An overwhelming majority of U.S. adults say the importance of religion is shrinking in public life according to a new survey. File photo image credit: fizkes via Shutterstock.

While we need to rejoice and be full of gladness for the Holy Spirit to be at work in many in these dark, dark unholy wicked days these last of the last days, we ought to be keen to know — be always vigilant, watchmen and watchwomen on the wall for the advances of the Enemy.

For evil and its lies, its delusion within many has grown much stronger.

Little men and women imagining themselves of importance in places all around America, and throughout Europe are under the strong delusion they have the authority, the power to remove God, to remove the TRUTH of the Scriptures, the TRUTH of the Lord Jesus Christ, King of kings, Lord of lords, the ONLY POSSIBLE WAY to God, to heaven, to eternal life.

Such vanity, such foolishness, such arrogance and audacity.

Will not go unpunished nor succeed.

God is Sovereign. Always. In ALL THINGS. Even in a small city government in a state in America.

Even within each individual heart, mind, spirit and soul.

For those coasting, playing at being a true Christ follower as in the Holy Bible from Genesis 1 through Revelation 21 scoffing at the times, ignoring the signs flashing right in front of them — Christian persecution began in America some time ago. It is only ramping up exponentially nationwide. Even within what passes for so-called Christian churches, as they may call themselves such not knowing whatsoever what it truly means to submit to the Lord Jesus Christ, to make Him foremost, uppermost, primary, and what it is all about — in obedience. In a faith dissimilar to the world’s faith, Satan’s and the demon’s faith in Jesus, and, oh, make no mistake — the world, Satan, and demons have faith in Jesus. In that they all know He exists. He is real. They even know His role in history.

They just refuse to believe He is a possible Saviour. And in the case of Satan and the demons they even know He is the Son of God and recognize Him as such but in their blindness, their evil, their vanity they imagine they can somehow surpass, defeat, and ignore what is written in Scripture and create a realm to their liking, their delusion.

Sound familiar?

Little men, little women, little lost clueless evil and dead within their hearts, their minds, their spirits, and souls except to have a will to serve Satan and his evil think they can dictate to us, to everyone what we can and cannot do according to a government decree or edict, a ballot measure, a law of men to no longer serve our Lord, to believe as we do, to witness and live for Christ as we do having died with Him on that tree of shame for our sin, washed in His pure blood.

O, fools that you are!

Lest they repent they will have the direst and deadliest and horrific of eternities. Let us pray for them. Seriously. Pray for such as these. Not that something tragic happen to them, as I once heard sadly a man professing to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ pray in an adult class setting Bible study that Vladimir Putin contract cancer and die quickly — do those professing to be Christ’s and understand His life, His death, His teachings and those of the apostles and prophets ever read and discern well and rightly the Word of God? It appears not. No, do not pray for tragic illness or death to befall the enemies of the Truth, the Way, the Life, and the Light. Pray that they have their cold, dead hearts and spirits enslaved to this world, enslaved to that Old Dragon the devil ignited, lit up, the scales removed from their eyes allowing them to come out of the great bleak darkness they reside in and into the LIGHT!

Pray the sinners such as we once were hear the sound of the Lord’s voice, “Come…” and they hear it, truly, and obey and are drawn to Him.

Otherwise?

Hummm…bleakness, darkness, becomes eternal for them.

Do not be troubled or dismayed, depressed or fearful for any and all events unfolding in America, in Israel, around the world. It’s all in the Holy Bible. It’s all God’s will and plan unfolding in the very last of the last days.

That ought to do more than nudge the sleeper, the complacent, the nonchalant, the scoffers to awaken — and this is directed to those professing to be disciples of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ merely going through the motions. Playing at being a real Christ follower. Playing at church. Playing around rather than getting real.

We are known by the fruit we produce. And each of us either produces good fruit to nourish, bad fruit that rots and only beings illness, or bears no fruit at all, dead like a dried up root, branch, or dead dry bones.

Doesn’t matter if I know, what I know about anyone or any of this — as God knows. God knows every heart, every spirit, every thought every time all the time within everyone anyone everywhere. God knows every heart, mind, motive, step, thought, action, or inaction taken. By us all.

How are we going to do, act, and live knowing we’re always being watched in such a way?

If it creeps you out then I seriously wonder about you. Really, I do. Stop thinking and living in such worldly present-day terms that have impacted and indoctrinated. Begin thinking and living in holy, righteous, godly, God-fearing, God-understanding, Scripture understanding, discerning well and wisely ways. Rejoice, be glad there is One True Living God, of the Father, the Son the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit that cares so deeply and so much. That loves so much. That forgives so much [if we repent and turn to Them rather than ourselves or the things of this world].

Find comfort rather than fear, confusion, mayhem, or being creeped out dear ones.

And forget being saved by politics, an election, any politician, any system of government here on earth.

Won’t happen. Can you finally come to terms with that and move on?

Closer to the Lord Jesus Christ and the whole Word of God…

Read on…

Sunday, June 2nd, 2024

California city official’s ban on chaplains praying ‘in Jesus name’ unconstitutional, attorney says

Tuesday, May 28, 2024

By Mark A. Kellner

Reprinted from Higher Ground / The Washington Times

A California city manager’s attempt to strike the word “Jesus” from prayers and invocations at public events is unconstitutional, according to an advocate for two chaplains impacted by the ban.

In a letter to Carlsbad Mayor Keith Blackburn and four other council members, attorney Kayla Toney of the First Liberty Institute decried City Manager Scott Chadwick’s new restrictions on prayers.

Mr. Chadwick, according to the letter, told Denny Cooper and his son, J.C. Cooper — both chaplains — that the use of Jesus’ name during public events was “considered harassment, created a hostile work environment, and lifted one religion above another.”

J.C. Cooper, a volunteer police chaplain, and his father, a volunteer fire chaplain, were confronted with the edict after the younger Mr. Cooper concluded an awards ceremony prayer with the words, “in Jesus’ name,” a common closing in Christian circles.

The Coopers have deep connections to the city and chaplaincy. Denny Cooper is a baseball coach and physical education teacher in the city’s schools and has volunteered as a fire chaplain for 18 years. His son is the associate pastor at The Mission Church and has been a police chaplain volunteer for six years.

“Mr. Chadwick then told J.C. [Cooper] that he could pray using any other name or term for God, but he could not say ‘Jesus,’” Ms. Toney wrote.

The younger Cooper “respectfully declined” a request to offer an invocation at a police promotions ceremony, the attorney wrote.

Speaking with The Washington Times, Ms. Toney said the Coopers were distressed by Mr. Chadwick’s assertions.

“Accusing them of harassment really was painful for them to receive, especially because they’ve been volunteering their time on top of full-time jobs for many years to serve,” she said. “The city’s first responders and the police and fire departments have always expressed how much they appreciate the Coopers and how much they value that ministry.”

Ms. Toney also told a reporter Mr. Chadwick’s statement on what the Coopers could and could not say in a public prayer does not seem to have been approved by the mayor or the city council.

She said Mr. Chadwick “misunderstands the law concerning public chaplains and invocations.”

Ms. Toney noted that in a 2014 Supreme Court ruling in Town of Greece v. Galloway, the majority ruled that “a prayer given in the name of Jesus, Allah, or Jehovah, or that it makes passing reference to religious doctrines, does not remove it” from the longstanding American tradition of public prayers by chaplains.

Ms. Toney said, “Our goal here is really to equip the city with the correct understanding of the Constitution so that they do the right thing and allow the chaplains — as they always have — to pray in the name of Jesus.”

The Washington Times has contacted city officials for comment.