This past Tuesday, my sister, Tamara and I joined about 7,000 other concerned American citizens at a rally with Franklin Graham on the steps of the Missouri Capitol Building in Jefferson City.  It was a very rainy trip up to Jefferson City and the weather stayed rainy and cool for the whole rally.  The colors of the umbrellas  were like a rainbow and the joy of seeing so many citizens willing to stand in the cold rain to join in prayer for our country was very inspiring.  The United States of America is in moral decay and it can be traced back to the removal of prayer from our schoolhouses.

When you remove God from public view, you lose the opportunity to share the gospel of love with people who won’t otherwise hear it.  When you remove the Ten Commandments and any mention of God from our public buildings of government, schools and the public displays of honor there is no moral standard to strive to achieve.  We have dishonored God in our country and we are in danger of incurring God’s wrath and judgement.

It was very encouraging and offered hope as we stood in the rain  with thousands singing, “Lord, I lift your name on high…..”  as the service began.  To stand on the Missouri Capitol lawn singing, “How Great Thou Art”, not only with Christian brothers and sisters but with my beautiful sister and share such a special time together.  Unfortunately, Debby couldn’t go with us, but her heart was definitely there.

Franklin Graham took to the stage to give a very inspirational message about praying for our country and doing our civic duty to vote, so that Christian’s (GOD) has a voice in the political realm of our country.  At the beginning of this election season, Franklin decided that his role would be to bring Christians together in prayer for our country.  In the last few months he has been to 23 or 24 states and has rallies scheduled in all the rest of the 50 states.

After a short sermon about being an example to those around us and remaining involved and after a prayer with everyone praying aloud confessing the sins of our country and repenting for those sins, Mr. Graham gave the chance to those who were unsaved to become a Christian.

Before finishing up, Mr. Graham asked everyone to sign the pledge he has on his website, Decision America Tour 2016.  You can go to that site and sign the following pledge:

What I came away with from the rally was as Christians sitting on the sidelines is not an option any longer.  We need to be out in the public with our faith, our positions on issues and we must not hide our light from those around us.  We are called to preach the gospel, to be fishers of men and to spread the message to turn from evil and run to God and His salvation. We left the rally singing “God Bless America” as we walked the sidewalks on our way back to our vehicles.

As we choose what to do with our votes this year, we must realize that we must work that out with God.  One way God leads us in this is through His word.  The Biblical principles are an excellent guideline.  Biblical principles and morals don’t change with the times, they are consistent throughout and we should use them as a standard for morality and trustworthiness today.  If you don’t have a candidate that fits those principles then I’d be in serious prayer about what to do.  We have until November before we vote and we must continue to pray for guidance.  See what rules are in your state.  If you can write in, that’s another option.

Your vote is your vote and you cannot be pushed into voting for someone who represents non-biblical, un-Christian ideas.  Supporting a candidate or voting for a candidate is an approval of that person’s leadership.  In voting for a candidate you are condoning and endorsing their plans and their words.  That is why you must pray and ask God to give you peace in your vote.  Do not feel bullied or pressured by a church or religious leaders or media or friends or family or a political party to vote if you don’t feel peaceful about it.  Don’t go against where you feel GOD is leading YOU.  You have a personal relationship with Him and He will speak directly to you.  Listen for His guidance.

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13

One more thing to think about this week is, who do you influence?  Each person has a sphere of influence.  Your sphere may include church, work, community, and most importantly your home.  In that sphere, people respect your words and ideas.  They may look to you for advise and guidance.  As a Christian, your example should proclaim God’s word as the final authority on how to deal with issues.  You are not less important than your minister.  Your example is important.  This week, think about where you can Take An Unapologetic Stand for God and His principles.  Take a Stand wherever possible for God and He will give you the strength and knowledge you need.

Here are a few photos from the rally:

I also found this in a little booklet at home and wanted to share it with you all.

Have a wonderful week.

All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.  Ralph Waldo Emerson

I have been trying since Tuesday night to decide what I want to say about Ted Cruz dropping out of the Presidential race.  I have been asked by some people what I think because they know I do this …

Source: My Prayer: God Save America

I have been trying since Tuesday night to decide what I want to say about Ted Cruz dropping out of the Presidential race.  I have been asked by some people what I think because they know I do this blog and post on Facebook about the race.  I am a proud supporter of Ted Cruz.  I didn’t support him because of his personality or because I thought he was a perfect Christian or man.  I didn’t support him because he was the only alternative to Donald Trump.  I supported him because since 2008 when this country and a whole lot of Christians fell for the Obama line of hope and change, I have been praying for  God to give us a Christian Conservative who loves the Constitution of the United States and would uphold his pledge to protect and defend that Constitution.  At first I wasn’t sure because there were other choices such as Huckabee, Carson, Rubio, Perry, and Walker that were also known as Christians and most of them have been fairly conservative with the exception of Huckabee whose policies as governor of Arkansas ran to the side of big government more often than not.

So I began praying and trying to figure out which candidate I would support.  Which one closely aligned with my faith and which one could I trust (as much as anyone can trust someone who is running for office)?  One day I was watching a rally of Cruz’s and I have to admit up to that point I really wasn’t that interested in supporting him.  He didn’t seem to be able to lighten up and he seemed very serious.  I knew from watching for years that he had bucked the establishment any time they tried to grow government or to take powers that weren’t theirs in the Constitution but he just wasn’t EXCITING.  However, as I watched this rally, I felt God was speaking to me.  He was impressing on me that this was the man to protect and defend the religious freedoms in our Constitution.  I felt that this was our chance to do the right thing and elect a man who can explain to you his moment of salvation through Jesus Christ and can explain to you that he has always known the importance of protecting the unborn.  A man who was raised memorizing the Constitution and Bible verses.  A man who has fought in front of the Supreme Court on several cases  defending life, our right to bear arms and others.  He also argued for the right of a veteran’s memorial to keep a cross at their memorial.  Like I said, no man is perfect but there was a man who was easy for a person whose faith informs my decisions to support and I know God led me in that direction.

This next part is difficult for me to write and I have tried to get around it in every way I know possible, however, I feel in my heart that God has given it to me to share.  When Christians have a choice between good and evil, right and wrong, black and white, hot or cold,  you know that it is a choice between two.  We can’t ride a fence.  The scripture that we all know is Revelation 3:15-16, “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.” In looking at this race, I felt that it was a time when God would give us 2 VERY CLEAR choices.  We wouldn’t have to guess where each person stood and then America would choose God or once again turn away from him toward godlessness.

To me I saw this as either happening in the general election in a Hillary Clinton versus Ted Cruz match up.  I mean, what could be a clearer choice?  We all know what both of these people stand for.  But, I was wrong.  The choice was actually given to us in the primary election on the Republican side.  You all can dislike me or what I am saying, but I am TAKING A STAND and saying now, our choice was between Cruz , a conservative Christian and Trump a man who says he needs no forgiveness, even from God because he’s done nothing to ask forgiveness for.  As a Christian, how can that in itself not be a clear choice.  Then add in the stances on issues by these men.  Cruz, pro-life his entire life, no exceptions.  Trump, pro-abortion, even partial birth for many years and still to this day would fund planned parenthood and make exceptions.   Cruz on the Supreme Court says he would pick a strict Constitutionalist while Trump has said, when first asked, his sister who is pro gay marriage and pro choice.  After his “advisers” told him that wasn’t good, he changes to someone in the vein of Scalia.  On the moral issues, even to the bathroom issue for transgenders, Cruz has said, no grown men in the girls bathrooms while Trump says, everyone should use the one they feel they should.

I could go on and on with this, however, I am actually pretty tired of trying to point this out.  Even today, after Cruz is out and now “miraculously” Kasich is out, Trump has started changing positions.  On the minimum wage, he now thinks it should maybe even be more than $15 and hour.  As a small business owner who tries to be very good to our employees, I can tell you that any law that caused us to have to pay that high of a minimum wage would certainly keep us from hiring new employees and probably would cause a layoff of non-salary workers…such as part time jobs for students, teenagers or even elderly needing some extra work.  Trump also changed from self-funding to now accepting public money and fundraising.  That was one of the things people loved about him, “He can’t be bought”.  He hired a Democrat donor from Goldman Sachs to head up his finance committee.  ETC……………………………….

To finish my point on the choice that was given to us, I believe that America has chosen and I believe we chose judgement.  If there had been no clear choice, if all the men had not been Christians, that would be different.  But there was a clear choice and because we chose to ignore the man who spoke of honoring God for a man who has now said he doesn’t need the conservatives and don’t want our votes anyway, we once again pushed God out of the process. There is very little choice between Hillary and Trump, although,  the media, establishment GOP, political leaders and religious leaders have worked really hard and convinced even some of the most staunch religious people that the only choice we really had was between Hillary (evil) and Trump (good).  That is a lie and although I know it’s tough to say this, I believe people have been led astray by religious men for their own purposes.

The night before Cruz dropped out, I felt I should delete my twitter account.  I now know why.  I would’ve said things in anger that would have been mean and hurtful and would not have reflected good on God.  As a matter of fact I know I would have sinned in my anger.  My passion for this country is strong, but not for the reason most people think.  Yes, I love America and am very proud when we are a “shining city on a hill”, but it is far more than that.  I know that God gave us this country, a safe place for His children to be able to worship and share the gospel without fear of governmental punishment.  My heart longs to have many more years to win souls to God, to give more and more people the opportunity to experience God’s love.  I had hoped that God would give us more time to prepare others for eternal life with him.

Now, am I saying that I know FOR SURE what God has in store for our country?  I would never presume to know what God’s plans are.  We can read the Bible and see signs of the times, but God is a merciful, loving God and I believe that if we will begin honoring him and humbling ourselves and pray for this land, he can heal it.  I am praying that we will get another chance to show him that when given a choice we, especially Christians, when given an obvious choice according to Biblical principles, will choose Him.

Oh yes, there is one more thing I want to address.  There are many articles online and Facebook posts and new reports telling Republicans that we HAVE TO vote Trump or that means we vote for Hillary.  Mike Huckabee said that if we won’t support Trump that we should just leave the Republican party.  A person on Facebook shared a post by a girl named, Charlotte that was trying to scare all the Cruz supporters that if you didn’t vote for Trump we will lose the Supreme Court.  To Charlotte, I say, I did my part to secure the Supreme Court by voting for Ted Cruz.  Your vile page full is full of vulgarity and disgusting posts and yet I am supposed to look to you to tell me who I have to vote for?  I think not.

I do not know who I will vote for.  At this point I will say, of course I would never vote for Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders (a socialist).  I can also say that I will not vote for Trump.  If anybody wants to browbeat me for that, feel free.  I will work that out between me and God.  It is only May and we have until November to see what happens.  I don’t know what tomorrow holds but I know who holds tomorrow and no weapon formed against me will prosper so after years of living a life shrouded in fear, I will not make a choice out of fear.

I know this is long and isn’t a pleasant blog.  I hope it doesn’t cause anyone to feel that I  am angry at them.  We all have a vote and we all have to work it out with God.   A lot of people voted for Trump because they were angry with our system, but we know that most decisions made in anger come back to haunt us.

Find a way and Take A Stand for God this week.  Thanks for reading!