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Have you ever driven on an unfamiliar, winding, pitch-dark road in a blinding rainstorm? (Actually, yes, many times but it was it was an intensely foggy night near Sugarcreek three years ago that totaled my car while going less than 25 miles an hour at a fork in the road. Had I angled slightly either left or right, I may have fared quite well, but second guessing in the fog that I was still in the middle of the road only crashed me into the road bank and a fence after a full length sideswiping of the stop sign. So much sheet metal damage!  

At such times all you want is to be able to see beyond the edge of the headlights, to see what’s ahead. If only there was some way short of radar and going 5 mph to see what’s ahead. Sometimes I think that is the way I feel right now about all the fog, smoke, mirrors, and narrative (No, I’m not describing some church services) we are seeing and hearing; and even worse, what we then are imagining! Ever feel like you’re driving blind? You are yearning and straining to see beyond your headlights – to know, to prepare; hopefully to avoid disaster. But how can you? Is it possible to see assuredly what’s next?

Actually, the Bible has a great deal to say about what’s coming. Dangerous, dramatic days are ahead. You can see the warning signs all around. We all need to know what’s coming.

Tomorrow we’ll examine Isaac’s Storm, a fascinating book about the 1900 hurricane that wiped out Galveston TX in one day killing more than six thousand people. Tune in tomorrow for another pertinent perspective in less than 300 words.

God’s Promise:

For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” So we may boldly say: The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6)

My Prayer For You:

Father, Your children are lost and searching for answers. They are so confused. Nothing seems to make sense anymore. The world is literally shaking under their feet. They recognize now, like never before, that they need you, that they do not control the world or their lives – You do.

Thank You for Your patience and love. And for giving us Your Word, the Bible, to guide them through these tumultuous chaotic times. Give them

hope in Your promises,

peace in Your presence, and

rest in Your power.

Do not let their despair swallow them. Please open their eyes to understand what’s happening and soften their hearts to receive all You have for them.

Amen  

For years I’ve been intrigued with Naaman’s account in II Kings 5:2 that states the captured Israelite servant girl to Naaman’s wife encouraged her mistress to send her Syrian General husband Naaman to see the prophet in Samaria for he would heal him of his leprosy. Intrigued because I am questioning today whether our children or even we adults in our “culture” if in similar captive circumstances with whomever, would breathe the rarified air of presenting Jesus as Savior effectively in any viable authentic form.

Because of this unnamed Jewish servant girl, Naaman had an encounter with the God of the universe that indeed changed his “culture.” Read “the rest of the story” in v. 17-19 “please let your servant be given two mule loads of earth; for your servant will no longer offer either burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods, but to the Lord. Yet in this thing may the Lord pardon your servant: when my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord please pardon your servant in this thing.” Then Elisha said to him, “Go in peace.” I find it beyond interesting, how two military men, Naaman here; and then the centurion upon encountering Truth in Luke 7:9 when Jesus stated, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!”

Perhaps Utmost for His Highest today (July 24) explains it best when Oswald aptly states “the great wonder of Jesus Christ’s salvation is that He changes our heredity. He does not change human nature – He changes its source, and thereby its motives as well.”

We do give lip service to “cultural” transmission though that does not insure spiritual heredity. Post It notes on the bathroom mirror or by the back door into the garage “And whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him …” is a good start though! By focusing on our spiritual mission today, tomorrow and beyond, much as Germany faced in the 30’s, then just imagine someday when either by global tyranny or your all-consuming captors/oppressors, regardless of their origin, presents you the choice of either renouncing the Jesus of your “culture” or your immediate extermination, will you be mentally prepared as was Daniel and his friends when bowing was demanded? This possibility suddenly elevates the Biblical account of Daniel to a higher more significant and relevant intimate perspective. Again, I ask, am I (we) prepared? For what are we waiting except to prepare?  

While we are living in uncertain times, indeed waiting as referenced in Kerry Shook’s Daily Devotions excellent clip titled “God’s Waiting Room,” where he states “Most of the time that we are waiting on God, God is really waiting on us.” Am I, or are we, preparing ourselves and others for the inevitable future persecution and beyond? I find few of our “culture” today under 60 have actually read from “Martyr’s Mirror: The Story of 17 Centuries of Christian Martyrdom…”  I offer you the perspective of this one account of martyrdom to possibly break your North American trance of being content to be “the quiet in the land.”

Consider this historical account from Kindle location 11939 of 16912 (72%). Since I use Kindle extensively, my physical copy is now buried in a box so I can’t give you a page # but it is in the chapter of the tenth century occurring in 1022 A.D.

Heribert and Lisoius were greatly esteemed and beloved by the king and the lords of the realm, as long as their case was not known. Glaber further relates how they were discovered. Heribert and Lisoius, sought at Rouen, to bring a certain Dreist over to their belief (not mere culture), to expound to him the mystery of their doctrine, and who endeavored to persuade him by saying that very soon all the people would fall over to them. (In other words, the papal insistence for infant baptism, the mass or transubstantiation was in error and the scriptural truth was being discovered and replacing the papal untruths.)

When the priest understood this, he immediately went to Richard, the Count of that city, and told him the whole matter. The latter instantly sent letters by express messengers to the king, informing him of this secrete pestilence (as he calls the true faith). King Robert, much grieved at this, without delay convened a council of many bishops, abbots, and other religious persons(thus he calls this blood-thirsty council), and, through them, caused very strict investigations to be made, both as to the authors and the adherents of said heresy.

When inquiry was made among the layman, as to what the belief and the faith of each several one was, the aforesaid Heribert and Lisoius immediately discovered themselves, that they differed in their belief from the Roman church, and afterwards others also declared that they differed in their belief from the Roman church, and afterwards others also declared that they adhered to Heribert and Lisoius, and that they could in no wise be drawn away from their faith. Being interrogated more closely, whence and by whom this presumption had originated, they gave this answer, “This is what you have long called a sect, which you now, though late, recognize. But we have waited for a long time, that you as well as all the others, of whatever law or order, might come over and unite with this sect, which, we also believe, will yet take place.” They then immediately presented their unbelief, undoubtedly after the manner of the Albigenses and Waldenses, as shall be shown hereafter.

When the king and all those present saw they could not be moved from their belief, he commanded that a very large fire of wood should be kindled not far from the city, in order that perhaps, terrified thereby, they might desist from their belief. But when they were about to be led out to the fire, they cried aloud, saying, that they greatly longed for it, and gave themselves into the hands of those who were to draw them to the fire. They, thirteen in number, were committed to the flames, and all who afterwards were found to be their adherents, were put to death by the same means.

Again, in the records of the parish church of Orleans, called St. Maximus’ church, the time is specified, when this took place. It occurred, it is there stated, publicly at Orleans, A.D. 1022, in the 28th year of King Robert. The above citations are taken from the writings of the papists; hence, the reader is admonished, to judge charitably with regard to the accusations which these inveterate adversaries have so bitterly cast up against these pious witnesses of Jesus Christ.

So why do the revival fires of one generation burn out in the next?

Why do the children and grandchildren of believers leave the church?

Why does each generation need to be re-evangelized?

Why is our world getting morally and spiritually worse instead of better?

The answer to these questions I believe lies in 1.) the failure to pass the truth that leads to faith in Jesus Christ from one generation to the next; and 2.) we grossly underestimate the wiles and tactics of our mortal enemy, Satan, to destroy the committed redeemed of Christ’s Kingdom.

Passing the truth is much like a relay race in which runners compete as a team. Winning a relay race depends not only on the speed of the runners but also on their skillful ability to transfer the baton. In our race of life, the “baton” is the truth that leads to personal faith in God. Each generation receives the “baton” from the previous generation, runs the race to the best of its ability, then passes the “baton” smoothly and securely to the next generation.     

The prior post detailed the Christ Follower’s Call to Follow, after earlier messages on Fellowship and Freedom. Today, July 24, Pastor Carl detailed our Call to Faithfulness. These four succinct instructional messages for your spiritual significance can be likened to “batons.” Are we in shape for the legacy race of our lifetime? What are we waiting for? Your destiny and your posterity’s, is at stake. Review all four.

One final encouragement from James 4:8 whom instructs us to “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” This is the greatest invitation ever issued – the Creator of the universe requests our presence – especially while in our daily waiting rooms of life. This intimacy is God’s unwavering desire – He longs to be known by us. (John 1:18) We in our “culture” may emphasize the liberation from sin and death but is that enough? No way! I too long neglected to declare or experience the intimate relationship awaiting me with all those who’ve been made free. Waiting for whatever is on your spiritual radar at the moment without 1.) A strategic continual communication and intimacy with the Trinity, and 2.) “without an effective interactive protective community is the broad path to spiritual oblivion and too often, spiritual bankruptcy. Just consider how in nature, hungry wolves move a herd of deer seeking to separate out the weak, the lame and the stragglers for the kill. Your earthly spiritual lifeline is continual intimacy vertically with the Trinity and horizontally with other Christ Followers. Guard both judiciously!

The You Tube link below is for the Kidron Mennonite Church worship service this morning, July 17. The text today was from Luke 9:57-62 and Pastor Carl Wiebe provides expectations, excuses, and entanglements as the anchor points in this third in a series “Of Being Called.” June 26 was Called to Fellowship and July 3, Called to Freedom. Scripture reading begins at 13 minutes. Sound improves with Carl.

The Summary Thought from Pastor Carl… “Sometimes because we look at each other, and we are the models for each other for what discipleship looks like, we tend to be doing it all the same way, but when we look at the models throughout history, when we look at models in different places where discipleship is difficult, then we have to decide, well, what are my expectations for this relationship with Jesus, am I making excuses, what are my entanglements and how are they affecting me? I think that is the challenge I see today in this portion of scripture. We are being called to follow and we must look beyond each other and ourselves, ultimately to Jesus….

This blog has in the past dealt primarily with encouraging you to prepare for the inevitable spiritual transitions in life we all will face. I realize I’m perhaps preaching to the saints here, but that is going to radically change as I’m compelled to now steer you in the direction of your personal food production.

FYI, much of the chatter we were aghast to hear from the independent media years ago has now occurred or appears imminent. It appears now one such fracas buried by the deep state in July ’20, was when Hunter Biden’s laptop surfaced and was given to the deep state authorities for possible prosecution but it all got buried; until last week that was, when apparently now, it appears perhaps the deep state will bring out the evidence from the laptop and who knows where else, as their excuse to change leadership in the current regime as the White House is becoming increasingly embarrassing and a liability at home and around the world; understandably with food and energy prices escalating, the imminent midterm elections, the possible collapse of the dollar, and now, a war between Russia and the Ukraine.

Apparently, this scenario was set into motion decades ago by corrupt US agencies and politicians collaborating with corrupt Ukrainian officials in Russia’s front yard and Putin in time, became aware of it. Putin, being Putin, and looking for an excuse to show his muscle, and especially so when these corrupt US and Ukrainian actors provided the emotional stage to hopefully capture the world’s attention. The prolific propaganda being spewn forth by everyone now is beyond confusing and I certainly have nothing to add except I’ve heard the war is what the corrupt US and Ukrainian officials, perhaps even some Russian officials also, were actually desiring to accomplish.

Perhaps my sources are entirely wrong, or just half correct. The significance here though, is regardless, the world is in a pickle, and it appears we may all be eaten for lunch!

None of the above makes much sense to me as I’m definitely not a historian; perhaps, though, it does to you. I only tell you because the bottom line is many millions of people are currently suffering. And it appears, if this war continues, the whole world will suffer. Personal food production and access to good water will be paramount, likely even in the US. In the future, I may share such statistics as many experts are now agreed we have passed the tipping point of returning to stability.

Now, that was enough of the negative to set the stage for what’s next. Spring is here and many of you have gardens and have always canned and frozen your produce. Gardening year around here in Ohio is likely a new concept for many. I strongly suggest though that everyone view at least the first video (21 min) to be exposed to the simplicity of growing your greens year around. Combining this downspout gardening with sprouting in quart jars for protein sources could make all the difference for you and your family.

Loretta and I will be experimenting too as we’ve not done this form of hydroponics prior. The beauty of beginning our research now is that we can do it all this summer in the great outdoors with abundant natural lighting. Doing it under the new LED grow lights during the fall, winter, and early spring, is entirely another matter. Don’t be fooled just because the equipment is cheap and easy to come by; the intricacies of effective hydroponics, though simple, does have a learning curve to achieve. And then there is always the matter of the grid possibly going down, which doesn’t impact sprouting as much, but does mean utilizing windows, skylights, natural gas generators, or most desirable, solar with back up batteries.

There is so much that could be said. But for now, just watch the first video and consider the possibilities for you. Experts are saying there will be severe food shortages. Don’t count on the grocery stores being as they are now. Even Biden said last week there will be food shortages.

I do not ever recall a time in my history when so much is at stake, and that we’ve been the worst prepared! The Cuban Crisis, the Berlin Wall, the Vietnam War, the Oklahoma City bombing, and 911, were all a walk in the park compared to what is on the table tonight. These are the days we need to be searching our souls in prayer for God to reveal to us, first, what we need to be doing to get prepared for this spiritual battle, in that the conflict today may not be with guns and in uniform being traditionally non-resistant or as conscientious objectors for us this time, but rather, more like a mass psychosis or a brain-washing deception of the nation, perhaps even the church, even congregations, perhaps even ourselves, our families, our friends, neighbors, peers, etc. Paul says it so well in Ephesians 6: 12-13 “For we do wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

The Message paraphrased it this way: “Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so when it’s all over but the shouting, you’ll still be on your feet.” Going on through verse 18: “Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

Christ Followers (CF) must never forget the real battle is against Satan; he is the one who brings evil into their lives, and tempts then to sin. The world is his stage, as is every leader in every nation including our beloved US. CF’s who view other people as the enemy will not be able to vanquish the real foe. God’s people do not fight with arguments or violence but with truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the word of God.

I am reminded of my blog from March 24, The Genius of Jesus, where Erwin R McManus speaks of the old adage of “absolute power corrupts absolutely.” He disagrees as God has absolute power and He is incorruptible. We could even say absolutely incorruptible! McManus says rather, “Absolute power REVEALS completely. Power gives freedom to what has been hidden within the human heart. Power tells the truth about who we are. Power sets free what has been imprisoned within you. It is why you can live in a free country and still be captive by the condition of your soul.” I’m not sure I’ll live long enough to have all the deception of the prior decades up to the present revealed, but rest assured, truth always does prevail.

Blessings as you Go Forth Empowered with the Fruits of the Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self Control. Remember also, it’s been said “it’s what you read when you don’t have to, that determines what you will be (or do) when you can’t help it.” Perhaps this has special significance to CF’s?

Henry David Thoreau once stated, “I regret that I was never as wise as the day I was born.”

Once, not so long ago there was a little boy who grew up simply wanting to collect glass bottles to take to the grocery store to turn them in for pocket change to buy ice cream for his friends and to give the spare change to the homeless man on the corner who always offered wisdom.  There was so much love, happiness and smiles.  

He didn’t know he wasn’t in Heaven.

He would then go home and throw paper airplanes with his sister until their arms got tired. Then, he would sit by the pool and save bugs. There was so many smiles and so much love back then. When his mom came out, she would say “what are you doing?” He would say “I’m saving bugs so they can get home in time to have dinner with their families.” Occasionally, he would find a dead one and try and blow on it to make it come back to life. When this didn’t happen, he felt so sad, but he didn’t know why. He had empathy. There was so much love, happiness and smiles.

He didn’t know he wasn’t in Heaven.

Occasionally a new person would move into the neighborhood and the little boy would take them fresh cookies and smiles to make them feel welcome.  He made so many new friends. There was so much love.  Occasionally they would find stray animals and instinctively care for them. He was so caring.  Nobody taught him that.  He didn’t know there were words called stress, anxiety, overwhelmed or competition.  There was so much love, happiness and smiles.

He didn’t know he wasn’t in Heaven.

One day his mother announced it was time to begin school.

The little boy learned the “BEST” kids played something called sports; that there was something called competition, and that there were so many kids that were better than him.  He learned he was less.  He got picked last for teams and was laughed at every day.  He learned something new called anger.  He then used this anger to kill bugs so he could be better than something.

He learned he wasn’t in Heaven.

The little boy then learned that the people who had the best cars, clothes and homes were the happiest.  He wanted his happiness back so he became part of the machine.  But none of those things made him happy.  He then went around thinking he was broken because those things made everyone else happy, or sure at least, it seemed so.

He knew then he wasn’t in Heaven .

He was in the rat race that produced horrible results; Over 50 % divorce, millions of deaths from addictions, and thousands of murders, all committed by people who weren’t in Heaven.  

One day when he was all grown up and so very miserable, his wife told him he was bringing a new life into the world.  His daughter Kaylee was born.  At his rock bottom on his 36th birthday, his daughter made him a birthday card telling him he was the best dad in the world and how much she loved him.

He knew fulfilling this mission of becoming the greatest dad in the world had to become the center of his life, right after Jesus and his wife.  He is now fulfilling this mission. 

How?

By showing people they are still in Heaven.

How?

By being forgiving, loving, caring, empathetic and compassionate.

Now, there is visibly more love, happiness and smiles. Caring about following the noise of the world simply fell away.

The groundswell of “The Contagious Renewed Mind” (CRM) momentum is producing infinitely more love, happiness and smiles in the neighborhood.

So, why are you here?

To show more people they are still in Heaven via CRM; especially to the ones who are the hardest to love.  

Written 04/01/22 and submitted by Jonathan Dunn,   Dream Leader Institute 

P.S.  And by the way, Thoreau was not a credential theologian. Neither is DLI.

Found on the internet with my added perspective!

Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the much older lady that she should bring her own grocery bags, because plastic bags are not good for the environment. The woman apologized to the young girl and explained, “We didn’t have this ‘green thing’ back in my earlier days. “The young clerk responded, “That’s our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations.” The older lady said that she was right that her generation didn’t have the “green thing” in its day.

The older lady went on to explain: Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so they could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled. But we didn’t have the “green thing” back in our day.

Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags that we reused for numerous things. Most memorable besides household garbage bags was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our school books. But, too bad we didn’t do the “green thing” back then.

We walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But she was right. We didn’t have the “green thing” in our day.

Back then we washed the baby’s diapers because we didn’t have the throw away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts. Wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right; we didn’t have the “green thing” back in our day.

Back then, if we were lucky, we had one TV, or radio, in the house — not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen we blended and stirred by hand because we didn’t have electric machines to do everything for us. Back then, we didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she’s right; we didn’t have the “green thing” back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service in the family’s $45,000 SUV or van, which now costs twice what a whole house did before the “green thing.”

Back then, we had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest burger joint, or even to open the front door, or adjust the lights.

But isn’t it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were, that actually lived through the depression, some even today are known as hoarders, just because we didn’t need the “green thing” back then?

Actually, the generations that did give birth to creating the need for this misdirected although well intended “green thing,” perhaps all visibly started with the boomers after WW II; First, in the form of rampant consumerism, second, a small scale practice run “moral reset” beginning in the ’60’s and still building, third, Nixon then removing the gold standard and opening trade with China, and after that, for the next 50 years, what didn’t contribute to insuring this generation adopts this this “green thing” mentality hook line and sinker?

Bottom line, we are all guilty of creating this “green thing, ” except for maybe, those who lived through the depression. Problems today are easily identified; solutions – not so much! The impending worldwide “reset” will eventually, likely clear the air. But as the children of Israel while wandering in the wilderness, remembering the fruits and vegetables they enjoyed while in Egypt those 400 years during their “lock down,” we too may long for the good old days, when we could virtually have anything we wanted, even as soon as the next day, after Amazon once appeared!

So let me ask you, what do you think the odds are of manna suddenly appearing if we ever need it? Or even better, water from a rock? Makes me think of a sermon I heard once titled “Set Apart Before Being Sent Off.” Actually, in His perspective, the current dilemma of our world is no big deal for Him. He knew it was coming and He knows its end. Our assignment simply is :

Just Be His People,
Do His Practices
Accomplish His Purposes

Thank You Jesus!

And Thereafter, Eternity Does Await Us!

Submitted by my coffee roaster friend Wendell S for our ever dwindling nostalgia crowd…

My grandmother always drank her coffee like this! I always thought it was because it was too hot. Do any of you remember the older generations drinking from their saucers?  Then today I came across this poem that made me wonder perhaps there was symbolism to this coffee ritual…

Drinking from My Saucer ……

by John Paul Moore

I’ve never made a fortune and it’s probably too late now.

But I don’t worry about that much, I’m happy anyhow.

And as I go along life’s way, I’m reaping better than I sowed.

I’m drinking from my saucer, ‘Cause my cup has overflowed.

I don’t have a lot of riches, and sometimes the going’s tough.

But I’ve got loved ones around me, and that makes me rich enough.

I thank God for his blessings, and the mercies He’s bestowed.

I’m drinking from my saucer, ’Cause my cup has overflowed.

I remember times when things went wrong, my faith wore somewhat thin.

But all at once the dark clouds broke, and the sun peeped through again.

So God, help me not to gripe about the tough rows that I’ve hoed.

I’m drinking from my saucer, ‘Cause my cup has overflowed.

When God gives me strength and courage, when the way grows steep and rough.

I’ll not ask for other blessings, I’m already blessed enough.

And may I never be too busy, to help others bear their loads.

Then I’ll keep drinking from my saucer, ‘Cause my cup has overflowed.

from his Lyceum Address on Jan 27, 1838, 184 years ago.

Against the backdrop of a controversial killing of a black man in St. Louis and seething rage across the United States, a young lawyer stood before a small group of men and delivered a speech that would make him famous.

“If destruction be our lot,” he proclaimed, “we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.”

The young man was Abraham Lincoln in the year 1838. The black man was Francis McIntosh, a freedman who had been chained to a tree and burned to death by a white mob. The Civil War wouldn’t officially begin for over two decades, but the twenty-eight-year-old Lincoln already recognized one of the warning signs of an unraveling society: disregard for the rule of law.

Lincoln continued,

I hope I am over wary; but if I’m not, there is, even now something of ill-omen amongst us. I mean the increasing disregard for law which pervades the country; the growing disposition to substitute the wild and furious passions, in lieu of the sober judgements of Courts, and the worse than savage mobs, for the executive ministers of justice. This disposition is awfully fearful in any community; and that it exists now in ours , though grating to our feelings to admit, it would be a violation of truth, and an insult to our intelligence, to deny. Accounts of outrages, committed by mobs, form the every-day news of the times.

Lincoln was not “over-wary.” His concerns would be played out repeatedly until the entire nation exploded into bloody war. Unfortunately, we are again witnessing “something of an ill-omen amongst us” as mobs periodically assemble in various communities across the country, emerging in acts of violence, theft, and swelling unrest.

We are experiencing the attempted destruction of life and liberty in our own heartland from coast to coast. It is all-out rebellion against the rule of law. For years we have seen blatant disregard of laws, from our borders to our very halls of governance. The root of it all is setting aside God’s Word, His Law, and disregarding His counsel. At this moment there are evil men who intend to set our nation on fire, burning up forever the greatest national expression of freedom’s beauty ever witnessed by mortal man. America, with all of its ills, failures, and need for correction from time to time, is still the greatest example of a nation established on the rule of law as revealed in sacred Scriptures.

Right now in our country, some foolishly zealous people are encouraging a revolt against the rule of law and accusing those who risk their lives seeking to protect our citizens as though they were targets to be attacked, discredited, and destroyed. Many are simply ignorant of the facts, but others are intentional provocateurs, manipulating the media and the crowd for their own selfish gain. Still others are agents of evil, stirring up passions to provoke violence, as exemplified by death chants against police officers. This is worse than nonsense. It is terrorism at home!

Again, Lincoln recognized this destructive spirit:

When men take it in their heads today, to hang gamblers, or burn murderers, they should recollect, that, in the confusion usually attending such transactions, they will be as likely to hang or burn someone who is neither a gambler nor a murderer as one who is; and that, acting upon the example they set, the mob of tomorrow, may, and probably will, hang or burn some of them by the very same mistake. And not only so; the innocent, those who have ever set their faces against violations of law in every shape, alike with the guilty, fall victims to the ravages of mob law; and thus it goes on, step by step, till all the walls erected for the defense of the persons and property of individuals, are trodden down, and disregarded. But all this even, is not the full extent of the evil. By such examples, by instances of the perpetrators of such acts going unpunished, the lawless in spirit, are encouraged to become lawless in practice; and having been used to no restraint, but dread of punishment, they thus become, absolutely unrestrained. Having ever regarded Government as their deadliest bane, they make a jubilee of the suspension of its operations, and pray for nothing so much, as its total annihilation.

 After the tragedy in Ferguson, Missouri, President Obama seemed as if he were seeking to undermine the Supreme Court, Congress, and even our justice system. His remarks condemning police officers who were proven to have acted justly and his quick association with supposed victims who, when the facts came forth, were proven to be in the wrong, play a significant part in the lawless spirit pervading our land today. The president may have been playing to the populace, but he was undermining the very constitution he was entrusted to protect. Politicians toeing this line will win friends among the mobs but alienate an even greater number of honest citizens, as Lincoln noted:

Good men, men who love tranquility, who desire to abide by the laws, and enjoy their benefits, who would gladly spill their blood in the defense of their country; seeing their property destroyed; their families insulted, and their lives endangered; their persons injured; and seeing nothing in prospect that forebodes a change for the better; become tired of, and disgusted with, a Government that offers them no protection; and are not much averse to a change in which they imagine they have nothing to lose. Thus, then, by the operation of this mobocractic spirit, which all must admit, is now abroad in the land, the strongest bulwark of any Government, and particularly of those constituted like ours, may effectually be broken down and destroyed.

 Lincoln took on, as we must, the enemy within. By our own disregard of the Word, wisdom, and counsel of God, we have allowed the enemy of life and freedom to set in motion a tsunami of moral and economic collapse destroying personal responsibility and true freedom. Good people – godly people – must stand up and speak the truth. Pure passion can be misguided and dangerous. We need, as Lincoln pointed out, “general intelligence, sound morality, and in particular, a reverence for the constitution and the laws.”

This practice of playing to the mobs must end. That means voters must repudiate any politician, regardless of party, who demonstrates this tendency. Instead, we must learn to come together in peace, calm, and unwavering strength to face the enemy for all who long for and love freedom, or we will watch it vanish from this once great nation and the entire world.

Our nation was founded on biblical principles. To these we must hold. These truths are our only hope, for as Lincoln concluded, “Upon these let the proud fabric of freedom rest, as the rock of its basis; and as truly as has been said of the only greater institution, ‘the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.’”

Taken from James Robison’s 2016 book “The Stream: Refreshing Hearts & Minds Renewing Freedom’s Blessings.” All of Lincoln’s quotes come from his Lyceum Address Jan 27, 1938. Available at www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/lyceum.htm. See Lynching of Francis McIntosh Wikipedia for more details.