Making America Great Again: Protecting Freedom with Truth

By:  Dale Weckbacher

John 8:32

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

(CSB)

With completion of the protective wall, the exiles have safely returned.  All seems well but freedom is a fragile thing and needs protection.  For Nehemiah this meant insuring the people understood fully the truths contained in the world of God for the reason for their exile was due to lack of obedience (Ezekiel 12:8-11).  The exile was in fulfillment of what God warned them about in Deuteronomy 11:26-32.  Nehemiah knew that the freedom of Israel would be short lived were the people to return to their rebellious ways. 

Likewise, freedom in the United States is a fragile thing and in need of truth to defend it.  Unfortunately, the present education system in the United States does not teach the meaning and history of the founding documents leaving a void of truth and susceptibility of people to deceptive philosophies causing many to believe the foundation of freedom expressed in the founding documents of the Unite States needs transformation because it is flawed.  We need an infusion of truth to resist the deceptive temptation to abandon the solid foundation of the founding of the United States.  Learning the true history behind the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution must,

1)      Begin at home – While most of us are not history professors or constitutional attorneys, we do have valuable experience about the opportunities offered because of the liberties we have by living in the United States.  In Deuteronomy 6:6-7 God commands the people of Israel to share the statutes of God with their children.  Those of us living in the United States should also learn what we can about the constitution and share it with our children.  Some valuable resources are these links to the Constitution (1) and Declaration of Independence.  (2)  Hillsdale College also offers free online courses on the Constitution.  (3) 

2)      Be a requirement for graduation from High School – Since passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), there is regular testing of schools in the United States to insure they are providing students with the skills they need to succeed.  However, there should also be a requirement to understand the founding documents of the country and their history.  To insure schools and teachers are fulfilling this requirement, NCLB should include testing of students understanding of these documents because these students will become adults with many working and living in the United States.  To succeed in whatever career these students choose, they need an understanding of the history of the founding of the United States, and how its government works.  This also insures they become intelligent voters and do not fall for deceptive political rhetoric. 

3)      Be a requirement for legal entrance into the United States – Similar to requiring knowledge of the history and the founding documents of the United States prior to graduation, anyone seeking to legally enter this country, whether they become citizens or not, should learn the history and about the founding documents of the country.  Granted these individuals cannot legally vote but they are residents of the country and we must insure they understand how the country they have chosen to live in works. 

4)      Regularly read and studied by every citizen and legal resident – Important documents like the founding documents of the United States, as well as the Bible, are not documents to read once and never reviewed again.  Studies have shown that over time what we remember fades.  This fading of our memory means we must regularly review literature we want to remember.  Therefore, daily reading of the Bible is vital for Christians as it reinvigorates our memory of the Word of God.  Similarly, citizens and legal residents of the United States should regularly review the founding documents of the United States.  This posting and now this web page contain links to these important documents as well as a link to an online Bible. 

Freedom in the United States is a fragile thing and presently threatened by the lack of knowledge of the truths contained in the founding documents of the country.  Voters unaware of the foundational truths of the founding of the nation fall prey to opportunistic politicians promising that government can meet all their needs.  This is not the government those that fought to establish this country envisioned, instead they envisioned a country where everyone could pursue their rights to life, liberty, and happiness with government assuming the role of protecting their pursuits.  We therefore must infuse citizens with truth just as Nehemiah did to insure protection of our fragile freedoms.  As the Bible reminds us, truth sets us free (John 8:32). 

1. constitutionus.com. The Constitution of the United States. constitutionus.com. [Online] [Cited: January 21, 2017.] http://constitutionus.com/.

2. ushistory.org. The Declaration of Independence. www.ushistory.org. [Online] [Cited: October 30, 2016.] http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/.

3. Hillsdale College. Hillsdale College Free Online Courses. www.hillsdale.edu. [Online] Hillsdale College. [Cited: April 16, 2018.] https://www.hillsdale.edu/academics/free-online-courses/.

Delighting in God’s Word (Part 14): The Rich Heritage of Scripture

By:  Dale Weckbacher                                   

Psalm 119:111

I have your decrees as a heritage forever;
indeed, they are the joy of my heart.

(CSB)

The popularity of websites like ancestry.com illustrate the interest of people in their heritage.  This is especially true in countries like the United States populated by people from all over the world.  However, even though knowing one’s heritage is interesting, the greatest heritage of anyone choosing to make Jesus their savior is the Bible the Word of God.  Like the psalmist stated in Psalm 119:111, this should be our greatest joy. 

Unfortunately, our busy lives can rob us of vital time alone with God in His Word and prayer.  In this Sunday’s message, my pastor mentioned the importance of setting up good boundaries and keeping healthy margins in our lives.  He cited three scriptures as support for this statement. 

1)      Exodus 18:13-18 – this passage is the account of Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law on how Moses was leading.  Moses believed he was responsible and had to do it all.  Jethro’s instructions to him are basically to set some boundaries and get help.

2)      Acts 6:1-4 – Similar to the situation encountered by Moses, the rapid growth in the Church had led to a situation where the Apostles could not minister effectively to everyone, leading to a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews.  This situation led to the establishment of boundaries for the Apostles to devote their time to prayer and ministry of the Word with others taking on the responsibilities of ministering to the growing numbers of believers.

3)      Mark 1:32-38 – No one had a busier life and ministry then Jesus.  While he is the Son of God and in fact God Himself, when he ministered on the earth He was also human and subject to burn-out.  For this reason Jesus took time out from his busy ministry to pray and when the pressures of ministry pressed in on him with people demanding more or His time, did not lose his ministerial focus and moved on to ministering in the neighboring villages, most likely as God directed Him through His time of prayer. 

We must avoid letting demands of others, work, ministry, and even our own inner drive to succeed in robbing us of time with our Lord.  Instead, we must follow the example of Christ and find a spot where we can be alone with God in prayer and God’s Word staying within the boundaries and margins of God’s will for our lives.  Besides his heritage, the psalmist viewed the word of God as,

1)      A light of guidance (Psalm 119:105) – Jesus said He was the light of the world (John 8:12).  In John 1:1-5, scripture tells us that the Word was with God and was God.  The Word spoken of in this passage is Jesus described as being the light of men shining in darkness.  Even a quick glance at the news on any given day reveals the darkness prevalent in the world.  While we as believers have the light of the world living within us, we still live in a dark world and just like the psalmist, need the light of God’s Word to guide us. 

2)      Something he solemnly committed to follow (Psalm 119:106) – While the Word of God is powerful and wonderful lighting our path, it is also sharp cutting off those things in our lives that do not glorify God (Hebrews 4:12).  While commitment to the Word of God is easy when it involves believing the wonderful promises it holds, it is difficult when it sheds light on some sin in our lives asking us to repent and change direction.  However, if we are to reap the full benefits of our heritage in the Word of God, we must remain committed even though it involves some pain.

3)      A source of life in the middle of affliction (Psalm 119:107) – Besides saying He was the light of the world, Jesus said he was the way, truth, and life (John 14:6).  Jesus also told us there will be trouble and affliction in the dark world in which we live but reminds us that he has overcome the world (John 16:33).  While we will not meet Jesus face-to-face until he returns or our death, we can experience the source of life provided by Christ through the Word of God when afflicted by the dark world in which we live. 

4)      Something to learn and worthy of praise (Psalm 119:108) – In John 14:6 Jesus also said He was the truth.  Ironically, Pilate asked Jesus what truth was and unfortunately for him did not stay around to hear the answer (John 18:38).  The main benefit for us in establishing a boundary of time daily for study of God’s Word is in not making the mistake of Pilate but instead sticking around to discover truth by reading Words from the author of truth. 

5)      Something to remember in dangerous times (Psalm 119:109) – The psalmist speaks of constant danger in his life but never forgetting God’s Word.  In many parts of the world Christians worship God under direct threat to their lives.  In the United States, Christians typically to not worship under direct threat to their lives but may suffer rejection or ridicule for their faith.  Whether it is direct harm, rejection, or ridicule, we must remember the Word of God and in it find comfort.  However, to do this, we must know the Word which comes through regular study and learning what it says, making it available for us in dangerous times.

6)      A way to avoid the traps of the wicked (Psalm 119:110) – Satan is a crafty enemy with many weapons in his arsenal.  The main traps he uses are deception and temptation.  Satan deceived Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden by causing them to doubt God had their best interest in mind when He instructed them not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:4-5).  The deception was that they would not die, the temptation was that they would know good and evil.  Satan is still cunning and crafty, trying to deceive and tempt us all.  Therefore, we must like the psalmist not wander from the precepts of the Word of God.

7)      As a valuable heritage, something worthy of obeying to the very end (Psalm 119:111-112) – As we learn to know and understand more of God’s Word, we will begin to realize the immense value of our heritage in Christ.   The more we realize our rich heritage in the Word of God, the more we will want to live in obedience to it. 

We have a rich heritage in Scripture, something worth learning, worth our praise, and worth our obedience.  A dark world needs the light of God’s Word and waits for the holders of that light to let it shine.  Will you join me in being one of God’s lighthouses of truth?

Making America Great Again: Returning to Greatness

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Nehemiah 7:73

The priests, Levites, gatekeepers, temple singers, some of the people, temple servants, and all Israel settled in their towns.

(CSB)

When we began this series on making America great again, and looking at how it parallels with Nehemiah, we began with Nehemiah enjoying the good life serving the king as cupbearer.  We learned the importance of the position of cupbearer because poisoning of leaders was a common assassination tactic for assassins.  (1)  This parallels with Donald Trump, a multi-billionaire who had a secure and comfortable life ahead for himself and his wife. 

Upon hearing distressing news about the plight of his fellow countrymen and women in Jerusalem, Nehemiah could not just sit in comfort serving the king any longer and knew it was time for action (Nehemiah 1).  After prayer, Nehemiah petitions the King (Nehemiah2:1-10) and through the providence of God receives what he needs to go to Jerusalem.  Donald Trump's experience in business has shown him the power of government to stifle business and the incomes of not only business owners but people working for them through earning lower wages.  Donald Trump knew that the main tools government uses to stifle capitalism are confiscatory taxes and onerous regulations, determining that the best means of solving the problem was becoming President of the United States.  This realization contributed to the Trump's announcement to seek the Presidency.  (2)

After a tumultuous primary and general election, Donald Trump achieved an Electoral College victory making him the 45^th President of the United States.  This victory was due to Trump successfully piercing the Democrat Blue Wall in blue collar states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.  (3)  This piercing of the Blue Wall is indicative of angry voters tired of government holding them in exile through high taxation and destructive regulations. 

However, the main point of the Trump campaign was his vowing to build a wall along the southern border of the United States.  Like Nehemiah who saw the vulnerabilities of Jerusalem to foreign invasion, Trump saw the threat of wide open borders where not only Mexican citizens but also other than Mexicans (OTM) potentially even from terrorist regimes the United is presently at war with or members of MS-13.  (4) (5)  Just as Nehemiah knew the danger of leaving the citizens of Jerusalem vulnerable through lack of a protective wall, The United States is vulnerable without securing its border through enhanced border security, including an enhanced wall along the Border. 

However, the biggest threat to the United States is not some enemy invasion threatening the nation militarily, but loss of the uniquely formed culture of the United States.  Among the things valued by Americans that make the country great are,

1)      Independence (6) – Socialism views culture as a collective of individuals theoretically interested in a common goal and everyone having his or her needs met.  However, human nature is individual in nature, something the founders of the United States understood and stated in the preamble of the Declaration of Independence.  (7)  After gaining independence from England, and a brief experimentation with the Articles of Confederation (8), the founders drafted what would become the U.S. Constitution and soon after its ratification passed the first 10 amendments protecting the individual rights of citizens and their independence.  (9)

2)      Equality (6) – The foundation of the United States is the premise of equality as stated in the Declaration of Independence.  The socialist philosophy of governance also touts equality, but not according to what the founders of the United States meant by equality.  Socialism seeks equality of outcomes and is the principle reason it must stifle independence to prevent anyone from have a greater outcome than anyone else.  The founders of the United States, however, believed in equality of opportunity with everyone doing as they wish with that opportunity.  They understood this philosophy would result in unequal outcomes as some individuals would do more than others with their opportunity.  Stemming from this desire for equality of opportunity, the founders drafted a constitution establishing a government with divided power (10) and checks and balances (11) insuring smaller government taking on the role of protecting citizens and not their provider insuring equal outcomes through confiscatory taxation and regulation.  These men had just gained independence from tyranny and did not want to set up their own unique form of tyranny but instead formed a system of government supporting individual independence and equality of opportunity for all.

From this culture of individual independence and equality of opportunity the United States emerged from a fledgling country to world superpower in less than 200 years.  However, threats both from within and without the country now threaten this culture.

1)      Secular socialist and atheistic philosophies – Post-modernism is an ungodly philosophy that permeates education, media, and now represents an underlying philosophy of governance.  (12) (13) (14)  This ungodly philosophy succeeded in taking God out of education, the shunning of people in the entertainment industry expressing deep conservative or religious beliefs, and now has resulted in secular programing full of gay marriage and other sexual perversions.  However, the recent surge in successful Christian movies at the box office provides evidence Godly values prevail and are alive and well.  (15)

2)      An illegal invasion of people bringing in their cultures, expecting citizens to give up theirs – Those living in states bordering the southern border of the United States can attest to a sense of living in exile within their own country.  They see signage on businesses that are not in English but Spanish or some other foreign language with English no longer the language of conversation on the street.  These illegal immigrants have no inherent love for country since they were not born in the United States.  These individuals have no respect for the property of others and block driveways, streets, and when confronted about it tell citizens born in this country that this is just they way it is going to be from now on.  As a citizen born in this country, having personally experienced these attacks on my culture, I am tired of what I see and support the efforts of Donald Trump to restore the greatness of America and its unique culture.  After all, my father and many other members of my family did not fight for this country only to see it turned over to foreign invaders. 

While the Trump Presidency has been massively successful thus far, the upcoming midterms represent a crossroads for the nation both philosophically and culturally.  Will those that supported Trump stay home believing there is no one running for Congress worthy of their vote, or worse yet believe that Trump can overcome any obstacle.  Or instead will they be part of a powerful team and block of votes that propelled Trump to the presidency and provide Donald Trump with greater congressional majorities so he can complete the agenda of his administration.  The answer lies within each of us and I pray voters will once again storm the polling places of this country and give our president the most crucial tool he needs to advance his agenda of making America great again, larger congressional majorities.

My God bless everyone reading this and may God bless America.

1. Jewish Virtual Library. Encyclopedia Judaica: Cupbearer. www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org. [Online] Jewish Virtual Library. [Cited: January 21, 2018.] http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/cupbearer.

2. DelReal, Jose A. Donald Trump announces presidential bid. www.washingtonpost.com. [Online] The Washington Post, June 16, 2015. [Cited: January 21, 2018.] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/06/16/donald-trump-to-announce-his-presidential-plans-today/?utm_term=.5fddcc82a600.

3. Schleifer, Theodore. Trump stomps all over the Democrats' Blue Wall. www.cnn.com. [Online] CNN Politics, November 9, 2016. [Cited: March 4, 2018.] https://www.cnn.com/2016/11/09/politics/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-blue-wall/index.html.

4. Bedard, Paul. Illegal immigration numbers: MS-13 exploding, 1,100 border arrests a day, 1M on deport list. www.washingtonexaminer.com. [Online] Washington Examiner, January 23, 2018. [Cited: February 18, 2018.] http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/illegal-immigration-numbers-ms-13-exploding-1100-border-arrests-a-day-1m-on-deport-list/article/2646876.

5. Richey, Warren. Are terrorists crossing the US-Mexico border? Excerpts from the case file. www.csmonitor.com. [Online] The Christian Science Monitor, January 15, 2017. [Cited: April 12, 2018.] https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2017/0115/Are-terrorists-crossing-the-US-Mexico-border-Excerpts-from-the-case-file.

6. International Student. American Culture. www.internationalstudent.com. [Online] International Student. [Cited: April 12, 2018.] https://www.internationalstudent.com/study_usa/way-of-life/american-culture/.

7. ushistory.org. The Declaration of Independence. www.ushistory.org. [Online] [Cited: October 30, 2016.] http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/.

8. Brackmyre, Ted. America’s First Failure at Government: The Articles of Confederation. ushistoryscene.com. [Online] U.S. History Scene. [Cited: March 19, 2018.] http://ushistoryscene.com/article/articles-of-confederation/.

9. constitutionus.com. The Constitution of the United States. constitutionus.com. [Online] [Cited: January 21, 2017.] http://constitutionus.com/.

10. USConstitution.net. Constitutional Topic: Separation of Powers. www.usconstitution.net. [Online] [Cited: April 12, 2018.] https://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_sepp.html.

11. —. Constitutional Topic: Checks and Balances. www.usconstitution.net. [Online] [Cited: April 12, 2018.] https://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_cnb.html.

12. Dulgnan, Brian. Postmodernism Philosophy. www.britannica.com. [Online] Encyclopedia Britannica, October 31, 2014. [Cited: March 31, 2017.] https://www.britannica.com/topic/postmodernism-philosophy.

13. Sanbonmatsu, John. POSTMODERNISM AND THE CORRUPTION OF ACADEMIC INTELLIGENTSIA. socialistregister.com. [Online] Socialist Register. [Cited: March 31, 2017.] http://socialistregister.com/index.php/srv/article/viewFile/5851/2747.

14. Saugstad, Andreas. Postmodernism and the Media. bolesblogs.com. [Online] November 20, 2000. [Cited: March 31, 2017.] https://bolesblogs.com/2000/11/20/postmodernism-the-media/.

15. Box Office Mojo. Christian. www.boxofficemojo.com. [Online] Box Office Mojo. [Cited: April 12, 2018.] http://www.boxofficemojo.com/genres/chart/?id=christian.htm.

Delighting in God’s Word (Part 13): Loving God and Loving His Word

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Psalm 119:97

How I love your instruction!
It is my meditation all day long.

(CSB)

What we treasure most in our lives is where our heart is (Matthew 6:21).  While we often think of Matthew 6:21 in the context of giving money, it can also have a spiritual application.  While where we spend our money does speak volumes about what we treasure in our lives, our reading and study habits also speak volumes.  This is the focus of Psalm 119:97-104 for in these verses we see the psalmist express his hearts desire for,

1)      Daily Connection with God Through Scripture (Psalm 119:97) – Daily connection with those we love is important in forging strong relationships.  This is especially true for our spouses.  While business or other obligations may prevent physical face-to-face connection at times, connection is just a phone call away.  The most important part of any relationship, especially a relationship with our spouse is communication for we must regularly hear each other’s voice.  While our face-to-face connection with God will not occur for us till we die and meet him face to face (2 Corinthians 5:6-8) or meet Him when he returns (1 Corinthians 15:50-54), we can pick up the phone of God’s Word and make a daily connection.

2)      Greater Wisdom (Psalm 119:98) – While volumes of books exist positing words of wisdom, they are all written by men and hold some truth, but also some error.  Letters on a page give knowledge but it is not until the Spirit of God inspires us that those words take on life and make one wise.  Enemies of God’s people may know the letter of scripture but without the inspiration of the indwelling Spirit of God they cannot wisely apply its truth to their lives

3)      Greater Insight Through Meditation (Psalm 119:99) – When people think of meditation they picture some Buddhist Monk sitting on the floor.  However, biblical meditation involves deeper contemplation on the deeper meaning of the words read.  The psalmist speaks of having wisdom greater than his teachers due to his deep meditation.  We can view this meditation as one listening to the one they love and hanging on every word.  Our love for God must grow to the level of intimacy where we hang on every word of Scripture.

4)      Obedience and Avoidance of Evil (Psalm 119:100-101) – Greater understanding of what one says comes through obedience.  Obedience to God’s Word keeps us from evil. 

5)      Remembering the Source of Scripture (Psalm 119:102) – The source of the words written in the Bible are our creator.  Our creator who even though his creation turned their back on Him chose not to destroy them but instead gave his only Son to provide reconnection with His creation (John 3:16).  Since Jesus is God, God in essence destroyed Himself to reconnect with His creation.  The only proper response to words from one loving us to this degree is total obedience.

6)      Delighting in the Sweetness of God’s Word (Psalm 119:103) – The Word of God comes to us out of a heart of divine love from our loving creator.  When we take time to meditate on God’s Word we begin to face our own personal unworthiness and experience the deepness of God’s love for us.  The deepness of God’s Word expressed in His Word is sweeter than the sweetest thing we have or will ever eat. 

7)      To Hate Falsehood (Psalm 119:104) – The enlightenment we receive from the Word of God reveals falsehood, enabling us to avoid it. 

Like the psalmist, we must develop and treasure an intimate relationship with our creator God.  While the sin of Adam and Eve severed that connection, instead of destroying humanity for their disobedience, God chose to send His Son to die for us.  Essentially God destroyed himself to reestablish His connection with us through Jesus resurrection.  However, this reconnection is not automatic and requires action on our part. 

Romans 10:9 says we must confess with our mouth that “Jesus is Lord and believe God raised Jesus from the dead for salvation and reestablishment of our connection with our creator.  To complete the connection, I ask you to pray with me now

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

Your connection with God your creator is now complete but like any relationship, needs regular communication and connection to grow more intimate.  While we cannot have face-to-face connection with God till we see Him in heaven, we can connect through His Word, the Bible.  I urge everyone reading this to develop a hunger and thirst to connect with the creator God that paid a great price to reestablish His connection with us. 

May God bless everyone reading this. 

Making America Great Again: Continued Intimidation Despite Victory

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Nehemiah 6:19

These nobles kept mentioning Tobiah’s good deeds to me, and they reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.

(CSB)

With completion of the wall, the party can begin (Nehemiah 6:15-16).  While the completion of the project intimidates the enemies of God’s people (Nehemiah 6:16), the intimidation of God’s people has not stopped.  The main enemy in Nehemiah’s time was Tobiah who even after completion of the wall, continued to send Nehemiah letters of intimidation.  Followers of Tobiah kept mentioning the good works of Tobiah to Nehemiah hoping to soften Nehemiah’s perception of Tobiah as someone evil.  Perhaps as a last ditch effort to sway Nehemiah’s thinking, Tobiah sends letters of intimidation to Nehemiah (Nehemiah 6:17-19). 

The reaction of people to the 2016 Presidential election illustrates the thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat.  The thrill of victory for the forgotten men and women over the previous eight years, (1) and the agony of defeat for those wishing to continue the fundamental transformation of the country.  (2)  While as a Trump voter I remember the great feeling of euphoria at Trump’s victory, I also understood that the opposition was not just going to go away but instead would simply change tactics in trying to bring down a president not wishing to continue the radical transformation of the nation. 

We who continue to support President Trump must therefore remain diligent to these new tactics of the enemy by,

1)      Praying – While some may view prayer as a passive powerless activity, Ephesians 6:18 urges Christians to put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17).  Prayer is anything but passive and powerful (James 5:16, Exodus 17:8-16).  Before, during, and after putting on the armor of God, we must pray. 

2)      Stand on Godly constitutional principles wearing the armor of God – Each implement of the armor of God stands for something needed by a believer in opposition to the attacks of the enemy.  Likewise, it is important politically to take a stand based upon a solid constitutional and Biblical foundation for our nation and culture. 

3)      Go – Faith without subsequent work supporting that faith is dead (James 2:20).  While taking a stand is noble, we also must go.  Biblically this means using the offensive weapon in the arsenal of a believer, the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.  Politically this means supporting financially, through working to get out the vote, and voting for candidates supporting the Constitutional principles that made the United States great. 

While the completion of the wall in Jerusalem was a time for celebration, the enemy would continue their intimidation efforts.  There may also be times of disobedience as we will see in Nehemiah 9.  Likewise, the election of Donald Trump as President calls for celebration, diligence by Trump and his supporters must continue, including insuring Republicans keep control of both houses of Congress in the upcoming election.  We can do this by first continuing to pray for the election, supporting Constitutional conservative candidates financially, through volunteering to work in their campaigns, and most importantly by voting and urging others supporting Constitutional government to vote as well for these candidates. 

May God bless the United States of America and everyone reading this.

1. Hunt, Jeff. How the Forgotten Man saw the rise of Donald Trump. thehill.com. [Online] The Hill, August 16, 2016. [Cited: April 1, 2018.] http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/presidential-campaign/291543-how-the-forgotten-man-saw-the-rise-of-donald-trump.

2. Smith, Raymond A. The Daily Beast: Hillary Clinton Will Be Barack Obama’s Third Term. Progressive Policy Institute. [Online] PPI, July 6, 2016. [Cited: April 1, 2018.] http://www.progressivepolicy.org/issues/education/daily-beast-hillary-clinton-will-barack-obamas-third-term/.

Delighting in God’s Word (Part 12): Eternal and Unchanging

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Psalm 119:89

Lord, your word is forever;
it is firmly fixed in heaven.

(CSB)

Change seems inevitable and something we all must deal with in our lives.  Much of the change we see in our society today are technological innovations with some of them bad, and some of them good and beneficial.  However, we all need something in our lives that gives stability and does not change.  For Christians, that is the Bible, the Word of God.

An example of a potentially bad technological innovation not ready for implementation yet are self-driving cars.  The recent fatality of a pedestrian in Tempe Arizona by a self-driving Uber car (1) led to suspension of the program nationwide.  (2)  While technology has demonstrated the ability of a car to drive itself and arrive at a destination, the unpredictability of other drivers and pedestrians on the road make its implementation unsafe based upon current technology. 

However, not all technological innovations are bad or untimely.  The innovations of the personal computer, internet, and smart phones make it possible for us to receive and send information instantaneously and communicate with each other from and to anyone in the world.  With these innovations we have been able to develop conveniences like social media allowing individuals and families spread all over the country or even world to communicate instantaneously.  While we may have concerns about the lack of face-to-face connectivity among people, sometimes such connectiveness is impossible with social media filling the gap.

The psalmist of Psalm 119:89-96 understood the need for something stable and unchanging in his life and found that something in the Word of God.  His delight in the Word of God stems from it being,

1)      Forever fixed in heaven (Psalm 119:89) – We live in a constantly and rapidly changing world.  While many of the technological innovations such as the computer from which I am writing this post serve to make our lives better, we also need something giving stability in our lives that never changes.  For those of us believing in Jesus as our savior, that is the finished work on the cross and the unchanging Word of God.

2)      The firm faithfulness of God illustrated through creation (Psalm 119:90) – Throughout its history, Earth has witnessed many things.  Much of human history is war and man’s inhumanity to man.  Yet, despite these many atrocious acts, the earth stands form as an illustration of God’s faithfulness. 

3)      God’s firm judgments through illustrated through creation (Psalm 119:91) – The root cause of sin is the worship of creation above the creator (Romans 1:18-25).  The practice of Atonism in Egypt and its worship of the sun makes the sun a deity for worship.  (3)  The moon is also an object of worship in many cultures (4) and astrology is worship of the stars.  Even though most do not worship the sun, moon, and stars today, we may worship things we created like wealth, career, or education.  Any created thing, whether God created it, or it was our own creation, that we place above God in our lives will ultimately change and disappoint us. 

4)      A matter of life or death (Psalm 119:92-93) – The psalmist expresses praise to God for His Word stating he would have died in his affliction without it.  He then reminds us that the eternal and unchanging precepts of God are what give us life. 

5)      An illustration of the benefits of surrender to God (Psalm 119:94) – Study of God’s precepts have led the psalmist to surrender of his life to God.  While modern culture and its emphasis on individual independence and freedom views surrender as a negative, surrender to God whose plans for us are always for our good and not our destruction (Jeremiah 29:11) is a positive.  Surrender to God is not a surrender of freedom or liberty but instead a surrender leading to a hopeful and bright future.  If you are reading this and believe your future is bleak or even nonexistent, I encourage you to surrender to God by praying with me now and enter into a life of hope and a bright future of eternity with God (John 3:16),

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

6)      Beneficial through continual meditation on It despite persecution and oppression (Psalm 119:95) – Once again the psalmist makes reference to attempts on his life for his beliefs.  While scripture does not give any details of the attempts on the psalmist’s life, they are unimportant for the psalmist is teaching the importance of continual contemplation, even in the middle of adversity. 

7)      Perfect in an imperfect world (Psalm 119:96) – The standard of perfection is an unattainable standard in our world today with us getting into trouble when we think we can or have attained it.  The standard of perfection is reserved for God and His Word for we all need the firm stability of the perfect standard of God and His Word in our lives. 

A rapidly changing world and culture needs something stable.  My prayer is that those reading this will find that source of stability in God and His Word.  May God bless everyone reading this.

1. Wakabayshi, Daisuke. Self-Driving Uber Car Kills Pedestrian in Arizona, Where Robots Roam. www.nytimes.com. [Online] The New York Times, March 19, 2018. [Cited: April 1, 2018.] https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/technology/uber-driverless-fatality.html.

2. Anita Balakrishnan, Deidre Bosa. Uber halts self-driving car tests after first known death of a pedestrian. www.cnbc.com. [Online] CNBC, March 19, 2018. [Cited: April 1, 2018.] https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/19/uber-self-driving-car-fatality-halts-testing-in-all-cities-report-says.html.

3. Britannica, Editors of the Encyclopedia. Sun Worship. www.britannica.com. [Online] Encyclopedia Britannica. [Cited: April 1, 2018.] https://www.britannica.com/topic/sun-worship.

4. Fenney, Dee. Religions and Cultures of Moon Worship. www.greatdreams.com. [Online] [Cited: April 1, 2018.] http://www.greatdreams.com/moon/moon_worship.htm.

Make America Great Again: Resisting Intimidation

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Nehemiah 6:11-12

 But I said, “Should a man like me run away? How can someone like me enter the temple and live? I will not go.” ¹² I realized that God had not sent him, because of the prophecy he spoke against me. Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

(CSB)

In the Biblical narrative of Nehemiah 6:10-14, Shemaiah appears interested in rescuing Nehemiah from death (Nehemiah 6:10).  However, Nehemiah understood that entering the Temple would constitute sin on his part since he was not an ordained priest (Nehemiah 6:11).  Nehemiah saw through the deception and chose not to have the meeting (Nehemiah 6:12-13).  In addition, rather than seeking vengeance on his own, Nehemiah places those trying to intimidate him in the hands of God (Nehemiah 6:14). 

Another leader in the Bible did not remain obedient to God, and ended up suffering rejection as king.  The leader I am mentioning is King Saul and the account of his rejection recorded in 1 Samuel 15:1-23.  Previously in another account of scripture we witness Saul’s disobedience, this time driven by impatience (1 Samuel 13:1-15).  Nehemiah, a student of God’s law no doubt knew of these accounts of scripture and had determined in his heart not to follow King Saul’s failures and resisted the intimidation to follow his presumed rescuer into making him disobey his God.   

While President Trump appears eager to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, (1) others including Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have concerns over Trump’s face-to-ace meeting with Kim.  (2)  If I were an advisor to President Trump, I would advise him to exercise a strategy of trust but verify when it comes to negotiations with this regime based upon their past history.  A chronology of negotiations with this regime, presented by the Arms Control Association since December 12, 1985 begins with the Regime acceding to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) but without completion of a safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).  (3)

This led to the removal of all naval and land-based tactical nuclear weapons abroad including 100 U.S. nuclear weapons in South Korea by President George H.W. Bush on September 27, 1991.  Under the Clinton administration, demands inspections by the IAEA of North Korea ended with threats by North Korea to renege on their agreement to the NPT on March 12, 1993.  (3)  Since that time, we have witnessed numerous nuclear tests along with testing of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) capable of delivering a dangerous nuclear weapon to a U.S. City.   The panic created by a mistakenly sent nuclear missile warning in Hawaii illustrates the seriousness of the perceived threat the North Korean regime presents.  (4)

Interestingly however, the concept of trust but verify is a conundrum for the insertion of the word but after trust, erases trust making it a moot point.  (5) Perhaps a better way of defining the strategy of trust but verify would be to approach negotiations with a leader or regime historically reneging on deals with extreme skepticism.  Better yet, President Trump should tell the North Korean leader no meeting until presentation of documented evidence of the destruction of all nuclear weapons along with cessation of all nuclear and ICBM testing.  In addition, due to threats issued against the United States and its allies, the U.S. must maintain nuclear armed naval vessels in the area along with land-based nuclear weapons in South Korea and Japan serving as a deterrent to any thoughts of reneging on any denuclearization deal. 

My prayer is that President Trump will resist any temptation to give in to the intimidation of media, liberal and progressive politicians, and other world leaders to end conflict with North Korea through any deal that does not include total denuclearization of North Korea along with maintaining nuclear armed forces in the area serving as a deterrent.   

1. Fernando, Gavin. Donald Trump has confirmed he is ‘looking forward' to meeting with Kim Jong-un. www.news.com. [Online] News.com.au, March 29, 2018. [Cited: March 30, 2018.] http://www.news.com.au/finance/work/leaders/donald-trump-has-confirmed-he-is-looking-forward-to-meeting-with-kim-jongun/news-story/b838a48f17ea9acc071b341f2722aec0.

2. Kevin Liptak, Jeremy Diamond. Surprise meetings and potential pitfalls. Trump preps for North Korea. www.cnn.com. [Online] CNN Politics, March 29, 2018. [Cited: March 30, 2018.] https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/28/politics/donald-trump-north-korea-preparations/index.html.

3. Devenport, Kelsey. Chronology of U.S.-North Korean Nuclear and Missile Diplomacy. www.armscontrol.org. [Online] Arms Control Association, March 2018. [Cited: March 30, 2018.] https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/dprkchron.

4. Wellerstein, Alex. The Hawaii alert was an accident. The dread it inspired wasn’t. www.washingtonpost.com. [Online] The Washington Post, January 16, 2018. [Cited: March 30, 2018.] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2018/01/16/the-hawaii-alert-was-an-accident-the-dread-it-inspired-wasnt/?utm_term=.79ab2964dc8e.

5. Whipple, Bob. Trust but Verify. www.leadergrow.com. [Online] Leadergrow Incorporated. [Cited: March 30, 2018.] https://www.leadergrow.com/articles/443-trust-but-verify.