I wonder what Jesus would say about America's current refugee crisis?

America's Christian Hypocrisy Regarding

the Asylum Seekers at Her Southern Border

by Pastor Paul J. Bern

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The headline in this past Friday's Huffington post said it all: “Chris Cuomo Shreds Hypocrite Christians Who Celebrate Christmas But Reject Migrants”. In a timely article posted by David Barden on November 29, this journalist quotes the CNN host when he said earlier that same day that it is a, “....moral imperative for America to assist members of the migrant caravan”. With growing numbers of asylum seekers gathering just a stone’s throw away at the U.S.-Mexico border, the CNN host said that, “It’s not enough to say that we bear no responsibility because we didn’t create the problem. Our responsibility comes from the absolute fact that we have the power to provide a solution here,” he said. “There’s a moral imperative here, America does what she can.” With the holiday season in full swing, Cuomo then pointed out the hypocrisy of American Christians who celebrate Christmas yet shun migrants. 'No small irony that Christians are getting ready to celebrate the story of Christmas, which is the exact story that we are trying to block out here,' he said. 'The poor and unwanted who wound up bringing the Savior into this world in a stable, rejected. Just as we’re doing now. This is who we are now and it must be exposed.'”

Thank you for the suggestion, Mr. Cuomo, and allow me to help expose this very thing about my country this holiday season. The truth of the matter is that Chris Cuomo was spot-on with that statement regarding the current state of the USA. For a man like myself born in the 1950's, the USA of the early 21^st century is unrecognizable compared to the country where I grew up. We weren't nearly as spoiled as we are now, and yet we were happier for the most part. I grew up in a time when air conditioning was considered a luxury, and where women didn't work unless they wanted to. People made a lot less money than today, but the daily cost of living was far less than today, so that didn't make any difference. The first Ford Mustangs in 1965 had a base price of $1,995.00, ditto for the Volkswagen Beetles of that time period. The world used to run on commerce, but today it runs on debt. Commerce symbolized free enterprise back then, but today's debt is really just the new slavery. America actually never really ended slavery after the US civil war, she simply out-sourced it.

If we go back to the Book of Exodus in the Bible to the time when the ancient Israelite's were wandering in the desert – after leaving 400 years of slavery behind in Egypt – we find that God warned them about mistreating foreigners among them. “Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt” (Exodus 22: 21). Foreigners being in the land in which we live goes back at least 3,400 years or more. All our ancestors were foreigners at one time or another in their lives, dating all the way to humankind's hunter-gatherer years. Taking that into consideration, that makes the rest of us either foreigners or the descendants thereof. Now you know why I have such a problem with those who stand against the asylum seekers, and particularly those haters who profess to be Christian by faith. Jesus taught us to “....love our neighbor as we love ourselves”, meaning (in this case) those who rail against immigrants and asylum seekers ultimately rail against their own fathers and grandfathers.

Yesterday's posting about this matter in Buzzfeed.com had this to say:

One Reason The US And Mexico Can’t Agree On Having Asylum-Seekers Wait In Mexico: The Trump Administration Itself Is Divided

The Justice Department wants asylum applicants turned away without any vetting of their claims. Homeland Security wants them screened for fears of staying in Mexico.

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/hamedaleaziz/trump-asylum-mexico-waiting-disagree

WASHINGTON — “Homeland Security and Justice Department officials are feuding over a controversial plan that would force asylum-seekers at the southwestern border to remain in Mexico until their cases are decided, according to sources close the administration. Department of Justice officials have been pushing for asylum-seekers at the border to be immediately returned to Mexico as they arrive at the border, instead of first undergoing screening for fear of persecution or torture if they are not allowed in. Department of Homeland Security officials want asylum-seekers screened for persecution, torture, and fear before being immediately returned to Mexico, to ensure that there are no serious concerns for their safety in Mexico. The dispute highlights the fact that key details regarding the plan are still up in the air.....”

There you have it, ladies and gentlemen, right before your eyes. The reason for the infighting among members of the Trump administration, in one word, is fear. They're all afraid of a bunch of migrant workers who simply want to restart their lives, and who want to escape the rampant violence of the drug gangs in central and south America. They pose a minimal threat to ourselves, and those who do will be weeded out, one way or another. Few, if any, of these people will escape president Trump's dragnet, you can all be sure about that. Rather than be caught up in an irrational fear of one other, we're charged by God with the sacred duty to love one another. The apostle John wrote of this when he said, “This is the message you have heard from the beginning: that we should love one another.” (1^st John 3: 11) As things stand in 21^st century America right now, there are too many Americans who have forgotten or cast aside this essential teaching of our Lord and Savior.

And so as America sings, “Peace on Earth and Goodwill to Men”, along with the rest of the Christmas carols this year, I wish a lot of people would do what used to be done up until about the 1970's or so. People used to go Christmas caroling door-to-door, mainly focusing on the elderly and disabled, and oftentimes the lonely and forgotten. It was a tradition that dated back centuries, and it needs to be brought back. Moreover, it needs to be brought to the border at Tijuana, Mexico where the asylum seekers are being held. If I somehow had the means, I would charter a plane to San Diego, California full of people. We would transfer to buses for the remainder of the journey to the border fence, get out and walk right up to it. Then, once we were all in place, we would start with ,”Oh Come, All Ye Faithful” and sing a medley of Christmas carols to all the refugees until we are all hoarse.

We could do an hour-long set of Christmas carols, like a song medley, to warm the hearts of all the refugees, and to let them know that there are Americans on the other side of that fence who view them as brothers and sisters in Christ. Never mind nationality and race, just forget about all that stuff. There needs to be a lot more “Peace on Earth and Goodwill to Men”, and a lot less rhetoric, bigotry and vitriol by certain Americans whose chief stock in trade is contempt for those who are different from themselves. This is particularly applicable to the wealthy. We have a “moral imperative” to replace contempt with compassion, to replace bigotry with understanding, and to substitute love for hate. Perfect love, the apostle James wrote, drives out fear. OK, since we know that hatred is based on fear, it is our moral responsibility as Americans – Christian or otherwise – to understand the origins of our own fears. Until then, we will be powerless to change ourselves. But if we consciously engage in love for one another, we can suffocate the fear right out of ourselves and kill it. So do that first, and you take the first step down the road to a happier and more fulfilled life.

Washington the Merciless

Here In America, Justice and Mercy

Seem to Be In Short Supply

by Pastor Paul J. Bern

To view this on my website, click here :-)

I did not bother watching the farce on TV this past week having to do with the US Judiciary Committee hearings on president Trump's nominee for the US Supreme Court. As my regular readers already know, I don't even subscribe to cable TV, nor do I have a satellite dish. I catch a little news, mostly local, on my old box TV that I'm still using. I guess I'll continue to use it until it dies of old age, which could be anytime now even though it still plays very well. The state of our federal government today is a lot like my old 20 inch Sony “Trinitron”. It still works okay, and from time to time it actually works quite well. But on stormy days, or if there are any low-flying aircraft close by, it interferes with my incoming signal. So it is with our current federal government, and our state governments are no better. During times like these, when the future of our country is at stake, interference with it in all the wrong forms is getting all the wrong results.

Don't get me wrong. Dr. Ford's testimony during the Judiciary Committee's hearings this week was compelling by all accounts. I don't care to get into the he-said-she-said debate regarding the allegations of sexual assault. As I wrote last week, all of these allegations past and present prove that the United States is a really corrupt and immoral country (thank you all for all those responses!). For anyone interested, you can find last week's message right here. But that's just what's on the surface. What lies underneath is pride, avarice, pole-vaulting ambition fueled by desires for revenge for past offenses – whether real or imagined – and what I would describe as a visceral and primal mind-set of competitiveness. Judge Kavenaugh was attacked mercilessly by his critics, together with their own agendas. But then again, so was Dr. Ford for much the same reasons. So what does all this prove? If nothing else, it proves we have become a country full of sex maniacs and alcoholics!

What was completely lacking throughout this past week's hearings was a sense of fairness, justice, and especially mercy. Everyone was in full attack mode from the time they all walked in the door and took their seats, like a predator stalks its prey. Yet if you asked any one of them whether they believed in Jesus or not, the overwhelming majority of them would say they did. OK, then here's a few quotes from our Lord and Savior regarding this week's happenings in Washington from Matthew chapter 5: “ 6) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7) Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Again in verses 9 - 10 he said, “ 9) Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10) Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Based on what I've heard and read about this past week's confirmation hearings, there is little righteousness to be found these days in Washington, DC. Instead, we evidently have an entire city of people who are constantly jockeying for position inside the Beltway, the majority of whom are apparently engaged in all kinds of deviant sexual behavior. Instead of governing as they were elected to do, most (but not all) of these people are engaging in a bed-hopping contest with one another. Hearing and reading about all this fills me with dismay. Writing about it makes me ashamed of my country, and that's an uncomfortable place to be. As for myself, I long for the day when I am finished being filled with righteousness by the Lord as it says in verses 6 – 7. That righteousness that Jesus spoke of does not come by man's or women's efforts, no matter how great. It comes from a willingness to step aside, from within ourselves, and swallow our pride as we abdicate control over our destinies and surrender them to Jesus Christ. Jesus is the very personification of the righteousness we all seek.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” When women are sexually assaulted, it is done without mercy. When women and children are abused by the head of that household, it is similarly done without mercy, otherwise it can no longer be called abuse or assault. When the Constitutional rights of the American electorate are rapidly being evaporated, as it is currently happening throughout the land, it too is being done without mercy. But we as a faith-based Christian people (never mind denominational differences, or even whether you attend church or not) are charged with the responsibility of showing mercy, kindness, gentleness and sober judgment in order to set a good example for everyone else, especially the children. We are responsible for doing everything Jesus said to do, to the very best of our abilities, so help us God! Show mercy to your fellow man/woman during your lifetime here, and God will reward you. Show your fellow man/woman no mercy during this life, and when it is over, God won't show you any mercy, either!

“9) Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10) Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Do you want to spend your life fighting all the time? Or if you're like a few people, are you the type of person who becomes a cop or a soldier so they can legally shoot people? Don't they really enjoy putting those 'bad people' back in their place? Those are NOT peacemakers, people, they are predators! But if you promote yourselves as peaceful (excluding matters of self defense), loving, tender, compassionate, gentle and teachable, this is all we have to do to make our world a much better place. And, if you've ever been unfairly targeted for your Christianity, or for other matters that are spiritually important, or for taking a stand for something good or against something evil, rejoice and be glad, Jesus said. The prophets of old who came before you experienced the same kinds of persecution and rejection, so you're right in their league.

Allow me to serve up one more good quote about justice and mercy, this time from the prophet Zechariah. “ 8) And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: 9) “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. 10) Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’ 11) But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and covered their ears. 12) They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the Lord Almighty was very angry.” (Zech. 7: 8-12) We as a nation are, by and large, completely ignoring verses 9-10. My country that I've always loved and always will has nonetheless become a country devoid of any trace of justice, mercy and compassion, and the fault lies squarely with America's leadership.

Anytime we devolve into a bunch of high-rolling wannabe aristocrats that verbally abuses one another just because they get to be on TV, I would say we as an American people have sunk to a new low. Yes, I stand against those who sexually assault or otherwise abuse innocent people, but I'm also absolutely against one nation waging warfare against another. Most of all as far as this week's message is concerned, I'm also against those who lie under oath on international television, as well as those congressional representatives sitting on the Judiciary Committee in Washington who abuse their authority for profit. I vehemently stand against men who abuse women, as well as the other way around.

But there are plenty of good things that we can all stand for. Justice, mercy, fairness, the absence of bias in our decision making, and the possession of much empathy and compassion towards others regardless of who they are, where they come from or what color their skin is – it is these things that are required of us by our Maker. Because, you see, that's precisely what He put us here for. It is our purpose for living. The very reason for our existence is to take care of one another, just as God is taking good care of each and every one of us as I write these words. God has made us wonderfully and with utmost perfection! He puts the breath in our lungs, he has put the blood in our veins, and he causes the heart to pump all 5 quarts of it with the greatest of vigor. That way we will never lack the energy or ability to care for one another. That's what Jesus meant when he said, “A new commandment I now give you: Love one another.” (John 13: 34)

“Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor....” See that, all you “patriots” and “conservatives”? Don't pick on widows, orphans, foreigners or the poor! God is serious about this – leave 'em alone!! Suppose the United States sustained a nuclear attack – who would do this is a matter of mere speculation, but what if we had to leave the country to save our own lives and that of our families? Wouldn't we expect a little justice, fairness and (above all) mercy instead of being greeted as unwelcome guests if we were to become refugees in, say, Canada or Mexico? Of course we would! And being treated with hatred and contempt wouldn't make any of us feel very good, now would it? “Love thy neighbor as thyself”, that's what Jesus taught, isn't it? OK, so all you immigrant haters and so-called “patriots” or “white nationalists”, what do you think God will say to you when it comes your time to stand before him? Think about that for a minute. You'd better!!

“ 11) But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and covered their ears. 12) They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the Lord Almighty was very angry.” If God was so angry back in Zechariah's time because the people lacked compassion and simply did whatever they wanted, what do you think God would say to America's leaders, and those who voted them into office, today? I'll tell you what I know for sure, it won't sound pretty.

America's epidemic of sexual assault and immorality

The Epidemic of Sexual Immorality and Assault:

the Symptoms of a Sick Society

by Pastor Paul J. Bern

For a website view, click here :-)

This past week I have found myself being bombarded by the media with stories of women being sexually assaulted by men, and many of these men have been prominent individuals. The hearings in Washington, DC for judge Brent Kavenaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court is only the tip of this sordid and distasteful iceberg. Whether you believe the lady professor making the charges or not, there are plenty of other allegations against a lot of other people that have already been made. It's looking to me like women everywhere have gotten to the point where they are simply done and over with being victimized by men again and again. Moreover, let's be honest and truthful about sexual assault – this is nothing new or recent at all. Men forcing themselves on women (and visa versa), or intimidating them into compliance to their demands for sex, has been going on for as far back as we can remember, and likely further back than that.

What does the Bible have to say about sexually immoral people? Not only does the Bible have much to say about this topic, I will also give some modern-day examples to tie all this together. The first quote that seems most relevant to me comes from 1^st Corinthians chapter 6, verse 18: “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.” Not to mention that it can also get you into legal trouble, and legal problems have this annoying habit of being very, very expensive. Just ask Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstien, or former New York congressman Anthony Wiener, to name just three out of many more.

Further along in that same book of the Bible, it says in chapter 10 verse 8, “We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did — and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.” This is a reference to a time when a portion of the recently-freed Israelite's, who had been slaves in Egypt for 400 years, were slain for having a grossly immoral pagan sexual ritual festival while still wandering in the desert. In one day God struck down 23,000 of them in a single day (see Exodus chapter 32 for the full context of that story). Now you know how strongly God feels about sexual sin. Hopefully it will make you think twice before doing that again. But hold that thought, because I'll have still more reasons that I will reveal after I give you all another Bible quote or two.

The apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the 1^st century Ephesian church, “3) But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4) Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5) For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person — such a person is an idolater — has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6) Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7) Therefore do not be partners with them.” (Ephesians 5, verses 3-7) Based on these words, I would say the majority of men and women who are currently elected to office, as well as those who are appointed such as judges and cabinet members, would have to resign, up to and including President Trump.

The thing is, it doesn't stop with President Trump, either. To me at least, judge Cavenaugh is not the problem, but he is a glaring symptom of a much wider problem. For example, according to an older survey done around the early 2,000's or so by Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family, 45% of Christian men and about 30% of Christian women were addicted to pornography. Here in 2018, over 60% of men and 50% of Christian women are addicted to porn. So what is the percentage of non-Christian, atheist or agnostic men and women who are addicted to porn? Surprisingly – at least to me – it's very much the same, with almost no difference at all in the percentage rate between the two groups. Based on this information, I would say Christianity as a whole has some serious soul-searching to do, and that's actually an understatement of the problem.

But now, allow me to present some more recent statistics, this time from none other than the Centers for Disease Control, which is only 10 miles or so from where I live. When it comes to the personal ads and online dating sites that are pervasive on the Web and in social media, 4 out of every 10 people with personal ads on dating sites or social media has a sexually transmittable disease. That's frighteningly close to half, which is why I stay off the dating sites! I'm in my 60's and single myself, having tried marriage twice before with awful results that I do not care to repeat. But here's where these stats get a bit crazy. Out of the group of 40% on the dating sites and hook-up apps who have STD's, fully 80% – eight out of ten – don't bother to tell their new partners. To make matters worse, they are having unprotected sex, like playing Russian roulette with your body! If this looks to you like some evil people are willfully spreading STD's, you are absolutely right. So, sexual promiscuity and bad behavior are not limited to those at the pinnacles of power and influence. In short, everybody's doing it. Moreover, anyone who thinks that sexual assaults don't take place on dating apps is either astonishingly naive or incredibly stupid.

The United States of America is infested with rampant sexual immorality! Make no mistake about it, God is not impressed in the slightest by America's wild behavior. It's up to us to turn this big problem around, and to deal with it appropriately with even-handed justice to those who have committed acts subject to criminal prosecution. The harshest prosecution should be reserved for those who kill or do bodily harm, who engage in forcible sex, and for those who engage in sex with underage girls and boys. After all, if God can kill 23,000 Israelite's all in one day, or if he can destroy Sodom and Gomorrah in a matter of minutes together with all their inhabitants for their rampant immorality, how much more quickly can God destroy an individual who sins continuously today? He can do it at the speed of a bolt of lightening, and Jesus said as much himself during his ministry here on Earth. Protect yourselves from a lot of anguish and aggravation. Stay single until you're ready to marry. Why worry about whether you'll be lonesome or not when you have Jesus already there with you? When Jesus is all you have, he's all you will ever need.

This week's Bible study will be part 1 of Acts chapter 11

Peter Returns to Jerusalem With Great News

[Acts chapter 11, verses 1-18]

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When we last left off at the conclusion of Acts chapter 10, Peter was staying and teaching at Caesaria at the home of newly-converted Cornelius the Roman centurion, having been sent there through a vision he had. This week as we start part 1 of Acts chapter 11, we find the apostle Peter has returned to Jerusalem some time later to tell the believers there about everything that had happened on his journey. So let's take up where we left off starting at verse one.

“The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles had already received the Word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him and said, 'You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.' Peter began and explained to them everything precisely as it happened: 'I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. I looked into it and I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds of the air. Then I heard a voice telling me, 'Get up, Peter, kill and eat.' I replied, 'Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.' The voice spoke from heaven a second time, 'Do not call anything impure that God has made clean'. This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.” (Acts 11, verses 1-10)

Let's all keep in mind that, to the Jews at least, their promised Messiah was a Jewish Messiah for Jews only, since that is what certain sections of the Old Testament taught. So for the Jews in Jerusalem, the very idea of salvation in Christ being available for Jew and Gentile alike was, frankly, more than some of them could stomach. The ones most vehemently opposed, of course, were the Sanhedrin (the ruling council of the Temple, the Jewish equivalent of the Vatican for Catholics), the very ones responsible for handing Christ over to the Romans for execution. This is why it reads in verse 2, “....You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.' Peter began and explained to them everything precisely as it happened....”.

So the apostle Peter relates all that had occurred to the eager, if slightly confused, Jews in Jerusalem who found themselves thinking outside the box when it came to Gentile salvation. Although many Jewish people since have come to know Jesus Christ as their Messiah, Lord and Savior, the vast majority still await Him. That is between them and God, and so because of that I refuse to condemn them. As you all know by now, the Bible warns us repeatedly not to judge others (see Matt. 7: 1-5, Romans 14: 6-13 and James 4: 11-12). But I would like to appeal to my Jewish brothers and sisters that there is still time to follow His Majesty the King! There is still time to give your heart and mind to Jesus!

But for now, and to finish up the first part of this week's study, Peter tells his Jewish brethren “everything precisely as it happened....”. He spoke of his vision on the roof where he was in prayer, of the definition of “clean and unclean” as far as ancient Jewish customs were concerned, combined with his discovery that there are no unclean people, since Almighty God is the creator of us all. This 'clean vs. unclean' paradigm that had been in place for 2 millennia was done away with for good due to Christ sacrificing himself on the cross for the whole of humanity. Ever since, everyone and everything that God has made is considered clean and wholesome when they are considered equally, since God has made it all equal. And so now let's move on to part 2 of this week's study, starting at verse 11.

“'Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man's house. He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, 'Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He will bring a message through which you and all your household will be saved.' As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?' When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, 'So, then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.'” (Acts 11, verses 11-18)

So now we begin to see why this part of the Book of Acts was included, even though it may seem repetitive in places. The apostle Luke wrote this to be a teaching tool for all future generations of believers so everyone would know exactly why things unfolded as they did with respect to Peter's ministry. And it's all because of the words of Christ: “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Notice that Holy Spirit baptism was freely given to all the people with no preconditions, and that is was distributed verbally while Peter spoke to everyone in the home of Cornelius the centurion, and so it was much the same everywhere the Twelve went (“As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning”). There was no ceremony or laying on of hands such as what we see in some denominations today (primarily Protestant). The laying on of hands upon an individual by the church leadership is something normally reserved for healing, not Holy Spirit baptism.

So I think at least some of these churches, who I will decline to name, are not being Scriptural when it comes to baptism of the Holy Spirit. In order to receive the Holy Spirit, one must first receive and embrace the Word of God that is bringing that Holy Spirit word upon the entire congregation, no matter who they may be. I certainly don't believe that Holy Spirit baptism involves standing up in church and babbling unintelligible things when there is no one present who may interpret those who are performing their version of 'speaking in tongues'. For additional info you may want to read the first 24 verses of 1^st Corinthians chapter 14, everything regarding speaking in tongues is right there. But for Peter and the other six brothers from Caesarea, the baptism of the Holy Spirit came about through the preaching of the Word, which was done in a language everyone could understand – their own!

“'So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?' When they heard this, they had no further objections....” As we can all see, the Holy Spirit, together with the Father and Son, had already made his presence abundantly clear to all. This is most noteworthy, I believe, considering the fact that only six others in the group besides the apostle Peter had been there to witness all these things. Everyone else was running on raw faith, just like we are. So take heart and do not be concerned, because as true believers in Jesus you are in some pretty exceptional company!

“....they had no further objections and praised God, saying, 'So, then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life'.” This sentence sums up the entire New Testament! Just as God has created and loves all men and women equally, so he has sent his only Son as the blood payment for our sins (as in previous studies, including my own), and this blood payment has similarly been distributed equally. This is the Gospel of Christ – that all of us are reconciled to God through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God! Formerly the Bible, which consisted of what we now call the Old Testament, was during the time of Christ the only 'Bible' there was. It was a Jewish book written for Jewish people, calling them God's chosen ones.

But after the ascension of Christ into the heavens, the Gospel has been extended to all because of the positive qualities God has seen within those who call upon his name, and who profess their undying devotion to God's only Son. So there you have it in a nutshell, people. This is just another way to explain how one may obtain eternal salvation. The first step is to hear the Word, or in this case to read it. What you do with it is entirely up to you, and I would advise you to pray before proceeding. But proceed we all must, because where our souls will spend eternity depends on it. See you all next week for the second half of Acts chapter 11.

The enforcement of America's laws and her alleged Christianity

Submission To Authority, the Bible, and Common Sense

by Pastor Paul J. Bern

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Although I don't often have to write follow-ups to my postings, I'm making an exception with this Sunday's commentary. (For those who may have missed it, you can read last week's column from right here.) Here in the early 21^st century, we live in a world where authority has gotten completely out of control, even to the point of being abusive. This abuse of authority has now reached such an extreme that we treat toddlers like criminals! The problem with this is those who enforce America's laws have been proven to be criminals themselves! America was lied to back in the 1950's so our government could start the Viet Nam war. We were lied to about President Kennedy's assassination by the Warren Commission, and we were lied to again five years later concerning the murder of Robert Kennedy. We were lied to yet again about Rev. Dr. King's assassination that same violent year of 1968. President Nixon lied to us about Watergate. We were lied to in 2003 as a pretext for invading Iraq the second time. And we were lied to by president Obama when he won the 2008 election while telling us all that he would bring us “change we can believe in”. We got some serious changes all right, resulting in the largest spy and unmanned drone network the world had ever seen.

Meanwhile here at home, the police have become thoroughly militarized and they are having lots of fun on the job thanks to all their new toys and gadgets, not to mention fully automatic weapons and even tanks! They can stop you and search you without cause and without the Constitutionally mandated search warrant. They are breaking our doors down in the middle of the night and murdering unarmed citizens. A 92-year-old Black woman was shot 19 times and killed by the police more than a decade ago right here in Atlanta where I live and work, and people of color as well as the poor are being arbitrarily killed everywhere by the police, often on the flimsiest of pretexts. Back in 2012 when I tried to renew my drivers license, I was turned away due to a speeding ticket I got back in 1994 in North Carolina – even though I had paid the fine more than two decades previously. So now I no longer own a car, but I'm saving a lot of money by relying on public transportation and “going green”. Still, the state of Georgia's refusal to renew my drivers license makes me feel resentful and disenfranchised by the very system that is sworn to protect and serve us all. (Earlier this year I finally managed to pay off the $418.00 fine for allegedly being clocked at 70mph in a 65mph zone).

US attorney general Jeff Sessions recently quoted Romans 13 as being sufficient justification for America's immigration policies. Speaking as a minister of the Gospel and as an ambassador for Jesus Christ, I have done a little research as to what the Bible says about governmental authority and the abuse of power. It turns out that there is ample argument to be minted for both sides of this same coin. The first part has to do with submission to authority in the context of being a law-abiding citizen as the apostle Paul saw it when he wrote the Book of Romans approximately 1,950 years ago. At the time when this was written, all of what is now modern-day Israel was under the military occupation of the Roman empire. Similarly, much of the world today is occupied by the American Empire. Paul wrote these words in that context, so I will begin with the book of Romans, chapter 13 and verses 1-5.

“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.” (Romans 13: 1-5)

At the time the apostle Paul wrote this, the death penalty was commonplace. Capital punishment existed as a means of intimidation and absolute control, and that punishment was carried out with utter ruthlessness and without mercy. Moreover, unlike the Jewish religious establishment of that era, Paul was a Roman citizen and as such he was given rights and privileges that were not shared equally with his fellow Jews. But how does this compare with life in the early 21^st century? Although the death penalty is still administered for capital crimes such as murder and treason, it is carried out with relative infrequency compared to the days of the Roman empire. There were also debtors prisons in Paul's day. People who ran into financial trouble back in those days were routinely imprisoned until their debts were paid. In contrast, today if one gets into financial difficulty, bankruptcy laws exist that are much more fair and equitable than prison. Compared to the times in which the apostle Paul lived, we get a complete picture of a much more fair, equitable and even lenient world in the present day. Let me now make some comparisons between Paul's world and ours using this passage of scripture as a backdrop to the picture that I will now paint for you with my words.

“The authorities that exist have been established by God”. Although Paul sincerely believed at the time that he wrote these words that he was absolutely correct, he was speaking more as a Roman citizen and a Hebrew religious scholar than he was as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In modern America, our rule of law is the Constitution of the United States and so I am writing today in this same context, but as an American citizen. We have the right to free speech and freedom of religion today that did not exist in St. Paul's time. That right, which is established under the first amendment to the US Constitution, allows me to write these words without fear of punishment. As such I am within the law and I will remain so for as long as the law is fair. It's when it's unfair, unjust or both that things can get pretty dicey. But hold that thought as I continue.

The apostle Paul continues with this same theme as he writes further: “Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong.” The same applies today. Take the “patriot movement” and so-called “preppers” of today. Organizing any armed revolt in modern-day America is an idea that I am totally against, preaching and teaching as a man of peace who tries his best to emulate Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Besides, the police have well-armed SWAT teams, and there is always the National Guard that exists within any given state. So, I think one would be foolhardy to try and take on authority in an American armed revolt.

On the other hand, it is perfectly legal, and I would also say that it is even necessary, to engage in peaceful protests and passive resistance against laws and policies that we disagree with, mainly because they are unjust. The US Supreme Court's decision that money equals free speech is one good example. The counterproductive and sometimes downright stupid War on Drugs is another one. The first amendment gives us this right, something that did not exist during Paul's time all those centuries ago. In this regard, we can interpret this passage of scripture a little differently than what Paul wrote back then.

Paul then continues making his point, and so will I. “Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.” It is sad to say that this is not always true in the modern world. Trying as I do to be a law-abiding citizen, I often find myself looked down on by the many godless, faithless people living in our world of today. I put up with the occasional ridicule and those who troll my blog just because I am openly Christian, but I do so knowing that God is watching everything I do and He is listening to everything I say. But to get back to the topic at hand, it is wise to be “free from fear of the one in authority”. The best way to follow this principle is to obey the commandments and the teachings of Jesus Christ. Just by doing this, we can keep ourselves out of a whole lot of trouble. Besides, the Bible says in the Old Testament to “obey the laws of the land, that it may go well with you in the place you are abiding”. Those words were written at least three thousand years ago, and they are still just as true today as they were back then.

I have, however, another Bible verse or two for Mr. Jeff Sessions that he, and his entire staff, along with the rest of the Trump administration, seems to have overlooked. For example, what does the Bible say about so-called “illegal aliens”? “Do not mistreat an alien or oppress them, for you were aliens in Egypt” (Exodus 22: 21). For those who were unaware, the ancient Israelis (or Israelite's, as the Bible calls them) were slaves to the Egyptian Pharaoh's for 400 years prior to being led out of Egypt by Moses. This applies to the US as well, since America has the world's second-largest Jewish population. Only Israel has more. If it wasn't OK for Israel's ancestors to be oppressed by Pharaoh, it's not OK for her descendants here in America to be mistreating so-called “illegal aliens” either! Especially when we are breaking up families and traumatizing children!

Allow me just one more verse, Attorney General Sessions, before I conclude this week's message: “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble” (Psalms 9: 9). Based on this verse of Scripture I would say America has been demonstrably acting in exactly the opposite way that King David wrote about. There are other things happening and situations unfolding within the US government that are similarly contrary to God's laws. Take the ten commandments as an example. The eighth commandment says, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor”, which can be expanded to include this simple command: You shall not lie and gossip about people you dislike. Yet America found itself embroiled in a war in Iraq that was based on a lie. Specifically, that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq when Saddam Hussein was still in power. Of course, those WMD's turned out to be non-existent, and it took more than 4,400 US fatalities – and well over 100,000 Iraqi civilian deaths, nearly half of which were children – to find that out!

The same applies to Afghanistan – our troops have been there for 17 years! At first it was to find Osama Bin Laden even though everybody in Southern Asia and the Middle East knew he was in Pakistan. Now that he is deceased, are our troops all back home yet? Absolutely not, effectively making Afghanistan a defacto US territory with an open ended US military presence. And what are US troops still doing way over there? They're guarding the vast fields of opium for the CIA so American pharmaceutical companies can have an ample supply to fuel America's opiate epidemic, that's why!! (The CIA mainly handles the brokerage and logistics.) The US government has been spending $6 billion dollars a week on this occupation, a thoroughly obscene sum of money by any standard. Well over 50,000 Americans per year die from heroin and opiate pain-killer overdoses as a direct result, something I find even more obscene.

Yet all the while, there is unemployment here in the USA that is officially around 3.5%, but that doesn't count all the millions of long-term unemployed who have stopped looking for work, as well as those who are working part-time when full-time work is what is needed. If these facts were figured into this equation, the true unemployment rate is hovering at around 21 percent. There is no money to create over a million badly needed jobs in our country, but there is an unlimited supply of cash for multiple illegal military occupations and drone strikes all around the globe. This is a moral outrage, and anybody with even a little bit of a conscience should be out in the streets protesting against the US military-industrial complex, of which ICE is an integral part. That may not be in the words of the Bible, but it most certainly is in the Spirit thereof.

In closing, Paul then writes in verse 5, “Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.” This is just as true today as it was when it was first written. Being an outlaw will only get us into trouble, and jail is no place for anybody to be except for the worst criminals. For example, it is a bad idea to drive your car at 90 miles an hour because it is against the law, but also because it is dangerous. By the same token, the ten commandments must be obeyed, and let's be sure to include the teachings of Christ while we're at it. We should not steal, lie or commit adultery, nor should we have any false gods in our lives. This includes electronic devices like computers. To find out if something is an idol, simply compare how much time you spend in front of screens to how much time you spend in prayer (time spent in church doesn't count – sorry!).

We are commanded to “love the Lord your God with all your strength, all your mind, all your soul and all your spirit”, and to “love our neighbor as we love ourselves”. We can and should worship the one true God and Him alone, who sent His only Son to die for our sins and then to rise from the dead on the third day after He was crucified. In the same way that we submit ourselves to God, we should, as far as it is possible, submit to authority here on earth. And we should do so not only “because of possible punishment but also because of conscience”. But here in the 21^st century we can and should oppose and protest against the government's immigration policies, also because of matters of conscience. It is part of the laws of our land, and we should exercise this right because our rule of law says we can. This is also in keeping with God's commands, and I hope and pray that it always remains so.

This week's ongoing Bible study will be part 2 of Acts chapter 8

Examples of True Repentance and Diversity in the Bible

[Acts chapter 8, verses 18-30]

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Last week in our ongoing study of the Book of Acts, we left off at verse 17 of chapter 8, where Simon the sorcerer had just been converted to what we now call Christianity by the apostles Peter and John. Back then the teachings of our Lord and Savior were simply called “The Way”, a much better name in my own opinion. So this week as we move on, we will find Simon getting himself sharply rebuked by Peter for asking the wrong question the wrong way, followed by a Biblical example of the absence of prejudice in the face of racial diversity. So let's pick up where we last left off, starting at verse 18.

“When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles hands, he offered them money and said, 'Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.' Peter answered, 'May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.' Then Simon answered, 'Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.' When they had testified and proclaimed the word of the Lord, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the Gospel in many Samaritan villages.” (Acts 8, verses 18-25)

Although many pastors and teachers of the Word habitually use Simon as an example of how NOT to use the gifts of the Spirit (and there's nothing wrong with that), let me also point out that Simon was a reflection of the times in which he lived. There was widespread paganism 2,000 years ago, with all kinds of weird beliefs, rituals and superstitions. There was also a lot of sorcery and witchcraft, not to mention fortune-tellers, astrologers and even Luciferians who engage in devil worship. These types of nefarious activities are still prevalent today in some parts of the world, but these forms of negative worship, or 'worshiping in vain' as I call it, exist globally in one form or another, and that includes North America. It is the duty of every Christ-believer to oppose, and to repent of for those who need to, all of the above activities and beliefs and to the organizations that represent them. You all know who you are!!

Verse 19 is one good verse to use when pointing out the erroneous teaching known as the “Prosperity Gospel”, which is really no 'gospel' at all. Simon the sorcerer said to Peter as he flashed his cash at him, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” Clearly this was a big mistake on Simon's part. But this corrupt mentality of his made its presence known because Simon was a reflection of the culture he grew up in. He probably didn't have much of an upbringing nor much education, so he probably had lived by his wits for much of his life. No wonder there was such a need for a Savior for all of humanity! In a world where kids grew up to be sorcerers and warlocks, the need was great. In today's world, where kids grow up to be gang members and school shooters, the need for a Savior has never been more acute. Pray, everyone! Pray for our children!

“Peter answered, 'May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!” To put this into 21^st century vernacular, Peter was telling Simon to take his money and himself right back to whatever part of Hell they had originated from. Then he adds insult to injury in his rebuke when he added, “You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you....” Again, to put this into a modern context, Peter was telling Simon not only that he was an unfit Christian, but also that he had no business in the ministry at all! As in 'period, end of story'. Peter's swift and sure response to Simon's attempted bribery still holds true today. It is a sin to accept or offer a bribe – period, end of story.

“Perhaps”, Peter told Simon, “He will forgive you.” The Supreme Sacrifice of Christ on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, no matter how grievous they may be, guarantees eternal forgiveness for those who embrace Jesus. Like Simon though, it depends on how sincere we are about our repentance. We get a hint of the level of Simon's repentance in his response to Peter in verse 24: “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.” Simon evidently felt so convicted he may have felt unworthy to pray for himself, I can't say for sure. He is never mentioned again in the Bible, and nobody knows his fate to this day, but I hope he is with the Lord. But then we see, in verse 25, Peter and John preaching in “many Samaritan villages” on their way back to Jerusalem. As I mentioned in last week's lesson, this is an example of the power of the ministry of Christ – that two orthodox Jews would stop and preach to a bunch of Gentiles. Prior to these occurrences, Jews and Samaritans associating with one another was unheard of. Which brings me to part two of today's lesson, beginning at verse 26.

“Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, 'Go south to the road – the desert road – that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.' So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, 'Go to that chariot and stay near it.' Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. 'Do you understand what you are reading?', Philip asked.” (Acts 8, verses 26-30)

I'm not sure why this verse of Scripture was translated this way, but I think it would have looked a little better had it been translated as, “Meanwhile, while all this was occurring, the Spirit of our risen Lord had dispatched the apostle Philip to the south of Jerusalem”, with Samaria being roughly northeast of Jerusalem. As he goes, he encounters an Ethiopian man, a eunuch in a chariot who is reading the Book of Isaiah. So we have a similar occurrence here with Philip that we had with Peter and John above – Jewish men not only associating with but even ministering to different cultures than their own. The Ethiopian eunuch was obviously a Black man, whereas Philip most likely had light brown skin. And yet modern churches seem to conveniently skip over this Biblical fact and its implications for racial reconciliation, starting with here in America where we need it the most. Such a teaching would be a scathing indictment of wealthy, and mostly white, churches.

But Philip allowed no such barrier to hinder him, nor did he care that the Ethiopian eunuch was a Black man. “The Spirit told Philip, 'Go to that chariot and stay near it.' Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. 'Do you understand what you are reading?'”.... All the apostle Philip saw in that man was a ministry opportunity and a chance to lead someone to salvation in Christ. When the Spirit commanded the apostle Philip to get close to the chariot he saw, Philip ran! He got to that chariot as fast as he could run, as if it were an emergency. And there was an emergency! A man whose heart was crying out for salvation had its needs met by the apostle Philip. So there was a Spiritual emergency. But what did the Ethiopian eunuch ask Philip, or how did he respond to Philip's query? To find the answer to this most pertinent question, you'll have to return next week for the third and final part to our analysis of chapter 8 of the Book of Acts. Until then, let's all focus on being as repentant as Simon was after being rebuked by Peter. Let's all continue to pray for ourselves and each other, that God's judgment never falls on any of us either. Then, let's live our lives as such.

President Trump's Authority, Authoritarians and Progressive Christianity

Obeying Authority: When It's Right and When It's Not

by pastor Paul J. Bern

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Today we live in a world where the abuse of authority has gotten completely out of control. This is about so much more than merely being unhappy about Donald Trump's presidency or the way he is running the country. This abuse of authority dates all the way back to at least the early 1960's, when certain people in authority conspired to assassinate president John F. Kennedy on live TV. It was a bloody coup, and Kennedy's assassins and their compatriots have been running the country ever since. We were lied to about President Kennedy's assassination by the Warren Commission, and we were lied to again five years later concerning the Robert Kennedy assassination. We were lied to about Rev. Dr. King's assassination that same violent year of 1968. President Nixon lied to us about Watergate. We were lied to in 2003 as a pretext for invading Iraq for a second time when it was not necessary. And we were lied to by president Obama when he won the 2008 election while telling us all that he would bring us “change we can believe in”. We got some serious changes all right, resulting in the largest spy and unmanned drone network the world had ever seen. Under the Trump presidency, this drone war has not only been stepped up, it has been taken to the next level.

On the home front, the police have become thoroughly militarized, and they are having lots of fun on the job thanks to all their new toys and gadgets, not to mention fully automatic weapons, and even tanks! They can stop us and search us without cause and without the Constitutionally mandated search warrant. They are breaking our doors down in the middle of the night and murdering unarmed citizens. A 92-year-old woman was shot 19 times and killed by the police several years ago right here in Atlanta where I live and work, and people of color as well as the poor are being specifically targeted by the police, often on the flimsiest of pretexts. In the case of the elderly woman, it later turned out the police had the wrong house.

Speaking as a minister of the Gospel and as an ambassador for Jesus Christ, I have done a little research as to what the Bible says about governmental authority and the abuse of power. It turns out that there is ample argument for both sides of this coin. The first part has to do with submission to authority in the context of being a law-abiding citizen as the apostle Paul saw it when he wrote the Book of Romans approximately 1,950 years ago. At the time that this was written, all of what is now modern-day Israel was under the military occupation of the Roman empire. Similarly, much of the world today is occupied by the American Empire. Paul wrote these words in that context, so I will quote from the book of Romans, chapter 13 and verses 1-5.

“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.” (Romans 13: 1-5)

At the time that the apostle Paul wrote this, the death penalty was commonplace. Capital punishment existed as a means of absolute control through raw intimidation, and that punishment was carried out with utter ruthlessness and without mercy. Moreover, unlike the Jewish religious establishment of that era, Paul was a Roman citizen and as such he was given rights and privileges that were not shared equally with other non-citizens. But how does this compare with life in the early 21^st century? Although the death penalty is still administered for capital crimes such as murder, it is carried out with relative infrequency compared to the days of the Roman empire. There were also debtors prisons in Paul's day. People who ran into financial trouble back in those days were routinely imprisoned until their debts were paid. In contrast, today if one gets into financial difficulty, bankruptcy laws exist that are much more fair and equitable than prison. Compared to the times in which the apostle Paul lived, we get a complete picture of a much more fair, equitable and comparatively lenient world in the present day. Let me now make some comparisons between Paul's world and ours using this passage of scripture as a backdrop to the picture that I will now paint for you with my words.

“The authorities that exist have been established by God”. This one solitary sentence, while being a biblical verse, has been more misused than any other in my opinion (It was reportedly Hitler's favorite Bible verse). Although Paul sincerely believed at the time that he wrote these words that he was absolutely correct, he was speaking more as a Roman citizen and a Hebrew religious scholar than he was as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In modern America, our rule of law is the Constitution of the United States and so I am writing today in this context as an American citizen. We have the right to free speech and freedom of religion today that did not exist in the apostle Paul's time. That right which is established under the 1st amendment to the US Constitution allows me to write these words without fear of punishment. As such I am within the law and I will remain so for as long as the law is fair and just. It's when it's unfair to the point of being oppressive that things can get a bit dicey. But hold that thought as I continue.

The apostle Paul continues his train of thought as he writes further: “Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong.” The same applies today. Take the patriot movement and so-called “preppers” of today as two examples. Organizing any armed revolt in modern-day America is an idea that I am very much against, since I preach and teach as a man of peace who tries his best to emulate Jesus, the Prince of Peace and the redeemer of my soul. Besides, the police have very well-armed SWAT teams, and there is always the National Guard that exists within any given state. So I think one would be foolhardy to try and take on authority in this manner. On the other hand, it is perfectly legal, and I would also say that it is even necessary, to engage in peaceful protests against laws and policies that we disagree with, particularly when they are unjust. The US Supreme Court's decision that money equals free speech – the so-called “Citizens United” ruling – is one good example of an unjust law. The counterproductive and sometimes downright stupid War on Drugs is another one, particularly when it comes to the topic of medical marijuana, which clearly needs to be legalized. For a Christian perspective on medical marijuana, get a copy of my book. “Cannabis Legalization and the Bible” by yours truly. The first amendment to our Constitution gives us the right to protest or uphold any and all of the above, something that did not exist during Paul's time all those centuries ago. In this regard, I think we can interpret this passage of scripture a little differently than what Paul wrote back then.

The apostle Paul then continues making his point, and so will I. “Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.” It is sad to say that this is not always true in the modern world. Bad people vilify good people for doing good things for a lot of different reasons, most of which have to do with envy, malice or guilt. Trying as I do to do what is right, I often find myself looked down on by the many godless people I encounter when I'm out riding public transit around town. I put up with the occasional verbal attacks because I am openly Christian, but I do so knowing that God is watching everything I do and He is listening to everything I say. But still, it is wise to be “free from fear of the one in authority”. The best way to follow this principle is to obey the commandments and the teachings of Jesus Christ. We learn his commandments and what his will is by reading his Word daily, even if only for a few minutes (Try a chapter a day, particularly if you're just getting started; it only takes 5 minutes). Just by doing this, we can keep ourselves out of much trouble. Besides, the Bible says in the Old Testament to “obey the laws of the land, that it may go well with you in the place you are abiding”. Those words were written at least three thousand years ago, and they are still just as true today as they were back then.

By the same token, there are things happening and situations unfolding within the US government that are completely contrary to God's laws. Take the ten commandments as an example. The eighth commandment says, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor”, which can be expanded to include this simple command: you shall not lie and gossip about people you dislike. Yet America found itself embroiled in a war in Iraq that was based on a lie. Specifically, that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq when Saddam Hussein was still in power. Of course, those WMD's turned out to be non-existent, and it took 4,400 US fatalities – and over 100,000 Iraqi civilian deaths, one third of whom were children – to find that out. The same applies to Afghanistan. Our troops have been there since 2001, first to find Osama Bin Laden even though everybody in Southern Asia and the Middle East knew he was in Pakistan. Now that he has been deceased for quite a few years, are our troops all back home yet? Absolutely not, effectively making Afghanistan a de facto US territory with an open ended US military presence. The US government has been spending $6 billion dollars a week on this occupation, a thoroughly obscene sum of money by any standard.

Yet all the while, there is unemployment here in the USA that is officially around 4%, but that doesn't count all the millions of long-term unemployed who have stopped looking for work, as well as those who are working part-time when full-time work is what is needed. If these facts were figured into this equation, the true unemployment rate is hovering at around 24 percent. There is no money to create over a million badly needed jobs in our country, but there is an unlimited supply of cash for multiple illegal military occupations and drone strikes all around the globe. This is a moral outrage, and anybody with even a little bit of a conscience should be out in the streets protesting against the US military-industrial complex. That may not be in the words of the Bible, but it most certainly is in the Spirit thereof.

Paul then writes in verse 5, “Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.” This is just as true today as it was when it was first written. Being an outlaw will only get us into trouble, and jail is no place for anybody to be except for the worst criminals. For example, it is a bad idea to drive your car at 90 miles an hour because it is against the law for obvious reasons. On the other hand, I'm old enough to remember famed boxer Muhammad Ali who, back in the 1960's when he was known as Cassius Clay, had his career interrupted when he had to serve time in prison for refusing to report for the military draft. Going off to war for people who had enslaved his ancestors, he said, in order for him to go and kill even more, was too much to ask and he refused to go fight in the Vietnam war. He spent a year or two in prison, as I recall, for making that decision, and that's something I've always admired about Muhammad Ali. The fact that he converted to Islam makes no difference to me, because the same Almighty God made us both.

The ten commandments must be obeyed, to be sure, but let's be sure to obey the teachings of Christ all the more. We have been commanded not to steal, lie or commit adultery, nor should we have any false gods in our lives, such as money and all the 'things' it can buy. We are commanded to “love the Lord your God with all your strength, all your mind, all your soul and all your spirit”, and to “love our neighbor as we love ourselves” (Matthew 22, verses 34-40). We can and should worship the one true God and Him alone, who sent His only Son to die for our sins and then to rise from the dead on the third day after He was crucified. In the same way that we submit ourselves to God we should, as far as it is possible, submit to authority here on earth. But if that authority becomes abusive, especially to the point of being dangerous or menacing to its citizens, then our obedience to that authority should become more discerning. And we should do so not only “because of possible punishment but also because of conscience”. But here in the 21^st century, we can and should oppose and protest against the government similarly because of matters of conscience. It is part of the laws of our land as they exist today, and we can and should exercise this right because our rule of law says we can. This is also in keeping with God's commands, and I hope and pray that it always remains so.