Tides of Tyranny: The Fields of Immigration

Tides of Tyranny: The Fields of Immigration: America’s fields are ripe with crisis and issues of significance. Yes, the harvest appears to be in abundance at last glance. Let me digres...

The Fields of Immigration

America’s fields are ripe with crisis and issues of significance. Yes, the harvest appears to be in abundance at last glance. Let me digress on a domestic crisis that is currently taking place. A country of immigrants knows the value of immigration; it knows, nonetheless, at this time in history that the conditions for non-regulated right of entry are not as they were in the 1800-1900’s. We are not in the same place. At one time we could take in anyone’s tired and poor. We no longer can do it with the ease we once did. Restrictions have to be relevant to the situation as it is, not as it once was. So one might ask; what restrictions? Powerless to present such a politically loaded question, far less answer it, we vacillate, we drivel, we sort of look aslant at the results of our vacillation. Where is the federal leadership when needed? I, as others before me, question our elected president’s inability to reach a decision. The border crisis is a mess. Instead of America’s Chief Executive taking corrective action to stop the humanitarian crisis along our southern borders, Texas Governor Rick Perry has stepped in to fill the leadership vacuum created by Obama’s inaction.  Many liberals will attack his motives, question his sense of compassion etc. But you know what? He is doing something. A very nice change in this era of political indecision and correctness. Action, even if insufficient to solve the problem, beats doing nothing in my mind and those of most tax paying Americans. Most Americans I speak to are disgusted with their dysfunctional federal government.

Oh, by the way, as hundreds and thousands of illegal immigrants cross our border and are given benefits, an American Marine rots in a Mexican Jail cell. What kind of commander-in-chief lets illegal immigrants come across the border, but does not demand the Mexican government release our veteran? Do you not think it is a miss-carriage of justice that the only person not allowed to cross our border with Mexico is a United States Marine? I most certainly do.

Why The Church Exists

There is a paradox that God desires to happen within the church. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer famously stated, “The Church is only the Church when it exists for others.” When any given local church begins to think about the next planned fund raising event, or which Christmas decorations they are going to display more than the daily plight of fellow believers in the community and around the world, the church has lost its purpose and focus.

What happens whenever a local church properly exists for others, however, is that they feel the incredible sense of being “one with them.” They then do not feel as those they are serving “others,” but rather they view the entire body as one; including themselves in with the persecuted. This is the glorious paradox we see modeled for us in scripture. Can we challenge ourselves to be ‘one with them' more, in all that we do? We understand that this brings God all the glory. When we read stories of the persecuted, pray with us that God grants us with the understanding that we are in fact reading a story about our own family – not simply someone else’s, but ours. Those who do the will of God, who bear one another's burdens and thus fulfill the law of Christ, these are the members of of Jesus' family, these are the ones who belong to what the Apostle Paul calls the "household of faith." 

Freedom and the Warrior's Armor

If you are thankful for the freedom that was won on the backs and with the lives of others, then what would you do to keep it? If you are thankful for a Constitution that protects our God given, unalienable rights, then how much are you willing to fight to keep those rights? If you are thankful for a republic that was entrusted to us by our Founding Fathers for future generations, then what are you willing to give up?  Are you willing to expose those dealers of duplicity who sell us perversion cloaked as freedom? The effort to change America's mind on issues like abortion, sanctity of marriage, freedom of choice, church-state separation and more is not a coincidence. It is a well planned campaign. But the good news is that by the grace of God, the truth can defeat this evil.

As Christians we must speak as one voice. Our collective actions must be righteous in the Biblical sense. Not unlike the Apostle Paul, we are sometimes called to serve as God's Warriors. We must fight those brokers who market techniques commonly employed to "package, perfume and gift wrap" destructive behaviors and beliefs to make them appear good. As a Soldier of the Cross we must turn the light of truth on the corruption and decay, that we who in the name of Christ, might realize what we have failed  to see, and failed to act upon. The campaign for the hearts and minds of America is not political or philosophical. The war is spiritual and to win we must recognize our enemy, identify his weakness and defeat his army on the field of battle.

As a career military officer I was never once asked to participate in a military operation without first knowing who the enemy was. Secondly, knowing the disposition of the enemy. And finally, being properly equipped to defeat the enemy. Fighting a spiritual war is not unlike preparing to fight on today's battlefield.  Soldiers in both must be equipped to win. Today's soldier wears body armor that protects his head, upper body and groin area. He is armed with a variety of small arms weapons. He is deployed to the battlefield by foot, parachute, helicopter, armored vehicle and numerous other modes of delivery.

God's Warriors also wear full armor so when the day of battle comes they will be able to stand their ground. God's Warrior wears the belt of truth around his waist ... with the breastplate of righteousness in place... and with feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition, God's Warrior takes up the shield of faith, with which to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. God's Warrior also puts on the helmet of salvation and arms himself with the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Our enemy is Satan, "the prince of this world" who is the personification of evil. His legions are vast in numbers and comprised of heretics, false prophets, humanists, misguided heads of state, psychopaths, and other exporters of darkness. His lieutenants have been corrupted by power, wealth, greed and a myriad of other evil desires. Satan and his follower's weaknesses are found throughout the Word of God. Satan and his army will be defeated at Armageddon. He and his followers will be thrown in the lake of fire where "they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever."
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Everyone is Special - Not!

The concept of life being unfair and the need to seek “justice” to fix it is the very heart of progressivism. Nothing is your fault, it’s society’s. You’re just a victim. We are raising a generation of participation trophy winning, everyone is special believing, all thoughts are valid, there are no wrong answers, high self-esteem having, if it feels good do it, you can’t judge others by their station in life. These others have never been told there are lines you do not cross, you don’t always get your way, someone will be better than you even at the things you are great at, and you’re going to have to bust your ass to get what you want, and then only maybe will you.  Many of the generation coming of age now are simply not equipped to deal with failure, be it in not getting a job, a promotion, or a date, or anything in between. They don’t know how to deal with even small failures because they have been insulated from reality by the progressive dogma “everyone is special” philosophy that has people looking for an explanation of their shortcomings externally. I will end this train of thought by urging the "I'm special believing" generation to wake-up to reality and work for what you desire, that is unless you aspire to be one of "societies victims." Life is really unfair for those who choose to do nothing with it.

Independence Day Message

When the signers of the Declaration of Independence printed their remarkable document on July 4, 1776, they knew they were committing themselves and the people they represented in Congress to war.

 Already, George Washington and his army had driven the British out of Boston, and moved south to organize the defense of New York. There, Washington received his copy of the Declaration and ordered it read to the people of New York in the city commons, whereupon the crowd promptly raced to and tore down the statue of King George. As I understand it, most of the statue was melted down to make cannonballs.

The era of American Exceptionalism had begun, and continues to this day.  That it does so is due in no small part to the line of American patriots who died in battle defending their country – a line that begins even before July 4, 1776, at the Battle of Bunker Hill, Lexington and Concord more than a year earlier, even as far back as the Boston Massacre in 1770.

But the Fourth of July was a game changer.  No longer were the American patriots merely rebels against a King they perceived to be tyrannical.  They were a nation, one they were willing to give their lives to keep.  It must have helped to know that the Signers themselves were also willing to put everything on the table, pledging their “lives, fortunes and sacred honor” to the cause of liberty on the North American continent.  And indeed, many of them would give their lives and fortunes in the war years ahead.  But not one of them sacrificed his sacred honor, because that honor had been pledged to a cause greater than any of them, or any of us.

Today, the line of American patriots continues, as does the glory of American Exceptionalism, despite the cynicism of those misguided acculturates, sophisticates, and lest I say, elected officials who deny it. Men and women of selfless character still die for our freedom, and because they do, freedom itself, like the line of patriots, forever marches on.