The Democrats Win on November 3!

 For a brief time, I wrote some blog entries based on statements from the 2020 Democrat National Platform. The more I read, the more ill I became. So, my blog entries on that document ended. However, over the past several weeks, my concern for our nation has only grown.  The recent revelation of the Biden's illegal activities have added to that concern. Therefore, I am writing one final blog on the topic.

Pretend it is November 4th and Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris have been elected President and Vice President. Furthermore, the Democrats have increased their majority in the House and have taken the majority in the Senate. What might we expect for our nation once they take office?

Well, here is a sample of what is coming (based on what they have said or written and on the Democrat National Platform and the manifesto agreed to by the Biden and Sanders camps). Some of these are being denied by the candidates right now but they have clearly claimed their true intentions several times in the past. If they win, here is what may happen. May it NEVER BE!

1. Mr. Biden will not be our President. I want to be kind on this. Anyone who watches or listens to the Vice President speak must recognize his mental capacity is failing. Either he will sit in the Oval Office with those around him making the decisions or the 25th Amendment will be applied and Senator Harris will become President. She is the most radical Senator in the Senate. You must translate Mr. Biden's statements far left for that's where Senator Harris lives.

2. Your taxes will increase. Mr. Biden claims his tax hikes will affect only those making more than $400,000. That is NOT true. First of all, further study of his proposal implies hikes will impact those over $100,000. Also, Mr. Biden has pledged to eliminate the Trump tax cuts which have provided roughly $4000 more money to each American in their paycheck each year. If those tax cuts go, your taxes will rise. Then, Mr. Biden will add his tax increases to that amount.

3. Businesses will relocate overseas. The increased taxes and regulations proposed by Mr. Biden will, once again, drive businesses out of the country. This happened during the Obama-Biden administration and will resume with Mr. Biden. The former VP is a great friend of China!

4. Hide your guns. Both Democrat candidates have vowed to take your guns and they mean it.

5. Poorly managed Democrat states will receive bailout money from you, the taxpayer. This is what is holding up the COVID relief package. Speaker Pelosi wants that money included. If necessary, she will wait until after the election and, if Biden wins, will, some day, push it through.

6. Illegals to our country will receive free benefits. That is also on record.

7. The wall will come down and outsiders welcomed. This will force us to pay more in taxes (someone has to pay for their freebies) and loss in jobs (they will work cheaper than our citizens). Furthermore, it will increase crime in our nation.

8. Recent developments indicate the Bidens have made their millions through illegal influences, even using the office of Vice President for that purpose. What will the Bidens do if Mr. Biden is President?

9. The former VP professes to be a Catholic and Senator Harris claims to be religious. Yet, both of them deny the right to life of those who are still in the womb (or just born). The VP also claims he was raised with middle class values. I guess those include homicide, infanticide, lying, and theft.

10. 401ks and other savings plans will be hammered by the increased taxes, increased regulations, and loss of small businesses in our country.

11. Don't be surprised if the new President doesn't lock us all in our homes for another several months due to COVID, destroying our economy, destroying the lives of many, over a virus which has an extremely low mortality rate. Masks will become the newest apparel. 

12. Riots, burnings, looting, and property destruction will continue. The overwhelming majority of these acts today are NOT the result of white supremacy but the actions of organizations such as Black Lives Matter and Antifa, Marxist groups supporting Mr. Biden. They will continue doing what they do until they get everything they want.

13. President Trump supporters will be required to take re-education training perhaps by a new organization known as the Ministry of Truth.

14. Free speech is gone. The media is already preventing any anti-Biden story from reaching the masses. Imagine what they will do if he is in the White House.

15. American foreign policy will be in a shambles. Over his 47-year career, Mr. Biden has made mistake upon mistake when it comes to foreign policy. The Obama administration painted America as the "bad guy" to other nations and we ended up with ISIS. President Trump has changed all of that around, brokered a peace deal in the Middle East, and has been nominated for 4 Nobel Prizes.

16. The Democrats have a message of doom and gloom and view America has a horrible country. Why do we want people with such a view to lead us?

17. The oil and fracking industry will be destroyed and we will, once again, be dependent upon foreign oil. All of the solar panels and wind farms cannot supply the amount of energy we need. Furthermore, fossil fuel is required for manufacturing those "green" methodologies. 

18. The government will take over more and more, requiring the individual to be more dependent upon them than ever before.

19. Mr. Biden will expand the Supreme Court, adding several liberal justices, ensuring the court remains a policy making body from this time forward. The court is a judging body, not legislative body.

20. The Democrats will add Washington, D. C. as a state (which makes no sense) and Puerto Rico as another. It is almost guaranteed both states will elect 2 Democrat Senators. This will give the Democrats a majority on the Senate for years to come.

21. The Democrats will end the filibuster in the Senate and, thereby, taking away the voice of the minority in that body.

22. The Democrats will push through an amendment that will eliminate the electoral college. From then on, a simple majority elects our President. That means all the future candidate has to do to win is to visit the large cities and sway the voters. Given most large cities vote Democrat, the presidential elections will become meaningless. Those of us in "flyover country" have no say in the choice of our leader.

23. The false history of "1619" will be taught throughout the educational system providing propaganda for our "new direction".

24. Evangelicals, in particular, will be under attack. Even today we see this among some Democrats who believe church is "non-essential" while bars and abortion clinics are "essential". The freedom to worship will be under attack.

25. Lastly, COVID response. Mr. Biden claims he would have handles the virus better than the President. He would have listened to the science. The facts are: (1) the President shutdown travel from China and Europe. Mr. Biden called him xenophobic. So much for being earlier to the game. (2) The President mobilized industry to create make-shift hospitals and manufacture respirators, etc. This was underway while Mr. Biden was laying low. (3) The President initiated operation Warp Speed to create a vaccine as quickly as possible. The President did these actions based upon what Dr. Fauci and the CDC was telling him. Truthfully, what else would Mr. Biden have done? Nothing!

These are a few of the changes to come if Mr. Biden and the Democrats win in November. While our nation has many sins in its past, I pray the Lord Jesus will be merciful and gracious by sparing us from the above. May He grant us, at least, another four years of hope!

Jesus, Free Will, and Predestination

Almost two decades ago, the Southern Baptist Convention updated their confession of faith known as the Baptist Faith and Message of 2000.  That document summarizes Southern Baptists’ understanding of God’s Word.  Article V begins as follows:

"Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners.  It is consistent with the free agency of man, and comprehends all the means in connection with the end.  It is the glorious display of God's sovereign goodness, and is infinitely wise, holy, and unchangeable.  It excludes boasting and promotes humility."

Now Christians have disagreed over the exact meaning of the opening word of this article.  Some believers refuse to use it.  Others will close their ears any time this word is used.  And I know there are some who feel the hair on the back of their neck raising whenever this word is used.  The problem, however, is that this word, and related words, are used in the Scripture.  You can’t ignore or disregard it.  The Bible speaks on the matter and so must the Christian, especially the preacher!

Our statement of faith says that election is:

(1)  First, “the gracious purpose of God”.  Election owes its very existence to the grace of Almighty God.  Apart from God’s grace, there would be no election.  Instead of deriding election, let us praise God for His grace which forms the basis of this doctrine.

(2)  Second, it is God’s purpose.  Election is not a “whim” of the Almighty.  Rather it is a doctrine based on His will, His purpose for the creation.  To despise the doctrine of election is to despise God’s very plan.

(3)  Third, election is the basis of all salvation.  As our statement reads, it is very election that God “regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners.”  Salvation is clearly the work of God alone and not man and election certainly testifies to this truth.

(4)  Fourth, election and “the free agency of man” are consistent.  Note well the choice of words:  “free agency” and not “free will”.  Man is a free moral agent.  Each man makes his own moral choices.  Election is consistent with these free choices.  To our puny minds that does not make sense.  How can God elect (or choose) yet man still have free agency?  We may not be able to explain this paradox but we accept, by faith, its validity.  Election and free agency are consistent.

(5)  Fifth, election “comprehends all the means in connection with the end.”  In other words, God does elect sinners to salvation.  However, he also elects the means to accomplish that end.  He has chosen prayer, preaching, teaching, and witnessing as means to accomplish His elective purpose.  To believe in election does not mean one does not believe in the means to salvation.  In other words, a man who believes the Bible teaches God elects sinners to salvation does NOT sin around and wait for God to accomplish that salvation.  Rather, he preaches and teaches and testifies to those who are lost and calls them to salvation.

(6)  Election  "is the glorious display of God's SOVEREIGN goodness, and is infinitely wise, holy, and UNCHANGEABLE."  In other words,  election is God’s choice, not ours, and that choice is final and irrevocable.  In other words, salvation for certain individuals (those elected) is "predestined".

Those opposed to election (and predestination) usually rise up at this point of the argument yelling “free will, free will”.  How can God elect or choose those who will be saved and then predestine them to that salvation and man have a free will.  Such an election and/or predestination is contrary to the free will of man.

Theologically, the doctrine of election is one aspect of the doctrine of predestination.  Predestination teaches that God has planned all that will occur.  That plan will unfold as He has planned it and nothing can or will change His plan.  Election teaches that part of predestination has to do with the salvation of sinners, namely, that God has chosen certain men from all mankind to be recipients of His saving grace.  This election predestines their eternal salvation.

Without repeating all the arguments supporting election (and predestination), I wish to simply examine what the Bible says concerning Christ and these doctrines.

Would anyone deny that, of all men who have ever lived, Jesus Christ was the most free?  Only he and the first Adam ever possessed a will which was untainted by sin.  Adam lost his untainted will when he ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  But our Lord Jesus never had his will corrupted by sin.  Scripture is clear that He never sinned.  Can any Christian deny that Jesus Christ possessed true free will and was the most free man who ever lived?  Any decision He made while walking this earth was truly a choice that was made by a will completely and totally free from any sin.  In Jesus we find TRUE FREE WILL. 

Yet what does Scripture say about this man? 

"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus:  for he SHALL save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21)  Even before His birth Jesus' "destiny" was determined.  He WOULD save his people and, to accomplish this salvation, He must die a voluntary, substitutional, sacrificial death.  In other words, His death was "predestined" before his birth.  The most free human ever was predestined to die!  Now if predestination is true for the most free person who ever lived, how can predestination be objected to by any believer of Scripture?

"And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the LAMB SLAIN FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD." (Revelation 13:8)  Not only was the death of the most free man predetermined, it was predestined as far back as the creation!  This man with a perfectly free will was predestined to die on the cross. 

We must be honest with the Scripture.  Jesus was the only human who lived his entire life with a will perfectly free of the effects of sin and yet His death was predestined from eternity.  And, in fact, so was his birth!  Did not the prophet foretell He would be born of a virgin?  Did not Micah foretell He would be born in Bethlehem?  Even his birth, its nature and location, was predestined by God.  Furthermore, we can point out several Old Testament Scriptures which prophesies about our Lord's life here on earth:  His birth, His ministry, His death, His resurrection.  All of these prophecies were possible and correct because HIS ENTIRE LIFE WAS PREDESTINED.

Again, how can we believe the life of one so free such as Jesus is predestined and yet deny God's predestination in our own lives.  Jesus was chosen by God to be the Savior and predestined to that end yet some of us wish to deny predestination exists.  Again, consider just one Scripture:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:  according as HE HATH CHOSEN ("elected" in the original) US in him BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:  HAVING PREDESTINATED US unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, ACCORDING TO THE GOOD PLEASURE OF HIS WILL, to the praise of the glory of his grace". (Ephesians 1:4-6)

Here we have election (hath chosen) and predestination (having predestinated) clearly taught by the Scripture concerning US, not the Lord.  Certain sinners (“us”) have been chosen before the foundation of the world to be holy.  Certain sinners have been predestined to be adopted by Jesus as children.  And this election and predestination is according to God’s good will.  It is His choice.

Praise, indeed, to His glorious grace!

So, may no believer fear the doctrines of predestination and election!  Rather, give God the glory for His salvation.

The Providence of God, an Election, and Answered Prayer

Praise the Lord for His providential hand in His execution of His eternal decree!  I am comforted knowing that God works ALL things according to the counsel of His will.  And ALL things includes an election such as took place yesterday.

The Presidential race was between 2 fallen candidates, 2 sinners; how could it be otherwise?  Both have sins charged against their account and both will add to that list over the remaining days of their lives.  No one, except Christ, is perfect.  Apart from the grace of God and the redemption of sin found in Christ, neither of these 2 individuals will spend eternity with the Savior.  

Because of their falleness, their plans are also not perfect.  Neither of them can save this nation.  Only God can do that.  But one candidate has a plan to restore this country to its greatness while the other has a plan merely to maintain the direction of the past 8 (or, perhaps, 24 years), a plan which has proven to be a failure.  The latter plan has led our country to the precipice of bankruptcy and insignificance in the world.  That plan has, at its core, a hatred of nationalism, patriotism, religion, and individual rights.  It seeks to have government, the federal government, serve as the master of each individual.  The income of the people, in this view, belongs to the ruling class in Washington, not to the people themselves.

Surely such a plan is straight from the devil's pen.  I firmly believe Satan has been behind those working to elect Hillary Clinton.  Oh, I doubt any of them believe or even sense that has been the case.  But the deceptions and outright lies attached to her candidacy adds support to this theory.  Satan is the master of lies, the master of deceit; certainly he has been a major contributor to that campaign.

Many prayers were offered up to God that He would intervene and save us from Hillary Clinton for the good of this country and the greatness of His name.  He certainly had no reason to do so.  Our nation has strayed far from Him.  He could have sat back and simply said, "you will reap what you have sowed", pretty much what has happened over the past 2 decades.  But prayers went up before His throne pleading, once more, for His mercy and grace.  I believe, God, in His providence, has answered our prayers.  Donald Trump, a fallen man, is now the President-elect; the certain success of Hillary Clinton has been thwarted, again, by the hand of the Almighty.

Let us give thanks to our God for giving us another opportunity to return to our Savior.  And let us lift up those elected yesterday, praying that each one comes to Christ, if lost, and serves this nation best by serving the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

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.

Killing Our Unborn Children

Over the waning weeks of the Presidential campaign, God began to impress on my heart the issue of abortion even more deeply than before. I believe President-Elect Obama's stance on this issue may be a contributing factor to this growing conviction. Despite claims from his camp, it has been proven that our newly elected President not only supports abortion, he also supports partial-birth abortion (a technique never medically required from what I understand), and, even worse, supports not caring for babies who are born despite an attempted abortion (which I consider to be infanticide).

I have opposed abortion for as long as I can remember but my hatred of the practice has now increased. Exactly how I am going to express my growing opposition to "baby killing" is still not certain. However, I do expect to be more vocal in blogs and in letters, especially to politicians at all levels. Furthermore, I expect to be more "confrontational" to those who profess to be Christians yet support killing our unborn.

That brings me to my letter to the President-Elect which I e-mailed to him today. It is my opening political attack on abortion and calls for President-Elect Obama to lead the charge to ban the practice. I firmly believe my opposition to abortion is Biblical but, in this letter, I based my argument only on civil rights. Since my future arguments against abortion will likely find a home in this blog, I decided to include my letter to the President-Elect even though it contains no Scripture references. Future posts will clearly outline the Biblical arguments this evil practice.

November 5, 2008

President-Elect Obama,

Congratulations on your campaign and your victory! Your election is further proof of the greatness of the United States of America!

I did not support your candidacy and did not vote for you yesterday. Your past legislative record and your remarks throughout your career alarm me. I have written blog entries and letters opposing you throughout the past few months and will continue to oppose the policies you outlined in the campaign. Nevertheless, I respect you as my next President and will pray for God to give you wisdom in your position as the leader of the free world.

Your election fulfills the dream of the Civil Rights movement. The African-American community, once slaves to white Americans and often punished and even killed as such, have now seen America erase that dark spot in the election of one of their own as President. Praise God such racial slavery has been removed from our nation! But, Mr. President-Elect, there still remains a civil rights battle in our country. There are still those in the United States who are in bondage and at the whim of their masters. They need their rights restored and I call on you as President-Elect to make this your number one priority. The group to whom I refer are our unborn children.

Every day in our nation since 1973, 4000 unborn Americans have their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness destroyed because their mother exercises her “freedom to choose”. The life of the mother, rape, and incest account for a small percentage (less than 5%) of the abortions performed in our country. Thousands of unborn Americans lose their right to life everyday at the hands of a mother who doesn’t want to be burdened by them.

Mr. President-Elect, women do not lose their “right to choose” if the practice of abortion is ended. When women engage in the sexual act they exercise their choice and must accept the possible consequences of that act, namely, a new, unborn American.

I call on you, President-Elect Obama, to lead the charge in our nation to eliminate the barbaric practice of killing our unborn citizens and, instead, to restore their right to live equally with other Americans.

Sincerely,

Bruce D. Walker
St. Charles, MO

Render to Caesar

And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. And they came and said to him, "Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?" But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, "Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it." And they brought one. And he said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" They said to him, "Caesar's." Jesus said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they marveled at him. Mark 12:13-17

I briefly touched on this passage in my Sunday School class yesterday as we continued our quick exposition of the Gospel of Mark. Obviously, it was the Lord's providence to bring this text to our attention on the Sunday before election day!

This short incident contains so much which can be discussed. Yet I only pointed out a couple of items during class time.

1. Jesus certainly instructs His followers to obey their rulers (i.e., government). This makes sense because God has ordained the government ruling over us. Paul makes this quite clear in Romans 13 among other places. Jesus, being God in the flesh, understood this truth. We are to obey the commandments (i.e., laws) of our government except ...

2. ... when a government law is contrary to the law of God. Peter stated this argument concerning civil disobedience in Acts 5:29. The religious leaders commanded the apostles not to preach Jesus. Peter responded, "We must obey God rather than men."

3. In the first century, Caesar (and Rome) often commanded men to do things contrary to God's Word. Some of the Caesars demanded worship which, of course, Christians would not give to any but the one true God. Such situations resulted in many conflicts between authorities and the Lord's followers.

4. Obviously, conflicts should not arise when the laws of government are consistent with the law of God. In the Mark 12 passage, nothing in God's law forbids the paying of taxes to the government. So, Jesus commanded men to do just that.

5. First century Palestine differs from twenty-first century America, though. Jesus and His followers had no say when it came to who was Caesar or who occupied a seat in the Roman Senate. They could not prevent men who might be opposed to the Word of God from occupying those positions. But, in the United States, WE ELECT OUR CAESAR! Our government leaders are REPRESENTATIVES chosen by us! What a unique but wonderful blessing God has given us in terms of our government!

6. Therefore, when we elect OUR CAESAR, let's elect men and women who are most likely to lead and legislate in agreement with God's Word. By doing so, we reduce the likelihood of future conflicts, the necessity for civil disobedience, and bring glory to God as a nation.

Tomorrow is election day. Vote wisely for YOUR CAESAR!