Friday, December 30, 2022

Parents Prepare for Battle

 

Parents Prepare for Battle

***Satan wants you to outsource raising your children***

***Shape their children’s understanding of God’s truth***

***God leads: the Holy Spirit empowers us so pray over the war for our children’s eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord***

Biblical Spoken Truth:

-Logos is Greek meaning word, reason, or plan. In Christian theology, the divine reason in the cosmos, ordering it, and giving it form and meaning.

-John refers to Jesus as the Word in the New Testament (Jesus is the spoken truth)

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

-In Genesis God speaks all things into existence. God said let there be light……

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and birds in the sky, over the livestock and all with wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1: 26-27).

The Parent Problem:

-indifferent to God’s word

-completely blind to the battle

-complacency that opens door for the enemy to mold our children’s beliefs through teachers and other outside influences executing a different battle plan

-underestimate Satan-his army have strategic plans through education to indoctrinate our children’s minds which is happening as early as pre-school (ex. Teddy & Friend book-if you feel like a girl rather than a boy, 1st grade “I am Jazz” book read through the eyes of a transgender teenager’s journey that explains hormone blockers at age 11 and reassignment surgery at age 17)

-curriculum flies in the face of God’s perfect design for men and women that is not supported by science

Truth is an ideology construct:

1. Truth: the actual state of a matter, an adherence to reality, or an indisputable fact. It refers to the version of reality that we exist in.

2. Reality: State of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them. The quality of having existence or substance.

-Type of reality = Objective: anything that is measurable, observable and would exist. Ex. Physical Laws (see Why the Universe Is The Way It Is by Hugh Ross Book Review Blog)

-Type of reality = Subjective: sways on a scale based on person (my truth vs. your truth) so it is what you believe, your opinion, and can used to indoctrinate or move a person’s belief or opinion to the extreme. Ex. Political views, educational curriculum, & teaching like sex education k-12 or angry white men studies offered on our college campuses

-Type of reality = Intersubjective: describes things that exist because we collectively believe they exist to the point where we would argue that the belief is objective truth. Ex. Printing money will not affect the economy, no need for religion because God doesn’t exist, Fame and celebrity is the ultimate goal for all people (TikTok fame), laws are white supremacy so no physical truths or moral truths

3. Ideology: set of opinions or beliefs of a group or an individual that characterize culture. A system of ideas and ideals, especially one which forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy. Ex. Capitalism, communism, socialism, and Marxism

-political: set of ethical ideals, principles, doctrines, myths or symbols of a social movement, institution, class, or large group that explains how society should work and offers some political and cultural blueprint for a certain social order. Views the world that exhibit a recurring pattern that is deliberate. Ex. Socialism, Feminism, multiculturalism, etc…& Curriculum, Social, emotional, learning & Diversity, equity, inclusion, Black live matters movement, Transgender movement, Drag queen family friendly shows, Sex education, Pronouns, Gender affirming surgeries, Puberty blockers, Chemical castration,

-social: the sum total of a person’s values, beliefs, assumptions, and expectations that exists within society, within groups, and between people. It shapes our thoughts, actions, and interactions, along with what happens in society at large. Ex. Curriculum, Social, emotional, learning & Diversity, equity, inclusion, Black live matters movement, Transgender movement, Drag queen family friendly shows, Sex education, Pronouns, Gender affirming surgeries, Puberty blockers, Chemical castration

-epistemological: theory of knowledge that is concerned with the mind’s relation to reality and how they justify beliefs from opinions. Ideology that shares a distinct set of beliefs, attitudes, values, and behaviors. Ex. Popularize an ideology of a group like the transgender movement, so all must accept and celebrate or become the enemy of the community, state, and nation

-ethical: blends virtues with practical wisdom to make decisions based on core character values like trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and good citizenship. Ex. 10 commandments covers ethical behaviors that instructs on what is good or bad so produces actions

-Standards: You reap what you sow

“Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus, the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor” (John 4: 36-38).

Moral Compass: Untruth Culture suppresses truth

-wages war on knowledge to lose one’s self-grip on reality (can’t define what a woman is, biology doesn’t exist, gender is fluid)

-gets rid of definable contradictions and falsehoods (ex. Marxism: man completes himself through man’s processes and social processes =all white heterosexual men are white supremacists; Equity only includes brown and black people all the rest ha white privilege, gender affirming care, reproductive healthcare, queer theory-dismantles traditional gender by tying gender and sexuality as socially and culturally constructed concepts)

-dehumanizing constructs used to justify one’s behavior to harm other people (ex. Belief color of skin- brown and black-are all victims, so harming those not in accepted group are worthy of harm)

-must affirm and validate self-perception, other’s self-perception becomes your problem is you want it or not (ex. Why speak against if not affecting you? Let people just be who they want to be, they are not stealing its reparations, don’t believe what you see with your eyes)

-gains control of language through manipulation like the laws of grammar and redefining words to make it acceptable by society or to keep people silent (ex. Emotional blackmail: manipulation where someone uses your feelings to control your behavior or persuade you to see things their way. Pronouns: Ze/Zer, non-binary they/them)

The Parent Solution:

1. Examine what is happening in your children’s lives even if they are teenagers

2. Be diligent on our responsibility as parents on spiritual training and development

“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6: 6-9).

3. Ask questions

4. Speak God’s truth and reinforce it

“This is why it is said: Wake up, sleeper, ride from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Be very careful then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5: 14-16).

“Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your homes” (Nehemiah 4:14).

5. God arms us with whatever we need for the battle

“10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people” (Ephesians 6: 10-18).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winds of Culture

 

Winds of Culture

-Christians are dealing with a changing world

-God doesn’t change-He’s the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow

-God’s character is eternally fixed from generation to generation

“For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore, you are not consumed, o sons of Jacob” (Malachi 36: 6).

“Like a cloak you will change them, and they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end” (Psalm 102:26-27).

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

 

Culture has changed radically in a very short time

-Hostility toward Christians has been magnified in all areas of life: healthcare, family, education, politics, public square, and society

1. Sanctity of life=Reproductive Health Care

-Should be named the Anti-Reproductive Health Care Act it only reflects the end of a pregnancy, so reproduction has already occurred and in some way needs to be removed

-by definition, reproductive encompasses the reproductive organs such as the tissues, glands, and organs involved in producing offspring (children). Women= ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix, and vagina. Men= prostate, testes, and the penis

-by definition, reproduction is the biological process by which new individual organisms (offspring/children) are produced. Reproduction is a fundamental feature of all known life. Each individual organism exists is the result of reproduction.

-by definition, abortion is the process of removing the unwanted offspring/child so instead of healthcare to ensure the mother and baby stay healthy the focus on ridding the body of the unwanted reproduction. There are two ways to rid the body of a baby is medical abortion so abortion with pills and/or procedural abortion that removes the pregnancy from the uterus

2. Sanctify of Marriage=replaced with Respect for Marriage Act

Ex. Marriage equal to traditional marriage for those who identify in or outside of their biological gender included is non-binary and other obscure pronouns which grammatically are not pronouns Ze/Zer

3. Trans movement=you must celebrate their definitions and lifestyles as beneficial and should overpower those that are heterosexuals

- kindergarten-12th grade groomer style sex education

-gender affirming pronouns introduced in elementary school

-trans movements included in all content areas under guise of diversity, equity, & inclusion

-forced celebration= drag parades, drag story hours, drag kid friendly shows

4. Trans affirming/conforming healthcare:

-Chemical castration=puberty blockers & gender affirming surgeries=breast mastectomy or penectomy   -offer access to breast binders, penis tuck directions, abortions, and other gender affirming healthcare (normally hidden from parents)

Pulpit Prey to Whims of Culture

*Declare the truth of God’s word

*Do not fear

*Proclaim scripture with no shame

*Be Shepherds

-who is leading their flocks astray

-feed them truth by failing by scripture

*Be Watchmen

-word of God is not fully programed

-commands of scripture are compromised

*Be the Church

-scripture is treasured and undiluted preaching

Culture Says

1. It is okay to have churches marry non-binary couples

2. It is okay to say gender is determined by a whim

3. It is okay to not honor Biology

4. It is okay for schools to teach and encourage impressionable young children to make gender transitions (solves all the unhappiness in the world)

5. It is okay to lie, level up on evil, and spread devastating perverted logic

God Says

1. God warns us that then people turn their backs on Him that His wrath will be poured out against the unrighteous and ungodliness

“For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise, also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting” Romans 1: 26-28).

2. The Bible is clear that there is no such thing as a transgender person

“From the beginning of creation, God made them male and female” (Mark 10: 6).

3. God’s word is the authority, never changes, and is God’s whole counsel. Even Satan knows we are born in sin alienated and separated from a Holy God, so he seeks to blind us from the liberating power of God

“God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes will not perish but have ever lasting life” (John 3:16).

**Forever changed by Jesus-your lifestyle will be radically changed as you love to obey the commands in the scriptures while removing the culture’s grip on our hearts.

 

Monday, December 26, 2022

Last 2022 Facebook Post

 “Unto us a child is born” is often the beginning of the birth of Jesus most are familiar with, but as much as I love the story and that “Jesus is the Reason for the Season” I ran across this one scripture that caught my attention so I thought I would share. (On a side note, if you do read then look at Matthew from the perspective of Joseph and Luke focuses on the experiences of Mary. Interesting to read through different vantage points)


I digress, the scripture is found in the Old Testament in the Book of Isaiah. He was one of the greatest prophets who can be found historically at the collapse of the Northern Kingdom around 721/722 B.C. King of Judah, Uzziah had just died in 742 B.C. It is here that Isaiah is called into prophetic service in the Temple of Jerusalem. Isaiah’s vision of God’s majesty was so overwhelming that military and political power faded into insignificance. He constantly called his people back to reliance on God’s promises and away from vain attempts to find security in human control. In two short verses, Isaiah prophesizes not only Jesus’ birth, but the purpose of his ministry, fulfillment of death to His miraculous resurrection, and the rise of his eternal kingdom where He will reign forever. We are all invited:

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9: 6-7).

In the New Testament, Jesus reads the same verses from Isaiah. Proclaiming the Messianic prophecy has been fulfilled. After His birth story, Jesus’ life reflects his proclamation that through him all can be saved-He never forced or demanded or threatened but gave the choice to believe. He withstood in masses that rejected Him. The story of Jesus’ birth is the beginning of His way to the cross.

--Do you see the distorted ripples of control today?

--You will surrender your life to something. God’s word enables us to relinquish our tendency to pattern worldly behaviors.

--Just because it is legal, or a bill has been passed doesn’t make it moral.

Cultural norms are difficult to bypass. These norms influence our desires and shape our decisions. They function like peer pressure-feeling obligated to try one thing or another. God’s word is a guidepost should recognize it as the standard for living. It shapes our way of thinking, which eventually plays out in what we do.

“A person may think their own ways are right, but the LORD weighs the heart. To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice” (Proverbs 21: 2-3).

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will” (Romans 12:2)

Prayers: God, thank your for nudging me gently to find answers in your word. Help me to act on it and not make excuses to look elsewhere. Lord God, too often I allow myself to think in ways that lead me to act contrary to your Word. Help me guard my thoughts so my ways will please you.

dreamsdontfade.com (new writing recently posted)

Powerful lyrics: put your armor on and hear the “Cries of the Crusaders” by Struggle Jennings & Caitlyn Curtis (I love music so when I discover voices like these two with such a critical message I have to share-the rawness between the rap and melody)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgBeuxqcmw4

Saturday, December 17, 2022

Leaders have a Voice: Franklin Graham & Alveda King

 

Leaders have a Voice: Franklin Graham & Alveda King

Franklin Graham

The Antidote to Fear

“Believers in our Risen Lord and Savior to stand firm in their faith and bear strong and godly witness to a panicked world” (Graham).

-Inflation: cost of groceries, gas, and heating bills

-Violence: brazen daylight brutal attacks, shootings, looters, and stealing. Evil acts have made people feel unsafe and helpless

-Government: turning our country into a socialist welfare state

“God recognizes that fear does rise in the believer’s heart on occasion. The Lord knows our tendency to worry and fret, and He also tells us what to do about our worries” (Graham).

Psalm 56: 3-4 “when I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh (or any circumstance in life) do to me?”

We can look confidently to all-knowing, all-powerful, Almighty God in simple trust and faith when the turbulent waves of anxiety that sweep through our so easily frightened culture are raging.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”

R. Albert Mohler Jr. (Pres. Southern Baptist Theological Seminary & Boyce College)

Duty Calls: The Mandate for Christian Citizens

“Christians in the United States hold dual citizenship. The Apostle Paul spoke to all Christians that we are citizens of a heavenly kingdom. Our heavenly citizenship is the most important possession we have secured by Jesus Christ our Savior” (Mohler).

No Earthly citizenship compares to eternal citizenship in Heaven. Paul even claimed his Roman citizenship when he was unjustly arrested Paul for preaching the Gospel in Jerusalem. “I am a citizen by birth” Paul announced (Acts 22:28).

Like Paul, Christians are American citizens who have dual citizenship. Augustine, one of the fathers of the ancient church, taught his flock to understand that there are two cities that demand our attention and allegiance. The City of God and the City of Man.

-City on Earth: the drive is for the love of humanity itself

 -City of God: the passion is for the love of God

“He was trying to help Christians be faithful in our earthly citizenship, even as we wait for Heaven” (Mohler).

Christians are called to be salt and light in a darkening culture, and faithfulness calls out our deepest convictions and our active discipleship:

Our Voice

1. Christian citizens must exercise the power f our voices and speak truth about the issues of our day.

2. The left chants “silence is violence,” but Christians must know that silence is unfaithfulness.

3. We are called to tell the truth, even when it costs us.

4. Speak on behalf of the unborn; against the destruction of precious human lives in the womb.

5. Speak out for marriage as the union of a man and a woman.

6. Speak out for the sanctity of the family as the most essential unit of human civilization.

7. Speak for righteousness and goodness and contend for laws that are just for policies that uphold what is right.

8. The Christian citizen must be ready to speak, to make arguments, to engage in conversations and to make our convictions known.

-Book of Ecclesiastes tells us there is a time to speak and when it is right to be silent.

-The prophet Ezekiel tells us that a failure to speak when danger approaches is a horrible sin. The Watchman on the Wall is to make the warning clear.

9. Christian citizens must be ready to speak, to make arguments, to engage in conversations and to make our convictions known.

Our Vote

1. American constitutional system is based upon the right and responsibility of citizens to vote.

2. Participate in elections and fulfill the citizen’s duty to choose the best candidates and make the right choices, vote by vote.

3. Voting is an enormous act of stewardship, so all elections are important from national elections to those offices such as the local school board.

Our Victory

“Politics Is not for the faint of heart, and Christians know the political fray can be tumultuous. Furthermore, we do not win every battle or election. But we stay involved, engaged and energetic, knowing that we must work for what is right until Jesus comes. We will know both victory and setbacks in the City of Man, but only victory in the City of God. Every vote count, every election matters, and every Christian citizen is called to be faithful. We have work to do, and DUTY CALLS” (Mohler).

“Choosing courage over comfort; choosing what is right over what is fun, fast or easy; and choosing to practice our values rather than simply professing them” (Brene’ Brown).

 

 

 

Alveda King

The Gospel’s Answer to Racism

Critical Race Theory: Seven Hard Truths

1. America is about individual equality, not group equity

-The idea behind CRT is that America is just groups, defined by skin color. They do not see America as individuals with separate souls, goals, dreams, schemes, skills, hopes, and God-given attributes.

-As a self-governing people, we have a constitution that recognizes our individuality, gives us each the same rights under law. Our differences give us separate paths to success, defined by free will. No group equity is written in the Constitution.

2. Equal opportunity is not an equal outcome. The Constitution gives all Americans an equal shot: education, employment, property ownership, returns, and resilience. Equal protection means the right to rise or fall, to succeed or fail= equal under the law

-CRT concentrates power to equalize outcomes, regardless of who earned what. Hard work and trust in the individual are gone.

3. CRT is itself racist. CRT not only assigns all life grievances by one race to another. Merit based achievement is rejected in favor of reverse racism. Easier to hate and blame than love and support.

-Teaches the assumption that we are not equal in God’s eyes or the eyes of the law, and never can be in each other’s eyes. Teaches children resentment, blame, and hopelessness. This kills the American Dream.

4. CRT denies upward mobility. It denies that hard wok and equal protection succeed. Upward mobility is the gaping hole in Marx’s bucket, draining it of power.

-To believe in CRT, you must believe your skin color defines your ability to succeed.

5. CRT immorally pushes intergenerational guilt. It is a fraud because the only way to justify putting one race down for another and openly teaching resentments is to pin the past on the present.

-Intentional guilt infliction of intergenerational guilt, making successors responsible for ancestors, is fundamentally immoral.

-Morality centers on individual accountability

-Individual sovereignty under natural, constitutional, and statute law; every life is sacred and belongs to itself.

-debt slavery and peonage and CRT are concepts that builds resentment is immoral

Ezekiel 18:20 “The child shall not share the guilt of the parent.”

6. CRT empowers elites to persecute: Marxist countries uses racial, ethnic, religious, or economic group to blame for society’s ills (elite push mass persecution)

7. CRT ignores data. America The biggest lie is that America is racist.

-America attracts more minorities than any country in the world.

-By wealth, Black, Hispanic, and Asian Americans account for 25% of America’s Millionaires

-American dream is upward mobility through Capitalism-work hard and you will be successful

“CRT is Marxism, pushing resentment, blame, guilt, fear, silence, and compliance. Do not buy it. Americans cleave by values, not skin color. Critical race theory is junk--A disgrace.” Robert B. Charles

The Problem with the 1619 Project

“Together with critical race theory, wokeness, and cancel culture, parents and patriots alike will have to monitor their local school curricula carefully.” Jeff Szymanski

Claim: August 1619 a ship arrived in coastal port in the British colony of Virginia. It carried more than 20 enslaved Africans, who were sold to colonists. America was not yet America, but this was the moment it began.

Written: summer of 2020 after the death of George Floyd

Problems:

1. “One critical reason that the colonists declared their independence from Britain was because they wanted to protect the institution of slavery in the colonies, which had produced tremendous wealth.”

Nikole Hannah-Jones “Our democracy’s ideals were false when they were written.” And “Some of the colonists fought to preserve slavery.”

2. History: American Revolution originated as a rallying cry of “no taxation without representation” as Great Britain levied taxes on colonists in America without any input (Tax on Tea)

3. America’s founding takes on a dark view where blacks forever struggle for rights that will never be achieved. “anti-black racism runs in the very DNA of the country.” (Hannah-Jones).

4. Leads to political paralysis as there is nothing, we can do to get out of it as you can’t alter DNA.

-America is so inherently racist to its core that people cannot grow or change over time.

-Education itself would be useless as society fated to be racist forever.

Promotes:

-Curriculum: Hannah-Jones claim that she discovered a fundamental truth about American History that has eluded the historical profession: That the central defining feature of American history and culture is racism

-Redefines America’s history as a struggle between ‘oppressors (white people)’ and the ‘oppressed (everybody else)’

-Marxism’s reduction of human history: majority-white societies are “systemically” or “structurally racist.”

-used to divide American people based on color of their skin that creates dysfunction, hate, and strife between white Americans and black Americans which is opposite of Dr. Martin Luther’s teaching of not being judged by the color of your skin but content of your character.

Negates:

-Pilgrims landed in the Mayflower in 1620 in Massachusetts

-1776 Traditional date of the Declaration of Independence is our National Holiday on July 4th

“A racially divisive, revisionist account of history that denies the noble principles of freedom and equality on which our nation was founded Not a single cent of federal funding should go to indoctrinate young Americans with this left-wing garbage.” Senator Tom Cotton

Affecting Today:

HR 1 (S1) “For the People Act” applies racially discriminatory Jim Crow descriptions of state election reform and integrity laws. (ID at the polls is discriminatory as marginalized people of color don’t have access to get an ID to vote)

-used in the disastrous “open border” policy which is an egregious assault on our nation’s sovereignty and the safety of Americans.

-used to increate punitive tax increases that spawned inflation, high interest rates, business closures, and job losses leading to dependency on the federal government welfare (tenant of national socialism)

Voting Rights Act: Give the Justice Department’s Civil Rights division the authority to march into any election to pick political and economic winners and losers.

HR 5 “Equality Act” intended to sow division between sexual identity and biological sex issues that arise in the broad range of community, educational, religious, and sports and recreational circumstance.

HR 842 “Protecting the Right to Organize Act” intended to increase Democrat party control by promoting labor union organization and power in businesses also known as “Workers of the World, Unite!” right out of Marx and Engel’s Communist Manifesto.

Examples: Black Lives Matter, Defund the Police, Cancel Culture, and Critical Race Theory