Adonijah Spirit

Two weeks ago, I was awakened by the Lord early in the morning. He started showing me a parallel between Adonijah, a son of King David, and the spirit that was in him causing him to cast off God in his quest for power. The next night, the Lord again awakened me and showed me how Adonijah grieved the Holy Spirit and how that is being done by leaders in our country today. All for power and self.

In 1 Kings 1 we see a King David that is old and soon to die. Advanced in years and unable to stay warm. The servants of David searched throughout Israel to find one to look over David and keep him warm. They found Abishag the Shunammite and brought her to the king. In her we see a symbolic parallel to the Holy Spirit. She was a caregiver. Quiet and humble. Not looking to draw attention to herself. A caretaker that embodies the goodness of the Spirit of the Lord. This was not an arrangement like that with other Kings who had a caretaker in their last days. David never knew her. (1 Kings 1:4)

After King David died, Adonijah sought the kingship of his father. But it was promised to David’s son, Solomon. So Adonijah sought to work behind the scenes to take the kingship. When he became aware that his brother Solomon had been anointed King by Nathan the prophet and Zadok the priest, he sought underhanded means to gain power. He asked for Abishag, the Shunammite woman who was King David’s caretaker, as his wife. This would give him standing and maybe a chance to usurp the throne. His evil plans were thwarted and his life was forfeited. And today we watch as so many use the name of the Holy Spirit to try to attain power and influence. This will not end well.

Today we watch and listen to people who compare Donald Trump to Jesus. We see people like Paula White and Franklin Graham extol the virtues of Trump and are basically saying he walks in the blessings of the Holy Spirit. One like Jesus. We listen to constant profane and deranged messages daily from Trump. We see him attack any religious leader who does not stand with him and his ongoing war of words with the Pope who has called him out for his ungodly ways. And we just recently saw Trump post a picture of himself as Jesus the healer. Only He can heal you. But with the backlash, he’s now saying that was a picture of him as a doctor.  

What we see today in our country, especially with maga Christianity/politics, is that same spirit that operated in Adonijah. No sin is too wicked if it gets what you want. That Adonijah spirit is seen in all who would basically prostitute the Holy Spirit if it could attain power for you. Jesus said in Matthew 12:31-32, “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or the age to come.” Yet so many have no fear when they equate the works of the Holy Spirit to men looking to gain power. To men seeking greater riches. To men who care nothing for their fellow man and look for ways to harm the disenfranchised. To steal from. To murder. To cover up the rape of children. To do whatever evil one can to maintain power.

We are at a place where there is scant time left to cast off this wickedness. To call out those who openly display that Adonijah spirit seen in so many today. To walk from it and in no way provide anything that shows support. Even remaining silent in the face of this grieves the Holy Spirit. All unrighteousness is sin, but this spirit that would use His Spirit to gain power will call for a terrible reckoning. Turn from this now. To not turn away is to physically embrace one who has the most virulent form of leprosy.  But still, we should realize it is not as terrible for what awaits one who would use the Holy Spirit like Trump and his minions.

We are of God and He has given us understanding to what is true. Yet we see that the world is under the sway of the wicked one. Recognize this Adonijah spirit that would prostitute the Holy Spirit for power. Turn from it. Keep yourselves from idols. Pray without ceasing. Stand! Blessings.

Folly

I see a fitting parallel by the choice of our country’s allies today opting to sit back and not participate in another Trump international folly to that of King Jehoshaphat in 850 B.C. They have seen a mad king look to garner more power and riches for himself. And they have watched him expect their obeisance when he just said they had never done anything for the United States. This said after many countries had given the lives of their service people to come to our aid after 9/11. Yet Trump expects blind loyalty and in anger threatens to leave NATO over this perceived slight. And our allies now sit and watch the idiocy of madmen unfold.

King Jehoshaphat of Judah made the mistake of aligning with evil King Ahaziah of Israel, the son of Ahab and Jezebel. Jehoshaphat had previously been warned by the prophet Jehu to not help the wicked or show love to those who hate the Lord. He didn’t etch those words in his memory. So once again he went along with a request to aid the evil King Ahaziah and send his ships along with Israel on a venture in Tarshish to secure gold. These riches would help secure their economic prosperity and lead to more world power. But God sent a storm and totally destroyed the ships before they could set sail. A great financial loss. And God sent a prophet, Eliezer, to tell Jehoshaphat, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the Lord has destroyed your works.”

How many countries that have always aligned themselves with America now sit back and weigh each situation because of the lies and treachery of Trump and those he surrounds himself with? They have wisely opted to not take a major role in this war of convenience for Trump. A war to gain personal power. To attempt to frighten those that stand against him. To acquire more wealth. With no care as to the innocents killed or the loss of lives of our service people when we previously had a treaty in place (the JCPOA that Trump withdrew from in 2018) giving us oversight of Iran’s nuclear abilities. The right to send in inspectors. And we supposedly had already “obliterated” all their capabilities 8 months ago. So much for that doing the trick. And now all Americans are paying a price.

We can expect more obfuscating at the highest levels in our government. More outright lies. More timelines changed to fit a fictitious narrative. These nations we call allies are wise to stand back from this evil of Trump. Proverbs 16:5 says, “Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Though they join forces, none will go unpunished.” And even in all this evil and death, Trump is looking to gain riches. Proverbs 21:6 warns us, “Getting treasures by a lying tongue is the fleeting fantasy of those who seek death.” And this is folly. A war of Trump’s own choosing. As we are warned in Ephesians 5:11, “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” And this is darkness and evil from one in Donald Trump in whom no good thing resides. We must take a stand against all this evil so present in our country right now. We must pray without ceasing. Do not repeat the folly of King Jehoshaphat and align with that which has no place in God. Blessings.

Slain in the Spirit

A most revealing truth regarding the deity of the man Jesus Christ is revealed in John 18. Jesus has just agonized in prayer, sweating great drops of blood, in the Garden of Gethsemane. Judas comes to betray Jesus with a detachment of Roman troops. Some believe it could have been 500-600 men. Either way, a large group of soldiers. Jesus asks them who they are seeking. They answer, “Jesus of Nazareth.” He answers with words and a phrase indicating who He was and the power and authority He walked in. He said “I Am He.” At that point all the soldiers, and Judas, fell to the ground. They could not stand in even the briefest presence of His authority being revealed.

This is often cited as the origin of the phrase “slain in the spirit.” No one could stand in the revealed presence of the Lord. John, the beloved disciple, the one who laid his head on Jesus’ breast, could not stand before His majesty and authority in Revelations 1:17. When John saw Jesus in all His power and majesty, he said “I fell at his feet as dead.” Yet the Roman soldiers and Judas still arrested Jesus after they got up. It seems incredulous that they could be this addled, but this was allowed.

From this most holy and fearful moment in time, the church used the phrase “slain in the spirit” to explain people falling under the power of the Holy Spirit, especially when the one ministering to people laid hands on them. At times, this phenomenon was quite powerful. People would be laid out for minutes to extended periods of time. They could experience extreme peace, to shaking, to heat, to trembling, to electricity coursing through their body. This was common and became an expected sign at many church meetings. People were delivered from great problems to physical healing. But after a while, some came more for the signs than for the presence of the Lord. Some even fell back to avoid having hands laid on them, and some did it out of expectation that this was what you were supposed to do. I’ve experienced this and know it was real. I’ve seen great signs and wonders during this, but it came to be misused. I’ve witnessed it being misused too often. And now it seems some of that Holy Spirit power that once seemed to be so present, has become infrequent in presence and power. Quite sad. When present, it’s glorious.

I feel what is most important to note is that all those soldiers and Judas were not ripped from their evil appointed task by sheer awareness of the presence of God. “I Am” was right before them. He touched them. Yet they continued on their hell-bent mission. And today we watch as so many who claim to know Jesus follow doctrines of demons. They have no problem with ignoring the poor or hating their neighbor. Of justifying one who sits in our oval office free and protected of crimes of sexual misconduct, lying, stealing, grifting, using the name of the Lord for his own interests, and covering up the crimes of pedophilia. We have His story before us to know the true path, yet so many follow the path of the evil one. And they do so while proudly wearing a cross. While loudly claiming to know Him.

The great “I Am” is coming soon. Many believers will spend Easter acknowledging what Jesus did. But many need to realize they’ve been following a different gospel. A Jesus of their own making. A gospel that will not stand when placed before Him. All will bow before Him. It’s best to do so now. While it is yet today do not harden your hearts or remain on a path that leads you away from His truth. Endeavor to enter His rest. To fall before Him in love and worship. He is worthy. Blessings.

Words We Speak

We often, in fits of pique, speak things so contrary to what we as Christians are taught to say. Hopefully those are aberrations and not our norm. We so often can be put on display whereby people can see us or read us as living epistles. One set aside as ministers of the one we say we worship, Jesus Christ. Where thoughts contrary to His teachings can be cast down and brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians10). Yet, as is spoken in Romans 3:23, “We all sin and fall short of the glory of God.”

But we also see in Romans 1 that many do fall considerably short. Many are filled with unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness. They are backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving and unmerciful. This is a good part of the character that we find in Donald Trump. And these disgusting personality traits are becoming more on display each day. The words “love your adversaries” is not something he cares to understand.

Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupt or unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only that which is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to those who hear.” Former FBI chief Robert Mueller just recently died. He led the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election that Trump won. Mueller was a man of integrity. He served under 5 administrations, both republican and democrat. A former Marine who served in Vietnam and was awarded the Bronze Star with Valor and a Purple Heart. He’s in the Ranger Hall of Fame. He was a man of faith and decency. A tireless public servant. Unassuming. Yet on the day of his death we hear more evil from Donald Trump saying, “Good. I’m glad he’s dead. Now he can no longer hurt innocent people.” Trump of course is referring to himself as innocent of any wrongdoing.

I’m still looking for the “Evangelical Christians” to speak to this constant double standard they have for Trump. 2 Corinthians 5 tells us that if we are in Christ, we are new creations. The old man must be put away. We become new creations. I realize this doesn’t happen overnight, but there is no scripture you can show me where some people are exempt from ever having to put on Christ. To cast off the old man of sin. To not weigh each word that proceeds from our mouth. When Proverbs 17:5b says, “He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished,” I cannot find a verse that refutes that. We reap what we sow and Donald trump has sown to the flesh his entire life. Yet his defenders in the faith are too numerous to be numbered.

The Apostle James asks us if a spring can send forth both fresh and bitter water from the same opening. Yet we do that with our words. And the same people that say they bless God, use the same mouth to steadfastly bless Trump. They invent and justify ways to glorify him. They say anything from “he’s sent by God, one who will bring in Jesus and win Armageddon,” to “he’s a baby Christian and not responsible for his conduct.” We are responsible for our words and deeds. And thank God we can come before Him and repent and be cleansed. Yet in Trump we’ve found one that has nothing to repent of. Time to realize that there is none without sin and words do matter. We must come before Him and confess always. The deity Trump worships does not care about repentance. Only about doing that which is contrary to Christ. Step away from this man of perdition and seek His embrace. Cast off every word that does not produce life. Pray without ceasing. Stand. Blessings.

Smoking Firebrand

Isaiah 7 shows us a picture of turmoil, war and fear. The Lord tells Isaiah to go and meet Ahaz, King of Judah, and tell him to not fear or be fainthearted at the threat of war and destruction from Rezin, king of Syria and from Pekah, king of the northern tribes of Israel. The Lord tells Isaiah to say they will be like two smoking firebrands. They shall be extinguished. And they were.

A smoking firebrand is the stick used to stir up a fire. It can then be used to start another fire. Or it can be set aside and it will go out. But before it is extinguished, it can set much ablaze. We see in 2 Chronicles 28 that Ahaz and Pekah killed tens of thousands of people of Judah by these firebrands. God sent a prophet, Oded, to tell those responsible that they killed with “a rage that has reached up to heaven.” And today that same spirit of destruction is seen from heaven. So, do we stand idly by? Or do we let our voices against injustice be heard?

Donald Trump is a smoking firebrand. So many that follow him and agree with his evil help stoke the fires of injustice. Killing of innocents by agents of ICE he sent out. Abusing immigrants and jailing even citizens because they look different or speak differently. Working to take away rights because they infringe on Trump’s plan to reign without restraint and to enrich himself illegally. People help stoke the flames of abuse by allowing the cover up of pedophiles. By saying it’s OK to grab women sexually no matter if they object. This evil must be stopped now along with illegal means used by those supporting him. This evil has reached to heaven.

And we are now in a war of Trump’s choosing with Iran. He tore up a treaty in 2018 we had in place that allowed inspectors to go into Iran and monitor their nuclear weapons program. And only 8 months ago, Trump claimed we totally obliterated their nuclear capabilities. Yet here we are again. This goes deeper. We had unqualified people in Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner attempting to negotiate with Iran prior to this conflagration we are now in. And we are abetted in this folly by Benjamin Netanyahu, another firebrand. But do not misunderstand me here. I am pro-Israel. I pray for Netanyahu daily. That he come to know Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus. That he is healed. But that another takes his place. However,there are many extenuating circumstances that motivate him. He, like Trump, needs to stay in office to avoid penalties of wrongdoing. And I feel even though he loves Israel, he has lost his way. But with Trump, it’s different. He may profess love of country but he loves only himself. He is a narcissist. He is self-centered and he looks to prosecute or hurt any/all who stand against him in any way he can. In all that is going on in our country that should cause concern, Trump has managed to enrich himself and have no care as to how unseemly it appears.

This is not a post to share my feelings on Trump being the anti-christ. I respect so many beliefs shared by many I know that feel he is. Until I hear personally from the Lord, I feel he is an anti-christ “like” that is spoken of in 1 John. I pray godly wisdom for all our leaders, but I feel Trump’s standing is like that spoken of by Isaiah to the King of Babylon in Isaiah 14:9. I feel Trump is a smoking firebrand. And too many clueless and ill-informed people support him. Including too many that claim to know Jesus. The Apostle John tells us people like that are of the world. They speak as of the world. And the world hears them. But we are of God. We must not aid and abet in keeping a firebrand smoldering. We have seen the adverse effects of stirring a fire that should be put out. Put on Christ Jesus. Walk in love. Stand for the marginalized. The hurting. The lost. As warned in 1 John, we must be aware of those practicing lawlessness. Firebrands doing their best to scorch and burn to accrue more. Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother (1 John 3:10). This attribute is seen in Trump. Walk from that he espouses. Walk in light. Pray without ceasing. Stand. Blessings.

Do Not Charm the Serpent

If one could keep up with all the contradictory statements coming from our president and those who back him, we would basically need a prescription of Dramamine to combat the ensuing dizziness. Just 8 months ago, our armed forces totally obliterated any nuclear capabilities in Iran. Yet, in that short period of time, we are told they are an imminent threat to harm us. So, we are at war with Iran along with help from Israel, and expect this to be finished soon by our forces from the air. Or maybe it will take longer. Or maybe we will need ground troops. And maybe we’ll need help from NATO forces, yet we’re upset they are not rushing to our aid. But maybe we forgot that Trump totally dismissed anything they ever did to help us, including losing service people in our war with Iraq and Afghanistan after 9/11. But we can take comfort that our troops are being given lessons in how this fight is necessary to bring Jesus to come and lead us to victory in Armageddon. Whew! This can get confusing.

It seems every time our president is in some political or personal quandary and fearful of being outed for his numerous appearances in the Epstein files, we see him in need of being soothed with some kind of praise. Surely, he can’t have made a mistake in his decision to go to war. And it must be a mistake that gas prices are rising as a result since we just took over Venezuela and their oil reserves. So, we should be good. Must be a clerical error in where the money was deposited. I’m sure he had no personal profit from any of this. If all this gives you a headache, take a Tylenol, but first consult with RFK Jr.

Ecclesiastes 10:11-14 tells us “A serpent may bite when it is not charmed; The babbler is no different. The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, But the lips of a fool swallow him up; The words of his mouth begin with foolishness, And the end of his talk is raving madness. A fool multiplies words, and who knows what is to be; Who can tell what will be after him.” When Trump feels slighted or put on notice for his idiocy and inability to govern, even think rationally, his proven response is to strike out. Or to try to deflect, like holding up a shiny object for you to focus your attention on. The problem is it’s an object that can destroy many. From cheating, to enriching oneself, to denigrating, to catering to a base that revels in hurting the innocent, the marginalized. Even killing the innocent. His words have consequences. And in his speech and methods, there is raving madness. And like the fool spoken of by King Solomon, he multiplies his words with endless gibberish that cannot be deciphered with any degree of intellect or understanding. And yet who can tell what will be after him? If we do not stand against this madness and evil, then what awaits us? I have heard some in ministry already tout the attributes of his cohort and vice president JD Vance. More of the same but even more devious. So, we must be careful to not charm the serpent. It cannot be mistaken for anything less than a serpent. Poisonous. Deadly. And the words of a man without a moral compass, without the ability to seek God and bow before Him in reverence and repentance, is like the babbler Solomon describes. And be careful we do not charm this serpent by being quiet, by being complicit. Any word that does not stand against his actions, feeds him. Any action that is contrary to the Cross and not called out, gives fodder in the form of compliance to one who looks to gain more power, regardless of the resulting harm. Pray for Godly wisdom for all. Especially those in a place of decision making. Do not be like those in so many religious circles who say to the wicked, you are righteous. (Proverbs 24:24) It will not end well for you. Do not attempt to charm the serpent.

These are trying times. Darkness seems to be increasing. Seek the light that is in Christ. Follow no other. Cast off the babbler. Do not seek to enable him. To charm him with fake obeisance that will lead to you being bitten. But follow the words of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:11, “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” Time is short. As said before, get on your knees and fight. Pray without ceasing. Stand. Blessings.

Censers

I have shared the warning I’ve received from the Lord regarding Korah in the book of Numbers multiple times. Yet I hear counsel from too many Christian voices saying to hold your voice. Let what is happening in our country play out. It’s like what Jeremiah said in chapter 6 that everyone from the prophet to the priest deals falsely. They seek to heal the hurt of God’s people slightly. This cannot be.

God’s judgement was for all to see with Korah and his followers. The earth opened up and swallowed them. But there were 250 men who were offering incense to the Lord in their censers. Those censers were filled with their prayers. Rebellious prayers. What they wanted, not what was acceptable before the Lord. After the judgement on Korah and his followers, the Lord sent fire from heaven to consume 250 men offering up unholy incense. It was to self. Not to God.

Those censers were flat shaped cups used to offer incense for prayers and to remove ashes from the altar. Churches from the Roman Catholic Church to the Coptic Church, Anglican/Episcopal Church and many others still use censers. The smoke from those censers represent prayers going up to heaven. Yet it is still like those 250 men with Korah that offer up that which is contrary to what the Lord tells us. It speaks to wanting our own way. The Lord told Moses to save the censers of those rebellious men consumed by fire from heaven. I’m not sure what will happen to any censers we use today. Maybe they’ll be presented at some time to show us the receptacle of our ungodly petitions. Maybe they’ll be seen as religious idols used to get our own way even when we should have known what the Lord required from us. Maybe we should have realized that we are the vessels that offer up prayers for guidance, deliverance and forgiveness. Yet like those men consumed by fire, we too often go about offering up prayers that are in complete disobedience to what the Lord requires of us. We too see so many Christians follow after that which is the antithesis of the teachings of Christ. And we are counseled to not speak up. Yet we see and read of the Apostles boldly speaking out and naming those who transgressed. So, do we remain silent to oppression and rape? To racism and anti-semitism? To wars of convenience to cover sin or enrich oneself? To murder? Have we forgotten that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit? That in Him we live and move and have our being? Offer up holiness.

On the day I was preparing this message, I was still thinking about all that the Lord was saying to me.  And at 12:00 AM, while lying in bed, the Lord spoke to me and said, “I will remove their lampstands.” This really bothered me.  I got up and wrote this down. This speaks to so many that follow a god of their own making. So many feel they can use the name of Jesus without repercussion. With impunity. We will all answer for how His name is bandied about. For how we attempt to establish a distorted form of Christian nationalism to set up “our” kingdom on earth. Or for how we remain silent while this is being done before our eyes. You cannot attempt to separate yourself from those who walk contrary to Jesus but still hold hands with those that shake their censers filled with anti-Christ prayers. Love your fellow man, but be separate. Approximately 2700 years ago the prophet Isaiah told us the Lord was saying to us. “Come now, and let us reason together. Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow.” But we must be obedient and willing. There are places where the Lord will remove his presence and His recognition of certain churches. His authority will be removed. But we have access to Him. We have peace with God through Christ Jesus. These are trying times. Be censers that come before Him in holiness. Pray without ceasing. Blessings.

Vichy Government

C.S. Lewis, in his book The Weight of Glory, said “We may never, this side of death, drive the invader out of our territory, but we must be in the Resistance, not in the Vichy Government.” The Vichy Government was the regime in France that surrendered and then submitted to Germany in World War 2. They basically became a puppet government for Nazi Germany. They sold out their own people. We have become familiar to the point of uncaring boredom with the quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer that says, “Silence in the face of evil is in itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” Moving words, but too large of a majority of citizens in the United States see them as just words. Evil that was gaining a foothold has now become a stronghold. One can see many of the Vichy Government authoritarian and collaborationist traits displayed on a daily basis in our country. As Bonhoeffer said, we must stick a spoke in the wheel of this evil to stop it. We must stand and be counted regardless of the cost.

Like Vichy France, a country divided in loyalty to what is right and decent is a country that is dying. One must at some point stand against what is unjust. What is outright evil and has no place in God. We in America are at the door of welcoming more evil every day. We’re watching Trump and his acolytes run roughshod over our Constitution and rights of men. There are some in the church that still try to say that this is God’s man. God did not put him in. Hate did. Prejudice did. Selfishness did. Envy, lying, enriching oneself to the detriment of others did. Abusing, hurting, raping and turning a blind eye to this evil did. Satan did. Vichy France looked to themselves, knowing full well they were complicit in deaths of their fellow countrymen and the deaths of Jews handed over to the Nazis to be exterminated. And we watch as little children are rounded up and traumatized. As people are set up as they follow the law and arrive at their hearings on citizenship only to be arrested. We watch as jack booted U.S. Nazi thugs beat people without fear of repercussion. We watched as Renee Good and Alex Pretti were murdered live on camera for all to see and then watch as the perpetrators appear to walk free. Not much different than the Vichy government capitulating to a Nazi regime.

I feel we have a small window where strength in numbers dissenting with volume might make a difference. Where voices that matter can speak fervently and demand change. Where people standing in mass, in numbers, can cause those on the fence to see the folly of being fearful or undecided. Where those truly guilty of crimes against humanity can be brought to justice. Those that held puppet positions in the Vichy government were either imprisoned for life or executed. I just want them removed forever. Some imprisoned. But gone. And I’d love for the “church” to be convicted to the point of falling on their face before God for the evil they helped bring in. Jesus was quite clear in His words to the priests and Levites in Luke 10 regarding the Good Samaritan. Their inaction in the face of suffering allowed evil to proceed. He sees all. It’s better to read and embrace His words now rather than stand before Him on the day of judgement and hear a tougher message. James 4:17 is quite clear in what it says. “To him who knows to do good and does not, to him it is sin.” We must stand for righteousness. For decency. To protect the marginalized. To call out evil for what it is. For our voices to be heard even if it makes those on the fence uncomfortable. Do not become comfortable in anything resembling a Vichy regime. We must pray without ceasing. Stand! Blessings.

Speak Up

I posted an article I wrote in July of 2018 that received some response, but for the importance of the topic, not enough. The poor response was a harbinger of where we are. It was called “Disguised in Hate.” It spoke to the racism in our country during the Civil War and to where we are headed. One ominous quote I cited was written by Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy, after the war was lost. He said, “The principle for which we contended is bound to reassert itself, though it may be at another time and in another form.” And here we are. President Trump can post a picture of Barack and Michelle Obama as apes and not only receive tepid criticism but give no apology. He knows he can get away with it because there are millions of people that share his evil thoughts, and his billionaire friends will not, at this time, desert him. The fact that this is becoming yesterday’s news is most troubling. Speak up!

Trump has always been a racist. From his days of discriminating with housing to people of color to his indictment of the “Central Park Five” who were found not guilty and received no mea culpa from Trump. He delved into a repellent and disgusting campaign of racism against Obama using “birtherism” to question his being born in America and questioned his faith. This from a man who has hid everything that pertains to his life from his school grades, taxes, his income, his multiple assaults of women, his shady business practices, his lying about bone spurs to avoid military service, his stealing from a charity, and the list goes on. This basically comes down to blatant racism and jealousy that Barack Obama is well received and respected by our allies and by more people than Trump. The Obamas are well educated. Honest. Unpretentious and altruistic as opposed to self-serving. Trump hates that they are perceived as all he wants to be seen as but cannot because he is the epitome of all that is crass and repulsive in a human being. Speak against this!

We now watch as racism is heralded by too many as acceptable. Notable black figures like Jackie Robinson and Colin Powell are having their names erased. Black history is being spoken of as a teaching that divides rather than educates and can cause white people to feel self-conscious. We’re watching as this needed education is being minimized and swept under the rug. Free passes into National Parks for Martin Luther King Jr. day and Juneteenth have been cancelled, but you can get in free on 6/14 which is Trump’s birthday and Flag Day. There are too many people that excuse this evil behavior. It has become a fear induced passive submission. This deep-seated hatred and animosity to people of color is being openly displayed and is being accepted. By either agreement or cowardly and servile acquiescence. Most people who did what Trump did would have been fired. But there is a wafting odor present now emanating from this administration that should cause people to retch, but they are barely holding their noses. There are millions of people who do not support Trump, but have yet to let their disgust be known audibly. Sort of waiting on the sidelines. If you do this you are giving tacit approval for this evil to continue to grow. James 4:17 says that he who knows to do good and doesn’t, to him it will be accorded as sin. And this evil, this racism, is sin. And as it says in 1 John, do not be deceived. He who practices righteousness is righteous. He who sins is of the devil. Racism is sin. Do not underestimate the penalty. Trump looks to talk boldly and brashly, but the Lord says in Jeremiah 49:16, “Your fierceness has deceived you. The pride of your heart. Though you make your nest as high as the eagle. I will bring you down from there says the Lord.” Do not be holding on or standing aligned with Trump when this judgement comes. And it will. Step away from him and his evil. Speak up! Stand! Blessings.

Trail

It’s been awhile since Rob Reiner’s death and I’ve often thought of it. Yet I hesitated to write about it then because of the horrible things said by Donald trump and how it may have affected my response. But I’ve thought about it quite a bit. The response by Trump saying Rob Reiner and his wife’s death was because he was a deranged person. That he was bad for our country. That his death was from a massive, unyielding and incurable disease known as Trump derangement syndrome. Rob Reiner was politically active. He spoke out against injustice. There were some things where he was more liberal than I may have liked, but his heart was genuine. He said, “The most important thing is that you be a good person and you live by the Golden Rule. If you live by that, that’s all I care about. I believe in doing unto others and I believe in forgiveness.” That is the polar opposite of any creed Trump may believe in. Rob Reiner cared about others. Trump cares only for Trump.

Romans 14:7 says our lives are interconnected, not isolated. Our actions and choices leave a lasting impression on others. No one lives just to himself or dies just to himself. We leave a trail of who we are/were. Some leave a lasting impact. For good or bad. For truth or a lie. Look at the trail left by Rob Reiner. He, like all of us, had flaws. He may have stood for some causes that angered some. But his motives were altruistic as opposed to one like Trump who is self- seeking and narcissistic. Altruism would be where Trump would quote a line from “Princess Bride,” directed by Reiner, and say “inconceivable!” Reiner left a legacy of decency, friendship, standing for what was right, whether popular or not, in his life as an activist and as a director of films like Princess Bride, Stand By Me, When Harry Met Sally, and A Few Good Men. The principle of good vs bad is often portrayed. Right vs wrong. Love vs hate. Forgiveness and redemption. He may have been too far to the left politically for some, but his heart spoke a message of beauty that so many are unable to articulate in their own lives. He did it without reservation. Princess Bride and Stand By Me are two of my favorite films. They speak of love, hope, friendship, and goodness. There is nothing in Trump’s life that speaks to any of those qualities. Only self, hate, lying, stealing, hurting, killing, blaspheming, sexually abusing, overseeing murder, all while waving flags that represents America and God. We are warned to turn away from such people. Try to picture films that would portray what was in Trump’s mind. Most would be X rated. Filled with so much evil. Special warnings would be given for all viewers.

I, like so many, regret many choices and bad decisions I’ve made in my life. But I grasp I John 1:9 as a lifeline. We all sin and fall short of His glory but we can repent. In Trump we see one who has stated he has nothing to repent of. Anyone who stands by such a statement will hear, “Depart from Me, I never knew you.” So, can we honestly reflect on the trail we will leave on this earth? We do not live or die just to ourselves. There is even a record of every word we speak. We need to honestly assess the trail, even legacy, of what we leave in this life. We need to measure how it lines up to the precepts of what Jesus taught. To basic principles of right and wrong. Love and hate. We can turn from all that which is the antithesis of the trail Jesus left for us or we can stubbornly refuse and keep following that which draws with evil intent like what we see/hear in one like Trump. Keep refusing to hear words of life which bring only death and then you will hear the line spoken from Princess Bride, “As You Wish.” Leave a trail that leads to everlasting life. Blessings.