Sailing Toward the Son: Our Destination the New Jerusalem Who's Your Captain

By Jack Zimmerman Th. D. Ph. D.

The author takes us back through the portals to the past, to glimpse the pioneer spirit of his grandparents who settled in Oklahoma Territory in 1893. He tells of the German/Irish influence on his family and the cultural changes over the years. He interprets his experience from a conservative perspective and encourages us to follow the Constitution. He tells of the war years in the 40’s in Oklahoma, and his teen experience in the late 50’s in Florida. He talks about his family, football, and marriage, his children and his vocation. We learn about his love for adventure, free-diving, and spearfishing in Florida and the Bahamas.

In the midst of material success, he recognized there was something missing in his life. During this period, he had a spiritual encounter with the Lord. He received Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior, and his life direction changed. He tells how he continued his education as he pastored churches in Texas and Florida.

He tells of the crisis when his wife of 20 years left the family and filed for divorce. He talks about the pain of rejection for him and his children, and the challenges of raising children in a one parent home. Nine years later, the Lord brought a wonderful, godly woman into his life. They have ministered together for over thirty years and plan to continue as God leads.

The author takes us on a pictorial journey that includes educational trips to the Holy Land and mission trips to South Africa. As he closes the portal, he reminds us that we are all “Sailing Toward The Son.” Our final destination, The New Jerusalem, will be ours if we place our faith in our ship’s “Captain.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jun 30, 2022
• ISBN: 9781664262980

Jack Zimmerman Th. D. Ph. D.

In the midst of “Blue Collar“ success, having purchased a home, four new cars, and two boats, the author tells of an interruption in his quest for the temporal, to begin his search for the Eternal. After the death of his father, he began to reflect on the seasons of life, and in particular what happens to us when we die. Is there life beyond the grave? Is it possible to know the truth? Like Job who asked, “If a man dies, shall he live again, ...?” (Job 14:14 KJV) Seeking truth, he began to search the Scriptures, and through them, tells of a personal encounter with The Holy God. Through faith in God’s Son, (Yeshua Hamashiach) Jesus Christ, his life immediately changed. Ministry became his priority, and for the next three-years, he and his family were in church as often as possible. Jesus had transformed his life, and he wanted others to find the same peace that he had found. God had called him to preach the gospel, and after much prayer and soul searching, he surrendered to that call, and enrolled in Southwestern Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas, Graduating in 1977. He spent the next four years on staff at a church in Ft. Worth. Over the years, he continued his education as he served. By God’s grace and a lot of work, he earned his first Doctorate in 1997. Jack holds two Degrees from Southwestern Seminary and a Bachelor’s from Mary-Hardin Baylor University. He did graduate work at Baylor University in Psychology and Counseling. During his pastoral ministry in Florida, he earned his Doctoral Degrees at Jacksonville Theological Seminary where he served as an Associate Professor. Moving back to Texas, he became Director of JBTS-Houston Bible Study Center while serving as Pastor of a local church. The author has ministered for over 40 years in 8 churches, with multiple ministries in Texas and Florida. He believes that time is running out for this Age of Grace and that Jesus Christ’s return is imminent; however, for Pastor Jack, the most important question is not when Christ returns, but are we ready to meet Him when He comes. The signs are here now!

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ISBN: 978-1-6642-6299-7 (sc)

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WestBow Press rev. date: 6/28/2022

CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1     THE PRESENT AND THE PAST

CHAPTER 2     A CHRISTIAN NATION

CHAPTER 3     MOVIES & MORALITY

CHAPTER 4     THE CHEROKEE STRIP 1893

CHAPTER 5     THE WOODWORTH’S IN OKLAHOMA

CHAPTER 6     THE ZIMMERMANS IN OKLAHOMA

CHAPTER 7     GRANDCHILDREN OF PIONEER’S

CHAPTER 8     THE WAR YEARS 1941 TO 1945

CHAPTER 9     ADOLESCENT YEARS

CHAPTER 10   EARLY TEEN YEARS

CHAPTER 11   LATE TEEN YEARS

CHAPTER 12   GOD’S PROVIDENCE

CHAPTER 13   A COMMITMENT FOR LIFE

CHAPTER 14   DRAWN TO THE DEEP

CHAPTER 15   DRAWN TO THE SAVIOR

CHAPTER 16   BORN AGAIN AN IMPERATIVE

CHAPTER 17   A LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE

CHAPTER 18   SOUTHWESTERN SEMINARY

CHAPTER 19   CALLED TO MINISTER AT ROBC

CHAPTER 20   CALLED TO FBC OF CRAWFORD

CHAPTER 21   DIVORCE THE UNPARDONABLE SIN

CHAPTER 22   TWO BAYLOR’S

CHAPTER 23   THIRTY YEARS AND COUNTING

CHAPTER 24   CALLED TO FBC OF SOUTH MIAMI

CHAPTER 25   A SPIRITUAL PILGRIMAGE TO ISRAEL

CHAPTER 26   MISSION TRIPS TO SOUTH AFRICA

CHAPTER 27   CARING FOR PARENTS

CHAPTER 28   JBTS-HOUSTON BIBLE STUDY CENTER

CHAPTER 29   CALLED TO WCBC MAGNOLIA, TEXAS

CHAPTER 30   TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS

CHAPTER 31   THE VISION OF THE NEW JERUSALEM

Summary

Bibliography

Sailing Toward The Son

Quotes From My Book

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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THE DECK OF OPAL

The Schooner Opal by Ales Mucha

OPENING PORTALS TO THE PAST

SAILING TOWARD THE SON

It seems like a dream, it was so long ago, when we open portals to the past. Our ship mother earth keeps on sailing with her precious cargo over her oceans of life. On and on she sails, tacking back and forth into the winds of time and adversity. Round and round she sails, repeating her voyage every 365 days. Year after year she sails into the future, where the past is a distant memory and the future is an open book revealed in the scriptures. Her compass heading is dead East into the Rising Son. Onboard her cargo, all of life and most importantly the human race, created in the image of God. Each individual living out their own unique adventure as we all Sail Toward The Son. Our ultimate destination is the New Jerusalem.

It’s ours if we trust our ship’s Captain and remain on board until journeys end.

OUR SHIPS CAPTAIN

Our Master resides somewhere beyond the galaxies in the North. He guides us by the North Star through the darkest of nights, He leads us by the Bright and Morning Star until the light of day overshadows the darkness. As we sail into the future there are unforeseeable storms that test us along the way, to see if we will stay the course. These storms can produce massive waves threatening to engulf us, to overshadow us, like Tsunamis from the depths of the deep, from the very fissures of the pit, issued from the magma chambers below. God forbid that we should be washed overboard and lost in the sea of forgetfulness in the waters of unquenchable fire, but our ship’s Captain keeps us from becoming shipwrecked. He helps us navigate through rough waters. He leads us to safe harbors. Our Captain guides us to anchor on the leeward side of adversity, during the storms of life. However, we must follow His commands if we are to miss the hidden reefs that lie just beneath the surface. They could sink us and send us to a watery grave away from the Son light, into the darkness of the pit. When you are at the helm, make sure you stay on the compass heading set by the Captain, He is our salvation. Any variation from His charted course found in the captain’s log The Bible, could cause us to shipwreck. This has happened to many a sea weathered soul, who failed to listen to the captain’s commands.

For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. (Hebrews 2:10 KJV)

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CHAPTER 1

THE PRESENT AND

THE PAST

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Sioux Chiefs-Curtis Indian Territory Oklahoma, 1905

As we continue to sail and peer through the portals, we’re like time travelers in the present, moving from one period of history back to another. Let’s look through the portals, back to the past, and examine some of the events that have helped shape our nation, our cultures and our individual lives as we sail toward the Son.

UNIFIED FOR FREEDOM

As we look through the portals, we go back to a different time in America, in the state where I was born, that old Indian territory called Oklahoma. Oklahoma is a word that was made up by the native American missionary Allen Wright. He combined two Choctaw words, ukla meaning person and humá meaning red to form the word that first appears in an 1866 Choctaw treaty. Oklahoma means red man, or person. Oklahoma: A History, by W. David Baird, Danney Goble. 342 p. Publisher: U of Ok Press (Oct 31, 2008)

Oklahoma became the 46th state to enter the Union 35 years earlier in 1907. That would be one hundred and fourteen years ago when Oklahoma officially became a part of the United States. During the days when my heavenly Father gave me life through my natural parents, there was another culture in America, especially in the heartland. The world was in a different place too. We had already gone through the First World War from 1914 to 1918 and now America was being drawn into another terrible conflict. When Hitler came to power he invaded nearly all the territory that Germany had lost after the first World War. Parts of Czechoslovakia and Austria were a part of Germany before the First World War. Hitler’s dream was to bring all German-speaking peoples into a Greater Reich (empire) and to undo the penalties imposed on Germany by the Versailles Treaty signed in Paris, France in 1919. Czechoslovakia had been created by the Versailles Treaty and contained many ethnic Germans, especially in the border areas. Czechoslovakia was also a major military and industrial power. It would have been a formidable addition to the Allies in a war against Germany, both because of this power and because of its location to Germany’s southeast. German leadership and their diplomacy up to 1945 was obsessed with the idea that Germany was surrounded by enemies. With the weapons taken from Czechoslovakia, Hitler equipped two and a half of his ten Panzer Divisions for the 1940 campaign in France. For the next five years, Czech factories made a large contribution to German war production.

During the early days of the war, after Dunkirk, England, which was under attack by Hitler’s Air Force, the Luftwaffe put up strong resistance, but there was little opposition to Hitler’s aggression from other European countries. The German army had taken Poland in 1939 and France surrendered in 1940. The German Panzer Army Africa Corp. led by Erwin Rommel, one of Germany’s generals, was in North Africa. Italy had joined forces with Germany and Japan to form an alliance called the Axis and on June 22, 1941, Germany attacked Russia. In the far East, the Pacific Islands were being overrun by Japanese forces, and in part because of their success, they considered taking on America. The World was at War and it was raging on in countless countries and places you’ve never heard of.

America had learned some hard lessons from its own Civil War 1862-1865 and the First World War, namely, that war is to be avoided at all cost. The average Joe on the street didn’t want to repeat those experiences. For many in our country, isolationism was the order of the day. Perhaps because many Americans were of German ancestry and still had family there, until the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, from that point on we were in it up to our necks. Nothing but total victory would preserve our democracy and our freedoms as a nation in the world.

These world events helped to unify the people of America as never before and brought our country together to fight our common foe. There is a unity that only self-preservation can inspire. Unity will emerge when there is a common goal, a common objective, which was at that time to remain free and defeat the enemies of our Nation. Perhaps we can help our allies loose the bonds of the tyrants in Europe as well, in the far East, and around the world. America joined the forces of England and Russia to form the Allies to fight against the Axis. Later, after Mussolini was hung by his own people, Italy switched sides and joined forces with the Allies. China was also fighting Japan as well and had been since 1937. You’ve heard it said, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Freedom has always been a powerful motivator even bringing about alliances between those with opposing philosophies, but with a common enemy, although it be temporary. For example, America joined forces with England and Russia to fight our common enemies during the War. After the war was won, Russia became our adversary all through the cold war years. Amos said, Can two walk together, except they be agreed? Amos 3:3 (KJV). The primary reason of course was that Russia’s ideology is Marxist Communism and America is the Democratic Republic with an emphasis on Capitalism. Although there are forces at work in our nation today, that would change our way of life and cram socialism down our throats. It is a proven fact that countries that have embraced socialism in the past, as well as the present, have failed time and time again in their effort to bring prosperity to their people and to measure up to the standards achieved by capitalism. God has truly blessed our nation through the Capitalistic system. Freedom to pursue your dreams is a constitutional right of all Americas. Our freedom to govern ourselves is defined in our Constitution. America is the Constitutional Republic. Consider the opening paragraph of our Constitution:

OPENING PARAGRAPH OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

POLITICALLY CORRECT

Thank God for America and for our Constitutional Republic, however, there are those among us who would like to destroy the foundation on which this great nation was established. That is, In God We Trust. Apart from divine intervention, left in our humanity, in our fallen condition, with all our differences, it would not be possible for America or other nations of the world to agree about life in general and religion in particular. The only one that will achieve this objective will be the Messiah during the Millennium. In the past, evil men have forced the people to agree philosophically or at least force them to comply with those in power through the fear of negative consequences, loss of employment, rejection by the culture, imprisonment, torture, and even death. Otherwise, men who hold freedom dear would resist the tyrants of our world who would take our freedoms from us and force us into bondage. It’s unfortunate that so many young people today have not learned the lessons of the past, primarily because they are not being taught the truth through our educational systems. They have grown up in a protected environment where the truth is obscured by a false reality. They have been lulled to sleep by the deceiver, there on the slippery slope, ever sliding down into the pit. Paul said about these people, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.(2 Timothy 3:7 NKJV). In many cases, they have believed the lie because they have been taught that the truth is a lie and that their lies are true. The scripture declares: Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!. (Isaiah 5:20 KJV) If we do not learn history’s lessons we are bound to repeat them and trust in the slippery tongue tyrants of our world who promise us a Utopian society where everything is free. They ultimately will lead mankind into bondage destruction and death. God’s word says, My people perish for lack of knowledge,(Hosea 4:6 KJV). The end result of our lack of knowledge is death, both physical and spiritual. God help America wake up before it’s too late. There are those in our country seeking more and more power, that desire to take our freedoms from us. We must stand up for the truth even in the midst of the politically correct police that would silence free speech and remove the conservative perspective from the debate. We must not allow the progressives to dominate the conversation. The truth will prevail as long as it’s allowed to be spoken. We must speak the truth in the marketplace of ideas. God help us to be bold and declare it.

DICTATOR’S OF DEATH

In absolute terms, Mao Zedong of China is responsible for the deaths of 40-75 million Chinese. Stalin is responsible for 20 million and Adolf Hitler, for 10-20 million deaths including the murder of 5.4 million Jews. This doesn’t count 40 million civilians and soldiers who died in the War, raising the number to 50-60 million. King Leopold II, the ‘Butcher of Belgium’ killed an estimated 10 million people in the Congo. Hideki Tojo, of Japan during the second world war killed an estimated 5 million civilians throughout China and the Asian Pacific. historyofrussia.org/stalin Article by Andy Young Nov. 16, 2010, Featured, Soviet Russia

THE NEW WORLD ORDER

Throughout human history, during the periods in which certain power-hungry people have lived, there have always been political and military leaders who have desired to rule their world. There have been those that would do anything to bring the world under their domination. Perhaps they thought they could create a Utopian society, but first, they would have to rid the world of the people they viewed as unworthy of living in their new world order. They saw these un-worthy individuals as sub-human and deserving of removal from humanity altogether through extermination. Historians tell us it’s estimated that at least one hundred million people have been murdered for political reasons during the twentieth century. They’ve been killed during wars and by dictators who maintained their power by murdering their own countrymen. For much older Americans, Japan and Germany come to mind when we think about the millions of people who have lost their lives because of the First and Second World Wars. Americans are very aware of German concentration camps liberated at the end of the War. Germany under the leadership of Adolph Hitler exterminated an estimated ten to twelve million in an effort to purge Europe of the Jewish people along with others deemed as undesirable and or enemies of the state. At the end of the conflict, the world discovered the great Holocaust. The Holocaust was one reason the Allies were open to Israel becoming a nation once again in 1948. After about two thousand years without a country to call home, Israel became a nation again in fulfillment of the scriptures. This prophecy is found in the O.T. (Amos 9:14-15) and (Ezekiel 37:10-14). But, as bad as Hitler was, there have been many other world leaders that have killed as many or more people than even Hitler, ie. Mao Zedong and Joseph Stalin. Someone has said, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. It seems the more power a person gets, the more power the person wants, and in some cases will do anything to keep. Sad to say, we see this same kind of attitude with some prominent American leaders in our country today. They do not respect our Constitution, our flag, nor do they respect the rule of law. Americans must focus on 2 Chronicles 7:14, during these challenging days in our nation. We as a people must cry out to our God for help. Politicians are not the answer, the problem in America is spiritual. Jesus is the answer for our nation and our people.

THE SECOND AMENDMENT

Most dictators, along with those who desire control, will attempt to find reasons to disarm the population and take the guns away from the common people. If the general population has no weapons to defend themselves, then they cannot resist the will of those in power. The Founding Fathers of our great nation understood the lessons learned from history past and gave us the Second Amendment to the Constitution. Many dictators of the past took away the right to bear arms by changing their laws. Today, some leaders have confiscated guns, handguns, and rifles from the countries under their control. The people there are at their mercy. Maybe you have heard the illustration: They came for the Jew, I wasn’t a Jew so I said nothing. Then, they came for the Christian and I wasn’t a Christian so again, I said nothing. Then they came for the conservative, I wasn’t a conservative so I didn’t say anything. Then they came for anyone who disagreed with their ideology, it didn’t affect me so again I did not complain. Finally, they came for me also, I looked around for someone to intercede on my behalf, but there was no one left to resist. If the people have no weapons, it would be impossible to resist any government that has military support in implementing political ideology that removes our freedoms and brings bondage. Even if there were those who wanted to help, they could not resist the powers that be, because they would have no weapons to resist the ruling class.

God helps us to stand up and be counted on the side of freedom and justice for all as stated in our Constitution and Declaration of Independence. The Second Amendment of our Constitution is there for a purpose, to help protect our freedoms from those who would take them. There are those among us today that would do away with the principles that have made our nation great. Their agenda is to make people dependent on those in power so they can control the people. Don’t believe their rhetoric, they deceive and are being deceived. You’ve heard it said, The only thing necessary for evil to triumph, is for good people to do nothing. Let us take our stand against that which leaves us powerless, but stand for that which protects our freedoms. The second amendment in my view helps us continue to experience the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity. I’m not preaching violence, but rather passive resistance. The truth will prevail as long as it’s allowed to be proclaimed.

Many in our country want to remove all guns with the idea that if no one had a gun we would all be safer. The truth is that if the government made a law declaring it illegal to own a firearm. Most law-abiding citizens would give up their guns, but what about the bad guys? If you take the guns away from the good guys, only the bad guys would have guns. Then how could you protect your family and how could you maintain your freedoms? Think about it, most of the gun violence in our country has taken place in designated gun-free zones. Can you imagine what would happen if the whole country were disarmed? God help us. Another thing, guns will always be available on the black market. I believe in the second amendment, that is the right according to our constitution to own firearms to protect ourselves, our families, and our freedoms.

AMERICAN GUN NEWS Venezuela Having Second Thoughts Giving Up Their Guns

George Orwell wrote a lot of excellent quotes. Perhaps the most important were these, That rifle on the wall of the laborer’s cottage, or working class flat is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there. He knew that socialist dictators always disarm the populations. Venezuela is living evidence that Orwell figured it out long ago. americangunnews.com

CHRISTIAN VALUES AND THE CULTURE

Now, let us once again look back through our portal. When I was a young boy, there was a different attitude among the people. The people clung to their God, their Bibles, and their guns. Our Country back then had a different set of values than many today. Calvary and the cross were central in the country back then. Some would say that we were a Christian nation, even though there were many who didn’t practice Christianity. Even so, Christian values were a part of the culture. The majority of Americans embraced a morality that was established from Judaeo-Christian principles even though most did not measure up to those standards. What we believed as a people were foundational principles taught in the Word of God and based primarily on the Ten Commandments. These principles are found in the Old Testament, (Exodus 20:2-17; Deuteronomy 5:6-21) and yes, America was and is a Christian nation back then and now. It was established by men and women who were God-fearing, seeking religious freedom which led them to formulate and confirm our Declaration of Independence and Constitution. Somewhere along the way, many of our leaders and people have turned their backs on these standards. One of our previous presidents said. That America is no longer a Christian nation. However, secular humanists, or progressives as they are called, have not completely removed God from our society yet, God forbid. I noticed that In God, we trust, is still on our currency as well as other places in our Government. I have to say, God’s name is translated as Jehovah or Yahweh from the Hebrew, and Jesus is the Greek translation for the Hebrew name Yeshua. The names mean to deliver; to rescue. Our Lord Jesus is the Son of God and the only Savior. He has been given All Authority, by the Father (Matthew 28:18 KJV). According to the Bible,

For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (I Timothy 2:5 KJV). He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords (I Tim. 6:15; Rev.17:14, 19:16 KJV).

He is the Messiah, which means, The Anointed One, Yeshua, Jesus, sent to save the world.

John Adams said, Our Constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It’s wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

He was surely speaking of the Christian faith. This is one reason to elect godly leaders who will prayerfully make decisions based on Biblical truth. Many politicians today do not have the proper faith commitment and the biblical foundation which could enable them to serve the people sacrificially. To be very blunt, most are self-serving. Many enter politics with little or no wealth and leave millionaires. Their voting records or lack thereof show that in many cases the special interest and lobbyist have bought their vote and or their silence by giving to their campaign funds and in some cases hidden benefits. Not all, but many, I’m sorry to say, are corrupt. My prayer is that God will lead His people to search out and encourage godly leaders to run for office. So that we might have those in leadership who are committed to our Constitution and in particular our First and Second Amendments.

Oh, by the way, when President Trump was in office, he may not be as polished or as slick as some others who did nothing while in office except kick the can down the road and get our nation deeper in debt. They continue to lead our country down the rosy path by giving away the kitchen sink to the opposition and implementing their socialistic agenda. In my humble opinion, Trump’s leadership was divinely inspired. About seventy-five million are wishing he was still leading our country. Trump’s numbers will surely grow under Biden’s socialistic agenda. However, we should remember this, that politicians will not save America, but repentance and faith that leads to the Savior. Many have been praying for our Lord to turn America around. Check out Romans Chapter 13. God does answer prayer. Keep praying for our country and the world and for the peace of Jerusalem. It is not politically correct to hold to Christian values today, but we must stand up for the truth. Jesus said that: the truth will set you free, (John 8:32 KJV).

I pray that President Trump runs again in 2024 and is re-elected for four more years. Otherwise, the socialists will continue to destroy the America that we have known and loved. If the socialist by hook or crook should get the Presidency again after Biden, America as we have known it will be gone for decades and may never recover. Could it be that God is setting the stage for His soon return to judge the world for sin and establish His Kingdom? If He should come, are you ready to meet Him? Get your ticket now for the gospel train, all aboard. You may say, where can I get a ticket? The answer is at the foot of the cross. The Bible says, Believe on the Lord Jesus (Christ), and you will be saved. (Acts 16:31 KJV)

THE JOHNSON AMENDMENT

There have always been those who have opposed the Christian point of view. But Christian values have been strongly emphasized in America from before the time that we became a nation. Perhaps the sliding away from our spiritual foundation was facilitated in part by the Johnson Amendment in 1954.

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The Capitol Building Washington D.C.

In the late ‘40s after the war and through the mid-’50s there was an obvious spiritual awakening in America. During this period in our history, ministers along with church congregations generally supported a more conservative political agenda. This emphasis crossed party lines back then. Lyndon B. Johnson, a Texas congressman during that period, presented an amendment that’s referred to as The Separation of Church and State amendment. This law was intended to eliminate the influence of the church from the political process, allowing progressives to gain an advantage over the conservative party. It began as an amendment that emphasized keeping government out of the church, (that’s what Christians were told at the time) but in truth, it was to prevent churches from influencing voters who support and promote conservative leaders in our government. Over time, along with removing the church’s influence with its strong conservative values, it has helped eradicate God from the marketplace a step at a time. In the past they have removed Bibles and prayer from our schools, the Ten Commandments from our Courthouse walls, they have fostered abortion on demand, euthanasia, homosexual marriage, gender change, you name it. What is next? It seems whatever God has established as the natural order of things, the progressive seeks to change traditional values based on the moral teachings of the scriptures, to the exact opposite. On the one hand, it seems to be an attempt to justify one’s behavior, no consequences for their lawless actions, and on the other, the idea of a personal God is too antiquated, too outdated for some who take pride in Progressive thinking. Some desire power at any cost. We see this in the Black Lives Matter movement in our country today. Some believe they were hijacked by Antifa. President Trump designated Antifa as a terrorist organization when he was in office. They have called for certain cities to do away with their Police Departments. God help our Nation if we do away with Law and Order, if that happens, some may result in vigilante justice. In my view, the left will not stop until they can completely do away with our constitution and establish a new form of government based on some type of dictatorship with those on the left in control. Could it be the real reason behind the protests?

However, now that Trump is no longer President, why did they continue to burn our cities after Biden supposedly won the Presidential Election? If you noticed they stopped when Biden and the Democrats came into power. The reason seems to be, they feared that our Supreme Court would overturn the election. They wanted, in particular, for our Supreme Court to not investigate the possible instances of voter fraud. Some thought that if they overturned the election we could have an open conflict between the right and the left in our major cities. Someone said that it’s all about power, control and of course financial gain. God help our country.

Without a belief in God, power-hungry individuals can become gods of their own lives, and attempt to recreate God’s natural order by implementing their own order, which brings chaos. Many progressives, socialists, fascists or Marxists, believe that they can remain in power by slandering the political opposition and by controlling information. Then they hope to have the power to manipulate the political environment to change the natural order into a Utopian world of their own making, where everyone is free without restraints, where no one is accountable to anyone except to those in charge. The power brokers promise total freedom without restraints. A world without accountability, where no one has to work and where everything is free. The only freedom under this Utopian ideology will be that which is permitted by those who make the rules and then force the people to comply. There must be order in human society. Human nature demands it, but who would you prefer to set the rules for life, a man who makes decisions based on personal, political, and material gain or God? The God, who makes decisions based on his perfect plan of love for His creation. I’m not talking about all the false gods of this world created from the imaginations of men, but the One true living God revealed in the Bible. We have seen what man has done to man when he leaves God and His Word out of the equation. The world has functioned for thousands of years under God’s standards. When a man leaves God’s principles out, bad things happen. By the grace of God, I choose to follow our Creator’s plan for life revealed in His Word the Bible. The Johnson Amendment was an effort to maintain power and to promote the progressive agenda by silencing the conservative influence from the pulpits in the churches of America. Most pastors and church leaders went along with the amendment in 1954 because it sounded good at the time, not realizing it was intended to silence pastors for fear of losing their church’s tax-free status.

QUOTE BY ACLJ

Section 501(c)(3) of our nation’s tax code gives tax-exempt status to a church as long as it does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing for statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office. President Johnson proposed the amendment to the tax code that has greatly restricted the free speech of pastors and churches on July 2, 1954. 100 Cong. Rec. 9604 (daily ed. July 2, 1954). The words in opposition to were added in 1986. Ans’s of the Bar of the City of N.Y. v. Comm’r, 858 F.2d 876,879 (2d Cir. 1988)." ACLJ

NEUTRALIZE JOHNSON AMENDMENT

President Trump signed an executive order that eases restrictions on political activity by churches, charities, and other 501(c)(3) groups. Trump’s executive order attempts to neutralize the Johnson Amendment, introduced in the Senate in 1954. By Chris Vest, CAS Associationsnow.com/2017

A BETTER TOMORROW

Change is enviable, life is never frozen in time unless you’re a woolly mammoth trapped in Siberian. It’s moving in one direction or the other, but not always for the best. Sometimes we move away from certain principles and values that have helped make our nation strong. Progress is great as long as it produces positive results, results that continue the freedoms we enjoy as Americans. Freedom of speech is a foundational tenet of our Constitution.

Some believe that secular humanism, Marxism, communism, or one of the other (isms) is the answer for a better tomorrow, seeking equality for all, even for those that are not willing to work for what they get. Many that adhere to these philosophies are in high places of leadership and influence. They are politicians, news media, and in academia, our Colleges and Universities. Some believe in a future without God where man becomes his own deity. There are very wealthy men on our ship that have refused to listen to the Captain. They have funded many progressive programs and believe strongly in a one-world government, or at least one world economy where the wealthy and the powerful are in control and the captain of their own destiny. It’s amazing how wealthy some have become in our world today. Obviously, money translates into power. They have chosen to believe the lie rather than the material evidence that gives credence to the revelation that God is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6 KJV).

Christians believe that all of life has been created by a Supreme Being who has revealed Himself in human history. This same Creator has inspired certain men to record His revelation to mankind. The Bible is believed to be God’s Word to man, revealing God and His standards and principles for life. The Bible reveals mankind’s fallen sinful condition, the consequences of man’s rebellion against God, and God’s redemptive plan to save man from his sin. It also reveals man’s desire to usurp God’s authority over His Creation. These principles are revealed through faith in God’s Son, our Lord Jesus. The Bible declares that all authority has been given to Jesus Christ (Matt.28:18 KJV). "God’s only begotten Son (John 3:16 KJV). The question is, which is the truth? Is the God of the Bible the One true God or not? Is it possible to know? Can we compare the evidence and evaluate each concept and come to a logical conclusion? Let’s consider the facts. Let us first examine the evidence in part from a historical perspective, as we look at certain spiritual concepts and certain philosophical or progressive notions. What does the evidence show?

For example, have the humanistic, socialistic, or communistic ideas some have embraced, and are propagating today been tried in the past? If they have been tried, what was the outcome of such implementation? Were the people involved better off under the particular ideology in question or not? The Soviet Union collapsed after many years of communism. One possible reason was that the money tree had a limited amount of resources, and people naturally resist those who attempt to control. Another reason could be that socialism does not motivate or inspire those living under its philosophy to work harder, to do better because no matter how hard you work the benefit is the same unless, of course, you are the ones in charge, the ones seeking power. Who are the ones making the ultimate practical decisions on the everyday issues of life? The king, some dictator, the military, the President, the Congress, or the people. In our nation today it seems to be those who control the narrative, wealthy progressives, big pharmaceuticals, Silicon Valley, Wall Street, etc. It seems they will do anything to stay in power.

A LOOK AT VENEZUELA

Look at South America and Venezuela in particular that we mentioned earlier. Their Communistic regime is in the process of collapse. Venezuela is one of the wealthiest countries on the South American Continent because of its rich oil supply. Once a thriving democracy the people are reaping the consequences of a communistic president who has become a dictator. If you must have a system in place that will maintain and replenish the economy, that system is capitalism, not communism. Thank our founding fathers that in our Country our Constitution gives us the right to vote on the issues. Someone said: Test all things and hold to that which is true (I Thess. 5:21 KJV). Progress is good as long as it produces a better quality of life. Which philosophy produces the best results? In my view the evidence is clear. There’s a reason America is the greatest country in the modern world. There’s a reason why those that have no life and no future in other countries long to come to America. America has been blessed, and people want to get in on the blessings. In the past, America has been blessed because of our commitment to our Lord’s revealed Word, the Holy Bible. America’s rule of law has been based on Judeo-Christian values. The further away from these standards we slide as a people, the more likely His blessings will be removed from our nation. God loves everyone, but His blessings on individuals and countries have always been based on obeying His Word. If our nation, any nation, should turn its back on Him, don’t be surprised if He removes His umbrella of protection from them. God has allowed America to be free so we can continue to practice the free enterprise system which has helped make America a great nation. The Bible teaches us that God rewards work. In fact, it declares in many places that if you don’t work you won’t eat, (2Thess.3:10 KJV). However, the real key to our success is God’s blessing which comes from our commitment to Him. This is true for individuals as well as nations. He says, "33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matt. 6:33 KJV) Allow God first place in your life and see what happens.

Because of the recent worldwide pandemic of the coronavirus, it appears that our Lord is fulfilling His promise in Matthew’s gospel. Could it be that God is giving humanity a wake-up call to remind us who’s in charge? As society moves forward in an effort to solve its problems, it seems we become more and more self-sufficient. The Bible teaches us to put God first in our lives. If humanity continues to leave God out in our quest for life and happiness we will continue to reap what we sow. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, there have been over a Million lives lost to this virus in the US (March 2022 . How many more will die before we repent as a nation and turn back to the God who can save us from this pandemic?