Month: April 2023

When one hears of the “Health and Wealth Gospel”, one usually is drawn to the ideology where one’s spirituality is determined by how healthy and wealthy that person may be. Greater “Sainthood” is believed to be directly correlated to one’s health and wealth. The healthier and wealthier a person is, the higher is one’s rung on the ladder of religiosity. The short video clip above is of the greatly esteemed Mr. Spock of the original Star Trek TV series of the 1960’s. As a “Vulcan”, their usual parting gesture is to bestow a cordial goodwill message by saying “Live long and prosper”, in other words, wishing the other party health and wealth. In our blog today, we intend to flip “The Health and Wealth Gospel” out of the religious realm and into the socialistic environment that is ever encroaching upon the FREEDOM and LIBERTY of our Nation’s citizens. We will endeavor to draw the sharp contrast between those who are truly citizens of the Kingdom of God, and those who believe themselves to be in pursuit of the eternal singularity, the merger of man and machine’s Artificial Intelligence, designed to exist far beyond the human lifespan. First, let’s consider how the Bible views the “Health and Wealth Gospel”.

Note that Jesus never healed all he came in contact with. Only those who believed through faith that Jesus could heal them were healed, often in simple obedience to His command. Those even today who have great faith, still suffer the ravages of disease, for the true test of faithfulness lies not in perfect health, but in the pursuit of a Christ-like life. The Great Apostle Paul was never healed by God of his “thorn in the flesh”, as it was left as a reminder of his human frailty and dependence upon God as Paul looked forward to a perfection beyond his mortality (II Corinthians 12:7-9), where Paul claimed his “. . . strength was made perfect in weakness.” Jesus said, “The poor you will always have with you . . .” (Matthew 26:11.) Riches were not the Christian’s hope for salvation. Paul knew that true Christianity was not dependent upon social stature, in fact in I Corinthians 7:21-24 Paul, speaking to slaves, remarked “Brethren, let each man remain with God in that condition in which he was called.” The Kingdom of Heaven was never about a change in social structure, but about a change in one’s heart. This was the message that the Roman leadership, and the Sadducees and Pharisees, the religious leadership of the day, never understood. The eternal Kingdom of God was a Spiritual Kingdom, dwelling in the hearts of men and women. Now, let’s look to those who may claim a spiritual heritage, but who in fact practice a life filled with godless pursuits and pleasures, where god to them is held in their belief that personal advancement up the ladder of health and wealth is the determinant factor of their “spirituality”, but what we call “their quest for superiority”.

Many in our society today walk to a drum beat often opposite to those who share a Jewish/Christian heritage. Their sense of morality is warped. The concept of ultimate truth evades them. They cling to sociopathy like static to nylon. For them, there is only one place to reside, that being at the very top of anything, having all the power, all the prestige, in their vain attempt to garnish accolades, often exchanging them only among their ideological peers. For them, “The Health and Wealth Gospel” is achieved when wealth, that which is most coveted, and often un-earned or gained through nefarious schemes, brings with it the preeminent access to all things health related. They alone have access to the best of care, the newest treatments and methodologies. They may tell the poor to eat bugs, while they feast on the finest stakes. They may eschew hours of arduous highway driving opting for private jet travel, often seen as the right of those in power, even if only in their own minds. They believe “The Gospel” is according to them, for they write their own narratives, act in their own convoluted, sometimes even perverted and lured, ways. They contrive and manipulate agendas, policies, and methods to achieve their purposes, caring not for humanity at large, or for obedience to any ultimate authority or truth. For most, they see no life beyond death, and believe mortality is an obstacle to overcome. Many seek an eventual merger with technology where Artificial Intelligence is implanted within them, while robotics provides an enduring frame in which to carry their consciousness. For them, death is something to be feared and avoided. For the unbelieving, they actually have only one thing correct. For them, they should do everything they can to avoid death, and they should fear it, as to face the God of the created is truly a fearful thing without believing the redemptive power of Jesus the Christ.

Perfection in this life cannot be achieved, only pursued. Man and woman were cursed because of their sinful act in the Garden of Eden. The earth itself was cursed (Genesis 3:15-19). One’s health or wealth has no bearing upon the value of an individual. One’s health or wealth does not determine one’s eventual salvation. FREEDOM and LIBERTY are a gift of spiritual redemption, and they are also ideals to be pursued and claimed in our temporal existence. These ideals allow the righteous to mature, and the opportunity to share “The Gospel”, the only Gospel of significance. The one that proclaims, “He is risen!” Set not your heart on things below, but on things above (Colossians 3:2).

“Dear Lord and Father of mankind, forgive our foolish ways; Reclothe us in our rightful mind, In purer lives Thy service find, In deeper rev’rence, praise.”

“O Sabbath rest by Galilee, O calm of hills above, Where Jesus knelt to share with Thee The silence of eternity, Interpreted by love!”

“Drop Thy still dews of quietness, Till all our strivings cease; Take from our souls the strain and stress, And let our ordered lives confess The beauty of Thy peace.”

“In simple trust like theirs who heard Beside the Syrian sea The gracious calling of the Lord, Let us, like them, without a word, rise up and follow Thee.”

John G. Whittier (1872)

Laurence J. Peter (1919-1990) was a Canadian educator and “hierarchiologist” who is best known to the general public for the formulation of “THE PETER PRINCIPLE”. While we generally subscribe to the validity of this axiom, we do take the occasional diversion to admit that not all employees become incompetent as they are promoted. In fact, we believe a larger majority of promotions are given to those who actually can achieve success in higher positions of authority. However, we have witnessed and been subjected to many who are elevated into positions they are not prepared for, or have talent for, and soon find themselves way in over their head making multiple mistakes, often leading to increasing ineffectiveness of the organization. Take for example the individual in the lower portion of the picture above. Bob Gates, the former Defense Secretary in the Obama administration, once said of this person, a former Vice President of the United States, “I think he has been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue of the last four decades.” (theatlantic.com.) It was even reported by a Democrat who spoke with Obama that he once said, “Don’t underestimate Joe’s ability to f . . . things up.” (cbs19news.com.) Ben Rhodes (former Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting under Obama) said, “In the Situation Room, Biden could be something of an unguided missile.” (Wikipedia.) While the current occupant of the White House is obviously in over his head, he is only the tip of the ice burg when it comes to the cabinet of the current administration, and those who have found favor because of similar ideologies and agendas. But while we are on the subject of the current occupant of the White House, consider the continuing level of incompetence exhibited in the destruction of our Nation’s energy independence, and the ripple effects of our Nation’s retreat from Afghanistan, waving the flag of surrender encouraging the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In addition, consider Iran’s continued push for nuclear weapon systems, North Korea’s recent infatuation with missile launches, and the growing threat of China thirsting to swallow up Tiawan, all of this occurring as the current administration remains flat-footed, and in fact curiously ambivalent to these threats. Let’s add the failure to stop the illegal aliens pouring across our borders and the fentanyl killing our citizens coming from China through Mexican cartels and the rapes and sex trafficking the cartels promulgate while ravaging these people. Lastly, but certainly not finally, the current administration, under the incompetent tutelage of the current occupant of the White House, has spent our tax dollars in a reckless push to incentivize citizen laziness. The woke ideologies have thrust our Nation into a financial crisis where inflation is still over three-times higher than when they took control of our Nation’s levers of power over two years ago. The printing of money to pay for the felonious agendas in a futile effort to reduce the “non-rising” sea levels and stop the climatic changes that have been routine for centuries, leave less cash in your pockets while increasing trillions of dollars of debt for which the average American citizen is ultimately responsible. Incompetence exemplified. The ultimate proof that “THE PETER PRINCIPLE” is alive and well at the highest level in Washington D.C. The current occupant of the White House has proven he has no business being anywhere near the center of our National government, but unfortunately, he is.

Let’s for a moment consider other individuals near the power levers within our National government. The Vice President – proof that word salads really do exist. The U. S. Treasure Secretary – proved that the definition of “transitory inflation” really means inflation is long-term. The Secretary of Transportation – proved being the “Pothole Pete” mayor of a small town really doesn’t prepare someone to be responsible for the vast transportation infrastructure of our Nation. The Secretary of Homeland Security – proved that holding down a position effecting the security of our Nation doesn’t mean you actually have to control what is going on at our Nation’s borders. The Attorney General of the United States – proved that it’s possible to not be fit for the Supreme Court when attacking the opposing conservative national party is more important than attacking actual lawbreakers. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – proved that going behind a President’s back to let your enemy know of any potential action against them is the same as leaking Top Secret Compartmented Information. The Secretary of State – proved that taking a tongue lashing from China is an acceptable form of negotiation. The Secretary of Energy – proved that laughing about rising gas prices only applies to you. We could go on, but we think this partial list is enough to prove that many of the current government’s cabinet is filled with many who have proved that “THE PETER PRINCIPLE” is certainly alive and well in the center of our Nation’s government.

Now, we desire to move to a more general application of “THE PETER PRINCIPLE” being enforced upon our Nation’s citizens. We began our blog wanting to show a MERGER between “THE PETER PRINCIPLE” and “EQUITY”. The latter is a divergent application of policy that threatens the very fabric of our Nation. Nowhere in our Nation’s founding documents will you find a guaranty of “EQUITY”, which is defined as providing “equal outcomes”. Our Nation’s founding documents pursue the ideology of “EQUALITY”, which is defined as providing “equal opportunities”. When a government forces “equal outcomes”, the desire for personal achievement, advancement or progress is diminished. When all get “participation trophies”, there is no inherent desire to be the best or first, or to better one’s personal achievements. When “EQUITY” is pursued, many who are elevated to higher levels of responsibility and authority only succumb to “THE PETER PRINCIPLE”. “Under the laws enforced by EEOC [Equal Employment Opportunity Commission], it is illegal to discriminate against someone because of that person’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetic information.” (eeoc.gov.) Note that the underlying principle is defined by using the words “illegal to discriminate”. You will find that the law does not state that it is “legal to elevate or appoint” anyone because of the same identifying characteristics. Those currently in control of our National government have flipped this law on its head, and the result is evidenced in that positions of power are not awarded based upon an individual’s history, training, or capabilities, but based on an ideology that pursues EQUITY leading to the inevitable outcome as set forth in “THE PETER PRINCIPLE”.

Our Nation became a world power by giving EQUAL opportunity for citizens to achieve elevated social and financial status. There was the pursuit for improvement, perfection, and a drive to invent, develop, and produce. The FREEDOM and LIBERTY provided by this Nation to its citizens allowed for the rapid advancement of our Nation in nearly every area. Unfortunately, with our current leadership, and the executive orders thrust upon us, the incentives once available no longer exist. If you desire to continue to live in a nation that treasures FREEDOM and LIBERTY, then you must resist the absurd forces that elevate the weak and unprepared, who claim the false right of EQUITY, who will only in the end, once again, prove the disastrous effects and the eventual MERGER with “THE PETER PRINCIPLE”.

Contagion: “The communication of disease by direct or indirect contact.” (dictionary.com.) Disease: “A condition or tendency, as of society, regarded as abnormal and harmful.” (Wordnik.com.) These are not the only definitions of these two words, but they are the ones we have selected today to emphasize the state of our Nation. When one hears the word CONTAGION, we are immediately drawn to thinking about something like a pandemic, COVID-19 for example with its associated mandates for closures and restrictions, masks and injections. Yes, that certainly was a CONTAGION, and we have spent multiple previous blogs dealing with the errors, fraud, misinformation, and outright tyranny that took place during the last two-plus years. However, we will set that huge CONTAGION aside for this blog. One might even be drawn to think about the movie of the same name which came out in 2011 where the CDC strives to find a cure to a pandemic. However, we will not be dealing with that form of a disease in this blog today. We will spend a few minutes reviewing the many forms of “Disease” having direct impacts upon or Nation. There is a CONTAGION spreading across the face of our Nation, and it is neither benign nor limited. It has taken on many forms, and is evolving and spreading each and every day. The short video above attempts to show how one person’s appearance or action seems often duplicated by another. Such it is with a CONTAGION. Maybe another short video will show how CONTAGION is transmitted from one to another.

Without people being even cognizant of what may be going on around them, they often succumb to the subtle influence of another. This NATIONAL CONTAGION can be passed from person to person, from group to group, from one entity to another. So, what is the CONTAGION infecting our Nation today? More generally, what are the CONTAGIONS?

FINANCIALISM: The CONTAGION of inflation has been rampant. Gas, food, rent, utility prices, and loan and mortgage rates have all gone up to unusually higher levels, and for the most part, will be there to stay at those higher levels for many months or even years to come. Supposed “transitory” inflation promises from current government entities have been found to be worthy of challenge, refute and rebuke. The value of the dollar as the accepted world currency is being challenged, as the more dollars being created subsequently reduces the value of each dollar in possession. Many banks have been found over-extended by offering loans without adequate collateral and have brought our entire financial system to the brink of collapse. The current government has bailed out their favored entities while allowing community banks to wonder about their future solvency. Will the current government push for a government-backed digital currency, one where they hold all the cards, where nothing is private to you and everything you spend is seen by the government, where buying and selling power can be manipulated according to woke ideologies.

SOCIALISM: The CONTAGION of Marxism has been on the rise in our Nation for years. It would seem many use that word inappropriately, ignorantly, most likely because of a lack of historical knowledge. We can also define it as communism, collectivism, leftism, radicalism, bolshevism, progressivism, Maoism or Leninism, totalitarianism, or liberalism. The emphasis has been on equity, not equality, where the desire for an individual to achieve, develop, and produce more becomes a futile effort. There is a desire to rob from the rich to give to the poor. There has been an attack on capitalism, demeaning its value in providing anyone with the opportunity to improve one’s economic and social standing in life, all the while promoting victimhood and racism across all functions and structures of our Nation.

SECULARISM: The CONTAGION of atheism and nihilism has supplanted more traditional religious values and principles. The morality of conscience and the dissolution of a one truth has been replaced with a philosophy that all things are permitted to achieve one’s personal agendas. Churches and synagogues have been attacked with little enforcement or accountability. Those who attend such facilities and organizations have been arrested and prosecuted. Lured and despotic teachings, writings, depictions, promotions, and visual presentations have been glorified in an attempt to mainstream all things counter to righteousness and purity. God is being replaced in our classrooms and institutions with satanism and other worldly, philosophical concepts. The core family, the base structure of our Nation, has been attacked and is being depleted. Babies are being killed in the womb, and the reason for procreation is being assailed. The emphasis on the individual has overshadowed the importance of community, where the dictum to “love one another” applies only if it will allow you can get what you want.

ILLEGALISM: The CONTAGION of corruption, dishonesty and falsehood has replaced integrity, honesty, and due process. “Lawfare” has been used to undermine our legal system of “justice for all”. What happened to the right to a fair, speedy trial, and a judgement by a jury of “peers”, one not chosen or selected based on potential favorable outcomes for the prosecutor. Lady Justice is no longer blind but weighs the outcomes of justice based on those in charge of the process. Laws are ignored and enforcement demanded is routinely curtailed in line with the agenda of those in power. Anarchists and criminals roam seemingly unafraid and are rarely held accountable. Incarcerations are deemed inappropriate, and many are released increasing recidivism. There is not a two-tier justice system, there in NO justice system as set forth in our Nation’s founding documents. Entities, established to protect our citizens, set up years after our Nation’s founding, have been maniacally turned on our own innocent citizens. The threat of legal action and prosecution drives opposing views and beliefs underground, and in many cases, silences them all together.

DEPRIVATIZATION: The CONTAGION of government control over private entities, processes, and the decision-making process has eroded the individual’s right to ownership of current and historical private information. Executive orders have forced commerce into chosen larger entities while forcing the closure of smaller proprietorships, creating a form of oligopolies. Website, phone and computer use applications are gathered routinely, scanned and culled with algorithmic and AI (Artificial Intelligence) systems to glean advantages that can be used to alter or terminate a user’s progress, even to the point of censorship, cancellation, or even to levy potential fines and incarceration. Not unlike ILLEGALISM, the actions of the powerful often force the under-advantaged into silence, fearing reprisal and underlying consequences.

ENVIRONMENTALISM: The CONTAGION of emphasis upon what we call “the sky is falling” hysteria is nothing more than a scare tactic being used to bring about an agenda favoring the powerful, those seeking ultimate control over all peoples and the governments that serve them. When “global warming” was proven to be a cyclical function of the world that has evolved for thousands of years, those seeking control changed the mantra to “climate change”. Of course the climate changes! Ever heard of “seasons’, like Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer? Being pompous enough to think that mankind has a greater impact upon our earth than volcanoes, earthquakes, tornados, or even forest fires only prove their ignorance and arrogance and reveals that their ultimate goal is to achieve personal agendas like obtaining ultimate power and wealth. Only those people void of a moral base, denying recognizing a Creator, will pursue such agendas.

Electric vehicles will not “save” us. Getting rid of fossil fuels will not “save” us. Turning our lives over to computers and those that program them will not “save” us. Believing that our National “elections” are not “selections” manipulated by nefarious actors, institutions, and contrivances will not “save” us. There is only one Savior, Jesus Christ, the King of King and Lord of Lords, raised from the dead by the power of God. If that last statement offends you, then you have a hole in your heart, and a CONTAGION in your mind. If we treasure our FREEDOM and LIBERTY in our Nation, then we need to recognize where those concepts come from. They certainly don’t come from any form of “NATIONAL CONTAGION” we have addressed in this blog. Recognize these CONTAGIONS and resist them. Inoculate yourself with knowledge and patriotism, to prove yourself worthy to be held in high esteem with those who founded our Nation, and with those who sacrificed their lives to keep it. Be proud of the foundations of our Nation and be ready to defend, preserve and protect them.

LAZARUS, COME FORTH!

We have come to the time of year when those of the Christian faith have chosen to celebrate the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The event this Sunday is often, unfortunately, buried beneath the fake green grass in baskets holding Easter bunnies, candy eggs, Peeps, and chocolate treats. We will not be emphasizing the egg hunts and sugar highs in our blog today. We will be emphasizing the more important event and attempting to draw some parallels to this demonstration of God’s power in giving hope to life beyond death.

The picture above is one artist’s conception of the event recorded in John, chapter 11, of the Bible. Lazarus had been dead and buried several days, but so witnesses would know that Jesus and God have the power over death, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth” (verse 43). “And he that was dead came forth . . .” (verse 44). This was most likely the primary event that thrust the Pharisees and chief priests into a joint operation to have the Roman government put Jesus to death, as He threatened their rule over the religious masses. Jesus had claimed a new kingdom was coming, and they feared the Roman government would see this claim as a threat to them and take away both the Pharisees and chief priest’s place and nation (verses 47-48). So, Jesus was crucified and buried John chapter 19). But this was not the end of the story. On Sunday, the power of God raised Jesus from the dead (John chapter 20). We do not follow a lie about Jesus’s resurrection, for over 500 people saw him at one time after his resurrection (I Corinthians 15:1-11). If we, as Christians today, were to put our faith, trust, and hope in a fictional event, then as Paul stated in I Corinthians 15:19, “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” For our hope lies in a resurrection from mortal death to an eternal spiritual life with our resurrected Lord. So, this ends our sermon today, but what does this have to do with our blog title today, “The Resurrection of Our Nation”?

As we discussed in our blog last week, we see that only God alone can breathe life into a Valley of Dry Bones. We, as a Nation, have become the Valley of Dry Bones today. We have lost our way, turned aside from our Creator by relying upon our own strength and cunning, by resting comfortably in a mortal life of ease, filled with our lust for the fulfillment of our wants and desires. Many of us have given up, succumbing to the pressures and dictates of a tyrannical government void of morality and Godly wisdom. We have started to wallow in self-pity and remorse, throwing our hands up in defeat and despair, believing all is lost and naught can be found. We have allowed ourselves to lay down in the Valley and the sinews and flesh on our bones has been torn from us leaving only Dry Bones. We have allowed this to happen to us, because we relied upon our own frail abilities, rather than having relied upon the power of our Creator, and we have turned our backs upon Him, the only one who has the ultimate power and wisdom to set our course and direct our steps. How pathetic many of us have become in our faith. So, what is the solution?

Well, it lies not within our power or might. We need to stand before the cave, next to Jesus, and witness the resurrection of Lazarus, hearing the words Jesus spoke to the Father before Lazarus came out of the cave (John 11: 41-42). Can you hear the words shouted, “LAZARUS, COME FORTH!” Do you recognize the power of the living God working through His Son, Jesus the Christ? We need to stand with the more than 500 who saw the resurrected Christ following His crucifixion. What we have is not a weak faith in a fairy-tale, but we have a witness that makes our faith a personal reality. The solution to our state of affairs is to recognize the power of our Creator and Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Make “AN APPEAL TO HEAVEN”, see our blog on August 8, 2022.

“The Resurrection of Our Nation” will happen by the power of our God, if we turn our hearts back to Him, and put our hope and trust in Him alone. Do we have a part to play? Of course. We must put our feet to our prayers, and our hands to the tasks before us. As Jesus sent out the twelve to share the news of the coming kingdom, we must take the same advice he gave to them and be “. . . wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” (Matthew 10:16.) We know we are being sent out “. . . as sheep in the midst of wolves.” We will encounter trouble, resistance, and persecution, but we will not be alone or without aid, as long as we put our trust in Him who is able to sustain us. Our Nation’s FREEDOM and LIBERTY depend upon our resolve. If we want to see “The Resurrection of Our Nation”, we must all do our part as members of His army, The Valley of Dry Bones now alive with the breath of God to His glory.

HE IS RISEN!

We are going to take a slight diversion from our normal political commentaries, and for a moment delve into a more spiritual aspect of the status in which our Nation finds itself. We are going to transport the reader back some 2,600 years and recount some Biblical history. We find our subject today, a 25-year-old man named Ezekiel, a member of the tribe of Israel, being found now in the captivity of the Babylonian Empire. The once great nation of Israel, who by the power of God escaped the grasp of Egypt, is now captive once again. “Israel ” . . . was ‘dead’ as a nation, deprived of her land, her king, and her temple.” “She had been divided and dispersed for so long that unification and restoration seemed impossible. So, God gave Ezekiel THE VISION OF THE [VALLEY OF] DRY BONES as a sign.” (gotquestions.org; updated February 28, 2022; Bold print added for emphasis.) Ezekiel had suffered in despair for 5 years when God then called him to prophesy to Israel about her failures, but also to give her hope for the future.

The Old Testament of the Bible recounts the story of Ezekiel. Scholars believe most of the 48 chapters of the book of Ezekiel, considered to be one of the books of the Major Prophets, was written by him. The book is historical, prophetical, and apocryphal, written around the year 571 B.C. As a Priest and Prophet of God, the book recounts Ezekiel’s announcement of judgement upon Israel, calling them to repentance, to clean God’s nation of sins, but also foretelling of their coming deliverance and restoration. God’s people were obstinate and stubborn. They exhibited lewdness and abominations. They worshipped foreign idols and defiled themselves with moral and ceremonial transgressions. God denounced Israel’s leaders as false shepherds, caring not for their people, but only for themselves. This runs counter to the life of Jesus Christ who is depicted as the Good Shepherd (John 10:11), who gave his life for His sheep, healed as the Great Physician our spiritual wounds, who seeks and saves the lost (Luke 5:27-32). Ezekiel reveals that “The highest official will no longer be the king but rather the high priest, this indicating that political affairs shall always be made subordinate to religious considerations.” (cliffnotes.com.) Upon the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, He became our High Priest (Hebrews 2:17; 4:14-16). A few major themes are presented in the book of Ezekiel. “(1) God works through human messengers; (2) Even in defeat and despair God’s people need to affirm God’s sovereignty; (3) God’s word never fails; (4) God is present and can be worshipped anywhere; (5) People must obey God if they expect to receive blessings; and (6) God’s kingdom will come.” “Ezekiel challenged us to experience a life changing vision of God’s power, knowledge, eternal presence and holiness; to let God direct us; to comprehend the depth of and commitment to evil that lodges in each human heart; to recognize that God holds His servants responsible for warning wicked men of their peril; to experience a living relationship with Jesus Christ, who said that the new covenant is to be found in His blood.” (gotquestions.org; updated January 4, 2022.) The book of Ezekiel calls us to be overcomers, or we will be overcome.

More specifically in this blog, we want to focus in on “The Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones”, found in the book of Ezekiel, chapter 37. “God transported Ezekiel—probably not literally, but in a vision—to a valley full of dry bones and directed him to speak to the bones. Ezekiel was to tell the bones that God would make breath enter the bones and they would come to life, just as in the creation of man when He breathed life into Adam (Genesis 2:7). Ezekiel obeyed, the bones came together, flesh developed, skin covered the flesh, breath entered the bodies, and they stood up in a vast army. This vision symbolized the whole house of Israel that was then in captivity. Like unburied skeletons, the people were in a state of living death, pining away with no end to their judgment in sight. They thought their hope was gone and they were cut off forever. The surviving Israelites felt their national hopes had been dashed and the nation had died in the flames of Babylon’s attack with no hope of resurrection. The reviving of the dry bones signified God’s plan for Israel’s future national restoration. The vision also, and most importantly, showed that Israel’s new life depended on God’s power and not the circumstances of the people. Putting “breath” by God’s Spirit into the bones showed that God would not only restore them physically but also spiritually.” (gotquestions.org.)

So, how does this apply to us today in our Nation? Our Nation was first occupied with people seeking religious freedom. Our Nation was founded upon the principles of Judaism and Christianity. Prayers are said to open the activities of our congress. Secularists will fume at these declarative statements, but that is just too bad. We are “One Nation Under God”. “In God We Trust” is emblazoned on our currency. We are a religious Nation recognizing our Creator. Look at the carved edifices adorning our Supreme Court building where you will find Moses holding two tablets (what do you think they represent?). Carvings are also found inside, even showing Moses holding a tablet with numbers six through ten carved into it, those are the commandments having to do with human rather than divine relations. Our history and heritage is undeniable and inescapable.

Unfortunately, we have become a Nation who, as a whole, has lost our way. We have succumbed to the siren call of ease and comfort and been desensitized to reality. While we have lived in wanton filled pleasures and desires, we have allowed ourselves to avoid the call to be our better, more moral selves. We have been inundated with violence, even in movies and video games where it is considered acceptable to use violence to overcome evil. We have found it easy to fill our lives with phone and computer applications allowing us to avoid interpersonal relationships, while at the same time being able to broadcast sometimes our vilest thoughts, intentions, feelings and beliefs. We have allowed our children to run wild fearing that parental restraints would be met with ridicule, ostracism, conflict, and even incarceration by ungodly actors wielding unrighteous dictates from scheming authoritarian dictum-pushing dictators. We have even become fearful of what our children might say if we simply say “NO” to their demands. We have allowed the sinews and flesh on our spiritual bones to be torn from us, and the very breath of our God has been removed from many of us. We seem alive to our view, but in fact we ourselves are laying with others in a Valley of Dry Bones. The prophet Ezekial is calling out to us from ages past, declaring our state in relation to our Creator, but he is also showing us the path to the way home to our God.

We need to be refilled with the breath of our God. His Spirit needs to be infused into our skinless bones for us to be once again alive, an army for good, His created beings now once again His family and possession. If we truly desire FREEDOM and LIBERTY to reign in our lives and in our Nation, we must first turn our eyes toward He who created us, maintains us, and lifts us up to His glory and purposes. Only then can we as a Nation once again claim we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Are you now ready to lift up your hands in humble obedience and submission to His Will?