“That until the basic human rights, Are equally guaranteed to all. Without regard to race, Dis a war.” (1976) “War” Recorded By: Bob Marley and The Wailers Composers: Allen Cole & Carleton Barrett
U.S Constitution Amendment I
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
Bob Marley recorded “War” which lyrically, spells out the destruction of a nation, a race, and a peace and freedom concerning Africa’s hotbeds of war. If you look up the entire lyric of the song you will see his raving against the injustice of oppressions targeting the color of skin, tribal conquests, religions, and philosophy challenges as weapons of war and death.
Depending on where you get your news, you might not have heard the threats of death and torture of African American families living here in the U.S. Spilling out across university campuses from coast to coast are now public screams, hate-filled signs, and radical threats of genocide of peaceful Hindu citizens of the U.S. Cheers, along with, unison voices shouting out a call for all Asian Americans to be slaughtered, erased off of the face of the earth. Ivy league campuses are littered with tents where hate-mongers have camped out, sectioning off areas of publicly and privately financed grounds, occupying the area as if it’s a new community of those who chant, yell, and beat their chests demanding the removal of all Native American tribes from America. Just yesterday, one of the leaders of the murderous mob at Columbia University in New York, made his voice very clear in a speech on the campus as the cell phones and video cameras were rolling. He stated that all Presbyterians, Baptists, and Catholics have no reason to live. That’s right. He called for these congregants to be killed. He went on to say those groups of Christians should be thankful he wasn’t killing church members that day. Meanwhile, at various universities on the west coast revilers publicly marched, raising their fists in the air suggesting all people of the gay community be gathered forcibly and buried in the sands of the deserts of Utah. So much for liberal tolerance.
After reading the above, how do you feel? Are you one of the targeted? Do you know a black person, an Asian, a Native American, a Hindu family, a gay individual, a Christian?
All of the above has happened in recent days, with the exception of the targeted groups listed. Here, in the land of the free and home of the brave, where we pride ourselves as lovers of peace and liberty, are calls for the eradication of the Jews.
This hideous, evil, and destructive doctrine is currently spewing out of the mouths of our youth. One of these bright, enlightened university students held up a sign at one campus calling for, “The Final Solution…Genocide” written partially in red. We know that title from Hitler in Nazi Germany, calling for the gassing of the Jewish race.
Anti-Semitism is not only ugly, and downright monstrous, but it is also an ancient evil. It goes back to the beginning of when God singled out Abraham to birth a new nation, a nation He (God) would call, “His People”. Ever since, all throughout the biblical text, running through the echoes of time, there has been this evil doing all it can to dissolve the plan of God for human history, and His redemptive purposes. A soul’s spiritual rescue came through the Jews. Jesus was of the tribe of Judah. The Savior of the world was born of the family tree of King David of Israel. We have His genealogy recorded.
“Yeah, but where’s the harm? It’s only words. Here in America, we have the First Amendment. We are free to say anything.”
A non-thinking person would ask such a question. Forgive me, but it’s true. If a true calculating researcher delivers such a statement, then I would surely believe that person hasn’t truly searched out the authentic history of man, or has believed whatever has been said to them without due diligence of rightful education. In other words, look it up! Take the time.
Look at the historical records of the ancient life of Israel. Better yet, you only have to go back 100 years to see the facts.
Anti-Semitism does not stop with words.
The terrorists of Hamas can testify to this truth. Action always follows. Groupthink becomes the norm, the new god. Mob mentality germinates into trigger-pulling, sword-wielding, and button pushing as bombs detonate. As the tongues begin to murder families for being born Jewish, the violence and propaganda starts to migrate toward all who defend the Jews, or Israel.
Hey, Buffy, listen to this, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” Skippy follows up, “What do ya think? Cool, huh?” Before answering, Buffy, twirls her hair with her heart and rose tattooed index finger, not yet covered by the free Hijabs being handed out at the protest. “How cool, it rhymes. Sure, I’ll go shout with you, Skippy. So, what river and what sea are we shouting about?”
Sure, it can begin with the protesting of a war, covered by the First Amendment. It can first be disguised as a protest pointing out abuses, civil misconduct, or humanitarian shortages. It makes a good mask to draw a crowd, or non-thinkers who want to display some sort of social self-righteousness. Then, before you can say, indoctrination, it morphs into hate speech, calls for executions, and even imprisonment against the intended target. It’s a very subtle, sly, and slithery operation for the gullible. The First Amendment is mocked and used like a wet rag.
Suddenly, neighbor sees a neighbor as evil simply because they stand for the rights of the Jews. We learned this not too long ago when this plague of doctrine festered in the minds of young Germans in the 1930’s. Way too many at that time, looked the other way, pretending to be deaf, dumb, and blind. The cowards, and the deniers, do have blood on their hands.
Personally, I mourn for our nation. These current pretenders of “peaceful” protesting against the Jews is nothing short of…(yes, I will use the word)…demonic in nature.
Words kill. Words result in lifeless bodies piled in mass graves. Words swing swords.
Find out what it means to stand, like a beautiful girl named, Esther in fuel for the race.
“Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, ‘Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, liberation and rescue will arise for the Jews from another place, and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”’ Esther 4:13-14 (NAS)
“Go ahead and hate your neighbor, Go ahead and cheat a friend. Do it in the name of Heaven, You can justify it in the end. There won’t be any trumpets blowing, Come the judgment day. On the bloody morning after, One tin soldier rides away” (1969) “One Tin Soldier” Recorded By: The Original Caste Composers; Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter (Other artists recorded the song as well)
There was an 18-wheeler semi full of cattle racing down a Texas freeway. The breeze cooling off the cattle through the air vents was welcoming.
One of the cows had her eyes wide opened as she carefully analyzed her surroundings, not to mention, she was highly observant of her families’ history. As the truck rattled down the expressway, she finally spoke of her concerns to the cattle around her.
“Hey, don’t you know what’s happening? Haven’t you heard of what our relatives have told us? These humans, who raised us from calfhood, are eating us. We are all going to die! I’m telling you, we are all going to wind up on their dinner plates! Look at that sign ahead. It says, ‘Meat Packing Plant!'”
The other cattle sneered and laughed at the outspoken cow. After a few choice words, demeaning their fellow bovine traveler, another bellowed back,
“You’re full of bull! They feed us, give us pasture and stalls, and all they want is our milk. We’ve heard it all before. Besides, that sign is talking about us, packing in our plants. I’m chewing on some right now. You, and your conspiracies and propaganda.”
Just then, the semi pulled into a loading dock at a very busy slaughter house.
Fierce anger rose up in my heart. Steam was pouring out of my ears. My blood boiled in my veins. Honestly, I have been delaying for a week now from approaching my keyboard with anything about the outrageous barbaric actions of Hamas in Israel.
Do you know where Hamas got its name?
The name, “Hamas” is the word, “Violence, wrongdoing” in Hebrew. It’s first mentioned in Genesis 6:11 just prior to the great flood in Noah’s time. Read the barometer of his culture.
“Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence (Hamas).” Genesis 6:11 (NAS)
Jesus mentioned the characteristic in relation as warning signs leading up to His second coming.
“And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so will it also be in the days of the Son of Man:…” Luke 17:26 (NAS)
Although I could write all day long concerning the atrocious, evil, wicked actions of the haters coming out of Gaza in southern Israel, I will say something much shorter here.
You may not embrace what I write below. You may have another political persuasion, or opinion, and that’s fine. You have the freedom to click off, or scroll on. If you stay, you will be challenged to reason and research. So beware.
Learning the details of babies being beheaded, women hostages being paraded naked in the streets, injured rape victims being violated next to their dead family members and loved loved ones, children and entire families being burned alive, the elderly being beaten and slaughtered, etc, I must speak up. We all mustspeakup.
I would call the members of Hamas “animals”, but that would be degrading to the animal kingdom. No animal would perform such evil atrocities. It’s easy to not spell out the heinous, monstrous actions, but too often the Holocaust Deniers continue to defend the Nazi crimes of just 80 years ago. The world has a tendency to look away, saying it can’t be true, or it didn’t happen. There’s much of that happening right now.
My ex-mother-in-law was once a child growing up in Nazi Germany. Her uncle was an SS officer, a translator for Hitler’s Generals. As a 6 year old, she lived in a small town just outside a concentration camp where the ashes of the cremation ovens often rained down on her way to school. She thought it was black snow floating down. She says she and her family had no idea what was being done behind the gates of that camp where Jews were held and exterminated. Still, stories from other German civilians testified that they heard rumors of the death camps, but turned a blind eye to it. We cannot make the same mistake. Scripture demands we look evil in the face.
Yes, Israel MUST finally destroy Hamas, just like the outcome of ISIS, although some remain. Destruction of these demonic actors must happen for, not only the safety of the Israeli citizenry, but for the Palestinians, too. These monsters claim they fight for the Palestinian people, but nothing could be further from the truth. Hamas is all about the domination of the Palestinians, to rule over them. In fact, Hamas leads them around by the nose. Hamas is in the hatred business. Like many, they want to see all Jews murdered. Of course, they aren’t the only organization thirsty for Jewish blood. In fact, they are puppets themselves being animated by the greatest supporter of terrorism on earth, Iran. The puppet masters, Iran supports many terrorists across the globe. Hamas would be nothing if not for Iran. The main focus is to destroy Israel.
The Palestinians are pawns, uniquely placed in line as window dressing for their ultimate purpose, their ultimate goal. In fact, they have a history of using the Palestinian people as human shields to protect themselves. Read that again. Human shielding. They are doing it now as I write this sentence. Yep! Cowardly dweebs. They even set up their rocket launchers in schools, playgrounds, hospitals, civic centers, etc. Why? Because they know Israel would not target live hard ammo at non-combatants, civilians trying to be civilized. Hamas realizes the IDF (Israel Defense Force) will avoid civilian casualties if at all possible. The IDF warns civilians of an upcoming military move in their area prior to advancement. America’s military doesn’t even do that. So the brave souls of Hamas hides behind the skirts of mothers, and their children. THEY CARE NOT for the Palestinian population! Zero concern, unless it serves them!
Billions of dollars are given to the Palestinians for their betterment, for schools, parks, sewer systems, and the like. Yet, Hamas, who took over in Gaza in 2007, shatters much of those purposes. The Palestinians believe the deceptions Hamas feeds them, advertising they are only there to protect and serve as a resistance organization. However, their mission statements and training says differently. So, victory through elections always go to Hamas. they are good at the media battle. At the same time, Hamas digs up sewer pipes, water and gas pipes, power lines and equipment, and whatever else serves the people, so they can produce makeshift rockets and mortar muzzles for launchers. Does that sound like a love for their fellow civilians to you? They teach, or rather brainwash, their youth from toddler years to hate the Jews, in very creative ways. Like the depravity of the Nazis, they soak the Kindergartners in stories of the Israeli people wanting to murder and even eat them. Their games often consist of targeting a Jewish individual. It’s not unusual for neighborhood parties, or any celebration, rallying around a stuffed dummy dressed up like a Jew, or wrapped in the Star Of David flag, which winds up being beaten, stabbed, shot with slings, and burned. All done while shouting how great their god is.
Unfortunately, today we have an entire generation raised to embrace an anti-Semitic ideology based on old lies. We have a slew of Americans, neighbors, family members, who have taken a sip of the Kool-Aid out of the red Solo cup which has been brewed by the Enemy of Israel. It’s a host of indoctrination going back thousands of years, to the days of the enemies of Abraham and his family. Hitler was a genius at pouring out this poison to millions. Today, fools continue to lap it up off the cement without truly knowing the history, or thoroughly searching for the truths brushed away by the cupbearers. We have allowed curriculum in schools, as well as university professors, who have been marionettes of hellish ideology against the Jewish people. Have you notice how the anti-Semitic rallies, demonstrations, and public signage have grown in frequency and size over the years? It’s shocking. Chanting with words like, “GAS THE JEWS!” which echo through the streets and allies. That was caught on video in Sydney, Australia last week in front of the famous opera house. It’s as if Hitler’s Nazi Germany never died.
Today, it was reported of a new slogan being dished up at some rallies in America. “Death to Christians who support Israel!” Of course, targeting Christians goes all the way back to the Caesars of Rome beginning in the first century. Nothing new.
The ignorance, either willingly self-made, or fed by a poisonous snake in a Cardigan sweater, is incredibly astonishing to me. I’ve heard it shouted out that Jesus was a Palestinian because He was born in Bethlehem. So ignorant. Through the bullhorns at rallies it’s no longer surprising to hear a 21 year old try to condone Hamas’ wicked behavior by saying Palestine has always been there and the Palestinians are natives. It’s usually blurted out by indoctrinated people who are repeating what they have been told like parrots.
Before I say anything else, let me say, God, the Defender of Israel, loves all peoples. He sent His Son to redeem all, not just Israel proper, but all. The passage of time has not changed that fact. Redemption through Jesus’ willing sacrifice on His cross was meant for all sinners around the globe. Still, let honest history testify for itself.
There can be no greater clarity in the Torah, from Genesis onward, that God, the Creator, sectioned out a land specifically for Abraham and his seed, the promised son, Isaac. In fact, Hagar, the Egyptian handmade who had Ishmael by Abraham, was not abandoned by God, even though Ishmael was NOT the promised son God planned for Abraham and his wife, Sarah. God promised Ishmael’s descendants they would be huge, a race to be reckoned with, and would be given many lands. God went on to promise Hagar that her descendants would be violent, living by the sword. Of course, as God promised, it has become a reality. God even outlined the land’s boundaries promised to Abraham, which later would be called, Israel. (The record of this early history can be found, starting in Genesis 12.)
Ever since God brought His people into the land promised, they have had to defend it tooth and nail. The Old Testament details times when Israel was captured for slavery through the centuries, but always returned to rebuild. In 70AD, the Romans, through Titus, destroyed Israel, just as Jesus said. The Jews who survived, were dispersed, spreading all over the known world. They always held to the promise of God to bring them back to their land, but this time the promise included that they would not be moved ever again. But God stated His people would return to the land, filling it once again. It is written, and it has happened.
14 “I will restore My people Israel from captivity,
from the land that I have given them,” Amos 9:14-15
In 135 AD, the Romans renamed the land, “Palestine” as a psychological injury to Jews worldwide. It derives from one of Israel’s great enemies, which King David defeated during his rule, the Philistines, as they were called by the ancient Greeks. The title from the Romans didn’t last. In fact, there have been eight names concerning the land after Rome fell, as various nations claimed the region during their political reigns. Look it up. They are all listed in history. The Ottoman Empire of Turkey was the last conquering nation to rule over the land.
For many centuries, the land, once known as Israel, remained virtually empty, with very few residing in the region. Conquering nations scorched and scourged the land over and over again, even building on top of ancient structures. Virtually every Muslim building in the Israeli infrastructure sits on top of ancient Jewish structures. Often, Turkish architecture sits atop Roman, or Greek structures, layered over Jewish construction. It speaks to the chronological order of the conquerors of Israel through the centuries. Even the buildings, pottery, iron works, and ruins themselves speak the truths of the factual historical significance of Israel. What’s missing in the strata of Israel’s ruins and historical buildings? Palestinian architecture, or layers of constructed Palestinian buildings. Why? Because they were not there! Ask any serious archeologist who has worked in the region.
The landscape went from lush, vibrant fertile ground with blooms, crops and forests, to wastelands of brush, sand and rock. But that all changed when the Jews were allowed to reclaim their land of the covenant.
An idiotic thing took place after WWI. In 1920, the British were given authority over the land after the war, Instead of re-establishing the name, “Israel”, the Brits decided to reuse the old Roman title, “Palestine”. So, any tribe, or village, or bedouin nomadic shepherds pitching a tent in “Palestine”, were suddenly called, “Palestinian”. A mix of Turks, Jordanians, Egyptians, Syrians, and so much more were given this title. Think about that. That modern title, “Palestinian” is only 103 years old, thanks to the British.
In May of 1948, just three years after WWII, which brought the horrendous atrocities of the Nazis where six million Jews were murdered, Israel officially returned to their homeland as a sovereign nation. With no hunger for war, or dominance over any neighbor, Israel’s name was restored and a government was assembled. But as soon as their worn-out shoes set foot on the sands, Israel’s first modern war broke out as the newcomers were attacked. They had to fight their way to the old capital which King David held dear, Jerusalem. Today, it remains the only true democracy in the region. However, since day one, Israel has had to defend itself daily, over the decades, from those who want to disrupt their peace and push them into the sea. For a good reenactment of the 1948 event, I thoroughly recommend the movie, “Exodus” starring Paul Newman & Eva Marie Saint from 1960.
It would take a book to write all of the efforts Israel has taken to keep the peace between neighbors, and anyone who is labelled, “Palestinian”. Through terroristic attacks, suicide bombers, and splurges of bus bombings and stabbings, Israel has gone the second mile to keep the nation at peace. The overall restraint of the Israeli military has been phenomenal over the last eight decades.
In 1967, during the Six Day War, Egypt controlled what we now call the Gaza Strip. For only six days, being attacked by her neighbors, Israel defeated them in an astonishing way. The world was in awe as God, the Defender Of Israel, shielded her. Documentaries with film footage of this miraculous war is simply a jaw dropper. Most any other nation, under the same circumstances pound for pound, would have collapsed in the dust. After attacking Israel, their forces were beaten back from the region, Egyptian forces retreated to save their hides and Israel took over Gaza. Egypt didn’t even want it back. The population in Gaza at the time was allowed to stay, but it was trouble from that point on.
Another page was turned in 1973, during the Yom Kippur War. Israel was attacked again by her neighbors. This war was bloody and heartbreaking on all sides. Once again, it didn’t last long as Israel rose to the defense while God’s hand moved over her enemies. Much was learned. Much was gained. Much was lost. I recommend the new movie, “Golda” staring, Helen Mirren. She should receive an Oscar for playing the role. She was top shelf, all the way. But again, the Lion Of Judah solidly defeated Israel’s attackers.
A deal was made, starting in 1993, when it was agreed Israel would withdraw from Gaza, among other concessions. It’s what the PLO wanted, and asked for. They agreed to it, and signed a deal. (Unlike today where young minds of mush are taught Israel imprisoned the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, this was a signed agreement.)
Israel’s Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, I believe in 2005, wholeheartedly gave the Palestinians the coastal strip of southern Israel where they could govern themselves. The stationed IDF moved out of the area. Israeli families, who had communities established in Gaza, were ordered by their own government to move out of Gaza. Israeli soldiers went in to remove some 9,000 of their own people from Gaza because some refused to leave. Whole Israeli communities were bulldozed by the Israeli government. Read that again. Israel bulldozed their own communities to appease the Palestinians. Does that sound like a terroristic occupier to you? Still, at recent rallies you can hear indoctrinated minds shouting out that Israel are “colonizers”. Truly mindless chatter.
Keep in mind, Israel’s population is filled with Gentiles from all over the world. Arabs, Palestinians, and many other nationalities live together, do business together, work alongside one another, even party together. Does that sound like an apartheid state to you, imprisoning individuals because of their DNA?
Still, individual terrorist attacks continued on the peaceful population of Israel where many Jews and Arabs live, not to mention others visiting or residing in Israel. Hamas moved in around 2007-2009. Soon, security was tightened around the border of Gaza to thin out the terrorist attacks on Israel’s civilians which were increasingly growing. The terrorist offenders were pouring out of Gaza. A fence, then a monitored wall was put up. When investigations delivered identification of attackers from Gaza, and where they lived, Israel often went in surgically to arrest or take out the criminals. However, the Palestinians under Hamas rule, constantly send fighters into Israel through the underground tunnels they built with humanitarian funds given them. Kidnappings, bomb balloons over the border, and sniper activity are just some of what Israel deals with inside their own country. I don’t think even Sweden could hold their patience if they suffered such evil within their borders.
Know history, or no history. That is the choice. Ignorance is bliss, so they say. When you pretend there is no historical context, as you take the latest filtered news reports out of context, you can avoid knowing factual history altogether. Text without context is pretext. Fools are persuaded to go with what they hear, not what they search out on their own. If you want to believe that the Alamo was defeated because the volunteers were less than brave, then you can blindly go through life thinking that’s the kind of people who founded Texas. But you would be an ignorant person who just believed what you’ve heard. An influencer online can spout off all kinds of false statements for the gullible to soak in. No matter how big the screen is, it doesn’t make the information true. Before you know it we will have a vast number of people who either look the other way, or they silently applaud and cheer for the heads of Jewish babies rolling down the streets in Gaza, or desecrated Jewish bodies on social media for shock factors. Before you know it, they will see it as acceptable to gas massive amounts of humanity because of their Jewish DNA. The slope is very, very slippery. It’s not just crimes against Israel, but also against humanity.
Case in point:
Maybe you have seen the video of Hamas terrorists in the back of a pick-up truck sitting over a naked 30 year old woman parading her like a big-game trophy. She was one of the attendees of the music festival for peace being held in southern Israel when it was raided by murderous monsters from Gaza. At last count, 265 concert goers were mowed down like yesterdays grass, and many taken hostage. This young woman was a German tattoo artist. Shani Louk’s lifeless naked body claimed as some twisted prize. Dozens of victims from several nations are missing, or murdered by Hamas.
However, we have those who refuse to believe it.
American Congresswoman, Omar from Minnesota, one who is known for showing a vicious disdain for Israel, recently posted on social media a photo of the bodies of dead children, murdered in the dirt where they lived. She indicated the IDF fighting in Gaza killed those innocent children. Afterwards, it was discovered she used an old photo from a gas, or chemical attack on civilians in Syria. When confronted, the liar took down her deceptive post. Absolutely despicable. What’s worse, she will get away with it. Yet, it’s a great example of what lengths the haters of Israel will go to in order to create a narrative, to create a following of the gullible.
As for the popular rhetoric of late, “The cycle of violence must stop.”, it’s hot air. You want to know what the “cycle of violence” truly is? It starts with rockets suddenly being rained down upon Israeli citizens without notice. Maybe followed up with sniper fire from a truck. Maybe a brutal attack on a young Israeli soldier at a road checkpoint. Then, Israel responds to defend herself. Just as soon as the IDF returns fire, or bulldozes the home of a violent Hamas leader, the world starts to demand a rollback ceasefire. In other words, “Don’t respond, Israel. Someone, other than an Israeli, might get hurt.” There’s the “Cycle of violence” people shout out at anti-Semitic rallies. Hitler had it easy. In his day, he knew the Jews in Europe couldn’t protect themselves. He was a cowardly man.
It was clear most have never heard of the decades of assistance, money, jobs, land, and more Israel has bestowed on the lives of the Palestinians. Does it mean Israel has done everything right all the time? No, not at all. Yet, the standard phrase still hovers in the air all over the world. It began from the survivors of the Holocaust. Simply put, “Never again.”
Photo: Michell (My wife)
Soon, in fact already, you may be hearing the U.N. calling for a ceasefire. Even though Jewish babies, elderly women, and young families asleep in their homes, were unarmed. The bullets were coming from one direction, as usual. Soon, in fact already, you may hear a co-worker spout off how Israel is an occupier. Remind them of Hamas using children and women as shields for themselves. Remind them of young women like the German, Shani Louk. When Israel warns the population of Gaza to evacuate for their own safety, Hamas tries to keep the population there. Why, you might ask? Hamas wants the civilians to stay put so they can use them as body stacks for the cameras to gain global sympathy, There will be, and are, casualties of war, but Israel will NOT target civilians purposefully. Hamas is not interested in a two-state solution, or the betterment of Gaza. They want Jewish blood. That’s it. Even if there was a two-state solution enacted, Hamas would never stop attacking Israel.
I belong to a Christian Messianic Jewish congregation. Many of my closest friends are Jewish. Some of them lost family in the Holocaust in WWII. I also have known Palestinian families. I have an old friend who is Palestinian, although not currently living in Gaza, or the West Bank. There’s one thing I have learned from both. It all depends upon the individual heart. If the heart is changed, if it sees clearly without bias, or distortion, or political fog, love can rule. Redemption is available. History can teach the heart’s door to love, but not a heart of murderous hatred.
Please read the passage from Psalm below.
As for me, I refuse to be in the cattle truck.
Enrich yourself with the true God of grace written in fuel for the race.
1O God, do not remain quiet; Do not be silent and, O God, do not be still.
2For behold, Your enemies make an uproar, And those who hate You have exalted themselves.
3They make shrewd plans against Your people, And conspire together against Your treasured ones.
4They have said, “Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, That the name of Israel be remembered no more.”
5For they have conspired together with one mind; Against You they make a covenant: Psalm 83:1-5 (NAS)
Smoke gets in your eyes.” (1958) “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” Recorded By: The Platters. Written in 1933 by, Jerome Kern & Otto Harbach for the stage musical, “Roberta”.
Who saw it coming? Absolutely nobody, with the exception of meteorologists and forest fire experts.
The massive Canadian forest fires, topping close to 10 million acres, scattered from west to east, caused an enormously wide-spread haze from its smoke last week. The smoke caused the skies to not only darken, but turn the air to an ugly orange cast. My daughter, Megan in Buffalo, NY, text me saying her car was covered in a layer of ash, as if a volcano had gotten angry. The coverage of the damaging haze crossed over most of the entire northeast of the U.S., and as far south as parts of North Carolina. Someone described it as feeling like you were smoking a evergreen twig.
The swirling, growing smoky haze settled in for a few days before it began to blow out over the Atlantic. What a nightmare. Health hazard warnings were given. The government recommended staying indoors as much as possible. Face masks came out once again. Oh, joy! Ballgames were cancelled. Many flights cancelled. Plays and concerts were cancelled. Many school district’s summer classes and activities were cancelled.
Photo: NBC News
Heath experts from various medical institutions warned of the consequences of such a lengthy condition of the haze. They explained how the lungs are not the only part of our bodies altered by the ongoing event. As the smoke saturates the body through the skin, eyes, nose, mouth, and also the hair, it lingers in our system and seeps into the bloodstream itself. As you can imagine, this can cause long lasting health problems beyond breathing issues, along with a nasty cough. No wonder so many headlines called it, “Apocalyptic”, which alludes to a biblical event of the future where the earth is basically destroyed. What’s always interesting to me is the fact that many who reject scripture as a whole, like to use this word first for a description of whatever shocking event occur. As bad as this event has been for the northeast, just imagine what the wake of an asteroid impact dishes out. Or, a nuclear blast, or two, or three. The book of Revelation in the Bible speaks of such events to come. The subject matter is certainly a daunting study.
Photo: NBC News
Frankly, this isn’t the first time such an event has been served out to the U.S. A few times in recorded history, we have been levelled by such, compliments of huge forest fires from the north. One gargantuan “Apocalyptic” phenomenon of note took place on May 19, 1780. It was called, “New England’s Dark Day”. Canadian forest fires sent a Smokysaurus Rex over the northeastern seaboard which delivered midnight in the middle of the day. Citizens of New England were lighting lanterns and candles during the day to be able to see. From Maine to the southern shores of New Jersey, the skies were so altered it turned day to night. In 1780, with the slow communication they dealt with in their era, the mystery shook the public to the core. Needless to say, forest timber management wasn’t a widely acknowledged operation during those times. Unfortunately, many still don’t either have the budget for it, or they ignore the issue altogether. We have many wooded states in the U.S. allowing the underbrush to pile up like kindling in a fireplace.
Although clearing air is slowly prevailing, the lingering health hazards remain.
Photo: New York Times
Albeit a word our culture tends to flush, “Sin” is much like the thick haze experience. You don’t have to be a theological professor to evaluate the rise of evil, the growth of crime, slander, and cold-hearted indifference, in our society. What has been deemed as wrong, since the writings of Moses, is now cheered, applauded, and even respected. Hatred is the diet of the day. We vote individuals into office who strive to encourage crime of every kind, even to the point of revoking bail, releasing criminals out on the streets after just a day of an arrest. We parade sin, shame and deviate behavior to justify our rebellion against God and His teachings. Our current “enlightened” culture, as a whole, cannot stomach biblical instruction. Apparently, if you stand on public property and protest sin vocally by speaking scripture aloud, you can be arrested. Yes, it happened last week. Recently, a man and his family were praying outside an abortion clinic when an overzealous angry pro-abortion individual began to attack the man’s son. The father defended his son by pushing the person back. Many witnesses stated it looked like an intentional set-up. Soon after, the FBI raided their home, complete with body armor and automatic rifles in their governmental hands. The father was arrested. In some states in the U.S., if a criminal breaks into your home with intent to harm, or kill, you can be in legal trouble if you defend your person, family, or property. Again, what is bad is declared good today. This is a direct fulfillment of prophetic biblical text. God warned us of this day where we would recognize the times by resembling the days of Noah, when everyone will do what is right in their own eyes.
Just like the smoke-filled air millions had to suck into their bodies last week, sin permeates. The consistent, perpetual haze of a sinful nation soaks into the minds and hearts of its citizenry, causing desensitization, pliability, even a version of public brainwashing. And when sin has settled itself inside, it destroys the soul. It destroys a people. It distorts the clarity of view, destroying the righteous standard once generally held. When smoke has its way, and gets in your eyes, you can, and will fall into the closest pit.
Scripture reading, biblical teaching, and Spirit-living can be a giant fan in someone’s hazy existence. Unlike the National Geographic, the Reader’s Digest, the Origin of Species, or the latest from whatever twisted curriculum the school districts force on our kids, scripture is God-breathed. It is healing. It is reassuring. It is comforting and reconciling. In a smoky haze-filled world, it has the directions to remove notions, ideologies, and evil itself. And unlike Canadian wildfires, God’s Spirit endures.
Take a breather and clear the air with fuel for the race.
“Son of man, you live among rebels who have eyes but refuse to see. They have ears but refuse to hear. For they are a rebellious people.” – Ezekiel 12:2 (New Living Translation)
“I used to be a rolling stone you know, If a cause was right. I’d leave to find the answer on the road…”(1975) “Philadelphia Freedom” Recorded By: Elton John Composers: Elton John and Bernie Taupin
We don’t see them much. If you do, it’s because you are visiting another country to see the processing of grain, wine, or flour. Here in America, if you find yourself at a museum with early American settings, you might see one. Today, at least in America, working millstones are hard to find.
The history of the working millstone goes way back to the first written records of human documentation, ironically on stone. It’s where hard work took place to crush seeds and grains, or fruits. Some were smaller for hand grinding a bowl of grain. Then there were the round, flat, heavy stones cut from a hillside, cave or quarry. They usually came in pairs, one upper, one lower. It took lots of muscle to work a millstone. So much so, often beasts of burden were used to grind at the larger millstones. Remarkably, the millstone itself was often seen as a burden, a necessary burden. Yet, livelihoods depended upon these carved heavy stones in biblical times.
Photo: Steve Stanford
Scripture mentions this hefty processing tool a few times. Not surprisingly, considering the weight of the larger millstones, some millstones in scripture were tools of punishment, torture, or death. Check this out:
“And Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it and drew near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire. And a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull.” – Judges 9: 52-53 (ESV)
That’s one way of using the tools at hand to deliver a blow. He met his millstone for good reason. He was one evil, conniving, murderous king who even had several siblings slaughtered for his selfish ways. For him, the millstone on his head was his reward. for such a wonderful, satisfying life. I hope she got a plot of land for her quick thinking.
Photo: Millstone in Israel
Another entry into the biblical account appears in a troubling scene toward the end of a troubling life. As a kid, I remember crying when my mom read the story to me.
“And having lulled him to sleep on her lap, she called a man to shave off the seven braids of his head. In this way she began to subdue him, and his strength left him. Then she called out, ‘Samson, the Philistines are here!’
When Samson awoke from his sleep, he thought, ‘I will escape as I did before and shake myself free.’ But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him.
Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, where he was bound with bronze shackles and forced to grind grain in the prison.” – Judges 16: 19-21 (BSB)
Photo: Samson At The Mill By: Helck
The children’s Bible I had at the time displayed an artist’s rendition of Samson struggling to push a thick beam protruding from the center hub of a massive circular millstone with a wrapping over his empty eye sockets. Once a great leader, with amazing beast-like strength, reduced to a blind, enslaved donkey on two legs. His bad behavior, his longing to run from God to feed his desires, turning him away from a Devine plan for his life, earned him with a millstone day in and day out. Such a tragedy.
Yet, the most severe, ominous, and devastating image we have of a millstone was painted by the Messiah Himself. It’s such a daunting warning that it seems to rise off the page for the times in which we live. The world, our world, needs to read this from Jesus:
“Now He said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to one through whom they come! It is better for him if a millstone is hung around his neck and he is thrown into the sea, than that he may cause one of these little ones to sin.'” – Luke 17:1-2 (NAS)
Thus a future for today’s abuser. Jesus left this as a bit of a mystery. He didn’t depict the graphic gravity of what would be worse than having a millstone tied around the neck and thrown into the ocean. Only He would know what is in store for the child-abusing soul. Just the fact that He warned the adult who robs the innocence of a child, delivering harm in measurable ways, tells us the urgency of this matter, and how God rewards such sin. Apparently, being forever attached to a millstone in the depths of the sea is nothing in comparison.
Allow me to be blunt here.
So, all who applaud, support, and defend those who subject children to drag queen shows to further indoctrinate evil into developing minds, take notice. For those who willingly inflict harm and pain to our children from the womb onward, take notice. For those who ram pornographic images and literature onto the bookshelves of our schools and children’s sections at the public libraries to further groom our children toward what God Himself has warned us about, take notice. To those who urge, supply, support the mutilation of children in the name of “Tran’s Rights“, take notice. You have been weighed in God’s scales, and so has the millstone. If this offends you, it should.
At this time of the year, another stone of death comes to mind.
After Jesus was crucified, he was placed in a tomb which was sealed up by a large, rolling stone over the opening of the crypt. This was much like a large, Samson-like stone. It was a new grave, so more than likely it had been carved for the purpose of the freshly hewed cave. Still, from what we know, it could’ve been used as a millstone at a nearby winery. If you visit the empty garden tomb in Jerusalem, you will see a stone track in front of the entrance where the stone once rolled from side to side in a bit of a trough. Most archeologists believe a 1st century grave stone of this type would have weighed 2 tons or more.
A wealthy secret follower of Jesus named, Joseph, who was one of the religious leaders of Israel, gave his own pre-paid tomb to place Jesus. No doubt, he had servants to help him with the tomb’s rolling stone.
“And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth (burial wrapping), and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock; and he rolled a large stone over the entrance of the tomb and went away.” – Matthew 27:59-60 (Amplified Bible Version)
Well, like Samson, what a tragic story with a tragic ending. Right?
HARDLY!
Just like the other millstones mention above, the circular stone rolled over the door of the tomb which Jesus was laid in, represented an ending of days, a covering for putrid corruption, a true indication of death, which is the ancient penalty of sinful humanity. However, you might say it could’ve been rented. The Easter event tells us this millstone was easily rolled away from the entrance, probably with a bounce.
Photo: Christian Faith Guide
That’s the visual sign of victory. A true Champion over sin and sin’s penalty had risen to teach again, to fellowship again, to invite us into life everlasting with Him.
This Easter is for you!
So whatever your millstone, no matter the size of your millstone, no matter the weight of your millstone, the grinding ends with Jesus. “Whosever will may come!”
When stones need to roll away from your yesterdays, today and tomorrows, there is a millstone Remover in fuel for the race.
“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.'”Matthew 28: 1-6 (NIV)
“Won’t you look down upon me Jesus? You’ve got to help me make a stand…” (1970) “Fire And Rain” Written and Recorded By: James Taylor
Christian history is simply fascinating, to put it mildly. In fact, from Jesus, all the way down through the ions, the historical timeline of the Christian faith is like no other. You don’t have to look behind us too far to find extraordinary happenings of Jesus movements that can raise your hair.
Just since the birth of the American Colonies, the amazing milestones of the church, and its outreach, are well documented, but often tinkered with in a Google search or Wikipedia. For the authentic history, it’s best to rise above the “wokeness” of those with large erasers. Instead, do the research by hitting the old history books before the slanted rewrites began to manipulate factual, documented occurrences concerning Christianity in America.
Trust me, there is way too much of church history to layout on this post. But I would be remise if I didn’t mention, “The Great Awakening”, and the “Second Great Awakening”. The facts of the faithful in the U.S., Canada, and Europe are astonishing. There are a few names that stick out to me who were used greatly to ignite a faith movement during their times.
George Whitefield (Often spelled, “Whitfield”) He lit a spiritual fire for decades all across Great Britain, and the American Colonies from the 1740’s-1770’s. Benjamin Franklin wrote of Whitfield’s magnetism by use of his voice delivery and the pulpit.
Charles G. Finney. From the 1820’s to the 1870’s, he was the match God used to start a flame known as the “Second Great Awakening”. His works and documents are outstanding. He set out to revive a spiritually sluggish nation, earning the title of “Father of Modern Revivalism”. Not unlike Whitfield, Finney travelled mainly by horseback, drawing crowds ready to stay a few days. Many of the throng would travel far and wide to be under his sermons.
Dwight L. Moody was a shoe salesman in Chicago. He was inspired by the evangelical giants before him like, Charles Finney and George Whitefield. He began small by starting a kid’s ministry and a street ministry that would later be called, “Sunday School”. His sermons of note, some printed and published, are still quoted by many pastors today…if they dare. From the 1850’s to the 1890’s, this salesman turned fiery preacher, aided in evangelizing both America and Great Britain. He also founded the highly successful Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, which continues to send out quality trained graduates into the world today.
Billy Sunday was a famous baseball player, turned evangelist. From the 1880’s to 1935, Billy Sunday became widely known as a camp-meeting revivalist, who would spend weeks at a time, preaching in communities all across America. The mother of an old friend of mine came to faith under the preaching of this incredible man.
And of course, Billy Graham who took the torch into our generation until his recent death, reaching more ears across the world than anyone in Christian history.
There are more I could list here, but the trail these evangelists blazed are like wagon train wheel tracks cut into stone. You can follow their tracks, their ripples to this day. If you should look up the Great Awakening movements, you will discover how after a community was lit ablaze by the daily preaching of some of these fire-starters, saloons would close down. Prostitution vanished. Gambling halls were boarded up. Gangsters were converted, or run out of town. Countless people came to realize their need for God’s forgiveness through the saving gift of Jesus. Homeless were fed and housed. Love expanded. Enemies became friends. Churches were built. Schools, orphanages and hospitals were funded and built. Imagine the change in a city like that. Imagine your community altered like that.
Just like in the book of Judges, where the spiritual life among Israel resembled a roller coaster. Up/down, up/down. The anti-God sentiment would rise to the point where everyone’s deeds were always right in their own evaluations. What was once known as “evil” became acceptable, even commonplace. What was once known as righteous was either suppressed, abandoned, or ignored all-together. God’s reply to the spiritually weak nation was to bring calamity, hardships, weather changes, droughts, war, violence, etc. The Israeli’s response was to repent, turn from their ways and acknowledge God, followed by the lifting of the curse with blessings and safety taking its place. Then, the nation would backslide into their wild ways again. This cycle continued for decades. It seemed like they would never learn the consequences of turning their national back to their God.
I am not a prophet. I do not claim to know the future, with the exception of what the scripture tells us. But, I can read the barometer of the nation in which I live. We are spiritually ill, at best. We watch the news and our jaws hit the floor on the outlandish signs of our days. If not for God’s amazing grace toward this culture, we would be finished already. At this point in our history, Sodom and Gomorrah are not too far from here.
Our nation, our world, has endured so much in recent years. So much in the way of manifestations of pure evil are abundant. I know, we don’t like to call it for what it is, but that’s because we belong in the book of Judges. The list is way too long to write here, but nevertheless, the list of our sins grow daily. Our nation is decaying as we play our violin from the balcony.
We call evil things something good and upright. We celebrate wickedness and glamorize it all. We cheer those who attack our children with sexual sins, that is if we don’t slaughter them in the womb first. Forgive me, but we parade and applaud the physical mutilation of our children in the name of choosing gender. We mourn for those who are saddened because certain pronouns are not used to describe an individual due to their gender alterations, gender wishful thinking, and normalizing the ideology. We invite our children to drag queen shows, as well as other drag queen events as tools for indoctrination. Pedophilia, bestiality, and goddess worship are becoming tolerable for many in our country, even in our courts. We have normalized self-worship as we gaze at ourselves on little screens and self-publish our images to the world on social media.
We are accepting cultural sewage on our dinner plates everyday because the Woke minority demands we do it, like shepherds prodding sheep. At the same time, we run from the righteousness the Almighty defined for us long ago.
According to Roman and Greek history, not to mention many other geo-political lands, we are way past due for a collapse of our house of cards. God’s nature is HOLY. He has, and will not perpetually endure a rebellious nation which was founded by Him, and held up His banner for well over 200 years.
Yet…there is a modern remnant.
We saw “The Chosen”, a highly successful TV drama series surrounding Jesus and His followers, continue to spike in viewership worldwide. Promos began to run on the movie, “Jesus Revolution” (out now in theaters) depicting the Jesus People movement of the late 60’s and early 70’s, when a conservative pastor, Chuck Smith, (Played by Kelsey Grammer) dared to minister to the hippies of his day. He was trashed by many in the church at that time as sin-on-wheels, and discredited as a nothing burger. Chuck Smith was unjustly ridiculed by his own spiritual sisters and brothers, including some of the churches I grew up in. It was a God-breathed ground zero movement which still rings through our culture today. Coincidence? Take a step back and get the wide-angle lens out.
Suddenly, this nation pulled together a bit in praying for Damar Hamlin, the seriously injured NFL player who died during a tackle on national television. The very public prayers began on the field of play, spreading all across the stadium, and the country. Not long after, rattling of WWIII got louder, mysterious, unexplained UFO’s were shot down, China’s spy balloon allowed to cross our country, signs of the U.S. in sharp decline in so many areas, new COVID resurgence, record breaking drug overdose deaths, etc, Meanwhile, the Grammy Awards highlights Satanic scenes live on stage, vis Sam Smith, to rousing standing ovations and screams of adoration from the audience, all sponsored by Pfizer, your friendly COVID vaccine conglomerate. Again, ask…a coincidence?
Now we see another heavy public movement of faith. It seems spiritual blooms are bursting open.
Asbury University in Kentucky. An average, regularly scheduled service at the campus chapel, ignites into a 24/7 organic praise, prayer, and worship center where individuals came to grips concerning their need for God’s grace, their need for repentance, their need for prayer. The doors had to stay open due to the masses coming to the extraordinary spiritual awakening at ground zero. Before you could keep up, days and nights, nights and days went by. As the word grew, others began to flock to the chapel from outside the campus, the town, the state, and even the nation. Globally, people took flights from other countries to gather at the Asbury University Chapel. So organic, not organized or pre-sold, no event planner involved, the phenomenon lacked famous, well-known preachers or evangelistic experts. No multi-platinum recording artists were invited to boost crowds. Ticketmaster wasn’t needed, or called on. At last count, before the chapel marathon service was ended, over 50,000 people had attended. Just shocking!
Although the chapel location was closed after several non-stop days, the revival continues off-campus. Now many other revival events are popping up all over the nation at various college campuses.
Thousands and thousands from Generation Z are giving their hearts to God, praying, getting on their knees in humility, making decisions for this life and the next. What is more newsworthy, none of this movement is contained inside one denomination. This fresh spiritual breeze blows across denominational lines. That is an occurrence outside of human hands, manmade design. No need to ask who is playing at any of these gatherings. Currently, there is no rock star drawing crowds, no Billy Sunday, no TBN, only The Bright Morning Star, Jesus. The Event Planner is indeed, the Holy Spirit!
Truthfully, this nation is more than ripe for a Great Awakening.
If you are reading this as an unchurched person, one who isn’t into Jesus, or the Bible in general, try not to analyze this moment in history too much. In your position, the word, “Revival” may be foreign to you, or you may know it only as a description concerning a resurgence of retro music, entertainment, fashion, or structural design. Spiritual revival didn’t start at Asbury Chapel, it starts in the single, individual heart. I hope and pray the revival ignites this writer’s heart.
God said it in scripture, so we would know the formula. He promised if we move closer to Him, He would move closer to us. Our land needs to be healed.
Find out the difference between Woke and Awake, in fuel for the race.
“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping, and mourning; And tear your heart and not merely your garments.” Now return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in mercy And relenting of catastrophe. ” Joel 2:12-13 (NAS)
“Pressure: pushing down on me, Pressing down on you, no man ask for. Under pressure that burns a building down, Splits a family in two, Puts people on streets.” (1981) “Under Pressure” Recorded By: Queen & David Bowie.Composed By: Roger Taylor, Freddie Mercury, David Bowie (Lyrics), John Deacon, Brian May.
I’m sorry. I’m referencing the bean bad chairs, not the kids.
I was so proud of mine. During my teen years, in the 70’s (1970’s, not 1870’s) I had one in my bedroom. It was royal blue (My high school colors.) and made of a shiny vinyl. It sat in the corner of my room, right next to my stereo record player and headphones. It lasted several years into my early 20’s until the tiny white Styrofoam beans began to escape the seams. That was tough on burnt orange shag carpet. I think I cried when I finally surrendered to tossing it in a dumpster. Recently, I have noticed ads for a bean bag chair revival, new and improved. Just like my old royal blue friend, I am sure the new ones will memorize the shape of your backside. They have a memory, ya know.
When the Star Trek franchise introduced, “The Borg” aliens to the Star Trek timeline in the late 80’s with The Next Generation, I was reminded of my old bean bag chair.
The Borg. Star Trek franchise. Paramount Pictures. Memory Alpha Fandom.
If you are unfamiliar with the Star Trek story-lines, the Borg is a race of collective drones, part android, part human, or other humanoid species. They are of one mind, no individual thinking or reasoning. Each drone hears only one dialogue from its members in the hive of collectives. Their purpose is to collect humanoid species by force to glean from their experiences and technologies in order to add to their own collective. Their very robotic vocal greeting to planets and space ships is ominous:
“WE ARE THE BORG. YOU WILL BE ASSIMILATED. YOU MUST COMPLY. RESISTANCE IS FUTILE.”
Of course, the victims of such an assimilation means the humanoid species being spoken to will not only cease to live out their own culture and society as they know it, but will lose all identity and individual thought as they will be part of ONE MIND, ONE THOUGHT, ONE PURPOSE. In other words, it ain’t good.
Just like my bean bag chair, victims of The Borg must CONFORM, no longer keeping their own sovereign shape. I thought about this when after the summer Olympics were complete, I could see the outline of my derriere on the couch. Poor cushion, it had no choice but to comply.
What does it take to comply to the force facing you? If someone were to come out from the cavern they reside in, they may not see it. However, if you are plugged into what is going on around you, you will recognize it.
Whenever misinformation is given, the goal is to get you to conform. Whenever an alternative “truth” is unleashed in the media, academia, or from government, you can bet it is an effort to assimilate the “absolute truth” when conformity is the goal. Whenever free speech is attacked with vicious words, and even physical violence, conformity is the goal. Whenever you see a yellow sign and you are constantly told it’s a blue sign, the goal is conformity. Whenever a photo is forced upon you over and over again, accompanied by the word, “Racism” or “Crime”, and the photo clearly shows the absence of racism or crime, you can bet you are being groomed for conformity. Whenever you witness statues of significant officials and warriors, and founding fathers torn down and burned, conformity is the reward. Whenever an elected official, hired by you, the free citizen of democracy, stands behind the podium of significance and states that he/she is “losing patience” with you, conformity is in play. Whenever a growing mob tramples and burns down all that is wholesome and good for a community, conformity is on the menu. Whenever you are assaulted, or publicly showered with curses in order to shame you because of your ideology, theology, or your life-choices, the pressure is to squeeze you into conformity. Whenever shiny objects are dangled in the opposite direction of where I need to be looking, for safety and freedom sake, I am reminded misdirection is a tool which leads to conformity. (Just ask the catfish wrapped up in your local butcher shop.) Whenever righteousness, law & order, and right is rifled out to be evil, lack of justice, and wrong, conformity is the pressure.
My bean bag chair only conformed to my rear end due to the pressure of weight I applied to it. As for The Borg, well, conformity is the only option by way of force.
You might say conformity is the result of impression. To be impressed, whether good or bad, someone, or something must weigh heavily on you. Adam and Eve were introduced to the cleverness of a conformity campaign:
“…You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” – The Serpent (Genesis 3:4 – 5) ESV
If I were a bean bag chair, before someone applied their weight to me, I would push back with the boldness of shouting out, “I know my shape! It’s how I was made! That’s the truth of it!” If I were to face The Borg, I would fight for the truth of who I am, loving the freedoms God gave to me. Why? Because with God, resistance is NOT futile! I’ve already been transformed.
When compliance is birthed from a lie, recognize the signs in fuel for the race.
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” – Romans 12:2 (NAS)
“…And the rush of crashing water surrounds me with its sound. Striking out to reach you. I can’t get through to the other side, When you’re racing in the rapids, there’s only one way, that’s to ride. Taken down, taken down by the undertow…”(1974) “In The Rapids” Recorded By: GenesisComposers:Anthony Banks, Michael Rutherford, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, SteveHackett
Earlier in June, I wrote of my experiences while attending my daughter’s wedding in Buffalo, NY. My other daughters, D’Anna and Tabitha, and Tabitha’s daughter, Skylar, as well as, D’Anna’s fiance, Nik, all made the journey from Texas to be at the incredible occasion.
Being former citizens of the Buffalo area, naturally the family wanted to check out old stomping grounds, our old house, and iconic places of the area. Nik, on the other hand, had never been there. D’Anna was on a tear to get Nik to Niagara Falls. Before you can say, “Drip-drip”, the family hightailed it over the Grand Island Bridge to see one of the Seven Wonders of The World. I have never gotten tired of visiting and revisiting this magnificent awestruck creation.
From the Skylon Tower on the Canadian side. Horseshoe Falls of the Niagara.
Once there, the kids did what they had time for. They visited The Cave of The Winds behind the falls. They explored the panoramic view from the foot of the falls, while on the deck of the Maid of The Mist touring boat, where you can feel the churning rumble beneath your feet. And of course, what’s a summer day if you miss getting sprayed really nicely climbing the wooden staircase next to the American side of the falls. They were immediately reminded the water is always cold in every season.
For me, the drive just outside the falls, in itself, is something to behold. Before you arrive at the falls, you travel a road which stretches alongside the upper Niagara as it speeds toward the falls. The closer you get to the falls, the more turbulent the river becomes. Some 100 yards, or so, before reaching the rim of the falls, the upper rapids churn and toss the waters filling the misty air with the roar of its rage. I have written before about the ominous, “point of no return” warnings set for boaters, which may be about a mile upstream. By the time you see the rapids racing to the brink, the force of the poundage of the water could violently toss the Empire State Building over the edge. It’s massive. It’s powerful. It’s unforgiving. It’s stirring to walk alongside the rapids as you feel its unmatched strength.
Nik and D’Anna did just that.
At some point, Nik noticed something that caught his eye. Most wouldn’t even notice, or even think about how it happens, but someone with a observant mind would take note. It was this…
There, just a few yards from the brink of the falls, a stubborn tree in the middle of the roaring deadly rapids. They noticed it didn’t budge, sway, or even wobble. There was no detection if the tree was rooted beneath the torrent on the riverbed, or if it was an uprooted tree from upstream which found a stabilizing foothold in the boulders beneath the surface. Nik was amazed at the tree’s resilience as the crushing flood crashed into its trunk, pushing, tugging, and grappling through the might of the raging undertow. So astonished by what he saw, he took the picture with his cell phone. My theory? I believe it to be a driftwood tree carried downstream which jammed one of its limbs in a crevice of a boulder, or two, anchoring it in place, forcing the rapids over, or around it. From what they observed, unless authorities remove it somehow, that tree might never see the edge of the falls.
Flying back to Dallas, Texas, while on my layover in the Baltimore airport, as I waited to change planes I took out the phone to catch myself up on the news of the week. I had been so busy while in Buffalo, I hadn’t seen any news reports Of course, as I began to scroll through the headlines, I regretted stepping out of oblivion.
So much anger, rage, and social idolatry has become the norm in such a short time. Hatred, deception, chaos, Marxism, and crime are on the rampage. Oh, and did I mention hatred?
The one giant elephant in the room parents discovered over the pandemic, as their kids were going to school online, was they actually got to see what their children were being taught. One of which, is CRT (Critical Race Theory), birthed out of the BLM movement. If not familiar with the CRT protocols, its statements, and its goals, you should look it up for yourself. In a nutshell, in very seductive undertows, it pits one race against another. The focus demonizes the white race, teaching all white people are born oppressors. How blatant is that? The focus is to shame the white race with the false idea that if born to white parents, you are unable to rid yourself of being an oppressor, a white supremacist, or a flat-out racist. Even our own president has said as much at his podium.
This twisted, deranged lie indicates a white person can, and will, never shed the haughty attitude of automatically degrading, from the very soul, other ethnic categories of color, especially anyone of African decent. According to CRT, this happens in infancy.
This is all where the phrase, “Systemic Racism” is developed. If you are one of my readers who has brown, or black skin, this places you in a cultural psychological pit in which you do not belong. CRT, if it has its way, has a dangerous, venomous seedling to be planted in your mind. The seedling will root itself in the crevice of your brain, programming you to believe that today, tomorrow, and always, you will be an “oppressed victim”. No matter how much income you deposit in your bank, no matter what level of education, no matter what position you take in the marketplace of careers, you will always have this root growing its limbs and branches, wrapping its warped ideology around and around your mind like a grapevine, or like a vicious cancer. In the end, you will never displace its roots once they have taken the foothold within. The result will not have you moving forward in our culture, but backward to the 1860’s after America’s war to abolish slavery. Instead of what Dr. Martin Luther King spoke about, judging by the character of a person, and not by the color of their skin, you and your children, and their children, will be indoctrinated to adapt the lie of being beneath all whites at birth. That is not a free person. That is not the truth. That is not God’s hand.
CRT divides us into tribes, into mental masters and slaves, and how one race will always be evil. It is also designed to create stigmas of hate within the family unit itself. Ironically, unlike what CRT teaches, so many families are made up of various representatives of races. At American restaurants tonight, many tables will be full of loved ones dining together, who happen to be white and black, Hispanic and white, Asian and black, etc. Not to be missed, there are those wonderful families who have adopted children of various races. I have several white friends who have adopted, or fostered, black children, as well as, kids from other colors of God’s rainbow. CRT targets the family unit at its very DNA strand, which feeds discord. It’s clever, it breeds racism, and it’s deadly.
Is this what we want? Is this leading to a healthy culture, and respectful society? Is it not true that we are all created equal? In the biblical aspect, yes, we ARE created equally. In Jesus, we are no longer these categories: slave and free, women and men, Greek or Jew. (Galatians 3:28 Paul’s writing.) If someone comes along in history with another teaching, they are not of the doctrine of the God of Creation.
Some corporations have adopted the ideology into their HR requirements, especially for leadership positions. The fight to keep it out of our military is a current debate on Capitol Hill as I type this. Now, where various school boards have adopted the indoctrination of CRT into the curriculum, out of social fear or political pressure, some parents are beginning to vigorously speak out at public board meetings. That’s what it will take, patriots who love this nation to stand up for truth, justice, and the rule of law against the rage of a few who wish to see America crumble.
As for me, I hope that tree, in the middle of the rapids in the Niagara, holds tight to its stabling rock. I sure would hate to see it let go due to the sheer weight of the rushing torrent against it, only to see it go over the edge into…oblivion.
A solid rock in midstream was introduced from ancient days in fuel for the race.
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose trust is the LORD. For he will be like a tree planted by the water That extends its roots by a stream, And does not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought, Nor cease to yield fruit.” – Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NAS)
“Don’t go jumping waterfalls. Please, keep to the lake. People who jump waterfalls, sometimes can make mistakes.” (1980) “Waterfalls” Written & Recorded By: Paul McCartney
The cover photo above was taken by my daughter, Megan, last month on the American side of Niagara Falls. Not fully frozen this year, but capturing the late night beauty of the falls is always worth it. At that time of night/overnight, they shut off the colored lights washing over the falls. In this cover photo you can see how it looks naturally at night.
We lived in that region for five years, Megan was the only one of the five of us who stayed. Never did I tire of standing by the majestic Niagara Falls. Only once did we venture out in zero degree air to see the falls in its almost frozen form. Not only does the beauty, and the piercing frozen mist of the frozen falls, take the breath out of you, but the muzzled roar is deafening. Also, in April, you often can watch the breakaway icebergs as big as houses go over the brink and crash in the lower Niagara.
Niagara Falls in winter. The hurricane viewing deck is encased in ice.
My personal favorite location to view the falls is on the Canadian side where the Horseshoe Falls is the most photographed. Below, my daughter, and my future son-in-law, are perfectly happy in the late night hours on the American side.
Megan Brown and Kevin Sampson on the American side of Niagara Falls.
The thundering roar of the falls can amaze you. The fact you can hardly hear your own voice the closer you are to the crashing waters can astound. The rumble beneath your feet from the vibration of the shear weight of the falling waters of the Niagara will raise your eyebrows. While approaching the bottom of the falls in a tour boat, decked out in your plastic raincoat and hood, you can feel the hull shiver and quake from the power of the collision of the millions of gallons from the mighty Niagara.
My late half-sister, Renea & I on the Maid Of The Mist near the bottom of the falls in 2007.
The tremendous wonderment of such a creation has caused presidents, kings and queens, the elite, the ultra famous, the most powerful and wealthy humans on the planet to stand in awe at the might of God’s artwork of Niagara Falls. Yet, its beauty comes with a dark cloud, a stigma.
It’s difficult to shade anything dark upon the majesty of such a place of history and enchantment. The truth is, this wonder of the world is also scarred by many deaths. Niagara Falls is known for being one of the most sought after locations by those who commit suicide. It’s a sad footnote to such a marvel, but true. Multiple deaths recorded there were accidental, as well. Take a look at the picture below taken from the Skylon Tower on the Canadian side from an old friend.
Niagara Falls, Horseshoe Falls.
The upper Niagara, feeding the falls, is several miles in length, reaching the Buffalo Harbor where the mouth of the Niagara begins as it meets the northern end of Lake Erie. This lengthy stretch of the Niagara River is often missed by tourists. It rushes through Buffalo, then splits around Grand Island, NY, and intersects again on the other side of Grand Island, heading with force toward the great falls.
The straightaway from Grand Island to the brink of the falls caught my attention as a kid while watching the 1953 movie, “Niagara” with Joseph Cotten and Marilyn Monroe. They were the two headlining actors, but the star of the movie was the Niagara itself.
I still have the VHS video. The story is of a crime drama with a couple of twists. Sure, the script wasn’t the best, nor some of the acting, but the scenery surrounding the falls is stunning. I don’t want to spoil the ending, but I need to get close to the brink of it for this post. There is a horrific, nail-biting scene featuring a couple in a stalled motor boat adrift on the upper Niagara, headed straight for the fringe of the falls. The authorities do all they can to rescue those in certain peril, and the drama causes you to grit your teeth. There, I didn’t give you all the details. If you see the movie, you’ll thank me later.
I thought of that scene the very first time I visited the falls in April of 2003. My future boss took me on a quick tour of the falls that day as we negotiated a contract for me to move to Buffalo to take over a radio show. He drove me down the street, which parallels the banks of the upper Niagara, before reaching the falls. He pointed out a section of the river, just about a mile or so before the falls. There, as the river raged more and more as it rushed toward the falls, were ominous warning signs and bright colored buoys. The closer we drove, the easier they were to read. All the way across the half mile wide river, alarming signs alerting boaters to halt and reverse course immediately. There was no way anyone with eyes could miss the warnings. They detailed that if any vessel went passed that point, it would be the point of no return, literally. Other signs also signaled the fact that the waters were non-negotiable for first responders, including the Coast Guard. It was clear, due to the force of the river, and the rapids scattered about, the force would take its victims to the brink of the falls without remedy. Reading the warnings sent chills up my spine.
Robert Long might have visited the falls, but I can’t say. Maybe he should’ve seen what I witnessed along the road leading to the brink. Have you heard of him?
Robert Long, a kid in his 20’s, made horrific news recently. In a red light district of Atlanta, he shot and killed several female sex workers at three message parlors, and also a male bystander walking past one of the establishments. He then drove toward Florida to unleash another shooting rampage at similar businesses of sex trafficking. He didn’t resist arrest when he was apprehended. Without incident, he was cuffed and questioned. When asked why he did what he did, he gave an interesting answer nobody could guess. He admitted to a driving sex addiction which had overtaken his life and this was how he wanted to take out the people who fed his addiction.
Those who worship the politics of the day, will tell you he was hunting people of Asian decent, blaming it all on white supremacy. Keep reading.
The investigation into the shooting spree continues, but from what has been reported as of now, this kid in his mid 20’s has been a sex addict since he was at least 14 years old. At that time, his Christian parents placed him in a facility for people with addictions. Apparently, the boy was too overtaken to succeed in a clinical treatment of that nature. Even his roommate at the facility reportedly told the authorities how Robert Long was crazed by this sexual addiction.
Scripture says God has a love for His creation. So much so, He calls the stars by name. I imagine a place of His handiwork, like Niagara Falls, holds a great love in God’s heart. Even so, He loves you and I so much more. In fact, he loves the sex worker on a 12 hour shift at a place of red neon. He loves the traffickers who sit on piles of dirty cash while arranging transportation for pre-sex workers. And, he loves Robert Long, who was tricked by the Adversary, into choosing to look at online porn at 14 years old. We know this because He came to earth to offer Himself as a sacrifice to free us from our sins that wrangles and dominates us.
From what I have heard about his parents, a former youth pastor, and church worker and volunteer, no doubt they twisted in their sleep for years over this addiction created for their son. There is so much pain involved for everyone.
Sin comes with a tripwire. It’s like a snare set up to trap a rabbit in a cage. One pull of the string, and “snap“, the rabbit is imprisoned. Along with a tripwire, sin comes with a warning sign. Dire words are given, given again, repeated again, and again, and again.
They are words like, “GO BACK”, “REVERSE COURSE NOW”, “HERE, AND NO FURTHER”, “BEYOND THIS LINE, THE POINT OF NO RETURN”. These words flash in bright, reflecting colors, day and night, night and day for all who travel too close to what will wash boaters down stream to the brink.
Someone once wrote:
“Sin will take you farther than you wanna go, Slowly but wholly taking control. Sin will leave you longer than you wanna stay. Sin will cost you far more than you wanna pay.”
The fall is a long way down.
Warnings of affliction, and a way of escape, are blinking in fuel for the race.
“Do not long for the night, When people vanish in their places. Be careful, do not turn to evil, For you preferred this to misery. Behold, God is exalted in His power; Who is a teacher like Him?” Job 36:20-22 (NAS)
“Go on now, go, walk out the door. Just turn around now, ‘Cause you’re not welcome anymore. Weren’t you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye? You think I’d crumble? You think I’d lay down and die?” (1978) “I Will Survive” Recorded By: Gloria Gaynor Composers: Freddie Perren & Dino Fekaris
If you’ve not heard about it, you soon may become a victim of it with a blindside punch.
Some say it began about 25 years ago on college campuses across America. There were “safe spaces” for young college students who wished to get away from hearing opinions which didn’t align with their’s. In fact, any speech, just right of center, began to be shunned in efforts to push a more left field of thought. As this ideology brewed over repetition, married with time, a type of brainwashing began to occur among students. Of course, silencing other points of view was dressed up to appear to be an exercise in “safety” and “chaotic avoidance”. After all, if you banish dissenting thought, which evolves into speech and writing, then debate, disruption, and deciphering another view means self-conjured peace and quiet ruling over others not in your camp. In other words, it can be translated simply as, “I WANT MY WAY, AND I WILL HAVE IT MY WAY!” That sounds strangely like little voices from the past. “I WANT THAT ICE CREAM! I WANT IT NOW!” In the end, true healthy debate will be over.
Imagine a world where your opposition is no more…all the time.
Fast forward 35 years, America is full of 40-somethings who are CEO’s, owners of corporations, and last but not least, chiefs of Big Tech Corps. With a great deal of help from social media giants and corrupt news media, we now see where a culture has risen in numbers to browbeat and intimidate anyone they do not like, or anyone they do not want to hear from. In the name of safety and concern, and protection, conflicting voices can now be silenced in America by the few, not the majority.
This culture has now spread their tentacles into a dangerous discard mode. Literally, a culture delving into “cancelling out” of the public, those who dare to disagree politically, culturally, religiously, and ideologically. Just like the little ones who marinated themselves in the make-believe magic of Harry Potter, wishing away, or vanishing, anything perceived as evil.
Moreover, it bleeds into guilt by association. A perfect example would be cancelling all who supported conservative politicians, or whoever worked for a conservative candidate, or a particular administration. If you are a famous, well-established entertainer in comedy, movies, TV, or recording artist, who happens to be a conservative thinker, if you voice it, support conservative views, via donations or speech, you are in danger of being erased in the field of your occupation. Not unlike a pack of jackals on an African prairie, you can be ganged up on, chased through the streets, harassed publicly from your front lawn to your favorite social media site. In severe high profile cases, you can be so smudged because of your views, that you find your bank will no longer serve you. Imagine being turned down for career opportunities after a good screening of who you have been associated with. THIS IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IN AMERICA. History can be rewritten if not opposed.
Yes, the cancel culture is flexing its biceps in the current political atmosphere, in the wake of recent current events. Make no mistake, if it grows, free speech will shrink. In my opinion, free speech essentially could one day be a part of our history…unless they cancel that part in history books. To vanquish, to erase, to delete opposing opinion out of existence is the goal.
If you know world history, you have seen this before. It doesn’t take long to discover nations who lost their freedoms in this way. How about the Salem witch trials right here on our soil? Because of a few disturbed accusing girls, many were executed as they were falsely accused of being witches. It didn’t take long for that small cancel culture to ignite hysteria, anger, and ruin.
At the same time of the growth of this twisted cancel culture, who couldn’t stand up to their own standards for very long, there is a Redeemer Who spent a very short time being crushed by a cancel culture.
Throughout this Redeemer’s life, He taught and exhibited the opposite of a cancel culture. He was okay with being ridiculed to meet up with a Samaritan woman at a well in a town nobody in His culture would ever go through because they had “cancelled” the people who lived there. They thought of it as cursed land. (Sound familiar red states?) He met with her, offered her living water and freedom from accusations. After visiting another town, He invited Himself to the house of a little man who had been “cancelled” by his own fellow citizens because he was a chief tax collector for Rome. Zacchaeus soon found freedom of the spirit after this Redeemer went home with him for a dinner. One day, this Redeemer was approached by a gang of “cancellation experts” who wanted to stone a young woman to death for an accusation of adultery. Even though the law at the time demanded an execution for the crime of adultery, this Redeemer stood between the mob with stones and the accused, boldly challenging the pack of “cancel lovers”. “Whoever here is without a sin in life, let that person throw the first stone at her.”(My paraphrase.) Each one, from the oldest to the youngest, evaluated his own corrupt heart and dropped the stones while walking away. She was not cancelled that day, but rather uplifted.
Jesus was so against a culture of cancellations. He didn’t silence voices of opposition, but asked to hear them. He lived, modeled, and displayed inclusion, not exclusion. Why? Because He knew where it placed a culture. It placed them in a deadly, murderous, unforgiving, and soulless spiral into an inescapable abyss. God’s mercy and grace was rejected, cancelled from the minds of its citizens. In fact, He warned the nation that their stiff-necked destructive behavior, without a turning from it, would direct them to a physical destruction, and a spiritual cancellation. Roughly 40 years passed, and in 70 AD, the Romans utterly destroyed the nation.
In our current worship of cancelling the lives of our fellow citizens, allow me to pick one verse of scripture which shines a brilliant light on how Jesus felt about cancelling those in opposition.
“Jesus then told the crowd and the disciples to come closer, and he said: If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me.” – Jesus (Mark 8:34)- Contemporary English Version)
There’s two things Jesus did cancel. Sin as a master, and eternal death.
Freedom of speech wasn’t new in 1776. It’s first found in fuel for the race.
“For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” – 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (ESV)
“Don’t you understand what I’m sayin’, We need a god down there. A man to lead us children, Take us from the valley of fear….Get on up, look around; Can’t you feel the wind of change? Get on up, taste the air; Can’t you see the wind of change…” (1975) “Wind Of Change” Recorded By: Bee Gees Composers: Robin Gibb & Barry Gibb
She was on the phone with a friend at the time, looking out her open kitchen window over the sink. She had heard some windy commotions outside and wondered what was coming as the sky quickly turned the afternoon into a darkened dome. Before you could shout, “Run, Toto. Run.”, all the trees from her kitchen window view suddenly swayed and bent as if they were made of rubber. Just at that moment, her phone conversation was cut-off as a very loud “BOOM” caused her to jump right out of her apron. The clashing sound of calamity shook the entire house. It sounded as if a car slammed into the living room at the front of the house. She raced toward the sound of the crash. As she opened the front door, she was met by a wall of leaves, branches, and limbs on her front porch. The thicket was so massive, she couldn’t see through it all. Frankly, it left her stunned. At first she just froze trying to make sense of what she was looking at. After she was able to get a hold of herself, she heard voices coming from the street on the other side of the wall of vegetation.
“Is anyone injured? Are you okay in the there?”
At first she thought it humorous that someone would be yelling from the street asking if she was okay. Still not seeing the larger picture of her circumstances, the wonderment turned into a chuckle. She giggled and yelled back in response;
“Yes, I’m fine. Thank you.”
They told her she needed to find a fast way out of the residence. Thinking the comment was somewhat bizarre, she ultimately decided not to ignore the suggestion. She walked to a bedroom toward a side door of the house, which opened to the driveway, only to feel a wave of shock as she made her way outside to the front lawn. Again, a sense of frozen ice poured over her as she gazed at the green monstrosity. The last of four giant sycamore trees was uprooted and laying partially on the roof, as well as an old telephone line strung across the width of the property, keeping the full weight of the tree from damaging the house any further. (That was a God-thing.)
Photo: My mom with a cousin and a kind neighbor.
That is what happened to my mom on June 19, 2019, a little over a year ago, when a tornado made its way over her house in Greenville, Texas. She was well protected that day as the tornado touched-down in several areas leaving a wide path of destruction in its wake.
In 1955, when she was 11 years old, the family of five moved in. There, between the sidewalk and the front curb by the street, were four strategically spaced large sycamore trees which went from the east side of the front curb area, to the edge of the property on the west side. These four trees, with their over-sized leaves, ascended over the top of the telephone poles. Here in Texas, they can climb to 100 feet in height.
Photo: Sycamore – Texas A&M Forest Service
Of course, that was 1955. You can imagine how much growth there’s been throughout the following decades. However, one by one, each met the ground. Two had to be cut down many years ago, for one reason or another. Just two weeks before the tornado last year, the third gigantic sycamore was partially uprooted by powerful straight-line Texas spring winds. As it leaned on power lines, hanging over the street, the city rushed over to cut it down for safety sake. I remember my mom being somber after another old friend of lumber was hacked-up and hauled away, saying;
“Well, at least we still have one left.”
I remember not feeling optimistic at all. My mind kept going back to the uprooted tree which left its turf so easily in the wind storm. One couldn’t help but wonder if the last sycamore would show stronger roots in that small patch of ground by the curb. Alas, the tornado took advantage of the last top-heavy friendly giant.
All of my life I watched that quartet of timber grow. In the spring and summer, the shade was tremendous as it branched out much like a colossal umbrella over the lawns to the left, right, and across the street. During the fall, the 10″ golden leaves would float down like feathers, carpeting the entire property, the sidewalk, the street, and the driveway. My cousins and I would run and jump in the crunchy foliage just to listen to the loud crackling beneath us.
As I received the pictures of the downed tree, I couldn’t help but think of the loving grandparents who lived there, the countless holidays celebrated, and the sight of seeing the four sycamores greeting us as we turned the corner toward my grandparent’s house over my six decades. As a kid, I was known to jump out of the car, run up to one of the trees and shout;
“Zacchaeus, you come down!”
But, straight-line winds of hurricane force are not too unusual in Texas, and the occasional tornado will never have mercy in its path if close to the ground. They were old trees with hindered root systems, considering the narrow piece of ground they rested in between the sidewalk and the street.
Photo: The tornado pulled the old roots right out of the east Texas black clay.
You may be asking why I am writing about this event now, some 13 months after the fact. Okay, I’ll tell you.
In recent weeks America has been brutalized by COVID-19, accompanied by unnecessary brutality and murder by police officers in Minneapolis, a culture war, violence in the streets, anarchy, widespread arson, public prideful lawlessness, statues of founding fathers, and historical figures, destroyed by mobs, sacred monuments defaced, over-the-top cancel culture targeting places, people, emblems, labels, businesses (big and small), police defunded, assaulted and murdered, (even efforts to remove the police as public servants, even as violence grows). Once accomplished, who will we call when the next school mass shooting event occurs? Once accomplished, will a social worker arrive to calm the next mass church shooter as he reloads his AK-47?
!!! WHAT ARE WE DOING TO OURSELVES?
Then there are Marxists pushing their far-leftist ideology into the mainstream, tyrannical thought-judges are now in vogue, even Jesus is being attacked. Anarchists, and those who have had closet hostility toward America, seem to be free to do what they please. By the way, it’s worth noting, if you’re a small business owner, look out! Extinction is possible if they get their way. Some politicians are making excuses for it all, or looking the other way without denouncing the violence. Such politicians are not worthy to hold an office. Socialist radicals are ready to disassemble the Constitution, as well as, the Bill Of Rights this country was built on. All of this, and more, within just a few weeks.
If you are an American citizen ignoring what this nation has been going through, keep in mind, you just might be “wished away” by a mob of puppets who want to uproot and remove you, your property, your livelihood, your beliefs, and your government of liberty quicker than a Texas tornado. Once accomplished, your life, and the lives of your descendants, will never be the same. The wind of change is something the Jews in Nazi Germany can tell you about, if they were here to testify. Ancient kingdoms were written about in the Bible, along with historical records in museums, only because you no longer can visit their cultures due to the winds of change. They have been uprooted and removed. Sure, we can leave fairly impressive architecture behind us, just like the Mayans who vanished. Is that what we want? Are we inviting these mobs of unrest to crush the roof over our heads? Really?
How strong ARE our roots? Do I sound like an alarmist? Maybe I am.
Photo: A hoisting crane holding up the tree as the arborist slices from the top downward. The roots pulled up part of the sidewalk, no longer pedestrian friendly.
When I was maybe 12 years old, my grandparents gave me a patriotic album. I still have it in a box in my garage. It was highly unique in that John Wayne recorded these stirring poems about America and her citizens. (By the way, John Wayne is now under attack by the cancel culture.) It was called, “America, Why I Love Her” (1972). By today’s standards the project might sound a bit corny. It is very much red, white, and blue. Nevertheless, it is very well done, shellacked with stirring poetry, delivered perfectly by the rustic actor. One of the cuts on the album is called, “Mis Raices Estan Aqui (My Root Are Buried Here)” You can type it into Google for a quick listen. I don’t want to give it all away, but I will say something about it here. It speaks of the roots of a citizen, firmly planted in the soil of America, the America with all her bumps, bruises, and smudges. It speaks well of the love for country, property, her enduring make-up, and her documents which publishes our liberties. I would like to believe the roots are not shallow.
With all that is currently blowing upon this nation and her branches, one might ask about the depth of the roots. Could it be too many complacent ones are not seeing the forest for the trees? One might wonder if the root system has been hindered on all sides. One might even go so far as to inquire; have the recent vortex down-bursts leveled irreversible damage? When the face masks come off, will there be a sinister grin, or a look of fortitude in righteousness? Ask yourself this question….Will we fall for anything?
The value of liberty, which shades all Americans, is well spoken of in fuel for the race.
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD And whose trust is the LORD. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to yield fruit.” Jeremiah 17: 7-8 (NAS)
Fuel For The Race 