Kashkari to Brown: "You Should Be Ashamed of Yourself!"

Republican Gubernatorial candidate Neel Kashkari put up an impressive fight against Governor Jerry Brown on September 4, 2014.

I have had my doubts about Kashkari. I was a Donnelly fan from the moment I met the state assemblymember in 2012, and I wanted him to win the nomination. He was a proven fighter, and to this day, even though he lost the nomination, he has not stopped waging the fight for our rights and the integrity of our state.

Neel Kashkari glad-handing a supporter.
(Source: Laguna4life)

I was particularly offended by Kashkari's personal attacks against Donnelly, including the outrageous claims that the Twin Peaks rep would drag down the GOP ticket in November, plus the slur that he would be the Todd Akin of the California GOP.

In the past month, though, I have witnessed Kashkari take rugged jabs at Governor Brown's failed policies. I have witnessed him taking the stance for real education reform.

His counter press conference in favor of Vergara v. California demonstrates a creative social media savvy much needed among GOP candidates.

Kashkari's debate was all substance and flair, exposing the California Comeback for all that it really is (nothing much), and calling out Governor Brown's unfailing allegiance to interest groups and public sector unions

The former Bush Administration official blasted Governor Brown on his unwavering stance with unions against kids:

[Regarding Vergara v. California] The judge got it exactly right. This is one of the most important civil rights cases in years, not just in California, but in the country, Nine kids sued Governor Brown, and said that their civil rights as guaranteed by the California Constitution are being violated by our failing schools

You had a choice between fighting for t he civil rights of poor kids and fighting for the union bosses who funded your campaigns. You sided with the union bosses.

Then here came the statement which sent chills up my spine:

You should be ashamed of yourself, Governor!

I'm going to fight for the kids. I'm going to fight for the kids, and I want you [the audience] to know that.

Where have I heard this statement before?

From Congressman Darrell Issa, the House Oversight Committee Chairman who demolished the assistant attorney general [2:12 - 2:20] in a hearing on Operation Fast and Furious.

But I digress. . .

Governor Brown flummoxed to defend himself against Kashari's pointed rebuke (because he could not)

Brown faced an onslaught of challenges to his record during the Sept. 4 debate.
(Source: Neon Tommy)

That makes no sense at all. That is so false. . .

First of all, Kashkari's statements make perfect sense. It was Governor Brown (when he had hair) who had enacted collective bargaining rights for public sector workers in California. At least his liberal colleague/counterpart  Jimmy Carter wisely barred public federal workers from organizing during his one-term Presidency.

Brown's politicking, policy-making, and budgetary practices have been of the unions, by the unions, and for the unions. Whatever meager pension reforms he has offered, his left-leaning legislature has refused to accept anything which would keep union bullying in line. The plastic bag ban bill enacted by the legislature received significant packing from the United Food and Commercial Workers (and corporate interests like Safeway).

Second, a statement cannot be "so false". Either it's true or it is false. There is no degree to truth, and Kashkari's remarks about Brown putting union bosses ahead of kids was true to the nth degree. All of his talk about the Local Control Funding Formula is unfounded as well, since his reorganization of state resources has impoverished high-performing schools, when studies continue to affirm that more money does not buy better education for our kids. School choice, more accountable, more flexibility in hiring and firing of teachers, plus less bureaucracy will revitalize our public schools -- and all reforms which Governor Brown diffidently resists.

News sites all over the state conclude that Kashkari carried the debate, forcing Brown to play defense for the first time in years, and a poor defense at that. Breitbart's Joel Pollak announced that Brown is no longer invincible, but whether Kashkari has taken his campaign from possible to probable remains an unlikely outcome.

Knowing the Will of God -- Easier than We Think

I was listening to a preacher talk about knowing God's will for our lives.

For a long time, I was frustrated with these statements, unsure about what to think.

From churches to self-help groups, I was pulled apart by so many people, each with their own opinions regarding the will of God in our lives.

The Bible has the answers for all problems and questions, including questions about the direction that we should go in our lives.

"15See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. 18And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God." (Ephesians 5: 15-21)

Knowing the will of God is all about wisdom, and we find wisdom in Christ:

"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:" (1 Corinthians 1: 30)

The same preacher also talked about finding satisfaction in our lives, and that if we find ourselves in a rut, then we are not doing the will of God in our lives.

The more that I listened to this take on finding, following, then fulfilling the will of God, the more I realized that many of us misconstrue God's will. Moreover, we tend to overthink the issue, as though God's will is a specific road map, which we may follow or fail to follow, and if we miss God's Plan A, then we have to settle for Plan B or C.

What did Jesus say about life?

Notice how the branch hangs on the vine. We do not bear
fruit in and of ourselves

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10: 10)

and then

"1I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples." (John 15:1-8)

While many of us want to figure out God's will, it is quite clear that Jesus is interested in us bearing fruit for Him. Yet even when we hear this, there is this tendency to think that we bear fruit for God in our own efforts.

What did Jesus clearly say above? "Apart from me, you can do nothing."

Jesus did not say, "Apart from me, you can do nothing great", or "You can do no miracles."

He said distinctly: "Apart from me, you can do nothing."

For too many of us, including myself, I would think of God's will as something distinct, i.e. outside of us, and that I had to find it through my efforts.

What does the Bible say about God's will in our lives?

"12Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." (Philippians 2: 12-13)

We need to understand this part in light of the previous verses in this chapter:

"5Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2: 5-11)

We have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2: 16), and we have his standing and glory (Ephesians 1: 3-6; 2: 4-6)

He gave up everything so that we may have everything through Him (1 Corinthians 3: 21-23), and thus we can work out this great salvation. All of it hinges on knowing what He has placed within us and bless us with.

He is working within us, and guides us by His peace:

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." (Colossianss 3: 15, NIV)

We have this peace because we have been justified in Christ from all things (Acts 13: 38-39):

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." (Romans 5: 1-4)

Jesus is Our Good Shepherd. Sheep don't worry about where
they are going because they truth the Shepherd leading them.
(Source: Jonathunder)

We can have a confident expectation of good in our future because of God's love for us. We do not understand this love from the inside, but by looking outside, understanding all that Jesus has done for us and continues to do for us at the right hand of God the Father.

So, instead of focusing on what specifically He wants us to do, since we labor by His laboring in us (Colossians 1: 29) and we do all things by the grace of God working in us (1 Corinthians 15:10), ket us follow the directions which Paul laid for us:

"That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all." (Ephesians 1: 17-23)

Notice that Paul did not say "Pray for knowledge of God's will for you," but rather prayer for an understanding of the great inheritance which He has given to you.

In the third chapter, Paul prays:

"16That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." (Ephesians 3: 16-19)

Paul wants us to allow Jesus to be at home in us, that we identify with Him fully.

It's about the love of Christ for us, and this love in turn causes us to abide in Him all the more, and thus we bear much fruit.

I take exception with many preachers who give the impression that we have to do something with our lives.

We cannot water down this stunning reality -- we do not have life in and of ourselves. He is our life (Colossians 3: 4)

For this reason, Paul writes to the Romans toward the end of his epistle:

"1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12: 1-2)

Our minds are renewed as we read the Word of God and see more of Jesus, for we are as He is (1 John 4: 17)

We have His Spirit, His anointing in us today, as well, and He has given us all knowledge to know all things:

"20But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things." (1 John 2: 20)

and then

"But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." (1 John 2: 27)

John makes it clear: "teach you all things". Not just spiritual things, but all things. Do you believe that?

When you accept this as true, then understand that He operates by peace in our lives (Colossians 3: 15), and that He is already working within you both to will and to do for His good pleasure), the issue then is no longer about knowing God's will, but trusting God when we venture forth into the path that He calls us to.

This lack of trust was the stumbling block for the Israelites after they left Egypt. God had told them exactly where they were going -- a land flowing with milk and honey.

This lack of trust caused the disciples to question whether Jesus cared for them or not while a storm was raging against their boat (Mark 5)

The issue then is not so much trying to figure out where we are supposed to go, but trusting that God is bringing us there and will bring us through.

If He spared not His own Son, beloved, but gave His Son to redeem, restore, and promote us to His own right hand. will He not freely give us all things with Him?

The Waning War on Women Meme

Debbie Wasserman-Schultz' War on Men
Has Ruined the Dems War on Women meme

Democratic National Congressional Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz has effectively (yet inadvertently) ended the Democratic Party’s “War on Women” meme against the Republican Party.

Her recent outrageous comments against Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker cannot command any respect:

Scott Walker has given women the back of his hand. I know that is stark. I know that is direct. But that is reality. What Republican tea party extremists like Scott Walker are doing is they are grabbing us by the hair and pulling us back.

Widespread outrage, from politicians and media pundits, pressured Wasserman-Schultz to apologize for the remarks. Fox News Commentator Andrea Tantaros criticized her with great disdain:

I want to apologize for all women everywhere. I wish she were a man, I am so embarrassed.

Still, is there any evidence to suggest that the Wisconsin Governor’s policies have added undue burdens to women or slighted their opportunities for advancement?

Walker's Reforms Champion Women,
Protecting Domestic Violence Victims

Last year, Governor Walker signed legislation which would require a woman to undertake an ultrasound before seeking an abortion. Besides safeguarding the lives of unborn women, Walker highlighted that this decision would permit women to make informed choices should they undergo the invasive procedure of terminating a life in their womb. In a way, Walker’s measure brandishes a more pro-choice edge than Democrats claim (or would have others believe about Republicans in general).

Regarding support for victims of domestic violence, the Governor of Wisconsin signed significant reforms into law this year. Three in particular stood out in a public signing ceremony. The first bill would require individuals served with restraining orders to turn over the guns to legal authorities. One distraught victim praised Walker’s resolve in passing the legislation:

"I've got that peace. I feel like now I can start living because I did make a difference. And that's wonderful."

The other reforms would allow victims of stalking to obtain restraining orders, a measure which other states have not considered or have been slow to take up. The third reform directs law enforcement to recommend support services for domestic violence victims. In years past, victims (predominantly women) faced skepticism or harassment from law enforcement when they reported that they had been the victims of rape or assault.

In addition to laws which protect unborn children and pregnant mothers, along with safeguarding the welfare of domestic violence victims, Walker signed a bill which requires parents to go through government agencies before transferring custody of their children to non-relatives. This reform not only explodes the myth that Republicans (and Walker in particular) do not care about social services for children, but also the notion that Walker is an anti-government zealot bent on privatizing every facet of state responsibility.

So much for Wasserman-Schultz’ washed-up “War on Women” smear against Gov. Walker.

While the “War on Women” motif had some media substance in 2012, bringing down an otherwise viable candidate in Missouri (poor choice of words regarding rape and resulting pregnancy), the offensive meme has lost much of its steam this year.

Former Arkansas Governor and Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee faced the issue of women’s issues boldly, calling out the Democratic Party’s war on women:

 

 

Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee

Our party stands for the recognition of the equality of women and the capacity of women. That's not a war on women; it's a war for them,." Huckabee said.

And if the Democrats want to insult the women of America by making them believe that they are helpless without Uncle Sugar coming in and providing for them a prescription each month for birth control because they cannot control their libido or their reproductive system without the help of the government, then so be it.

While editors from Breitbart (and syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer) bristled at Huckabee’s comments, and Wasserman-Schultz attempted to exploit these remarks, Huckabee stood his ground and doubled down, then quickly emerged as a potential contender for the 2016 nomination.

Congresswoman Jeanettte Rankin
First Woman elected to Congress
(and a Republican)

Huckabee exhorted his fellow Republicans to carry the Republican message of respect women and their choices. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal already beat him to it. Recently, two male Republican US Senate candidates have followed Jindal’s example: Cory Gardner of Colorado and Thom Tillis of North Carolina both have advocated for expanding birth control to women. These arguments not only diffuse the War on Women meme, but add fire-power to GOP attacks regarding Obamacare, legislation which has severely limited women’s health care choices. For the record, there is nothing wrong with permitting individual women to decide whether they are ready to have a child. These values do not conflict with protecting life, since many birth control measures prevent a pregnancy as opposed to terminating life.

Besides, if any party has honored women, look no further than the Republican Party, which includes credit for key executive positions (George W. Bush nominated Condoleeza Rice) and appointments to the Supreme Court (Reagan nominated the first woman, Sandra Day O’Connor, but for more reasons than gender). The first woman in Congress was a Republican, too (Jeannette Rankin of Montana). In 2014, Democratic are getting shaken by the Republicans’ aggressive War for Women, and the Democratic Party’s War on Women meme is all washed up.

 

(Besides, the War on Women mantra was turning off voters, anyway)

Go Local Go Nowhere?

As a columnist in Southern California and New England for the past year and a half, I learned to expect that making one's way in the new media markets can be difficult, if not innerving. Print journalism is in decline, not just because of technology per se, but now the current leadership has the easy reach to compare and criticize content from different newspapers.

Nevertheless, newspaper firms still have the slight capital edge, since they still crank out the print, although the content and the influence of the paper press is nothing like it was in times past.

 What has happened? Beside the technology revolution, the myth of media objectivity is dying a horrible, public death. Breitbart.com exposes the immigration crisis along the Southern US borders, and predicts the collapse of Major Leader Eric Cantor's reelection chances. What about the New York Times and the other Beltway periodicals? They are crowning Hillary Clinton the next President of the United States, the same abysmal Secretary of State who made very little difference in the office, aside from shouting "What difference does it make?" about the deaths of four diplomats at the US Embassy in Benghazi, Libya.

  Other national papers, like the Los Angeles Times, spend more time ranting about Donald Sterling's personal and financial problems. How many people really want to read about the hidden perversions of a rich, yet morally bankrupt philanthropist who does not like "black people"?  Apparently, fewer and fewer, as the LA Times' market share is declining, and another LA based paper, the Los Angeles Register, has emerged. Not just prompting its coverage of more local events, the editors declared without hesitation their center-right bent. Not just pushing the news that fits our interests, but news which fits a different political slant, too.

  An off-shoot of the Libertarian Orange County Register, the LA Register (and also the Long Beach Register) have been expanding their operations even while other papers are facing decline and irrelevancy.

  Online Media like Breitbart (and the Huffington Post) are open about their political leanings, and another media market in New England, Go Local, edged into the media mix, hoping to edge out the Providence Journal as redefine content and media in the region.

  How did a California conservative get caught up in Go Local Prov and Worcester, anyway?
 At the outset, at least, Fenton was not just open to new ideas, but new writers, including a conservative activist from California.

  I reached out to Go Local Prov in January 2013, with the expressed interest of getting a Fifty-State GOP strategy in gear, starting with New England, where the Republican Party is either dead (per local bloggers in Massachusetts) or on life support (Rhode Island, where one vote divided the winner and loser of the 2013 Chairmanship)

Why not stir up some support there?

Fenton received my first piece, and even came up with a great title: "Roger Williams would be a Republican in Rhode Island."

The article not only got traffic from the readership, but the liberal-progressive blog RI Future took a few jabs at the piece.

Impressive.

I submitted a few more columns over the next few months. After a month hiatus, Josh contacted me:

We missed you. Would you like to start writing weekly for Go Local Prov?

I jumped at the chance to write nationally as well as locally, enough that I submitted separate pieces for Providence as well as Worcester.

After that, the line of communication developed more strongly with one of the editors, and Fenton became more distant, or in the words of one of the editors, "Not involved in content."

Hmm.

Communication and feedback are very important to writers, and an editor/CEO needs to care about the staff beyond hoping that they turn in something on time.

  Fenton never promised to pay me anything, but I did submit my resume from time to time to offer services in other capacities. With Go Local as my calling card, I got the attention of local Congressmen and Senators, as well as local officials (like a member of Warwick City Council as well as PR firms in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Sadly, local leaders paid more attention to me than my own CEO.

  For all the work I was doing (all the way from California, mind you), Josh never said "Thank You", let alone offer me a paying job.

  When I shared another post with another media site, he sent me an abrupt email:

  You can't write for that medium and Go Local. I am a little insulted that you didn't contact me first.
 For the record, I had tried contacting Fenton regarding the rules of participation in other websites. Nothing.

  Then I learned that two other editors, some of the paid staff, were also quitting Go Local. I realized that I was not the only victim of this disrespect. Not only was Josh not paying people on time, but a growing frustration with arrogance and an unwillingness to listen to others was creating a mass exodus of staff away from the media site.

  Emailing my resignation, I told Fenton that he needed to treat his writers with respect, listen to their concerns and value their contributions.

  I wonder if he will learn the lesson, since he was so good at analyzing the failure of other media firms. After AOL's experiment in local media, Patch.com, announced massive restructuring due to massive profit losses, Go Local CEO Josh Fenton dissected its demise, from poor investment in wealth communities, where little gripping news takes place, to improper economies of scale, placing an excessive number of reports in one city, instead of balancing resources and investments for better reporting.
  Another reason stood out: good content.

  Who wants to read about knitting clubs or the next sobriety check in your hometown, anyway? That's neither news nor newsworthy.

  There was another lesson, however, which Fenton forgot, and which may inadvertently contribute to Go Local going nowhere.

  Content is not manufactured by fiat, but from writers, columnists, friends, relatives, cranks, kooks, and the elite.

  In other words: people.
  And they have to be treated with respect and honor.

  Employers have to provide a good product or service, but they have to treat the people working for them as a prized commodity, too. As media consumption chances, and technology forces editors and writers to be open and honest about their reporting, the leaders in this news revolution need to remember that the news fits and gets printed because of the people working for them.

Some things, like workplace decency, don't change. Fenton failed to learn that lesson, and Go Local will go nowhere, but one setback has not stopped from going elsewhere and finding more opportunities in this growing industry.

Even When You Try To Flee, He is Closer than Ever

Many Christians, whether new or long-term, talk about falling away from God, or going away from God.

Much of the time, they get discouraged, seeing that they still engage in sinful thoughts and actions, that their behavior is not always "Christian-like."

They despair of God's love for them, and they stop going to church.

Some pastors and ministers fall into this discouragement, convinced that they are not worthy to bear the message of God's grace to a fallen, sighing, dying world, because they still see sin in their lives.

Much of this confusion has to do with a limited understanding of all that Jesus did at the Cross for us.

He did not just die for us and our sins, but He also died as us and condemned sin in our flesh.

"1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. " (Romans 8: 1-4)

We are delivered from sins and from sin, including the sin in our flesh.

Whatever feelings we may sense in our bodies, whatever sense of shame or hurt which we inflict in ourselves or others inflict us, we are set free from all of it because of what Jesus did at the Cross.

We are no longer in ourselves, but we are in Christ:

"20For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 21Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." (2 Corinthians 1: 20-22)

God is establishing us now in Christ. We do not establish ourselves.

Now, if He has established us, then there is no going away from Him. The issue for all of us is not getting rid of sin in our lives (for He is the propitiation for all our sins as well as the sins of the entire world -- 1 John 2: 1-2). The issue is relying more on His grace and less on our efforts.

The problem is no longer sin, but rather identifying further with His Spirit instead of our flesh, our selves, our efforts.

As I had written before, "Graduate School Love" is not our doing more, but our recognize that we are in Christ, and no longer in ourselves, and that God loves us just as much as His own Son:

"Herein is love perfected among us, that we may boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)

Peter writes at the end of his second epistle:

"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." (2 Peter 3: 18)

He Holds Us in His Spirit

Now, if these verses to do not imprint this truth, consider this revelation from Psalm 139:

"Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

8If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

9If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

10Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me." (Psalm 139: 7-10)

 

The Beloved David, who is a picture of all of us, beloved in the sight of God because we are accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1: 6).

 

He is a picture of a man living under a New Covenant, and no matter where he goes, he knows that God is with him.

 

Notice that our sins do not put God away from us, or cause His Spirit to leave us. David's prayer in Psalm 51, that God would not take His Spirit from him, is no longer the prayer in Psalm 139.

 

God has searched David (and all of us), and He knows everything (Psalm 139: 1)

 

He specifically mentions His Spirit in this psalm:

 

"5Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

7Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?" (Psalm 139: 5-7)

 

His hand is on us, not to lead us to bad but to good:

 

"5Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

 

6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever." (Psalm 23: 5-6)

 

Back in Psalm 139, whether he goes to heaven or hell, David recognizes that God is with him.

 

The verse that is particularly fascinating, however, points to David's attempt to take the wings of the morning and live in the deepest parts of the ocean.

 

Obviously, that destination is further away than the grave or hell, and to this day, man has not explored vast stretches of the ocean floor.

The Deepest Parts of the Sea Cannot
Separate Us From God our Father

 

Yet even if David takes the fastest means, the rays of sunlight which touch the earth at the dawn of morning, not only is God still there, but God is leading David, and His right hand holds him.

 

So, even if we are trying our best to get away from God (forget about falling away in our ignorance or despair), not only does God not go away from us, but He is in fact leading us. When we think that we are going away from Him, we are actually growing closer to Him and walking more in concert with His Will.

 

This may seem strange, but in reality this revelation should give us great comfort and hope. We cannot be lost from God our Father once we are saved. We cannot get away from Him, even when we want to. Even if we get angry with Him and blame Him for our troubles, He does not stop caring for us and carrying us through hard times.

 

In short -- Even when we try to flee, He is closer than ever to us!

 

"28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30I and my Father are one." (John 10: 28-30)

To Chris McDaniel: Let It Go

For election year 2014, Mississippi State Senator Chris McDaniel threw all into unseating a decades-old Establishment GOP incumbent in Mississippi.

 

US Senator Thad Cochran (R-Mississippi)

McDaniel was a favored candidate not just of his candor, but for his respect for opponent Thad Cochran. McDaniel outlined his plan not to get along to go along in Washington. Frustrated with the tepid decisions of the incumbent to vote against cloture and resist pressing against US Senate Democratic dominance, McDaniel claimed that the voters needed a fighter. Following the spate of scandals spouting out of the White House, from Operation Fast and Furious to the numerous lies about ObamaCare, to the IRS and EPA abuses, along with the invasion of our privacy from the NSA and the CIA, demand immediate response and retribution from our representatives, Cochran has done nothing. McDaniel would.

 

Indeed, the former radio host is an articulate fighter, and we need lawmakers like him to fight back against the institutionalized fraud, deceit, and endemic arrogance of Washington DC. Unlike more prescient politicians, like minority leader Mitch McConnell and Orrin Hatch, Cochran did not plan for a fight, nor did he prepare for the tenacity of a challenger from the libertarian right. Cochran was going to find himself facing the fight of his political career, one which campaign aids and political king-makers took more seriously than the incumbent himself. For months, conservative groups descended into Mississippi, the reliably red state whose thirty-plus year senator had admitted privately that they Republicans could never stop Obamacare. Cochran shared support for Common Core legislation, and he touted his influence to bring in the pork for Magnolia State residents.

 

Therein lay a problem. When a state needs financial aid following a natural disaster, should its Senator not take the initiative to ensure that his constituents receive necessary funding? McDaniel’s common sense demand for less government should not limit the role of state as defender of the people. Still, primary challenger did not slacken his pace to win the race, nor did he have to.

 

McDaniel railed against Common Core and shared his outraged with the unsustainable debt of Washington. Presenting himself as an iron stalwart who would stand with US Senators Ted Cruz and Mike Lee, the state senator from Mississippi would prove a formidable plank in a new wave of resistance to big government encroachment, whether from Democrats or Republicans.

 

McDaniel did so well in the June 3^rd primary, that he bested the incumbent by a percentage point, but the win was not decisive enough, so Cochran and McDaniel would face off in a run-off. Tea Party supporters rallied to the former radio host’s aid, a slick young operator with a libertarian streak, one who declared his bold pastels in contrast to the fading shades of Cochran’s greying tenure.

 

Still, politics is a full-contact support, and incumbents, especially with four decades of experience and connections, do not give up easily. Defined by the Washington culture as well as immersed in it, Cochran and state party supporters not only increased their efforts, but they reached out to Democratic voters who had not participated in the first primary. Some operatives decry such tactics, shouting that Cochran and company played on unfounded racism smears to bring down McDaniel. The incumbent Senator also argued his support for food stamps and federal largesse, which appeal to Democratic voters.

 

State Senator Chris McDaniel

Following the second vote at the end of June, Cochran carried the day with a slightly wider margin. McDaniel supporters cried foul, citing not just pandering with taxpayer dollars, but outright lies and voter fraud. Still, Cochran won the race, and he is the Republican nominee of Mississippi’s US Senator. What can McDaniel draw from this outcome? Should he keep fighting? He should let go of the election lawsuit. He made his case, the state party rejected it, and so have Mississippi state courts. He is not a loser for spotlighting the importance of incumbents not taking their seats for granted. He has a ground game in place which have enlarged his name ID while strengthening his outreach for the next race. Cochran’s victory has enhanced GOP outreach to black communities, proving that voter discrimination even in the Deep South is a thing of the past. McDaniel can capitalize on this subtle victory for the future, too, and prepare for another statewide run, whether as a US Senator or even as Governor.

 

The state senator and radio host has every right to be outraged, but he should learn from the measured examples of other Republicans, like Richard Nixon and his admired example Ronald Reagan. Running more than once for President, both men did reach the office at last. Nixon had time and opportunity to contest dubious results in his 1960 campaign, but chose not to, for the sake of the country. Reagan lost twice before getting the nomination, and the second time, in 1976, a fractured primary fight led to a contested floor vote at the Republican convention. The Establishment won in 1976, but four years later the conservative upstart finished on top.

 

McDaniel’s loss in 2014 can promote him to victory in years to come.

Graduate School Love -- Identity in Christ

When people talk about the love of God, and growing in knowledge of God's love, people tend to think that this love is about doing more.

What does the Bible say?

First, let us consider the prayer which Paul prayed to the Spirit-filled Ephesians:

"14For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." (Ephesians 3: 14-19)

Even though Paul had spent the two previous chapters telling the Ephesians that God the Father seated His Son at His right hand, and that they are seated in Christ, and that all things are under their feet, he did not stop there. He told them to gain a revelation of this great love that God has for us.

That Christ would dwell, or rather be at home in their hearts.

In other words, that the would identify with Him completely.

Turning to First John, we see a growing understanding of God's love is not about what we do, but who we are in Him.

"9In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him." (1 John 4: 9)

Now, this is what love looks like. God sent His Son, that we might live through Him.

Then John defines love:

"10Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4: 10)

John makes it very clear -- love is not define by what we do, but what Jesus has done and is doing for us.

God sent His Son:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3: 16)

Notice also that love is what Jesus is doing. A proper translation of 1 John 4: 10 would read:

"And sent His Son, the propitiation (or mercy seat) of our sins."

Jesus does not stop being our mercy seat, for He is our high priest forever:

"15And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, 16Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.

17For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec." (Hebrews 7: 15-17)

 

Jesus is this High Priest, one who justifies us and intercedes for us at the right hand of God the Father (Romans 8: 31-34)

 

John also writes about Jesus our propitiation, or rather our mercy seat:

 

"1My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2: 1-2)

 

Notice even here that John writes "He is" not "He was".

 

Yet even for defining love, that is not love perfected, or completed.

 

How does that happen in our lives, then?

 

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)

 

A more accurate translation of this passage reads:

 

"By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17, NASB)

 

Love is not perfected in what we do, but in that we identify with Jesus. Not just seeing Him as the one we live through, and more than seeing Him as the mercy seat for our sins (past, present, and future), but we identify with Him, not with ourselves.

 

This was Jesus' prayer before going to the Cross:

 

"20Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. "(John 17: 20-23)

 

Leaving elementary school and high school and entering graduate school love, so to speak, or to be an expert on God's love, is to see that you are in Christ, and that He is before in all things:

 

"I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning." (1 John 2: 13)

 

Not our doing more, but identifying more fully in Christ -- that is growing in knowledge of God's love for you.

You Know that You Are Saved

"I don't know if I am saved."

I cannot tell you how many times I have heard other people tell me that they are not sure whether they are saved or not.

These individuals are sitting in churches, by the way.

They even share the Gospel with other people.

Yet they have no idea whether they are saved.

Or they believe that their salvation is based on some subtle knowledge which someone else has.

What does the Bible say?

"But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." (John 20: 31)

We need life, and we receive this eternal life through Jesus.

John then wrote in his First Epistle:

"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." (1 John 5: 13)

Earlier in his epistle, John writes:

"But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 21I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth." (1 John 2: 20-21)

John wrote to believers, to "dear children" that they may know they have eternal life. There is no secrecy, there is no wondering, there is no reason to live in doubt about one's state before God as a saved person.

We have been sealed by the Holy Spirit:

"For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 21Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." (2 Corinthians 1: 20-22)

and also

"Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 5: 5)

And also

"13In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." (Ephesians 1: 13-14)

Followed by

"And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." (Ephesians 4: 30)

Let no one deceive your or despise your certainty: If you believe on the name of Jesus, then you are saved in Christ, Beloved, and this is written that you may know that you are saved!

Governor Brown's Unwelcome Welcome Mat

Governor Jerry Brown (Neon Tommy)

Reporting on a recent meeting between Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and California Governor Jerry Brown, the LA Times announced:

Jerry Brown: Immigrants, legal or not, ‘welcome in California’

One has to wonder who would immigrate to a state where 15% of the state senate has been indicted or convicted of serious felonies. Then again, such levels of corruption compared with the rampant criminality of the Mexican government may induce more foreign nationals to enter this country. The cronyism which defines Mexico’s police, industry, and governance would drive anyone to flee. Reforms from California and federal interests, coupled with policies like drug decriminalization, would lessen the gang elements and culture of police bribery (and for the more integrated, cop killing) which has infected civic life south of the border.

Still, do illegals want to make it in a state where welfare rolls have expanded while jobs have receded, where businesses are bent on leaving not staying, let alone thriving? Despite the claims from the left and the media about California’s comeback, Brown’s balanced budget was all smoke and mirrors, with unsustainable pension debt unmoved, now compounded by a stagnant drought, a wasteful bullet drain, and now an economic drag in the LA area which has created more poverty than prosperity. And where does Gov. Brown get the bankrupt notion of rolling out the welcome mat for illegal immigrants, as though his authority in one state grants him the power to override federal law, as well as national sovereignty and territorial security?
 

What’s particularly noteworthy about Brown’s Unwelcome Welcome Mat, in which he would dispense with the rule of law as well as the respect for all legal residents, born as well as naturalized, is that his big abrazo to illegal Mexican immigrants conflicts with his 2010 campaign rhetoric  against Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman:

I do support a pathway to legalization as part of a federal comprehensive reform bill. . .Secure the borders. Get a real, verifiable electronic identification system, make people compensate for any violations of the law. But at the end of the day, we have a couple million people in the shadows, and there has to be some process . . ..we’ve got to find a way.

Ironically, Brown touted the importance of identifying then deporting illegals who commit crimes. (Hint: That would be all of them, Jerry!)

Still, Brown supported securing the border in 2010. Come 2014, Brown wants to break down all barriers and welcome all, illegal or not. He also wants to shorten travel time between California and Mexico. So much for a secure border.

Jerry Brown in the 1970s (Alan Light)

Even stranger, in the 1970s Gov. Brown was all about secure borders, when he rebuffed illegal immigration without hesitation, such as when he refused to allow political refugees from Vietnam to come to California. Brown even indicated to state officials that the Federal government wanted to “dump them” and their presence posed a political problem on account of California’s high unemployment. Sound familiar?

From Refugee Workers in the Indochina Exodus, 1975-1982 by Larry Clinton Thompson, Brown is on record saying:

We can’t be looking 5,000 miles away and at the same time neglecting people who live here.

Gov. Moonbeam shined on the Vietnamese with a ‘Go Away” sign, but welcomes illegal Mexican immigration. Well. . . Why reject Vietnamese refugees? Because they tend to vote GOP, or does Brown have a problem with Asians, but loves Latinos, i.e. selective racism?

The amnesty talk from Dems and GOP in DC and Sacramento has made immigration a bigger problem already, but Brown’s insouciant “Bienvenidos!” makes it worse.

The rule of law is essential for peace and security, why immigrants (legal or not) come to the United States. To ignore the basis for a free society (safety and security coupled with legal entry) would undo the very thing that immigrants seek. Brown’s “Welcome Mat” rhetoric already has unwelcome consequences.

Residents in Murrieta already rebuffed the Obama Administration’s sordid attempts to dump illegal immigrants in their city. Apparently, they do not share Brown’s welcome attitude about illegal immigration. Neither do one on six Americans, who consider illegal immigration the biggest problem this country faces.

What are Californian’s attitudes about this pressing problem, anyway?

Regarding the California DREAM Act, a majority (55%) of voters rejected the measure in 2011. Aside from the growing costs of granting illegals access to drivers licenses, a majority of California voters oppose the law, and believe that the policy will diminish road safety.

59% of Americans want illegal immigrant minors returned to their home countries as soon as possible, and 80% signal proper border control a high priority.

Brown turning California
into Mexifornia? (Doug Ross @ Journal)

In spite of the national and California views on the issue, Brown is turning California into a sanctuary state, a Welcome Mat which makes a doormat out of the United States Constitution and legal citizenship. His brazen hypocrisy on this issue, from his prior gubernatorial run and previous campaign should, cannot go unpunished.

Perhaps Brown should give up his mansion and let illegal immigrants stay on his property and live off his money. He would be morally obligated to do so!

Churches Are Not Political Houses

Churches are Greater Than Political Houses

"Our churches are union halls  for right wing causes."

I heard one political activist share this remark.

Last year, Congresswoman Maxine Waters hosted two townhall meetings in the South Bay, in churches.

One church in El Camino Village hosted the first townhall, and then she hosted another townhall in Torrance.

Churches should not be meeting rooms for political activities.

This issue is not a left-wing issue or a right-wing issue.

California Republican Party Chairman Jim Brulte remarked that he would not speak in churches.

His sentiment was a correct one.

Churches should not diminish their influence and impact with political activity.

Not that pastors cannot have an opinion based on issues, based on all that Bible teaches us.

Pastors have a responsibility to preach the truth who sets us free, and that includes promoting life and  marriage, the proper scope of the state, the proper reverence which every Christian should have for the governments.

Most importantly, though, everyone of us must recognize that Jesus Christ is King of Kings, that His power and glory transcends and overshadows the bareness of this world.

No matter what powers may sit in city hall or the state house, they cannot overcome the grace and protections we have in Christ."

Churches are not union halls for conservative causes.

Churches should not be the site for town hal meetings on political issues, either, and pastors should exercise their authority to declare to Congressional members or US Senators, whether Republican or Democrat, that their political agendas are not as important than the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

His mission matters far more than whoever wins the next election. Simple as that.

Jesus Christ is not a Republican, or a Democrat. He does not choose sides. He takes over:

"13And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? 14And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? 15And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so." (Joshua 5: 13-15)

If we understand that we are more than conquerors in Him (Romans 8: 37), that we are called to fight (or rather recognize as won) the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6: 16), then political infighting will not only seem marginal, but even trivial in churches.

Men and women in the Body of Christ are more than welcome to participate in political activities as they see fit, but our churches are places where we see the loveliness of Jesus our High Priest, our Captain of the Lord of Hosts, is in full array.

The more that we see Him, the more that we see ourselves in Him, and the consummate victory we receive over all things.

15[Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven." (Colossians 1: 15-20)

What does it matter which political party you belong to, when you are a fellowcitizen of the Kingdom of Heaven?