Freedom brings tremendous responsibility. The United States of America enjoys great freedom. The United States has much responsibility. We are a city set on a hill. Yet, our flame can be extinguished. God can remove our candlestick. He can replace us with a nation willing to repent and honor him.

God’s judgment hangs over us. We have had several warnings. We are not invincible. Without God, we can do nothing. We cannot protect every square mile of our border. Besides, the enemy is inside. God alone can deliver. God alone can save.

God’s message never changes. He commands repentance! He cares about how we live. He cares about how we speak. He cares about the movies we make and the ones we watch. God cares about our lifestyle. God cares about our choices. God cares about our attitudes. God cares about our homes and hearts. He cares about what is honest, good, and true. He cares about these United States.

“To whom much is given, much shall be required.”

United Statesians be warned! Must God repeat his warning? Repentance starts with you. Repentance starts with me. We must change our actions, our words, and our attitudes. We must rid our lives of incest, homosexuality, lies, deceit, pornography, drunkenness, adulteries, and the such like. We must beg God for mercy. We must pray.

Pray especially hard for: New York, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Seattle. These are cities the Spirit seems to be indicating that need most our prayers of protection.

One person praying can change God’s mind. One person praying can defeat whole armies of the enemy. One person praying can preserve the legacy of freedom we desire to pass on to our children.

The day is coming when all hearts will repent, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. That day has arrived. The time is now.

I’ve never been much on alarmism. There are many in Christianity whom always seem to be raising the alarm using Christian prophecy. Be careful.

I believe in the gift of prophecy from the Holy Spirit. I understand some persons get impressions from God that they feel they must share, but I also realize that supernatural knowledge in any area is only given to mankind in part. Partial knowledge is extremely dangerous. It must be balanced by other similarly-gifted persons that are equally filled with the Holy Spirit. All such impressions and interpretations are subjective. They must be interpreted in light of revealed Scripture, what we already know. This must all be balanced with reason. Not that God’s actions will always fit into human reason, but the ability to reason and discern are likewise gifts. To do less borders on lunacy.

In Scripture, God sends prophets to warn his people. Jesus himself prophesied concerning the fall of Jerusalem and the eventual destruction of the Temple. Whether the prophecy came true or not determined if the person was a true prophet or a false prophet. Josephus, a contemporary historian, records that the prophecies of Christ (concerning Jerusalem and the temple) came true. His followers in Jerusalem escaped unharmed, having been forewarned.

If you walk in the Spirit, your heart and mind will constantly be filled with spiritual impressions. You must recognize which gift God has given you. You must recognize gifts in others. To do so, you must know Scripture very well, and Jesus Christ. These impressions must be shared with equally gifted and Holy Spirit-filled Christians. Certain Christians have the specific gift of interpretation and discernment. Only when all Christians are using all the gifts properly can the correct picture be revealed, interpreted, and trusted. Always pass any interpretation through the light of what has been clearly revealed concerning Jesus Christ and his teachings.

Another factor must also be taken into consideration concerning visions, dreams, and prophecies: false spirits. Good persons have been deceived by evil spirits. That’s why John says we should test every spirit, whether it is from God. One of the surest tests is that no spirit can say, “Jesus is Lord” except from the Holy Spirit. There are many false prophets and equally as many false prophecies.

Know the Scriptures and Jesus very well. Protect yourself from false prophets and partial knowledge. Keep these prophecies to yourself unless someone with the gift of interpretation is present. Then, balanced by reason and revealed truth, consider the source. No one person is given the whole picture.

Not one of us married to be used and abused. Not one of us married to constantly fuss and fight. We married to receive and give love.

Marriages fail for several reasons. They fail for the same reasons relationships fail. Many die from constant neglect. Relationships require maintenance. Both persons must work to keep love alive. Friends work hard to keep relationships alive. So should spouses.

Friends don’t “use” friends. Neither do marriage partners. Friends do not let friends put them down constantly or belittle them, in private or in public.

Marriages start with attraction. Attraction stops when one or both quit working hard to be attractive. It is difficult for a husband to be attracted to his wife when she cares nothing for her own appearance, and vice versa. Work out. Clean up and shape up. It takes hard work to keep the "spark" in your love life.

Love means loving another person, regardless. This doesn’t give either spouse permission to quit being loving or lovable.

Romance shouldn't end at the altar. Romance should continue in the form that it had when you courted each other. It’s time to start dating again. It’s time to invest in your relationship again. It's time to spend romantic time together. It’s time also to bring back respect, tolerance, and patience.

Let's put "relations" back into all our relationships.

The concept of pure grace atonement is unique to Christianity. Other religions enforce a strict religious code to satisfy the wrath of angry gods. The more obedient a person is to that code, the more righteous that person is perceived to be.

Sadly, some Christians believe the same thing. They believe one must perform and complete certain acts or works to obtain salvation. They believe God's salvation must be maintained by constantly performing good deeds, and refraining from bad deeds. They teach an adherence to some strict (written or unwritten) moral code. If one fails to do certain deeds, God removes his salvation and condemns him to hell. He will also be condemned to hell for things like cussing, dancing, or drinking alcohol. He must maintain his salvation by attending church, visiting the sick, tithing, praying, etc., (the list is endless).

This explains why some Christians have no problem converting to Islam, or Christian cults. They simply exchange one form of legalism for a more rigid form. They take on a stricter set of rules to feel (or appear) more righteous, more saved. This rule-keeping has a form of religion and self-righteousness, but it promotes a system whereby one obtains God's salvation and acceptance through human effort.

God’s salvation is not earned. God’s salvation is not maintained through pious human acts. God bestows his salvation, freely. He decides upon whom he wishes to convey it, based on faith in Jesus Christ. He is obligated to save no one. He desires all to come freely.

There is no doubt that we, as believers, have obligations. Just like marriage brings certain obligations and responsibilities. Yet, we do not earn or maintain our salvation through keeping these obligations. We are saved by the blood of Christ. Payment was made one time, for all time. The debt is paid. Jesus' last words were,

"It is finished."

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8,9)

"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.

T'was Grace that taught...
my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear...
the hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares...
we have already come.
T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far...
and Grace will lead us home..."