Judah Going Down

 As an older American, I often reflect upon my youth, and I have concluded that growing up in America during the 1950s was wonderful! Our country was the greatest in the world proven by our victory in World War II! No one could beat us though we had those school A-bomb drills!

No, there was no social media, no laptops, no wireless communications. Personal computers, laptops, or cell phones occupied no room in our brains. Our television was small but quite heavy. Every scene on its screen was in black and white. We had five channels that I can recall (ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, and a St. Louis local station). Believe it or not, there was no TV remote control either.

Telephones were connected to the wall by a cord that always seemed too short. Some phones were on “party lines” meaning multiple homes used the same line for communicating (yes, you could listen in to your neighbor’s calls). Furthermore, the only dishwasher available was human, some individual (usually your mother) standing at the sink scrubbing the dishes by hand.

But childhood in the 1950s was a blast. Most of us attended public school in which we always began our day by saying the Pledge of Allegiance as we stood and saluted the flag. We studied arithmetic/math, science, English, writing, reading, spelling, music, and took physical recreation (i.e., “gym” or “P.E.”). There were kids who bullied others (I know I was verbally bullied throughout public school) but not to the extreme as some do today. I never felt physically threatened at school and I don’t believe my parents were ever concerned about my safety while I was there.

Over the summer, my younger brother and I were rarely inside the house and often not even at home. We would go outside and play Wiffle Ball, cowboys and Indians, and war. When we grew older, we would leave the house in the morning, ride our bikes to a pre-selected ball field (often just an empty lot), play ball, eat lunch (sometimes that required a return trip home; other times we took a sandwich), play more ball, get home for supper, then play outside until dark. Our parents never seemed worried about our absence (they may have been relieved we weren’t home!).

For the eighteen years I lived at home, our house doors were not locked. No one ever stole anything from our house. We had no outside security system. I don’t believe my father owned a gun since I never saw one. Yet everyone went to bed at night with little concern for their well-being.

Girls who were pregnant out of wedlock were frowned upon but not “thrown away” like trash or told to abort their child. The boys involved in such cases were also frowned upon. The message was clear: you don’t have sex until after you are married. That is the standard. That is what society has deemed to be proper.

Furthermore, there was no talk of same sex marriage. Any such relationships were condemned. Multiple genders were not even mentioned when I was a child. Oh, you might have a girl who behaved somewhat like a boy occasionally. We called them “tomboys.” Tomboys were often revealed in our town by their love for baseball and how they played the game. But a tomboy was still a girl. Any form I filled out would require me to check either the “M” box or the “F” box for my sex/gender. Two genders were all that had ever existed from the beginning of history.

They were divorces but they were not common. A single parent home in those days was usually because of a death of the other parent. Divorce was also frowned upon.

But we played with our neighbors and with our school friends. Sometimes we would celebrate July 4^th with one another by setting off fireworks in our own yards. And it was always a thrill to follow the mosquito truck down the street and run in its glorious spray (likely DDT!).

What a great country and a fun time to grow up!

After seven decades I see the America that has been left to my children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. I want to weep and weep and weep. What a disaster it has become. It seems every social standard from the beginning of time has been discarded. Pregnant out of wedlock? No big deal. Living with the opposite sex prior to marriage? No big deal. You’re a male and want to become a female? No big deal. In fact, you have at least two options of accomplishing this feat. First, simply tell everyone you are a woman and then freely use the ladies’ bathroom. Second, undergo operations and devour medicines to take on the appearance of a woman. How ridiculous.

We had immigrants back in the fifties. However, such immigrants came to our country legally, sought citizenship, and work to make a living. Today, invade our country by coming here illegally and receive benefits from the taxpayers without ever becoming a citizen. Why that’s not a big deal either. One entire political party supports that position even if it means permitting terrorists to come into our midst.

As I write, our nation is cursed with inflation, sexual degradation on all fronts, illegal “immigration”, district attorneys more interested in prosecuting victims rather than criminals, increasing taxes, lower and unstable stock market, a Justice system against parents at school board meetings, transportation systems in chaos, crime way up especially in major cities run by Democrats, attempts to eliminate guns, ongoing killing of the unborn and there’s much more. I feel ill merely typing the words.

Our children were mostly watched over by us. Rarely did they leave our neighborhood without permission. Our car doors and house doors are always locked. Most of us (including myself) converse mainly with our devices. The later generations seem to live their life with the sole goal of being happy all the time. If, for ANY reason, they do not feel happy, they find themselves depressed or bored. I can honestly say I was not happy as a child all the time; no child is. But I had a happy childhood. Was I ever depressed when unhappy? Not that I can recall. Was I ever truly bored in life? Again, not that I can recall. We always found something to do. Make something, read something, play a game, sit around and talk, pester my siblings. There was always something to do and it didn’t necessarily require parental supervision or assistance. If you were sitting around and doing nothing (which was fine too), you would get up and find something to do. Period. Why there might even be a show to watch that did not contain sex, nudity, extreme violence, profanity, etc., yet taught a good lesson for life, especially for children.

I regret what America is becoming, not so much for me but for my descendants.

The prophet Jeremiah knows of what I write. Israel had been a great nation under David and then Solomon. But, upon Solomon’s death, the kingdom split into two kingdoms. The Northern Kingdom remained the Kingdom of Israel. The Bible tells us each of its kings was evil. They failed to follow the teachings of God. They even followed false gods. They worshipped idols. After two hundred years, the Assyrians invaded, defeated them, and scattered them throughout their empire.

The other Kingdom, the Southern Kingdom, was known as the Kingdom of Judah. It was also governed by evil kings but there were also several kings who were obedient to the Lord. Over the centuries, though, evil began to triumph in Judah. Around 620 B.C., God called Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah (a priest) to be a prophet to Judah in its waning days. This great prophet is referred to as the “weeping prophet” for throughout his book he weeps for his people and what the future held for them. God gave the Kingdom of Judah to their enemies, the Babylonians, just as He had foretold to and through Jeremiah.

So, Judah, once a great kingdom founded upon and, under some godly leaders, is virtually destroyed and taken captive. Many of God’s people were driven out of their homeland to other locations. Oh, the mighty have fallen.

I see many similarities in America that compare to those in Jeremiah’s book. We were never a perfect nation nor was Judah. Judah and the USA have experienced good (perhaps godly) leaders, good times, strong military, a worship and obedience of the true God, and freedom. But American is on decline in similar ways that Judah declined. Is our captivity around the corner? I do not know. As a prophet, my prophesies are limited to the Word of God as was Jeremiah’s. He received his directly from the Lord. I receive mine from the Lord through His Word, the Bible, and the Bible does not mention America.

Recently, my Bible reading brought me to Jeremiah chapter nine. I would encourage the reader to read the entire chapter. I will quote only a portion of that entry and will do so in three parts.

(1) Jeremiah 9:10-11

“I will take up weeping and wailing for the mountains, and a lamentation for pastures of the wilderness, because they are laid waste so that no one passes through, and the lowing of the cattle is not heard; both the birds of the air and the beasts have fled and are gone. I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a lair of jackals, and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.”

Here we have the promise of the Lord God concerning the impending doom of the Kingdom. God will do it, and nothing will stay His hand. One part of this section did strike me, though. God will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins (remember, Jerusalem is the capital city), a lair of jackals (no one likes jackals; does our capital city already have a lair of jackals? I’d prefer to use another “jack” word to describe them but will hold my tongue!). Now onto part two.

(2) Jeremiah 9:12

 “Who is the man so wise that he can understand this? To whom has the mouth of the LORD spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land ruined and laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one passes through?

God is speaking directly to Jeremiah in this verse. Who can understand what He is about to do? Who is the man who will declare the forthcoming doom to others? Obviously, Jeremiah and others called to be prophets are the ones God expects to understand the forthcoming judgment and proclaim it to the inhabitants.

Then comes a key question from the Lord.

“WHY is the land ruined and laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one passes through?” Does Jeremiah understand why punishment is coming from God upon Judah? What has Judah done (or not done) that has led to this moment? Before we read God’s answer to His own question, isn’t this the question we should ask ourselves?

Anyone having lived the past seven or more decades clearly sees an America on a decline. Will we decline into oblivion much like Judah? I do not know. But the question on our hearts should be the same question posed by God. What has caused this great decline in our great nation in such a brief time. WHY, O God, is this happening? Part three provides the answer.

(3) Jeremiah 9:13-14

“And the LORD says: ‘Because they have forsaken my law that I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice or walked in accord with it, but have stubbornly followed their own hearts and have gone after the Baals, as their fathers taught them.’”

Judah’s demise was for the following actions.

1. They forsook (abandoned) God’s Law that He gave them. They did not obey His voice or obey His Law.

I recall the Ten Commandments posted on the walls of some of my elementary school classrooms. Try to do that today! People do not follow or even know the law of God. No murder (including the unborn child), no sexual perversion (LGBTQ+...), no sex outside of marriage (perversion and adultery), ignorance of what marriage is (one man, one woman, lifetime commitment to one another) and so forth.

2. Instead they “stubbornly followed their own hearts”.

They did whatever they wanted to do, whatever would bring “meaning” to their lives, whatever would make them happy. They have put their desires above the very will of the Almighty. They must live their own life as they “best see fit.” They do so “stubbornly” for it is their depraved heart which rejects God that has caused this stubborn rebellion against their Creator.

3. Furthermore, they have followed the Baals, i.e., the false gods.

Their worship and their lives were not committed to the Lord Yahweh. Instead, they devoted themselves to their personal gods. Many Americans are behaving in the same way. Their god might be the LGBTQ+ camp. Their god might be work or money. Their god might be the environment (“Mother Nature,” i.e., climate change). Perhaps their god is politics or some union. Far too many Americans worship the god known as “self.”

Furthermore, if you attack one of these idols, the idol worshipper will not listen to you and, most likely, outright reject not only what you say, but also you personally. The more you attempt to explain the Lord’s Word concerning their idol, the more hateful (“stubborn”) is their response.

Despite the doom and gloom of this Biblical chapter, the Lord has good news for the people. I quote from chapter nine, verses twenty-three through twenty-six:

“Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.’”

What are you boasting in? Do you understand who God is and what He demands? Do you know God personally? Have you experienced His steadfast love, His justice, His righteousness? If not your boast is in the wrong god and that god will do you no good in the future.

God calls upon you to repent of your sins. By repent, I mean not merely tell God you are sorry for them and desire forgiveness, but also that you intend to no longer pursue them with God’s help. Then God calls on you to believe in the person and work of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. This belief, this faith, is not merely a belief of facts or knowledge (head faith). It is also a belief in your soul (heart faith). To believe on Jesus is to put the trust and care of your entire being in His hands and to follow Him.

If you are not a believer, repent and believe today for now is the day of salvation.

America is on that downward path. As Christians, we have the responsibility to proclaim the Gospel to all, even those who stubbornly reject us and to pray for the Lord’s intervention in their lives.

May God work a mighty work of revival in our land and turn our people back to Him so that, once more, our descendants may find their America to be wonderful!

The Sins of America: #3 Gender Identity

 Having lived seventy years, I have been required to fill out numerous forms: medical, employment, student, government, etc. For most of my life, these forms all contained one very easy question to answer. In fact, all you had to do was choose a box and check it. The question (in question) was: "Gender". Of all the information those asking for the completion of the form wanted, that was surely one of the simplest to answer. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case.

Instead of being male or female, forms now let you choose "Other". In some cases there are even more possible selections. "Transwoman", "Transman", and so on and so forth. In my humble opinion, having more than two choices for this category is ludicrous. It doesn't align with biology and certainly does not align with Scripture. And, yet, here we are in our American society. Not only are we permitting such labeling, we are also promoting it. Somehow, after six to eight thousand years of existence, humanity has "evolved" into more than two genders. Wow! How and when did this happen?

I do not profess to be the most holy man who ever lived. I sin. I make mistakes. However, I do my best to sync my conscience on various issues with what GOD has said rather than what MAN might think. It is no different on this issue. God has created two genders of humans, PERIOD. He tells us this first in Genesis 1 when He creates male and female. He elaborates on that very creation in Genesis 2 again with male and female. Every human born since Adam and Eve has been and will be either male or female. That is God's plan, His decree. He will not alter it. He will not create a third, fourth, or fifth choice. When conception occurs, God has ordained you either to be male or female.

Our society hates being told there are things in their life they cannot change. TOUGH. Time to grow up! I can't really change my eye color. I can't tell everyone I have dark brown eyes when they are clearly blue. I can't claim to be a basketball star 6' 10" tall because (1) I'm not that tall and (2) I stink at basketball! Like other young boys, I wanted to be a major league ballplayer. I can CLAIM to be one, but I am not. I never could hit the fastball. That is a skill God did not grant to me any more than he made me very tall or gave me brown eyes. 

Yes, He has permitted some freedom with our being. He enables us to gain or lose weight, firm up our body via exercise or not, and care for our teeth or let them rot. But we can't change when we were born, where we were born, to whom we were born, or what we were at birth. You are either a male or female.

Biology confirms this. Your sex is determined at conception. If the resulting union of the male and female reproductive seeds contain the "XX" chromosome you WILL be a female. If it is the "XY" chromosome, you are a male. You can have as many surgeries as you desire and take as many drugs as you wish in an effort to be another gender, but you CANNOT change those God-given chromosomes which identify you as male or female. Of course, most of us identify another person's gender by their physical appearance. This is also God-given. To be blunt, if God gives you breasts that develop and a vagina, then your chromosomes contain the "XX" chromosome and you are female. You might remove your breasts in an effort to look like a man, but you are still what God intended you to be: a woman. If, instead, God has given you a penis, then you have the "XY" chromosome and you are male. You might have your penis removed and breasts enlarged to appear to be a woman, but you are still what God intended you to be: a man.

From the beginning of your existence, God has settled the issue of which gender you are to be in life. That is HIS plan for YOU and it is a wonderful plan! To make any effort to change your gender is to curse God for what He has done, accuse Him of treating you wrong, and attempting to live your life as YOU want to live it, not as He wants you to live it.

Today in America, we have many attempting to change their gender by various means. Many have been deceived by Satan and others who have undergone such "transformations". Some simply dress like the other sex. Some undergo surgery and hormone treatments, spending tons of money. There are several testimonies of individuals who have tried the latter approach and, in a few years, regretted their actions. Anyone who believes they can live their life by rebelling against the plan of the Almighty will, at some point, realize the poor choice they have made. I pray those individuals come to this realization prior to judgment day.

The root cause of this problem is very much the same root cause for abortion: men desire to live their lives without God in whatever way they so choose. They don't like their gender so they reject what God has created and attempt to fashion their own creation. They worship themselves, the creature, rather than the one true God.

I know this article will upset some and folks will say I am "transphobic". No, people who are going through such "transitions" do not scare me. They should be heard and treated with respect. I do not hate those struggling with their gender, rather, I grieve for them. But, as I said earlier, my conscience is captive to the Word of God and that Word is clear on this subject. Denying there are only two genders or claiming God made you the wrong gender is denying the very will of God. Those individuals are in rebellion against Him and, as a minister of the Gospel, I am to call them to repentance for their actions.

And so, I close with such a call. Will you confess that you have sinned against the Almighty by deciding to live your life as YOU want it to be rather than as God has designed you? Will you, then, call upon the Lord Jesus Christ, the only Savior of any sin, and asked Him to save you? That is my plea.

The Sins of America: #1 Abortion

Now is a horrible time in our nation. We are very divided and, I fear, we may be on a downward spiral that will only end with our country's demise. I hate to think of what America may be for my grandchildren and great grandchildren.

I fear God's hand is about to bring judgment upon us for our many sins. We call evil good and good evil. For years, we have put our fists in God's face, essentially telling Him we will live any way we so choose. Such rebellion begs the wrath of the Almighty. To this point, He has been merciful and His hand has been stayed. How much longer before He brings down His judgment?

Until He does, we have time to repent. We have the opportunity to turn from our evil ways and call upon Him, asking Him to rescue our country. We need to God-sent revival. We need to Christians to take a firm stand against anything our nation supports which God does not.

To say something is LEGAL is not the same as to say it is MORAL. Yet that is what we have done for many years. I'm convicted to jot a few posts in this BLOG on this matter. I'm calling them "The Sins of America". I intend for each one to be straightforward, easy to read, and my opinion based upon my understanding of the Word of God. I'll do my best to limit my Scripture references as well as theological terminology.

So I begin with what I believe to be the greatest sin of our land: ABORTION.

It is time the debate on this subject ends. Even before 1973, it was a hot topic and has remained so for almost 50 years. But, modern technology should squash the differences in the argument. Abortion at any point of pregnancy is destroying human life. PERIOD.

If you don't believe this, just think rationally about it for a moment.

1. What is that thing in the woman? Is it a monkey? Perhaps a shark? Maybe a bird? I know, its a Martian. Someone will blurt out "it's a fetus". The only reason they use the term "fetus" is to disguise what every expecting mom calls it: "my baby". It is human life at its earliest development. It isn't long before the brain has brain waves and the heart has heartbeats. It is truly a human at its very beginning. 

2. Modern microscopic pictures in the womb affirm this truth. What makes this newly conceived human different from a one-year old is only its growth. If nurtured, it, too, will be a year old soon. Quit trying to make it something it isn't (e.g., "clump of cells"; while that's true, the phrase is used to remove the "human" from the listener's ears. It is a clump of HUMAN cells, hence, it is human.).

Unfortunately, we have politicians in 2021 who are promoting not only abortion but also the killing of the newly born (infanticide). How ridiculous are the arguments in support of such practices. Every true follower of Jesus Christ should be outraged that we continue to permit and even support these horrific acts. 

Immediately, I can sense the incoming arguments.

1. What about the life of the mother? Per studies, a very rare occurrence if ever.

2. What about rape or incest? Horrible crimes but the child is not at fault; the attacker is. Terminating the life of the unborn solves nothing. If the mother does not wish to raise such a child, then put them up for adoption. Abortions of babies who are the result of rape or incest are also very rare (I've never heard a number higher than 3%).

3. It is a woman's right to choose what she does with her own body. Yes, until that body is no longer JUST her own. Apart from rape or incest, the woman has means of not becoming pregnant. She can say "no" or use some form of protection. That's her right to choose. But, once the choice is made, she must accept the responsibilities associated with that choice. (You shall reap what you sow).

Abortion on demand is done for whatever reason a female wants it down. Abortion is sacrificing your child to your god. Who is your Molech? (In Israel, if a person sacrificed their child to this false deity, the person was to be put to death; Leviticus 20:1-3). Perhaps your Molech is a god of finances (you don't want to spend any money on a child). Perhaps he is a god of pleasure (you just want the sexual experience without the child). Maybe he is a god of enjoyment (how will you enjoy yourself if there is a child in the mix?). If you don't want the responsibilities of parenting, don't get pregnant. 

Yes, raising a child is an impact to your financials, to your time, to you ability to be alone and enjoy certain activities, so on and so forth. Consider the cost before you act. Don't kill your child later.

I've often wondered how anyone could believe abortion is somehow a justifiable act. Pretend you are standing pregnant in the very presence of Jesus Christ. Do you honestly believe He would give you permission to slaughter that child before it is born? If so, you need to read the Gospels. And therein, I believe, is the true root of the problem. WE WANT TO BE OUR OWN GOD. We want to do whatever we want to do whenever we want to do it and not be held accountable. The one true God has no place in a life governed by such principles.

Let's repent of this sin. Christians. I call on each of us to pray for the termination of this heinous act. Let us find ways to peaceably call our nation back to God and end this practice. 

I begin by calling on President Biden who claims to be devout Catholic. Your church opposes abortion. Prove your faith, sir, by your works. Do everything in your power to have abortion outlawed in our country. 

Regrettably, I will not hold my breath waiting for that to happen.

Some Thoughts on the 2012 Election

Like many Americans I watched the election returns on Tuesday with great hope our country would see a positive change.  By 7:30 I began to detect such change would not be occurring. When North Carolina and Virginia were not quickly called for Governor Romney, I began to see the handwriting on the wall. The only words I remember saying to my wife as we watched the story unfold was "What are these people thinking?" After four horrible years under President Obama, the American people were electing him to another four years. That, to me, was unbelievable.

When the President was projected as the winner, I was amazingly calm. I recall in 2008 being greatly disturbed over his win. His published views convinced me at the time that great harm was about to come upon our nation. Certainly that is the case: continual high unemployment, foreclosures, drastically increasing national debt, passing of government health insurance, acceptance of gay marriage, reductions in defense, printing money over and over again, and so forth. Yes, I was concerned and my fears were realized with President Obama's first term.

But on Tuesday I did not react the same way. I basically got up and went to bed. Yesterday, apart from a couple of comments on the election via social media, I went about my day pretty much as normal.

Now, a day out from the election, I thought I would jot down some of my thoughts and possibly explain, at least to myself, my present attitude.

1. On Tuesday, God's eternal plan, his secret will for our country, was once again revealed in the election of President Obama. From eternity God had so decided this would be the outcome. He has installed this man to be our leader for another four years.

"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God." (Romans 13:1)

2. God's will was accomplished through the votes of millions of Americans (over 60 million voted for the President) especially in key electoral states. Americans exercised their free choice and the man they chose was God's choice all along. Oh the wonder of God's predestination and man's freedom of choice!

3. For four years the President's administration has clearly demonstrated they govern using principles which are antithetical to the Bible. In other words, they govern in opposition to the ways of God. Almost every principle they support is opposed by the Word of God. In other words, the President and those who share his views govern from a position of evil (if its opposed to God's revealed will what else can we call it?).

4. So why would the eternal, predetermined plan of Almighty God include the 2012 reelection of a man who governs as an evil governor? Since I am not God I can not fully answer that statement. However, let me offer up at least two possible reasons why:

(1) God is continuing to judge our nation. We, as a people, were founded as a Christian nation but we have greatly strayed from our faith. Even many of those who call themselves Christian today give no indication in their personal lives that they know Christ or have been regenerated. The worldviews and philosophies of many in our land, including self-professed Christians, are positions in opposition to God's Word. We have replaced the love of God with the love of  "things" and those "things" come in many forms: money, fame, influence, entertainment, sports, luxuries, "freedom to live as I want", etc. God will not permit any nation to continue their pursuit of idolatry without judgment. God is judging our nation.

(2) There has been no true repentance on the part of Americans. President Obama was first elected four years ago. The American people have seen his principles in action. He promotes abortion. He promotes sodomy. He promotes gay marriage. He promotes illegal immigration. He promotes increased national debt at unthinkable levels. And yet, their minds are so darkened and far from God, that, when given an opportunity to replace our President in an election, over half the country picks him again. That is a clear indication there is no repentance among our people.

5. I believe America has turned from God and embraced the ways of man. In response, God is bringing judgment, slow judgment. For years we have watched the continual decay of our nation yet we do not repent. Now we have a leader who not only opposes many of our traditional practices but also opposes God's revealed will. Look at the rapidly increasing moral decay in our country. Two states legalized marijuana on Tuesday. Two others legalized gay marriage. States voted to spend more money when they don't have it. And over 60 million Americans voted to reelect the same man who has governed over the most rapid decay our country has ever witnessed.

6. Is there still hope for our country? Personally, I thought a Governor Romney victory on Tuesday would have provided a slight opportunity to halt the downfall and begin a turnaround. The victory of President Obama, though, casts doubt in my own heart that our nation will ever again be what it once was. We may have gone past the point of no return. I am somewhat older and have enjoyed living most of my life in a great nation. So, personally, I am not overly concerned.

But my children, my grandchildren, and my future descendants will likely live in an America that is inferior, socialistic, and ungodly. That thought breaks my heart.

7. God, however, may still have another plan for our nation. Judgment is here but, as I noted, it has been slow.   Perhaps the eyes of those who are truly Christian will be opened and they will begin calling upon the Lord for mercy and grace. We, the followers of Jesus, can plead with Him for another opportunity in America. Let us cry out to God for a revival throughout our land. The only true way for this country to turn around is through revival. Souls turned to Jesus and devoted to following His Word will bring positive change to America!

8. Therefore, let us seek revival in America. Let's beseech God to pour out His Spirit upon each of us. Let us be faithful in what God has revealed for us to do: pray, give, worship, study, serve, live, and proclaim the wonderful Gospel of His Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.