Quid Pro ‘Snow’

By Jesse Prewitt

Is COVID-19 the worst pandemic to hit the United States of America?

Is this the reason that we have been effectively “quarantined” as a nation? Or, could there be some sinister reason behind crashing the economy, trashing the President and causing wide-spread panic among the American people?

First, some background

The cry heard far and wide, in the previous year, reaching as far back as 2016 in its roots, has been: Quid Pro Quo! Most understand this Latin term used by the legal system to designate something received in return for something given. This term was used ad nauseum by those opposing and attempting to overthrow the duly elected President of the United States.

Seeing that nothing could prevail in the previous attempts the strategy has fallen to a back-up plan that I have dubbed, Quid Pro Snow! If you are attempting to win at any cost and determined to remove a sitting president that has done all that you have promised, yet refused to do in the past 40 years, you tend to grow desperate. When this duly elected president is loved by the heartland of America who elected him, and he has excelled in all he has put his hand to, it makes you look incompetent, to say the least. When all efforts to criticize, demoralize, and even demonize this president have totally failed, you have no choice but to go after the one thing that stands out as a shining accomplishment: the booming economy! Under President Trump, America is enjoying the lowest unemployment and the highest stock market of any in my lifetime. Business is finally growing again. People are back to work. Jobs and industry that were once the hallmark of American culture, are gradually returning to their home country.

Where have they been?

These same corporations and industries, that originated on American soil, had been jettisoned to foreign countries, by the previous several administrations’ policies. (I have made a couple of videos regarding this that can be found on my book’s FaceBook page: America: Danger Close!) I have stated for a long time that industry is much like electricity; it will follow the path of least resistance.  Higher taxes and heavy regulations are the enemy of business. You can thank the Quid Pro Quo’s of the past few administrations for that.

Why is America in panic-mode?

Is it because COVID-19 is the worst pandemic to hit the US? Who pushed the panic button?

Let’s look at the facts.

Under Obama’s administration, H1N1 flu affected millions in the United States and around the world. The CDC states that almost 61 million Americans had the virus in the first year (60.8 million). This timeframe was between 4/12/09 to 4/10/2010. Almost 275,000 Americans were hospitalized (274,304), during this initial year. Nearly 12,500 Americans died from H1N1 (12,469). (https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/basics/past-pandemics.html)

What was the administration’s response to this? The response was to wash your hands, protect yourselves and stay home if you’re sick. Good advice!

So, why the panic with the current situation? Could it be that to shut down small businesses which is the heart of our economy, will damage the precious economic gains this president has made? Could it be that to force people to stay home or face fines, causing the unemployment progress of the past 3 years to soar high, be at the core of this panic-imposing strategy? Could it be that all the main-stream-media can find to talk about is this same panic to the point of nausea?

Could it be that in attempts to blame the president over this tragedy, that the media fails to mention that the Obama administration failed to replenish the national supply of N95 masks, that were used up in the H1N1 pandemic?

The USA Today reports on this and finds it to be true.(https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/04/03/fact-check-did-obama-administration-deplete-n-95-mask-stockpile/5114319002/)

Am I the only one that can see the big picture, here? The big picture seems to contain too many coincidences to be just that. Don’t be surprised if the battle-cry of the Left is that unemployment and the economy are trash under Trump and that America needs a change.

Where have we heard that before?

How Religious Apostasy

Resulting in Moral Degeneration

Leads to Political Anarchy:

By: Jesse Prewitt

Why is our country in such a mess? I hear it almost daily. What has happened to America? Most everyone above the age of 30 has some tender memory of the America that once was.

For those who do not, let me tell you a tale of a nation that was once a place where you could live in relative peace and safety. Children played in the street without constant fear of being stolen and attended school without fear of harm. A place of public worship was the safest place to be on a peaceful Sunday morning. That same place of worship was many times also a refuge for some wayward soul, slipping quietly through its welcoming doors, seeking solace from the previous night’s regretful revelry. Home was the place most cherished. A hot breakfast and loving hugs sent the family members to school and work, with the comfort in their hearts of returning at day’s end to a home-cooked meal around the family supper table, where laughter swept away the cares of the day and goodnight kisses tucked the children into their warm beds at night. Sweet were the dreams of our childhood.

Even politicians with polar-opposite platforms possessed the decency to treat their counterparts with a modicum of respect, at least in the public eye. These same contenders for public office could also be found on Sunday morning at a public place of worship, where everyone laid down the political hatchet long enough to raise a prayer to the Almighty, who gave them the liberty to publicly assemble in freedom and safety.

America has never been perfect. But she was respected, globally. What happened? We look around and it seems that she is a skeleton of her former self. Her spirit remains but she is battered on the outside from the constant barrage of attacks on her front lines. Despite the wear she remains the symbol of freedom and liberty to the world. America is strong, but under constant attack.

A look back in history reveals a similar situation. The nation of Israel had taken possession of the lands given to her by The Lord God. Yet they had neglected to continue to serve Him and resorted to worshipping the idols and pagan gods of the nations among which they dwelt. This religious apostasy had sunk into moral degeneration, which led to political anarchy. (McGee, J.V., 1991, p. 221) The last 3 chapters of the book of Judges, reveal this example of what happens when a nation forgets their God. Israel had forgotten the God that brought their ancestors out of Egypt and across the Jordan, into the promised land. They wanted to be like the other nations and have a king, worship idols and live as they pleased. As is always the case, freedom tends to lead to excess, which in turn leads to a neglect of responsibility, and finally to our ruin, if not kept in check. This is because of man’s sinful nature. We’re born with it and we tend to desire going our own way. It is so easy to get caught up in our luxury and ease as to forget where we came from. God has truly blessed America. Our challenge is to remember where those blessings came from and appreciate everything we have.

Israel’s apostasy resulted in everyone living as they pleased. “Every man did that which was right in his own eyes”, was they way the book ended. (Judges 21: 25) There was no rule of law and civil war among the Jewish tribes resulted from grievous sin in their midst. The offending parties refused to own-up to their evil deeds and ended in the death of thousands.

In chapter 19, certain men of the city of Gibeah of the Benjamites, surrounded the home of one of the city residents housing a Levite visitor and his wife. Pounding on the door, these men demanded the homeowner turn over the man who came into your house, that they might have illicit relations with him. The night ended with these men of Belial who stormed the house, raping the visiting man’s wife, instead, and murdering her. This action led to a civil war to rid the community of the grievous sins of those men. The book tragically ends with the summation of the reason for all the tragedy. The nation had no true leadership and therefore everyone did as they pleased. This important point is worthy of repeating.

Religious apostasy results in moral degeneration and leads to political anarchy. America has degraded herself to the point that she has, in a large capacity, lost the inability to recognize the right kind of leadership. The prognosis is ever darkening. It is too soon to give up, but we must realize the seriousness of the situation. America needs a miracle. There is only One that has that power. The answer is not in a political party, a man, woman or any human ideal. The answer is in The Lord God and His Christ.

References

The Holy Bible, Old Testament, Book of Judges, chapters 19-21

McGee, J.V., 1991, Through the Bible with J. Vernon McGee, Through the Bible Commentary, Thomas Nelson, Inc.

No Grit!

The Story of a Nation That Forgot Where They Came From, and the consequences of failing to follow The Lord.

By: Jesse Prewitt

Our story comes from Judges 4 and 5. If this was a modern western, I would name it: NO GRIT, with the apparent reference to the John Wayne classic.  As we begin looking into this narrative, I cannot help but notice the irony associated with the name of the commander of the armies of Israel, Barak: Commander-in-Cowardice; General Grit-Less!  I will attempt to keep myself in check, but it glares at me. I can find numerous similarities to America in this narrative, but I will attempt to confine my comments to the Biblical account and the exposition of it. I will allow you to draw your own conclusions as to the modern application, but most of it is apparent.

Let’s start with a little history so we get the Paul Harvey on the situation. Joshua, the son of Nun, had died, along with Eleazar, the son of Aaron. We find recorded in the final chapter of the book of Joshua, that their able commander’s last words to the people of Israel were to remind them of all that The Lord God had done for them, how He had brought their fathers out of Egypt, delivering them from slavery and suffering. He reminded them how that their fathers had lived in the wilderness for a long time. (Joshua 24:7) Now Joshua urges them to serve the Lord with sincerity and truth (faithfulness) and put away other gods from among themselves, serving The Lord God only. (Joshua 24:15) Joshua is laying it all out in plain language, urging them to make a choice as to whom they will serve, God or idols. We find here the famous words of Joshua: As for me and my house, we will serve The Lord.

The people promised to serve The Lord God even bearing witness to themselves (as Joshua challenged them in verses 22 and 23) that they would obey the voice of The Lord. To further commemorate their commitment, they made a covenant with Joshua by way of a statue with the reminder of what God has commanded, lest they forget. Now, we must bear in mind that this is a generation mostly removed from war, as their fathers had known it. We find, as we read the preceding history, that time and time again it is recorded that Israel did not totally drive out the inhabitants of the land they had been given, by The Lord God, to dispossess them of it and claim it as their inheritance from God. There is also much discussion across the global scene, as to who is the “original owner” of the land of Palestine, but God’s Word states plainly again and again that The Lord God is the Original Owner, and that He is the One commanding Israel to go in and dispossess those living there, because the inhabitants were committing grievous sins against God. “It is not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your heart that you are going in to possess their land, but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that The Lord your God is driving them out before you”. (Deuteronomy 9:5) God was evicting the previous tenants because of their evil doings! He is giving it to Israel.

The Tail and Not the Head

I find it interesting that many are quick to point out the promise of being the head and not the tail, as found in Deuteronomy 28, but upon closer examination we find that this promise is conditional upon Israel’s obedience and faithfulness to The Lord God. (Deut. 28:13; 15) In fact, God goes on to promise the opposite will occur if they do not listen and observe His Commandments, living their lives as is pleasing to God. It is not my intention to major on the negative, but God’s blessings always come to us as a result of our obedience. Now, I realize we live in the age of Grace, and that means receiving that of which we are not worthy, in reference to salvation and all that involves. But I am not speaking about our eternal destiny, but about our temporal walk, here on this earth, until He returns to take us home. If we are in Christ, our eternity is settled. It is our daily walk to which I refer. We are free from the penalty of sin, but we are not free to live in disobedience to Christ. We expect our children to obey us and do right, and God expects no less.

When They Thought God Wasn’t Looking

Even though they had promised Joshua to follow God and Him alone, the Biblical account reveals that they “forsook the Lord and followed after Baal.” (Judges 2:13) As a result of this disobedience, everywhere they went the hand of the Lord was against them for evil. (Judges 2:15) In the same chapter we find that they did not listen to their judges which God gave them to lead them in victory against their enemies. Each time one of their leaders would die, they would turn back to their idolatrous ways, even more corruptly than before. In the tenth verse of chapter 2, we are told that one generation died and the next one “did not know the Lord nor yet the work which He had done for Israel.” This might be easily overlooked if we are not careful. This is one thing that has happened to America. The current generation does not understand our nation’s history, nor do they understand where America came from, so they do not appreciate it. How can this happen? It happens when one generation fails to pass on, to the next generation, who we are, where we came from and how we got here. We wonder why they don’t respect our history; it’s because they are not familiar with it. It has been suppressed in the classroom. It has not found its way across the pulpits of America, because many have failed to see its importance to the next generation and others have been intimidated by the culture in which they live. We need men of God that won’t be intimidated by anything or anyone. America needs men that stand strong and speak the truth, no matter what. This is the only way future generations will know the God that brought us to where we are, today. We must tell it to our children! It is not the responsibility of the public school to teach our children about God and how to live, it is our job! The school is only a reflection of our society. It is the responsibility of parents that take their children to church and teach them at home about God. It is the responsibility of men, husbands, fathers, to take the lead and teach their families how to walk with God and grow up to be godly men and women.

All That Was Introduction

But we also find that God’s Hand of Grace is still at work, even when we don’t understand it. Judges chapter 3 begins with this. Our God is so amazing that He can take our mistakes and use them to His Glory. This is not to give us license to continue in disobedience, but He can take the broken things in life and use them. Despite this new generation not being taught the right way, God allows their enemies to remain to “prove” them, meaning to allow them to go through the fire in order to strengthen them. They had not known war, but they would soon learn. How many times have we mistaken God’s discipline? He disciplines His own; He is making us more like Christ, if we belong to Him.

In Judges chapter 4, we find that Deborah was judging Israel. There had been 3 previous judges: Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar. Each of them led Israel to victory and the land had rest in the wake of their leadership. After each of them died, however, the people would again return to their old habits, and because of this, as God had promised, they suffered the consequences of their disobedience. Then the next judge would rise-up to deliver them. The pattern kept repeating itself. Chapters 4 and 5 give us a good idea of the situation in Israel. Chapter 5 consists of song that they sang about their days of battle. The description is that many days they were at war. Verse 8 tells us that there was not a shield, or a spear seen among 40 thousand in Israel. It also gives us the reason for all this; “New gods were chosen.” The people were defeated, disarmed, and suffering. Some people become defensive when you suggest that nations suffer when they turn against God. We can see that not all suffering is meant to harm us, as in the case of our text, but suffering exists in this world because of sin. Our first parents made a choice to disobey God and we all bear the consequences of a sinful nature. This is the reason Christ came. He came to offer Himself for us on the cross. He came to take our place and redeem us back to God. The fact is, however, that though redeemed in our souls, we still live in this body destined for the grave.  

Barak: Commander-in-Cowardice; General Grit-Less! 

This brings us to the main idea. Deborah was about to lead Israel to victory against her enemies, because God had heard their cries for help. Deborah called a certain General named Barak. When reading this account, you cannot help but wonder why this general couldn’t just lead them to defeat the enemy, but soon we discover why. When Deborah told him what he was to do, he chickened out! He said that he would go, but only if she would go with him. He was to lead 10 thousand men to attack the enemy and he wants her to hold his hand. Now, to be fair, Barak is indeed mentioned in Hebrews 11:32, the chapter many refer to as the Hall of Faith. It is just that, a mention. Barak did indeed lead the armies into battle, but we can’t escape the shame that was dropped on him by Deborah, in that he would not receive the honor of this victory, but that the Lord will deliver Sisera (the commander of Jabin’s army) his counterpart, into the hands of a woman. We discover later in chapter 4 that Jael, a gentile woman, is the one that took out the enemy general with a hammer and a tent stake. (Judges 4:21)

I’m sure by now many have pegged me and placed me in the complementarian category, but I wonder how many times we as men have failed to claim the honor of victory over struggles in the lives of our families, due to the fact that we have simply lacked the courage to go on with God. I wonder how many men could have saved their families had they stepped up and been the man that God wanted them to be. I admit I have been guilty of this in the past, myself. But, my friend, it is not too late to claim what God has given into your hands. That is one of the wonderful things about living today, in this day of Grace. God is a longsuffering God and He forgives and heals our hearts. He can make you into the man, the husband, the father, that God intended you to be.

It all can start right here, right now. Give it to Him. He uses broken things. If you are a Christian, don’t forget where you came from and let your family suffer the consequences of not knowing God and all He wants to do in their lives. Let Him begin in yours! Become the man, the leader you were intended to be.

Bloody Bridegrooms

Exodus 4:24-26

Jesse Prewitt

Spiritual Leadership 101

In the fourth chapter of Exodus, we find an couple of verses that are easy to overlook, but on further investigation, they tell a shocking story that most have never seen in this narrative of Moses and God’s call to lead God’s son, Israel, out of the bondage of Egyptian oppression. The Holy Spirit strategically placed these verses, here, so that we might gain instruction (as men) on how to be spiritual leaders, from the account of Moses. Moses, with all his excuses of why he would be unable, unqualified and inadequate for what The Lord God was calling him to do, was about to get a crash course in obedience. It was a matter of life and death!

Background: Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

In the third chapter it is recorded that God appeared to Moses (by way of the burning bush), as he was out pasturing the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. The land of Midian is where Moses fled, after killing the Egyptian he saw beating his Hebrew kinsman. Moses, as the Biblical account tells us, was miraculously saved from being killed by Pharaoh, as a child. He was saved by The Hand of God, for the purpose of leading God’s people out of this Egyptian suffering. Most Sunday School kiddos know how that Moses was spared by his own mother who put him in the pitch-covered basket, placing him in the Nile, where he was discovered by Pharaoh’s daughter. She took the baby and raised him as her own son, being nursed by Moses’ own natural mother. This was all in the plan of God.

Now, in Exodus 4 God has called Moses, dealt with his excuses, and commissioned him to carry out God’s mission of rescuing God’s people from the suffering at the hand of their oppressors. In Exodus 3:7 God says that He has surely seen the affliction of His people. So, God appears to Moses in the burning bush and issues him the command to go and deliver Israel. One of the main points that stands out is the fact that God sees His peoples’ afflictions. Never forget that God knows about all we go through. None of it fails to meet His Gaze. He heard the cry of His children and He is about to execute His rescue mission. He has chosen a man to lead them out—Moses.

Excuses, Excuses!

No less than four times Moses offers an excuse to God: Who am I? What if they say… What if they won’t believe me? I am not much of a talker. You get the feeling that this mission is urgent, and The Lord is not in the mood for wasting time. In Exodus 4:14, we read that the anger of The Lord was kindled against Moses. Right after God had told Moses that He would teach him how and what to say, Moses blurts out that maybe God should just pick someone else. It appears that this is not sitting well with The Lord.

So, we might say that Moses was just a man a great humility, not wanting to be in the spotlight, he simply wanted to be a behind-the-scenes servant, letting someone else get the credit and press for doing what needed to be done. What’s wrong with that? But there was more to it than that. God had called Moses. He had called him for this purpose, not just to stand by and observe, or even to lend a hand to others doing the job; He had intended Moses be that man. And Moses was about to get the training that would change his life!

Excuses were not the only problem!

After God tells Moses how all was going to play out in Egypt, in our chosen text, we find that on the way to Egypt, as Moses and his family stop to lodge for the night, verse 24 says that God met Moses on the way and sought to kill him! Why would God do this? Why would God send him to Egypt, then meet him halfway and try to kill him? The answer is found in the following two verses. In Genesis 17, God told Abraham that all his descendants would take part in the Covenant of circumcision. This was the sign of the covenant between God and Abraham, says The Lord, in verse 11. In fact, no less than 5 times in verses 9 through 14, God mentions this Covenant. It would appear, then, that it is important to God and to Abraham and his descendants, as well.

This brings us back to our focus text. The reason that we believe that Moses’ attitude was not simply one of great humility, but rather one of neglect and unwillingness to do what God had commissioned him to do, is because apparently he had failed to see that his new son (perhaps both of them) were circumcised, on the eighth day, as God’s Covenant commanded. Now, God has likely stricken Moses with an illness that threatens his life. Moses’ wife, Zipporah, literally saves Moses’ life by performing the circumcision with a knife of flint. Then she basically flings the pieces of flesh upon Moses’ feet as he lay there at death’s door, saying: Indeed you are a bloody bridegroom to me. The KJV says: “Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.” The following verse tell us that God let Moses alone.

We learn that Moses’ wife did not see the importance in the “bloody” ritual of circumcision, likely because her husband had failed to be the man of the house and teach his family what God had taught and commanded. When she saw what was happening to her husband, she did what was necessary to save Moses’ life. But apparently, she still found the practice barbaric. Her statement tells it all.

Upon reading this for the first time, God spoke to my heart about the importance of men being the spiritual leaders of the home. Yes, I believe the Bible teaches that men are the spiritual leaders. This is God’s choice. This does not mean that women are worth any less; it is simply a position that God chose, and He is God. It is His world and we are His people. This says nothing of the worth or value of women, in fact, women are more precious. Someone said that women were created one step further from the dirt. Women are special. Women can do things that men can’t, and vice versa. Beyond that, I refuse to get caught up in web of nonsense trying to explain something God has established. Let’s just accept what God made.

It’s our job!

It is so very easy for men to be manly, even in today’s climate, being outdoorsy and masculine is normal behavior for most men, though not an absolute prerequisite for being a man. Just because you don’t prefer the outdoor life, doesn’t mean you aren’t manly. However, to make the point, it is common for men to be masculine. The problem is when it comes to spiritual matters men often miss the mark. Many would rather let their wife be the spiritual one in the family. Oh, they will tag along with her to church, but don’t ask them to take a leading role. I don’t want to rain on the parade of those wives that are just happy their husband is going to church with them, but this is not what God intended. God not only wants men to be manly, in the traditional sense, but more important than that, He intends us to take the lead—the spiritual lead!

Sir, the family should be following you! It should not be you following them! God created you to be the head of the home, but in God’s Plan, that includes being the spiritual head, as well.

So many men complain that their wife doesn’t want to do as he wishes, but I say that if you would simply be the man that God created you to be, she would see you differently and follow you in God’s Grace.

Like Moses, men, we are full of excuses and reasons why we cannot be all God wants us to be—created us to be. But, like God told Moses, He will teach us what we need to know, He will put His Words (the Bible) within our mouths, when we hide it in our hearts, and lead us to lead our families.

A godly man leading the home will create an atmosphere that causes sons to grow into men that, in turn, lead their own families to Christ. Studies have shown that the presence of a loving father in the home significantly effects the emotional environment for daughters. Daughters need a God-fearing father that teaches them how to love and be loved the way God intended. A godly man in the home dramatically changes the entire home environment and he teaches them to follow The Lord.

Someone once asked me what I thought about women preachers. I know they were trying to trap me. I responded: Maybe God couldn’t find a man!

I’m going to take a shot at a sacred cow right here. A great controversy exists concerning this subject. I am convinced it wouldn’t be so prominent if men would step up to the plate and be all that God wants them to be! I believe the problem exists largely because of the failure of men and their unwillingness to man up! A man can be as strong as an ox, yet spiritually weak and you’ll not convince me that most women are not attracted to a man that is all God wants him to be. That is an attraction that God created. It is fact! Women love a God-fearing man because he is complete. He is complete because that is the way he was created to be. A God-fearing man is the ultimate man. You may be burly as Grizzly Adams, but without The Lord in your life, you are not a total man.

Zipporah stepped up and saved Moses’ life! Thank God for women! I thank God every day for my precious wife. He gave her to me, and I love her with all my heart. She is smarter than me in so many ways. She can do many things that I cannot. But she can’t be the spiritual leader of the family, that’s MY responsibility. God called me to that position. Each day I make a conscious effort to treat her like my queen. God commanded me to love her like He loves His church. That is a sacrificial love. That requires effort and it requires leadership. I am responsible for leading my family to God, taking them to church and teaching them to love Jesus. Like Moses, I falter, stammer, and sometimes don’t know how to proceed, but God teaches me and leads me, to lead them.

Just because we may be in the ministry, doesn’t mean God won’t meet us on the road, and require us to get things right! Moses had accepted the mission and yet he had neglected his family and his leadership responsibility to them and to God. God wasn’t having it! God didn’t try to kill Moses’ wife! She was a Midianite, not a Hebrew. She was not responsible for the leadership of the home—Moses was!

The covenant of circumcision was between God and Abraham. It was sort of a ‘blood covenant”, in a sense, but now we have a new covenant in Christ. The Bible tells that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. (Hebrews 9:22) In the book of Hebrews, The Lord teaches us that the New Blood Covenant (what Christ did for us on the cross) is superior to the old blood covenant God made with Abraham. It was not intended to last forever, but point us to the new one, in Christ. The Abrahamic covenant stressed man’s dependence on God rather than the flesh; as does the new one in Christ.

This paper is not intended to stir controversy, but rather to stir hearts—the hearts of the men of God. We have a Godly responsibility to be Godly Leaders. We need to be Bloody Bridegrooms (Husbands) but husbands covered by the blood of Christ. Christ is our Head, and we are meant to honor Him with our lives. What kind of husband are you?

Coming to a planet near you!

By: Jesse Prewitt

You just saw the news! It’s all over every network! You can’t believe it’s real! This has got to be a joke of some kind. Are you dreaming? Is this a terrible nightmare? They are saying that millions of human beings are literally missing, from all over the world! They simply disappeared! Many vanished, right before the eyes of others! How can this be true? Could it be aliens from space? What is going on?! Their clothing and personal possessions, such as jewelry, wallets, backpacks, purses, etc., are all that is left. And all the little children are missing, too! This adds to the panic. The earth is in a state of pandemonium.

Then you remember something you had almost completely buried in your memory. It was something you heard some preacher say, about people being taken from this earth. Could this be that? Could they have been right? This is a nightmare!

What you just read is going to be take place at some point in the future. I believe it will be happening soon, sooner than many believe. People are going to experience what you just read. Will you be one of them?

In today’s political climate (with all the crazy events taking place) with the news media and those left in charge, the spin that will most likely be put on this event is that it must be some sort of alien attack from space. I mean, what other explanation could there be? This idea of aliens has been floating around for many years. Many will go for it. Even those that doubted before will surely believe now! They will probably blame Vice President Pence (and President Trump) for the new space program, as the reason for the USA making the aliens angry because we invaded space and, as we are always accused of, attempted to impose our will on others. How dare we?

The truth is that which has just happened is that which the Bible has spoken of. The Bible declared it would happen. Christians refer to it as the Rapture. This actual word is not found in the Scriptures, but the concept is. In fact, the term rapture means to be caught up or snatched away. That meaning is in the Bible, in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. I realize many will have their own interpretation of this subject, but in the context of the Scripture as a whole, I am convinced of its validity.

Many are looking for Christ to return. Just as in His first coming, as a Suffering Servant to this earth, many were looking for a different kind of Messiah. They were looking for one who would deliver them from Roman rule and take up the Throne of David. Make no mistake, He will do just that, but first He came to deliver us from the penalty of sin and the next time He comes back, He will sit on that Throne. It is rightfully His!

What we are talking about, today, is not His Second Coming, where all the world will see Him, but the Rapture of His Church. This event will not be so visible, only the fact of millions missing from all over the world. I am not talking about from all religions of the world, but Christians from all over the globe.

You cannot say that you were not told of this. You are reading it now. This world is about to take on a new order and you don’t want to be left here and see it take place. I promise you! You think that things are bad now? You don’t want to see what happens next.

Call on Jesus today! He will save you right where you are.

By: Jesse Prewitt

The fight is already on American soil

They know they can’t defeat the United States of America, by force of arms. So, they attack us from within. They will hide behind women and children; we won’t! They hide in mosques and schools, where they are protected by women and children, so we won’t fire upon them. We stand in the open and fight like men. They won’t! We live by a certain code, that of being brave and heroic. They will use whatever means fits their agenda. They have no code, no honor and no shame. I don’t even have to mention their name.

Their strategy is to use our own weakness (as they perceive it) against us. They refer to us as cowboys, which is a reference to our willingness to charge into the situation and fight. It is a slander on our bravery, as a nation, and our propensity to do what is right no matter the odds we may face.  

The Use of Atypical Methods

They are fully aware of our sensitivity to the feelings of others, our tolerance of others’ beliefs, yet they attack us on this very subject, accusing us of having no tolerance. This is intended to keep us off balance just enough that we will not be at our best in the fight. If you keep your opponent off balance you have a greater chance of having the upper hand, gaining the advantage. This is a psychological strategy that is being implemented against conservative Americans, patriots, and the Christian Worldview, in general.

They are aware that nobody, no army, no force, on the face of the earth, can stand toe-to-toe with the military might of the United States of America, and hope to win. The American-military fighting-machine, is the greatest that has ever been, and that is saying a lot. It consists of the bravest and the best. What makes us the best is not only the training and preparation received, but the fact that we fight for what is right! We stand for the good; we defend the weak. We are admired around the globe. We run in where others run away! This is one of the traits that our enemies despise in us. They hate us! The respect us, but they hate us!

They despise our lands, our country, our homes, our families, our freedom and our prosperity. They hate our decency, our happiness, our peace of mind. They despise our God, our faith, our salvation and our hope for this life and eternity. They look with disdain upon our helping the needy and the poor. The prosperity we enjoy in America, is a result of acknowledgement of Almighty God as Creator, Provider, and as worthy of our worship and admiration. The very fact that this statement is a hot-button issue with many around the world, is evident of its validity.

Other nations suffer in many ways because they refuse to honor Almighty God, and their ancestors failed to acknowledge Him as Lord. Had they done so, they would have been blessed and cared for, but they kicked Him out of their nation and lives. It is not so much a matter of punishment as a forfeiture of His blessings and provision. In a sense, they punish themselves. This very statement infuriates those opposing this Christian Worldview, yet similar statements by Islamists, demanding reverence for their deity, is shrugged off as unworthy of their notice.

The Lord God told Israel (Deuteronomy 11:26-28) that He was placing before them two options: blessing and a curse. He offered them a choice. The Mohammedans declare that their deity requires the heads of all that refuse to submit; yet The Christian God allows us to choose. Which God would you rather follow?  

I wrote, America: Danger Close (will it be) Revival or Revolution? (Prewitt, J., 2012) with intention to pen a second book to follow up. The original aims at the reason America is in the condition in which she finds herself. It is focused on the spiritual reasons, for which we seem to be attempting to find social solutions. The social aspects of America’s troubles are remedied in the solution to her spiritual problem. It is simply a matter of the heart.

America asked for it

I saw it coming! I saw America in trouble, when hopeful Black-America and guilt-ridden, ignorant, White-America elected Barak Hussein Obama (an unknown) to the highest office in the land. I saw this not due to his racial make-up (as many want to believe) but because of his character and his ideals. I wrote about interviews he held, where he revealed the fact that he was not a Christian, as he publicly claimed. I saw trouble when he touted himself as the most transparent president, when he immediately began to do virtually everything behind closed doors. If you recall, he and Hillary, at a crucial point, were close in the polls, and it seemed that Hillary might have had a significant lead and could have been the nominee for the Democratic ticket. But he took Hillary behind closed doors, and he came out as the candidate. I remember this fact, I was watching! I remember stating that I would have loved to be a fly on the wall at that meeting. I am convinced that this may be the actual source of Hillary’s attitude, to this very day. I believe that Hillary may have been robbed of her chance to be the nominee, by Obama and the DNC, that very day. (I have not read or heard of anyone else making this specific point) Promises were apparently made as a concession, for her to be the Secretary of State, and possibly that her turn would be next, to be President. This is where Hillary got robbed! Of course, she is angry still!

The rest, as they say, is history; tragic history. America took ten steps backward, in her race-relations, as a result of Barak Hussein Obama’s stirring of America’s racial pot. I will not waste precious time relating all the negative effects his mis-administration has had on America. Besides, the opposition has a closed mind and it would be futile. I won’t waste my breath.

Either way, here we are. Anyone with half a brain and one good eye can see our condition.

Here we are

So, the previous mis-administration set America back to the Stone-Age, both economically and socially. They continue to sell us their rancid bill of goods, preaching guilt for being created as you are, enjoying what you have worked for, and believing that what you were taught by your parents is the right way to live. They tout socialism (which is nothing more than communism) as being the only viable form of government available to society. You will find, in my original book, the reason that this generation believes this nonsense.

Money talks

All other stuff walks! The guilt-ridden and ignorant neglected to take notice that still there remains a majority of patriotic Americans that have not swilled the kool-aide. This is the reason that Donald Trump is President, today.

For decades politicians in Washington, DC have promised the moon to get elected, yet have never come through on most of those promises. It amazes those of us who take notice how that a member of Congress, entering office, has little net worth, yet in a few years, at a salary many of them claim to be insufficient, gains a portfolio, worth millions. It must be due a lot of good speaking engagements, like Bill Clinton’s $500k to speak to the Russians. Many of us want to see their tax returns. But, if they were clever enough to take it, they are clever enough to hide it, as well.

I worked around DC, in the 1990’s, and I can tell you, there has been a lot of money floating around for politicians to take advantage of for a long time. But, here comes one that money cannot buy! He doesn’t need their money nor their acclaim. He is just the man for the job. The American people prayed, and God provided. He is the man we needed.

Now the humiliation sets in! All those promises made for all those years, plus all the excuses why they couldn’t be kept, are seen by the American voter for what they are. Liars are brought to light. This is embarrassing to the career politician. They want Donald Trump gone! They want him humiliated, as they are. They will not stop until they get what they want. The gloves are off! The wicked are out in the open. No more hiding. We can now see the radical Left for what they truly are. We can see those we thought were on our side, for what they are, as well.

Changing America

This is all part of what Obama began; the fundamental change of America. He made the statement that America was the greatest nation on the earth, then in the next breath, says help me change her fundamentally. This should have been a red flag for more than just a few. He virtually bankrupted us, set us back 100-plus years socially, humiliated us in the eyes of the world, and began the infiltration of that which will eventually destroy us from within. Refugees, he told us, need to be brought to America. You mean, that place they refer to as the great satan? That America? They were brought here to begin replacing the old guard (you and me, the conservative minds) with a new “citizen” of the world. Ilhan Omar, member of the Minnesota US House of Representatives, District 60B, is a poster-child for efforts of the Obama Regime. Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, she came to this country, along with other refugees which infiltrated an area of the nation, left void by past, failed economic policies (referred to in my book).  She apparently hates America. She hates our President. She hates our culture so much that she wants to live here, indefinitely. She is only one, but if left to the socialists, she will be the new future of this nation’s leadership.

When Obama got elected, many honestly wanted to give him “a chance”, as one of my own family members put it. The DNC, and others, sold him as such, but we soon saw the real Barak. He had an agenda; as did the ones promoting him to that position. It was, and still is, all about control. The circus we observe, daily, is about control and trying to regain something they feel has been taken away from them. The Left believed that with Obama’s gaining office, they would never have another Republican or Conservative in that office, again. They expected to have total control over America’s future. Those eight years would fundamentally change America and it would never be the same again. They thought by now, we would be calling each other, comrade. Their goal is to take America down (from her high-horse, they perceive) and make her like just one of the nations of the world, not great and special, as God established her to be. They consider America to be too big for her britches and that we think we are better than everyone else. They don’t see that we are strong so that we can be peaceful and help others. They see us as spoiled rich-kids that look down our noses at the world. They have been indoctrinated to believe that Americans got where we are by being handed everything on a silver platter, or that we stole what we have from other nations. They don’t realize that God has blessed us because our nation has honored Him in our founding and in our laws. Americans work hard for their income and enjoy the benefits of their labor. This pleases The Lord.

The Reality

This is where the rub is! America has elected a President that puts America first. Our economy is booming, and unemployment is at an all-time low. People are back to work, and industry is returning to our own soil, again. We have the respect of the nations of the world. They still don’t like us, but they respect our strength. It is from this position of strength that we negotiate for peace. It is impossible to negotiate peace from a position of weakness, as Obama and his handlers wanted us to be. This is the reason his failed Foreign Polices didn’t work. Nobody in this world has any respect for weak nations. You get trampled by the wicked nations. This is what happened in Somalia, where Ilhan Omar came from. The warlords warred against each other and only the strongest and the most wicked survived. The problem is not the strength a nation possesses, but the heart a nation has. It is not evil to have possessions; it is evil to abuse others and take what rightfully belongs to them. Just as in Somalia, in the early 1990’s, America, among other nations (but we led the way and usually do) responded with food and assistance, but the wicked warlords stole it from their own people and let them starve to death. This tragic event occurred at a time when an outgoing administration (Bush 41) and incoming (Clinton) overlapped, and Bill Clinton failed to deal with this in the best way. Too many of our boys died trying to help the nation of Somalia. It should have been different. Clinton was also weak on Foreign Policy. His response to terrorism was consistently weak. This is typical of the Left.

Fast forward to the present and you can see where Hillary got her policies from. Benghazi is evidence of that fact.

America, Danger Close

In my book, I ended with saying that God may give America another chance to regain her place, or that Obama might be president forever. This depended on if we called upon Him for deliverance or not. It is apparent that America did indeed call upon God for help! Help arrived!

To Be or Not to Be

America has an opportunity to be, again, what God intended her to be. But there are a couple of factors working against us. The first, we have mentioned. The enemies of America have invested heavily in our demise. They have infiltrated our numbers, indoctrinated our schools, colleges and universities. They are diligent and persistent. They are organized. They are militant and demonstrate a cohesion that the conservative camp lacks. Too many conservatives differ enough to cause us to fail to stand together, at times. The Left doesn’t vet their members like we do, they will stick together like there’s no tomorrow, principles be damned. They don’t care how far out there one may be, you can be a member of their organization, the crazier the better. This may be a problem for us at some time. We, conservatives, must find the sufficient common ground upon which to stand to defend this nation.

The other factor working against us is God, Himself. We must get our collective spiritual act together. Christians must not only call upon The Lord for help but must be willing to put feet to our faith. We must return to the God of our fathers and put Christ back where we have dismissed Him from, beginning with our homes and families. This is only the first part of this factor. The other part is time. I am convinced that the time is near for Christ’s Return.

At some point in time, the Bible is clear that the days will come when things will get pretty rough, on this earth. The world will not desire to hear what God has to say, but what they want to hear. Does this mean that we should just stand back and let it happen; seeing there is nothing we can do about it? We should live and work as if we have a future but do our best as if this was the last day. I believe that we should pray for America as if we have a long future ahead as a nation. But we should bow to the Will of Almighty God and keep in mind that Jesus may return for His own at any moment.

This is no time to be spiritually lazy. This is no time to take what we have for granted. This is a time to pray and be certain our lives are pleasing to Him. This is time to put on His Armor and take up His Sword, the Word of God.

Keep your eyes on the skies!

America: Danger Close! (will it be) Revival or Revolution? (Prewitt, J., 2012) WestBow Press, a division of Thomas Nelson Publishing, Bloomington, IN, ISBN: 978-1-4497-6418-0; ISBN: 978-1-4497-6420-3; ISBN: 978-1-4497-6419-7

You Are the Salt of the Earth (not the sugar)

Matthew 5:13

The first portion of Matthew, chapter 5, is referred to as the Beatitudes. The latter half of the chapter is what I refer to as the Do-Attitudes. As is common, in much of Scripture, you have the spiritual lesson first, then in the latter, the practical application of that which is taught in the previous part. Such is the case here. Our focus, in this discussion, is on being the salt of the earth. We will discuss both the spiritual implications and the practical application of being salt.

Why does Jesus refer to His disciples as the salt of the earth? Why not sugar? Sugar is sweet to the taste and delightful! Salt, not so much, at least by itself. In fact, for salt to have its proper effect, it must be applied. Salt must make contact to have an effect. Salt, alone, is not very tasteful. But salt applied is another matter. In fact, when applied properly and in the correct proportions, you don’t taste the salt, nor do you consciously notice its presence. Too much or too little is very noticeable, however.

Let’s consider some of the properties of salt so that we may understand both the spiritual implications and the practical applications of this lesson Jesus taught.

Salt is valuable

Salt has value. Many Roman soldiers were paid (at least partially) in salt. Salt is a grand commodity. In history, salt has been used in trade. Our lives would be very different if not for salt.

You and I are valuable to The Lord. We are His representatives on this earth until He returns. He loves us more than we can fathom. He has invested the greatest Treasure of Heaven, God’s Only Son, Jesus Christ, in us to redeem us to Himself. The Message that we carry to a lost and dying world, is of the utmost importance. We are His Messengers.

Salt flavors

Our food would be virtually tasteless if not for salt. Baby food, for example, does not contain much salt. When baby first tastes food that contains salt, such as table-food, you are going to have a hard time getting them to go back to the former. I know this by experience! Have you ever been to a restaurant where the food is not properly seasoned? The first thing we tend to notice is the absence of salt. The absence of other seasonings will follow, but the primary thing is salt. I love to cook, and I love using seasoning. I grew up in west-central Louisiana. The culinary influence of Louisiana, and the south, was evident in everything my Mother cooked. This has naturally found its way into my own cooking.

Again, salt applied in the correct proportion is not consciously noticeable. When food is correctly salted, we don’t notice its presence; we notice its influence. Only when the salt is out of balance with the other seasonings, and the dish itself, do we tend to taste the salt or the absence of it. Salt is also used in the culinary world to brine meats, for example. This process is not intended to add the flavor of salt, but to cause the meat to retain moisture during the cooking process, which significantly enhances the flavor.

We might add that when too little salt has been added to the dish, this can be resolved. This necessitates careful and thoughtful application. Adjustments can be made as needed. However, when too much salt has been added, the result is disastrous. The entire dish is usually ruined. An expert Chef can sometimes save the day and make the dish palatable. Otherwise, you must start over.

This can be of great value to us, as Christians, in the spiritual application of this lesson. We can come-on too strong and ruin our testimony, and the moment, or we can take great care, prepare ourselves through His Word and prayer, depend on The Lord, and make maximum use of our influence with others.

Contrary to the opinions of many, Christians are the flavoring (seasoning) in this present world. Without the presence of Godly men, women, boys and girls, in this day, the condition of the world would be significantly different. The world, in general, and America in particular, is in a sad state, though many cannot see its condition. This is caused by a spiritual blindness that The Bible speaks of existing in the end times, and I am convinced is already beginning. Things look bleak to those of us who hold vivid memories of our childhood. We recall life as we have experienced it in America, growing up in small towns where people looked out for each other, respecting the Flag and our nation. We cherish memories of Sunday dinners after church, sitting on the front porch with family, relaxing rides out in the countryside, and living life in peace. I was blessed to live in a time when we never locked our doors because there was no threat to our way of life. It is sad that many have no experience with this kind of peace of mind, peace and safety in the home, and the security it brings to our lives.

I’ve no intention of turning this into a debate, but I grew up in a small town where hunting and fishing was a way of life. Virtually every pickup truck had a gun rack (usually a shotgun and a rifle) in the rear window of the truck. We never gave it a second thought because this was the norm. This was the cultural and community norm. I remember standing out near where we parked (there was no parking lot, just an open grassy area) near the high school, talking to one of the teachers or the principal about hunting and fishing. We often joked with each other about how big the fish was or how big the horns were on the deer we took. There were those same guns in the gunrack in our trucks and nobody had a problem or gave a thought about danger or harm to anyone. I realize that minds are exploding at the reading of this, but it is fact.

My Father was the pastor of the Baptist Church and my Mother was the Justice of the Peace, in our small town. I grew up seeing the good and bad in people, but we were safe in our homes. Millions have no concept of that kind of peace and safety.

Looking back, it is easy to see the reason for this. There was an abiding respect for Almighty God and America. People went to church and even those that didn’t frequent the House of God so much, still bore an innate respect for Jesus Christ and His church. Being a Christian was a thing to be respected, rather than ridiculed. Even the ungodly would not hesitate to call the Man of God, when they needed someone to help them, to bury their family members, or perform the rite of Holy Matrimony. It is easy to compare the decline in the moral fabric of America and the decline in the respect for God and Country. The fact that many will grimace at this statement is evidence of the its truthfulness.

Even in the face of the world’s current condition, and especially America’s, still Christians who name the Name of Christ, influence society more than the enemy of our souls would care to admit.

Salt preserves

Salt is well-known for its preserving qualities. It is used in preserving food and many other things. Where I grew up, there were many farmers and ranchers. We had a canning center at the High School, where students learned through class time, as well as practical, hands-on experience, how to process beef cattle, for example. The intake area involved applying salt to the hides, for preservation.

I am convinced that The United States of America was founded for the express purpose of taking the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ to the world, in the last days. No other country or culture has offered the personal liberty to be a Christian or not, as America offers. The way that our government was founded and structured, allows freedom to all to worship and live as they please. Some have attempted to achieve greater protection to their liberty. Others seek to destroy our foundations to rebuild something they think is better. Let me assure you that it will always be better for them, not for you and me.

Christianity is at the heart of all that is America. This is what our founders based this country on, and when these foundations erode, it will be over as we know it.

Salt purifies and cleanses

Salt has healing power. Many use bath salts, salts for soaking our tired aching feet, and for keeping our skin soft and youthful-looking. You will find salt water used in swimming pools to keep the water clean. The oceans are salty and crystal clear. My family and I love to frequent the Pensacola area of Florida, where the seas are clear, and the beaches are white with sugar-sand.

God uses the Message of The Gospel to effect change in peoples’ lives. Our mission is clear: We catch ‘em, He cleans ‘em!

Salt stings

If you walk out into the ocean water with an abrasion or laceration of the skin, you will most definitely notice the sting. Hence, the saying, pour salt into a wound.

Sometimes the Truth of what God says stings a bit, so do some medicines, but the result is healing. We will never complete our mission by watering down the medicine God has provided, thinking we have a better idea; maybe the old ways are too harsh. Doctors give medicines to babies with a little sugar, but the child still gets the required dosage of that which will heal them. The idea is not the sugar, but the medication.  

Salt causes thirst

This part needs little explanation. It is our prayer that people thirst after the Righteousness of God, but many will only see us and make the decision whether to proceed further. We must ask ourselves what people are seeing in our lives. Are we the cause of a genuine thirst for God in the lives of others? Do they want what we have?

In the Hebrew tradition, salt that has lost its savor, is said to have lost its proper mind or sense. It loses the properties that made it salt, and thus, salty. Chemically speaking, we are told that the basic properties of the chemical that makes salt, can never literally lose such properties, but in the world where these words were spoken and taught by The Lord, practically speaking, this was possible. The impure form commonly used in these days, contained enough impurities so that contact with the ground (dirt) could cause it to become insipid (flavorless), rendering it virtually useless. And even though it had lost its flavor, so to speak, it still contained enough of its properties to kill that with which it came in contact, such as the garden. It was good for nothing, just as Christ said, but to be cast on the walkways and roads, to be trampled under their feet.

I preached this message and entitled it: Have you lost your mind? As a Christian, I have a mission. That mission is to be what God called me to be. I can’t be anything else. If I attempt to do so, only disaster will follow. If you know Christ as Savior, you are salt, nothing else will do. We have a job to complete before His return.

Have you lost your saltiness, have you lost your mind?

The Cross of Christ was a Rescue Mission!

In the beginning of it all, God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden where they enjoyed the continual Presence of God. The Biblical Account tells us that they could hear “the voice of The Lord God walking in the garden”. This was the norm. It was normal and natural for them to experience God’s Presence, continually. (Genesis 3:8)

Dr. Charles Stanley writes, In the beginning, Adam and Eve did live in Paradise. That place of perfection wasn’t really about their surroundings, as beautiful and peaceful as they were. It wasn’t about their life together, as harmonious as their relationship initially was. What made the beginning of life on earth so wonderful was the communion Adam and Eve shared with the Creator. They experienced the presence of God in bliss and intimacy. God talked with them and they spoke freely with him. There was no guilt, no shame, no pretense, no violence, no injustice. God reigned and Adam and Eve tended the garden he had created just for them. It was heaven on earth. (Stanley, C. 2002, p. 17)

Life was wonderful and our First Parents knew no difference, because this continual fellowship with their Creator was the only life they had any knowledge of. All was well until disobedience brought death and expulsion from Paradise.

Because of this disobedience, death and sin have reigned upon this earth. Close fellowship and communion with The Father was severed this day. Adam and Eve sensed this loss of relationship and intimacy with The Lord God. The “hid themselves”. They attempted to hide among the trees of the Garden, but God knew where they were, both physically and spiritually. For the first time, Adam and Eve “knew” they were naked, something they had no knowledge of prior to their disobedience. Suddenly, they felt the shame of their disobedience. (Gen. 2:25) Sin is always accompanied by shame and disgrace, guilt and sorrow.

The reason that Jesus came to this earth was to rescue man from the stronghold of sin.

The same Lord God that created man and provided the Paradise for man, came to to save man from that which his disobedience had caused. Jesus Christ came here for the express purpose of offering Himself upon the cross to pay our sin-debt. He gave Himself, was buried in a borrowed tomb, and Rose on the third day, as He promised He would.

This is the reason He came!

A Touch of His Presence, (Stanley, C., 2002) Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI

Does The Lord God accept us the way we are, with no willingness to change, or be changed? Or, does The Lord Jesus receive us unto Himself and cause us to be reborn, spiritually?

There seems to be a philosophy worming its way through our society today, concerning the concept that God accepts people just as they are. This same concept carries with it the idea that when someone comes to Christ, they not only come as they are, but that there is no need for change, or to be changed, from what the same person was prior to coming to Christ. My purpose today is to address this fallacy, for it is based on unsound doctrine. I do not intend to be legalistic or picky, but there is a vast difference in what many perceive as coming to God (without any change being enacted) and coming to God, with all our sins, and being transformed by the Power of God, through His Grace and Mercy. This occurs by way of our coming through repentance and faith in Christ and His Sacrifice for us on the cross.

No person comes to Christ and leaves the same as when he came. Either we allow Him to change us and save us, or we leave with our sins and condemnation that accompanies the refusal of His Grace and Mercy.

Among many other Scriptural references to this subject, Paul address it perfectly, in Romans 12: 1,2. When we come to Christ for salvation, there is both an exchange as well as a change, that takes place. We bring to Him our sins and guilt, and He gives us His Forgiveness and Mercy. This is the exchange. Paul wrote that we should present ourselves (our bodies) unto God a living sacrifice. Christ receives us as we are, but changes our nature, when we come to Him. We are born again, as Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3. This is the change. We experience a spiritual rebirth.

Paul goes on to say that we must not be conformed to this world, but transformed, by the renewing of our minds. This transformation takes care of the guilt associated with a life of sin and disgrace.

The rich young ruler left Jesus’ Presence sorrowful, because he refused to be obedient to The Lord. It was not because of the riches he possessed, but because he was too attached to those earthly possessions, that he could not yield himself up–he refused to allow a transformation to take place in his life. Jesus wanted to change Him, but he wouldn’t allow it.

No man is perfect, nor will we ever be until we stand in His Presence in heaven. Then our transformation will be complete, because He rose again from the grave so that we might live, also.

No hospital emergency room would refuse a patient because they need to clean up a bit before they come in; neither will God say the same to us. Bring your sins and guilt to Jesus, and He will receive you, just as you are. We come in repentance of our sinful life, and in faith that He is able to change us. Be willing to allow Christ to transform your life. He can and He will! This can take place right where you stand or sit. Give it to Him!

Revelation 14:13

Today, we celebrated the life and fruitful ministry of a man I will always call, my pastor. The Church where he served The Lord, faithfully for over 25 years, was filled to capacity. I think it safe to say that there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Yet, our sorrow is strangely mingled with joy in the assurance that our pastor is in the Presence of Jesus, for eternity, awaiting the glorious day we will all be reunited again. I say strangely mingled with joy, because there are so many that do not share the blessed assurance, that a child of God has. We sorrow, but not as they which have no hope of eternity with Christ. (1 Thessalonians 4:13) To those it would be a strange thing to possess such joy, even mixed with our sorrow at the earthly loss we sustain when a loved one departs. We miss them sorely, yet we know that we shall see them again and share eternity together.

I met the man over 26 years ago, when God called him to pastor our church, First Baptist Church, Anacoco, Louisiana. The church was modest in number, but strong in faith in God. Much of my family attended, the younger of my two sisters led the music, and my Mother attended, as well. The core church members were like family to us all and have been ever since. You couldn’t ask for a more loving group of people. When they called our pastor, they called the right man for the job. He had a heart for God and a heart for people, as well.

The beginning.

I was saved and even answered the call to the ministry, at a young age. Like everything in my entire life, I hit the ground running! I was seldom one to hesitate; I would dive right in. Often, the combination of zeal, when multiplied by ignorance, is fatal. There have been numerous cases where this has been proven, but God had a plan for my life. So here I am, in a small town near where I was born and raised (you might have been reared, but I was raised) licking my spiritual wounds from having charged forward into the ministry front-lines with little armor or armament. It is difficult when you have much zeal, yet possess little wisdom. Anyway, this was my plight–a failure in the ministry, a failure in my family and person. I could attempt to cast blame on my circumstances or other parties, but I knew the blame rested squarely on my own shoulders. You see, when things got bad I threw in the towel, but God tossed it back and insisted I wipe my face! I didn’t realize this last part until years later. I thought just maybe I had convinced Him that I was a bad choice for the ministry. Hopefully He would let me be. I thought I was hiding pretty well. I knew I was a Christian. I knew where I was going when I died. But, God wasn’t finished with me–not yet!

Here comes this new pastor! Great! He doesn’t really know me! We knew each other’s families; everybody did, in this small town. But this will be a great place for me to hide out. But, then he began to spend time with me. He began to show me that he loved me and was concerned about my life. Wait! God has found someone to search me out! What’s up with this?

You see, you couldn’t be around my pastor for very long without hearing about Jesus, or his encouraging you to walk closer to Christ. I remember the first time I saw his library. It was filled with so many books! I have never seen its equal to this day. He had only a chair and a lamp. When you saw him he was in The Word.

It was my pastor that encouraged and mentored me to get myself into the Bible, with daily devotion time and prayer. Soon, I started getting up early in the morning, before anyone in the house was awake, reading my Bible and praying. This was not normal activity for me. I liked to sleep late! But, armed with the love and encouragement of a loving pastor that deeply cared about my life (and ministry), I got up, clutching my Bible, and nervously, yet quietly calling on The Lord God of Glory. I developed the desire to have the first part of my day to be in The Word. I don’t say this to boast, but to share the truth. I wanted The Bible, God’s Word, to be the very first thing my sleep-filled eyes were to set upon. No internet, no newspaper, no television, no social media, but God’s Living Word. Fortunately, in 1993 and 1994, we had no social media or internet to speak of. But, to this very day, this is the way I start each day–7 days a week. This is because my pastor loved me and encouraged me. He pastored me! He taught me! His love for me changed my life!

It wasn’t long before God began to speak to my crusty heart. I will never forget how The Lord, in that still, small voice, through His Word, showed me exactly what He wanted me to do with my life. I have been getting up early, every day since then, hungering for God to continue to speak to me through His Blessed Book. He still does! This is because of one man–my pastor, who loved Jesus with all his heart, and loved God’s people, and the lost, as well.

We left that small town in late summer of 1994, headed for Virginia, where I entered college to follow Christ and let Him equip me for ministry. I can’t say that it has been roses and apple pie, but, I was finally able to graduate with a degree in Biblical Studies. I am pursuing a Master’s Degree in Strategic Leadership, which I know would make my pastor proud of me. I won’t quit learning until Jesus comes back, or I leave this earth. I was blessed to have been invited to speak at the Church’s Homecoming, just last September. Pastor Durhl Ray Davis never stopped believing in me! He never stopped loving me! He never stopped encouraging me to follow The Lord.

I was saved, at an early age, because my Daddy studied The Word and lived it. I am in the ministry, today, because Pastor Davis (Bro, Durhl) wouldn’t give up on me. He let God use him. There are many faces that will be in heaven, because Bro. Durhl let God use his life and ministry. There will be a lot of faces that will be there because he let God use him to minister to me, and I will in turn minister to many. His spiritual legacy lives on!

Jesse is currently Interim Pastor at First Baptist Church, Lone Pine, Louisiana. The author of, “America: Danger Close! (will it be) Revival or Revolution? (WestBow Press, 2012) and other works soon to be published. Host of the Podcast: Light of Hope with Jesse Prewitt, and this blog. Please pray for our ministry.