Tag: Religion

America’s Catastrophic Collapse Is Actually Quite Recent

On By Dr. Lloyd StebbinsIn Abortion, American Culture, Baby Boomers, Church, Education, Freedom, God's Love, Government, Judeo-Christian Culture, Vote4 Comments

Depending on the depth of evaluation, the fall of the American culture has occurred over the last five decades or so. The seeds of that fall were sown much farther back in time. However, America’s catastrophic collapse, which finally seems to be capturing the attention of many is actually quite recent.

Bill Clinton

Consider the July 12, 1995 remarks of sleaze ball and former President Bill Clinton to students at James Madison High School:

“The First Amendment does not require students to leave their religion at the schoolhouse door…It is especially important that parents feel confident that their children can practice religion…We need to make it easier and more acceptable for people to express and to celebrate their faith…If student can wear T-shirts advertising sports teams, rock groups or politicians, they can also wear T-shirts that promote religion…Religion is too important to our history and our heritage for us to keep it out of our schools…Nothing in the First Amendments converts our public schools into religion-free zones or requires all religious expression to be left behind at the schoolhouse door…Government’s schools also may not discriminate against private religious expression during the school day.”

Compare the remarks made by the President of the United States, barely 20 years ago, with the relentless attacks today on virtually any expression or symbol of religion in the public schools systems. The schools have effectively become religion-free zones. The results are tragic.

What does it take to wake up the body of believers?

What does it take to wake up the clergy?

Charles Finney Speaks on Politics and Religion

On By Dr. Lloyd StebbinsIn Abortion, American Culture, American Exceptionalism, Baby Boomers, Church, Education, Freedom, God's Love, Government, Judeo-Christian Culture, Same Sex Marriage, VoteLeave a comment

Finney Charles

Charles Finney, one of the leaders of the Second Great Awakening speaks on politics and religion:

“The time has come for Christians to vote for honest men, and take consistent ground in politics or the Lord will curse them…Politics are a part of a religion in such a country as this, and Christians must do their duty to their country as a part of their duty to God…God will bless or curse this nation according to the course Christians take in politics.”

 

Why Do We Insist on Sending Our Children into the Darkness?

On By Dr. Lloyd StebbinsIn American Culture, American Exceptionalism, Baby Boomers, Church, Education, Family, Father, God's Love, Government, Judeo-Christian Culture, Love2 Comments

Boy Covers his Ears, hear no evil concept, grey background

Many Judeo-Christian believers and their leaders in the clergy fret and wring their hands about the loss of young adults to the faith. Christian and Jewish communities alike are losing massive numbers of young people as soon as they reach the age of moving away from home. Could the public school systems be part of the reason?

Consider the opening words of Psalm 1, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” [KJV] It is powerful Scriptural counsel.

Our children and grandchildren are precious gifts from God. Yet, we continue to immerse them, in the public school system, for 12 years in the “counsel of the ungodly,” smack dab “in the way of sinners,” all while occupying the “seat of the scornful.” The children are taught repeatedly that

  • the concept of sin is a relic of the religious myth;
  • all forms of behavior and lifestyles are morally acceptable;
  • none should have any form of a stigma attached. Refer to a previous blog (What the Public School is Teaching Your Children/Grandchildren is Shocking!) for a lengthy list of anti-Biblical messages relentlessly taught in the public schools

The authority figures with whom our children and grandchildren spend most of their waking hours are continuously teaching ungodly humanistic values. Why then should we be surprised by teenagers,

  • engaging in immoral—sometimes illegal—behaviors,
  • causing teen pregnancies,
  • displaying extremely selfish attitudes,
  • promoting ungodly liberal/progressive views,
  • using drugs and alcohol, and
  • ultimately, leaving the faith.

The Apostle Paul asks in 2 Corinthians 6:14, “…what fellowship can light have with darkness?” [NIV] None, of course! Then why do we insist on sending our children and grandchildren into 12 years of darkness?

There are few alternatives. Many faith-based schools have become elite to the point of demanding tuition in the range of $10,000 to $14,000 per year per child, simply outside the range of the average family. Some have also compromised the Judeo-Christian values that originally launched the schools. Consider two other options:

  • Home schooling: Home schooling was started by God, “Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” [Deuteronomy 11:19 NIW] God assigned the responsibility of education to the parents and has never changed His mind.

In modern times, the home schooling movement has massively matured. Consider A Beka Academy as one example of many. (http://www.abekaacademy.org/?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1 ) Today, the number of home schooling families should be increased by at least a factor of 10.

  • Faith-based schooling: Drive across any city and observe church after church and synagogue after synagogue that are occupied on occasional week nights and on weekends. These places of worship ranging from a small neighborhood church to large campuses at mega-churches lie empty during prime weekday hours virtually all day every day Monday through Friday.

The physical facilities for Christian schools already exist just waiting to be used for schools. It is shameful to waste God’s resources on empty buildings, while the American culture continues to implode. However, to use the existing facilities as schools requires cooperation and collaboration among churches even across denominational lines.

I would advise no one to send his child where the Holy Scriptures are not supreme. Every institution that does not unceasingly pursue the study of God’s Word becomes corrupt…I greatly fear that the [schools], unless they teach the Holy Scriptures diligently and impress them on the young students, are wide gates to Hell. Martin Luther

What does it take to wake up the body of believers?

What does it take to wake up the clergy?

Check Out iVoterGuide.com

On By Dr. Lloyd StebbinsIn Abortion, American Culture, American Exceptionalism, Baby Boomers, Church, Freedom, God's Love, Government, Judeo-Christian Culture, VoteLeave a comment

iVoterGuide

I have a sticker on my car window that says, “Pray, then vote!” But how? Yard signs are useless. The campaign literature that overloads our mailboxes is nearly useless, because most politicians are reluctant to express a position on important matters for fear of losing votes.

One of the best solutions is iVoterGuide.com. Just click on  https://home.ivoterguide.com/  It is a nationwide effort to provide voters with useful voting information and a project of Heritage Alliance (http://heritagealliance.wixsite.com/heritagealliance ), an organization dedicated to “Equipping Christians to vote wisely.”

At the site for ivoterguide.com, just provide your address and sometimes zip code to bring up your ballot the upcoming elections. Candidates are evaluated from very conservative to very liberal. Clicking on “side-by-side comparison” bring up a table that compares candidates for any particular race. The comparison provides information on each candidate’s endorsements and contributors, a legislative record for incumbents, and the candidates’ responses to a survey that requires an indicate of their positions on issues important to believers. The survey is a series of statements with which the candidate must strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, or strongly disagree. An example statement is, “Life begins at conception.”

Personal Note: After completing a survey myself, I was invited to participate on a panel that evaluated about a dozen candidates in South Florida races. Each panelist evaluated the candidates and then the entire panel met online to resolve discrepancies in the individual evaluations. It was a great experience.

Please check out the site for yourself and publicize it regularly within your congregation.

 

Alexis de Tocqueville: Compare 19th Century America with 21st Century America

On By Dr. Lloyd StebbinsIn American Culture, American Exceptionalism, Baby Boomers, Church, Education, Freedom, God's Love, Government, Judeo-Christian Culture, VoteLeave a comment

Alesis de Toqueville

Anyone who has been a believer for more than a short time, has occasionally encountered awesome quotes by Alexis de Tocqueville. He was a social scientist who travelled America in 1831 and later wrote Democracy in America. Some of his quotes are very well known. Here is a lesser known one that is extremely powerful and must be compared with the conditions that exist today [emphases added]. What do YOU think?

“Religion in America…must be regarded as the foremost of the political institutions of that country; for if it does not impart a taste for freedom, it facilitates the use of it…This opinion is not peculiar to a class of citizens or a party, but it belongs to the whole nation…The sects that exist in the United States are innumerable. They all differ in respect to the worship which is due to the Creator; but they all agree in respect to the duties which are due from man to man. Each sect adores the Deity in its own peculiar manner, but all sects preach the same moral law in the name of God…Moreover, all the sects of the United States are comprised within the great unity of Christianity and Christian morality is everywhere the same…There is no country in the whole world where the Christian religion retains a greater influence than in America…and nothing better demonstrates how useful it is to man, since the country where it now has the widest sway is both the most enlightened and the freest.”

What does it take to wake up the body of believers?

What does it take to wake up the clergy?

In a generation or two, the US will ask itself: “Who lost Europe?”

On By Dr. Lloyd StebbinsIn American Culture, American Exceptionalism, Baby Boomers, Education, Freedom, God's Love, Government, Judeo-Christian Culture, Vote2 Comments

In a generation or two, the US will ask itself: “Who lost Europe?”

Geert Wilders, Chairman, Party for Freedom, the Netherlands, spoke urgently and forcefully at the Four Seasons, New York, introducing an Alliance of Patriots and announcing the Facing Jihad Conference in Jerusalem.

Prayerfully consider his following remarks. Subheadings and emphases have been added, by this writer, for clarity. I’ve been aware of Geert’s mission for some time. This message is a particularly good summery. Consider skimming the highlights; return for details as time permits.

Geert Wilders

Dear Friends,

Thank you very much for inviting me. I come to America with a mission.  All is not well in the old world. There is a tremendous danger looming, and it is very difficult to be optimistic.

Urgent Warning!       We might be in the final stages of the Islamization of Europe. This not only is a clear and present danger to the future of Europe itself, it is a threat to America and the sheer survival of the West. The United States is the last bastion of Western civilization, facing an Islamic Europe. 

First I will describe the situation on the ground in Europe. Then, I will say a few things about Islam. To close I will tell you about a meeting in Jerusalem.

The Europe you know is changing. You have probably seen the landmarks. But in all of these cities, sometimes a few blocks away from your tourist destination, there is another world. It is the world of the parallel society created by Muslim mass-migration.

The New Reality of an Increasingly Muslim Europe

All throughout Europe a new reality is rising: entire Muslim neighborhoods where very few indigenous people reside or are even seen. And if they are, they might regret it. This goes for the police as well. It’s the world of head scarves, where women walk around in figureless tents, with baby strollers and a group of children. Their husbands, or slaveholders if you prefer, walk three steps ahead.

With mosques on many street corners. The shops have signs you and I cannot read. You will be hard-pressed to find any economic activity. These are Muslim ghettos controlled by religious fanatics. These are Muslim neighborhoods, and they are mushrooming in every city across Europe. These are the building-blocks for territorial control of increasingly larger portions of Europe, street by street, neighborhood by neighborhood, city by city.

There are now thousands of mosques throughout Europe with larger congregations than there are in churches. And in every European city there are plans to build super-mosques that will dwarf every church in the region. Clearly, the signal is: we rule.       Many European cities are already one-quarter Muslim: just take Amsterdam, Marseilles and Malmo in Sweden. In many cities the majority of the under-18 population is Muslim. Paris is now surrounded by Muslim neighborhoods. Mohammad is the most popular name among boys in many cities.

The Educational Systems Have Been Islamized

In some elementary schools in Amsterdam the farm can no longer be mentioned, because that would also mean mentioning the pig, and that would be an insult to Muslims. Many state schools in Belgium and Denmark only serve halal food to all pupils.

In once-tolerant Amsterdam gays are beaten up almost exclusively by Muslims. Non-Muslim women routinely hear ‘whore, whore’.  Satellite dishes are not pointed to local TV stations, but to stations in the country of origin.

In France school teachers are advised to avoid authors deemed offensive to Muslims, including Voltaire and Diderot; the same is increasingly true of Darwin. The history of the Holocaust can no longer be taught because of Muslim sensitivity.   

In England sharia courts are now officially part of the British legal system. Many neighborhoods in France are no-go areas for women without head scarves. Last week a man almost died after being beaten up by Muslims in Brussels, because he was drinking during the Ramadan.

Jews are fleeing France in record numbers, on the run for the worst wave of anti-Semitism since World War II.  French is now commonly spoken on the streets of Tel Aviv and Netanya, Israel.  I could go on forever with stories like this. Stories about Islamization.

The Scoreboard Tells the Story

A total of fifty-four million Muslims now live in Europe. San Diego University recently calculated that a staggering 25 percent of the population in Europe will be Muslim just 12 years from now. Bernhardt Lewis has predicted a Muslim majority by the end of this century.       Now these are just numbers.  And the numbers would not be threatening if the Muslim-immigrants had a strong desire to assimilate. But there are few signs of that. The Pew Research Center reported that half of French Muslims see their loyalty to Islam as greater than their loyalty to France.

One-third of French Muslims do not object to suicide attacks. The British Centre for Social Cohesion reported that one-third of British Muslim students are in favor of a worldwide caliphate. Muslims demand what they call ‘respect’. And this is how we give them respect.  We already have Muslim official state holidays.

The Christian-Democratic attorney general is willing to accept sharia in the Netherlands if there is a Muslim majority. We have cabinet members with passports from Morocco and Turkey. Muslim demands are supported by unlawful behavior, ranging from petty crimes and random violence, for example against ambulance workers and bus drivers, to small-scale riots. Paris has seen its uprising in the low-income suburbs, the banlieus.

Who Are These “Settlers?”

I call the perpetrators settlers. Because that is what they are. They do not come to integrate into our societies; they come to integrate us into theirs. Therefore, they are settlers. Much of this street violence I mentioned is directed exclusively against non-Muslims, forcing many native people to leave their neighborhoods, their cities, their countries.  Moreover, Muslims are now a swing vote not to be ignored.

Mohammed Established a Violent and Immoral Heritage

The second thing you need to know is the importance of Mohammed the prophet. His behavior is an example to all Muslims and cannot be criticized. Now, if Mohammed had been a man of peace, let us say like Gandhi and Mother Theresa wrapped in one, there would be no problem. But Mohammed was a warlord, a mass murderer, a pedophile, and had several marriages – at the same time.

Islamic tradition tells us how he fought in battles, how he had his enemies murdered and even had prisoners of war executed. Mohammad himself slaughtered the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza.  If it is good for Islam, it is good. If it is bad for Islam, it is bad.

Let no one fool you about Islam being a religion. Sure, it has a god, and a here-after, and 72 virgins. But in its essence Islam is a political ideology. It is a system that lays down detailed rules for society and the life of every person. Islam wants to dictate every aspect of life.  Islam means ‘submission’. Islam is not compatible with freedom and democracy, because what it strives for is Sharia. If you want to compare Islam to anything, compare it to communism or national-socialism, these are all totalitarian ideologies.       Now you know why Winston Churchill called Islam ‘the most retrograde force in the world’, and why he compared Mein Kampf to the Quran. The public has accepted the Palestinian narrative, and sees Israel as the aggressor. I have lived in this country and visited it dozens of times.

Geert’s Support for Israel

I support Israel. First, because it is the Jewish homeland after two thousand years of exile up to and including Auschwitz. Second because it is a democracy.  And third because Israel is our first line of defense.       This tiny country is situated on the fault line of jihad, frustrating Islam’s territorial advance.  Israel is facing the front lines of jihad, like Kashmir, Kosovo, the Philippines, Southern Thailand, Darfur in Sudan, Lebanon, and Aceh in Indonesia.  Israel is simply in the way; the same way West-Berlin was during the Cold War.       The war against Israel is not a war against Israel.  It is a war against the West. It is jihad. Israel is simply receiving the blows that are meant for all of us.  If there would have been no Israel,

Islamic imperialism would have found other venues to release its energy and its desire for conquest. Thanks to Israeli parents who send their children to the army and lay awake at night, parents in Europe and America can sleep well and dream, unaware of the dangers looming.       Many in Europe argue in favor of abandoning Israel in order to address the grievances of our Muslim minorities. But if Israel were, God forbid, to go down, it would not bring any solace to the West. It would not mean our Muslim minorities would all of a sudden change their behavior, and accept our values.

On the contrary, the end of Israel would give enormous encouragement to the forces of Islam. They would, and rightly so, see the demise of Israel as proof that the West is weak, and doomed.  The end of Israel would not mean the end of our problems with Islam, but only the beginning. It would mean the start of the final battle for world domination. If they can get Israel, they can get everything.

So-called journalists volunteer to label any and all critics of Islam as a ‘right-wing extremists’ or ‘racists’. In my country, the Netherlands, 60 percent of the population now sees the mass immigration of Muslims as the number one policy mistake since World War II.  And another 60 percent sees Islam as the biggest threat.

The Greatest Danger!

Yet there is a greater danger than terrorist attacks, the scenario of America as the last man standing. The lights may go out in Europe faster than you can imagine. An Islamic Europe means a Europe without freedom and democracy, an economic wasteland, an intellectual nightmare, and a loss of military might for America – as its allies will turn into enemies, enemies with atomic bombs.

With an Islamic Europe, it would be up to America alone to preserve the heritage of Rome, Athens and Jerusalem.

Geert’s Final Plea for Freedom

Dear friends,

Liberty is the most precious of gifts. My generation never had to fight for this freedom, it was offered to us on a silver platter, by people who fought for it with their lives.  All throughout Europe, American cemeteries remind us of the young boys who never made it home, and whose memory we cherish. My generation does not own this freedom; we are merely its custodians. We can only hand over this hard won liberty to Europe’s children in the same state in which it was offered to us. 

We cannot strike a deal with mullahs and imams.  Future generations would never forgive us. We cannot squander our liberties. We simply do not have the right to do so.

We have to take the necessary action now to stop this Islamic stupidity from destroying the free world that we know.

What does it take to wake up the body of believers?

What does it take to wake up the clergy?

God Warned of America’s Decline in Scripture!

On By Dr. Lloyd StebbinsIn American Culture, American Exceptionalism, Baby Boomers, Church, Education, Family, Freedom, God's Love, Government, Judeo-Christian Culture, VoteLeave a comment

Working together

As America spirals down into a cultural sewer, we are comforted by knowing that we’ve read the end of the Book. We know how it ultimately ends. Meanwhile, we are told to live the life precisely as instructed by Scripture, visible standing for all that is good and actively opposing all that is evil.

Consider God’s ancient warning to a modern America:

“The wicked will go down to the grave. This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God.” Proverbs 9:17 

“When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the las is joyful.” Proverbs 29:18 

“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice But when the wicked are in power, they groan.” Proverbs 29:2 

And finally, the familiar verse,

“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people.” Proverbs 14:23

It’s up to us as believers to be the “light of the world,” “the salt of the earth,” and positive, loving, ambassadors for God!

 

Don’t Miss Dinesh D’Souza’s New Movie—Just opened nationwide on Friday, July 23, 2016

On By Dr. Lloyd StebbinsIn American Culture, American Exceptionalism, Baby Boomers, Church, Education, Family, Father, Freedom, God's Love, Government, Judeo-Christian Culture, VoteLeave a comment

Hillarys America.jpg

Don’t miss it. D’Souza’s new movie is powerful and well documented. Hillary is just a portion of this blockbuster. After addressing some tough stuff, it has a wonderful red, white, and blue patriotic ending.

It opened nationwide last Friday at 1500 theaters.

Presidential Election Demands Attention!

On By Dr. Lloyd StebbinsIn Abortion, American Culture, American Exceptionalism, Baby Boomers, Church, Education, Family, Freedom, God's Love, Government, Judeo-Christian Culture, Marriage, VoteLeave a comment

donald trump

The upcoming presidential election is very literally the most important election of our time, perhaps the most important election in the history of our country. The book Wake Up America or Die!—YOU Must Save America and the Family includes two chapters devoted to government. One is in the “Undeniable Crisis” section; the other is in the “Awesome Remedy” section. Although written with abundant clarity, neither mentions any specific political party or living politician or candidate.

However, it is no longer possible to escape such specifics. With Hillary Clinton wearing horns and a forked tail, the ongoing controversy over Donald Trump is troublesome and dangerous.

There is a view often stated among university faculty members that, “We must teach the students we have not the students we wish we had.” Donald Trump was not my first choice for a conservative candidate. Nevertheless, the candidates for President of the United States have apparently been reduced to Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

Compare the Candidates

Voting is essential. It is an act of worship to protect the God-given freedoms secured by the Declaration of Independence and codified in the United States Constitution. Sitting at home and not voting is absolutely not an option for Judeo-Christian believers. Despite the misgivings of some conservatives and clergy, the bright line contrast between Trump and Clinton could not be greater. Consider as side-by-side comparison:

Donald Trump pledged to restore faith to its level of historical prominence in this country.

Hillary Clinton routinely supports views antagonistic to Judeo-Christian tradition. Her occasional politically correct remarks are overtaken by her actions.

Donald Trump is Prolife. Although he is against abortion, he has supported certain well known exceptions with which many believers, including this writer, would disagree.

Hillary Clinton is pro-death (Prochoice)

Donald Trump supports defunding Planned Parenthood.

Hillary Clinton is demanding substantially even more funding for Planned Parenthood.

Donald Trump pledged to nominated originalist (constitutionalist) justices to the Supreme Court.

Hillary Clinton will nominate the most liberal justices available to the Court.

Donald Trump is committed to aggressively dealing with uncontrolled immigration and border security.

Hillary Clinton is a globalist advocate of a borderless United States and a borderless world.

Donald Trump is committed to aggressively combating terrorism in all forms.

Hillary Clinton is unable to identify the sources of terrorism, beyond perfunctory, politically correct comments following each terrorist attack.

Donald Trump will rebuild the military for the protection of all citizens.

Hillary Clinton will continue to decimate the military.

Donald Trump is committed to “Make America Great Again.”

Hillary Clinton is a globalist committed to taking down America, following Obama’s “fundamental transformation” to make all countries equal.

Donald Trump says, “I refuse to be politically correct.” Political correctness is a movement designed to shut down the Biblical worldview.

Hillary Clinton fully embraces political correctness and all of its nuances.

There are other areas of glaring comparison, but those listed are sufficient for this message.

The greatest American presidents were known for having a noticeably humble spirit, a character trait that often fosters good listening skills. Humility seems to be Donald Trump’s most visible short-coming. But even that attitude is better than Hillary Clinton’s arrogance, sense of supremacy, and infamously harsh treatment of those she encounters and even those within her inner circle.

Judicial Appointments

A vastly overarching sleeper issue is the ability of the President to appoint federal judges. Each President appoints hundreds of federal judges who generally operate under the cloak of media darkness unless the media declares a case to be sufficiently controversial to report.

Many bad judicial decisions stand simply because the resources are not available for successive appeals or the Supreme Court is so avalanched with cases they can only hear a few due to the lack of time. Consequently, a Supreme Court decision not to hear a case can be as important as a decision to hear one.

An out-of-control judiciary was feared by the great Founders of the United States of America. Presidents have the opportunity to greatly influence the federal court system by selecting judges and justices who either support a Originalist view of the Constitution (It is a sacred anchor document that means what it says and can only be changed through the amendment process.) or a post-Constitutional view that claims the Constitution must be treated as a living document, continuously reinterpreted to keep up with the changing times. A so called fluid Constitution is effectively no constitution at all.

Due to political polarization, the power of the president to appoint federal judges has become the most influential and lasting power within the president’s grasp.

Former President Franklin Roosevelt was well known for attempting to pack the Supreme Court with liberal justices. Although he died in 1945, his Supreme Court appointees served until 1975. His appointees, along with liberal justices appointed by Presidents Harry Truman, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and even Dwight Eisenhower handed down a stream of devastating decisions including rulings that:

  • Effectively declared all religions equal and equally subservient to the United States Government. Such a decision effectively replaces God with the federal government.
  • Removed prayer from the public schools
  • Removed Bible reading from the public schools
  • Routinely supported the breakdown of morality in the American Culture.
  • Handed down the infamous Roe v. Wade decision
  • Supported no-fault divorces

Justices nominated by Hillary Clinton, as president, would continue the stream of devastating Supreme Court rulings “lowlighted” by the now infamous ruling sanctifying same-sex “marriage.” Constitutionalist justices appointed by Donald Trump as president would be a powerful restraint on the Supreme Court and possibly tilt the Court in a conservative Biblical direction.

Restoring America is up to YOU!

What does it take to wake up the body of believers?

What does it take to wake up the clergy?

 

What the Public School is Teaching Your Children/Grandchildren is Shocking!

On By Dr. Lloyd StebbinsIn American Culture, Church, Education, Freedom, Government, Judeo-Christian Culture, Marriage, Same Sex Marriage, Science2 Comments

The public schools are a reflection of the American culture. As the culture falls, the standards in the public schools are deteriorating at an accelerating rate. The concepts taught today are far different than even a generation ago.

Male Elementary Pupil In Computer Class

Although there are many dedicated and hardworking Christians and Jews teaching and working in the school systems, their views and values have been largely shut down by the cultural and now legal pressures of political correctness. Indeed, many principals and boards of education exert politically correct demands far beyond the requirements of the law.

The intimidation of believers varies from daunting to frightening and may include harsh, precedent setting legal action. Some have lost their jobs. Even threatened legal action has a profound chilling effect on expressing views counter to the dictum of politically correctness. Heavy fines and jail time cannot be far behind.

Long ago, Abraham Lincoln warned, The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next. Much more recently, Ronald Reagan proclaimed,

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.

We tend to hear bits and pieces in the news. However, the overall package of what is being taught today is beyond disturbing. As you consider this partial list, know that it does not reflect merely reflect periodic shotgun style teaching. Each item is embedded throughout the academic culture from kindergarten through the 12th grade and repeatedly reaffirmed in the universities. Each item demands a detailed discussion. But for now, it is more important to zoom out and consider the list as a whole

Most believers will recognize these items as false. Yet, they are being taught as undeniable truth in the public schools. The effect on the American culture has been devastating and is the harbinger of even worse in the near future.

Science

  • The theory of evolution is fact.
  • Science is a greater arbiter of truth than the Bible.
  • Extreme environmentalism is necessary to prevent human extinction nad destruction of the planet.
  • Global warming is taught as incontrovertible fact along with images portending colossal disaster.
  • Homosexuals, lesbians, and transexuals are born that way and cannot change (genetics).
  • Due to the alleged population explosion, couples should not have babies.
  • Marijuana use is good recreation and especially desirable for medical treatment of pain.

Religion

  • All religions, including Judeo-Christian tradition, are manmade myths
  • All religions are equal and equally fanciful.
  • All public expression or symbols of religion must be barred. The concept of separation of church and state has been turned upside down.
  • Judeo-Christian tradition is radical, extreme, and dangerous.
  • Religion is the cause of virtually all cultural problems and cultural violence throughout history.
  • Islam is a peaceful religion.

Humanity (Humanism)

  • Theory of evolution supports the erroneous conclusion that there is no god.
  • There is no objective truth.
  • There are no overarching values applicable to all people.

Gender

  • Gender is fluid, based on feelings and identity, rather than biology.
  • There are no differences between men and women except the external plumbing.
  • All LBGTQ lifestyles are acceptable, desirable, and merely a matter of personal choice.

Family

  • The “family” is whatever any consenting group declares it to be.
  • Career is more important than family.
  • Cohabitation is an acceptable means to test a relationship before marriage.
  • Marriage is not a necessary prerequisite for having children.
  • A father is not necessary for raising a child.
  • Producing children is undesirable due to the population explosion and interference with careers of parents.
  • Abortions are morally acceptable (not just legal) for birth control and to terminate inconvenient pregnancies.
  • “Imperfect” babies should be aborted.
  • Same-sex marriage is acceptable, desirable, and morally equivalent to traditional marriage. (An abomination to the Lord has become a Constitutional “right.”). Textbooks are being hastily rewritten to accommodate last year’s shocking U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
  • Nursing homes are convenient places to sidebar inconvenient relatives, especially if home care would interfere with the careers of others in the home.
  • Divorce is a readily available and morally acceptable means to escape difficult marital issues.

Culture

  • All cultures are equally valid and equally desirable.
  • The Founders of the Unites States were white, rich, selfish, slave-owning bigots.
  • America is evil, acquiring wealth on the backs of slaves, atrocities to the American Indians, and resources “stolen” from other nations.
  • Patriotism must be discouraged in favor of globalism.
  • The American flag is offensive as a symbol of America’s “sins.”
  • Profanity is merely a colorful expression of the culture.
  • Virtually unlimited immigration is good.
  • National borders must be abolished.

Entertainment

  • Overt sexuality in movies and television is healthy entertainment.
  • There is virtually no cultural effect linked to violence in entertainment (movies, television, video games).
  • There is no need to promote morality in entertainment, because there are no longer any culturally agreed upon standards of morality.
  • Pornography is healthy and acceptable.

Government

  • Socialism is superior to capitalism.
  • Animals have rights equal to humans.
  • The government must provide for children to the greatest extent possible so the parents can do useful work.
  • The “experts” in the public schools raise children better than their parents (Such was also the view in Nazi Germany, Stalinist Russia, and Communist China.).

You have likely heard that, “Nature abhors a vacuum.” The concept is not limited to just the physical realm. It applies also to the emotional and spiritual realms. In the 1970s, a cultural decision was made to discontinue teaching values in the public schools, emphasizing academic knowledge instead. Since then, the values vacuum has been filled. The perfect God-created Judeo-Christian values have been replaced by seriously flawed man-invented Humanist values. The results have been tragic. “Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.” C. S. Lewis

As believing parents and grandparents, are these lesson shocking? They should be! They would have triggered loud and angry protests from YOUR grandparents. It is astonishing that such a cultural collapse could occur in little more than a generation. Consider a few declarations from the past.

I would advise no one to send his child where the Holy Scriptures are not supreme. Every institution that does not unceasingly pursue the study of God’s Word becomes corrupt…I greatly fear that the [schools], unless they teach the Holy Scriptures diligently and impress them on the young students, are wide gates to Hell. Martin Luther

[T] Bible…should be read in our schools in preference to all other books.

Dr. Benjamin Rush, Signer of Declaration of Independence

The only foundation for useful education in a republic is to be laid in religion.

Thomas Jefferson

Religion is the only solid basis of good morals; therefore education should teach the precepts of religion, and the duties of man toward God.

Gouverneur Morris, Author/Signer U.S. Constitution

Education is useless without the Bible. Noah Webster

Religion and virtue are the only foundations, not only of all free government, but of social felicity under all governments and in all the combinations of human society. President John Adams

Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great Pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and Citizens. President George Washington

There are, of course, alternatives to government-forced indoctrination in the public schools:

  • Homeschooling—The homeschooling movement has matured greatly in the last 30 years. At least ten times more families should be participating.
  • Private or faith-based schools—Although private schooling is available, much of it has become priced beyond the budget of the average family. Many have also compromised their values.
  • New schools developed by churches/synagogues—There are large numbers of churches/synagogues in every city. Most are occupied sporadically on evenings and weekends. Places of worship are generally vacant during primetime all day every day five days a week. The physical plant is already there. The building could and must be use for schools during the week.

Apathy is no longer an option. The entire body of believers must act now and continuously to prevent the total loss of the freedom bestowed as a gift from God, not a grant from government. Otherwise, as President Reagan said near the beginning of this piece, “one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.” If we ignore this perhaps last opportunity, we will later face God with only feeble excuses.

 

Vote for Character!

On By Dr. Lloyd StebbinsIn American Culture, American Exceptionalism, Baby Boomers, Church, Education, Freedom, God's Love, Government, Judeo-Christian Culture, VoteLeave a comment

Strong character builds strong people, trustworthy politicians, and a strong America; compromised character destroys all three. Judeo-Christian tradition is strongly character-driven manifested by a desire to achieve increasing levels of maturity. Serving others and God is a high priority. Such values dominated the American culture for nearly 400 years. In contrast, liberal/progressive/Humanism seeks primarily to benefit self and is led by self-proclaimed elite. When voting, it is critical to consider the character of candidates.

Political Candidates

Consider the precise, practical, and strong proclamations of the Founders in their own words:

John Adams (founder)—We electors have an important constitutional power placed in our hands; we have a check upon two branches of the legislature . . . the power I mean of electing at stated periods [each] branch… It becomes necessary to every [citizen] then, to be in some degree a statesman, and to examine and judge for himself of the tendency of political principles and measures. Let us examine, then, with a sober, a manly . . . and a Christian spirit; let us neglect all party [loyalty] and advert to facts; let us believe no man to be infallible or impeccable in government any more than in religion; take no man’s word against evidence, nor implicitly adopt the sentiments of others who may be deceived themselves, or may be interested in deceiving us.

Frederick Douglass (statesman, orator, social reformer)—I have one great political idea. . .That idea is an old one. It is widely and generally assented to; nevertheless, it is very generally trampled upon and disregarded. The best expression of it, I have found in the Bible. It is in substance, “Righteousness exalteth a nation; sin is a reproach to any people” [Proverbs 14:34]. This constitutes my politics—the negative and positive of my politics, and the whole of my politics. . .I feel it my duty to do all in my power to infuse this idea into the public mind, that it may speedily be recognized and practiced upon by our people.

[T]he time has come that Christians must vote for honest men and take consistent ground in politics Charles Finney (19th Century evangelist)— or the Lord will curse them. . .Christians have been exceedingly guilty in this matter. But the time has come when they must act differently. . . . Christians seem to act as if they thought God did not see what they do in politics. But I tell you He does see it – and He will bless or curse this nation according to the course they [Christians] take [in politics].

John Jay (founder)—Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation, to select and prefer Christians for their rulers. The Americans are the first people whom Heaven has favored with an opportunity of deliberating upon and choosing the forms of government under which they should live.

William Paterson (signer of the Constitution)—When the righteous rule, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.

Noah Webster (lexicographer and political writer)—In selecting men for office, let principle be your guide. Regard not the particular sect or denomination of the candidate – look to his character as a man of known principle, of tried integrity, and undoubted ability for the office … Scriptures teach …they direct that rulers should be men who rule in the fear of God, able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness. When a citizen gives his suffrage to a man of known immorality he abuses his trust; he sacrifices not only his own interest, but that of his neighbor, he betrays the interest of his country.

When you become entitled to exercise the right of voting for public officers, let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers, “just men who will rule in the fear of God.” The preservation of government depends on the faithful discharge of this duty; if the citizens neglect their duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted; laws will be made, not for the public good so much as for selfish or local purposes; corrupt or incompetent men will be appointed to execute the laws; the public revenues will be squandered on unworthy men; and the rights of the citizens will be violated or disregarded. If a republican government fails to secure public prosperity and happiness, it must be because the citizens neglect the divine commands, and elect bad men to make and administer the laws.

John Witherspoon (minister and signer of the Declaration of Independence)—Those who wish well to the State ought to choose to places of trust men of inward principle, justified by exemplary conversation. . . [And] the people in general ought to have regard to the moral character of those whom they invest with authority either in the legislative, executive, or judicial branches.

Vote! Vote! Vote! Vote at every opportunity including seemingly minor local offices. Vote thoughtfully after careful consideration of the record of each candidate and his/her specifically clarified views. Do not fail to vote; do not vote frivolously.

What does it take to wake up the body of believers?

What does it take to wake up the clergy?

 

The Fruit of Evolution is Devastating to YOU! (Part 2)

On By Dr. Lloyd StebbinsIn American Culture, American Exceptionalism, Baby Boomers, Church, Education, Freedom, God's Love, Government, Judeo-Christian CultureLeave a comment

Part 1 considered the power, pervasive, and culture-changing fruit of evolution as well as the chaos that it produces. It has infected every area of life. The reasoning, increasingly accepted since Darwin’s publications, is that if life actually evolved, then virtually every area of human endeavor should be subject to the principles of evolution.

Choices of a businessman

For example, in the late 19th Century, Harvard University President Charles William Eliot worked to apply evolutionary principles to education and legal study. His appointed Dean of Harvard Law School, Christopher Columbus Langdell created the evolutionary “stream of law.” From that point on, the law was no longer fixed; it had to “evolve” with the times.

The principles of evolution have also been infused into the fields of education, sociology, psychology, and liberal religion. Virtually every major institution had become evolutionary in practice:

  • Media—From truth/fact driven to agenda driven
  • Politics—From protection of individual freedom/liberty to government control of the masses
  • Entertainment—From moral to amoral
  • Education—From educating the whole person and building character to training in skills needed for a career
  • Family—From centered to career-centered
  • Liberal religion—From Judeo-Christian tradition to Humanism, cloaked in religious language.

Many would agree that evolutionary thinking moves society from the desirable to the undesirable. What actually happened? By definition anything or any culture that evolves moves from point A to point B.

Point B is largely unknown, but it can be expected to include high levels of stress, nearly uncontrollable anxiety, painful interpersonal relationships and breakups, all while preserving the “right” to unlimited short-term, selfish, hedonistic, frequently sexual, pleasures traditionally regarded as sinful. Eventually, the evolutionary thinking of Point B leads to cultural chaos and tyrannical government control in some totalitarian form.

In short, Point B is the cultural analog of the Second Law of Thermodynamics: The randomness of the universe is constantly increasing, i.e. moving from order to disorder. The absence of anchor-like moral boundaries leads to ultimate cultural disorder that can only be controlled by unlimited power of the self-appointed elite.

In contrast, Point A is clearly known. It is the anchor. It is what made America strong, great, and the envy of the world. America has been exceptional for hundreds of years because of Judeo-Christian tradition and its life principles. America was founded on those principles and hung on to them for hundreds of years.

America has been exceptional, not because the people are exceptional, but because God is exceptional. As long as the people of America and later the United States looked to God as the source of everything, we have been blessed beyond belief. As the people increasingly use the theory of evolution to conclude that there is no god and the American culture drifts further away from God, His incredible hand of blessing is being removed.

America is moving, at an accelerating pace, from Judeo-Christian stability that evokes predominantly selfless people to Humanist instability that fractures and eventually decimates the culture as increasingly selfish people demand their “rights,” with progressive violence.

Evolutionary change in any field of human endeavor moves away from the anchor. The starting point for America has always been God. The continual movement away from God is fearsome to contemplate. In The Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoyevsky wrote, “If the is no God then everything is permissible.”

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil,

who change darkness into light and light into darkness,

who change bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter! (Isiah 5:20)

“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people.”

[Proverbs 14:34 NIV]

In short, the fruit of evolution is rotten to the core and should not be tasted much less eaten. It produces terminal cultural disease. In direct contrast, the fruit of God’s Spirit is, “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” [Galatians 5:22-23 KJV] Only a restoration of Biblical living or at least a desire for Biblical living can save our beloved America.

Would you choose to live at a stable Point A, which the Founders intended to last to posterity or would you choose to live at an ever-changing, ever-decaying Point B? Would you like your children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and beyond to live a Point A or Point B? Unless YOU act NOW, the portion of the population living at Point B will continue to rapidly increase and the portion living at Point A will dwindle nearly as fast.

Pray often for God’s direct intervention as the greatest awakening of all time. Meanwhile, encourage and train your people to actively defend our God-given freedoms, the God-created family, limit the man-created government and vote wisely for candidates of strong character. The Founders did not merely refer to the importance of informed voting. They referred to casting the sacred vote.

What does it take to wake up the body of believers?

What does it take to wake up the clergy?

Politics and Religion are Inescapably Linked

On By Dr. Lloyd StebbinsIn American Culture, American Exceptionalism, Baby Boomers, Church, Education, God's Love, Government, Judeo-Christian Culture3 Comments

 

Have you ever heard someone say, “I never talk about politics or religion?” Good heavens, why not? Those two define who you are, what you think, choices you make and how you act. If those discussions are off limits, what is left to talk about—the weather, sports scores, latest fashions, and what’s for dinner? How boring is that?

Politics and Religion

The self-imposed boundary is particularly egregious for Judeo-Christian believers. “I never talk about politics or religion” is something a Judeo-Christian believer must never say. It is a betrayal of God, faith, and other believers. Capitulation to political correctness—which always sugar coats the poison pill of sin—substantially interferes with the believer’s relationship and obligations to God. Political correctness is simply the Humanist’s tool designed to shut down the Judeo-Christian worldview. Consider God’s commands in Deuteronomy:

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds…Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the door frames of our houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many… [Deuteronomy 11:18-21 NIV]

We are commanded by God to talk about scripture virtually all the time, teach it to our children, and advertise it outside our home. It is not possible for a believer to be completely saturated with God’s words and His love, without that love spilling out in every area of life. Just to make sure, God warns anyone suppressing His love, because of political correctness. “Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. Then the Lord’s anger will burn against you…and you will soon perish from the good land the Lord is giving you.” [Deuteronomy 11: 16-17 NIV]

To have an impact on our surrounding culture, we must be able to freely, enthusiastically, and lovingly discuss politics and religion. When political correctness silences the Judeo-Christian worldview, the Humanist worldview aggressively fills the vacuum with little opposition or hindrance.

Politics is an expression of religion which is an outgrowth of our worldview. All political issues have spiritual roots. Our religious and political views emerge from one of just two worldviews that are an earthly manifestation of the eternal battle between good and evil, God and Satan.

Consider the graphic. It qualitatively displays the conservative to liberal religious spectrum horizontally and the conservative to liberal political spectrum vertically. Conservative religion and conservative politics at the lower left visually exhibit the Judeo-Christian worldview. Why? Because the believer relies on God (not government). Government is sharply restrained by the U.S. Constitution. It is the only worldview that assures a sustainable American culture, where the family reigns supreme, God-given freedom is treasured, and the passions of men are voluntarily restrained by their faith in God.

In contrast, Humanist religion and liberal politics at the upper right visually display the ultimate Humanist worldview that God does not exist. Man has declared himself to be his own god. The Humanist relies on government (not God). Growth of government is largely unrestrained, because of the belief that the “best and brightest,” whoever they are, should be vested with whatever authority and resources are necessary for them to make decisions for the rest of us.

The elite decision-makers are convinced that the rest of us are not capable of making basic life decisions. The Humanist road is a pathway to cancerous government growth, eventual self-destruction, and chaos. The family is optional and has a structure that defies definition. Freedom arises from the grace of government and is strategically dribbled out as a means of controlling the people.

Occasionally, a Humanist with a liberal mindset, perhaps cultivated in a liberal church or by childhood memories of religious training will remind the rest of us that scripture tells us to feed the poor, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and visit those in prison. However, those admonitions were directed at individuals and small groups that later became known as churches. When the government coopts those important tasks, its actions are both inefficient and deficient.

When the government does anything, it is financially inefficient (read wasteful) and an inefficient use of the labor of the employees. More importantly, government actions are emotionally and spiritually deficient. For example, the concept of mercy is elegantly explained by Portia during her famous courtroom speech in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice:

The quality of mercy is not strain’d;

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven

Upon the place beneath: it is twice bless’d;

It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes:

‘Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes’

The thronéd monarch better than his crown;

His scepter shows the force of temporal power,

The attribute to awe and majesty,

Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;

But mercy is above this sceptered sway;

It is enthronéd in the hearts of kings,

It is an attribute to God himself;

And earthly power doth then show likest God’s

When mercy seasons justice.

Portia proclaims that the “quality of mercy…is twice bless’d; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes” and is “above this sceptered sway” (above government). Finally, “It is an attribute to God himself.”

When God directly instructs us in scripture to feed the poor, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and visit those in prison each effort is intended to bless the beneficent as well as those who benefit. When the government undertakes the same activities, the people and churches are robbed of the blessings and character building opportunities that result from giving. (Personal note: I’ve never been blessed by paying taxes.).

Most schools, including Ivy League universities, were started by churches to enable people to read the Bible for themselves and build strong character. The early Ivy League universities were established to prepare young men for the ministry. Most hospitals were created by the churches. Later, the schools and health care were commandeered by the government, with honorable intentions and still later commanded by the government with less than honorable intentions.

When people claim to hold conservative religious views and liberal political views or vice versa, their faith has been compromised to accept and support some degree of Humanism. The claim to be a “moderate” is even worse.

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were either one or the other. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. You say, “I am rich, I have acquired wealth, and do not need a thing. But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked… [Revelation 3:15-17 NIV]

Now that you understand, take a stand—for the Lord. Express your religious and political views whenever they naturally arise in conversation. Along the way, be sure to live a life that others will envy, because of your strength of character, love, and calm assurance that God still has everything under control. That way your views will be respected even if not agreed upon.

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. [1 Peter 3:15-17 NIV]

What does it take to wake up the body of believers?

What does it take to wake up the clergy?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Americans Have Bought Into the Big Lie!

On By Dr. Lloyd StebbinsIn American Culture, American Exceptionalism, Church, Education, Freedom, God's Love, Government, Judeo-Christian Culture1 Comment

Separate Chruch State

Editorial note: This writing began with another topic in mind. But the concept of the separation of church and state recurred so relentlessly that it could not be ignored. Perhaps it was the Lord’s prompting. You decide. Initially, I resisted, confident that I had a good understanding of the matter and it had already been talked to death by many others. Nevertheless, an abundance of fresh new material emerged during the writing. It became increasingly clear that the secular distortion of the separation of church and state has had profound and tragic consequence on America and even worse consequence on the body of believers. Read on. You’ll see why.

 

“A lie told often enough becomes the truth.” Who said it? If you thought, Joseph Goebbels, Nazi Germany’s Minister of Enlightenment and Propaganda, not quite. The quote was first spoken by Vladimir Lenin, Father of Communism. But Goebbels developed it into a highly specialized art form:

“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”

We tend to associate such thinking with totalitarianism. But does it happen in the United States? You bet it does! Often! Consider, for example, a perverted interpretation of the “separation of church and state.” Throughout recent generations, the lie has been repeated endlessly in court proceedings, by politicians, the media, and throughout the entire educational system.. Believers routinely parrot the secular politically correct interpretation of Thomas Jefferson’s metaphor

The separation of church and state lie has weakened America’s faith and opened the door for all manner of evil. Private immorality is possible only after compromising God’s Word. Private immorality leads to public immorality a breakdown of trust, and an erosion of integrity, which incite all other forms of wrongdoing. Civilization first decays then collapses, slowly at first, then becoming a virtual free fall. The free fall America is currently experiencing cannot last long. Unless there is direct action by believers accompanied by a spiritual awakening, oblivion is at America’s doorstep.

What happened? It is generally well known that the phrase, “wall of separation between church and state,” is not in the U. S. Constitution. President Thomas Jefferson coined the phrase in a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association in the State of Connecticut. To establish context, the full letter provides:

Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man& his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should “make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” thus building a wall of separation between Church & State

Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.

“I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection & blessing of the common father and creator of man, and tender you for yourselves & your religious association assurances of my high respect & esteem.”

 Thomas Jefferson Jan.1.1802

The faith held by the Founders, including Thomas Jefferson, has been widely documented and is beyond any serious dispute. Collectively, the Founders feared the European religious persecution, from which the early settlers fled.

The persecution emerged each time a European government adopted an official religion for a country and named the king as the head of that religion. It was a recipe for the abuse of anyone differing from the king’s interpretation of any religious matter. In Biblical times, kings often deferred to the prophet of the day, a kind of separation of church and state. But in 17-19th Century Europe, kings had no accountability. There was no check on the worst of human nature.

The Founders were determined to prevent a recurrence of the European abuses. They wanted a written guarantee that all citizens would be free to worship God in the manner of their choice, without any government interference or restrictions. It was never anticipated that the government would abandon any form of religious expression or recognition or aggressively prevent such recognition in public places.

The Founders fully and clearly intended that the government would routinely participate in non-denominational religious observances. To that end, they adopted the First Amendment to the Constitution, declaring that their legislature (U.S. Congress only) should “make no law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” The amendment was clearly intended to protect individual freedom. It was never intended to ban religion from the public square.

Secular groups, particularly atheistic organizations have attempted to paint Thomas Jefferson as an atheist. Such claims are clearly antagonistic to the readily available public record. He was part of a three-man committee assigned to create a seal for the fledgling nation. Jefferson proposed an image of the children of Israel in the wilderness, led by a cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night.

Generally, it’s best to let historical figures, such as Jefferson speak for themselves. Consider this selection of quotes:

“God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever.”

Thomas Jefferson, 1781

Query XVIII, Notes on the State of Virginia.

“No power over the freedom of religion…[is] delegated to the United States by the Constitution.”

Thomas Jefferson, 1798

Kentucky Resolution

“I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.”

Thomas Jefferson, September 23, 1800

Letter to Dr. Benjamin Rush

“And let us reflect that having banished from our land that religious intolerance under which mankind so long bled and suffered, we have yet gained little if we countenance a political intolerance as despotic, as wicked, and capable of as bitter and bloody persecutions…”

Thomas Jefferson, 1801

First Inaugural Address

“The Christian Religion, when divested of the rags in which the [the clergy] have enveloped it, and brought to the original purity and simplicity of its benevolent institutor, is a religion of all others most friendly to liberty, science, and the freest expansion of the human mind.”

Thomas Jefferson, March 23, 1801

Letter to Moses Robinson

“The Northwest Ordinance—Article III Religion, morality, and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall be forever encouraged.”

Thomas Jefferson, signer, April 30, 1802

“My views…are the result of a life on inquiry and reflection and very different from the anti-Christian system imputed to me by those who know nothing of my opinions. To the corruptions of Christianity I am, indeed, opposed; but not to the genuine precepts of Jesus himself. I am a Christian in the only sense in which he wished any one to be; sincerely attached to his doctrines in preference to all others…”

Thomas Jefferson, April 21, 1803

Letter to Dr. Benjamin Rush

“I consider the doctrines of Jesus as delivered by himself to contain the outlines of the sublimest system of morality that has ever been taught but I hold in the most profound detestation and execration the corruptions of it which have been invented…”

Thomas Jefferson, June 17, 1804

Letter to Henry Fry

The inescapable conclusion is that Thomas Jefferson’s life was driven by his faith in God and his persistent efforts to grow in godly character as expressed in the life of Jesus.

In 1840, U. S. Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story clarified the roll of the Constitution’s First Amendment:

“We are not to attribute this prohibition of a national religion establishment [in the First Amendment] to an indifference to religion in general, and especially to Christianity (which none could hold in more reverence than the framers of the Constitution)…at the time of adoption of the Constitution, the [prevailing] sentiment was, that Christianity ought to receive encouragement from the State so far as was not incompatible with the private rights of conscience and the freedom of religious worship. Any attempt to level all religions, and to make it a matter of state policy to hold all in utter indifference, would have created universal disapprobation, if not universal indignation.”

Joseph Story, Justice-U.S. Supreme Court

Abstracted from “A Familiar Exposition of the Constitution of the United States”

In 1892, U. S. Supreme Court Justice Josiah Brewer bolstered the argument:

“No purpose of action against religion can be imputed to any legislation, state or national, because this is a religious people.”

Josiah Brewer, Justice-U.S. Supreme Court

Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States,

143 US 457-458, 465-471, 36 L ed 226

However, a major symbolic and substantive change occurred, when the U.S. Supreme court rendered a decision in Everson v. Board of Education (1947). According to Dr. Scott Lively, (attorney, pastor and human-rights consultant) “That was the case that adopted Jefferson’s “separation of church and state” metaphor as a justification for declaring all religions to be equal with Christianity in America, and equally subservient to secular humanist authority… It intentionally and officially dethroned the God of the Bible after more than 300 years of His being acknowledged as Lord over this nation.” The clear understanding of the separation of church and state concept was consistently reinforced by the U. S. Supreme Court and many others for 147 years. With the stroke of a pen in 1947, The Supreme Court stood the concept on its head.

A new secular concept of separation of church and state was established that was exactly the opposite of the original. The government’s unbiased participation in and support of religious observances and an ironclad guarantee of freedom of religion has been replaced by a virtual ban on public religious expression, especially by government employees, anyone using government property for private functions, or any group receiving government funds.

Since the 1947 decision, the secular version of separation of church and state has become embedded in the public school systems, proclaimed by the media, and repeatedly reinforced by the Supreme Court. The government has increasingly run roughshod over religious institutions. Religion, especially, Judeo-Christian tradition has become increasingly ridiculed and denied access to the public square. The government has made every conceivable effort to isolate believers, as well as their spiritual thoughts and actions to within the four walls of their homes and places of worship.

However, some Supreme Court justices did not agree with their 1947 colleagues. In 1962, Justice Potter Stewart lamented that jurisprudence was not “aided by the uncritical invocation of metaphors like the ‘wall of separation,’ a phrase nowhere to be found in the Constitution.”

In 1985, Chief Justice Warren Burger declared:

“The Constitution does not require a complete separation of church and state. It affirmatively mandates accommodation, not merely tolerance, of all religions and forbids hostility towards any.”

Warren Burger, Chief Justice-U.S. Supreme Court,

Lynch v Donnelly, 465 U.S. 668, 669-670 (1985)

That same year, Chief Justice William Rehnquist observed:

“The establishment clause had been expressly freighted with Jefferson’s misleading metaphor for nearly forty years…There is simply no historical foundation for the proposition that the framers intended to build a wall of separation [between church and state]…the recent court decisions are in no way based on either the language or intent of the framers.”

William Rehnquist, Chief Justice-U.S. Supreme Court

Wallace v. Jafree, 472 US 38, 99

By far, the most serious threat to freedom of religion is the body of believers. They have largely bought the big lie. From casual conversations to the university classroom, believers are routinely heard advocating and proclaiming the secular concept of separation of church and state. Most are unaware of what they are doing, because the lie sounds so plausible and has been endlessly repeated since their earliest childhood, while the clergy has been virtually silent and often mislead themselves.

Believers are called by Scripture to be the light of the world, the salt of the earth, and ambassadors for Jesus. They can be none of these, when they have become so intimidated by political correctness that they are terrified of saying “Merry Christmas,” during the holiday season—a phrase that roughly means “I love you,” regardless of anyone’s personal religious views.

What does it take to wake up the body of believers?

What does it take to wake up the clergy?

The Genius of the God-Designed Family

On By Dr. Lloyd StebbinsIn Abortion, American Culture, American Exceptionalism, Baby Boomers, Church, Education, Family, Father, God's Love, Homemaker, Judeo-Christian Culture, Love, Marriage, Mother2 Comments

God’s arrow of time from the Garden of Eden to Heaven passes through the family. Yet history is littered with the baggage of broken families. The amount of baggage increases just before the collapse of every civilization and culture in all of recorded history.

Genius of Gods Family

The genius and power of the God-designed family is jaw-dropping. The family is one of God’s greatest creations. The specific roles of the man and woman were assigned directly to Adam and Eve. They have never changed. To do so would compromise God’s infinite genius.

Man was created in the likeness of God. The God-designed family is a picture of God. We know Him as one God manifested to us in three Persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Similarly, the one impregnable family is represented by Dad, Mom, and the children. The family is an unbeatable team. It is the only way to carry out God’s commandments in a reliable way throughout posterity. It is the only way to enjoy all God’s blessings and the fullness of the life experience.

Marriage was created in the Garden of Eden, before Adam and Eve were disobedient to the Lord. God said, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” [Genesis 2:24 KJV] Since marriage was created in the Garden of Eden, it was created in an environment of virtual perfection. After disobeying God by eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, God, proclaimed their respective, but perfectly complementary roles in a fallen world.

God’s Assignment for the Man

“…unto Adam he said, Because thou has…eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you, saying you shall not eat of it: cursed is the ground for your sake; in sorrow shall you eat of it all the days of your life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to you; and you shall eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shall you eat bread, till you return unto the ground: for out of it were you taken; for dust you are, and unto dust shall you return.” [Genesis 3:17-19 NKJV]

The man protects and provides for his mother, wife, and children. When his father and son do the same, they form an unbroken shield of protection assuring a perpetually safe, secure environment within which the family can thrive. His protection of the family is fueled by God’s love. As such, the man is the primary, but not exclusive, model for the commandment to love God with body, mind and soul:

“And you shalt love the Lord your God with all thine heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words, which I command you this day, shall be in your heart: You shalt teach them diligently unto your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in thine house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up…You shall write them upon the posts of your house, and on your gates.” [Deuteronomy 6:5-7 & 9 NKJV]

God has assigned to the man a vital role in developing the character of his children. His role is far greater than merely providing for security and financial needs, for food, clothes, and shelter. He is the protector of his family physically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually.

The man actively and routinely provides emotional and spiritual nourishment by being a conduit of God’s love. The man protects his family from outside influences that would weaken the character of his wife or interfere with or disrupt the development of character in their children.

God’s blessings for the obedient man are, “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband does safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.” [Proverbs 31:10-12 NKJV]

However, God requires of the husband an ironclad ultimate commitment, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it…” [Ephesians 5:25 KJV] The husband’s love and commitment to his wife must be so great the he would be willing to risk death for her.

God’s Assignment for the Woman

“Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in sorrow you shall bring forth children; and your desire shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you.” [Genesis 3:16 NKJV]

The woman is the connector and propagator of life assuring a continuity of generations from the Garden of Eden to Heaven. All reproduction, physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual pass through the woman. As the connector and propagator of life, she is the primary, but not exclusive, model for the commandment, “…you shall love your neighbor as yourself…” [Leviticus 19:18 NKJV]

God’s blessings for the obedient woman are, “She opens her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looks well to the ways of her household, and…Her children arise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. [Proverbs 31:25-28 NKJV]

However, God requires a commitment of her, “Wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.” [Ephesians 5:22 KJV] Submission merely means voluntarily choosing to respect and defer to his leadership even when he is wrong. When he does make a wrong choice, the shared consequences will be character building for the whole family. Actually, God’s perfect family plan is mutual submission, “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” [Ephesians 5:21 KJV]

The practice of mutual submission should characterize all interpersonal relationships. Within the context of marriage and family, the stakes are simply higher than anywhere else. The blessings of mutual submission are greatest in marriage. The consequences of lack of mutual submission are more painful in marriage.

Together the Married Man and Woman Are Truly Awesome!

Combining the man’s vertical responsibility with the woman’s horizontal responsibility, Jesus proclaimed, “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the prophets.” [Matthew 22:40 KJV] Their roles are perfectly complementary. After all, they were created by the greatest genius of the universe, God Himself.

Multi-generational contact is vital to the maintenance and stability of the chain of life. The woman is responsible for the cohesion of the family and the sustainability of the culture. She is the primary facilitator of the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself.

There is nothing like the genius of the God-designed family. Dad and Mom are an awesome team specifically designed by God to:

  • Create a cohesive family that mirrors God’s relationship with humanity.
  • Solidify the family assuring that God’s symbolic representation of His relationship with us is maintained throughout all generations.
  • Establish a sustainable culture that remains unbroken for posterity.

The God-designed family minimizes overall stress by reducing time pressures, encouraging character development among parents and children, and building warm close interpersonal relationships. When the woman’s career is at home pursuing God’s design, there are an additional 40 hours per week available to destress the entire family, compared to the married career woman trying to have it all.

If either Dad or Mom contemplates and chooses divorce or any path that undermines and devalues the family, the continuity is broken and the surviving family fragments become especially vulnerable to all manner of evil.

Today, the American culture has almost completely lost sight of God’s plan. The results have been tragic. It is up to us as Judeo-Christian believers to step up, restore, and magnify His amazing and magnificent vision.

What does it take to wake up the body of believers?

What does it take to wake up the clergy?

Value of a Soul!

On By Dr. Lloyd StebbinsIn Abortion, American Culture, American Exceptionalism, Baby Boomers, Church, Education, Freedom, God's Love, Judeo-Christian CultureLeave a comment

Value of a Soul

What is the value of your soul? Don’t miss this 28-minute video! Three lives search for true worth as their worlds crumble. Follow their unexpected journeys as Franklin Graham addresses the real value of the soul. Just click on the link below or copy/paste into the address block on your Internet browser.

Value of a Soul

Big Guns are Aimed at YOUR FAMILY! Will It Survive? (Part 4E)

On By Dr. Lloyd StebbinsIn Abortion, American Culture, American Exceptionalism, Entertainment, Family, Freedom, God's Love, Government, Judeo-Christian Culture, Marriage, Mother2 Comments

The PAIN When God’s Family Turns Away from HIM

beauty girl cry

History has treated the family as a state within a state attaching to the family a certain “sovereignty.”6 G.K. Chesterton. Two people must agree to marriage; only one is necessary to guarantee a government facilitated divorce. Divorce cedes authority to the state, assuring increasing dependence on the state and perpetual domination of the wealthy over the poor and middle class. Consider that most people go to church to be married, but go to the government to be divorced. Marriage costs the state very little, but a huge tax payer-funded bureaucracy is required to support divorce. We pay billions in taxes to support the sinful choices of others. Marriage preserves freedom from government control. Divorce cedes freedom and control to the government.

Limiting sexual intimacy to the confines of marriage contributes to the permanence of the marriage. True sexual intimacy reflects the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual intimacy (bonding of two souls), which become the mortar that holds together the structure of the marriage. Physical intimacy before marriage allows two people the shallow transient pleasure of a rub and a tickle, rather than unfettered soulful bonding. But that transient experience is so powerful, so all-consuming that it becomes virtually impossible to clearly discern whether or not that partner is the best one to become an irrevocable, lifetime, “til-death-do-us-part” marriage partner.

Multiple intimate partners before marriage weaken or damage the soul and seriously inhibit the ability to make and sustain a lifetime commitment to a marriage partner. Following a series of temporary “bonds,” it becomes increasingly difficult to form the pervasive holistic bond that God intended with the one special marriage partner.

Similarly, extra-marital intimacy following the marriage creates the potential for destroying the marriage and family. The devastation painfully damages the spouse, children, siblings of the couple, and many friends. In addition, there is an immediate ripple effect among many people and an extended ripple effect through at least three or four subsequent generations. Is it worth it? Of course not! There is no way that the momentary pleasure even when repeated numerous times can justify the extended sphere of subsequent pain and suffering.

“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” [Hebrews 13:4 NAS] “Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not covet.” [Exodus 20:14 & 17 KJV] Hosea repeatedly forgave Gomer even though she was adulterous and a prostitute. [Hosea 3:3 KJV] As always, God’s moral law is an expression of His love established for our benefit.

Tasting the original forbidden fruit carried a high price. (1) “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.” [Genesis 3:6 KJV]. Sin entered the world. Similarly, (2) “The path of the adulteress leads to death.” [Proverbs 2:16-22 KJV] “What therefore God hath joined together let not man put asunder.” [Matthew 19:6, Mark 10:9 KJV] The command is non-optional and non-negotiable.

“Lord, grant that I might not so much seek to be loved as to love.” St. Francis of Assisi “…in everything worth having, even in every pleasure, there is a point of pain or tedium that must be survived, so that the pleasure may be revived and endure.” G.K. Chesterton.

For troubled Christian marriages, counseling is not likely to be productive unless and until both parties genuinely agree that the Bible is the inspired inerrant word of God and that divorce is NOT an acceptable option under any circumstances. The agreed upon mutual view solidifies the common goal to save the marriage. In addition, the husband and wife both have an incentive to resolve troublesome issues because they both desire to enjoy the fullness and richness of the human experience. Since they have both agreed that divorce is unacceptable, the only remaining alternative is to resolve the issues. Often the resolution is facilitated if the effort is framed by the memory of why they originally chose to marry.

What does it take to wake up the body of believers?

What does it take to wake up the clergy?

Big Guns are Aimed at YOUR FAMILY! Will It Survive? (Part 4d)

On By Dr. Lloyd StebbinsIn American Culture, American Exceptionalism, Baby Boomers, Church, Education, Entertainment, Family, Father, Freedom, God's Love, Homemaker, Judeo-Christian Culture, Love, Marriage, MotherLeave a comment

God Assigned to the Parents Primary Responsibility for Children’s Education

 Kids doing homework isolated on white background

Scripture assigns to parents the primary responsibility of educating their children. That assignment directly from God has never changed. In time, the parents were aided by religious institutions assuring a seamless character building process from birth to adulthood and beyond. Eventually, government schools assumed the responsibility for educating the children.

Initially, the government sponsored public schools supported the religious mission so well that the parents and religious institutions began to abandon much of their God-assigned responsibilities for educating the children. But, beginning in the 1960s, the government kicked God out of the schools eventually banning most forms of religious expression in schools and virtually all other public places.

Consequently, today’s public educational system is experiencing a major crisis. It has been hijacked by the liberal progressive movement and deprived of emotional and spiritual influences in order to emphasize the “academics,” in preparation for the assumed priority of career over family in the life of every rising young man and young woman. Evolution-driven materialism recognizes no other educational goals.

In contrast, Martin Luther proclaimed, “I would advise no one to send his child where the Holy Scriptures are not supreme. Every institution that does not unceasingly pursue the study of God’s Word becomes corrupt…I greatly fear that the [schools], unless they teach the Holy Scriptures diligently and impress them on the young students, are wide gates to Hell.” Take control of education as God commanded:

Therefore shall you lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And you shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. And you shall write them upon the door posts of your house, and upon your gates: That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children… [Deuteronomy 11:18-21 KJV 2000] Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. [Proverbs 22:6 KJV]

The Scripture passage requires parents to recognize that education is a high priority, full time, around-the-clock responsibility. The “order from headquarters” come with a promise of a long life for you and for your children. Consider all of home life to be an educational opportunity for both the children and parents. Aggressively pursue home schooling or a Biblically based Christian school.

The churches and synagogues must reclaim the responsibility for parental and organized faith-based education. A few hours in a church or synagogue cannot compete with the powerful and compelling influences of continuous immersion in a culture and public government-run schools systems saturated with an aggressively advocated no-god or mini-god evolution-rooted humanistic worldview. There must be an education alternative.

Home schooling is a great alternative. It is absolutely scriptural and provides parents with the greatest degree of influence and control over the raising of their own children. Home schooled children learn more in 1-2 hours a day than a public school child does in the entire school day. National spelling bees are routinely won or dominated by home schooled children.

The home school resources available today are far superior to the resources available just a few years ago. Active home schooling organizations establish groups for activities such as participation in athletic teams and field trips. Parents and others with special skills draw together small groups of home school children to teach higher level subjects like chemistry, physics, or advanced mathematics. However, many families may not be in a position to engage in home schooling.

Too many churches or synagogues have Monday through Friday pre-school programs allegedly to respond to the needs of changing times. Despite the very best of intentions, preschool programs alone effectively facilitate and even fuel the breakdown of the family. There are many families who are dissatisfied with the public schools and perhaps not equipped for home schooling.

Faith-based schools are no longer just a nice option. They have become vital and essential to the restoration of a passion for freedom and survival of our families and our American culture. Religious and moral teaching feeds the thirst for education and desire to mature in character. Faith-based schools must become a high priority for parents.

What does it take to wake up the body of believers?

What does it take to wake up the clergy?

Big Guns are Aimed at YOUR FAMILY! Will It Survive? (Part 4B)

On By Dr. Lloyd StebbinsIn American Culture, American Exceptionalism, Baby Boomers, Family, Father, God's Love, Judeo-Christian Culture, Love, Marriage, MotherLeave a comment

Dad and Mom Are Superheroes 

Man and women with guns on black

Both the Old and New Testaments summarize the Ten Commandments into just two. “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” [Matthew 22:37-40; Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18 NIV] Both commandments represent ultimate love characterized by extreme giving. The first is a vertical love of God; the second is a horizontal love of others.

Consider how those two commandments uniquely apply to marriage. Scripture explains the marriage relationship:

Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear (reverence, awe) of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. [Ephesians 5:21-28 KJV (emphasis added)]

A husband must give himself for his family so they may become as perfect and blameless as is humanly possible. The husband and wife are mutual givers, but there is more, much more.

The earthly marriage is a representation of an eternal relationship with God. The Lord is illustrated scripturally as the bridegroom coming for his bride, the worldwide body of believers. “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him (Messiah) glory! For the wedding of the Lamb (Y’shua; Jesus) has come, and his bride has made herself ready…blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb…These are the true words of God.” [Revelation 19:7&9 NIV] The Bible further clarifies that the apostle John, “saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” [Revelation 21:2 KJV]

Scripturally, the order of the universe is that the Lord is the bridegroom and the body of believers is the bride. Of course, in any earthly marriage the man is the bridegroom and the bride is the beautiful woman spectacularly dressed in a white wedding gown walking down the aisle to meet her man. But in a larger sense, the bride is not just the woman at the ceremony, the bride is the woman and by extension the children she later produces, often referred to as the fruit of her womb. The husband is required to love the wholeness of his bride, i.e. the wholeness of his family, even as the Messiah also loved the church, to the point of the husband’s own death if necessary.

Fallows magnificently explains, “The husband is the ‘house band,’ the earthly giver of life, uniting the divine with the human in the supreme function of fatherhood.” The wife is ‘the weaver,’ shaping and coloring in the prenatal and postnatal influences of sacred motherhood the destinies of her offspring.” “As the “earthly giver of life, uniting the divine with the human,” the husband/father becomes the role model for “the first and greatest commandment” to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”

As the “weaver,” the wife/mother is the connection between the past and future generations of her family, but also the past and future generations of the culture. She is the role model for the second summary commandment to ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Shannon clarifies,

Mothers constitute the only universal agent of civilization. Nature has placed in her hands both infancy and youth. The vital interest of America hang largely upon the influence of mothers.” The queen that sits upon the throne of home, crowned and sceptered as none other ever can be, is—mother. Her enthronement is complete, her reign unrivaled, and the moral issues of her empire are eternal. “Her children rise up, and call her blessed.” Rebellious at times, as the subjects of her government may be, she rules them with marvelous patience, winning tenderness and undying love. She so presents and exemplifies divine truth, that it reproduces itself in the happiest development of childhood—character and life…An ounce of mother is worth more than a pound of clergy.

Sadly, far too many dads in modern America fail to carry out their God-assigned, high- priority, family responsibilities, either due to a lack of holistic understanding, the powerful lure of excessive materialism or both. Far too many moms fall short by not being there and available for raising the children. Together, such parents effectively sacrifice their children on the altar of the false god of materialism. However, when Dad and Mom lovingly and enthusiastically become God’s family, the results can be deeply heartwarming and sometimes even breathtaking. When they do not, the results can range from troublesome to tragic.

Some time ago, I devoted seven years to meeting virtually all the needs and providing around-the-clock care for my terminally ill late wife. She endured a neurodegenerative condition similar to Alzheimer’s disease. After her passing, a well-wisher said. “You really sacrificed a lot during those years.” I thanked her and replied that it did not seem like I sacrificed anything. Providing total care for her was more important than anything else I could have been doing during that time. It was a monumentally life-changing experience, a soul-deep lesson in selfless love. The experience has had long-term impacts on me and those around me and will continue to do so far into the future.

Together, fueled by God’s infinite supply of love, Dad and Mom become virtual super heroes, an incredibly awesome team stabilizing God’s brilliantly designed family and the national culture as a whole. A child forms a vertical relationship with God, primarily, though not exclusively, through the role model of the father; a child forms horizontal relationships with others within and beyond the family primarily, though not exclusively, through the role model of the mother. The complementary combination produces godly character in the child. The actions of role modeling build character in the parents. The character of every family member extends outward to the community and the nation.

That is God’s grand design for Dad and Mom. What incredible superheroes!

What does it take to wake up the body of believers?

What does it take to wake up the clergy?