Category Archives: Patriotism

Abortion, Bible, Church, Culture, Culture War, Doctrine, Patriotism, Politics, ProLife, US History, West Virginia

Weaponization of Government and Our Response

As I serve on the state board of West Virginians For Life, and as their treasurer, and also as the board alternate representing West Virginia on the National Right To Life Committee (NRLC), each quarter I am asked to compose a short article for the Life Matters newsletter. Below is my most recent submission for that publication. 

There are alarming reports of the weaponization of government against us, including law enforcement and our judicial system. While truly violent protestors had rioted, burned, vandalized, and stolen with apparently little to no arrests or convictions, it’s alarming to consider that the DOJ under the current administration has arrested pro-life people for visiting an abortion facility and praying and singing while there. Worst case scenario: if they were asked to leave and did not, then it is simple trespassing (not a felony), yet these pro-lifers were tried and convicted as being felons, facing years in prison unless a higher court intervenes. In deference to the court of Heaven, what should our response be? Let’s not give a carnal response of “do unto others as they have done to me.” Certainly we ought to exercise our votes to regain normalcy in government, but we also ought to pray for God’s help. In the Book of Acts, chapter 4, the apostles were arrested for simply preaching truth, and they were threatened repeatedly to stop. They declined to stop, and also prayed afterward for boldness. Consider Acts 4:23-32, especially vv. 29-31: “And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, by stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.” Your donated time, talent, and treasure has perhaps never been more important!

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Bible, Church, Culture, Culture War, Patriotism, Politics, Terrorism, Theology, US History

The first pastor arrested, and what happened next…

Quote from Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman, Liberty Counsel:
 
Today I want to share additional details about the first pastor arrested this year for worship. The story is shocking, but also reveals that God can turn evil into good. Read on to learn exactly what happened to the first pastor in America jailed for opening his church. – Mat
 
Police helicopters circled above and marked cars lined the street in front of his home. The pastor grabbed only his driver’s license and a little cash for bail, before answering the door.
 
The pastor opened the door.
 
“ARE YOU PACKING?” the officer asked.
 
“Of course not,” the pastor replied. The police officers cuffed him like a common criminal. His wife watched as her husband was placed in the back of a squad car and driven to the county jail.
 
He was booked, fingerprinted, photographed for a mug shot, and placed in a cell while his wife waited in the lobby. After posting bail, he was released.
 
The Hillsborough County Sheriff made many false statements during a sensational press conference while the arrest was in progress. As a result, Pastor Rodney and The River at Tampa Bay Church received many death threats.
 
On the prior Thursday, March 26, the same Sheriff assured the pastor he could meet on Sunday. Florida had not banned worship, but the local county late Friday night issued new restrictions.
 
On Saturday night, the pastor had an uneasy feeling. He preached the morning service, yet the feeling grew. For the evening service, another preacher held the lectern, and Pastor Rodney attended from home.
 
It turns out the pastor’s unease was well founded, and likely a divine message from the Lord. The same Sheriff who gave the green light had planned an ambush, because of pressure over the weekend from the lesbian mayor.Deputies were sent to the evening service to arrest the pastor in front of the congregation.
 
When the deputies arrived and saw that Pastor Rodney was not there, they left. The next morning this shocking spectacle unfolded. The Pastor was booked on two misdemeanors.
 
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department’s written policy for handling misdemeanors is not to arrest, but to treat such citations like a traffic ticket. But Pastor Rodney was targeted to “send a message,” the Sheriff said. Within days of the arrest, the same Sheriff released over 100 convicted criminals. Tragically, one of them committed murder the next day!
 
Let me tell you a bit about The River at Tampa Bay Church.
 
Inside the church is a self-contained sustainable agriculture center. Tilapia fish and chickens fuel an aquaponic vegetable farm that feeds 900 needy inner-city families each week. The church has received several awards and commendations over the years, recognizing its long history of caring for the community. The River Church had even received a commendation from the Sheriff’s office, honoring the church for daring to go into the most dangerous parts of the city – places where even the police admit they do not go unless they have to go. The church has been credited for reducing crime in the inner city.
 
For a body of believers, “church” is more than music and a message. This church is active, and the people are encouraged through fellowship. For 24 years, this church has been the hands and feet of Christ in the community.
 
On March 30, 2020; Pastor Rodney was the first pastor in the nation to be arrested for exercising his Constitutional right to worship.
 
But this apparent tragedy gave courage to many more around the world, including some pastors we represent.
 
As a result of Liberty Counsel defending Pastor Rodney, two days later on April 1, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared attendance at churches and places of worship “essential activity.” He overrode every local restriction.
 
Following Christ’s example, Pastor Rodney prayed for the Sheriff. Several weeks later he called, seeking forgiveness. The Sheriff recently attended the church where the pastor publicly forgave him.
 
Because of the death threats, Pastor Rodney did not immediately re-open the church for in-person worship. The church met online until May 31, Pentecost Sunday, when it began outdoor services. Each evening, the church has held a four-hour revival for 91 consecutive days, counting today. The revival continues, as does indoor worship. The Stand, as Pastor Rodney calls it, has spawned many similar revival meetings across the country, even in cities town apart by riots. Last week, the church held an all-night prayer meeting for our nation.
 
But along with the rise of more brave pastors and strengthened resolve, so too came a renewed resolve among the tyrants. In the months that have passed since Pastor Rodney was arrested, other governors and local officials have launched their own illegal edicts against churches.
 
Pastors have been arrested – some with criminal charges. Churchgoers have been put on the equivalent of house arrest. And the City of Chicago has threatened to seize and destroy church buildings.
 
All because the brave pastors and their flocks chose to stand on the Constitution and the will of God in their lives.
 
Liberty Counsel is currently fighting for scores of churches against the illegal, unconstitutional restrictions placed against them by the Governors of California, Illinois, Kentucky, Virginia and Maine. We also represent about 2,000 pastors and churches in 44 states. We are deeply honored to stand alongside and represent these brave shepherds and believers.
 
We are fighting for the God given, unalienable and Constitutional RIGHT of religious freedom. Our fight for the church is the most important fight we wage. We are assured that the Gates of Hell will not prevail.
 
The church has never belonged to Caesar. The church belongs to God alone. Therefore, any surrender of the church to Caesar is nothing short of treason to the King of Kings.
 
We need your help like never before, to defend the faith in the earthly halls of justice. We anticipate this fight will have to go all the way to the Supreme Court. That’s why I am so honored that a challenge grant has been established to DOUBLE THE IMPACT OF YOUR DONATION. We never charge for our services, and these brave pastors need your help now. Please, make your best possible donation today.
 
Mat Staver,
Founder and Chairman
Liberty Counsel
Abortion, Academic Freedom, Bible, Church, Culture, Culture War, Doctrine, Israel, Marriage, Media, Patriotism, Politics, Pro2A, ProLife, Second Amendment, West Virginia

What kind of candidates should believers vote for? 

What kind of candidates should we vote for? 

Capable, God-fearing, trustworthy, and who hate dishonest gain.

The Bible teaches this: “But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens” (Exodus 18:21).

For a start (for West Virginians), get your free pro-life voter guide for the 2020 General Election at: pac.wvforlife.org/vote

What does it mean to say “I Will Vote My Biblical Values”?

I will vote for the most pro-life candidate, because God hates the shedding of innocent blood
(Proverbs 6:17).

I will vote for the most pro-Israel candidate, because God blesses those who bless Israel and curses those who trifle with Israel
(Genesis 12:3).

I will vote for the most pro-debt-reduction candidate, because the borrower is slave of the lender
(Proverbs 22:7).

I will vote for the most pro-work candidate because God’s word teaches that if an able-bodied man won’t work, then let him not eat
(2 Thessalonians 3:10).

I will vote for the most pro-marriage candidate because God is for marriage as defined in
(Genesis 2:24).

I will vote for the candidate who holds most closely that government’s purpose is to reward good & punish evil
(Romans 13).

I will vote based on God’s Word, as closely as I can
(Exodus 18:21; Acts 6:3; 2 Timothy 3:16).

 

Intelligent Design, Patriotism, Technology, Travel, US History, West Virginia

WV and 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing – July 20, 1969

Katherine Johnson

You may not know that a brilliant woman from the State of West Virginia, the genius Katherine Johnson, played a significant role in the NASA project that landed men on the moon (and brought them back home). Read more about her here.  Less than a month ago, a NASA facility in Fairmont, WV was renamed to honor her.

I was not yet two year’s old when the lunar landing occurred. So I was alive, but not yet old enough to have any “actual memories” of the  event myself. Just as with many of you, my memories were  cemented by video footage seen much later, along with articles, books, and movies. Today I wept as I watched this excellent, short documentary that Google is featuring as their current Google Doodle (click to watch):

Here’s the googledoodles description of it:

50 years ago, NASA’s Apollo 11 mission changed our world and ideas of what is possible by successfully landing humans on the surface of the moon⁠—and bringing them home safely⁠—for the first time in history. Today’s video Doodle celebrates this moment of human achievement by taking us through the journey to the moon and back, narrated by someone with firsthand knowledge of the epic event: former astronaut and Apollo 11 command module pilot Michael Collins.

For more info behind the Doodle, please visit: https://www.google.com/doodles/50th-anniversary-of-the-moon-landing

Church, Funeral, Homegoing, Patriotism, Poetry

Spent Shell – A tribute to Jack Wayne Murphy

(This tearful repost from December 31, 2009 first appeared elsewhere.)

Flower petals fluttered in the breeze on a brisk day in May. The time since has not dulled the memory of those moments. Taps rang out from a bugle in the hand of a tall Marine on a nearby hill. The melancholy notes uttered volumes as we laid to rest the body of Jack Wayne Murphy, my friend and brother in the Lord. An aged veteran recited dear words that added to the message of the bugler. A twenty-one gun salute wrote a holy ellipsis at the end of the book of a precious life.

While some may not immediately recognize the term ellipsis, we all know what one is. It’s the little dots that say there is more than what is seen on the page… On that pristine day, seven Marine rifles fired as one to mark the first dot. Again the solemn barrels shouted in unison, and finally a third and final shot pierced the sky. Twenty one spent shell casings lay fallen upon the flagstone and in the grass near the walk.

Someone thought to gather up the spent shells. I think one was placed into the diligently folded American flag that was carefully presented to the grieving widow. Others were given to the teary-eyed children and relatives. As the minister, one was bestowed upon me.

I weep as I hold the spent shell. That casing is a lot like the body that we deposited into the earth that day; it once held a bullet that was released into the sky. Likewise the buried body once held a man—a husband, a dad, a Marine, a Christian brother. The body once held a soul that has now been released into Heaven.

When I hold that spent shell, I remember how the body of Jack Murphy was ravaged by disease in the process of releasing his soul to God. Just as the expending of a bullet is not its end, so also death is not the end of a man. The spent shell is not the bullet. It is only a remainder, and a reminder, of where the bullet once was…

I wrote a novel that was dedicated to my departed friend. My dedication said,

For God’s finest Marine, Jack Murphy Sr, a precious soul who showed us all how to live for Jesus Christ in the midst of the worst adversities that this sin-cursed world can deal out to a mortal body. In a vision, yours was the very first heavenly face I ever saw. It was the single most beautiful sight I ever beheld. See you soon, friend. Semper Fi!

Culture, Culture War, Media, Patriotism, Politics, Pro2A, Second Amendment, US History

HMMM

AR doesn’t stand for “Assault Rifle,” it stands for a brand, Armalite, and there’s nothing about an AR that distinguishes it for being unavailable, neither caliber, nor rate of fire, nor capacity, and any standard that would bar it would bar practically all guns, which is the real agenda of those who claim they “only want to ban AR’s.”

Culture, Patriotism, US History

Self-evident truth: All Men Are Created Equal

 

My good friend, John F. Harrison, has an excellent post available here. This is another reminder of one of the most cherished ideals symbolized by the flag of the United States of America:

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

-Thomas Jefferson (Declaration of Independence)

Our U.S. flag (and thus by extension, our anthem to it) does not stand for, or symbolize, any certain crimes, brutalities,  shortcomings, failures, or aberrations that have happened or are happening. It symbolizes a set of ideals, our founding principles, to which we should strive to align our lives and conduct.

I support the right to peaceful protest—which is one of the rights protected by our founding principles. I simultaneously point out, that someone choosing to protest the U.S. flag (and/or the anthem to it), gives the impression of them opposing or protesting the very ideals “for which it stands”—a point that my friend, John, and others, have made well.

It’s an unwise course of action to say one is standing up for equality by protesting a symbol of equality, and to claim one is standing for peaceful protest via protesting a symbol of peaceful protest. The very likely result of such is that onlookers will naturally tend to misunderstand what you’re trying to communicate. It’s tough to imagine anything other than that such a protest is not so much against aberrations, but against the very institution of America and its noble ideals.

It’s not as though the Declaration espouses brutality or racism.

The people who make their living understanding this sort of thing would call it “bad optics”—a phrase likely coined because when you draw a big salary for saying so, no doubt you need to speak with fancier language than just to say, “it looks bad.”

This is not a matter of whether or not the Constitution affords someone a free speech right that includes protesting against the U.S. flag (the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that anti-flag protests can be protected speech). It may well be a matter of whether an employment rule or contract stipulates to not make certain speech while on the company’s dime (which can mean an employee needs to refrain on company time, unless an issue is further affected by religious protection statutes that impact employers). Beyond all that, I’m talking about whether it is a wise, effective, smart way to push toward a legitimate goal. It seems not, which calls into question whether the actual goal is something other, something less legitimate.

For many Americans who love and support the noble ideals of America, and therefore stand for the symbols that stand for those ideals, such a protest looks bad. It looks legal, but wrong. It looks allowable, but bad. It makes them want to vote with their pocketbook and their feet, by boycotting the sports events where the management, owners, employers, and administrators choose to allow it to happen on the company’s dime and time.

Just because you can do a thing, it does not necessarily follow that you should do that thing. Let me conclude with words from the Holy Bible:

“I have the right to do anything,” you say–but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”–but not everything is constructive.

— Paul the Apostle (I Corinthians 10:23, N.I.V.) 

Patriotism, US History

The real story behind our national anthem!