Stand My Watch

How many times in our formative years did we see the look of disbelief and anger on a child when the turn of events was due to trickery, deceit, swindling, and then heard the words, “You cheated!” This deceit just seems to be more refined in its swindling, subterfuge and trickery as we grow up. But it still results in someone being cheated. And on a spiritual level, it is even more deceptively evil in its intent.

Colossians 2:8 warns us, “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the traditions of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” The Apostle Paul is warning us not to be taken captive or imprisoned by hollow and deceptive philosophy. It is akin to being plundered and taken as war booty. To being spiritually kidnapped by lies.

False teachers peddle a gospel that is contrary to what Christ taught. Man-made philosophies that ensnare our very souls. Paul is not condemning philosophy, but is condemning those teachings that combine pagan philosophy with true religion. Basic worldly principles entwined with wrong spiritual powers that seek to govern human life separate from God. Traditions of men that have become common place and accepted, yet seek to undermine our relationship with the Lord.

Too many seem to have become comfortable with lies and outright thievery that has crept into our daily lives. Doing whatever is necessary to gain wealth and power. And watching “the church” become part and parcel with this strategy as they have been given a place at the table. They have set aside the realization that this is “worldly” thinking and false theology. Realization based on human rules and customs not based on divine revelation. This worldly thinking is based on and influenced by demonic spiritual powers. It’s a hollow and deceptive philosophy that may allow you to gain riches and standing in the eyes of man, but in the end, you will only hear the terrifying words, “Depart from Me, I never knew you.”

Somehow, we have become numb to what we are to do in the face of this doctrine of lies seeking to ensnare your soul. We watch as people in government and the church embrace the ministry of power. Be it “Seven Mountain” or Christian Nationalism. It has no part in the command to “take up your cross.” It negates the warning from Jesus for those who mistreat His little ones or those in lack. It totally dismantles the command to “love your neighbor.” Yet so many fail to stand and be heard in speaking against these false doctrines. These worldly principles that bring only separation from Jesus. If you embrace worldly lies you just cheat yourself.

While Jesus paid attention to the wealth and power we seem to worship, He was more focused on giving warnings as to what is required to enter His kingdom. Paul further warns us in 2 Timothy 3 that ‘Evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” Still, many people posing as servants of the Lord go about giving false prophecies and cite dreams to build up and solidify their false doctrines. And because so many have cast off truth and embraced lies, they have endangered their own salvation through the embrace of spiritual forces working to undermine the basic truth of Jesus Christ. Turn from this evil enticement before it’s too late. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 10 that we are to cast down everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. Bring every false doctrine and thought into the obedience of Christ. This demonic joining of worldly quest for power, riches, and vain philosophy only brings separation from walking with Jesus. Seek what is eternal. All else is fleeting. Do not let yourself be cheated. Stand. Blessings.

Jeremiah 17:11 says, “As a partridge that hatches eggs it has not laid, so is a person who makes a fortune, but unjustly. In the middle of his days it will abandon him, and in the end he will be a fool.” This person will eventually lose their fortune. It can happen unexpectedly in the middle of their days or even worse, it can be when you stand before Him in judgement and you realize you have nothing to show. You cannot take it with you.

This is like the rich young ruler in Matthew 19 who asks Jesus what he must do to have eternal life. Jesus tells him commandments he must follow but then tells him what he still lacks. He tells him to sell what he has and give it to the poor and then he will have treasure in heaven. And then he can come and follow Jesus. As it states, the rich young man went away sorrowful because he had great treasures. Jesus then says to His disciples that it is hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of heaven. And that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter His kingdom. It is not the wealth that hinders the man. It is where his heart is. And today too many rich men’s hearts are so far from what Jesus spoke.

The last part of Jeremiah 17:11 speaks to the one who gains their fortune unjustly, ending up a fool. This is not one without intellect, but one who acts as if God does not exist. One who lives without regard for divine wisdom and no concern for eternal consequences. As Jeremiah warns us, the heart is deceitfully wicked. And it is easy to see today how the amassing of wealth for power exceeds any commandment of the Lord. Our hearts are not aligned with His.

In 1980 the United States had just 13 billionaires. Compare that to 400 in 2010, and 900 today. Yet the income of the average worker is shrinking. It’s harder to afford groceries, or rent, or buy a home. The minimum wage has not kept pace with the wages of the wealthiest. Healthcare is unaffordable. Education costs have risen past what the average American can afford. I hear some in Congress and some wealthy men in our country say people should work longer or work two jobs. Yet in the same breath they offer no help with childcare. And they look to cut Medicare, Medicaid, and social security which they claim to be entitlements, yet we have paid into them.

We seem to have lost sight of how immense this current great and obscene wealth really is. And we have one in Elon Musk close to being a trillionaire. How can one even conceive of these unimaginable riches while so much of our world is in poverty and sickness? Food is scarce in so many countries and medicine is lacking. Water is so often polluted. Only a few billionaires are actually charitable. Too many still seek greater riches and working to align with the power base that guarantees their pursuit of riches. Judgement is coming and many seem unaware.

James 5 warns these rich and corrupt men that, “Your riches are corrupted. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord.” Do not look to so many of these notable rich people as if they are to be emulated. Too many serve a god of their own making. Seek Him to supply all your needs according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus. Pray without ceasing. Stand. Blessings.

There is a technique used in behavioral psychology called a Ulysses Pact. It is basically an advance directive made by a patient of sound mind relating to future decisions. This often has to do with medication directives or end of life decisions. A patient may declare what their future wishes are while in a healthy cognitive state. This will allow medical staff to act on those present wishes at a later date when the patient is not of sound mind.

This can also apply to gambling addicts, drug or alcohol abusers, or even to people prone to making bad decisions that might affect financial matters. It’s a voluntary decision to limit future bad choices that would adversely affect you or others in a position to be negatively impacted. It’s a commitment device that can save one a lot of problems from poor future actions.

What if we had directives like this for politicians? They put their hand on the Bible and promise to uphold the Constitution but it’s too often just a symbolic act. In the last presidential swearing in, Trump didn’t even put his hand on the bible. We have laws to hold politicians legally responsible to their oath but they don’t seem to have any true power. Everyone seems to walk after the dictates of their own heart and does what is right in their own eyes. (Proverbs 12 and Jeremiah 9).

I watched some of the Trump interview with Kristen Welker. I find it harder each day to believe this man is even allowed to speak much less believe he can make decisions on national security. This is not like his first term when there were people to act as guide rails when he went off on a tangent. There is no one that reins him in. From conspiracy theories, to name calling, to deranged messaging throughout the night, to making up stories of talks with world leaders, to having public meltdowns, we are seeing one that should have had a Ulysses Pact signed as a little boy. And yet there are religious leaders that still tout Trump as a man sent by God. There are so many in congress that will not say no more for fear of Trump’s disapproval. So, we watch a spoiled, obstinate, and demonic child throw another fit.

The problem with my opening premise is Trump has never been of sound mind. He’s always been a malignant narcissist. This Ulysses Pact would never have been even considered. There is always the 25th Amendment if we had people around him with a spine or of sound minds. We need to remind ourselves that the carnal mind is always at odds with God and those of the flesh do not please God. (Romans 8)

I pray Godly people stand up and say enough of this. That all that is contrary to His word is cast off. Proverbs 14:16 says, “A wise man fears and departs from evil, But a fool rages and is self-confident.” Have no part of the foolish man who follows a god of his own making. I pray we all continue to seek and stand. Blessings.

These words, “Are You Not entertained,” were spoken by the one-time Roman general Maximus played by Russell Crowe in the movie Gladiator. It has been said that line was ad-libbed, but has remained as a crucial and noteworthy line. He shouted these words after being forced to fight opponents in the arena. Maximus then asked, “Is this not what you came for?” He had been cast into slavery as a gladiator for his refusal to give his allegiance to the new emperor Commodus. He had previously given his allegiance to Commodus’ father, Marcus Aurelius. But Commodus was not a man deserving of favor. And today we see a similar fate to anyone who does not show blind faith to a wanna be emperor in Donald Trump.

America is watching as our White House is being further debased as Trump has the seat of our nation’s capital turned into a UFC fighting ring. This is to be a distraction from all the blunders of a war started to distract us from his personal foibles. This in turn has led to high prices for gas and staple items, leading to further discontent in America. The political backlash of people speaking against him and plummeting poll numbers has led Trump and his cronies to once again look for a diversion. So, like the emperor Commodus, he uses a spectacle of people fighting to gain appeal. One can see the similarity of Trump striking out against those he feels have slighted him.

I sincerely doubt Trump has ever pondered the words of Franklin Delano Roosevelt saying, “I never forget that I live in a house owned by the American people and that I have been given their trust.” If only someone would read to him the words of David in Psalm 101: 7 saying, “He who works deceit shall not dwell in My house. He who tells lies shall not continue in My presence.” This would scare a seeker of the Lord. Trump has his own god.

We are watching a combining of Flag Day, our Nation’s 250th year of independence, and Trump’s birthday. And we are seeing who he is in the display of this garish spectacle. In actuality, this is no different than his grifts of selling phones that won’t be delivered, to sneakers, to bibles, to watches, to digital trading cards, to victory gold medallions and so much more. All under the guise of God and country. All the while injustice increases. Proverbs 28:5 says, “Evil men do not understand justice.” We are told to abstain from all evil, not follow it. 

Commodus used similar ploys to distract the public. Increase in brutality in the Roman Colosseum. Some said a million animals were sacrificed in fights with gladiators. And then the start of using Christians as fodder for wild animals. There was money for those in power, but the country was being bankrupted. The cost of the games put on to distract was exorbitant. All the while allies were falling away and invaders like the Goths, Germanic tribes, and other invaders took advantage of a nation weakened by greed and excess. This was the beginning of the end of the Roman Empire. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

We already have allowed barbarians at our gates. We turn a blind eye to extreme brutality and murder by ICE agents. We see foreigners gain quick acceptance into our country if they are of the same mindset as Trump and willing to do his bidding. And some of them have the billions to do this before our eyes. And they must show an affinity for the political maneuvering acceptable to Trump. And yes, they are usually white. Our acceptance of the sin of racism, elitism, maligning those without power to fight back, stealing from the poor to further pad the pockets of the uber wealthy, sitting back while the anti-Christ work of Christian Nationalism gains traction, and closing our eyes to the evil of pedophilia has opened our gates to evil. We have basically allowed the Vandals to do as they want as long as they don’t hurt us. Delusion has dulled our senses to what is before our eyes.

So, do we hear the words, “Are You Not Entertained” from one who resembles all the evil in Roman rulers like Commodus, Domitian and Nero? Could we even imagine what words we would hear if our founding fathers like Jefferson, Adams, Madison, Washington, and Franklin could attend this display of debauchery? Yet, here we are. We must stand in this time of adversity. We must remember that to be silent is to be complicit. We must remember the words of Peter in Acts 5 telling us we must obey God rather than men. 

Paul warns us in Ephesians 5 to let no one deceive you with empty words for God’s wrath will come upon the sons of disobedience. Do not partake. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather expose them. We must be ever vigilant. I have no part in this ungodly spectacle other than to speak to it. Nor should you. Stand and pray without ceasing. Blessings.

I am perplexed by the consistent reports of certain congressmen saying they will read the list of people spoken of as perpetrators of evil in the Epstein files. Yet we move on without this happening. Great monied interests seem to be influencing what we can or cannot be privilege to. And those girls who were raped and abused are now women still being silenced. They have been threatened and their lives have been put on hold. While those that committed these horrific crimes are still in positions of power and continue to accrue wealth. So, when I read proverbs 28:13 saying “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper” I must realize that this is not focusing completely on money. A price will be paid.

In the play Titus Andronicus by Shakespeare, we see a similar depiction of such evil played out in graphic extremes. We see opposing factions seeking vengeance for wrongs suffered. As an act of revenge, two brothers rape Lavinia, the daughter of Titus Andronicus. To conceal their crime, they cut off Lavinia’s hands and cut out her tongue so she cannot reveal who her attackers were. Despite her inability to speak or write, Lavinia uses a staff to write the names of her attackers in the sand and points to a story in a book to communicate her violation. The brothers are killed by Titus and their bones ground to dust and baked in a pie and fed to the mother of the two rapists. Horror filled and graphic. But so was the initial crime.

We can look at all that has been done to the victims of Epstein and his cronies and see that they have been similarly violated as Lavinia was. To this point their words speaking to their abusers are as if they cannot be heard. Their voices have been silenced in that no amount of sharing the horrid details and pointing to the abusers can be heard. They to this point have been muted. Their hands cannot point to those who perpetrated these horrific acts of child sexual abuse because these despicable men are cloaked with a veil of secrecy from powerful interests. Even from some beyond Epstein and Trump that will probably surprise many. Countries like England, Norway, France, Poland, and Slovakia have started prosecution of men involved with Epstein yet here in America there seems to be no end of excuses and cover up for those who committed this evil. We have watched as one of the architects of the Epstein crimes, Ghislaine Maxwell, has been moved to a much more comfortable jail and is listening to talk of a pardon from Trump. And the woman who brought much of this crime to light, Virginia Maxwell, committed suicide. It’s no longer who will speak for her. Who will demand justice?

We read in Numbers 23 that your sin will find you out. And Jesus tells us in Luke 8:17, “For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to the light.” Yet will we see these women cast aside and ignored while men of privilege use their power and money to cover their crime? Will it be no different from Lavinia who was mutilated to be kept silent? Or will these women find their cries heard even if they must point to a story or draw names in the sand to expose their violators? It is time for this to be unveiled. It is past time for so many in the church to stand and say no more. This evil will be judged. I pray we continue to pray without ceasing. I pray we stand. Blessings.

I recently watched a recitation from memory of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 29 by Dame Judi Dench the marvelous English actor. She was quite moved by this sonnet and one could see tears as she read it. It speaks to one in despair. One crying out to a deaf heaven. But in the end remembering their beloved and having their spirits lifted. Remembering and grasping a love of such immense wealth that the speaker feels enough content to scorn trading places with a king.

It should be noted that Shakespeare in his will said, “I command my soul into the hands of God my Creator, hoping and believing, through the merits of Jesus Christ my savior, to be made partaker of life everlasting.”

Sonnet 29:
“When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes,
I alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to no one more rich in hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possessed,
Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
(Like to the lark at break of day arising from sullen earth)
Sings hymns at heaven’s gate;
For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.”

In this sonnet we can hear the cries of David in Psalm 13 where he asks the Lord, “How long O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? Yet he says I will trust in Your mercy. Or in Psalm 30 where David cries to the Lord saying, “You hid your face and I was troubled.” Yet he still hopes in God. And Psalm 31 where David cries to the Lord saying, “You have considered my trouble; You have known my soul in adversities but ends with “He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”

We are in troubling times. There are those that go about proclaiming His word but walk contrary to all God has commanded. We are told that we do not fight against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers. Against rulers of darkness and spiritual hosts of wickedness. (Ephesians 6) But still this battle against that which seeks to set up a kingdom of demonic forces making its presence known in Christian nationalism and maga Christianity has become oppressively wearisome. I have to remind myself who I trust in. I know the end of this battle. Yet the constant and increasing evil seen daily in this country can cause spiritual fatigue. I daily recite Psalm 130:5-6 “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord, More than those who watch for the morning- Yes, more than those who watch for the morning.” We must pray without ceasing. In all things I seek Him. Stand. Blessings.