beer. Anheuser Bush continues to lose billions of dollars as no one would be caught drinking a Bud Light or even some of their other beers, hopefully ever again.

Anheuser Bush was blinded by wokeness. Wanting a high diversity EPI score and “Corporate Equity Index” established by the woke movement, was more important to them than understanding their consumer base who previously had been fairly quiet about the alphabet trans cult ideology. But when they went after their beer, suddenly consumers woke up and came alive with outrage and pushback.

Maybelline and Tampax have used Mulvaney in their advertising and Nike had Mulvaney promoting its line of women’s sportswear earlier in April. Mulvaney can be seen working out with the brand’s leggings and a sports bra, along with hashtags “#teamnike” and “#nikepartner” on TikTok and Instagram.

Even though the news is saturated with stories of Bud Light’s financial blood bath, it wasn’t long before North Face featured their second annual ‘Summer of Pride” with a drag man out in a field looking goulash with wild makeup wearing women’s clothing telling everyone to “come out.” He wasn’t even wearing North Face clothing, just pushing the evil cult movement to sell hiking clothes!!

Adidas drew similar controversy with photos of women’s swimwear modeled by men as part of the company’s “pride” collection and Calvin Klein had a bearded man in a bra.

Typically, and I would add unfortunately, everyone expects Christians not to speak up, but we’re finally proving that we have a voice and we’re using it as we watch 2 Timothy 3:1-5 living out in our daily culture.
You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! (NLT)

The Los Angeles Dodgers came under fire from Catholics and Christians after it planned a “pride” night where the California State Legislature will honor the drag queen group The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, an evil cult that raises money for LGBTQ causes and performs in drag dressed as nuns while blaspheming and desecrating the Cross and Jesus. The pushback was so loud and strong, the Dodgers uninvited the Sisters to the outrage of the Dodgers’ other LGBTQ partner groups, so they re-invited this satanic group back with an apology to them! BTW the president of this satanic group in New York is the “nonbinary” the White House hired as a senior Department of Energy official who got caught stealing women’s luggage at airports!

Trying to appease their fans, the Dodgers said they’ll plan a Christian night in July. Like you can bargain with the Devil versus Jesus?! Play both sides? How blind and yes stupid can they be? You cannot serve two masters. You must choose either Satan or Jesus. There’s no in-between. The Dodgers are erroring on the side of satanic evil and I hope the stadium is empty!

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Gal. 6:7 NLT

Then Target sparked outrage from conservatives and Christians for selling trans-inclusive “tuck-friendly women’s swimwear” and “pride” products designed by a satanist, leading the retailer to pull some items from its Pride collection or put them in the back of the store. A decision that angered LGBTQ supporters. Again, you cannot please both Satan and God!

Target has had June Pride Month displays with rainbow and LGBTQ+ messaging for years, but the addition of female-style swimsuits that can be used to “tuck” male genitalia was too much for their shoppers. It’s completely out of touch and offensive to women who once again are being mocked openly so Target can get a perfect score on the woke Corporate Equality Index (CEI).

Jason Whitlock says, “It’s a realization that all Christians must accept. The global economic agenda promoted by the World Economic Forum is the enemy of all Christ-centered religious faith.  ‘Corporate Equality Index,’ [is] the business credit score that helps determine how much funding they’ll receive from the central banking system. The CEI is designed to enforce LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the workplace. Corporations are financially incentivized to celebrate and promote the Alphabet Mafia agenda.” A globalist at the World Economic Forum actually said, “We must force compliance.”

Carlos Saavedra, vice president of brand marketing at Target, is also a treasurer at GLSEN. GLSEN focuses on getting districts to adopt policies that will keep parents in the dark on their child’s in-school gender transition, providing sexually explicit books to schools for free, and integrating gender ideology at all levels of curriculum in public schools. GLSEN leads the movement in creating and affirming anti-racist spaces for LGBTQIA+ students. “We are proud of 10+ years of collaboration with GLSEN and continue to support their mission,” Target said. They provide annual donations to GLSEN, of at least $2.1 million. The following GLESEN propaganda sign is placed as you can see in the picture below in the children’s section at Target along with many “Pride” items designed for children labeled as “Thoughtfully fit on multiple body types and gender expressions.”

Podcaster Benny Johnson posted a disturbing 9-minute Twitter video showing gay “pride” clothing and accessories geared toward kids prominently displayed at a Target in Tampa, Florida. You can see his video showing the satanic items for children at this link.

What more evidence do you need that Target is in partnership with the Devil??!!

Even after watching the outrage over Target and Bud Light, Kohl’s became another major retailer to sell LGBTQ clothing for infants and young kids. Various social media accounts posted a plethora of Pride Month merchandise, including a “Baby Sonoma Community Pride Bodysuit set” designed for 3-month, 6-month and 9-month-old kids. The outfit depicts what appears to be a lesbian couple with a dog and three children, including a young boy in a wheelchair. One of the adults in the drawing carries a progressive pride flag. Other merchandise includes a “Love Is Love” banner, towels, bibs, candles, shorts, and pillows. Several other clothing items can also be found, including shirts that say, “Be Proud” and “Ask Me My Pronouns.”

And if you thought you could bypass all of this sick, and yes evil, marketing by shopping at Walmart, The Western Journal reports that The Walmart website shows clothing for babies, toddlers, and young children with slogans including “Choose Equality,” one shirt reading “Some People Are Gay Get Over It,” and various rainbow-emblazoned gear. Walmart isn’t just placating the radical left with a few stray products on its website, either, as they also have displays in their stores. The corporation has also spent millions in donations to gay groups that target children. From its LGBT policies for workers and local communities, to its support of drag shows and so-called “equality,” the company has been working for the gay movement for years. The Heritage Foundation found that Walmart has paid for drag shows and gay storytime events in local communities, hosted gay pride parades for kids, and pushed LGBT policies on schools.

Even beloved Chick-Fil-A has a VP of Diversity and has written DEI guidelines into their employee handbook!

Will We Take a Permanent Stand Against the Enemy or Cave?

As Christians, we know wokeness is overtly satanic and evil because God would never sanction it. Christians have tried to let the lost live their perverted lives and not get involved with more than praying for them. But when they begin to force us to not only accept their beliefs but live immersed in those beliefs, it’s past time to take a public stand for our beliefs in the Gospel, Jesus, and Christian values.

Conservatives and Christians are finally, speaking out against the onslaught of satanic woke merchandise and advertising, but I go back to my original question of why did it take desecration of a beer can to get everyone’s attention?

However, Senator Ted Cruz wonders if all this pushback by consumers will last after the alphabet trans drag queen “pride” month passes. Honestly, I wonder the same thing? Ten years ago, when Target partnered with GLSEN to introduce perverted school curriculum and keep it from parents, Target also started a war on Christmas. Anyone remember them kicking out the Salvation Army from the front of their stores? I do. That’s the moment we stopped shopping at Target. Many were outraged then too…but many went back or kept shopping at Target.

Target has a history of being at the forefront of woke identity politics. They sparked a boycott in 2016 after posting a public statement declaring that “transgender team members and guests” are permitted “to use the restroom or fitting room facility that corresponds with their gender identity.” They refused to stop even at consumer’s outrage and cases of men taking pictures of women in dressing rooms and Dad’s fighting with men who wanted to go into Target’s bathrooms while their daughters were using the restroom. Many were outraged then too . . . but many kept going, or went back to, shopping at Target.

Even now, when I remind people of Target’s past wokeness, I hear, “Oh, yeah. I forgot about that.”

Now Target has gone full blown woke targeting your kids with a satanic agenda and I’m sure many are outraged and will stop going to Target for a while . . . But Target is betting that yes, they’ll lose some initial sales, but like an addiction . . . many shoppers will return when the outrage dies down.

How many of you remember liberal left-leaning Starbucks was a big financial supporter of gay marriage? I do. Right then, we stopped going to Starbucks just like we stopped shopping at Target. Nothing could draw us back, not sales, gift cards, not even for free . . . . These stores can become like an idol or a drug that people can’t give up no matter how satanic they become. Did God really say you shouldn’t shop there? Satan asked Eve a similar question.

I heard a commentator say how surprised he was that Christians are pushing back now because in his words, “even Christians have accepted gay marriage.” Really? How could Christians, any Christian, accept something that is the opposite of God’s plan for only a man and a woman to be united in marriage? But because we let the argument die after it became law, the perception is that we agree with it. Same with abortion. Even when Roe v Wade was turned over by the Supreme Court, many Christians were silent? Was that because they had actually started to accept abortion, the killing of babies, as an acceptable practice?

Not speaking against evil, is evil itself! To be passive in the face of evil is to be evil!

Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats[a]; do not be frightened.”[b] 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. Luke 17:28-30

God says support what He supports. Be wise. Don’t spend your hard-earned money foolishly and by all means don’t spend it to further Satan’s evil agenda!

If you haven’t read my May AHW Ministries newsletter, please check out the opening article discussing the similarity of Lot offering his two daughters in Genesis 19 to the homosexuals wanting to have sex with the visiting angels to today’s children being sacrificed to the evil woke agenda.

The angels pulled Lot back inside the house and I’m sure admonished him for wanting to throw his own precious children into the hands of those evil homosexual men, but isn’t that exactly what’s happening today to our precious innocent children?! They’re being thrown to the alphabet trans cult who want to ravage and groom them sexually and immorally.

Remember, Satan and evil knows no boundaries. Satan will go just as far as the church, citizens, and the government let him. Look at those justifying taking kids to sexually perverted pedophile drag shows and library readings, teaching them sexual perversion in schools, lying to them that they can change their genders and encouraging them to not tell their parents. Stores selling satanic clothing for as young as onesies for infants.

Satan wants our kids, he wants our families, and the left wants our country for the Marxists. That’s not a conspiracy theory. Indoctrinating kids and destroying the family is straight from the Marxist handbook. And when kids are confused about their sexuality, neutered at young ages, they can’t reproduce and that’s exactly what Satan wants.

These trans and drag men actually are excited sexually dressing in women’s clothing and many are pedophiles which is why you see drag stories for kids at libraries and children’s events. They’re not doing them for adults. It’s all evil! Evil! Evil!

It’s sad that it took beer to wake up conservatives and Christians with a Bud Light awakening, but our God moves in mysterious ways. Even though Board of Directors in woke companies have seen what happened to Budweiser and Target, everyday a new company feels like they must fall in line with a small group of woke activists with evil intent. Have you ever watched clips of their “pride” parades, which will soon be coming this month and their obvious intent of sexualizing our children? Yet, corporate America is being hijacked to think they have to appease them to get their equity scoring? Straight from the pit of hell.

But enough is never enough. Every year the alphabet mafia pushes these companies to go more woke, more evil, even though they’re going broke and alienating the majority of their customers and stockholders are losing on their investments. For example, I used to love Bed Bath and Beyond, but they went woke liberal and canceled My Pillow when Mike Lindell supported Trump and tried to rectify a stolen election. I stopped shopping there and many others must’ve also because now they’ve gone bankrupt and are closing all their stores.

Target claimed they moved the pornographic and “pride” products to the back of the store to protect their salespeople from us. Have you heard of one “violent” incident by Christians in Target? But that’s how they’re trying to reframe the response. Target and Kohl’s might think they’re too big to fail, but the further they go woke, I predict if Conservatives and Christians stay strong in their convictions, they will go woke broke.

I’ve heard it said and I believe, “The local church is the only hope for the world! The only way to take back our country is if the church gets loud and doesn’t stop voicing our outrage. Otherwise, an evil culture will dictate the future of the next generation.”

I hope you’re getting loud for what you believe and speaking out against the enemy. Please remember there is nothing prideful about remaining in and flaunting sin. Romans 1:18-32 tells us God will give these deceived people up to their own fate and incur His wrath which is tragic, but we His people certainly shouldn’t be financing their demise. Pray and evangelize with sincere godly love for the lost, but don’t throw money at them.

I heard Shelia Walsh say “Our nation is dying for the lack of people who look like they’re living. We need holy boldness.” It begins with you and me showing that we’re living for Christ, and we won’t bend to evil pressures! Peacefully protesting by where we shop and not tolerating or caving into the woke agenda is a start, but consistently being a witness of and for the Lord Jesus Christ is our primary purpose as Christians and will be the most effective.

The opening picture came from a Facebook Page “I’m So Blessed Daily June 19, 2022, and here’s what Sierra Conrad wrote below it.

“I am not shielding my children from accepting others. I am shielding my children from accepting this world’s standards of truth. I am shielding them from being indoctrinated by the world. I am raising my children to love everyone, while also raising them to love their God enough to stand for Him. My children will understand the symbolism of a rainbow as God’s Word defines it, not as our world falsely represents it. I am raising my children to see the beauty of Our Savior’s covenant. I am raising my kids to know that their identity is defined by God, NOT BY THIS WORLD.”

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” Romans 1:16-17

Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall. Pr. 16:18 NLT

In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. Ps. 10:4

In his letter to the church at Rome, Paul exhorted the believers to live their lives as a sacrifice to God and he challenged them not to conform to the anti-Christians culture of their day. A good word for us today!

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. Romans 12:1-2

Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats[a]; do not be frightened.”[b] 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 1 Peter 3:13-17

If you received this article by email, please leave a comment here on my website. I always reply

PS Sorry this is so long. God and I have so much to say about the evil invading our culture especially aimed toward our children, and I hope we motivate you to speak out too!! Also, if my blogs are small on your phone screen, turn your phone sideways and the print will be larger.

June 5, 2023
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Three Lessons Beyond the Story of His Only Son!

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Last week, Hubby Dave and I saw the latest movie from Angel Studios, His Only Son. I was thrilled that just like Jesus Revolution, this new Christian movie stayed in theaters long after its Pre-Easter release and the five day expected showing. That’s because many Christians poured into theaters to support His Only Son.

When I looked over at Dave during the movie to see if the sounds he was making meant he was falling asleep, I discovered to the contrary, he was crying. The story of Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac brought my tenderhearted husband to tears more than once.

If you haven’t seen the movie, I don’t want to give away too many details, but it’s the familiar story of God asking Abraham to sacrifice his long-awaited son, Isaac, born to elderly parents. The son that God had told Abraham would bring descendants outnumbering the stars in the sky. It’s a beautifully filmed movie with superb acting as it brings the Bible story of Genesis 22 to life. If you haven’t seen it and it’s still in your theaters, I encourage you to go, enjoy, and maybe cry at a father’s love for his son, but his even greater love for the Father in Heaven who Abraham trusted and obeyed, even when asked to perform a seemingly impossible sacrifice.

Interwoven into the story was a brief glimpse of Sarah’s servant Hagar when Abraham and Sarah attempted to go ahead of God. In today’s blog, I want to fill in some of the blanks with lessons from the story of Hagar and Ishmael, discussed in conversation during the movie if you listen closely, but not depicted.

We can learn from the consequences of Abraham and Sarah’s poor decision about using Hagar to circumvent God’s plan. Consequences still felt in the Middle East today.

Who Was Hagar?

When we first meet Hagar in the Bible, 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).

Mistakenly, Sarai thought the Lord had kept her from having a baby so she came up with her own plan to give Abram a family. (Gen. 16:2) In those days, a maidservant had no rights and was required to comply with whatever her owners told her to do. When her barren and desperate mistress Sarai decides to use Hagar as a surrogate to provide her husband Abram with a child, Hagar has no option but to obey. Abram agreed and slept with Hagar and she became pregnant.

The movie alludes to this, but tastefully never shows Abram and Hagar in any sexual scenes, not even an embrace. This seems like an odd practice to us today, but it was actually an ancient custom in biblical times to ensure the birth of a male heir.

What Happened Next to Hagar?

When Hagar learned she was carrying Abram’s child, she felt superior to Sarai and the Bible says she “began to despise her mistress” (Gen. 16:4). Maybe Hagar was upset that her mistress forced her husband on her, or she felt rejected that Abram didn’t treat her as a wife, and she took her frustration out on Sarai. Whatever the reason, she wrongly thought that her pregnancy empowered her to treat Sarai with contempt.

When the relationship between the two women deteriorated and became hostile, Sarai complained to her husband. Abram told her that this had been Sarai’s idea in the first place and Hagar was hers to do with what she wanted. He wasn’t going to get involved with their dispute. Sarai took that as permission to mistreat Hagar, so pregnant Hagar ran away into the desert. But what she didn’t expect was an encounter with God, which we don’t see in the movie.

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

The angel of the Lord also told her she would have a son and name him, “Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery.” (Gen. 16:11)

So obediently, Hagar returned, gave birth to her son, and stayed on as Sarai’s maidservant. Sixteen years later, Sarai, renamed by God, Sarah, finally had her own miracle son as God had promised, but like any older brother, Ishmael started teasing his little toddler half-brother Isaac. Sarah was having none of this and demanded that her husband, now called Abraham, send Hagar and her son away . . . this time permanently. The movie eludes during a conversation that this took place, but we don’t see it happening. We hear about Ishmael, but never see him.

The child [Isaac] grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. 9 But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, 10 and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.” (Gen. 21:8-10)

Abraham, now the father of both sons, protested but to his surprise, God intervened and incredulously told him to let them go. Listen in the movie for when Abraham discusses why he let them both go.

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[a] 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)

Reluctantly, Abraham agreed and sent Hagar and Ishmael out into the desert with food and water.

14 Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba. (Gen. 21:14)

God has lessons for us to learn from every biblical story and He tells us the story of Hagar in the Bible so we can apply what she learned to our own lives. Here are three important life application lessons.

Lesson #1: God Never Rejects Us

Hagar must have lamented her painful mistreatment and abandonment. Why was all this happening to her? When her hurt and despair sent her fleeing into the desert the first time, she was surprised but also very relieved and blessed when God met her there. She realized that even in her lowly position in life, she was important to God and He hadn’t rejected or forgotten her.

It was hard to hear God wanted her to go back to Sarai and endure abuse, but then God gave her a name for her son, Ishmael. God said He would even multiply Ishmael’s descendants. Wow, that was quite a promise, which God did fulfill in later years.

Hagar agreed to God’s plan and called the Lord, “The God who sees me, for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” (Gen. 16:13)

God heard her cries of affliction. Amazingly, a slave girl was the first recorded appearance of God face to face in Scripture. Others had heard His voice or seen visions, but here was God in person.

Like Hagar, when it seems like others are rejecting you, God sees and hears you. Don’t let rejection define you; allow it to refine you. Hagar had the confidence and security in God to humbly return to Sarai and Abram and fulfill her role in biblical history.

Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me! (Ps. 66:20)

The Lord will not reject his people; he will not abandon his special possession. (Ps. 94:14 NLT)

Lesson #2 God is Near to the Brokenhearted

When Abraham sent Hagar and her son Ismael into the desert, it looked like they would surely die when the supplies Abraham had given them were exhausted. Now her precious son who God had given her and even named would starve to death. It was too much for her to bear. She couldn’t watch as he curled up in a fetal positon under a tree, but she couldn’t block out his starving moans and wails.

15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she[b] began to sob. (Gen. 21:15-16)

But, what was she hearing now? Could it be a second encounter with God?! Yes, He had heard the cries of her son and asked her what was wrong? The Angel of the Lord spoke to this distressed mother yet again and reassured her not to be full of fear or sadness. Just as He had promised, God reaffirmed that her son’s legacy would be a great nation.  

17 God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. 18 Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” (Gen. 21:17-18)

When we’re in deep despair, our tendency often is to shut out the world, and sometimes that includes shutting out God. But God is the one who understands our distress like no human can. Sometimes He will put people in our life and speak through them to comfort us, but what He longs for us to do is bend our ear towards Him and listen. Let His presence comfort you with the hope that He’s going through this with you and He always has a plan if we open our eyes to see our opportunities and listen to the wisdom He whispers in our prayer time.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Ps. 34:18)

Lesson #3 God’s Plan Is Always the Best One to Follow

When Hagar opened crying eyes, to her astonishment there was a well of water in the middle of the desert. Only God! She ran to fill her wineskin and gave her thirsty son a refreshing drink.

19 Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. (Gen. 21:19)

Bravely, Hagar believed God and trusted that even as a single mom rejected and stranded in the middle of nowhere, if God said it was so, then she would trust Him and obey again. God was faithful to His promise.

20 God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. 21 While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt. (Gen 21:20-21)

While we often focus on Abraham and Sarah, God has a powerful lesson in the story of Hagar. Through no fault of her own, she became entrenched in the couple’s contrived plan to fulfill God’s promise themselves instead of waiting for God’s perfect timing and plan. We can’t outsmart or outdo God. His plans always are for good and will prevail, but we’ll pay a price when our impetuous and prideful thinking is that we know best.

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)

Just as God promised, Ishmael became a great nation but to this day, his descendants continue to be in conflict with the nation founded by his half-brother Isaac.

Everyday Brave Hagar

I include Hagar in Everyday Brave: Living Courageously as a Woman of Faith because she didn’t let the hard life that she encountered defeat her. She had a personal experience with God and He protected and provided for her. She courageously understood that God was the One she could depend on and trust. He would make a way when circumstances seemed impossible.

Even when we don’t see God face-to-face like Hagar did, or maybe have trouble feeling His presence, our faith assures us of the truth that we’re never alone. God has promised to never leave or forsake us even when others disappoint or even abandon us. God is always just a prayer away.

God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Heb. 13:5b)

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April 17, 2023
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What is the Biblical Truth Behind Gender Roles?—Part 2

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Last week, we looked at the lies being told and sold to our culture, but especially to our precious children. If you haven’t read Part 1 yet, here’s the link. I want to also add an update to that blog, What is the Biblical Truth Behind Gender Roles—Part 1.

As a recap, in the previous blog, I talked about the pushback Kirk Cameron was receiving at libraries when he requested to read his new children’s book As You Grow about the Fruit of the Spirit and how in Arkansas, trans protestors showed up to heckle him and those attending. What I didn’t know at the time of that writing was that the protestors also had to listen to a former transgender woman, Laura Perry Smalts, read aloud Brave Books’ Elephants Are Not Birds authored by Ashley St. Clair.

The title of the article, which I hope you’ll go to because it includes some amazing pictures and a video is “Former Transgender Person Reads Anti-Trans Book to 500, Including men in Drag: ‘I Want Kids to Hear the Truth!’”

A synopsis of Elephants Are Not Birds is the message “Most can see that there is a distinct difference between an elephant and a bird but in this story, we’ll see that even those lines are blurred when the lies of Culture the Vulture are accepted as truth by Kevin the Elephant.”

During the story hour, the crowd also heard Smalts’ testimony of how she used to find it difficult loving herself the way God created her, but faith had a huge effect on her journey. The presence of trans activists, men dressed in drag, actually drove home Smalts’ story to everyone in the room, especially the children.

Here’s the full comment about the event from Kirk Cameron.
“The small group of protesters, which included some grown men wearing silly makeup, dressed in skirts and heels, pretending to be women, listened to the reading of a kids’ book about God’s view of gender called, “Elephants Are Not Birds.” At the close of this sweet and funny story of a singing elephant named Kevin who was tricked by a vulture named “Culture” into thinking he might be a bird, the reader [Laura Smalts] then asked the 300 children, “Do you think elephants can be birds, even if they strap on silly wings and a beak?” In unison, and with great laughter, all 300 children confessed with gusto, “No!” I felt sad for the men in skirts. As it is written, “You have taught the little children to praise you perfectly. May their example shame and silence your enemies.” (Psalm 8:2).

Today, I want to explore four truths regarding genders and explore what God says in the Bible about His creation of humans and the plans He has for them. I hope you’ll ponder the Scriptures I’ve selected to support each of the four truths. First, let’s look at some of the misinformation spreading about the two genders and their roles in relationships.

What Do We Get Wrong About Biblical Gender Roles?

When I married my husband 30 years ago, I had recently rededicated my life to the Lord at a Harvest Crusade. I committed to God to live the rest of my life as a biblical Christian, wife, mother, and now grandmother. My daughter was not a Christian at the time and was appalled that her once independent successful businesswoman mom was now in her words, “Going to be a doormat.” She was skeptical of Dave, who actually is a gentle, kind, godly man, but she feared he was going to dominate me.

It wasn’t until she became a Christian several years later when she and her fiancé accepted Christ in a biblical marriage class that she had an awakening regarding the truth behind biblical gender roles

Many people and some churches have misconceptions about biblical gender roles. The attempt by culture to redefine genders has invaded every area of life. Wokeness discards and dismantles biblical and biological truths and tries to normalize lies. I’m not a biologist, but I do know what a man and woman are and I’m sure you do too.

Gender isn’t defined by how someone thinks, “identifies,” or chooses to act. God’s beautiful design for humanity is only two genders, which He calls male and female, or man and woman. You won’t find in the Bible “transgender,” “cisgenders,” “binaries,” “gender identity,” “drag queens,” “queer” “gay” or any of the manmade genders or pronoun reassignment allegories. God didn’t use those terms and we shouldn’t either.

Here’s the truth about what God says regarding the two biblical gender roles that should guide the thinking and actions of every Christian and pastor.

Truth #1 God Created Only Two Genders!

As substantiated by biology and the Bible, gender is determined at birth as male or female by observable genitalia. Yet, today we live in a world where gender identity has become a fluid concept and at last count, the delusional believe there are 81 genders and growing. That absurdity seems laughable and yet the woke culture is on a mission to not only spread that lie, but enforce it in laws attempting to erase the reality of God’s two genders: male and female.

At birth, God designed each human cell to contain 23 pairs of chromosomes. Twenty-two pairs look the same in both males and females. The 23rd pair, the sex chromosomes, differs between males and females. Females have two copies of the X chromosome while males have one X and one Y chromosome, thus determining their sex. That’s a scientific and biblical undeniable, unalterable fact!

Even infamous atheist scientist Richard Dawkins declares there are only two sexes as a matter of science: “That’s all there is to it.” Dawkins added that those who have tried to cancel JK Rowling for making the same point are “bullies”!

Once again, science agrees with Creation and confirms God is the Creator of two genders and only two!

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.” Jer. 1:5

One revealing article admitted we’re born male or female, but erroneously added you can then learn to be whatever gender you want. Mind and emotional control is at the center of this demonic lie causing confusion and even bodily mutilation in young children and people of all ages.

Confusion or ambiguity is not from God. For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. 1 Cor. 14:33

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Gen. 1:27 ESV

When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them “Mankind” when they were created. Gen. 5:1-2

Truth #2 Marriage Is Between a Man and a Woman

God designed men and women to unite as one in marriage with the capability of creating new life. They become helpmates, each spouse using the gifts God gave them.

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper for him.” Gen. 2:18 

“Haven’t you read,” he [Jesus] replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?” Matt. 19:4-5

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Gen. 1:28 ESV

God gave women the blessing of carrying and giving birth to babies when that’s possible. Clearly only women can get pregnant and anyone who thinks otherwise is deceived or delusional.

11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12 For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God. 1 Cor. 11:11-12

Did not he who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers? Job 31:15

The husband’s role is spiritual leader of the home protecting and loving his wife while wives acknowledge his leadership and both husband and wife submit to following Christ.

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[a] her by the washing with water through the word. Eph. 5:21-26

7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. 1 Pet. 3:7

Truth #3 Sex is Between a Man and a Woman

God uniquely and deliberately created man and woman to fit perfectly together sexually. He clearly states that sex is between a heterosexual husband and wife. We must not be afraid to proclaim and live by this truth! Anything else is an abomination to the Lord.

For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. Rom. 1:26-27 ESV

 22 “‘Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable’”. Lev. 18:22

A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear women’s clothing, for the Lord your God detests anyone who does this. Deut. 22:5

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality. 1 Cor. 6:9 ESV

10 The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders,[c] liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching 11 that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God. 1 Tim. 1:10-11 NLT

Truth #4 Parents Are a Male and a Female

Parents consist of a male father and a female mother, not two fathers nor two mothers, although there often are single parents for a variety of reasons. When there are two parents, Dad is the head of the family but both Mom and Dad work together as a team raising the family.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—so it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on earth. Eph. 6:1

She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness. 28 Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: 29 “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!” Pr. 31:27-29 NLT

Sexual and Gender Distortion is from Satan, the Father of Lies!

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Is. 5:2

Often, we’ll hear that the Bible doesn’t speak to gender or sexual issues, but that’s lying misinformation straight from Satan. Christians must address the gender crisis today speaking the truth with clarity and authority from God’s perspective as stated in the Word of God, the Bible.

 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. Eph. 5:11

Silence in the face of Satan’s lies conveys condoning and apathy to the many who will face eternity separated from God in hell. We could make an eternal difference in their life by sharing God’s truth. I wish more pastors understood the mantel God gives them to speak out against evil. That’s not political; it’s biblical! People need to hear where their sin leads.

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Cor. 6:9-10 ESV

4 Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? 5 But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 He will judge everyone according to what they have done. 7 He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. 8 But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. 9 There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.[a] 10 But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism. Rom. 2:4-11 NLT

“We love to tell people that God loves them and has compassion on them. And of course, that is true. Yet we are reluctant to say they are sinners who are separated from God. We need to tell the truth. Our culture needs to hear the truth. Yes, it’s easier to blend into the background and avoid offending anyone. But do we want to offend God? If we don’t tell the whole truth, then we will.”—Pastor Greg Laurie

I’m happy to report that our Idaho Governor, Brad Little, just joined two other state governors in signing a bill barring transgender students from using any school facilities like bathrooms, locker rooms, or overnight field trip facilities not consistent with their biological gender, regardless of their “gender identity.” Many Idahoan Christians, churches, and advocates like the Values Advocacy Council made their voices heard in getting this bill passed and signed.

Biology and morality should always triumph over confused “identity.” You are the gender God made you to be!

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March 27, 2023
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