The Sky is Falling

Fires, war, hurricanes, mass shootings, and inflation are the news headlines of which we are regularly bombarded.  2022 has had its fair share of bad news.  Fear reigns king in many hearts of Americans.  Fueling the fear is the coming November elections.  Will Christians bow down to fear or stand tall?

Chapman University’s survey on American Fear revealed some interesting data. Ranking considerably close to the fear of dying is the fear of “corrupt government officials.”  The fear is bipartisan, with Republicans at 84.6% and Democrats just under at 77.8%.

In a recent article, Thaddeus Williams, associate professor of theology at Biola University suggests that “we shouldn’t be surprised that fear of corrupt leaders is rising at the same time secularism is.”

Are Christians screaming “the sky is falling” and running around in circles or hiding their heads in the sand?  Do they not proclaim the deity of Christ and the relatively minuscule effect of one election compared to the plan of the Almighty God?

Christians do need to vote and become involved in local government.  As they do, the impact of secularism will be minimized.  As David took the stones to slay the giant, Christians put on the armor of God to boldly face evil in whatever guise it comes.  Fear is vanquished in faith and in following the Holy Spirit’s guidance.  The foremost mission for Christians is to continue to proclaim their faith in God and that Jesus Christ is the only means of salvation.  Being mindful of not co-opting the name of Jesus as a political tool, but having faith that Jesus is our motivation.

The early church was no stranger to government oppression.  Peter and John were arrested for speaking boldly about Jesus by the leaders and priests.  Acts, chapter 4, tells us that the rulers feared Peter and John because they thought of them as uneducated, common men (v.13).  Yet, Peter and John stood next to a man who had been healed and the leaders could not argue with the evidence (v. 14).  The leaders commanded Peter and John to be silent about Jesus so that the gospel would not spread further.  Upon returning to their friends, Peter and John prayed: “Lord, look upon their threats and grant to Your servants to continue to speak Your word with all boldness” (v. 29).

An action everyone can begin doing now before the election is to pray.  Pray for an election that is free and fair.  Pray for candidates to seek God’s guidance, to have listening ears and soft hearts, to address poverty and justice.  Pray for strength and encouragement for our leaders and candidates.  Pray that our leaders would commit to work together and that we would see each other through the eyes of Jesus.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6).

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Fashionable Christians

In today’s world many spend time looking at, trying on, and deciding what to wear (shopping).  Each outfit is examined for what its appropriateness is according to what its purpose will be.  Will this be for work or school, for digging in the garden, vacationing at the beach, or a mountaintop, etc.?

In the same way God has given us many pieces of clothing to wear as Christians as we prepare for each day.  In Ephesians 4 we are told to put off the old self in order to put on the new self (e. g., put off falsehood and put on truthfulness, vs. 25).  We can think of this as taking off the “grave clothes” of sin and putting on the “grace clothes” of righteousness.

There is a particular outfit of clothing that we have been given to wear for other specific occasions.  Ephesians 6 calls it the Armor of God (vs. 10-19).  The problem with these clothes is that they just are not as comfortable as some of the others.  Yet, we should have them ready to wear at the drop of a hat and feel very comfortable in their use.  

Think in terms of a fire-fighting squad.  Each fire-fighter does not wear the full armor all day.  But when the bell rings and the call comes in, they are each practiced and ready to jump into all the pieces and be ready in alarming time.  They each well know that without the proper armor, fighting a fire or accomplishing a rescue could turn disastrous.  

Perhaps inexperience is a picture of why we lose so many of our young people from the church or why our adults rarely take up the stand for Christ in conversations in which they find themselves.  Some may even miss the opportunity to lead a family member or friend to Christ.

How comfortable are you in God’s Full Armor?  How ready are your church’s children and adults to don the armor and effectively combat the forces around them?  Each family, each teacher, each church, and each pastoral staff member should be providing the training necessary for facing the foe.  Do you remember the various pieces that make up the full armor?

The Belt of Truth (verse 14).  Are we clear in our minds and hearts with truth, not given to falsehood and deception?

The Breastplate of Righteousness (verse 14).  Our inner-most parts protected by blamelessness in our behavior.

Feet Shod with the Readiness of the Gospel of Peace (verse 15).  Each one ready to lead another to Christ, having been assured of our own salvation in Christ, secured by His death, burial, and resurrection.

The Shield of Faith (verse 16) at the ready position to deflect the lies of Satan and this world.

The Helmet of Salvation and Sword of the Spirit (verse 17) which is the Word of God. Understanding science, philosophy, social sciences and all the rest is good.  But they should always be in line with God’s Word—the Holy Bible—first and foremost.  After all and through all, be sure that you and those God has placed in your care are real prayer warriors - as we move forward.

The battle is seriously heating up.  But the battle belongs to the Lord.  Are we ready?  “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the battle belongs to the LORD” (Proverbs 21:31).

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Biden Administration Bullies Campuses Not Woke

According to a USA Today article, the U.S. Department of Education (DoE) is warning public campuses to ignore state laws that conflict with the Biden Administration’s interpretation of Title IX— the 1970s law that bans discrimination against females on public school campuses.  The only problem with the federal government’s warning – which is really a bullying threat over losing federal funds – is that college campuses that have followed federal law for a half-century are being told a man who identifies as a woman is legally recognized as a woman.

Julie Marie Blake, an attorney with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a law firm fighting to protect Title IX rights of female athletes, says the woke Biden Administration is overstepping its bounds by bullying schools to bend to its illegal interpretation.  “Congress has never passed a law saying any of this,” she tells American Family News (AFN).  “And that’s why President Biden is acting unlawfully when he is threatening schools just for adhering to common-sense understanding of who is male and who is female.”

AFN reported in September that ADF attorneys used a public comment to rip the Biden Administration over its plans to redefine Title IX law.  ADF submitted five formal comments that argued:       

• the DoE lacks legal authority to rewrite federal law; 
• the rule will undermine fairness in women’s sports, which was the purpose of the 1970s law; 
• undermines parental rights; 
• advocates for abortion; and 
• violates free speech by censoring unwanted beliefs and by forcing people to state made-up gender pronouns or face punishment.

The DoE witnessed a record-breaking number of comments pour in, a whopping 184,000 in all, but the USA Today article suggests overwhelming public opposition is being ignored and the next stage of the transgender-crazed Administration is a bullying phase.  

According to Blake, “radical activists” in the Biden Administration are threatening anyone who stands up for the basic scientific fact that humans are either male or female, including on the soccer field, the swim team, and the locker room.  “Title IX was written to protect girls so that they have an equal opportunity to compete on a sports team just like boys do,” the ADF attorney says.  “And the threat is dangerous for women and girls, although freedom for everyone is at stake with this radical overreach, everyone’s privacy and safety.”

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Is DoD’s “Religious Exemption” to Vax Just a Ruse?

Department of Defense (DoD) Secretary Lloyd Austin continues to play hardball when it comes to mandating vaccine injections for military personnel.  

The DoD has filed an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in an attempt to stop the preliminary injunction and the order certifying class-action relief for those who currently serve in the U.S. Marine Corps and have been denied religious exemptions from the federal COVID shot mandate.

Mat Staver is founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel (LC), which filed a lawsuit seeking injunctive relief for the Marines.  He points out the DoD continues to insist the COVID mandate be upheld.  “The evidence, the science, the judicial decisions – [they’re] all going against Joe Biden's Administration and the Department of Defense and the military branches,” the attorney argues.  “These shots are neither safe nor are they effective – [and] now we know it was all based on a lie.”  But Staver says the Administration continues to push.  “And I think the reason has nothing to do with COVID [or] with protecting people’s health or military readiness – but it has everything to do with using this as a reason to purge the military of people of faith,” he states.

LC points out that of the more than 3,700 Marines who have requested a religious accommodation from the shot, the Marine Corps has granted only 11 accommodations. That fact caused a previous court to wonder: “Is it more likely than not – in nearly all 3,733 cases – that no reasonable accommodation was available?”

The Florida-based legal group has just filed a renewed motion to certify the entire class and for a class-wide preliminary injunction on behalf of those members who currently serve in the U.S. Coast Guard and have been denied religious exemptions from the DoD’s mandate.  Staver fully expects the COVID-19 military shot mandate cases to end up before the U.S. Supreme Court.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Who Will Teach the Children?

The world flipped on its side when the Pandemic shut it down.  Families scrambled to figure out school, work schedules, and how to fill the hours.  Not surprisingly, the use of electronic devices went up.  School classes were taught on a tablet, entertainment was provided through streaming, and friendships continued through social media.  Especially significant was the amount of use of devices for children.  

Did the COVID years set a precedent for how the children would continue to learn and entertain themselves when the world normalized?  What, if any, is the impact on Christian education in the home?

According to a survey taken by a nonprofit research organization Common Sense Media, overall screen use among teens and tweens increased by 17% from 2019-2021.  The average, daily screen uses up from 4 hours and 44 minutes to 5 hours and 33 minutes for ages 8 to 12  This is not surprising considering many in this age group were being schooled in full or part online.  Families were not out and about as much and were spending more hours at home.

An encouraging note during the Pandemic years was that family time changed for the better.  Wary of health concerns, families stayed at home more often.  During this newfound time together, they read stories aloud, ate more meals together, and played games more often.  This was especially true in homes where parents had a higher level of education and were able to work from home.

For many churches, children’s ministry became a burden.  Volunteers left and programs were canceled.  If ministry to children was to survive, it would take creativity, prayer, and a reset of how things are done.  Leaders looked at creating community through online means.

Ministry to children post-COVID must return with a new look.  Strategies to bring families back together into a building must be examined if parents are relying on Christian training in the church.  1,200 children’s ministry leaders responded to a survey at the beginning of 2022.  Results found that only 52.2% of Children’s ministries were back to their pre-COVID schedule.  Most churches were offering some form of children’s ministry again, but 36% at a reduced level and, 11.8% were still not in person.

In the book of Deuteronomy, we are charged with keeping God’s words in our hearts and minds (Deuteronomy 11:18) and passing this knowledge on to the children.  “Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you like down and when you get up.”

The Christian family often falls short when it comes to the training of the scriptures in the home.  When children spend 4-5 hours of screen time, is it balanced with any time in the scriptures and teaching of the Christian life?  Are we walking and talking of God’s word while we do the mundane things of life together?  The demands of sports and school and work leave little time left to offer to God without purposefully planning for it.  If not the church and not the parents, who will teach the children?

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

U.S. Armed Forces: Challenges Are Mounting While Recruitment Is Diminishing

The U.S. Armed Forces is facing its biggest recruiting challenge since the military draft ended in July of 1973.  For the next 20 years, the all-volunteer military was easily able to manage the country’s conflicts, such as the Persian Gulf war of 1991.  However, in the post-9/11 “War on Terror,” the all-volunteer force was inadequate.  It was heavily supplemented by reservists and members of the National Guard.  In fact, part-time military forces comprised approximately 45% of the total forces who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as 18% of the casualties.

Today, recruitment throughout all branches of the military, and especially among the National Guard, is not meeting quotas.  With new recruits dropping and retirements increasing, the National Guard lost an overall total of 7,500 service members this past year.  This will impact the various missions of the National Guard including military deployment overseas as well as emergency response to natural disasters domestically.

According to Major General Rich Baldwin, the Army National Guard’s (ARNG) Chief of Staff, the recruiting woes are the “worst” he has experienced in the last two decades.  He said that “if we don’t solve the recruiting and retention challenges we’re currently facing, we will see readiness issues related to strength begin to emerge within our units within the next year or two.”

Along with the recruiting issues, the ARNG faced a 10% decline in reenlistment for veteran service members.  There are numerous reasons why recruiting and reenlistments are declining.  Since the 9/11 attacks were 21 years ago, there is no longer an urgent “call to service.”  In addition, the war in Afghanistan, the nation’s longest armed conflict, finally ended in 2021.  With no ongoing war, some Americans are not compelled to serve in the military.  Another major factor is the needless requirement that all service members become vaccinated against COVID-19.  Instead of following the advice of President Biden who declared that “the pandemic is over,” our armed forces are maintaining the COVID19 vaccine requirement.

Studies show that millions of Americans do not believe the vaccine is effective or beneficial, as approximately 32% of the country is not fully vaccinated.  In this environment, a vaccine mandate is a powerful disincentive for many potential new recruits.  It could also serve as a major reason current service members are not re-enlisting.

There are 14,000 current National Guard members who are either refusing to take the vaccine or are seeking some type of exemption.  Their final status is uncertain, as it has not been decided by U.S. Army leadership.  If no exemptions are granted, the loss to the National Guard would be significant.  Some analysts believe that improving health and educational benefits would spur more enlistment.  Others point to the need to enhance salaries and predict that recruitment will increase as the overall economy continues to decline.  

The best way to improve the situation is to eliminate the vaccine mandate and to stop pursuing “woke” military objectives.  Our military should not be promoting Critical Race Theory (CRT) and teaching about the dangers of white racism.  In addition, the emphasis on the use of proper pronouns and hosting shows with drag queens is completely inappropriate.  

The situation is so problematic that U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman (WI-R) has introduced a bill in Congress to prevent the Department of Defense (DoD) from “organizing, promoting, or hosting drag shows as a means of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.”  According to the DoD, the mission of our military forces is “to deter war and ensure our nation’s security.”  These goals are not accomplished by teaching controversial racial theories or promoting the correct type of pronoun usage or by featuring drag queens on military bases.  Grothman believes that “there is an overall effort being made to make the military more woke … and I think a woke military is probably a less productive military.”

Grothman is correct, except it is not “probably” detrimental, it is unquestionably harming our military.  Certainly, our foremost adversary, the communist Chinese, is not allowing their military officials to waste time training their soldiers on correct pronoun usage, CRT, or exposing them to drag queen shows.  

It has become so ridiculous that in June, a drag queen event was planned at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany to promote “Gay Pride Month.”  The drag queens were scheduled to read stories to the children of military service members in the library of the base.  After much criticism, the ill-advised event was canceled.  In July, at the Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, a “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Summer Festival” was held. Initially, a performance by drag queen “Harpy Daniels” was scheduled, although it was eventually canceled.  All these activities upset Grothman, who said he will “keep on the military to make sure they don’t degenerate into some politically correct, woke institution. If we had $100 million left over with nothing to do, we still shouldn’t spend it on this garbage because it weakens the military.”

Similar complaints were issued by U.S. Sen.Marco Rubio (FL-R) who sent a letter to the Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall expressing his strenuous objections to the event scheduled at Ramstein Air Base.  He noted, “As I hope you can agree, decisions over children and their bodies should be left to moms and dads serving our nation, not mediated through publicly funded propaganda on U.S. Air Force bases.”

Instead of focusing on important military goals, the current DoD leadership seems more intent on satisfying progressive activists.  Last week, DoD Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that nine U.S. Army bases will be renamed because of ties to the confederacy.  Other assets will be removed, such as a portrait of General Robert E. Lee that is hanging at West Point Academy.  These moves will cost $62.5 million and will not make our country any safer or solve the pressing recruitment crisis facing our military.  It will only please the progressives who are steering our country in an extremely dangerous direction.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

The Far Left is Afraid of Christians, But Not Christian ‘Nationalism’

A strange development is taking place in the American political landscape.  At precisely the moment the Left is sounding the alarm about the growing threat of “Christian nationalism,” they are increasingly employing religious arguments in support of their policy preferences.  Perhaps the most glaring example is Governor Gavin Newsom’s (CA-D) decision to quote Jesus in a series of billboards he placed in seven states to advertise the state’s new abortion tourism laws.

Recently, California decided they will not only pay for the abortions of people who live in other states, they’ll cover travel expenses as well.  They won’t pay for cancer treatments, chiropractor appointments, chronic dental problems, mammograms, adoption expenses, or the expenses associated with raising a child.  Just your abortions.  The billboard quotes Jesus’ words from the gospel of Mark, “Love your neighbor as yourself.  There is no greater commandment than these.”  Apparently, Newsom believes that if you love people, you will help them get abortions.

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock (GA-D) from Georgia, who is a self-described “pro-choice pastor,” is in a close re-election campaign with former football player Herschel Walker. Like Governor Newsom, he recently invoked God in his support for abortion.  “I trust women in their wisdom and their ability to sit with their own God, and if they choose, choose to sit with their pastor, to pray about that, and let their own conscience guide them,” Warnock said.  “Even God gave us a choice.”

Does the fact that God gave us the ability to choose mean that He is indifferent to the choices we make?  Of course not.  The entire Christian gospel is built on the premise that it is necessary for all people to “repent and believe” (Mark 1:14-15).  Repentance is necessary because of sin, and sin is what God calls it when we make the wrong choice. Contrary to Warnock’s suggestion, God is not pleased simply because we made a choice.  God wants us to make the right choice— and there are deadly consequences if we don’t.

Newsom makes a similarly flimsy theological argument with his suggestion that the duty to love our neighbor obligates us to facilitate their abortions.  The #LoveIsLove crowd would have you believe that loving someone means doing what they want you to do. 

But God has a different definition of love.  Love does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth (1 Corinthians 13:6).  That means that love does not require or even allow us to facilitate someone’s sin.  We should not help someone get an abortion because they believe it will solve a problem— any more than we should help them kill their spouse for the same reason.

In addition, despite the overtly biblical language, no one has expressed concern about the threat to democracy represented by Warnock and Newsom’s mixing of religion and politics.  Neither the ACLU nor the Freedom From Religion Foundation are highlighting the risk from Newsom’s decisions to use campaign funds to put Bible verses on billboards.  Of course, we understand why.  They know Warnock and Newsom don’t really care what the Bible says.  It is understood that their occasional Bible talk is politicking.  It doesn’t represent a threat to secular causes or political power— so it is unoffensive.  Those who lament the danger of religion in politics don’t really object to religion in politics; religion is only dangerous if it is not helpful.  If you are using religion to help them abort babies or get drag queens into schools, pray all you want— which brings us back to Christian nationalism.

It is possible to make an idol out of politics by creating a version of God that suits our political preferences.  If we do this, we’re demonstrating that our politics is our real god, and our religion is just a way of justifying our politics.  This is the mistake made in all cases by so-called progressive Christians, and it’s a mistake that can easily be made by conservative Christians as well.

So, in conversations about Christian nationalism — however you define that — if someone is exhorting you not to make an idol out of your politics, check your heart and listen.  In our overheated political climate, political idolatry is a real risk.  Still, as the non-response to Newsom and Warnock illustrates, those claiming to be concerned about the threat of Christian nationalism are not concerned that you may be falling into idolatry, they’re concerned for their political power.  They take the time to misrepresent you and make you look bad because they are afraid of what you are capable of.  

You will hear a lot more about Christian nationalism in the future.  When you do, there will be ominous music in the background, and they will prove their point by quoting people who really have fallen into the trap of political idolatry.  They will imply that because you are also a Christian, you’re just like them.  The goal is to motivate their base by proving you’re a threat and to shame you into silence, fear, and retreat.  It’s a trap.  Don’t fall for it.  If you do, they get to do whatever they want and then the whole country turns into California

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Drugs or Candy? Don’t Be Tricked by the Treats this Halloween

There’s no way to sugarcoat the facts— recent drug seizures at the southern border reveal dangerous narcotics that appear to be targeting children with their deceptively candy-like appearance.

Last month in Arizona, border patrol agents intercepted 250,000 “rainbow fentanyl” pills busted from a vehicle and 15,000 of the lethal multicolor pills strapped to a person’s leg.  

What was initially introduced as a painkiller by pharmaceutical companies in the nineties has increasingly spiraled into a rampant epidemic, declared a public health crisis in 2017 under the Trump Administration.  Fentanyl is a highly addictive narcotic with 50-100 times the potency of morphine.  As a synthetic opioid, it is often cut with other drugs— meaning users may not be aware that they are ingesting the lethal substance.  A lethal dose of fentanyl is only two milligrams.  

Every day, approximately 115 American lives are claimed by fentanyl overdose.  The Department of Health and Human Services reports sobering statistics on the harm this drug has affected on Americans in the past few years.  According to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) official press release, “Fentanyl is the single deadliest drug threat our nation has ever encountered ... from large cities to rural America, no community is safe from the presence of fentanyl.”

Family Research Council’s (FRC) Connor Semelsberger says that attempts from Congress to decriminalize marijuana and other drugs work directly against keeping young people away from drugs.  “Candy-looking fentanyl pills are just the latest example of a dangerous trend to promote high potency drugs to children,” he told The Washington Stand (TWS).  “This comes directly out of the playbook of Big Marijuana which has spent tons of money advertising high potency marijuana products like gummy bears to children, all while lobbying Congress to allow further drug legalization in the US.  This is now one more thing that parents need to be extra diligent to ensure their children are not unknowingly exposed to high potency illicit drugs.”

This candy-like fentanyl seizure comes on the heels of record-high amounts of the drug seized at the border this past July— a 203% increase from the previous month.  The opioid crisis has worsened as synthetic drugs and narcotics flood over the border from Mexico.  As the war on drugs wages and the Biden Administration provides funding to crack down on youth drug overdosing and abuse, critics of their handling of the border believe that they are exacerbating, rather than helping, the drug problem in America.

With this year’s attempt to overturn Trump-era Title 42 and last month’s successful overturn of Trump-era Mexico City Policy, record numbers of migrants and drug trafficking has been flooding the border.  “The open border policies of this administration betray the American people, especially children who are targeted by candy like drugs,” FRC’s Meg Kilgannon told TWS.  With youth drug dealing, abuse, and overdoses on the rise, parents are right to be wary.  “Parents are always concerned about the dangers of drug addiction and the availability of drugs in the communities and even schools,” Kilgannon continued.  “The movement to legalize drugs makes this challenge even greater.  And with fentanyl, the danger is deadly.”

Many resources exist to help concerned parents seeking to protect and prevent their children from getting involved with harmful drugs.  On high alert for youth drug abuse, the DEA put out an emoji drug decoder for parents to understand the popular emoji codes that young people are using to buy and sell drugs, among other resources.  

Beyond federal attempts to combat the opioid crisis, nonprofit organizations such as Adult & Teen Challenge USA (A & TC USA) help those who are struggling with addiction get well through their recovery programs.  President and CEO Gary Blackard offers his advice to parents, having seen the world of drug addiction up close through his Christian nonprofit.  He told TWS, “Nothing replaces engagement with your children including educating them on the dangers facing them today.  If parents don’t educate their kids, others will and most of the time that ends very wrong.” Blackard encourages parents to: “Talk to your kids about the effects of drugs (especially fentanyl) and ask for their feedback on what they have seen.  Get your child talking openly and unafraid.”  “Know the kids/teens your children hang out with.  Invite their friends over and understand who they are and what their values are.”  “Educate and watch for early signs of drug use: irritability, tiredness, sleeping too much, immediate change of behavior/dress, change in friends, grades declining.”  “Most parents understand the negative effects of drugs and that kids explore them.  I don’t know if parents really understand the targeting that is happening,” Blackard told TWS.  “Dealers are specifically targeting children these days with ‘fun’ pills and drugs that are made to look harmless.”

For Christians, the topic of drug trafficking, dealing, abuse, and addiction runs deeper than open borders, drug legalization, or fentanyl awareness.  Blackard says believers ought to do away with the stigma around addiction, as it is indicative of a deeper root cause.  “Every Believer has struggled with a form of addiction— also known as idols in the Bible— in their life.  While we may be discussing drugs and alcohol, there are many other forms of addiction just as damaging.  Porn, gambling, technology, and internet gaming are all strong types of addictions.  Shopping, sports, money, and other elements of life can be addictive.”

Despite knowing the grave dangers of addiction, Blackard holds firm that there is hope for those who find themselves involved with drugs.  “At Adult & Teen Challenge, we see lives transformed daily,” he told TWS.  “Over 10,000 people enter our doors every year in North America ... those who stay in our programs see their lives restored.  This is done through spiritual formation (Biblical teaching, prayer, and chapel services), counseling sessions (one-on-one and group sessions), education (GED, diploma and college courses), and developing work skills.  We have thousands of testimonies of those who are living strong, sober lives.”  “This is why Jesus came.  He transforms lives.  We need to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those who are hurting, who are struggling in life. We need to pray, love, feed, encourage, and pray some more for these people.  Engaging those in addiction is not easy.  There will be frustration, pain and hurt.  But we are all called to be ‘Good Samaritans’ to those deeply hurting.”

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

A Wake-Up Call to the Church in America

In a harrowing radio interview, Ken Mikle of Olive Tree Ministries (OTM) warns a demonic and dark culture is winning battles and gaining ground in the United States.  From the transgender agenda that is celebrating the mutilation of children, to a federal government that views conservative Christians as enemies of progress, time is running out to fight back and recapture that lost ground, he said.  “We can no longer afford to just go to church on Sunday, hear a good sermon, [and] go to Bible study during the week,” Mikle told the radio program.  “If we don’t become involved in our culture and push back against this, we are going to pay unbelievable consequences for what we’re allowing to happen.”

Mikle, who speaks to church congregations as an OTM representative, was interviewed on the ministry’s “Understanding the Times” radio program by ministry president Jan Markel.  Quizzed about his interactions with churches and concerned church members, Mikle said people most often express concern about the future of the country because they can see Christianity is on the decline.  The incremental but steady decline of Christianity in the U.S. is not even a debated topic anymore after numerous polls have documented that decline going back four decades.

As recently as last week, CBS News cited Pew Research polling that showed 64% identify as Christian, down from 90% in the ‘90s.  “The quickest way to flip a nation,” Mikle said, “is to remove Christianity, which we’ve already done, and then that vacuum fills quickly with everything that we’re seeing right now.”  It is that Godless “vacuum” that concerns Mikle, and the churches he speaks at, since the 20th century left an estimated 100 million dead in the Soviet Union, China, North Korea, Cambodia, North Vietnam, Eastern Europe, and Cuba.  All of those countries followed the same theme. “God is dead,” Friedrich Nietzsche, the German philosopher famously bragged in 1882.  “God remains dead.  And we have killed him.”

On the “Understanding” radio show, Mikle said the American public is witnessing the Biden Administration move the country toward a socialist form of government that is ungodly and also unpopular.  “So how do you quickly do that?” he asked rhetorically. “Well, you weaponize the government against its people, and you remove everyone who disagrees with your agenda."

Just the other week, in fact, the American public learned FBI agents raided the home of Mark Houck, a Catholic pro-life leader, over the weekend.  He is now charged with a federal crime after he shoved an abortion clinic escort in October of 2021, now nine months ago, and faces up to 11 years in prison if convicted.

Reacting to that arrest, Michael Greer, who leads Pennsylvania Family Institute, tells American Family News it appears President Biden meant what he said just weeks ago. Greer said he has not forgotten about Biden’s angry speech at Independence Hall, where he warned that “MAGA forces” want to take the country backwards.  Those same people, Biden said, “fan the flames of political violence” to fight progress.  “Here, in my view, is what is true: MAGA Republicans do not respect the Constitution,” Biden angrily claimed.  “They do not believe in the rule of law.  They do not recognize the will of the people.”  The country’s president, Green says, basically called Mark Houck and millions of others “domestic terrorists” who need to be “eradicated” from society.  That fiery and hate-filled speech was, fittingly enough, described by the White House as remarks by Biden “on the continued battle for the soul of the nation.”  

With the American government weaponized against its own people, Mikle concluded, he would not be surprised if the Biden Administration creates an “emergency” to hold onto power.  “I believe that we’ve quickly come to the place,” Mikle warned, “where we’re only a one-party government right now.”

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Without a Strong Constitution, Democracies Descend into Tyranny

Christians are familiar with Proverbs 29-18.  The King James Version reads, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”  The English Standard Version is probably closer to the Hebrew text: “Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.”

Not all nations are founded on a prophetic vision, but the United States of America was. We neglect that vision to our peril.

No doubt Benjamin Franklin spoke for many of the founding generation when he replied to a question posed by a Philadelphia citizen.  He was asked, “Doctor Franklin, what kind of government have you given us?”  He replied, “A republic, madam, if you can keep it!”

Has the Founders’ vision of ordered liberty and the rule of law been nourished and sustained by each new generation?  Yes, but not without dissent, some turmoil, and even bloodshed.

Today, we cannot escape the gravity of our present crisis of constitutional legitimacy.  A wide swath of our political culture, including some of our most powerful institutions— in higher education, entertainment, technology, corporate governance, and the mass media— have a radically different vision from our nation’s founders and are increasingly committed to pure majority rule with no restraint by the anchor needed to weather severe storms— the Bill of Rights.

Our constitutional republic was never conceived as an experiment in unrestrained majority rule.  Yet today, the sensible institutions created by our Founders’ providential vision are being increasingly abandoned.  Not only is freedom of speech being widely rejected, but so is the cornerstone of American liberty— freedom of religion.

The new authoritarians arrogantly call themselves “Progressives.”  They forget that the Constitution of 1787 was “ordained and established” by We the People ONLY AFTER ten Amendments were adopted— Amendments we call the Bill of Rights.  Without the restraints on government in the Bill of Rights, we are left with something close to government by pure majority rule.  Our Founders knew that form of government by the word, tyranny.

The uniquely American vision of good government is a republic with personal freedoms guaranteed as an integral part of the fabric of government.  That vision and that inheritance must be transmitted to future generations.  An independent judiciary, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, the right to keep and bear arms, and the freedom of assembly— those are features not found in a pure democracy.

How can the vision which inspired the American Constitutional Republic be continued and strengthened?  A starting place is the taste of the bitter fruit awaiting the purveyors of new “alternative social constructs.”

Listen: Christians have an obligation to shine the light of truth on perverted ideologies which promise a rosy utopia but instead deliver only a pervasive misery.  We must not accept or tolerate the loss of cherished liberties won by the “blood, sweat and tears” of ten generations.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Against Politicization

When a four-year-old boy (who may be suffering from a sensory-processing disorder) was refused entry to his Silicon-valley school because he refused to wear a facemask in August of 2022, he and his father were confronted by a police officer and removed from the premises.  Worst of all, according to one article “On Friday, the day after the incident, Mountain View Whisman School District changed its policy, in response to a new CDC guideline.  The students at their nine primary schools and two middle schools are now no longer required to wear face masks.

How have we come to a point in our country when unreasonable adults have decided to play power games by calling the police over a political signaler like mask-wearing?

In the last two years, it has become surprisingly common to see signs posted outside of houses that say, “In this house, we believe that: Black Lives Matter.  Women’s rights are human rights.  No human is illegal.  Science is real.  Love is love.  Kindness is everything.”

Although the words themselves seem benign, these signs are almost exclusively used by politically orthodox leftists for whom these innocent phrases actually refer to specific policy positions over which good-faith disputes can occur without either side being simplistically “good” or “evil.”

These signs are a fascinating example of a secular anti-message of the common wall hanging that can be found in Christian homes across the country quoting Joshua 24:15: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Although these signs do not appear in exclusively right-leaning homes, it is interesting that these two messages seem to duel one another in a game of virtue-signaling.  While Christians tend to be rightists, people on both sides of the political aisle (including independents and moderates who lean one way or the other) refer to themselves as “Christians” and often claim that God is on their side.

Although no one is fully qualified to resolve these disputes, we can confidently say that there are many self-described Christians for whom this has led to an ugly division within Christianity.  The hyper-politicization of policy discussions has created both necessary and unnecessary splits within Jesus’ church.

This is not how the relationships within the church were intended to function.  As 1 Corinthians 1:12-15 recounts politicized divisions in the early Church: “One of you says, ‘I follow Paul’; another, ‘I follow Apollos’; another, ‘I follow Cephas’; still another, ‘I follow Christ.’  Is Christ divided?  Was Paul crucified for you?  Were you baptized in the name of Paul?  I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized in my name.”

The church must adhere to biblical principles and allow those principles to dictate its politics, not the other way around.  The left must move away from secularism and return to biblical values while the right must be careful not to confuse political affiliation with biblical righteousness.  Candidates, elections, and public policy must all be secondary to the Word of God.

Our politics have torn us apart unnecessarily and it is time for Christians to reunite.  We must all remember that we are one in Christ.  While there are certainly times when it is necessary for the faithful to break away from heretical beliefs, the degree to which the American church (and Americans in general) have turned on one another needs to be reversed.  We must return to the foundations of Christianity so that our nation can re-establish a shared set of values that will allow our country to move forward.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

The Art & Consequence of Selling a Lie

Numerous scams are being perpetrated these days on the public.  Many with very bad consequences for the victim.  These scams vary from credit cards to phone scams, which capture your personal information, to even the age-old ‘Time Share’ schemes that are easy to get into and nearly impossible to get back out of.  Essentially, they all involve lies that are very enticing as the victims see easy ways to obtain things that are, otherwise, out of reach.  Instead of working hard and long for that “prize,” they give the appearance to be available right now for practically nothing.  These schemes have often been referred to as “bait and switch” moves.  Enticing “bait” wrapped around a deadly hook.

The perpetrators of these schemes are usually working to get a hold of more money— from you, personally, from a company or corporation, or from the public in general. Empty promises are made that some or even many just cannot resist.  Such is the case in politics as well, except that along with money the goal includes power to accomplish what is not readily understood by most voters.  Promises are made that sound so good, so right.  But in the end, they are so wrong and not at all what they were purported to be. Using words that represent conservative ideals and goals, they have redefined the words to actually mean heavy handed government control.  Promises such as, “I will be fighting for your independence and freedoms,” when reality and history shows a sector of society that has now become enslaved in the Welfare system … sometimes for generations. There is also the “bait” of “free money” to enhance your situation, to provide a free phone, free education, or free healthcare for all.  None of which are really free.

Right now, we face a critical time with the mid-term elections in November.  Is your church savvy to the promises that are being made by those running for offices?  Are you helping them see past the “bait” and hype in order to fully understand and see the hook that may be hidden?  The recently enacted “Inflation Reduction Act” is a good example. Ignore the name, read it and see if there is anything to actually reduce inflation.  Are we now in favor of supporting “bait-and-switch” tactics that only serve to trick and fool our nation into giving away our rights and liberties?

Challenge yourself and your church members to be familiar with each candidate and his/her true agenda.  Ask questions to examine their history of voting.  Find out who is actually funding and supporting them.  Provide information on these issues.  The key is to get involved, ask good questions, and find the help that will benefit yourself and your church.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Watchdog Flags Potentially Illegal Denials of COVID Vax Religious Exemptions in Defense Dept

The Department of Defense’s (DoD) Inspector General (IG) has alerted the Secretary of Defense (SoD) Lloyd Austin to apparent blanket denials of Religious Accommodation Requests (RAR) for exemptions from the military COVID-19 vaccine mandate, which would be a violation of federal law.  The memo details “potential noncompliance with standards for reviewing and documenting the denial of religious accommodation requests of Service members.”

The acting IG noted that “dozens of complaints” had been received regarding denied RARs.  “We have found a trend of generalized assessments rather than the individualized assessment that is required by Federal law and DoD and Military Service policies,” wrote acting IG Sean O’- Donnell.  The IG originally sent the memorandum to the SoD in June, but it was not forwarded to the secretaries of each military service and the DoD General Counsel until three months later— on September 2.  “Additionally, the volume and rate at which decisions were made to deny requests is concerning,” the Office of the IG (OIG) added.  “The appeal authorities of the Services we reviewed indicated that an average of 50 denials per day were processed over a 90-day period. Assuming a 10-hour workday with no breaks or attention to other matters, the average review period was about 12 minutes for each package.  Such a review period seems insufficient to process each request in an individualized manner and still perform the duties required of their position.”

Amid the many lawsuits against the DoD regarding denied RARs, one of the key arguments made by service members’ legal counsel is that the denials were predetermined and nearly identical, contrary to the individualized assessment that they are supposed to receive.

“The Inspector General is now confirming what my clients and I have known for months,” said attorney R. Davis Younts, who represents several military members who were denied religious exemptions.  “The DoD has been issuing blanket denials of religious accommodation requests from the beginning as part of a process designed to result in denials.  It is our hope that the Department of Defense will take this finding, change course and begin to respect the religious and constitutional rights of service members.”

Younts first obtained the OIG memo from a whistleblower last week.  It is “deeply troubling that the Secretary of Defense did not act on this information until September 2nd of 2022,” he told Just the News.  “In the intervening months hundreds of military members who submitted religious accommodation requests were wrongfully discharged.” Younts added, “This document is further evidence that the military has and continues to discriminate against my clients because of their faith.”

Liberty Counsel (LC), which is also representing military members whose RARs were denied, noted that in their lawsuit Navy SEAL 1 v. Austin, the latest filings from the DoD in February “revealed that out of 24,818 religious exemption requests received, only four were granted, and three of those were questionable since at least two of those service members were already scheduled to leave the military.”  “The Biden Administration and the Department of Defense are violating federal law by denying the religious free exercise rights of service members from the COVID shot mandate,” said LC Founder and Chairman Mat Staver.  “Our service members swear an oath to defend the U.S. Constitution.  Their oath to defend the Constitution and their willingness to give their lives for our freedom must not be illusory.  The abuse must end.”

The DoD didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment last week.  

The memo was revealed as 47 members of Congress wrote to SoD Austin demanding an end to the COVID vaccine mandate for the military.  The lawmakers argued that the mandate is unnecessary and harming military readiness.  “At the very end of the fiscal year, the Army has only met 52% of its FY22 recruiting goal,” they noted.  “How will it recruit another 75,000 troops beyond its annual target to account for vaccine-related discharges?”  The legislators emphasized the low risk COVID poses to healthy members of the military and the limited efficacy of the vaccines against new strains of the virus. “Servicemembers under 40 years of age without comorbidities have nearly no chance of death from the virus, and study after study has shown that Covid vaccinations have negligible or even negative efficacy against the Omicron strains,” they wrote.  “We also know that natural immunity provides better protection against infection and death than existing COVID vaccines, yet the Department still refuses to recognize it in lieu of vaccination,” they added.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel