Author: Ed Craddock

We often look at certain scriptures, especially Old Testament, and say that was a long time ago. Yet in Numbers 25, we see the Israelites once again casting off the Lord and joining with the pagan worship of Baal of Peor. It had been just forty years since Israel had sinned by forming a golden calf and worshipping it. This sin and the punishment for it should have been fresh in their minds. Because of this sin, a plague broke out among the Israelites. One man was still so brazen that he presented the Midianite woman he was joining with before all his brethren. But enter Phineas, the son of Eleazar, the grandson of Aaron. He was not born during Israel’s sin with the golden calf, but knew the story well and the penalty for that egregious sin. The zeal of Phineas was so aroused that he followed the Israelite man and the Midianite woman into their tent and impaled their bodies with a javelin. Some stories say they were joined sexually when he killed them. An example of what was meant for good joining with evil. Still, 24,000 died before the plague stopped. Similar to what we see today. The Israelites knew the story of the golden calf, the idol worship, the resulting deaths, yet still followed Baal of Peor. Much like America. We saw the evil of Donald Trump’s first term. His blatant sin. His grift and lying. His trying to overthrow our government on January 6, 2021, yet we learned nothing from that, and here he is again as President. Even more evil.

Psalm 106 speaks of the zeal of Phineas being accounted to him for righteousness. I’m not saying we need to advocate running anyone through with a javelin, but there has been a coupling, no different than sexual, that has taken place between what is called “the church” and that which is offered by the world. It has led to a false sense of spirituality. People believe if they follow after denominations or especially church leaders of influence, they are rightly aligned. They are not. We are at a point today where sin and idolatry have become acceptable. We no longer as the “body of Christ” feel revulsion when we see church leaders laying hands on one like Donald Trump and declaring him as one sent by God. We feel the ends are justified by the means. Ethics and morality be damned. Killing people in boats we do not know are truly guilty of crimes and then brazenly daring anyone to alert others to stand up to these unlawful acts. Watching as men who once served in our military are rounded up by ICE because they have the wrong ethnicity or skin color. Following pod casts where people with great appeal laud the characteristics of Hitler and question the Holocaust. Having no problem with either federal or state governments erasing black history. Having the temerity to do all in your power to keep hidden the sexual assaults of young girls by those in power and yet still support these evil people. And actually having no problem with lying on a level never before seen on a national stage by those who took an oath to defend us.

We have people that are standing up today but not enough. And certainly not those who can politically move the needle immediately. They’re politically afraid, yet their fear of God is negligible. We need a spiritual Phineas. We need thousands of them. They need to be heard and seen. You cannot serve God and wrong doctrine. We cannot be unequally yoked with those who pursue wickedness. What fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? What communion has light with darkness? What agreement can there be between God and a temple of idols? Come out from among them and be separate. (2 Corinthians 6) Guard your hearts.

We are to come out of darkness and walk as children of God. Why are we deceived by empty words or words of hate? It is not His spirit that draws you with these wrong measures. So, who are you following? It is not Jesus. We are at a place where more extreme acts of evil will be seen. The time is short and those that are still in power are speaking great swelling words of emptiness that allure through the lusts of the flesh and draw many into sin and corruption. Stand against this increasing evil. It is only heating up and greater evil is yet to be seen. But know that we who truly believe in Jesus and take up our cross daily are overcomers. The son has come that we would have understanding. Grasp it. Keep yourselves from idols. Blessings.

It seems there is a sickening and continual display of the worst evil being played out right before our eyes on a daily basis. Who is in the Epstein Files and why is it being covered up? What I find almost funny, if it weren’t for the seriousness of the oversight, is some people are just now starting to question whether or not Trump is really implicated in the accusations. This is what it takes for some to question him? He has displayed ungodly behavior his whole life. He has given a new definition to the word “liar.” Bankrupting multiple companies, cheating people of their wages, making fun of the disabled, racism, sexism displayed at unparalleled levels, talking of what he can do to women without their consent, speaking of young girls as if no one would care he has an evil appetite for them, using his power to go after any who he feels has harmed him, outwardly expressing his admiration of tyrants and showing his penchant for governing likewise, and too many more examples to list. Yet all of these evil attributes were not enough to cause you to realize this man is evil incarnate. And you had no problem with those of the same ilk he surrounded himself with. And somehow people overlook their tacit approval of Trump. It is written in 1 Corinthians 15:33-34, “Do not be deceived; Evil company corrupts good habits. Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.” Overlooking this evil is shameful.

There is a scene in the Larry McMurtry series Lonesome Dove that speaks to this. Jake Spoon is an ex-Texas Ranger that used to ride with Captain Woodrow Call and Captain Augustus McCrae. He eventually goes out on his own and runs into some very unsavory characters. They’re killers and thieves. Rather than stand against their evil, he tolerates it and is even a bit cowed by their evil leader. He doesn’t speak up and basically is complicit. Unbeknownst to him, Captains Call and McCrae are following the killers. When they catch them, Jake Spoon seems to feel he has no part in the judgement to be meted out. He tells Captain McCrae that he isn’t a criminal. Those other guys were the killers. Captain McCrae tells him “You ride with an outlaw, you die with an outlaw. Sorry, you crossed the line.” Jake Spoon replies, “I didn’t kill anybody. I didn’t see no line. I just fell in with these boys to get through the territory. I was gonna leave the first chance I got.” To this Captain McCrae replied, “I wish you’d taken that chance a little earlier, Jake. Any man that goes along with five killings is taking his leaving a little slow.” And then we see Jake Spoon hung. It’s a heartbreaking scene.

So, what of all those who for some reason hold onto this evil perpetrated by Trump and his acolytes? How many times must you be told to come out from among those that do this evil we see every day? For some reason, you feel you can walk this thin line where you still follow the policies of Trump and yet claim to follow Jesus. It clearly states in 1 Corinthians 10:21 that “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons.” Yet many believe they can keep their feet in both camps as if it’s OK. How long will you turn a blind eye to one who kills without due process? Who mistreats immigrants and the marginalized as if there will be no price to be paid for evil actions? For accepting a multitude of lies knowing full well there is no truth in them. There was a day that the behavior we witness daily by Trump would have definitely be seen as crossing the line of decency and truth. But too many have allowed this deception to be accepted. You cannot say, as Jake Spoon did, that you did not see a line. It is there in all its ugliness. Too many have chosen to turn a blind eye to it. Romans 13:12 warns us, “The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly.” The line He has drawn is clear.  Blessings.

Proverbs 6 speaks to the evil man. The rude, impudent, vulgar, and savage lout unconcerned with the harm they cause. Verse 12-15 says, “A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth; he winks with his eyes, he shuffles his feet, he points with his fingers; Perversity is in his heart, he devises evil continually, he sows discord. Therefore, his calamity shall come suddenly; Suddenly he shall be broken without remedy.” With all we see being done that has no place in decency, it is hard to keep one’s heart from becoming caught up in anger that does not become entwined with sin. As I watch continuous iniquity and evil plotting it’s sometimes hard to keep my prayers aligned with Him. It is difficult at times to be angry but not sin (Ephesians 4:26).

In 1989, the mini-series Lonesome Dove was adapted flawlessly from the Larry McMurtry novel. It spoke to hopes and dreams not realized. Harsh times. Standing up for right in the midst of troubling times. This is my favorite adaption ever on small or large screen. The characters spring to life. In the midst of evil there is still a code that one of character follows. There is a scene that speaks to much of what I see today in our country. Two ex-Texas Rangers, Capt. Woodrow Call, played by Tommy Lee Jones, and Capt. Gus McCrae, played by Robert Duvall, are getting supplies in a town. Unbeknownst to them, some Cavalry and an evil scout are looking to requisition (steal) horses from their men. Sort of resembles what we see with ICE today. The scout starts to whip the men that won’t give up their horses. As he then starts to whip Newt (played by Ricky Schroeder), Capt. Call walks out of the general store. Newt is special to him. He throws his supplies to the ground, rides his horse at full speed down the main street and runs into the scout, knocking him from his horse. He then proceeds to beat him and would have killed him were it not for Gus lassoing him and pulling him away. In this scene, Gus is like the Holy Spirit reigning Woodrow in. Gus has the gun butt ready to knock sense into Woodrow if he doesn’t recognize Gus in his lust to avenge the evil being perpetrated. When the towns people look at Capt. Call with fear, his only answer is, “I hate rude behavior in a man. I won’t tolerate it.” This may seem harsh and rigid, but what was going through Jesus’ mind when He sat patiently, and meticulously wove together cords into a whip which He then used on those who turned His Father’s house into a den of thieves (John 2)? Unlike us, His mind was not filled with hate. Yet He struck them and turned over a few tables. So hard to not cross that fine line between righteous and unrighteous anger. To actually stand against evil without it infecting us.

Proverbs 6 also speaks to things the Lord hates. “A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.” Yet that seems to have become a prerequisite for meritorious service to so many in our government today. So, as hard as it may be, we must put on the new man. Give no opportunity to the devil. Seek resolution. But have no part in the ways of darkness. Do not compromise with evil. Rude behavior seems to be the order of the day, but not for us. Do not grow weary. Jesus has come and given us understanding to what is true. Hold fast to it. Blessings.

I was in between sleep and waking while I heard Neil Young singing the words to his song “Helpless.” Except the words were changed to “Help Me. Help Me.” I lay listening for a bit and then got up and wrote down what I was getting from God. I was not alarmed by what I heard for myself. My spirit immediately brought me to Psalm 42:5 “Why are you downcast O my soul? Why so disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him. For the help of His countenance.” And to Psalm 43:3: “Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me.”

The lyrics to Neil Young’s song say, “Babe can you hear me now? The chains are locked and tied across the door.” Terrifying words. It speaks to what the Lord said in Matthew 25 and Luke 13 to those who approach Him too late or believe they have done so many things in His name only to hear, “Depart from Me I never knew you.” So many follow a god of their own making. We’re told in Proverbs 3 to trust in Him and not rely on our own understanding. And the Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 1 that we are to abound in knowledge of Him and depth of insight so that we can discern what is best and be found blameless on the day of the Lord. Yet millions follow a gospel made up by man. A nationalistic Christianity. A gospel that pays no heed to taking up one’s cross daily. This path leads to death.

In Luke 6 Jesus asks why do you call Him Lord but not do the things He says? How can so many support this demonic maga-christianity and claim to have a walk with the Lord? How do you not speak up when the marginalized are being brutalized? When racism and anti-semitism are constantly before our face? When autocracy and kingship are seen as OK in one Donald Trump, yet the King we are to learn of and be like is relegated to second class status. Yet, does not Peter tell us in 1 Peter that His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him? So, what are we missing? Who are we following? Who has bewitched you?

Neil Young’s lyrics also say. “In my mind I still need a place to go.” That is so true today. Yet we are to have the mind of Christ. We are not to feel “Helpless.” In Him we live and move and have our being. If we so choose to. Follow what the apostle James said. Submit to God. Not this man-made gospel of distortion and death. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands. Purify your hearts you double-minded. (James 4) Seek Him for all you’re worth. There are so many in my mind that I pray seek Him anew as I write this. You are only helpless when not standing with Him. Blessings.  

Yesterday I was sitting and reflecting on the horror and idiocy of the words spoken by Donald Trump. He was ordering the Department of War to start testing our nuclear weapons. No talks with Congress or even the Joint Chiefs. I then heard a chilling phrase. “I am become death.” Those were the words spoken, after the July 16, 1945 successful nuclear test, by J. Robert Oppenheimer, the director of the Manhattan Project. The full quote is: “Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds.” This first nuclear bomb was called Trinity. The words Oppenheimer spoke were from the Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu scriptural text. In it, the major Hindu deity, Krishna, tells the warrior Arjuna that he, Krishna, has become death. The destroyer of worlds. Oppenheimer was one who studied Sanskrit texts. He was studying the message of discipline. One concept was that said by Krishna that we were to fight to destroy unrighteousness with no attachment to the outcome. He felt that through discipline we could achieve serenity. Forgotten were the warnings that said, “When men deem themselves to be gods on earth…when they are this deluded by ignorance, they develop a satanic perversity that proclaims both in knowledge and power.”

For some insane reason, too many forget the horror of the atomic bomb. I am not arguing whether it should have or have not been released over Japan. I am saying that knowing the destructive force and the evil released should be forefront in our minds when anyone posits the idea of even testing another nuclear bomb. We should be fully aware of the catastrophic effects from unleashing such a force. It doesn’t matter if it’s done below ground. Every living thing, every molecule, is adversely affected. From long term geological instability to water, to even the insects that will be ingested by living things above ground. And then passed to us. The percussive force of a nuclear blast rips the very fabric of all life.

But this speaks to Donald Trump. His mouth has always opened before any reason was engaged. He looks to create/instill fear. The fact that his words could set us on the brink of destruction are of no matter to him. The saying attributed to Sun Tzu that “An evil man will burn his own nation to the ground to rule over the ashes,” fits Trump perfectly. He is funneling and channeling every evil force to gain more power. Inciting fear and doubt are paramount to his plan to dominate. Keep people in fear of deportation or separation from family members. Respond to questions about his policy for “suspected” wrong people in boats in the Caribbean with “We’ll just kill them.”  No trial. Masked marauders (ICE) causing fear in American cities under the orders of Trump and his acolytes. Ordering up a “quick reaction force” of 500 National Guard forces ready to be deployed to each state to quell any disturbance Trump feels is contrary to his whims. All to garner power to even stop voting if he feels it necessary. All to gain total power. To instill fear. To set himself up as the supreme arbiter of all that transpires in America. This so speaks to what Isaiah said of the King of Babylon and its mirror image of the walk of Lucifer who sought to ascend above the heights of the clouds and be like the Most High. Isaiah wrote of Lucifer who said he would ascend above the heights of the clouds and be like the Most High saying, “You shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.” (Isaiah 14:15) In Isaiah 14:9 in speaking of the King of Babylon, it states, “Hell from beneath is excited about you. To meet you at your coming.” I am not speaking anyone to hell and pray all come to know Him as savior. But nor will I excuse the evil of one that wishes to have power not granted to him by God.

Oppenheimer was said to have deep regrets over his part in the nuclear bomb. He later told President Truman that he felt as if he had blood on his hands. He confronted The Secretary of War, Henry Stimson, demanding that nuclear bombs be banned. There is no evidence of any regret for any ungodly action from Trump. His seeking power by any means is only growing. His pride and ambition have become a symbol of who he is. Woe to those who align with him for his fall will be your fall also. Oppenheimer knew what was unleashed. And today we are watching a new evil gain too much power. Turn from this wickedness. Have no part in these works of darkness. Expose these evil works. Be imitators of God. What we see from Trump and maga-christianity has no part in Jesus. So, let no one deceive you. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. Put on the full armor of God and stand steadfastly against this increasing wickedness. The devil seeks to follow through and say “I am become death” to all that is good and to all that is righteous. Follow Jesus. Love your brother. Blessings.

I’ve been listening intently to what the Lord is speaking in this hour. It seems that no matter the prayers lifted up and the cries unto Him by so many faithful, it just seems to get darker. Evil seems to be gaining strength and what was once seen as contrary to His commands in how we live is now acceptable. I’ve been struggling to fight due to my own health issues and maybe that has caused me to stumble in how I stand. On Friday, October 24, at 2PM, I was trying to rest from the thought of another looming heart procedure and just trying to put away prayers in battling what is happening to our country. Then He spoke clearly saying, “Separate the precious from the vile.” So much for the thought of a nap. He was telling me what I must speak and what I also must hear myself.

Jesus spoke of the coming separation of wheat and tares. His love and forgiveness were evident in His telling the servants not, at this time, to gather up the tares, as the wheat would be damaged. But the time is coming, and is not far off, when He shall tell the reapers to gather the wheat into His barn but take the tares, bind them in bundles and burn them. This is one of the more well-known parables, yet the “Church” is still pleading ignorance as they hold fast to the tares. Proverbs 1 warns us that we are to seek His counsel. To not align with the world. To not lurk secretly to hurt the innocent without cause, all the while trying to enrich yourselves. The Lord says you will eat the fruit of your own way and when destruction comes you will seek the Lord, but you will not find Him. We are nearly at that place where we could hear the Lord say what He spoke to His servant in Jeremiah 15:1, “Even if Moses and Samuel stood before Me, My mind would not be favorable toward this people. Cast them out of My sight.” In 1994, I was complaining of those not hearing and making their own path not according to His path, and the Lord sent His servant to speak Jeremiah 12:5 to me. “If you have run with the footman and they have wearied you, how will you contend with the horsemen?” I am still weary.

We are being called to speak to that which is still precious. To extract it from that which looks to kill it. Expose the vile. We must be careful to 1) Distinguish what is truly valuable from that which is worthless 2) Speak precious truths to that which is a false doctrine. If it is contrary to His Sermon on the Mount, it is false. 3) See the spiritual value and extract it from the sinful nature. Preach Christ and Him crucified. 4) Identify the precious truths of Jesus and hold them up. Thereby exposing the contemptible doctrine of lies permeating His Church. 5) Reject all that is evil and corrupting by standing against this rising tide of Christian Nationalism and remain steadfast even when people reject, ignore or look to speak evil of you. If God is with you, who can be against you.

That which is precious to Him should be clearly evident to us. He sent His only Son to die that we might have life. That which is vile is becoming more obvious every day. It is foolishness that causes one to turn from truth. It is spiritual idiocy to align with the morally corrupt, wicked, despicable, dishonorable and depraved. It is madness to reject the words of Jesus in how we treat the marginalized. The poor. How we do not recoil and stand against what we see happening to immigrants or to people of color. Having no problem killing without due process.

We are all called to stand and be accountable. Every word and deed is in His records. I have said in my private time that I’ve found the Lord to be like an unreliable stream. Waters that fail or are uncertain. He corrected me and this is part of what I am now sharing. I and all who are weary can just read Jeremiah 15:19. I must remove the gold from the dross. The precious from the vile. Through speaking His word and by repentance. We are being surrounded by those who believe they have a plan to rule and are ignorantly doing all they can to enact it. Yet now more than ever, we must speak truth to evil. We must be sure to come out from among those who hold onto that which is vile and have no part with them. Come out from among them and be visibly separate. And hold onto His promise from 1 John 1:9 that brings great hope in the midst of vacillation and uncertainty: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Blessings.

Roger Daltry of the rock group The Who sings “Can You See the Real Me.” He asks that same question of a doctor and a preacher. No real answer given. But the question still resonates today. And today we should ask what is real in all that is being projected in the image we’re being asked to accept of Donald Trump. Is he that fighter pilot flying a mission of god and country to rain feces down on the millions marching peacefully in the “No Kings” protest? Thereby showing his disdain for those daring to stand up for our constitutional rights and opposing him. Or is he more like that representation of him depicted as the Robert Duvall character, Lt Col Kilgore, in the movie Apocalypse Now? Giving the warning to Chicago that terror from the sky is coming as he seeks to send troops into Chicago to restore order and round up immigrants. All the while saying the quote from Lt Col Kilgore, “I love the smell of napalm in the morning.” The Dept of War is coming for you Chicago and any other “blue state” city. While he may see himself as this all powerful and to be feared dictator, a more apt depiction is that of the ugly Great Goblin King in the Hobbit films. His evil coming forth as ugliness and his abundance as girth with his evil minions running all about him waiting to do the evil he asks. He is cruel, sadistic, self-indulgent. His end is not pleasant.

So many throughout history have sought power with no regard to who they hurt. It’s about ruling by fear and intimidation. Portray oneself as mighty, formidable, and one to be feared. Goliath was one like that. He was said to be over 9 feet tall. A mighty warrior with fear inducing weapons. The offspring of fallen angels and women. But David followed the One with true power. And one stone hitting the center of Goliath’s forehead, the center of his authority, felled him. Our prayers and standing in the midst of adversity can do the same to every high thing that exalts itself against that which is right and good and from Him. It says in Proverbs 16:5, “Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Though they join forces, none will go unpunished.” And many have joined forces with Trump. A spirit of fear causes them to cast off all they once knew as believers without fear of being held accountable. This wickedness is an abomination.

Romans 12 tells us NOT to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to. We must do our best to live without hypocrisy. To abhor evil. To hold fast to that which is good. To treat all well and with honor. To not give preferential treatment to others. To look to the NEEDS of others. The marginalized. The poor. The immigrant. To serve one another and focus on the Lord and what His word says rather than fixating on our own importance. We are to clothe ourselves with humility and realize that God exalts those that humble themselves. Looking to exalt oneself through any other means is contrary to Him and aligns with the devil. Oliver Cromwell, called the “Lord Protector” of the Commonwealth of England in the 1600s, remarked to a portrait done of him showing him in an overly flattering light. He told the artist that “I desire you would use all your skill to paint your picture truly like me and not flatter me at all; but remark all these roughnesses, pimples, warts, and everything as you see me. Otherwise I will never pay a farthing for it.” Can you imagine an actual portrait of Trump, “warts and all?” I believe it would cause a gastric upset of seismic proportion. But we will be judged for falling prey to this tempting sham. It aligns with all that is demonic. We are not to align with the works of darkness but rather expose them. We are not to look to appear as puffed up. Especially as one against another. God sees us as we are. All the foibles. As it says in 1 John 2:16, “For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father.” Recognize all that is being vomited out before our eyes, depicting a man in Donald Trump who has no thought of what awaits him, but seeks only that which is temporary and fleeting. Turn from this evil and seek Him who has the keys to life everlasting. He can see the real you. Blessings.

A couple of weeks ago at 11:15 am, I was sitting quietly when I heard the Lord speak one word to me. “Beware.” I knew immediately that this wasn’t a warning for something I was or was not doing, but it was a word/thought I was to mull over. Meditate on. To ponder. There is much where this word is so pertinent now.

The word “beware” is spoken by Jesus multiple times in the bible. It was also spoken with urgency by the Apostles. In Matthew, Jesus warns His disciples to “beware” of false prophets and leaders who will come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. Jesus said you will know them by their fruit and likened them to trees. He said a good tree cannot bear bad fruit and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Today I see fruit that doesn’t even belong on certain trees. Yet people eat from these trees. This doesn’t cause indigestion, but death. The Lord warns that so many that claim to have done works in His name, but in actuality embrace the works of another, will hear the words “depart from Me.”

Jesus warned all that heard His voice to “beware” the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy. They do not practice what they preach. Their hearts were rooted in pride and self-serving. They loved the best seats. They did their works before men looking for a self-satisfying reward. And just like too many today, they accrued wealth and station in the midst of great need among the people. I have seen too many ministers (Pharisees) that have great wealth. Live lavishly. They love to be seen openly making a display of praying while serving a god I do not know. I have seen too many vying for that perfect pic while laying hands on Trump but not speaking one word of correction to him. “Beware” of wrong motives. So many leaders today say they follow Him yet by their actions they align with Herod. One who would claim to be god. One to be consumed by worms. These same call for the release of Barabbas. Turn from them.

In Luke 20 the Message Bible says, “Watch out for the religious scholars. They love to walk around in academic gowns, preen in the radiance of public flattery, bask in prominent positions, sit at the head table of every church function. And all the time they are exploiting the weak and helpless. The longer their prayers, the worse they get. But they will pay for it in the end.” It is imperative that one seek Him for all they are worth. The time is short. If your religious leader aligns with what we see from maga-christianity today, you truly need to reassess your walk. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. To fill you. Jesus said in John 14 that He would send the Holy Spirit and that He would teach you all things and bring to remembrance all Jesus has said to you. Ask for that good path.

The Apostle Paul warned those he spoke to in Acts 20 to take heed (beware) that you shepherd the flock, for he saw that ravenous wolves will come in not sparing the flock. That men would rise up speaking perverse things to draw many away. Just like the false teaching today that would have one neglect the Cross. False teaching of NAR and 7 Mountain theology that have no part in Jesus. BEWARE. There are numerous leaders that present a path that lead many away from Him, because of false teaching and error. Where does Jesus say to forget the orphan and widow? The poor and marginalized? The foreigner? Yet that is the message today. And our news and TV screens are filled with alt news showing those being brutalized by ICE as if it was deserved. Beware those that align with this evil. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. (Colossians 2:8)

We are at a place where the word “beware” must cause all the hackles on your neck to stand up in alarming awareness. The word is always spoken as a most profound warning, yet it’s being ignored by too many. It is life and death. We must stand and be counted. Stand for righteousness. Stand for those being seen as insignificant. Of no importance. They are precious to Him. A terrible and mighty judgement will be coming. Align with His way. And as the Apostle Peter wrote to those who have been made aware of His precepts in 2 Peter 3:17, “Beloved, since you know this beforehand, BEWARE lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked.” We must heed this warning. Blessings.

Each day I watch as we get closer to a world resembling one we always fought against. One where voices of reason and hope are being quieted. One where voices of hate are allowed to thrive. One where those who claimed to be followers of Christ would realize they have a responsibility to stand for what our Lord spoke. And realize His words were commands, not suggestions. But each day a new disgust greets me where I see evil and immoral acts perpetrated on those in this country least able to defend themselves. And while those in power plan even more heinous acts, not enough are saying enough! A president sends National Guard troops from one state into another. More division. Tear gas and rubber bullets used on those protesting peacefully, even on a Pastor. Little children being zip tied. Authoritarian policies instituted by Trump and his hand-picked thugs seek to loose a spirit of fear and division unlike any I’ve seen in my life, including the Vietnam war era. At some point there will be one, a citizen, who seeks to defend himself with equal force. Then what?

In Psalm 35, David speaks to those who wrongly seek to harm him by asking God that they be brought to shame and dishonor. He asks that the Angel of the Lord chase them away. Let destruction come upon them suddenly. He asks that the poor would be delivered from those who are too strong for them. From those who plunder. David says these people do not speak peace, but devise deceitful matters against the poor in the land. He asks that those that do this be brought to shame and dishonor. David goes even further in his travail before the Lord. In Psalm 109, David asks that those who did not remember to show mercy and persecuted the poor and needy have the memory of them cut off from the earth and their sin be always before the Lord. He asks that the one who does this evil have their days be few. And that another would take his office. I am not advocating hate against those who continue to devise new and greater evil. But all must be aware that there is nothing new under the sun. And this has been seen before and is gaining strength today.

Psalm 76:6 says, “At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse were cast into a dead sleep.” The Lord has had this verse before me for a while. This chariot is a vehicle. A means of conveyance for what disguises itself as a form of government today. The horses are all those who cause it to move forward in a direction that steers us as a country to ruin. Hate, division, racism, hoarding wealth to the detriment of others, speaking and doing evil, and doing so under a banner one claims is God, when it is but a mirror image of Baal. In some versions of Psalm 76, the chariot and horse will be cast into a sleep of death. I prefer to see this as the ending of this evil. But unless all stand against this evil it will continue on its path of destruction. Those who call themselves Christians, yet follow and support the evil we see daily in our country, must realize that many years ago the Apostle Peter spoke to them. He said they are those who allure through the flesh, through lewdness. They promise a form of what they call liberty but they themselves are slaves of corruption. And they wish to have you enroll in their path to destruction. Know that the latter end for these people will be worse than the beginning. And so it will be for all who support these ungodly acts. I pray we all come to an understanding of all that is transpiring in our country today and that ALL come to a knowledge of Him. That none perish and all come to repentance. That what Jesus taught no longer be twisted into a gospel that is actually the antithesis of all He stood for. It is incumbent upon us to be aware of what is or is not Him. We have the mind of Christ. The words of another we will not follow. Yet so many today do. I pray that the eyes of our understanding be opened and enlightened. May the horse pulling that chariot in Psalm 76 be like the donkey that recognized the Angel of the Lord and kept Balaam from being killed for his disobedience. We must pray without ceasing. Blessings.

In the HBO series “Band of Brothers,” we see the men of Easy Company ostracize Pvt. David Webster as they felt he fell short in his support for them. He was wounded early in their European campaign and spent more time recuperating than they felt necessary for the severity of his wounds. Webster was one that never volunteered and was more of an observer than a comrade in arms. He had missed the most intense battles that had killed and wounded so many of Easy Company. He would never be fully accepted as one of them again. And today we are in a battle between good and evil and many are sitting on the sidelines. Afraid of repercussion. Unwilling to speak truth to ungodly power. Too concerned with the cares of life and everyday things of no actual consequence. Afraid of rejection.

I recently spoke to this with a person I know. The Lord had me tell them, “You’re late to the front.” This was not a disqualification or even a strong rebuke. I felt the Lord was just saying He’s aware of the timing in all of the turmoil going on in our world/country today and He sees the part we play in it. Throughout biblical history there were those who spoke His truth to that which was in error and those who either did nothing and were complicit, or participated in that which was wrong. In Luke 2 Jesus’ parents found that He was not walking with the caravan and his family. And when confronted by his mother He said’ “Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” Part of that was speaking truth no matter where He was and speaking to that which was contrary to the Word. Standing up for the marginalized. The poor. The weak. His reply to the Pharisees in Luke 10, as to who were His neighbors, caused a bit of a stir. Jesus did not raise His hand to those who wanted Him gone, but He always spoke truth and overturned a few tables. He gave no recognition to Herod. He spoke a strong warning in John 9:4 saying, “I must be about the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.” This should cause everyone to evaluate where you are in standing for righteousness.

The early apostles stated they must do/say the works of the Lord. No matter what man said they could not do. We have many that stand against the evil and injustice we see and hear today but there are not enough. People get worn down. I hear some say they want to step away as they cannot deal with the backlash. We cannot do this. We must take up the armor of God so we can truly stand against this increasing evil. We are to open our mouths boldly and show who we are in Him. And we must be extremely careful with those who speak great swelling words as if they know Him when in essence, they have their own agenda. As the apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 11, Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light so do not be surprised if his ministers transform themselves into ministers of righteousness. But fear not for He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world. I’m not saying to use force or speak ungodly things to those who do wrong. But to speak His word. To stand fully encased in His armor. And praying always. The evil being released in His name has no beneficial purpose other than self. And no positive spiritual outcome. It leads only to death. Separation from the Father. Who are you in Him? Where do you make a stand? Do not be late to the front. Speak up! We cannot sit by as an observer. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. Test all things. Hold fast to that which is good. Hold fast to His word. Abstain from evil. Pray without ceasing. Blessings.