tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53836611393158187432024-03-27T18:54:58.140-05:00Kingdom BuilderEmpowering God's People for Engaging the Culture ... by Equipping them with an Understanding of a Biblical WorldviewKen Bealehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13202079864658629092noreply@blogger.comBlogger1341125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383661139315818743.post-75429874062499243462024-03-27T06:47:00.000-05:002024-03-27T06:47:48.792-05:00Being Critical of the “Critical”<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">REPRINT OF NOVEMBER 2, 2022<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Many of us pursued higher education with
the encouragement to always use “critical thinking” in your studies. This admonition applies in all of life. It is checking the definitions of words and
phrases used when understanding other views of politics, theology, etc. Take the example: Critical Race Theory (CRT). What race? In the human realm there is only one race— the
human race. Any sub-categories are not
races, but simple ethnic/cultural differences.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It has been said that “The only ones
interested in ‘racism’ are racists. All
the rest are interested in content of character” (Anon). The idea of various races of humans is an idea
that divides and far too often incites hate. By its very nature it is unable to produce
justice and equality or equity. CRT
skews truth and reality into a concocted lie that yields more confusion.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis
declared, “Florida civics curriculum ... will expressly exclude unsanctioned
narratives like critical race theories and unsubstantiated theories. Let me be clear: There’s no room in our
classrooms for ... teaching kids to hate their country and to hate each other ...
so we will invest in actual, solid, true curriculum.” </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">History is history just as truth is
truth. To claim otherwise through
re-writing and changing the truth for a lie does no one any good (Romans 1:25).
We learn from real history and correct
our wrongs for the benefit of the present and the future. Otherwise, it is akin to asking God for
salvation without acknowledging that we have ever sinned (Romans 5).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You cannot cure racism with more racism. Sin cannot be erased with more sin (1 John
1:10). History cannot be corrected by
rewriting it. All things must be
understood for what they are.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Once we have established this, then we
are in position for confessing our wrongs and making things right going
forward. The Pledge to the American Flag
ends with these words— “... with liberty and justice for all.” “For all” means that all are affected
correctly all the time. Though this may
be very difficult, it certainly does not mean, “for some then and for a
different group now, but never for everyone all the time.” Similarly, erasing one’s sin does not happen
by covering it over with more or different sin. Sin can only be erased by the perfect
sacrifice for sin by the One who is sinless Himself.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Do not make the mistake of getting
involved with imperfect solutions that only cause more imperfection and
problems. <i>“Do not be misled: Bad
company corrupts good character. Come
back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are
ignorant of God — I say this to your shame”</i> (1 Corinthians 15:33-34).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">So, think critically when studying God’s
Word, when listening to the pundits of all types, and when considering your own
heart and mind. <i>“All a man’s ways
seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord”</i> (Proverbs 16:2).
<i>“For a man’s ways are in full view of
the Lord, and He examines all his paths.
The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold
him fast. He will die for lack of
discipline, led astray by his own great folly”</i> (Proverbs 5: 21-23).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army</div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Pastor, Ft.
Snelling Memorial Chapel</div></span></span></div>
Ken Bealehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13202079864658629092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383661139315818743.post-87998479473356231842024-03-25T07:01:00.000-05:002024-03-25T07:01:01.281-05:00The Biblical and Practical Basis of Morality<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">REPRINT OF DECEMBER 2, 2022<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">1 Timothy 3:2, a verse in one of the
pastoral epistles, explains that certain high-ranking officials of the church
must be <i>“above reproach, faithful to </i>[their]<i> wife, temperate,
self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach.”</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This standard for Christian morality has
been incorporated into the biblical understanding of promiscuity (and its
sinfulness) for thousands of years.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“Promiscuity” is defined as “having many
sexual partners.” Given our culture’s
endorsement of the so-called free-love movement, it is rarely discussed today. Unfortunately, people have not only become
desensitized to it, but they have also begun to glorify promiscuity, even going
so far as to write award-winning pop songs that are literally titled
“Promiscuous.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Although promiscuity refers to a
particular kind of sexual immorality, it is related to many other forms of
immoral sexual behavior. Historically,
the definition of “sexual immorality” was taken by the Catholic Church to cover
a number of practices under its umbrella, (e.g., masturbation, fornication,
pornography, homosexual practice, adultery, divorce, polygamy, and free union).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Although the Reformation has corrected
the Catholic Church’s legalistic approach by re-introducing the Biblical
foundations of these ideas, Protestantism has correctly maintained the biblical
view on many of these practices.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Even as the Bible’s unchanging truths
about sexual morality have remained fixed, the American culture has shifted to
now condone the writing of articles like this one from the <i>Huffington Post</i>
titled “5 Promiscuous Things Women Do That Are Actually Empowering.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The kind of person who writes articles
like this probably also rejects the notion of God-given morality as
“superstitious.” Unfortunately for them,
what they may not realize is that, while behaviors like promiscuity are immoral
in the eyes of God, they also have damaging consequences in the earthly realm.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This has been no more evident than with
the recent monkeypox outbreak. Unsurprisingly,
the practical measures that have been introduced to curb the outbreak have
included advising the general public against engaging in promiscuity. This is one of the beautiful things about
adhering to biblical morality: One need not wait on declarations from the
Centers for Disease Control to know the most healthy and moral way to live
their life.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In truth, the whole monkeypox outbreak
could very well have been avoided in the first place if our culture had
stronger norms against promiscuity. This
is not to say that contracting monkeypox is a punishment from God. We should not ostracize or punish people
simply for contracting the illness.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We know from the Bible that there are
many cases in which innocent people suffered afflictions such as blindness
without having done anything wrong (John 9:1-7). It is possible for someone to contract
monkeypox through no fault of their own, (e.g., because of non-sexual
skin-to-skin contact or because their spouse was unfaithful to them).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Nonetheless, the point remains that
biblical morality is most often one of the best safeguards against avoidable
negative consequences, both in this life and the next. Our bodies are not our own, they are a gift
from God for our embodied soul.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, <i>“Do
you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you,
whom you have received from God? You are
not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army</div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Pastor, Ft.
Snelling Memorial Chapel</div></span></span></div>
Ken Bealehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13202079864658629092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383661139315818743.post-87298376608955407532024-03-22T06:55:00.000-05:002024-03-22T06:55:37.615-05:00Do We Depend on God or the State?<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">REPRINT OF SEPTEMBER 5, 2022<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Things which are provided for us from
outside sources should always be blessings to us. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In Jeremiah 7:13 God promises us, <i>“He
will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the
crops of your land – your grain, new wine, and oil – the calves of your herds
and the lambs of your flocks in the land that He swore to your forefathers to
give you.”</i> These promises to provide
only bring blessing. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Scripture supports the opening words of
the age-old hymn, ‘The Doxology’— “Praise God from Whom all blessings
flow.” A hymn written in 1674 by Thomas
Ken (inspired by Louis Bourgeois, 1551)— What God provides is always a blessing
to us and evokes us to praise Him (Psalm 47:6).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Is this concept also true regarding what
government provides to us? The answer in
your mind most likely will be “Yes and No.” Truly, our governments do provide needed
things such as defense, roadways, and some regulations and laws that we have
difficulty providing for ourselves. But
are they capable of meeting this standard of blessing every time? Absolutely not! Only God can meet that standard. Yet, government is obviously needed in certain
areas to assist us (assist, not rule over us).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Governments tend to detest limits and
often get confused as to what provisions and policies are really blessings to
all. When they are not, they result in
chaos and confusion; bickering and fighting; anger and violence. “Who is being blessed?” and “Who is being
cursed?”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When we follow God’s standards (Ten
Commandments as example, Deuteronomy 5:1-22), we find ourselves as between Mt.
Gerizim and Mt. Ebal (Joshua 8:28-29). On
the one hand are blessings and on the other are curses. No confusion there. Agree with God = blessings; disagree = curses.
Governments, all too often, attempt to
stand on both sides at once, declaring that it is all the same. It does not work. For proof, just look at the current condition
our nation is in. There is confusion and
chaos at every level: gender identity, rights (including life itself),
education, marriage, insurance … we can go on and on.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The point is that we, as Christians,
depend on God for our provisions, not government. Seek to limit government to only that which
assists toward blessings to all (following God’s directives). Limit government’s reach after that.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When God is limited, government grows
and entangles. When government is
limited, God is allowed to increase His blessings to us.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army</div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Pastor, Ft.
Snelling Memorial Chapel</div></span></span></div>
Ken Bealehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13202079864658629092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383661139315818743.post-26340971090026567332024-03-20T07:46:00.000-05:002024-03-20T07:46:40.140-05:00Jesus Wasn’t a Socialist, But a Savior<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">REPRINT OF NOVEMBER 16, 2022<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Throughout the Bible physical realities
are used to teach spiritual lessons and vice versa. In fact, Jesus (Himself) often reveals the way
the heavenly world works through analogies to earthly things. Believers can therefore draw practical and
political guidance from the lessons of Christ’s ministry— but must always
recall that these things are correctly interpreted only if they bring truth
that sets people free (John 8:32) … which was Jesus’ ultimate objective.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sadly, some today are trying to
improperly politicize Christ’s life to justify their own political talking
points through blatantly false misrepresentations. For example, at the Democratic National
Committee’s August 2019 meeting, Reverend William Barber claimed the Bible
advocates socialism:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“When
we embrace moral language, we must ask, Does our policy care for ‘the least of
these’?— Does it lift up those who are most marginalized and dejected in our
society? — Does it establish justice? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
is the moral question ... If someone calls it socialism, then we must compel
them to acknowledge that the Bible must then promote socialism, because Jesus
offered free health care to everyone, and he never charged a leper a co-pay.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">First of all, we would endlessly rejoice
if God miraculously healed anyone—or everyone—who might be hurt, sick, or
dying. However, it seems ridiculously
naïve for a pastor to suggest that we legislatively demand “Jesus-care” in
accordance with a human sense of justice. It also reveals a stunning ignorance of both
history and Scripture to compare a failed economic system responsible for the
death of millions throughout history to the loving acts of restoration
performed by our Savior.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Jesus didn’t come to institute a free
healthcare policy for the Roman Empire— but rather to use His miracles to
reveal the more important purpose of healing the spiritual man. As He affirmed:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>“Which
is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get
up, and pick up your pallet and walk’?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to
forgive sins”— He said to the paralytic, ‘I say to you, get up, pick up your
pallet and go home’”</i>
(Mark 2:9-11 NASB).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There were even times when, to
demonstrate a higher purpose, Jesus refused to heal someone. Just ask Lazarus. He wasn’t healed from his sickness; He died
from it— only to be raised from the dead specifically to reveal <i>“the glory
of God”</i> (John 11:40).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There were also times when, even though
there were people in need of physical help, Christ placed the emphasis of His
ministry on other things, saying:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>“Let
us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for
that is what I came for”</i>
(Mark 1:38 NASB).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Jesus’s “socialistic” heath care plan
didn’t even carry coverage for His own physical crucifixion— nor was the
apostle Paul spared from his thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7-19). Jesus clearly did not come to provide free
healthcare without a co-pay for all.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Expanding further, Jesus routinely
refused any kind of forced redistribution of wealth under the guise of charity.
For instance, when Judas lobbied to take
Mary’s gift and redistribute it to the poor, Jesus rebuked him:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>“Let
her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For you always have the poor with you, but
you do not always have Me”</i>
(John 12:5-8 NASB).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Listen: Jesus wasn’t a socialist. (See especially His teachings in Matthew 25 on
the talents, and in Luke 19 about the minas.) And we must never forget that the spiritual
healing He provided for us was not free: He paid for it with His own life, and
then made it available to us through our own individual repentance, not through
equal redistribution.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As believers, we are certainly called to
help the <i>“least of these”</i> (Matthew 25:40). But that’s not socialism. That’s Christian ministry by individuals.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army</div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Pastor, Ft.
Snelling Memorial Chapel</div></span></span></div>
Ken Bealehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13202079864658629092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383661139315818743.post-19895930357619027462024-03-18T07:12:00.000-05:002024-03-18T07:12:13.832-05:00SEX and GENDER<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">REPRINT OF NOVEMBER 4, 2022<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Just reading these words can set off
many feelings and thoughts that are difficult to control or define. Our culture has set us up to be confused. We face confusion on the actual definitions of
each. We face confusion on how to deal
with those that differ from our own understanding. We might even get confused as to what we, as
Christians, should believe. Maybe we
shrink back from expressing what we believe because we do not want to hurt
anyone’s feelings.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Do you remember the Loony Toon cartoon
characters known as Ralph Wolf and Sam Sheepdog? Typically, they would walk together to work
each morning as friends. When they
arrived at “work” they would “punch in” with their timecards and proceed to
become mortal enemies with each other. At
the end of their shift, they would punch out and proceed back home as good
neighbors and friends once again (though beaten and battered). Wolf and Sheepdog’s real roles in life were
confusing to children.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sex and gender may be much the same in
our culture today— confusing, to say the least. How do we trek our way through all of this? Can people really change back and forth? Are these sacred and set? Or are they as fluid as our culture wants us
to believe?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The LGBTQ+ movement has worked its way
into most every aspect of today’s culture. Everywhere one turns, there it is, bombarding
us at work, at school, on TV, at the movies— everywhere. A result is that our own children and
grandchildren are believing it. In the
public schools their teachers are teaching it— from the lowest grades up. Not every school is as bad as others, but they
all seem to be heading in the same direction. What do we do? Where do we begin? Can we really make a difference? Or will we just get chewed up and spit out if
we so much as try?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Bible is clear in defining sex and
gender. <i>“So God created man in His
own image … male and female He created them”</i> (Genesis 1:27). According to Romans 1:18-32, God has made His
design for mankind plain to understand, not confusing. According to Deuteronomy 22:5 God detests
anyone who cross-dresses.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In his article, “What the Bible Says About
Gender and Sex,” in <i>For the Bible</i>, Costi Hinn writes, “… let’s lovingly
push back against Satanic subterfuge and not roll over in fear. If we are God’s people, then we do things and
say things God’s way!” In that same
article he also gives several points of action we can take as we push back:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">1.
People don’t rule gender, God does. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember
Genesis 1:26-27, <i>“God said…”</i> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">2.
You are God’s masterpiece, just the way you are. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Psalm 139:13-18. 3, Your gender matters when
it comes to dating, courting, engaging, and marrying. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Let us not shrink away from speaking the
truth— but be lovingly bold in setting the truth forth to our culture and our
children. Let God’s Holy Word— The Bible—
do its work in all of our hearts (Hebrews 4:12).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army</div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Pastor, Ft.
Snelling Memorial Chapel</div></span></span></div>
Ken Bealehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13202079864658629092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383661139315818743.post-652862082491657822024-03-15T06:57:00.000-05:002024-03-15T06:57:01.006-05:00The Power of “I Am”<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">REPRINT OF SEPTEMBER 9, 2022<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Jesus asked His followers: <i>“Who do
you say that I am?”</i> (Matthew 16:15).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">If you were to ask someone that
question, what would their response be? Would they describe your physical attributes,
such as being short or tall, or having brown hair or blonde hair? Would they describe your character, such as
being kind or rude, stubborn or easy-going, joyful or cynical? Or would you be described by your political
perspective, whether Democrat or Republican, conservative or liberal?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Today we are inundated with an “identity
agenda” that defines us by our political beliefs, sexual orientation,
education, job, or even favorite sports team. This viewpoint affects both the culture and
its politics.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">So how should we as Christians respond
to the identity mentality that now dominates our culture? The answer begins with “I am.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Isn’t it interesting that today whenever
we describe ourselves, we almost always begin with “I am” and then continue
with whatever narrative? Significantly,
when Moses asked God how to answer the Israelites’ question of who sent him— what
was the authority and motivation behind his actions— the Lord answered him, <i>“I
Am”</i> (Exodus 3:14).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As humans created in the image of God,
our identity flows out of His identity— not out of our race, gender, political
affiliation, or any other such superficial characteristic. Without God, our identity and how we describe
ourselves will always be incomplete and insufficient.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As people turn away from God as the
foundation of their identity, any level of disagreement is now perceived as a
personal attack. Politics was never
intended to be personal— because it was never intended for us to identify more
with a political party than with our Creator. Gender was never meant to be a defining
question because we were never meant to identify more with our sexual
orientation than with a loving, sovereign Father.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The identity agenda feeds the lie that
the government needs to think and act on behalf of some particular group. It feeds the lie that you can empower women
while demeaning the unique roles that only women can play— such as wife and
mother. It feeds the lie that only
certain lives matter. It feeds the lie
of tolerance, while holding that traditional moral and ideological differences
are intolerable and must be silenced.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Imagine if everyone, starting with
Christians, valued others regardless of their beliefs, lifestyles, jobs, or
favorite sports teams. Imagine if we
removed the labels and name-calling from conversations. Imagine if lies were combatted with truth. Imagine a country where the majority of people
rested in and identified with their Creator and His Kingdom rather than with
politics and worldly entities. Imagine
the good that could come out of such a place! Let us therefore:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“Stand
firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around our waist, with the
breastplate of righteousness in place” (Ephesians 6:14).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army</div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Pastor, Ft.
Snelling Memorial Chapel</div></span></span></div>
Ken Bealehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13202079864658629092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383661139315818743.post-80447036202870691702024-03-13T06:55:00.000-05:002024-03-13T06:55:36.530-05:00The Power to Change America Lies With YOU<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The 2024 election cycle is well
underway. With primary elections already
happening in many states, we’ve observed some religious leaders and people of
faith questioning whether they should be involved. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Our civic responsibility is to vote. The power to change America is in our hands. Whether an election is to fill a seat on a
local school board or the Oval Office, we keep seeing anti-religious-liberty
candidates elected who then promote their anti-religious-liberty policies. How did they gain so much power? The answer is obvious: People of faith largely
stayed home and didn’t bother to vote. Tragically,
only a fraction of Americans who say religious liberty is important to them
actually vote in the major elections. People
of faith need to see voting as not just a right, but also a responsibility.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We recognize that religious freedom is
indeed one of the greatest blessings bestowed to our country and the first
freedom from which all other liberties flow. At the same time, however, we cannot ignore
how important other civil rights — such as the right to vote — are to the
flourishing of our country.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In the American system of government,
the government is “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” So, showing respect for authority in the
United States includes being an active part of the process and voting. Part of the bargain of living in liberty is a
duty to vote.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a person of
faith who took a bold stand against the evils of Nazi Germany. His words still ring true, today: “Not to
speak is to speak. Not to act is to
act.” One of the ways we speak and act
is by voting; so not to vote is to vote.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This election season, we encourage every
religious American to vote according to their conscience and their values.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There are many misconceptions about what
rights and freedoms pastors and houses of worship have on political matters. Opponents of religious freedom often
manipulate information to make you believe that politics and the pulpit may
never converge, making faith-based organizations, churches, synagogues and
everyday religious Americans fear legal ramifications if they mention or
participate in politics. But the truth
is, that fear isn’t based on the law. It’s
a scare tactic by those who want to silence people of faith and keep them from
voicing their opinions and voting their values.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The number of things pastors can do
during election season far outweighs the number of things they can’t do — in
both quantity and importance.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">1. It’s okay to speak about political
issues in the Church <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It is a misconception that pastors
cannot address political issues from the pulpit — even “hot button” issues like
religious liberty, abortion, and same-sex marriage. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyone who attempts to silence a pastor for
addressing issues is violating that pastor’s constitutional rights under the
First Amendment. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pastors have every
right to talk about any of those issues, and there’s never been any case in
American history that said pastors can’t do that. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>America’s Founders saw religion as a necessary
component to a healthy, moral society — not a taboo topic to bar completely
from the political realm; neither was political talk to be barred from
churches. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sermons on politics,
government, and controversial issues were common at our nation’s founding, and
popular among pastors and churches on varying sides of the political spectrum. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">2. Religious leaders can educate their
congregation about politics <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Religious leaders are tasked with
equipping their congregants in works of service, and that includes representing
their faith and morality in the voting booth. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pastors are fully protected when it comes to
educating members of their church about the political process, handing out
non-partisan voter guides and flyers so members can read about each candidate’s
positions, and even providing the opportunity for members to register to vote. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">3. Inviting political candidates to
speak at church is allowed <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Pastors and churches can invite
political candidates to address their congregation from the pulpit, as long as
all the candidates in a race are included in the invitation. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if only one candidate accepts the
invitation and shows up? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No problem! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">4. Pastors can participate in politics
in their individual capacity <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Pastors can participate in political
campaigns, hold office within political campaigns, and even endorse a candidate
in their individual capacity as a private citizen. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What religious leaders cannot do during
elections according to IRS regulations, there are only two things that pastors
and churches, when classified as a 501(c)(3) organization, cannot do: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">1. A church entity may not endorse one
candidate over another <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This does not mean that a pastor — in
his individual capacity as an American citizen — may not endorse one candidate
over another. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A 501(c)(3) church or
organization may not, however, as an organization endorse one candidate over
another or be publicly against one candidate over the other. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">2. A church may not give its money to
one candidate over another <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This doesn’t mean that pastors or church
members, in their individual capacities as private citizens, cannot donate to
the political campaign of their choice. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
an official 501(c)(3) organization may not donate church funds or resources to
one political candidate over another. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army</div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Pastor, Ft.
Snelling Memorial Chapel</div></span></span></div>
Ken Bealehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13202079864658629092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383661139315818743.post-83401784493860705712024-03-11T07:01:00.000-05:002024-03-11T07:01:50.106-05:00Court Rules: Can’t Make Religious Employers Cover Gender Treatments<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The U.S. District Court for the District
of North Dakota last week determined that the Biden Administration cannot
require that religious organizations and healthcare providers cover an array of
gender-related treatments, including surgeries, counseling, and hormone
therapies. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), on
behalf of the Christian Employers Alliance (CEA), had filed the challenge
against the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), claiming it had
improperly interpreted Title VII to mandate such action. The suit had also challenged the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) assertion that “sex” includes
gender identity in the context of federal law.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The court found that CEA’s refusal to
comply with EEOC and HHS mandates on the grounds of their faith would result in
significant monetary penalties and therefore, the mandates “substantially
burdened” the organization. “CEA must
either comply with the EEOC and HHS mandates by violating their sincerely held
religious beliefs or else face harsh consequences like paying fines and facing
civil liability,” the court wrote. “As a
result, CEA’s religious beliefs are substantially burdened by the monetary
penalties it faces for refusing to violate its beliefs.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Most Christian organizations and
denominations hold that a person’s sex is immutable.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">CEA President Shannon Royce celebrated
the ruling, saying “[w]e are overjoyed our members will not have to choose
between the biblically based employee benefits and quality healthcare they
provide, and the threat of federal enforcement and massive costs for practicing
their faith.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The CEA originally brought the suit in
late 2021. HHS issued its original
mandate in May of that year, citing Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act,
which tasks it with “protecting the civil rights of individuals who access or
seek to access covered health programs or activities.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army</div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Pastor, Ft.
Snelling Memorial Chapel</div></span></span></div>
Ken Bealehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13202079864658629092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383661139315818743.post-38434864514048973562024-03-08T06:57:00.000-06:002024-03-08T06:57:09.388-06:00Without a Strong Constitution, Democracies Descend into Tyranny<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">REPRINT OF OCTOBER 10, 2022<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Christians are familiar with Proverbs
29-18. The King James Version reads, <i>“Where
there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is
he.”</i> The English Standard Version is
probably closer to the Hebrew text: <i>“Where there is no prophetic vision the
people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.”</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Not all nations are founded on a
prophetic vision, but the United States of America was. We neglect that vision to our peril.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">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!”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Has the Founders’ vision of <i>ordered
liberty</i> and the <i>rule of law</i> been nourished and sustained by each new
generation? Yes, but not without
dissent, some turmoil, and even bloodshed.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">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.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">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.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The new authoritarians arrogantly call
themselves “Progressives.” They forget
that the Constitution of 1787 was “ordained and established” by <i>We the
People</i> 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.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">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.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">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.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">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.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army</div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Pastor, Ft.
Snelling Memorial Chapel</div></span></span></div>
Ken Bealehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13202079864658629092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383661139315818743.post-58996568906915314242024-03-06T06:46:00.000-06:002024-03-06T06:46:59.771-06:00POWER<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">REPRINT OF FEBRUARY 1, 2023<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">What gives people feelings of power?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">For
some it is money.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">For
a few more it is status.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">For
many more it is being the Line Leader in Kindergarten.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Kind of humorous? Yes. Yet
there is probably some real truth in it. Ask any teacher of young children. But the discussion should not end there. In fact, this simply sets the stage for the
really important things relating to power.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Plato stated things this way: “The
measure of a man is what he does with power.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Power always brings with it
responsibility and therefore the need of utilizing that power in godly ways and
for God glorifying results. What do God
glorifying results look like? Job 36:22,
<i>“God is exulted in His power. Who is
a teacher like Him?”</i> So, God
glorifying may very well have the result of teaching others what God is like. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Proverbs 3:27, <i>“Do not withhold good
from those who deserve it.”</i> Incidentally,
the word ‘deserve,’ does not only indicate having earned something. When you perceive that someone deserves it,
for whatever reason, give to that person what God has blessed you to give. When someone is ailing (physically, mentally,
emotionally or spiritually) be free with your gifts of healing. God will direct you in giving good words,
praise, providing a way, sharing your testimony, extolling reward or simply to
give a good hug and to cry with them. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Remember that His power is made perfect
in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Consider what powers God has entrusted
to you that you are able to use as you bless others and glorify the Father. Be watchful and ready to use them in His
wisdom— not human wisdom— <i>“… lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its
power” </i>( 1 Corinthians 1:17). <i>“Guard
what </i>(and perhaps who)<i> has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter …”</i>
(1Timothy 6:20). As you adopt this way
of life and this perspective of the use of power, you will be perceived by
those around you as having been, <i>“… clothed with power from on high”</i> (Luke
24:49), simply because you have learned the power in giving and loving in
Jesus’ name.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We are engaged in some fierce battles
these days. Spiritual battles, political
battles, relational battles, and battles of the mind. Satan seeks to divide and separate at every
opportunity. Fight the good fight. Be fearless in the battle before you. Be skilled in the use of your weapons
(Ephesians 6:11). Bring healing to this
world and to the individuals in your life (Luke 9:1). Continue to testify to the resurrection of
Jesus Christ and much grace will be upon you (Acts 4:33).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>“And we pray this in order that you may
live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit
in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with
all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance
and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you
to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light”</i> (Colossians 1:10-12).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army</div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Pastor, Ft.
Snelling Memorial Chapel</div></span></span></div>
Ken Bealehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13202079864658629092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383661139315818743.post-73279943333092770302024-03-04T07:23:00.000-06:002024-03-04T07:23:57.808-06:00Newest Talking Point: Those Dangerous ‘Christian Nationalists’ Want to Define ‘Natural Law’<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Natural law is the
belief that mankind’s rights come from our Creator and not from a king, which
is fundamental to understanding America’s unique founding, but the sudden
interest in that civics lesson appears to be tied to a presidential election
year and Donald Trump. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">In what appears to be
an election-year bid to smear politically active Evangelicals, the Left is
running with the term “Christian nationalist” to describe politically
conservative people who attend church regularly and believe in national
sovereignty. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">One election-year example
is the “God and Country” documentary that ominously warns Democrats their MAGA
neighbors are nutty and dangerous fascists who want to strip away their rights.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">In a similar discussion
panel on MSNBC, Politico reporter Heidi Przybyla warned the panel of fellow
liberals to prepare for a troubling shift in the Republican Party, which she
said is led by an “extremist element” of Christians who are “orbiting Trump” as
Election Day draws closer. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">What unites
those conservative Christians, she went on to warn, is the belief that our
rights as Americans “do not come from any Earthly authority,” meaning from a
legislature or a court, but from God, she said, referring to natural law and
presumably to the Declaration of Independence. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">“The problem with that is that they are
determining - men are determining – what God is telling them,” she continued,
referring to Christian leaders who have Trump’s ear.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Citing civil rights
leader Martin Luther King Jr., who cited natural law to fight Jim Crow laws,
Przbyla said abortion and same-sex marriage are examples of an “extremist
element of conservative Christians” applying natural law in the culture and in
politics.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Przbyla was likely
invited to discuss “Christian nationalism” on MSNBC after she co-wrote a
Politico article that published Feb. 20. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">That story ominously warned that people
affiliated with Trump’s presidential campaign are planning to implement
“Christian nationalism” in a second Trump term if he wins the White House
again.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">In a response to
Przybyla’s MSNBC appearance, which he posted on X, Catholic Bishop Robert
Barren summarized her argument: Przybyla was claiming some religious “weirdos”
are endangering democracy by citing natural law to gain power. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">He called that a dangerous accusation to make
because it actually endangers our individual rights while claiming to protect
those rights from so-called Christian nationalists. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">“It is exceptionally dangerous when we forget
the principle that our rights come from God and not from a government,” the
bishop said. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">“The basic problem is, if
they come from the government or Congress or the Supreme Court, they can be
taken away by those same people.”</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">After the MSNBC clip
went viral, Przybla later posted a statement on X denying she was smearing
conservative Christians. “I said men are making their own policy interpretation
of natural law,” she wrote, likely referring to the Politico story.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Among the many replies
to Przybla, Liberty University professor Jason Truett Glen said the Politico
reporter was guilty of “duplicity” in her argument. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">She favors “natural law” when it’s applied to
racial justice, he wrote on X, but not when it involves a political issue such
as abortion. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">In fact, the February 20th
Politico story took a stab at defining natural law then mixed it with politics.
</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">In recent decades, the story said,
natural law has been used to “oppose abortion, LGGTQ+ rights and contraception.”</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">“So,” Glen concluded, “the inclination is to
then throw all natural law elements out the window.”</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt;">Rev. Dr. Kenneth L.
Beale, Jr.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Pastor, Ft.
Snelling Memorial Chapel</div></span></div></div>
Ken Bealehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13202079864658629092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383661139315818743.post-89431128247725449462024-03-01T07:07:00.000-06:002024-03-01T07:07:26.045-06:00House Dems Furious After Guest Chaplain Dares to Tell Truth About Liberal America<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Meet Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary
Chapel, a church in Chino Hills, CA. Hibbs
is a theological and political conservative, one gathers from his X feed, and
is the author of the recently released “Living in the Daze of Deception: How to
Discern Truth from Culture’s Lies.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">On January 30, he was invited by House
Speaker Mike Johnson to give the invocation as the guest chaplain in the House
of Representatives, where his prayer called upon God to “hear my cry in this
hour of great need that we might be humbly blessed before You in repentance of
our national sins.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This, more or less, flew under the radar
for the better part of the month of February — until a letter sent to the Speaker
of the House and signed by 26 House Democrats last week accused Hibbs of being
“an ill-qualified hate preacher” who was pushing a “Christian nationalist
agenda,” according to Roll Call. Furthermore,
the Democrats linked the calls for “repentance of our national sins” and the
need for “holy fear” to “allusions to the militant and fanatical agenda he
preaches about the LGBTQ community, Jews, Muslims, and anyone who conflicts
with his ‘biblical worldview.’”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“After we picked our jaws up off the
floor upon learning that this hate preacher had been allowed to give a guest
invocation, I think many of us decided we need to start calling this out,” Rep.
Jared Huffman of CA, author of the letter, told Roll Call. Huffman, who self-identifies as an atheist
according to The Washington Times, apparently took a long time to get his jaw
off the floor, since the two-and-a-half page letter was only sent out February
15 — two full weeks after the fact.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In the letter, the Democrats accused
Johnson of not following protocol in various ways, including acting as sponsor
to Hibbs even though Hibbs is not from his congressional district. Johnson represents a district in Louisiana. Furthermore, they claimed Hibbs was a
“radical Christian Nationalist who helped fuel the January 6th insurrection.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“When his opening prayer invoked ‘holy
fear’ and ‘repentance’ for ‘national sins,’ these were allusions to the
militant and fanatical agenda he preaches about the LGBTQ+ community, Jews,
Muslims, and anyone who conflicts with his ‘biblical worldview.’”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The prayer in full does nothing of the
sort.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hibbs called for “repentance of national
sins” — and the Bible teaches that we’re all sinners, though it’s not as if the
Democrats (and some Republicans) have made a secret out of the fact they
believe the Bible is a book of quaint suggestions, not holy Scripture, and must
be treated as such in matters of sexual sin and other forms of “tolerance.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hibbs might also have irked a few in the
chamber by noting that they’d be judged by the standards of the Bible. “Please come upon those here, who are the
stewards over the business of our nation, with Your wisdom which comes from
above and with Your holy fear, knowing that Your coming day of judgment draws
near when all who have been and are now in authority will answer to You, the
great judge of heaven and of Earth,” he said.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As for the supposed hatred of “Jews,
Muslims, and anyone who conflicts with his ‘biblical worldview,'” you will not
be surprised that most of the examples Huffman cited in his letter are two- or
three-word out-of-context quotes linked to out-of-context articles or clips by
supposedly unbiased arbiters like Media Matters for America or the social media
account Right Wing Watch.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And, as for the connection with January
6 or “Christian nationalism” — little evidence was proffered or needed,
apparently, aside from more out-of-context quotes. Hibbs told the Times that he “would challenge
Huffman ‘to produce any connection I have with January 6, because I do take
that as a slanderous statement when in reality, I had nothing to do with it.’”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">But then, that really has nothing to do
with the letter. Huffman and Co. are
angry because someone called legislators who blatantly ignore the Bible and
push for laws that mandate parents and doctors must be given the right to
chemically and surgically mutilate minors in the name of “transgender
tolerance” are guilty of “national sin” and are required to repent, as the
Bible commands.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">If Rep. Huffman or the 25 other
Democrats who signed onto this letter don’t believe this, that’s fine. They are not required, in this world, to
believe in God or follow His Word. Nobody
is forcing them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">All Pastor Hibbs said on January 30 was
that, eventually, those who mock God and His law will be called before Him to
answer for their transgressions. All of
the out-of-context pull-quotes from Media Matters and scary terms like
“Christian nationalism” isn’t going to affect His judgment on their actions.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The choice to heed or disregard Pastor
Hibbs’ warning is theirs, but God’s judgment is not.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army</div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Pastor, Ft.
Snelling Memorial Chapel</div></span></span></div>
Ken Bealehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13202079864658629092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383661139315818743.post-77909439496145240212024-02-28T07:20:00.000-06:002024-02-28T07:20:10.833-06:00Alabama High Court Rules Frozen Embryos Are ‘Children’ Protected by State Law<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that
frozen embryos are children subject to protection under state law. The 8-1 ruling was in response to a lawsuit
filed by three in-vitro fertilization (IVF) couples whose embryos were
destroyed in 2020. The high court’s
ruling, which was released last week, reversed a lower court’s ruling that had
dismissed the complaint. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The state’s “Wrongful Death of a Minor
Act” applies to unborn children, and the justices ruled that the law applies
regardless of whether they are in the mother’s body at the time. The high court wrote in its decision: “The
ordinary meaning of ‘child’ includes children who have not yet been born.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“Here, the text of the Wrongful Death of
a Minor Act is sweeping and unqualified. It applies to all children, born and unborn,
without limitation. It is not the role
of this Court to craft a new limitation based on our own view of what is or is
not wise public policy,” Justice Jay Mitchell wrote in the opinion on behalf of
the majority. “That is especially true
where, as here, the People of this State have adopted a Constitutional
amendment directly aimed at stopping courts from excluding ‘unborn life’ from
legal protection,” Mitchell continued.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In a separate concurrence, Alabama Chief
Justice Tom Parker wrote: “A good judge follows the Constitution instead of
policy, except when the Constitution itself commands the judge to follow a
certain policy. In these cases, that
means upholding the sanctity of unborn life, including unborn life that exists
outside the womb.” “Our state
Constitution contains the following declaration of public policy: ‘This state
acknowledges, declares, and affirms that it is the public policy of this state
to recognize and support the sanctity of unborn life and the rights of unborn
children, including the right to life,” Parker continued.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Justice Greg Cook, the only dissenting
justice, argued in his opinion that the ruling could end IVF treatment in
Alabama and that it was not the court’s place to amend the current 1872 state
law. “And, the main opinion’s holding
almost certainly ends the creation of frozen embryos through in vitro
fertilization (‘IVF’) in Alabama,” Cook wrote. “It is not my role to judge whether ending
this medical procedure is good or bad – but it doubtless will have a huge
impact on many Alabamians. And it
underscores the need to have the Legislature – not this Court – address these
issues through the legislative process.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">But Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman
Mat Staver praised the Alabama high court’s ruling. “Every unborn life is a human being. Every human life begins as an embryo, and now
the Alabama Supreme Court has upheld the decision of its citizenry that every
unborn life should be protected, no matter their stage or location,” Staver
said in a statement. “This important
ruling has far-reaching implications.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Using the Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling
as precedent, Liberty Counsel announced it had filed a supplemental authority
with the Florida Supreme Court regarding a proposed abortion amendment to
Florida’s Constitution. Currently, the
Florida Constitution protects the rights of a “natural person.” During oral arguments on Feb. 7, Florida
Chief Justice Carlos Muñiz asked attorneys on both sides of the abortion issue
if the ballot summary should apprise voters of how the proposed abortion
amendment could impact the Constitution if its definition of “natural person”
also included the unborn, according to Liberty Counsel.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The nonprofit law firm said it is using
the Alabama high court’s latest ruling to argue that Florida’s Constitution,
like Alabama’s, affirms “that an unborn child qualifies as a human life, a
human being, and a person.” Replying to
Chief Justice Muñiz’s question, Liberty Counsel argues Florida’s deceptive
amendment proposal as written misleads voters by not explaining how it will
take away a protected right to life for the unborn. Staver said his law firm will argue Florida’s
proposed amendment, as currently written, defies current Florida laws
protecting the unborn. “Liberty Counsel
is using this precedent to argue that Florida’s proposed deceptive and
misleading abortion amendment violates Florida’s own laws that routinely
recognize that an ‘unborn child’ has the legally protected rights of a person,”
Staver said. He added, “Unborn life must
be protected at every stage.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army</div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Pastor, Ft.
Snelling Memorial Chapel</div></span></span></div>
Ken Bealehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13202079864658629092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383661139315818743.post-34656209215399998722024-02-26T07:30:00.000-06:002024-02-26T07:30:42.154-06:00Church Sues Ohio City Officials in Case of Pastor Facing Criminal Charges for Helping Homeless<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A Christian church in Bryan, OH has sued
the city and several city officials for trying to shut down the church’s
religious activities. Its pastor is
reportedly facing criminal charges for violating zoning laws by keeping his
doors open to help the poor and others in his community. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A coupe weeks ago, First Liberty
Institute and the law firms Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP and Spengler
Nathanson PLL filed the federal lawsuit and motion for a temporary restraining
order against city officials seeking to shut down the religious activities of
Dad’s Place Church and Pastor Chris Avell. The 82-page complaint filed in the U.S.
District Court Northern District of Ohio alleges the “targeted” use of zoning
codes and other city ordinances against the church violates the church’s rights
“under the Free Exercise Clause and Establishment Clause of the First
Amendment, the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, the
Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (“RLUIPA”), the Fair
Housing Act (“FHA”), and the Rights of Conscience clause of the Ohio
Constitution.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“The Church accordingly seeks equitable
relief and damages to prevent the City from violating its fundamental rights to
pursue its religious outreach to some of the most vulnerable members of its
community,” the complaint said. “The
ministry of the church is not confined to Sunday morning at 11am,” Pastor Avell
said. “We welcome anyone to experience
the love and truth of Jesus, regardless of the time of day.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">City officials returned to Dad’s Place
for a follow-up reinspection and issued additional citations after the Fire
Marshall found a gas leak while the church was housing 20 people, according to
a statement issued by the city. The city
said the church had to bring the building up to code or it “will take
appropriate action.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The city said it became aware that Dad’s
Place was allowing individuals to live, on a transient basis on the church
property. But the property is located in
a C-3 zoning district, allowing churches and other places of assembly to
operate as a conditional use. It does
not permit residential use on the first floor of any building in the district,
the statement said. The city also noted
it had been accused of failing to support the homeless, even though a homeless
shelter that fully complies with the zoning code and fire code operates next to
Dad’s Place.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Bryan’s mayor should be supporting the
church’s efforts, Senior Counsel for First Liberty Jeremy Dys said in a
statement. “Mayor Schlade spearheaded
months of harassment by Bryan, Ohio city officials to repeatedly violate the
constitutional and statutory rights of Dad’s Place Church and its pastor, Chris
Avell,” Dys said. “Instead of
prosecuting a pastor in an effort to drive his congregation from her sight,
Mayor Schlade should be supporting a church trying to care for the marginalized
in her community (and in the dead of winter). The Constitution and the law demand nothing
less.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Stephen Hartman of Spengler Nathanson
said, “We hope the city of Bryan will drop all of these charges and begin
talking with us about how Pastor Chris and Dad’s Place will continue to
contribute to the wonderful community of Bryan.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Philip Williamson of Taft Stettinius
& Hollister noted how “churches throughout history have been a shelter for
anyone seeking a place of safety, and Dad’s Place is no exception.” “Ohio and federal law alike protect vital
ministries like Dad’s Place, and we look forward to defending those rights,” he
said.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As CBN’s Faithwire reported earlier,
Avell is facing 18 criminal charges related to the city’s zoning laws after
keeping his church open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In March 2023, Dad’s Place began
operating its ministry 24 hours a day to serve the most vulnerable in its
community. For months, the church did so
without incident, First Liberty said. Then
in November 2023, the city sent a letter ordering the church to stop allowing
overnight guests or face criminal prosecution. On New Year’s Eve, police showed up at the
church, and handed the pastor a packet of multiple charges and violations.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Avell told CBN Digital why his church
decided last year to open its doors around the clock. “Through some things God had done and what we
were seeing, we decided that … it was time to do it so that people can come in
day or night and find true rest,” he said. “{And} come in and pray at any time of day.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Avell said the church had been receiving
calls from police in the middle of the night to ask if the house of worship
would take in people facing domestic disputes and other issues. This is one of the reasons Dad’s Place decided
to expand its operations. However,
authorities began taking issue with purported zoning violations last fall, with
the Bryan City Zoning Commission reportedly expressing concern just months
after that decision.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Since the church doesn’t have bedrooms,
the zoning commission said the house of worship could no longer house the
homeless. Avell said, though, that he’s
tried to work with the city to remedy any concerns. Regardless, he said the results of Dad’s Place
being open 24/7 have been deeply encouraging. “We’ve seen many who — if we were not open 24
hours, this wouldn’t happen — come to faith in Christ,” the preacher said. “We’re a church, so that’s our thing … for us,
that’s paramount.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Avell said he believes people’s lives
have been enriched, adding that “everyone who walks through the doors of the
church walks out a better citizen.” “You
can’t walk in the place and not experience the love of Christ, even if you just
walk through the doors for a few minutes,” he said. “It’s just what we’re called to be … the hands
and feet of Jesus.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">First Liberty attorney Ryan Gardner told
CBN Digital the city’s actions against Avell and Dad’s Place constitute a “head-scratcher.” “The police were referring people to Dad’s
Place and everything was OK until it wasn’t,” the lawyer said. “And what happened is, in November, they got a
letter saying that they had to shut their doors and had to put these people
with nowhere else to go on the streets.”
Gardner said the ministry serves the “most needy and hurting” and
explained that the 18 criminal charges waged against Avell — who continues to
keep the church open and defy authorities — is “highly unusual.” “I’ve never seen anything like this,” he
said. “I’ve seen cities come after
churches in the civil context when it comes to zoning issues, but to try to
hold a pastor criminally liable and even put him in jail for simply caring for
the homeless.” Gardner believes each
charge could carry as much as six months in jail on top of a fine.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As for why the police reportedly went
from referring people to Dad’s Place to suddenly demanding it stop its
activities, Gardner said he’s uncertain. “It seems to me that somebody in the city is
hostile to this ministry and doesn’t want it there,” he said. “The First Amendment protects the right of Dad’s
Place to operate its ministry wherever God has called us to do so, and in this
case, God has called Dad’s Place to operate exactly where it is.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Avell has pleaded not guilty to all of
the charges against him.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army</div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Pastor, Ft.
Snelling Memorial Chapel</div></span></span></div>
Ken Bealehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13202079864658629092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383661139315818743.post-37562697856779440302024-02-23T07:01:00.000-06:002024-02-23T07:01:27.126-06:00Ex-Terrorist Confirms Visions of Jesus in Gaza<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A former Palestinian sniper turned
Christian believes revival will break out in Gaza and thousands will come to
Christ after the end of the Israel-Hamas war. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Taysir “Tass” Abu Saada, a former aide
to the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, recently told CBN News’ Global
Lane that God’s Holy Spirit is already changing Palestinian hearts through
dreams and visions. “Many Muslims are
looking for an alternative to Islam,” he said. “My team is, naturally, sharing Christ. So we are looking at a good revival going on
already in the Gaza Strip.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Since Hamas terrorists carried out the
savage massacre of hundreds of Israeli civilians on Oct. 7, marking the start
of the Israel-Hamas War, many Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip have been
caught in the cross-hairs. Evidence has
shown how Hamas has prevented evacuations of Palestinian civilians, keeping
them in harm’s way and even using them as civilian shields against Israeli
attacks that are only intended to target terrorists. As a result, the Hamas-run government of Gaza
claims more than 24,000 people have been killed there since the war began, and
thousands more are injured or presumed dead.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">But Saada believes good can come out of
the destruction and pain. “Despite the
destruction that is taking place, I believe God has a purpose to get the
Palestinians in Gaza (to) wake up and look at a different alternative to what
they believe,” he explained. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Saada said he believes hearts are
turning to Jesus and confirmed a report late last year that hundreds of Gazans
encountered Jesus in their sleep. “I
have a report from one of my team members that 200 Gazans gave their heart to
Jesus in one lump sum,” Saada expressed. “The Lord appeared to them in visions and
dreams and they were hugging each other and rejoicing. [They] realized all of them had the same
vision that each one of them had.” “Obviously,
the Lord is doing His work and the Believers in the land are doing their work,”
he added.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As CBN Digital reported, born in Gaza,
Saada was overcome with rage toward Jewish Israelis in the aftermath of the
Six-Day War in 1967. His family moved to
Saudi Arabia and Qatar and, ultimately, he ran away to join Fatah and fight to
support Arafat. “After the Six Day War,
I felt as if I was having a nervous breakdown, and my hatred just grew and
grew,” Saada said in his testimony, published on JewishRoots.net. “I did not understand how we could lose so
many wars against Israel. We were bigger
than Israel in numbers and size, we had more equipment—everything we had was
more than they had, but still, we lost the wars against them.” “I was thinking that, once again, our leaders
sold us to the Jews,” he added. “That
was when I decided to go and fight for our land, which I believed was ours.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This founder of the Hope of Peace
Foundation eventually emigrated to the U.S. where he met his wife, Karen. Soon afterward, he met a Christian man and
learned about Jesus. That is when his
life and entire perspective on Israel changed. He recently moved to the Holy Land in hopes of
seeing more Gazans come to Christ. “God
is going to do a lot of work [in Gaza], and I want to be a part of that,” Saada
said.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Saada previously told Joel Rosenberg on
The Rosenberg Report that he believes we are in the “End Times.” “What we are seeing today happening is really
one of the signs of the end of times, because it is not normal—the destruction
that is taking place,” he said. “The
evil hand of Hamas is attacking Israelis in a radical, very evil way. Naturally, Israel had to respond and defend
itself.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Although four Arab nations and Turkey
have offered to assist in planning the reconstruction and governance of Gaza
once Israel ends its war with Hamas, Saada boldly proclaimed that God has
another future for the Gazans. “The
harvest is going to be huge,” he said.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army</div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Pastor, Ft.
Snelling Memorial Chapel</div></span></span></div>
Ken Bealehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13202079864658629092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383661139315818743.post-26737762182384847132024-02-21T07:08:00.000-06:002024-02-21T07:08:38.385-06:00The Disinformation on Divorce<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">For years, an urban legend has survived
because it has been accepted as fact by many people – the myth that half of all
marriages end in divorce. So, if you’re
getting married for the first time, the odds are even, right? 0/50? No.
Nope. Nada. It’s what would be called “disinformation” by
some today. And the myth about a 50
percent divorce rate in the church is an even bigger lie.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">One Christian author and social
researcher Shaunti Feldhahn says the true divorce rate is much lower and always
has been. She has extensively researched
the public perception of the 50% myth about divorce, trying to find its original
source. And to her pleasant surprise,
she couldn’t find any. She confessed to
K-LOVE Radio that she had believed the myth too. “When I started looking at the Census Bureau
tables and CDC tables, and the Bureau of Vital Statistics – that’s when I was
like – ‘wait a minute this does not match the narrative at all,’ ” Feldhahn
explained.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She didn’t just spend one afternoon in
the local library looking into the subject. Her quest took her the next eight years,
according to K-LOVE. “The reason it took
eight years is that it is insanely complicated,” she admits. “There’s no one right number.” Why? “Because
it kind of depends: like, is the rate of divorce the percentage of people who
will get divorced in the future? Or is
it the people who already are?”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Feldhahn then took all of her research
findings and organized them into her book <i>The Good News About Marriage:
Debunking Discouraging Myths about Marriage and Divorce</i>. “Seventy-one percent of people are still
married to their first spouse,” she told the Christian radio network, which
leaves 29%, but “that’s not the true story either. Because that includes everybody who was
married for 50 years and their spouse died.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When one factors in the death of a
spouse, Feldhahn told K-LOVE she’s confident that the true divorce rate is
currently no greater than 25%. “At one
time, a 50% divorce rate in the future was actually a reasonable projection,”
she said. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">No-fault divorce entered the U.S. courts
in 1972, which led to an explosion of divorces. Demographers of the day got really concerned
and said, ‘Oh my goodness if this trend keeps up, we’re going to hit a 50%
divorce rate someday.’ ” “But just a few
short years later, in 1980, the divorce rate began to trend down,” Feldman
explained. “We never got close to
hitting the 50% projection…and that is what has not been corrected in the
public opinion.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In fact, far more people get married
over the course of each year than get divorced, according to statistics compiled
by Forbes. The latest data available
from 2021 revealed a total of 689,308 divorces occurred across the 45 U.S.
states that report this statistic. During
that same year, 1,985,072 marriages occurred, making the U.S. marriage rate 6
per 1,000 people, the outlet reported.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Feldhahn told K-LOVE there’s one
statistic that stood out to her – the age of the couple getting married. “People are getting married at slightly older
ages – and when you get married very young, those people have a higher divorce
rate risk,” she noted. The risk of
divorce drops for couples who marry after age 25. Those who marry at 25 are 50% less likely to divorce
when compared to couples who tied the knot at 20.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Feldhahn also shined a light on the
divorce rate among those who have remarried following a divorce or the death of
a spouse. She said, most people think
the percentage is high, possibly two out of three remarriages. She called that statistic yet another “pure
urban myth.” “My senior researcher,
Tally Whitehead, and I spent three years trying to find the studies underneath
that number,” she told the outlet. “We
were very thorough – we went through all the different citations and news reports
and websites – and they all trace back to three sources that don’t exist.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Feldhahn’s book also reveals the divorce
rate among those active in their church is 27 to 50 percent lower than among
non-churchgoers. She told CBN News in a December
2022 interview that her hope is that once people learn the truth they will
spread it far and wide. “We need to
change the paradigm of how we talk about marriage – from marriage being in
trouble and all this discouraging stuff to saying, ‘No, wait. Most marriages are strong and happy for a
lifetime,’ " she told CBN News. “That
makes a total difference to a couple who can now say, ‘You know what? Most people get through this and we can, too.’
”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army</div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Pastor, Ft.
Snelling Memorial Chapel</div></span></span></div>
Ken Bealehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13202079864658629092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383661139315818743.post-34207125198228960732024-02-19T07:11:00.000-06:002024-02-19T07:11:22.700-06:00Iowa Pro-Lifers Celebrate Planned Parenthood Abortion Center Closing<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The largest Planned Parenthood abortion
clinic in Iowa’s capital city closed its doors to the joy of pro-lifers who
have long worked and prayed that the death mill end its baby-killing industry. In a statement to LifeSiteNews after the
pro-life victory, Maggie DeWitte, executive director of Pulse Life Advocates
(PLA), founded in 1972 and now one of the longest standing pro-life
organizations in Iowa, celebrated the closure and called for renewed efforts to
end all abortions in the state. DeWitte
said: “We are overjoyed at the closing of the Planned Parenthood clinic on the
southside of Des Moines. Pulse Life
Advocates, Iowa’s longest-standing, statewide, pro-life organization, has
organized hundreds of prayer vigils at this clinic over the years since its
founding in 1972. We know the power of prayer
and so many Iowans have lifted up thousands of prayers for the closure of this
clinic. Women will no longer be harmed
and babies will no longer be killed at this location and we are thanking and
praising God for this victory! But while
we celebrate this win, we look to the other abortion mills operating in Iowa
and will turn our efforts toward getting those closed as well. And we will continue to pray, educate, and
take action until we no longer have abortion in our state and in our country.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">PLA told LifeNews that “the closing
represents a culmination of years of prayers by faithful pro-lifers at this
very location.” “If you were one of the
faithful who joined us, you know how the North wind that swept down upon us was
particularly cruel, seemingly taunting us as we prayed. And the hot summer months presented a different
form of discomfort. But it was all worth
it! God listened and answered our
prayers with this closing,” PLA said.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">While rejoicing at the closure of Des
Moines’s largest abortion mill, DeWitte also lamented the rise in the use of
the mail-in abortion pill, which now accounts for the majority of abortions
nationwide. DeWitte told LifeSite that
the background to current state of affairs regarding Iowa’s abortion laws and allowances
are the fights the legislature and governor have fought in the courts against
Planned Parenthood over the State’s now twice passed Heartbeat law. She wrote:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“The
20-week abortion ban was passed in Iowa in 2017 and had a 72-hour waiting
period component to the law. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the
20-week abortion ban sailed into law with no hold-up, the 72-hour ruling was
immediately contested by Planned Parenthood and the ACLU. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They filed a lawsuit and sought an injunction
so that the 72-hour waiting period would not go into effect until the court
process had gone through the necessary actions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We then move(d) forward to the next legislative session in which we
pass(ed) the first in the nation Heartbeat law. The Governor signed this historic bill into
law that May. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shortly thereafter, the
court finally made their ruling on the 72-hour waiting period. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As suspected, the court ruled the law
unconstitutional and that it was an undue burden for women. But they went a step further in creating law. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They determined that we had a fundamental
right to abortion in our Iowa Constitution. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They legislated from the bench and created
law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this ruling, the Iowa Supreme
Court effectively took the role of creating law out of the hands of our duly
elected legislators and took it upon themselves to determine the law of the
land in the great state of Iowa. Unelected
judges created law with one stroke of the pen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Because of this ruling, the heartbeat law never went into effect.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Polk County District Judge Hubbert ruled
on the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade that because of the 72-hour ruling, the
Heartbeat bill was ruled unconstitutional.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In June 2022, just days before the U.S.
Supreme Court handed down the Dobbs decision reversing Roe v. Wade, the Iowa
Supreme Court reversed its own course and struck down its previous ruling that abortion
was a “fundamental right” protected by the state constitution. The reversal came upon the request of the
pro-life legislature, which also passed a law requiring a 24-hour waiting
period before obtaining an abortion.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Dobbs decision also prompted Gov.
Kim Reynolds to renew efforts to lift the injunction against the Heartbeat law,
which failed at the Iowa Supreme Court in June 2023.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Last summer, a new Heartbeat bill was
passed by the Iowa legislature in a special session called by Reynolds. Planned Parenthood, not unexpectedly, filed a
lawsuit challenging the law, and oral arguments are set to be heard in March,
with a ruling to be issued this June.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In 2023, Reynolds vowed to not rest
until every child in the Hawkeye State was protected. “The overturning of Roe v. Wade last year was
just the beginning,” she said. “And
since then, we’ve seen some in our movement concede ground to abortion
extremists. Not in Iowa and not on my
watch. I will always be front and center
in this fight. I will not rest until
Iowa’s courts allow the will of the people to finally take effect, until every
unborn child has the chance to experience the greatest gift that our Lord endowed
upon us: life.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army</div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Pastor, Ft.
Snelling Memorial Chapel</div></span></span></div>
Ken Bealehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13202079864658629092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383661139315818743.post-19164260048794245232024-02-16T06:55:00.000-06:002024-02-16T06:55:19.793-06:00Abortion Proponents Claim 64,000 Babies Conceived in Rape<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A pro-life researcher has questioned the
accuracy of a study that claims more than 64,000 pregnancies resulted from rape
in states that have banned abortion— in most cases following the Supreme Court
decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The reversal of Roe restored regulatory
authority over abortion to the states, and following the high court’s June 2022
ruling, pro-life laws went into effect in 14 states. Nine of these states that enacted abortion
bans did not include exceptions for rape or incest.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">According to a study published a few
weeks ago in the academic journal JAMA Internal Medicine, between July 1, 2022,
and Jan. 1, 2024, over 500,000 rapes occurred in states with strong pro-life
laws, resulting in 64,565 babies conceived in rape. “Of these, an estimated 5,586 rape-related
pregnancies (9%) occurred in states with rape exceptions, and 58,979 (91%) in
states with no exception, with 26,313 (45%) in Texas,” the study claimed. The authors behind the study included Samuel
Dickman, the medical director for Planned Parenthood of Montana, and Kari
White, the executive and scientific director of Resound Research for
Reproductive Health.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In an analysis of the study published in
the National Review, Michael New, senior associate scholar at the pro-life
Charlotte Lozier Institute, asserted that there are significant issues with the
authors’ methodology. “To call those
figures an exaggeration would be an understatement. The article is frankly one of the worst and
most misleading pieces of advocacy research that I have ever encountered in my
years as social scientist,” New wrote. “Furthermore,
the fact that this article appeared in a prestigious peer-reviewed journal
grants it legitimacy and credibility that it absolutely does not deserve.” The pro-life researcher noted that the study
claimed 12.5% of rapes resulted in conception, which he singled out as an
“exceptionally high figure.” New cited a
survey of over 4,000 women published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and
Gynecology in 1996 that estimated the national rape-related pregnancy rate is
5% per rape victim. The reproductive
ages of the victims associated with this figure ranged from 12 to 45. “Furthermore, the 5 percent figure cited in
this 1996 journal article is probably high because several survey respondents
reported being raped more than once,” New added.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Another issue with the study, according
to the pro-life researcher, is that the authors used data from the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention’s 2016–17 National Intimate Partner and
Sexual Violence Sur- vey. The CDC survey
found that over 1.4 million women were the victims of a completed forcible rape
during a 12-month period. “That is over
four times higher than the estimates provided by the Department of Justice’s
National Crime Victimization Survey and over 10 times higher than FBI data on
the number of rapes reported to law enforcement,” New said about the finding. “Furthermore, the CDC data have been
criticized for significantly overestimating the incidence of rape,” the
pro-life researcher continued. “Fair-minded
researchers would have at least acknowledged these disparities. However, the authors of the JAMA Internal
Medicine article simply assume that the much higher CDC estimates are the most
accurate.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In 2014, a Time magazine article
highlighted some of the concerns with the CDC’s rape numbers, such as the
wording of the questions, which might have created a “false positive” that led
people to answer in the affirmative. The
CDC asked respondents “how many” people had used force or threats to make them
engage in a sexual act instead of asking “whether anyone” had done so,
according to the report. “This wording
removes the extra hurdle of admitting that such a violation has happened, and
thus encourages more reporting,” Time magazine reported. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In addition to the issues with the CDC’s
numbers, New pointed out that, based on the assessment made by the study’s
authors, there would have been 178,000 children conceived in rape in 2017. According to the pro-life researcher, this
would mean that 10% of all abortions were conducted on rape victims. “However, multiple Guttmacher surveys find
that only 1% of women seeking abortions cite being a rape victim as a reason
for obtaining an abortion. This clearly
shows how exaggerated these estimates really are,” New stated, citing data from
the pro-choice research organization.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army</div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Pastor, Ft.
Snelling Memorial Chapel</div></span></span></div>
Ken Bealehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13202079864658629092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383661139315818743.post-67225187107968755212024-02-14T07:04:00.000-06:002024-02-14T07:04:11.133-06:00Dad Convicted for Praying at Abortion Facility <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A “peaceful” pro-life father of 11 who
was prosecuted by President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice (DOJ) for praying
and singing hymns in the hallway of a Tennessee abortion facility was found
guilty last week by a federal jury in Nashville. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Paul Vaughn is one of five pro-lifers
who were charged with felonies for allegedly violating the unconstitutional
Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act and engaging in a “conspiracy
against rights.” Following the verdict,
he joined his fellow defendants in singing hymns outside of the Fred D.
Thompson federal courthouse.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Vaughn’s attorney at the Thomas More
Society signaled they would appeal the case in the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of
Appeals. If that appeal fails, Vaughn
could face up to 11 years in prison at his sentencing hearing on July 2 and up
to $260,000 in fines. “This is a
frustrating setback, for Paul, for his family, and for the extended pro-life
community, which has rallied support for Paul from the day of his arrest in
front of his wife and children by heavily armed FBI agents, on through the
trial,” Thomas More Society Senior Counsel Steve Crampton said in a statement,
noting that the Biden Administration’s aim from the beginning of this case was
to “punish Paul and other pro-life people and people of faith.” Crampton warned the DOJ’s “pattern of
arresting and prosecuting peaceful pro-life advocates is disturbing,” and
indicated that its case hinged on the unfair characterization of Vaughn as an
aggressor instead of a peaceful protester.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Footage of the so-called crime shows a
group of pro-life activists peacefully singing, reading scripture, and praying
in the hallway outside of a Mt. Juliet, Tennessee abortion facility in March
2021. Vaughn was never arrested during
the protest. Witness testimony from a
police negotiator even suggested the defendant was “helpful, collaborative, and
peaceful,” according to the lawyers presenting his case. It wasn’t until Oct. 5, 2022, that the DOJ
unsealed charges accusing Vaughn and his fellow protesters of using “force and
physical obstruction to injure, intimidate and interfere with employees of the
clinic and a patient who was seeking reproductive health services.” </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">During a jarring FBI raid on the Vaughn
home later that month, shortly after the Biden Administration began its legal
assault on pro-lifers following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson
decision in June 2022, Vaughn says he was escorted away in cuffs. The defense repeatedly noted that Vaughn’s Mt.
Juliet protest did not result in injury or property damage, but that did not
stop Biden’s DOJ from twisting evidence to deceptively portray him in a bad
light. DOJ attorneys claimed abortion
facility employees were “trapped inside the building during the incident,” even
though video evidence of the event exists that the defense says “showed traffic
clearly passing down the hallway to and from the abortion venue.” The DOJ also turned one of the protesters who
was initially arrested against Vaughn and used her testimony as further proof
that he helped hamper the abortion facility’s operations. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Eight in 10 Americans do not have a
“great deal of confidence” in the Biden DOJ to do its job well and fairly. Maybe that’s because perfectly peaceful
protesters face prison simply because they hold different political views than
the administration while the White House’s violent allies who wreak havoc on
people and property alike walk free.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army</div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Pastor, Ft.
Snelling Memorial Chapel</div></span></span></div>
Ken Bealehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13202079864658629092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383661139315818743.post-74971552376561682182024-02-12T06:55:00.000-06:002024-02-12T06:55:13.085-06:00Federal Jury Blows up Biden’s Persecution of Pro-Life Americans<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In September of 2022, the FBI raided the
home of a man named Mark Houck with guns drawn in front of his children. The show of force left onlookers confused. Was Houck a drug kingpin? Did he murder someone? Had he committed fraud at the highest levels? The answer to all those questions is no. Rather, Houck’s grave crime was shoving a
Planned Parenthood “escort” who threatened his son. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The federal government raided a man’s
home at gunpoint for shoving someone in what was arguably a self-defense
situation. Things didn’t stop there,
though. Federal prosecutors continued to
push the case, charging Houck under the ridiculous and unconstitutional FACE
Act, putting up to 11 years in prison on the table.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Fortunately, a federal jury has told the
Biden Administration and its Department of Justice (DOJ) where it can shove its
persecution of pro-life Americans. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Biden Administration has been
carrying out a crusade against pro-lifers since the Supreme Court overturned
Roe v. Wade and this is hopefully the first of many losses. There was never any justification to charge
Houck with a federal crime, especially since the state charges were dropped. This was a political persecution meant to
discourage pro-life Americans from speaking out to defend the lives of babies
in the womb. How disgusting and depraved
does someone have to be to want to throw a man in jail for 11 years for
defending his son from a pro-abortion fanatic? And how disgusting and depraved does someone
have to be to be a person who “escorts” people to kill their children? These are sick people, and the fight is only
going to get more intense from here.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">For the moment, though, a victory has
been won, and it’s an important one. Had
the precedent been set in this case that the government can imprison you for
peacefully protesting a hundred yards away from an abortion clinic, who knows
how many more convictions would have followed? As it is, the DOJ has been left floundering,
having wasted time and money in an attempt to abuse federal law to push
progressive ideology on abortion. That
failure is well-deserved.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army</div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Pastor, Ft.
Snelling Memorial Chapel</div></span></span></div>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Ken Bealehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13202079864658629092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383661139315818743.post-1660771049998198742024-02-09T07:06:00.000-06:002024-02-09T07:06:22.126-06:00Unity Before God<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">REPRINT OF FEBRUARY 27, 2023<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The one true God is the God of unity. He makes peace between the nations, tears down
barriers, and uplifts the oppressed.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We find a testament to this awesome
power in Ephesians 2:14, when, describing the distinction between the Jews and
Gentiles, the author says, <i>“For </i>[Jesus Himself]<i> is our peace, who has
made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of
hostility.”</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">One can only hope that one day the peace
that Christ extended to gentiles could also be extended to all the world, not
only in terms of violence but also in terms of social separation. A prime example of that is the advancement we
have seen toward racial equality within the United States.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We are now in Black History Month—
celebrating the advancement of a historically marginalized group. As part of a push toward a more Christ-like
world in which arbitrary distinctions on the basis of skin color will be
abolished, it is a perfect time for Americans to acknowledge the contribution
of Black Americans to the history of our great nation.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Though Black History is sometimes
relegated to the African-American Studies part of the academic catalog, this
fails to acknowledge the significance of Black Americans in shaping and
re-shaping our nation.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">For example, did you know that Harry
Hoosier (variously recorded as “Hosier,” “Hosher,” and “Hossier”), an
influential Black preacher who died in 1806, may be the person from whom
Indiana gets its nickname “the Hoosier state?” A lawmaker in Indiana recently tried to
emphasize this history with the introduction of legislation which, “along with
amending the Indiana Code to designate the official nickname for the state,
House Bill 1143 recognizes Harry Hoosier as the namesake.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Similarly, did you also know that as
early as 1868, South Carolina had the first majority Black legislature? The image that was distributed of this
post-reconstruction legislature is described in the archives of Princeton
University as the result of “the Reconstruction Act of 1867— which redesigned
the governing bodies of the southern states after the American Civil War. Not only did African Americans have the right
to vote, but they also serve within the government. When South Carolina rejoined the Union in
1868, they had the first state legislature with a black majority.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">What these anecdotes teach us is that,
instead of solely concentrating on the oppression of Black Americans as a
problem to be solved, it is also important to acknowledge and highlight the
triumphs and contributions of Black Americans despite incredible odds.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It serves as a reminder that goodwill
ultimately triumph over evil. That, one
day, God will make all things right with the world.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As we are reminded in Romans 8:38-39: <i>“I
am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither
the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor
anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God
that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army</div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Pastor, Ft.
Snelling Memorial Chapel</div></span></span></div>
Ken Bealehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13202079864658629092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383661139315818743.post-23033926349459868012024-02-07T07:00:00.000-06:002024-02-07T07:00:22.808-06:00OFFENSIVE WAYS<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">REPRINT OF FEBRUARY 10, 2023<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Christians, we will be offended in this
world! There really is no getting around
it. We live, think, and believe in ways
counter to our culture. Therefore,
others are going to not like us— even hate us for who we are. Our ”woke” generation perceives a completely
different world of normal.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Definitions of words have been reversed.
The result is that we all offend each
other without realizing what we said that offended. Listen to this definition by Jim Morgan of
what we face:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“
‘Woke’ is awaking from a supposed sleep induced by parents, preachers, youth
group leaders, America’s founders, and anyone else with the audacity to tell
people how to live their lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once ‘enlightened’
to their true identity and nature, liberated from the arcane idea that mankind
is sinful and needs a Savior, society begins its regression into the division,
dependence, decadence, and decline that eventually demands a (secular)
savior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The social decay precipitated by
shifting trust and truth from God to self, sets the stage for submission to the
authorities and structures inevitably needed to salvage the sinking ship.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When confronting the “woke” philosophy
we have a couple of problems. First, how
do we deal with the offensive action or statement leveled against us (that a
Biblical worldview is oppressive)? Secondly,
how do we refrain from being equally offensive in our responses, if at all
possible?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Proverbs 17:9 says, <i>“He who covers an
offense promotes love…”</i> Perhaps
another way of thinking would be to decide ahead of time not to let an offense
affect you emotionally. Let it go, give
it to the Lord to deal with. When in an
honest conversation, even a debate, stick with truth and facts rather than
innuendos and all the gray areas of thought. Know the subject well that you are discussing
or simply state that you are not prepared to discuss it at this time. Barging ahead can often lead to all the unintended
offensive remarks that shut down the conversation. Realize ahead of time that those who are
opposed to Christianity will re-define the very concepts of Christianity and
turn them against us. When this happens
ask for them to further define what they are meaning and accusing us of. Then freely defend the Biblical perspectives
of each. Help them understand they are
not arguing with you, but with God— with His Holy Word. <i>“A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is
to his glory to overlook an offense”</i> (Proverbs 19:11).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Be open in your own short fallings in
order to expose your sinfulness (Romans 3:23). We are not claiming to be perfect in
ourselves, but only as we are redeemed in Christ. Eternal life is not something we made up for
convenience sake, but it is a gift we accepted from God (Romans 6:23)—
available to everyone (Romans 10:9-13). Though
we are indeed engaged in spiritual warfare, we do not need to utilize the same
weapons as our enemies use. See
yourself, not as a soldier needing to kill and destroy. Picture yourself, instead, as God’s vessel of
love and grace seeking to save that which is lost (Luke 19:10).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Do not prepare with man’s weapons for
war, but with God’s (Ephesians 6:11-18). Prepare, study, memorize, and pray that the
Holy Spirit will bring to your remembrance all that you will need (John 14:26).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army</div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Pastor, Ft.
Snelling Memorial Chapel</div></span></span></div>
Ken Bealehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13202079864658629092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383661139315818743.post-52605638501389950072024-02-05T06:53:00.000-06:002024-02-05T06:53:59.553-06:00POWER<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">REPRINT OF FEBRUARY 1, 2023<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">What gives people feelings of power?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">For
some it is money.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">For
a few more it is status.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">For
many more it is being the Line Leader in Kindergarten.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Kind of humorous? Yes. Yet
there is probably some real truth in it. Ask any teacher of young children. But the discussion should not end there. In fact, this simply sets the stage for the
really important things relating to power.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Plato stated things this way: “The
measure of a man is what he does with power.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Power always brings with it
responsibility and therefore the need of utilizing that power in godly ways and
for God glorifying results. What do God
glorifying results look like? Job 36:22,
<i>“God is exulted in His power. Who is
a teacher like Him?”</i> So, God
glorifying may very well have the result of teaching others what God is like. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Proverbs 3:27, <i>“Do not withhold good
from those who deserve it.”</i> Incidentally,
the word ‘deserve,’ does not only indicate having earned something. When you perceive that someone deserves it,
for whatever reason, give to that person what God has blessed you to give. When someone is ailing (physically, mentally,
emotionally or spiritually) be free with your gifts of healing. God will direct you in giving good words,
praise, providing a way, sharing your testimony, extolling reward or simply to
give a good hug and to cry with them. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Remember that His power is made perfect
in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Consider what powers God has entrusted
to you that you are able to use as you bless others and glorify the Father. Be watchful and ready to use them in His
wisdom— not human wisdom— <i>“… lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its
power” </i>( 1 Corinthians 1:17). <i>“Guard
what </i>(and perhaps who)<i> has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter …”</i>
(1Timothy 6:20). As you adopt this way
of life and this perspective of the use of power, you will be perceived by
those around you as having been, <i>“… clothed with power from on high”</i> (Luke
24:49), simply because you have learned the power in giving and loving in
Jesus’ name.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We are engaged in some fierce battles
these days. Spiritual battles, political
battles, relational battles, and battles of the mind. Satan seeks to divide and separate at every
opportunity. Fight the good fight. Be fearless in the battle before you. Be skilled in the use of your weapons
(Ephesians 6:11). Bring healing to this
world and to the individuals in your life (Luke 9:1). Continue to testify to the resurrection of
Jesus Christ and much grace will be upon you (Acts 4:33).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>“And we pray this in order that you may
live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit
in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with
all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance
and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you
to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light”</i> (Colossians 1:10-12).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army</div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Pastor, Ft.
Snelling Memorial Chapel</div></span></span></div>
Ken Bealehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13202079864658629092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383661139315818743.post-41701424173503303292024-02-02T06:55:00.000-06:002024-02-02T06:55:31.708-06:00A New Day Dawning<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">REPRINT OF FEBRUARY 14, 2022<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It seems everyone loves a beautiful
sunset or sunrise. We constantly see
posts on social media of the latest, greatest, most beautiful examples. They are complete with all the appropriate
colors— yellows, oranges, reds, violets, and deep burgundies. At evening times, they bring restful and
relaxing emotions. At dawn, they awaken
freshness and the excitement of a new day with all its possibilities. We need that feeling every day, God’s new day,
His gift to us to share with our world and for His glory.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We are in desperate need of some new
dawns for our world today. Satan’s
machine of evil, worldliness, and godlessness has clouded over and hidden God’s
wonderful love for us. Many people do
not see it anymore. Neither do they hear
it from those who know God personally, but have given up sharing. Why? Maybe
it’s fatigue or fear of repercussions. Whatever
the cause, the fact remains that many of God’s people no longer share Him
openly. Especially, men.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Where are God’s mighty men who stand up
to speak, who sit and teach, who walk forward to lead the way? Do we need to get back to solid training and
practice in the use of the armor that God has provided? Is your church providing the opportunities for
these? Have you put out the call for
leaders and other men of valor to join together and begin groups for this
purpose? With trained leaders, your
church can sponsor groups to study God’s Holy Word together verse by verse. Discover together the possibilities. Feed your men the meat of God’s Word and watch
them grow. As your men brainstorm ideas
to reach out to more men, do not be overly afraid of letting them try new
things. Even a misstep can be a
wonderful learning experience to grow from.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The world is doing its best to “sissify”
men in general and eliminate Christian men in particular. It is time to stand up to the tiger, to stand
against the wiles of the Devil, to believe God can. Our men need to be re-fit with God’s armor:
the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the footwear of readiness,
the shield of peace, and prayer (Ephesians 6:10-18). Then we can stand against the devil’s schemes
and bring Christ to this lost and dying world.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">2 Samuel 3-5 reads, <i>“The God of
Israel spoke,…‘When one rules over men in righteousness, when he rules in the
fear of God, he is like the light of morning, like the brightness after rain
that brings the grass from the earth. Is
not my house right with God? Has He not
made with me an everlasting covenant?’”</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">David had his <i>“mighty men”</i> (2
Samuel 23:8-12). Do you have yours? Have you begun their deliberate and specific
training? Have they been issued their
armor and begun the training in its use? Are they, along with you, ready for battle?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Pray that the young and old alike will
step forward. Remember Caleb, <i>“I am
today, eighty-five years old! I am still
as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to
battle now as I was then. Now give me
this hill country that the Lord promised me that day”</i> (Joshua 14:10-12).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Christian men, let us give our world,
our churches, our families a new day dawning!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rev. Dr.
Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army</div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Pastor, Ft.
Snelling Memorial Chapel</div></span></span></div>
Ken Bealehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13202079864658629092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383661139315818743.post-49521292483862727722024-01-31T06:57:00.000-06:002024-01-31T06:57:57.609-06:00The Power of "I Am"<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">REPRINT OF SEPTEMBER 9, 2022<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Jesus asked His followers: <i>“Who do
you say that I am?”</i> (Matthew 16:15).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">If you were to ask someone that
question, what would their response be? Would they describe your physical attributes,
such as being short or tall, or having brown hair or blonde hair? Would they describe your character, such as
being kind or rude, stubborn or easy-going, joyful or cynical? Or would you be described by your political
perspective, whether Democrat or Republican, conservative or liberal?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Today we are inundated with an “identity
agenda” that defines us by our political beliefs, sexual orientation,
education, job, or even favorite sports team. This viewpoint affects both the culture and
its politics.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">So how should we as Christians respond
to the identity mentality that now dominates our culture? The answer begins with “I am.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Isn’t it interesting that today whenever
we describe ourselves, we almost always begin with “I am” and then continue
with whatever narrative? Significantly,
when Moses asked God how to answer the Israelites’ question of who sent him— what
was the authority and motivation behind his actions— the Lord answered him, <i>“I
Am”</i> (Exodus 3:14).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As humans created in the image of God,
our identity flows out of His identity— not out of our race, gender, political
affiliation, or any other such superficial characteristic. Without God, our identity and how we describe
ourselves will always be incomplete and insufficient.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As people turn away from God as the
foundation of their identity, any level of disagreement is now perceived as a
personal attack. Politics was never
intended to be personal— because it was never intended for us to identify more
with a political party than with our Creator. Gender was never meant to be a defining
question because we were never meant to identify more with our sexual
orientation than with a loving, sovereign Father.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The identity agenda feeds the lie that
the government needs to think and act on behalf of some particular group. It feeds the lie that you can empower women
while demeaning the unique roles that only women can play— such as wife and
mother. It feeds the lie that only
certain lives matter. It feeds the lie
of tolerance, while holding that traditional moral and ideological differences
are intolerable and must be silenced.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Imagine if everyone, starting with
Christians, valued others regardless of their beliefs, lifestyles, jobs, or
favorite sports teams. Imagine if we
removed the labels and name-calling from conversations. Imagine if lies were combatted with truth. Imagine a country where the majority of people
rested in and identified with their Creator and His Kingdom rather than with
politics and worldly entities. Imagine
the good that could come out of such a place! Let us therefore:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“Stand
firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around our waist, with the
breastplate of righteousness in place” (Ephesians 6:14).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army</div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Pastor, Ft.
Snelling Memorial Chapel </div></span></span></div>
Ken Bealehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13202079864658629092noreply@blogger.com0