MAGA

Will He Find Fruit?

By: Denny-

I started my day today as I usually do with my morning coffee. I was a little hungry, so I had a piece of hot cornbread leftover from supper last night. It is a rainy gloomy Fall day as I sit looking out the dining room window. The high today will be 48 and raining off and on all day. Most of the trees have shed their leaves, but there are some that are still vibrant yellow including one in our front yard. I went outside and swept the wet leaves away from the front door and off the deck. It is Election Day, and I hung out our flag. The voting place for our precinct is one block away at the golf course clubhouse. I noticed the official “Vote Here” sign with the arrow pointing that direction is planted near the curb on the corner of our yard. There isn’t much traffic yet, but those who work may vote during the noon hour or after work. In talking with people I know, they like many others already voted earlier, as we also did. I’m optimistic that Donald Trump will win the election, but I wonder if Republicans will have the needed majority in the House and Senate to help him fulfill his promised agenda. The fate and direction of America hinges on that happening, and it all lies in the hands of “We the People”. The concern I have is that many people will not recognize or discern the times we are living in.

There are two times mentioned in the Bible where Jesus wept. One is found in John 11:35 at the tomb of Lazarus prior to Him raising him from the dead. The other is found in Luke 19:41. Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it. This took place as He was entering Jerusalem in what Christianity celebrates as Palm Sunday. All four gospels record how Jesus entered the temple and drove out those who basically had turned it into a flea market for buying and selling, something it was never meant to be. Matthew 23 goes into detail recording how Jesus exposed the hypocrisy of the religious Pharisees and pulled no punches and showed them no mercy in rebuking them sharply. So why does only Luke record that Jesus wept and why? Matthew gives us a clue to it in chapter 23:37  “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” However, Luke 19 verses 42- 44 make it very clear. “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”  What does this event that took place then have to do with the election today in 2024. I say everything. America as a nation has been unwilling to turn to God despite the ones He has sent to prevent its destruction. In fact, many have thumbed their nose at God declaring, “We don’t need you!” Why, because America has failed to recognize and know the time of its visitation. We have been blessed and favored by God as a nation, but that visitation will soon be removed if we don’t repent and turn back to him. Quite frankly, I don’t see that happening if the radical left agenda continues under a Kamala Harris presidency. I think it is entirely possible that God is giving America one last chance to change by electing Donald Trump. I see Donald Trump not as the savior, but as one with the whip in his hand driving out the political corruption in Washington DC. Just examine and compare the differences in their policies and track records and see which ones most closely align with the Word of God, and you may come to the same conclusion. The economic issues of inflation, lost jobs, taxes, higher prices, the crisis of the illegal invasion at the borders, the national debt, wars, crime, gangs and drugs, and many others are important to us, but are they equally important to God. I’m not saying that he doesn’t care about these things, however, I think they are a result of a nation that has lost its way and whose god is not the Lord Jesus Christ. As if that weren’t enough, history and the Bible records that no nation who has killed their babies and children, sold them into slavery, or approved and sanctioned homosexual behaviors, has ever survived. I think God is giving America one last chance to repent based on Luke 13:6-9 “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ “But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’”

There have been multiple events in our recent history that tragedy has struck our nation. It was at those times we were unified under a common cause. For a brief moment we prayed, but before long it was back to business as usual. In other words, no true repentance. Instead of being unified we are a nation divided. I have to wonder if America is already at the point now where if Harris wins, we are in danger of being cut down by God. I’m not saying He will wipe out America immediately, but He will just allow us to self- destruct. Repentance, like voting, is a matter of choice. Perhaps if Trump is elected, God will give us an extended four years to repent and bear good fruit. Who knows. God is watching. Will He find Fruit?

They Stood From Afar

By: Denny-

There were many who followed Jesus when He began to perform miracles of healing and deliverance. The crowds became so large it was often difficult for Him to get away and rest, but He never avoided people or told them to disperse. On one occasion His disciples tried to prevent certain people from coming near Jesus, but He stopped them. After a while there were some who quit following Him because the messages He preached begin to step on their toes. It’s easy to follow Jesus when the miracles happen and things are exciting, but will you still follow Him when His words begin to deal with the condition of your heart. After the Last Supper the remaining eleven disciples followed Him to the Garden of Gethsemane where He told them to watch and pray. He left them and went to pray alone. He returned to them three times and found them sleeping, to which He said, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! Rise up, let us go, see my betrayer is at hand.” (Mark 14: 41- 42) They all fled as Judas betrayed Jesus and He was arrested. At His trial Peter stood from afar hoping not to be recognized, but when he was, he denied that he knew Jesus. At His crucifixion, His mother Mary and John stood close while all the other disciples were absent or stood from afar because of fear.

To those who claim to be Christian and a follower of Jesus, I must ask, “Are you standing afar off?” It’s easy to be a follower of Jesus in church on Sunday, but what happens the rest of the week. Do you avoid situations, conversations, and opportunities for fear you may be recognized as a Christian? Do you possess a value system based on the truths of the Bible that is reflected in your actions and speech? Are you being the salt and light that the world and more specifically America so desperately needs in this moment of time? Pastors are you speaking out from the pulpit on the moral issues facing our nation this election, or are you standing afar off and fearful of losing your precious 503 tax exemption.  (Matthew 5:13-16) “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven.“ Salt is used to change the flavor of whatever it is added to or put on. When you add salt to salt you only get more salt volume and nothing changes. I wonder how many self-proclaimed Christians only add or apply salt to each other, never changing the flavor of anything outside the four walls of their church or selected inner circle. Their light also has become as selective and ineffective as a flashlight with dying batteries. When you turn on a light in a dark room you expect it to light up everything, including the political corner, because light is not selective. If that sounds harsh, condescending, and offensive to you then it’s time to put on your “Big Boy” pants because that’s exactly what Jesus was saying in the above verses.

We are at a critical pivotal point in our nation’s history. The election results on November 5th  will decide if Donald Trump backs up the garbage truck or if Kamala Harris continues to lead us down the slippery slope to oblivion. The Democrat party along with their political operatives and their ungodly policies and tactics have incrementally set America on a path of destruction for the last 50 plus years. Just as in the parable of the wheat and tares (Matthew 13:24-25) it happened under the cover of darkness while men (Christians) slept. Where have those who possess the salt and light been? Many have compromised and turned their backs on truth, just as did so many who quit following Jesus. Others have stood watching from afar not wanting to get involved out of cowardliness or fear of being recognized and persecuted as a believer in Jesus Christ. When I hear statistics that millions of Christians don’t vote it boggles my mind. Their absence from the election process and apathy made the difference which gave us the Biden-Harris debacle. Why?  I can’t answer that question other than to say they will give an account to God for burying in the ground, as it were, the one talent (vote) that was given to them. The parable of the talents found in Matthew 25:14-30 is a stark reality that should motivate every Christian to participate in this election. When someone shouted out “Jesus is Lord” at a Kamala Harris event, she told them they were in the wrong rally. When asked what she would do different from the past four years if elected she replied, “Nothing comes to my mind.” What about President Biden lashing out and calling Trump supporters “garbage”. Christian, what else do you need to know to make up your mind and vote, short of a swift kick in the pants by God.

God isn’t interested in lame King Saul-like excuses, only results. Some may say, “I don’t like either candidate” or “It’s like voting for the lesser of two evils.” That’s a big excuse that the uninformed use all the time, but it won’t hold water any longer. It’s time for people to put on their common sense thinking and stop letting emotions and past party loyalty guide their vote. This is bigger than Trump or Harris. This is about the failed policies of the radical left that are intent on dismantling America and rebuilding it into an image that we must bow down to and worship. How can anyone calling themselves a Christian, with any Bible knowledge, discernment, and convictions whatsoever, vote for this continued wicked insanity or not vote at all. This is a battle between good and evil, and all it takes for evil to win is for good moral people to stick their heads in the sand and do nothing. Yes, God is sovereign; however, He chooses to work with and through those who participate with Him. Open your Bible and read the stories of the great men and women of old such as Abraham, Moses, Joseph, Esther, Nehemiah, David, Daniel, Elijah, Noah and countless others who God used to accomplish His will. Guess what, none of them were without faults and perfect, so stop withholding your vote waiting for the perfect presidential candidate. Inflation is killing our economy, taxes, crime, and the price of groceries and gas are high and rising. Innocent lives are lost daily through abortion, human trafficking, gangs and the drugs they bring with them. The Biden-Harris administration is indifferent towards Isreal, and we are on the verge of WW3. Millions of people have illegally crossed our borders and are occupying our country on your dollar, but are you more upset and irate that someone else has occupied your guarded precious place you always sit in at church. Your silence by not voting is the same as approving and agreeing with all the above. To quote the words of Jesus again, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! Rise up, let us go, see my betrayer is at hand.” I don’t think it is wrong to apply this scripture to our current conditions in America. It is time to awake from sleep, rise up, and go vote because many are they who are betraying America. America needs a spiritual awakening, but Christians need a heart shaking rival of their call to be salt and light. May we all rise up with courage, confidence, determination, and trust in the Lord that we will be the generation of salt and light that turned this nation back to God so those who come after us won’t be able to say, “They stood from afar”
 

Send Someone Else (part 2)

By: Denny-

(Before reading this blog I encourage you to scroll down or select Send Someone Else part 1 from the menu and read it first to understand this one better.) Please share them both with your friends. Thank you!

She stands on the side of the road, disheveled, broken, beat up, and abused. She seems dazed and confused about where she is, how she got there, or the way back home. She recalls her former beauty and with tear filled eyes whispers, “Look what they’ve done to me.” No longer respected, those who pass by ridicule and mock her, taking delight in her condition and adding to her misery. Still others likewise treat her who was once loved with disdain and contempt. She struggles to push forward down the road, but time and again finds it difficult to even catch her breath, wondering who, if any, will stop to help her. She feels robbed of her very soul, and contemplates if this could be the end as her lifeblood is drained from her. Many pass by her with sarcastic, indifferent, and arrogant smiles that appear to be taunting. Some don’t even notice her pleas for help being focused and distracted by their own problems. Sadly, many more are those who just don’t want to get involved saying, “Send someone else.”

She is Lady Liberty, America, land of the free and home of the brave. The mother of democracy. A city once set on a hill as a shining beacon of a God-fearing and God-honoring nation that gave light, hope, and served as a guide to the rest of the world whose freedom was being suppressed. A place where parents were able to raise their children without fear of government intervention. Where schools and colleges actually educated people in the basics needed to become functioning adults, not indoctrination centers for the latest socially accepted and politically correct perversion. A time when Disney produced family friendly G rated movies, not R rated Woke garbage, and story hour at the local library was told by grandmas, not drag queens. Where the most innocent and vulnerable among us were protected and not murdered before they were born or shortly afterwards. Boys were boys, girls were girls, men were men, and women were women, and everyone knew the difference. You knew which bathroom you belonged in, what clothes to wear, and what sport to play in. When you attended a wedding, you expected it to be between one man and one woman, performed by a legitimate clergy who at least quoted scripture and mentioned God’s plan for marriage, not someone self-ordained by the First Lesbyterian Church. Inflation was nonexistent, people could afford to buy a house, a car and gas for it, put good food on their tables, pay the bills, and still have a little money left over to spend on leisure. The only people who wore masks were crooks and thieves. Taxes were low, wages were high, and the Social Security Trust Fund was not at risk. You didn’t have to lock your doors, you knew your neighbors, and everyone looked after each other. You didn’t have to arrive hours before your flight. “Made in the USA” was the dominant label, not “Made in China”. We controlled the Panama Canal, owned our own farmland, drilled and produced our oil, gas, and diesel. The National Strategic Petroleum Reserve was full, and we didn’t have to buy it from foreign countries. Where the news media were actually unbiased journalists, not vomiting out a bunch of propaganda and calling it truth. The president was a genuine leader, not a puppet manipulated by the rich and powerful elitists behind closed doors. Our military was the greatest, a fighting force to be reckoned with that projected peace through strength not to be messed with. Instead, no thanks to the liberals, it has become just another LGBTQ failed social experiment. Churches stood for righteousness and those behind the pulpits preached the whole gospel, not watered down, half-truth, milk-toast, feel-good sermons absent of the Holy Spirit’s anointing and conviction. The police were respected and honored, and you had no reason to fear them if you were doing good and not breaking the law. Hardened criminals were put in prison and stayed there. Parents raised us to know right from wrong, good from bad, and there was such a thing as absolute truth. The American dream was alive and well and the opportunity to achieve your definition of it was there if you applied yourself. Everybody pulled their own weight, and we weren’t dependent on government handouts to meet our needs. If you took out a loan, you paid it off. People were hired, promoted, and elected because they were the most qualified, not a result of all this diversity, equity, and inclusion nonsense. Elections were trusted and secure, and people had enough common sense and discernment to see past all the lies, rhetoric, and gas lighting. Votes could not be bought or earned by opening the flood gates of our borders to those illegals who do not have the right to any benefits paid for on the backs of hard-working citizens, much less the right to vote. The Constitution didn’t need to be reinvented or reinterpreted by politically correct judges ruling from the bench. We aren’t stupid or illiterate, we know what it says. Democracy was defined by our founding fathers who wrote the Constitution, not by godless politicians, judges, and their Marxist buddies, facilitating their own misguided version of it, rewriting history, and destroying America. For what reason? It’s nothing less than their unquenchable thirst for power, control, and their own selfish gain regardless of the cost. These all are the ones who have cast America on the side of the road, and it is by design, because they hate her and what she stands for. Welcome to the new normal, or so they tell us.

The two most powerful words in the Bible are: “But God”. Meaning, He always gets the last and final word on everything, no matter how impossible and hopeless it may look to us on this side of Heaven. If America is to ever be restored to her former glory, it will be by His hand. However, He’s not going to just snap his finger and make it happen. He’s looking for some courageous people with a backbone to partner with Him. People like David, who was a teenager, yet single-handedly defeated Goliath the giant when everyone else cowered in fear. Daniel prayed even though the government made it a law not to. His friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego refused to bow down to the political mandates of their time. Elijah confronted evil and wickedness and saw God do the miraculous. Women like Esther who risked her life, and Deborah who led the men into battle. Gideon was just an average guy when God called him to defeat the Midianite army with only 300 men. And then there was Abraham, Noah, Moses, Nehemiah, Josiah, and so many others of faith who just believed God and didn’t waver or draw back. These all were not without their faults and failures, but God isn’t looking for perfect people, only for those who will say, “Yes” and avail themselves to be used by Him. You aren’t perfect, but are you available? You have a voice and a vote.

Statistics show that those who claim to be Christians are the largest group that doesn’t vote. They have the power to sway every election, but choose not to get involved. They are like those who see the tragic condition and hear the pleas of America as she cries out for help on the side of the road, yet passively drive by saying, “Send someone else”. My word to them is you are either a part of the problem because of your apathy, or a part of the solution because of your integrity. Gone are the days when you can afford to sit at the family table with friends or relatives in your own little bubble and say, “We don’t talk about religion or politics”. Maybe if you had, America wouldn’t be in the mess she’s in. Now is the time to let your voice be heard, because if the Democrats win this one, guess who they’re coming after first with a vengeance. If you truly are a Christian, know God and believe His word, how can you in good conscience support the Democrat party and their agenda? They aren’t the same party you, your parents, and grandparents have always voted for. Make America Great Again is Donald Trump’s call to arms to Fight! Fight! Fight! and it reflects the hearts and sentiments of millions across this nation who say, “We’ve had enough”. We must Win! Win! Win! The battle lines have been drawn and it’s about to get intense. Don’t listen to the lying Fake News or believe the skewed polls. From now until the election the current administration will perform some sleight of hand tricks and act like they are conservatives. This is right out of their playbook in order to appear more moderate and draw those in the middle off-sides. Don’t fall for it, they are radical leftist communists. If it looks, walks and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck. Stay the course, stand your ground. It’s no coincidence or by luck that President Trump’s life was spared on July 13th, narrowly missing an assassin’s bullet. It was a huge “But God” moment and should serve to remind us that He always gets the last and final word. Romans 8:31 What shall we say to these things? If God is for us who can be against us. Pray and vote on November 5th. Be that “Someone Else” who helps save America. She needs you now more than ever before.