Stand My Watch

I wrote what I was hearing from the Lord on 6/12. I continued inquiring as I still felt led to ask where these sheep were that He said heard His voice. Not enough were standing up. And then I see Sen. Alex Padilla of California being treated as one of the FBI most wanted by Trump’s handpicked Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem. She lied as to what transpired and MAGA quickly fell in step with her account. And to this day little has been done to rectify this behavior. Bragging about shooting your puppy should actually have been enough to disqualify her for that position. I found myself in Isaiah 41 where the Lord acknowledges that the poor and the needy seek water and find none. Their tongues fail for thirst but He will hear them. So, I ask why so many that say they represent Him care so little about what is happening to the poor and marginalized in our country. So again, in Isaiah 41, the Lord says let the idols they bow before present their case. Can they tell the latter things or things that are to come? They are nothing and their work is nothing. They are all worthless. Images of wind and confusion.

So, I asked again, where are those sheep that hear Your voice? And He said there are more with you than against you, and led me to 2 Kings 6. There the King of Syria was making war plans against Israel. The King of Israel was fearful and sent for Elisha the prophet. The servant of Elisha saw the magnitude of the Syrian army and was afraid. Elisha told him, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them. “Elisha prayed that the servant’s eyes would be opened and he then saw the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around them. The Lord was with them. Elisha then prayed that the Lord would strike the Syrian army with blindness. The Lord did and Elisha led them away. His servant asked if the Syrians should be killed and Elisha said no and to set food and water before them and made a great feast for them. They were then sent away. This is hard to reconcile, and in this the Lord is reminding me that my prayers for those who I see following the evil of Trump and doing wrong to so many must be increased and adjusted. And the Lord tells us in 2 Peter 3:9 that He does not want any to perish and that all should come to repentance. I realize that but for His grace where would I be. But I still need to see some change. For people to stand up for what is right. To see those who worship, and quote a god I do not know, spend time in the Beatitudes in Matthew 5. That all would desire to come to a knowledge of His truth. I am still filled with questions. Yet I am reminded, that just as what the Lord showed me with Elisha, He also told John in Luke 9 that he who is not against us is on our side.

The Lord tells us in Psalm 37 not to fret because of evildoers. The wicked shall perish. But we(I) must commit our ways to the Lord. To trust Him. He shall bring forth our righteousness as the light and our justice as the noonday. Please quicken this time Lord. Blessings.

On June 11th, I was watching some of what was transpiring in California. In praying about this I heard the Lord say, “My sheep hear My voice and the voice of another they will not follow.” (John 10) Then what was happening? I believe in peaceful protest, and though I understand the anger resulting in setting a car on fire, this will be the only thing some see. But I’m speaking to those who are in lockstep with our government rushing to set in motion things we’d see in extreme autocratic governments. Somehow following and allowing a man, Donald Trump, crazed and hellbent in doing whatever he can to achieve his evil quest. Unlike his first term, there are no guide rails to stop him. He’s is surrounded by sycophants who are fully invested in this demonic folly. Proverbs 14:7 warns us to “Stay away from a fool, for you will not find knowledge on their lips.” Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” So, who are we following? The Apostle James asked where do wars and fights come from among you? This seems to be all we see. Fighting. Hate. And following those who encourage this.

We are at a breaking point. This is where we are called to stand and immerse ourselves in prayer. Psalm 1:1 says, “Blessed is the man who walks NOT in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful.” So, I asked the Lord again, where are Your sheep? For so many have aligned with this evil in crushing those already downtrodden and are looking for a seat at a table You would overturn. And in all this they wear the label that says “Christian.” I am heavily burdened by this. Yet I pray people wake from their stupor and cast off that which will only ensnare them. That He have mercy even as I see judgement coming. Look to Him only. Those that claim to represent Him you’ll know by their fruit. Do not be unequally yoked with those who follow or embrace Trump as God’s man. He is not. Nor are those who kowtow to him and grovel before him for whatever crumbs keep them at His table. As the Psalmist said in Psalm 1:6, “The Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.” Blessings.

1 Samuel 21 introduces us to a man named Doeg the Edomite. A self-serving man. Malicious and cruel. One spoken of by Jewish scholars as a man who played sides. Driven by ambition with no regard to others. He was also regarded as a scholar. He was chief of King Saul’s herdsmen and some say chief of King Saul’s guards. King Saul used Doeg as sort of a mercenary. Doeg was described as one who acted out of fear and desire for favor. This resulted in actions of violence and injustice. Doeg happened to be present when David, who was on the run from King Saul, was given help by Ahimelech the priest. And Doeg told King Saul of this, which caused King Saul to order the killing of Ahimelech and his priests. No one would lift their hand to kill the priests, but Doeg did. He killed 85 priests of the Lord for King Saul. Doeg curried favor with King Saul and no task was considered too evil for Doeg if it would give him the position and power he wanted. He also went to Nob, the city of these priests, and killed all the women and children and nursing infants and all their animals with the edge of the sword. No mercy.

Now allow me some latitude. I’ll take the name Doeg and rearrange the letters and come up with DOGE. And I’ll take a man that has his faculties driven by the same greed and malice as Doeg and further fueled by Ketamine, Ecstasy, Adderall, and psychedelic mushrooms in Elon Musk. A man with fascist roots who, with more money than anyone in the world, still needs validation. Still wants more power. Still looks to wreak havoc and hurt those who are innocent. And he aligns with one even more evil than King Saul in Donald Trump. One he helped become more powerful. Just as the cutting of a sword by Doeg, Musk has cut funds that will cause the death of innocents. Those in need of medicine or food will come away empty handed. Like a sword dispatching slaughter to the blameless by Doeg, we see a man brandishing a chain saw with maniacal glee to gut programs that speak life to many that have not. Gutting programs that bring help and safety. Without remorse. But just as Doeg gained no real favor with anyone, Musk is starting to see his popularity wane. Yet he won’t go away. And he has his hands in even more now with his access to so much personal information on citizens in the United States and government programs. Some thought this would be good, but they may rue the day they gave him access to so much information. And he still has billions in government contracts and the threat of spending money against all those who oppose him. Like all power-hungry psychopathic maniacs, he may not see a good end. Like all, he has to repent and submit to Christ and I hope he does.

According to some Jewish tradition and Mishnaic legends, it is said Doeg will go the way of Cain, Absalom, and Haman and have no share in the world to come. Some Jewish teaching said God sent three angels of destruction to Doeg. The first caused him to forget his learning. The second burned his soul. The third scattered his ashes. Just like the Edomites, cursed for his pride. Some say he was killed by the sword and some say he died a leper. Either way his end was not good. In Psalm 52, David says of Doeg, “Why do you boast in evil O mighty man?  You love evil more than good. Lying rather than speaking righteousness. The righteous also shall see and fear and shall say, Here is the man who did not make God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.” We need to pay attention to David’s words in Psalm 37. He tells us evildoers will eventually be cut off. Though the wicked man plots, the Lord laughs at him. A little the righteous man has is so much better than the riches of the wicked. And what we see from people like Musk, or Trump or their blind acolytes, will one day be gone. When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it. We must stand in the midst of this ongoing and growing evil. Stand against that which is from the enemy and looks to rob, kill and destroy. And say as David did in Psalm 42: “Why are you cast down O my soul? Why so disquieted within me? Hope in God. For I shall yet praise Him.” Blessings.

This recent Memorial Day, I was watching Band of Brothers for the umpteenth time. Yet this time, a particular scene was highlighted to me by the Lord. If we listen, He talks to us in all we do. In this scene, Lt George Rice, played by Jimmy Fallon, comes into the allied encampment with an ammo delivery and news. He tells Easy Company that the Germans are bringing in Panzer Tanks and extra troops and that they could be surrounded. Colonel Winters, played by Damien Lewis, responds, “We’re paratroopers, Lieutenant. We’re supposed to be surrounded.” And I heard the Lord tell me that we are to be like those paratroopers that are dropped into the middle of a war zone. We are right now seeing our own government do all it can to silence what they see as dissent. To take away rights that are the foundation of our constitution. Like Panzers, they’re trying to bring in big guns. Destroy Habeas Corpus. Ignore court rulings. Threaten any who disagree with lawsuits. But we are to stand in the midst of this and fight back. And to not fear for He is with us.

Psalm 57:4 tells us of David’s words to the Lord when he sought refuge from King Saul in a cave. He said, “My soul is among lions. I lie among the sons of men who are set on fire. Whose teeth are spears and arrows. And their tongue a sharp sword.” We cannot step away from this battle before us. Like the Apostle Paul when told by the prophet Agabus in Acts 21 that he would be bound and delivered into the hands of those who would do him harm, we must answer as he did by saying we’re ready to do what is right even unto death. That’s hard to wrap your mind around in a world where people run from a harsh word. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4 that “We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down but not destroyed.” There is a place of trusting in Him no matter the obstacle we might face. He is with us in this battle for righteousness and He will set you high upon a rock. He will bring you out into a broad place where you can see in all directions. He will deliver you for He delights in you. We may feel hard pressed on every side and quite perplexed by the path our country is on, but He is still in charge and tells us to not lose heart.

We are those paratroopers placed in the middle of what has become hostile territory. And we are the called. Chosen for this very purpose of standing in the midst of chaos and evil. And speaking His words to those who have distorted and warped His gospel. They have set their minds on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven so we set our minds on Him. So, come out from among them and truly be separate. Have no part in the works of darkness so visible in this Trump led maga government and those in our evangelical church that supports this evil. Stand even in the midst of heavy odds like those in Easy Company and have that same mindset that Colonel Winters had. We are to be in the midst of this ongoing turmoil, but we serve a mighty God so take heart.

I write this on my birthday and I’m thankful I live to fight another day. I pray His strength to continue to stand. Blessings.

I had a lovely day this last Sunday spent prepping for an early Monday morning colonoscopy. Not my normal topic of conversation, but it’s appropriate to what I was hearing during this ordeal. Because I care about my health and have a few serious conditions I battle with, I am very careful in what I eat. I try to stay with a wholesome and organic diet and take vitamins and supplements to help with my diet. Of course, I may cheat at times, but I pretty much am careful in what I ingest. But what of that which goes into my mind?

Jesus spoke to His disciples concerning the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees and called them hypocrites. He quoted Isaiah’s prophesy saying, “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.” He later told His disciples in Matthew 15 that it wasn’t what goes into the mouth that defiles a man but what come out of the mouth that defiles a man. I’m glad He didn’t use another orifice to further explain. But He could have. In fact, He says later in Matthew 15 that what goes into us enters our mouth and then is eliminated. But those things which proceed from the heart are what defiles a man. So much of what we see today being spoken by political figures or those in ministry that lift them up can truly defile us. Hateful things. Anti-Semitic. Racist.  Xenophobic. A Christian nationalism that causes moral decay. Lying as an art form. And using His word to entice followers no matter how far removed from anything Christ taught. Using Bible white out for anything telling us to love our brother. To care for widows and orphans. The disenfranchised and the foreigner. All the while claiming to be pro-life. Not much different than one confidently walking during a lightning storm carrying an umbrella. Not realizing that there will come a time where we stand before Him and answer for these very things. Right now, there is a steady diet of political vitriol and the most noxious evil from those in power being offered daily to all who will partake and so many of us consume as if it’s health food.

Proverbs 23:1 says, “When you sit down to eat with a ruler, consider carefully what is before you.” Verse 6 warns us, “Eat not the bread of him who has a hard, grudging, and envious eye. Neither desire his delicacies.” Verse 8 warns us “The morsel you have eaten you will vomit up.” Those that have somehow seen fit to disregard all Christ taught on the Sermon on the Mount have decided to try a different diet that no colonoscopy prep will really remove. As horrible and painful the cleansing necessary for a colonoscopy can be, it at least allows the Doctor to see if all is healthy. There is nothing that can cleanse you enough from all you imbibe of from Trump and maga politics and the diet offered by those in the church that support him. Only 1 John 1:9 can help us. He says that if we confess our sins He will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. But if we say we haven’t sinned or have nothing to confess of, as Trump said, then we make God a liar. We all sin and fall short of His glory. The cleansing for a colonoscopy is so very unpleasant. And mine left me with a warning for my future diet. I still have diverticulosis. So, I have to be careful of certain foods like nuts, corn or seeds as they may get caught in those pockets and cause severe inflammation or even surgery. Just like what I allow in my mind from what I ingest mentally or who I listen to. It can lead me on a path that is ruinous and can cause a worse condition than diverticulosis. As Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” Do not be tempted by that which has no nutritional or spiritual value. Even a junk food diet is preferable to that which comes from a church that has joined forces with Donald Trump and offers no spiritual value. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life has no part in Him. And no cleansing prep can remove that which comes from this. Seek Him alone. Pray without ceasing. Blessings.

1 Samuel chapters 5 and 6 are filled with revelation knowledge that can help us understand even that which goes on today if we pay attention. The land of Israel was being judged by a priest, Eli, who had forsaken the ways of the Lord. His sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were corrupt. They stole from the people and from the Lord. They desecrated the offerings to the Lord for their own profit. They stole from the offerings the people had given to the Lord and used their positions to have sex with woman who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting (1 Samuel 2:22). Not much different than what we hear of in our time with abuse of clergy. Using their power to coerce and steal. Even with being so out of the will of God, Israel decided to go to battle against the Philistines. They brought the ark of the covenant into the camp to go before them in battle. There was a hysteria in their jubilation at God’s presence via the ark as if that alone would give them victory. Their shout could be heard as far as the camp of the Philistines. But that wasn’t enough. The Israelites were soundly defeated by the Philistines and the ark of the covenant was captured. No different from today. You can stand in front of a church holding a bible in your hand and still be so far out of the will of the Lord. You can wear the most costly gold cross and cite bible scriptures until you’re blue in the face and only prove how little you know of the Lord and what He requires of us.

The Philistines took the captured ark of God and decided to place it in the house of Dagon, the god they worshipped, in the town of Ashdod. When the people of Ashdod rose the next morning, their god, Dagon, had fallen on its face before the ark of the Lord. The people of Dagon just set the idol of their god, Dagon, in its place again. When they arose early the next morning, their god Dagon had fallen over again on its face before the ark of the Lord. But this time Dagon’s head and hands were broken off and only the torso was left intact. Then fear came into the camp of the Philistines in Ashdod. So, they decided to send the ark of the Lord to another Philistine city. They sent it to Gath. And the people in Gath were stricken with tumors. Then to another Philistine city, Ekron, with the same resulting sickness. Then the Philistines called for their priests and diviners as to how they should handle this situation. They then made 5 golden tumors and 5 golden rats as a trespass offering to the God of Israel and set them with the ark of the Lord on a cart drawn by two cows. The two cows headed straight for Beth Shemesh with no driver. They were led by the Lord and had more sense than either the Israelites or the Philistines. They knew the way.

Now allow me some latitude. Our country has walked in ways so contrary to what the Lord has shown us. All of us have. But look to 2016 and see us fall to a new low in electing a leader that did not have anywhere near the common sense of Eli. He was brought in by fanfare and adulation by those claiming to love the Lord. No matter his lies, sexual deviancy, stealing from charities, and his proclaiming to know our Lord, yet having nothing to repent of. And like Dagon, he fell. But in only four years was righted again by those who claim to be evangelicals. Those who want a new government where the church, hand in hand with Trump, would reign and rule. So very much the antithesis of the teachings of Christ, yet once again embraced. Like Dagon, the hands which represent service, deeds (good or evil), labor and friendship as in shaking hands in a pledge of honesty and trust, are now missing. The head which represents godly authority and leading by honesty and trust, now so damaged and corrupt as to be completely incapable of reason and thought that benefits all not one, is now gone and in fact sold out to darkness. We see further alignment with corrupt powers. People put in place that serve to destroy and deconstruct every part of our government. And watching as the church aligns with this as if of the Lord. We see the prophet warn in Zephaniah 3:3-4, “Her princes in her midst are roaring lions; Her judges are evening wolves that leave not a bone til morning. Her prophets are insolent, treacherous people; Her priests have polluted the sanctuary. They have done violence to the law.” We see people arrested by this government, like Rev William Barber, for praying at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda for an awareness of what budget cuts are doing to the poor and the marginalized, but a Trump worshipper like Sean Feucht was allowed to play there as he endorsed the corrupt offerings of Trump. The Message Bible so encapsulates what Paul said in 1 Timothy 6 regarding those we now see in government and the church telling us the path to follow. It states, “If you have leaders that teach otherwise from the solid words of our Master Jesus and this godly instruction, tag them for what they are; ignorant windbags who infect the air with germs of envy, controversy, bad-mouthing, suspicious rumors. Eventually there’s an epidemic of backstabbing, and truth is a distant memory. They think religion is a way to make a fast buck.” We should know to turn from them and follow a right path.

Things will get worse. But the Lord tells us to stay grounded in Him. Hebrews 13:6 says, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Right now, it seems man can do a lot from what we see and hear reported. But He alone is our help. Not a twice fallen god of the Philistines. An idol made of stone that was still sentient enough to recognize God and fall on its face compared to the man now in our Oval Office who has set himself up as a god. One who claims that he not only runs the country, but claims to run the world. Have no part in this. Stand fast. Pray. Blessings.

Matthew 16:24 (Amplified Bible) says, “If anyone desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself (disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests) and take up his cross and follow Me (cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and if need be, in dying, also). I decided to wait until Easter was past to share a few thoughts on the Cross. On April 1, 2021, I wrote about this and what our Lord went through on a post titled “This I Do For You.” And on April 26, 2022, I wrote of what He took for us, even mentally, in “Thorns.” The cross means so many things to so many people. Wearing a cross became more accepted during the reign of Constantine in the 4^th century. Prior to that, it was viewed by many as a symbol of public execution. But it was a symbol of who you identified with. And Jesus told His disciples that even if you gain the whole world, what would it profit you, if in the process, you lose your very soul. Or what would man give as an exchange for his life in the kingdom of God?

Denying oneself is often a concept that’s hard to grasp. The disciples found it hard to understand. The mother of James and John asked Jesus if her sons could sit at the right and left of Jesus in His kingdom. He answered by saying they didn’t know what they asked. He asked if they thought they would be able to drink the cup Jesus was about to drink and be baptized with the baptism that He would be baptized with. He tells them to not be like those rulers who lord over other people and treat them harshly. Jesus tells them not to act this way. He tells them that whoever desires to be first among you must be your servant. He told them that He did not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20). This seems to be a concept that has lost favor. So many in ministry have built up kingdoms for themselves. Fancy homes. Planes. Expensive cars. It seems everything in their ministry is focused toward gaining power, influence, and money. A seat with the powers that be in political circles. Reigning and ruling from a man-made platform that has no place in God. All the while wearing a cross.

That cross that has become so visible hanging from one’s neck is often worn to say, “I’m a Christian.” But those same ones follow a doctrine, a way of living, a belief system, that is the antithesis of all Jesus taught. Years ago, I had a cross made. It was simple but quite beautiful. I wore it everywhere. Always. But then around 2016 with the rise of Trump and the constant onslaught of lies and fabrications and even gaslighting on certain pro-Trump networks, mainly Fox, I was constantly seeing people who had no problem with distorting truth, wearing a cross. Always visible. Yet what came from their mouths was venomous. Propping up a man who had no problem lying, stealing, name-calling, treating those with disabilities as less than, dishonoring our military and a war hero in John McCain, and a felonious sexual deviant. How did this align with the cross they so blatantly wore? Did they have any idea what that cross meant? What our Lord Jesus Christ endured on that cross that we might be reconciled with His father? That it was on that cross that He took all for us? I doubt they actually have that degree of understanding and I’m not sure they care to truly know. But I stopped wearing my cross. I put it away. I do not want to be identified as someone who just wears that cross as a piece of jewelry. And I don’t want to be identified with those who wear it as an evangelical fashion statement. I do not want to be so inured to His suffering that I show no regard to His words to us. To what He did that I might have abundant life. I don’t want to hear what Paul told the Galatians that he marveled how they had turned to a different gospel. One who perverts the gospel of Christ.

When you see people who represent Donald Trump, like Pam Bondi, Laura Ingraham, Jeanine Pirro, Lara Trump, Karoline Leavitt and Paula White, who speak that which is contrary to all Jesus spoke in His Sermon on the Mount, turn from them. Have no part in this which adulterates His words to take up our cross and follow Him. I pray we truly can say as in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” That cross worn as a symbol of that which espouses a doctrine of man and of demons must be put away. Embrace Him. He has risen! Blessings.

Judges 6 shows the story of Gideon being chosen by God to confront the idolatry in Israel. The Lord tells Gideon that he has been chosen to deliver Israel from the Midianites that now ruled over them. Gideon, being less than confident, asked for two signs to prove what God said to him would actually happen. The Lord did what Gideon asked, and both signs Gideon asked for proved true. Gideon was also told by the Lord to tear down the altar of Baal. Gideon took ten men with him and tore down the altar, but because he feared the people, he did it at night. The men of the city in their idolatrous defense of Baal went to Joash, the father of Gideon, and demanded that he turn Gideon over to them so they could kill him. But Gideon’s father said to the men, “Would you plead for Baal. Would you save him? If he is a god, then let him plead for himself, because his altar has been torn down!” Joash stood up for Gideon and the Lord.

Gideon leads Israel in defeating the Midianites. But God again lets him know that the glory of the victory will go to Him, not man. He starts to whittle the number down and 22,000 men return home. Then there is 10,000 left and finally God, through His testing, brings the number Gideon will use in conquering the Midianites down to 300 men. Gideon is victorious and the glory is God’s. Sort of where we are today. But we are not seeing a remnant ready to tear down the altars of Baal. We see altars and images of a man. Donald Trump. Some fashioned to look like they are made of gold. But everything about this man is lacking and fake. Yet, speak against him now, tear down an image, and watch those who serve him call for blood. Watch as they send their obsequious acolytes to threaten you when you stand up and speak against his evil. Watch as they threaten you with countless and endless lawsuits hoping you’ll bend the knee. Watch as they put your name in print. Watch as those who at one time knew the evil in this man, now have no shame in wearing the badge of a sycophant. And watch and listen as those who claim the title of apostle or prophet now follow a different gospel without shame. They follow one who is said to be sent by God yet somehow forgetting that the devil goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he would devour. And the devil uses this man for extremely dark purposes. Lying, cheating, sexual deviancy, racism, anti-semitism, and using God’s name as if endorsed by Him are all done without fear of recrimination. But as it says in Galatians 6, God will not be mocked. Whatever a man sows, that he also will reap. He that continually sows to the flesh will reap corruption. Step away from people like this.

C.S. Lewis spoke of a man like this that we see in Trump in his book “The Problem of Pain.” He said, “Picture to yourself a man who has risen to wealth or power by a continued course of treachery and cruelty, by exploiting for purely selfish ends the noble motions of his victims, laughing the while at their simplicity; who, having thus attained success, uses it for gratification of lust and hatred and finally parts with the last rag of honour among thieves by betraying his own accomplices and jeering at their last moments of bewildered disillusionment. Suppose further, that he does all this, not (as we like to imagine) tormented by remorse or even misgiving, but eating like a schoolboy and sleeping like a healthy infant, a jolly, ruddy cheeked man, without a care in the world, unshakably confident to the very end that he alone has found the answer to the riddle of life, that God and man are fools whom he has got the better of, that his way of life is utterly successful, satisfactory, unassailable.” And this very man is still being supported by so many Christians or those trying to still claim that title. From such men we are told to step away! Have no part in what should be easily seen as a work of darkness. “This is the way of those who are foolish.” (Psalm 49:13) Do not cast your lot with those who follow a god of their own making. An image of Baal they have made with their own hands and brought to power with their minds and deeds. Step away from them and be separate. We are coming to a place where warnings will cease and as even now, man will make up his own words and directions as if they were from the Lord. It there were even 300 valiant men, anointed by God, steadfast in purpose, they like Gideon would prevail over what seems like insurmountable odds. But if God is for you, who can be against you? He is the same today as He was yesterday. I pray you stand and pray without ceasing. Blessings.

Many years ago, during the Nixon administration, there were cutbacks in government that affected some very loyal Americans. My dad was one of them. He and I were not on the best of terms because of my rebellion against what he considered acceptable (long hair) and what I considered something that did not speak to one’s value or what was in their heart or their belief system. (again long hair) I was kicked out of the house for refusing to cut my hair and there was definitely tension over what we disagreed on regarding our nation’s response to protest and the Vietnam war. So peaceful evening dinner chats were out of the question.

The Nixon Republican administration during the 70s had some similarities to what we see in today’s administration. We watch as so many actual loyal Americans are summarily let go from jobs they performed well and were necessary for the welfare of our nation. Cut by a person not elected to an office and much of that being cut is for reasons of maga retribution by an addled man unequipped for any position. But during that time in the 70s they were cutting back. My dad had recently had a mild heart attack. And he was being singled out for a form of cutback. They would keep him at his current pay but degrade his government GS grade. Eventually that would lead to him being pushed out. My mom shared this with me and I was incensed. My dad was a 20-year Navy vet. A pilot who was in the top of his class landing on Aircraft Carriers. Also, a helicopter pilot. He excelled at all he did. He flew a noted Admiral into many classified missions. Always gone. Country first. Yet this was how they would reward him. At the time, my father worked for a government division that was initially called the Bureau of Weapons. We lived in Connecticut. I called both US Senators Dodd and Ribicoff and shared this travesty with them. A patriot that gave his all to this country. Disregarding his own health and too many times, even family, and this was how they were treating him. At that time, I actually got through to people that had the ear of their Senators. I told them my dad and I differed on so much, but we both loved our country. They said they would look into it. One day, not too long after I spoke to the US Senators, my dad was called into the Captain’s office. He showed my dad a paper with some info on it from the Senators’ office and asked my dad if he initiated this. He had no knowledge of it, and he being an honest man, was believed. The Senators had stopped this travesty. My dad retired a few years later at his choosing. My mom had shared what I had done for my dad, but he and I never once discussed this. Yet there was some new respect between us. It’s sad how often there is so much left unsaid between fathers and sons. I wish I had told him how proud I was of him.

Now I look at what I see in the news regarding those chosen to represent us in cabinet offices by Trump. People unqualified. Chosen by a traitor and too often traitors themselves. And I can imagine my father’s reaction to seeing the news of the Secretary of Defense, Hegseth, along with our Secretary of State, Director of National Intelligence, Director of the CIA, our Vice-president and others incompetently and traitorously sharing a secret defense mission with Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor in chief of the Atlantic, of an upcoming military mission discussing plans for a bombing raid in Yemen. My dad would have been apoplectic. He would have demanded their immediate resignations and looked into jail time. He would see what this would do to our country in the eyes of the world and to what could have happened to pilots, like himself, flying this mission. The bible speaks often of the talebearer and one who cannot keep a secret or bridle his tongue. Proverbs 11:13 says, “A talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter. And Proverbs 26:20 says “Where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.” Rahab kept secret the plans of Joshua and her whole family was spared when Israel conquered Jericho and she was rewarded for her honesty. She, a prostitute, was included in the lineage of the Messiah. The prostitutes who lead our nation today will have no such place. They look only to themselves. To a path of utter darkness. I pray you fully delve into what the Apostle Paul spoke to the church of Colosse in Colossians 2:8, “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.” These are evil times. Pray without ceasing. Blessings.

“Depart, depart, go out from there (the lands of exile)! Touch no unclean thing! Go out from the midst of her (Babylon); cleanse yourselves and be clean, you who bear the vessels of the Lord.” (Isaiah 52:11 Amplified Bible) And we all bear the vessels of the Lord for does not the Holy Spirit dwell within us? Yet knowing that there is still the inability to distinguish between clean and unclean. 2 Corinthians 6:14-17 in the Amplified Bible says, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers (do not make mismated alliances with them or come under a different yoke with them, inconsistent with your faith). For what partnership have right living and right standing with God with iniquity and lawlessness? Or how can light have fellowship with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and Belial (the devil)? Or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? What agreement (can there be between) a temple of God and idols. For we are the temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in and with and among them and will walk in and with and among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. So, come out from among (unbelievers) and separate (sever) yourselves from them, says the Lord, and touch not any unclean thing; then I will receive you kindly and treat you with favor.”

It seems today that so many follow blindly after those who say they believe but walk a path that leads to destruction. Jesus said in Matthew 24 to take heed that we are not deceived for these people will say they come in My name but will only deceive you. In 2 Chronicles 20, we see King Jehoshaphat of Judah align himself with King Ahaziah of Israel, a wicked king who walked contrary to the Lord. He had already seen how the Lord watched over him, even through his mistaken alliance with the previous wicked king of Israel, King Ahab. Yet he again made an error in judgement by joining with unrighteousness. So, King Jehoshaphat sent out ships to Tarshish for gold. But they didn’t make it. The Lord sent a prophet to speak with King Jehoshaphat saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the Lord has destroyed your works.” Then the ships were wrecked and all was lost. This is so much of what we see today. People align themselves with those who walk contrary to the Lord and follow after even the promise of riches and status only to take their eyes off the prize and suffer loss. They follow after a promise of power and a seat at the table. To allow their hate and prejudice to be openly spoken without fear of retribution. But there will be a reckoning. What some search for will end in bitter disappointment.

We read in Ecclesiastes 11 that we should cast out bread upon the waters. For you will find it after many days. What shall we find? If we sow hate and discord, what then should we expect? If we sow righteousness, then expect a return. Jesus said in Luke that if we give it shall be given to you. And I chose to write this rather than listen to a speech from the White House by one who will go down in history as making King Ahaziah look like the Apostle John. I could not listen to it. Nor would I go to a pig trough for a buffet. Nor can I make the mistake of aligning with wrong men and teachings for empty promises. Do we actually think that what we see happening from political leaders in power today will bring anything righteous? Proverbs 12:26 tells us we should choose our friends carefully because if we don’t the way of the wicked may lead us astray. Who we align ourselves with, who we listen to, can lead to life or death. And listen we must because there is so much being bandied about as spiritual wisdom when in fact it is from the lowest darkness, promising and alluring, but leading one to a downward demise. Proverbs 12:26 says, “The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray.”

I’ve been warning for years for all of us to come out from among those who lead one to destruction. It’s getting more serious. I’m yelling it! Be separate. Have no part in this evil path led by those who care nothing about your salvation. As it states in 1 Corinthians 15, do not be deceived. Evil company will corrupt you. Stay in His word. Seek him for all you are worth. Seek his wisdom for as it says in Proverbs 13:14, “The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death.” Blessings.