Stand My Watch

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.

George Washington said, “For if men are to be precluded from offering their sentiments on a matter, which may involve the most serious and alarming consequences, that can invite the consideration of mankind, reason is of no use to us: the freedom of speech may be taken away and dumb and silent we may be led like sheep to the slaughter.” And now we are and have been sliding into the abyss of a dark and unholy alliance of the powers that operate under the administration of Donald Trump and his acolytes and much of the evangelical church which by their support, fuel Trump’s march toward authoritarianism. We are past halfway there.

Wednesday another late-night host, Jimmy Kimmel, was removed indefinitely for comments he made about those responsible for Charlie Kirk’s death. There was nothing of magnitude said and he had previously spoken against the killing. This was no aberration but was another step in removing anyone who disagrees with or mocks Trump. And Trump is using powers seen in one he so wishes to emulate, Victor Orban of Hungary, to gain absolute control. His handpicked head of the FCC, Brendan Carr, has put pressure on ABC and its parent company, Disney. Carr 100% endorses Trump’s agenda and has also gone after NPR, PBS and NBC. And people like this are doing Trump’s bidding. While on Fox News, we saw a main supporter of Trump’s views, news personality Brian Kilmeade, proffer the idea of killing mentally ill homeless people. He is still there, though he days later offered an apology. No calls from Trump to remove him. And there was no sense of extreme outrage from much on the political right or from Trump’s administration. Proverbs 28:1 says that the wicked flee when no one pursues them yet it seems those who are believers are cowering. So many know and quote what German pastor Martin Niemoller said when referring to Hitler’s fascist regime. “First they came for the socialists and I did not speak up because I was not a socialist.” He then proceeds to trade unionists, then Jews, and then states they came for him and no one was there to speak up. We are watching this same thing gain steam like a large boulder looking to smash all that’s in its way. We cannot be complicit. As it states in Ephesians 6, we must stand against this wickedness. It may seem like this is a battle of ideas and political preferences, but we are fighting against principalities and darkness. Against spiritually wicked forces.

This unholy alliance of political, evangelical and financial interests all working to bring about their world order, has birthed a serious spirit of intimidation. Causing people to be in fear of their livelihoods and even their lives. This unholy alliance is like those people spoken of in 2 Timothy 3. They are caught up in the vitriol of those claiming to have a form of godliness but are unloving, controlling, despisers of good, traitors, slanderers, those that love their own self-seeking rather than that which is good. We are told to stay away from such people. This unholy alliance only leads to negative consequences for the believer and the decay of moral principles.

I must add that I seldom watch these late-night shows. But I stand for their right to exist and for people like Kimmel or Colbert to speak their dissent and calling out of often obvious idiocy and that which is an actual threat to our democracy. I also believe Fox News and their personalities have the right to exist and I am against those that would look to muzzle them no matter how heinous their remarks. Beware of those that claim to say they speak for our nation and its direction while embracing that which borders on totalitarianism. These people speak swelling words of promise but are liars. As it says in 2 Peter 2:19, “They promise liberty while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him he is also brought into bondage.” As Thomas Jefferson said, “Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.” I pray we seek Him for our answers and our way. Pray. Blessings.

As a young boy of 7, I went to 2^nd grade in Kinston, North Carolina. I stayed with my grandmother and my two aunts because the Navy housing at that time was not suitable for school age where my dad was stationed in Virginia. Schools were segregated. So were neighborhoods. But nearly every Saturday, we would go into downtown Kinston to shop and I’d sometimes get an ice cream cone. Most Saturdays were quite obvious in how segregated things were. Blacks were on one side of the street and whites on the other. But my Grandmother would always cross the other side to say hello and hold and kiss the small babies. They all called her Miss Ida. And one could see genuine respect for her. Anything that had to do with ungodly action or rude behavior, or how you treat your fellow man or foul language, my grandmother called “ugly.” That word summed up so much. She never used another term to describe that which was contrary to God’s word. I learned a lot from her.

In 2019, my friend and I traveled to Washington D.C. We spent special time in the museum of African American History and Culture. I was a history major in college and took Black History. But this was far more eye opening. What one sees visually says much more than what a book tells you. And now we’re seeing those in power trying to erase what actually transpired during these evil times and basically “whitewash” this time in our history. In my state of Florida, Governor DeSantis is minimizing what happened during slavery. One measure among many to get rid of what is considered “woke.” We don’t want people to feel responsible for what their ancestors did to people of color, so we teach a different history. DeSantis said of slavery, “Slaves developed skills which in some instances could be applied for their personal benefit.” I guess I never saw this as a job training time for blacks. And I’m sure if you were uprooted from your nation, sold at auction, beaten, killed, raped and dehumanized in every manner one could think of, you might not consider this period as a time where you were preparing to learn a trade.

And Donald Trump is looking to do the same with our museums of black history and Native American history in Washington D.C. All the negative things shown are just a downer. Trump said of these museums, “Everything discussed is how horrible our country is, how bad slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been. Nothing about success, nothing about brightness, nothing about the future.” And in this time in our nation’s history, we still see those who not only wish to whitewash our history but repeat it. Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederate States said of slavery and white supremacy, “This principle for which we contended is bound to reassert itself, though it may be at another time and another form.” That other time is today.

Genesis 1 says we are all created in His image. Yet some have given themselves over to feeling superior. We use brown skinned people to help run our economy then abuse and mistreat them as scapegoats for all that is wrong in our country. We forget God sees all and we must answer for all. Psalm 34:15-16 states that the Lord hears the cries of the oppressed and His face is against those that do evil. All is before Him. The Lord warns us in James 2:4, “Have you not shown partiality among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” All of this evil is done in a premeditated manner without fear of repercussion. Matthew 12 tells us we will give an account for all we do or say. And we should remember with trembling what was spoken in James 2:13, “For judgement is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy.” Separate yourselves from those who have set themselves up as paragons of godly virtue, when in essence they worship Baal and self. Put off the works of darkness and separate yourselves from those who commit these evil acts. This all falls under the definition of what my grandmother called “ugly.” But it’s more than that. It’s demonic. Be always in prayer. Blessings.

The morning of August 4 at about 5:30 A.M., while standing at my bathroom sink, I experienced a faint brought about by what is called vasovagal syncope. That is a sudden loss of consciousness due to a drop in blood pressure and heart rate. I fell, hit my head and was knocked out. No idea how long. I was taken to the hospital by ambulance and spent the next 2 and ½ days there. Cat scans showed a hematoma, but a follow up MRI showed no brain bleed. But there are still after effects of being concussed. Headache, dizziness, fatigue and low energy mainly. But in all of this, the Lord spoke to me how these and other symptoms of concussion are so evident in our church. Just like the vagus nerve sending an incorrect signal to the body causing a drop in BP and then a faint, we see those in church leadership sending incorrect signals to the body of Christ, resulting in a church without direction or ability to hear or function properly. This then results in poor memory, behavioral problems, instability, anxiety, and irritability. All signs pointing to a rudderless church following a man-made theology.

In Mark 7, Jesus addresses such concussed theology saying, “Isaiah was right about frauds like you, hit the bull’s eye in fact: These people make a big show of saying the right thing, but their heart isn’t in it. They act like they are worshipping Me, but they don’t mean it. They just use Me as a cover for teaching whatever suits their fancy.” (Message Bible) They basically set aside God’s word and substitute their own ways. Nor do they feel shame when their sin is made apparent. In their haste to set up their government here on earth, these of NAR or 7 Mountain theology have hit their heads together, yet still seek to make sound judgement from a concussed state. They rush to lay hands on one in Donald Trump who still has no fear in what awaits one who uses God’s name for personal ambition and riches. They ignore the Apostle Paul’s admonition in Galatians 1 to reject any gospel that is not of Jesus.

What the Lord spoke to the church in the book of Revelation still holds true today. 1) We have lost our first love 2) We have tolerated false teachers and immoral teachings 3) We have compromised our faith for worldly acceptance 4) We have tolerated the false teachings of Jezebel leading to immorality 5) We have become spiritually dead even though so many claim to be spiritually alive 6) So many seek wealth and self-satisfaction but are self-deceived. Saying they have wealth and have need of nothing when in fact they are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked 7) So many have become lukewarm. He still stands at the door and knocks. While it is still today, I pray you shake off the effects of a concussed state and turn to Him and His admonitions. 2 John warns us that many deceivers have gone out into the world. They are of the antichrist spirit. Look to Him so you do not lose that which is promised to those that persevere. Love your brother. Stand up for those without a voice and for the marginalized. For those of color. The foreigner. The downtrodden. Shake off the ill effects of that spiritual concussion and follow Him not man. For this is the message that we have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Any other message is a lie. Blessings.

A few weeks ago, I was sitting after my time of prayer and a picture came to my mind of a scene from Band of Brothers. It was the scene where Easy Company has come upon the Nazi concentration camp. They eventually find so many Jews were killed and even disrespected in death. The townspeople attempted to plead ignorance but they were found to be complicit. They were made to dig graves for many bodies not given a proper burial. And even in the discovery of their despicable actions, many seemed indignant. The Lord likened their disregard for humanity and hatred of those seen as inferior to much of what we see going on in our country today. For those who seem to not care about the injustice they see and are actually being complicit by saying nothing to injustice in our country today, I heard the Lord say “Ask them whose graves will you dig.”

We watch as evil is being perpetrated on those unable to defend themselves. On the marginalized. On the poor. On people of color or ethnic origin. And not enough are standing up to say enough! So, it not only continues but gets worse. Children are being taken by an American version of Nazi jackbooted thugs. (ICE) Along with those following U.S. laws to report for immigration hearings. Innocents reporting to jobs. Those who served in our military and some who were wounded in action for our country. People being abducted and sent to places of horrid and cruel conditions or even to countries they have no relation to. Proverbs 6 tells us there are seven things that are an abomination to the Lord. 1) A proud look 2) A lying tongue 3) Hands that shed innocent blood 4) A heart that devises wicked plans 5) Feet that are swift in running to evil 6) A false witness that speaks lies and 7) One who sows discord among brethren. We see all of these things on a daily basis. We see president Trump and those who surround him sow hate, division, and discord on a daily basis. We are told in Proverbs 31:9 to plead the cause of the poor and needy. Not just those who agree with us or look like us. We are living in a time where hatred, anti-semitism, racism, disregard for those in need have just become words. The effect from this evil should have us on our face before Him.

Proverbs 22:23 paints a very frightening picture. The Lord has warned about oppressing the poor and the needy. And it says the Lord will plead their cause and plunder the soul of those who plunder the poor and marginalized. The Lord will strip away that which has been gained unjustly to the detriment of the oppressed. Better in this life than in the next. I warn with all that is in me. Turn from this evil path while there is still time. Seek Him and His path. Do not be one of those who will have to be “digging the graves” of those they were complicit in doing evil to by direct action or indifference. And pay heed to what was spoken in Isaiah 1:17 which says “Learn to do good. Seek justice. Rebuke the oppressor. Defend those in need.” Blessings.