Spirit of Patriotism

If a PATRIOT is defined as a person who loves, supports and defends America and her interests with devotion, how do we begin to develop patriotism?

Since love is the first characteristic of a patriot, we must understand how our Founders developed such heartfelt feelings for America.

As we learn more about their passions, it becomes easier to see how they developed a spirit of patriotism.

Understanding and sharing this spirit with our fellow citizens is crucial because America needs a shot of patriot love right about now… (or maybe a double-shot).

So let’s go back to the beginning.

In the year 2020, we celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims’ arrival and disembarkation from the Mayflower onto Plymouth Rock.

It was the Pilgrims who planted the seeds of love in the fertile New England ground that inspired the Founders. They brought their families to start a new society and serve others... including the Indians.

Sadly, very few Americans know how their faith and sacrifice led to the deep, abiding love that is at the core of our nation's founding.

Most Americans I’ve spoken with think they know the true story of the Pilgrims and our country's initial founding in 1620... but they don’t.

It wasn’t until I stepped back in time and walked in the exact places where American history was born, guided by expert historians, did I begin to appreciate the Pilgrims’ experience.

At the end of my note on Patriot Day, September 11th, I mentioned we would be putting action behind ideas to unify Americans and give our citizens a way to understand what it means to be a Patriot.

Plymouth is where we plant the flag to begin our Patriot Journey.

It would be horrible at the end of 2020 to look back and realize we didn’t do all we could to serve our fellow Americans by introducing them to the place where American Patriotism began in 1620.

After recently speaking with Plymouth leaders, PATRIOT MISSION has committed our support, resources and a quick response plan to help ‘America’s Hometown’ promote the 400th Anniversary events in 2020.

Support the American Pilgrimage 400 (AP400) https://plymrock.org/

• Meet Dr. Paul Jehle, Educational Director of the Plymouth Rock Foundation and Pastor of The New Testament Church 
• 

Steve Olds
Founder & CEO
PATRIOT MISSION, LLC
steve.olds@patriotmission.com
www.pat 

What Will You Do?

Do you really know (or care) what Jesus did for you?

For He shall grow up before God as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised (savagely beaten) for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way. ~ Isaiah 53:2-6 
 
What Will You Do?

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call. ~Acts 2:37-39 

This man, Jesus, volunteered to take the penalty for our sins. Salvation is a precious gift to be accepted with gratitude.

 

Conversations that were left out of the Bible.

Pontius Pilate: "Joseph, I really don't understand. You're one of the richest men in Judea, and you have spent a small fortune on a burial tomb for you and your family. Why do you want to give it to this man Jesus?"

Joseph: "It's only for 3 days and 3 nights."

Will You Become Salt and Light?

 

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Gun Violence Facts

By David H. McDonald

Here Are Some Facts

There are 30,000 gun related deaths per year by firearms, and this number is not disputed. The U.S. population is 324,059,091 as of June 22, 2016. Do the math: 0.00925% of the population dies from gun related actions each year. Statistically speaking, this is insignificant! What is never told, however, is a breakdown of those 30,000 deaths, to put them in perspective as compared to other causes of death:

65% of those deaths are by suicide, which would never be prevented by gun laws. 15% are by law enforcement in the line of duty and justified. 17% are through criminal activity, gang and drug related or mentally ill persons – better known as gun violence. 3% are accidental discharge deaths.

So technically, “gun violence” is not 30,000 annually, but drops to 5,100. Still too many? Now lets look at how those deaths spanned across the nation.
480 homicides (9.4%) were in Chicago
344 homicides (6.7%) were in Baltimore
333 homicides (6.5%) were in Detroit
119 homicides (2.3%) were in Washington D.C. (a 54% increase over prior years)

So basically, 25% of all gun crime happens in just 4 cities. All 4 of those cities have strict gun laws, so it is not the lack of law that is the root cause.

This basically leaves 3,825 for the entire rest of the nation, or about 75 deaths per state. That is an average because some States have much higher rates than others. For example, California had 1,169 and Alabama had 1.

Now, who has the strictest gun laws by far? California, of course, but understand, it is not guns causing this. It is a crime rate spawned by the number of criminal persons residing in those cities and states. So, if all cities and states are not created equal, then there must be something other than the tool causing the gun deaths.

Are 5,100 deaths per year horrific? How about in comparison to other deaths? All death is sad and especially so when it is in the commission of a crime but that is the nature of crime. Robbery, death, rape, assaults are all done by criminals. It is ludicrous to think that criminals will obey laws. That is why they are called criminals.

But what about other deaths each year?
40,000+ die from a drug overdose–THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THAT! 36,000 people die per year from the flu, far exceeding the criminal gun deaths.34,000 people die per year in traffic fatalities (exceeding gun deaths even if you include suicide).

Now it gets good:
200,000+ people die each year (and growing) from preventable medical errors. You are safer walking in the worst areas of Chicago than you are when you are in a hospital!

710,000 people die per year from heart disease. It’s time to stop the double cheeseburgers! So, what is the point? If the liberal loons and the anti-gun movement focused their attention on heart disease, even a 10% decrease in cardiac deaths would save twice the number of lives annually of all gun-related deaths (including suicide, law enforcement, etc.).

A 10% reduction in medical errors would be 66% of the total number of gun deaths or 4 times the number of criminal homicides... Simple, easily preventable 10% reductions! So, you have to ask yourself, in the grand scheme of things, why the focus on guns?

It’s pretty simple:
Taking away guns gives control to governments. The founders of this nation knew that regardless of the form of government, those in power may become corrupt and seek to rule as the British did by trying to disarm the populace of the colonies. It is not difficult to understand that a disarmed populace is a controlled populace.

Thus, the second amendment was proudly and boldly included in the U.S. Constitution. It must be preserved at all costs. So, the next time someone tries to tell you that gun control is about saving lives, look at these facts and remember these words from Noah Webster: “Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed.”

 

America needs criminal control - NOT gun control. Gun control means hitting what you aim at.

 

Every adult U.S. citizen, should be required to own a handgun and attend gun safety classes. Before they are allowed to drive a vehicle or have utilities turned on, they must have a gun permit and marksmanship certificate. When a would be criminal knows Grandma is packing and can hit what she aims at, crime will go way down.

 

David H. McDonald
President
The McDonald Group, LLC
4424 Moraine Ridge Lane
Dayton, OH 45429
Author, "Saving America's Cities", 1st & 2nd Editions
937-609-7559

The Government Can Stop Mass Shootings Any Time They Choose

 

 

 

To Eat or Not to Eat

 

"For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer." ~ 1 Timothy 4:4-5

​Was Paul telling Timothy that God lied about clean (healthy) and unclean (unhealthy) creatures? Was God only fooling, and did not really mean what He said in Leviticus 11? Praying over a cockroach (or pork and shellfish) will not make it fit to eat.

 

Or was Paul saying don't refuse food that might be unclean when someone invites you to dinner?

In Romans 14, Paul again brings up the subject food. He said we should not judge or condemn a Brother or Sister if they want to eat unhealthy food. It's none of our business what other people do,

 

Does God change His Law of clean and unclean food because we give thanks for something He told us not to eat? Does God somehow protect our health when we eat unhealthy food? “For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed (not destroyed immediately, you die slowly with cancer, heart disease, and diabetes) O sons of Jacob. ~ Malachi 3:6

There is nothing that enters a man from the outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man. (like malice and wickedness for example ~1 Corinthians 5:8) If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!​

When He [Jesus] had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. So He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?” ~ Mark 7:15-19

What defiles man? Was Jesus talking about physical food or spiritual food? (If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!) Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,  idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,  envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ~Galatians 5:19

 

As far back as Noah's time, there was the knowledge of clean and unclean animals. ~ Genesis 7:1-3

God's food law is about heath, not religion. "There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them,  and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.” ~ Exodus 15: 25-27

 

What does the phrase "Christ is the end of the law" in Romans 10:4 mean?

In the original Greek text, the word for "end" is telos. Understanding this word is the key to understanding the entire phrase, as it carries two primary meanings that both apply to Jesus Christ. 

1. Christ is the Fulfillment (Goal) 

• Target: Telos means a target, aim, or ultimate goal.
• Purpose: The Old Testament law was designed to point people toward a coming Messiah.
• Completion: Jesus did not destroy the law; he perfectly fulfilled its requirements.
• Analogy: Think of graduation as the "end" of school. It is the destination, not a cancellation.

 

Foods Permitted and Forbidden by The Almighty (God's Law... Not Moses' law, Not Jewish law, Not Islam law)

Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them, ² “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘These are the animals which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth: ³ Among the animals, whatever divides the hoof, having cloven hooves and chewing the cud—that you may eat. ⁴ Nevertheless these you shall not eat among those that chew the cud or those that have cloven hooves: the camel, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, is unclean to you; ⁵ the rock hyrax, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, is unclean to you; ⁶ the hare, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, is unclean to you; ⁷ and the swine, though it divides the hoof, having cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. ⁸ Their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch. They are unclean to you. ⁹ ‘These you may eat of all that are in the water: whatever in the water has fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the rivers—that you may eat. ¹⁰ But all in the seas or in the rivers that do not have fins and scales, all that move in the water or any living thing which is in the water, they are an abomination (vile, shameful, or detestable) to you. ¹¹ They shall be an abomination to you; you shall not eat their flesh, but you shall regard their carcasses as an abomination. ¹² Whatever in the water does not have fins or scales—that shall be an abomination to you.

¹³ ‘And these you shall regard as an abomination among the birds; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, the vulture, the buzzard, ¹⁴ the kite, and the falcon after its kind; ¹⁵ every raven after its kind, ¹⁶ the ostrich, the short-eared owl, the sea gull, and the hawk after its kind; ¹⁷ the little owl, the fisher owl, and the screech owl; ¹⁸ the white owl, the jackdaw, and the carrion vulture; ¹⁹ the stork, the heron after its kind, the hoopoe, and the bat. ²⁰ ‘All flying insects that creep on all fours shall be an abomination to you. ²¹ Yet these you may eat of every flying insect that creeps on all fours: those which have jointed legs above their feet with which to leap on the earth. ²² These you may eat: the locust after its kind, the destroying locust after its kind, the cricket after its kind, and the grasshopper after its kind. ²³ But all other flying insects which have four feet shall be an abomination to you.

Unclean/ Unhealthy Animals

²⁴ ‘By these you shall become unclean; whoever touches the carcass of any of them shall be unclean until evening; ²⁵ whoever carries part of the carcass of any of them shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening: ²⁶ The carcass of any animal which divides the foot, but is not cloven-hoofed or does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. Everyone who touches it shall be unclean. ²⁷ And whatever goes on its paws, among all kinds of animals that go on all fours, those are unclean to you. Whoever touches any such carcass shall be unclean until evening. ²⁸ Whoever carries any such carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. It is unclean to you. ²⁹ ‘These also shall be unclean to you among the creeping things that creep on the earth: the mole, the mouse, and the large lizard after its kind; ³⁰ the gecko, the monitor lizard, the sand reptile, the sand lizard, and the chameleon. ³¹ These are unclean to you among all that creep. Whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until evening. ³² Anything on which any of them falls, when they are dead shall be unclean, whether it is any item of wood or clothing or skin or sack, whatever item it is, in which any work is done, it must be put in water. And it shall be unclean until evening; then it shall be clean. ³³ Any earthen vessel into which any of them falls you shall break; and whatever is in it shall be unclean: ³⁴ in such a vessel, any edible food upon which water falls becomes unclean, and any drink that may be drunk from it becomes unclean. ³⁵ And everything on which a part of any such carcass falls shall be unclean; whether it is an oven or cooking stove, it shall be broken down; for they are unclean, and shall be unclean to you. ³⁶ Nevertheless a spring or a cistern, in which there is plenty of water, shall be clean, but whatever touches any such carcass becomes unclean. ³⁷ And if a part of any such carcass falls on any planting seed which is to be sown, it remains clean. ³⁸ But if water is put on the seed, and if a part of any such carcass falls on it, it becomes unclean to you. ³⁹ ‘And if any animal which you may eat dies, he who touches its carcass shall be unclean until evening. ⁴⁰ He who eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. He also who carries its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. ⁴¹ ‘And every creeping thing that creeps on the earth shall be an abomination. It shall not be eaten. ⁴² Whatever crawls on its belly, whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet among all creeping things that creep on the earth—these you shall not eat, for they are an abomination. ⁴³ You shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creeps; nor shall you make yourselves unclean with them, lest you be defiled by them. ⁴⁴ For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. ⁴⁵ For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt (bondage to sin), to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. ⁴⁶ This is the law of the animals and the birds and every living creature that moves in the waters, and of every creature that creeps on the earth, ⁴⁷ to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, and between the animal that may be eaten and the animal that may not be eaten. ~Leviticus 11

 

If we modify the ancient maxim to assert that “you are what you eat—both physically and spiritually.” For if you choose to frequently ingest the meat of the Word of God, you are guaranteed (by God Himself) to grow more and more spiritually healthy.  

 

Healthy Eating

 

 

The purpose of this post is to get people to think about what they believe and why they believe it, not debate who's right or wrong. To learn the revealed truth of God we must know and understand the true meaning of the words God inspired to be written. Use Strong's Concordance to check the original word before it was translated. Do your own research, make up your own mind, rely on the Holy Spirit to guide you.

 

 

 

Discovering God's Natural Truth

Train up a child in the way he should go: And when he is old, he will not depart from it. ~ Proverbs 22:6

NOTE TO PARENT OR GUARDIAN: The purpose of Discovering God's Natural Truth is to help you and your child learn together, GOD'S overall plan. Children are curious, especially when it comes to questions concerning our Father in heaven and "HOW, WHEN, WHERE, and of course WHY?" 

 

As a parent or guardian, it is your right and your duty to provide your child with an education in our Father's word. We cannot expect our school systems or our media to provide our children with the morals we hope they will uphold throughout their lives. These precious little souls were loaned to us by our Father and YES we must protect them from harm, but we must also teach them to live in this world. 

It was because of this "curiosity", that Shepherd's Chapel decided to provide resources for parents and children who WANT to know the answers. 

 

Jesus said it best, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” ~ Matthew 19:14 

 

The Bible Comes to Life!

Order Discovering God's Natural Truth and give your kids a safe and free place to interact with dynamic content about the Bible. To order please call (800) 643-4645; Item#44.14; $12.00 Donation.

 Discovering God's Natural Truth Video

 

 

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The Meanest Man in Texas

The Meanest Man in Texas is the true life story of Clyde Thompson, a Texas murderer turned preacher and his experiences as a "guest" of the Texas Department of Corrections from 1928-1955. As such it is probably one of the most detailed chronicles of prison life ever written, especially during the period in which Thompson was incarcerated and where he earned his nickname, "the meanest man in Texas."

Clyde Thompson killed two men when he was only 17 years on age. With three life sentences to serve and years in solitary confinement, he reached a point where he was beyond human help. Only God could save him.

Product details

• Paperback: 286 pages
• Publisher: Quarry Press (TX); Third edition (2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971495866
• ISBN-13: 978-0971495869
• Package Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars 24 customer reviews
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Judgment Day

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine (a belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a Church, political party, or other group), for reproof (an expression of blame or disapproval), for correction (a change that rectifies an error or inaccuracy), and for instruction (detailed information telling how something should be done, operated, or assembled) in righteousness (the quality of being morally right or justifiable), that the man or woman of God may be complete (having all the necessary or appropriate parts), thoroughly equipped (prepared mentally for a particular situation or task) for every good work. 
~ 2Timothy 3:16-17

Let's examine (inspect someone or something in detail to determine their nature or condition; investigate thoroughly) the exact wording of this Scripture. Notice the word doctrine means beliefs held and taught, not necessarily what is true. How can we know the truth? 

Both the Old and New Testaments give us the clear answer for knowing the truth. 

The entirety (the whole of something) of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever (for all future time; for always). ~ Psalm 119:160

Sanctify (set apart; free from sin; purify) them by Your truth. Your word is truth.~ John 17:17 

A Lesson in Truth

This event actually happened in the Kansas House in Topeka on January 23, 1996. Joe Wright, the pastor of Central Christian Church in Wichita, was guest chaplain that day. He prayed a prayer of repentance (regret for past wrongs which is accompanied by commitment to change for the better) that was written by Bob Russell, pastor of  Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. According to an article in the Kansas City Star from January 24, 1996, his prayer did stir controversy and one member of the legislative body walked out. Others criticized the prayer. The controversy didn’t end there. Later that year in the Colorado House, Republican representative Mark Paschall angered lawmakers by using Joe Wright’s prayer as the invocation. Some members there also walked out in protest.

THE PRAYER
Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask Your forgiveness and to seek Your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, "Woe to those who call evil good," but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.

We confess:
We have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it pluralism.
We have worshiped other gods and called it multiculturalism.
We have endorsed perversion and called it alternative lifestyle.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.
We have abused power and called it politics.
We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free.
Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent to direct us to the center of your will. I ask it in the Name of Your Son, the living Savior, Jesus Christ.
Amen.

The response was immediate. A number of legislators walked out during the prayer in protest. In six short weeks, Central Christian Church, where Rev. Wright is pastor, logged more than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls responding negatively. The church is now receiving international requests for copies of this prayer from India, Africa and Korea.

Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his show "The Rest of the Story" on the radio and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired.

With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called one nation under God.

When the truth is spoken, it always causes controversy because people do not like to hear the truth. It makes them uncomfortable and it shines the Light on their own false beliefs. Every human being is capable of knowing the truth, but it's easier to believe a lie.

The biggest lie is that man's laws are equal, or superior, to God's Laws. When you break man's laws, you're a criminal. When you break God's Laws, you're a sinner. Both sets of laws require a penalty. Man's law puts you in prison even if you tell the judge you are sorry and will never break the law again. Tell God you are sorry and really mean it, HE will set you free.
 
God Always Give Us A Choice
 
And if it seems evil (profoundly immoral and wicked) to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites (bitter, a rebel, a babbler, a blowhard, a windbag, a liar), in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house (family), we will serve the Lord. ~ Joshua 24:15

The modern day Amorites are the people who still babble on about things that any rational person knows are not true. They know evolution is false because there cannot be a creature without a Creator. A clock is proof positive that there has to be a clock maker. They have never met the clock maker, but they accept on faith that he exists. The Earth is proof positive that there is an Earth Maker and He exists. Believing that the universe started with a "big bang", and over billions of years "evolved" is like believing there was an explosion in a watch factory and over time evolved into a Rolex.

 
They know abortion is wrong because they want their life. They know stealing is wrong because they don't want their stuff stolen. They know breaking and entering a home (or country) is wrong because they don't want their house broken into. They know lying is wrong because they don't like to be lied to. They know men can't get pregnant, but that does not deter them from their folly.

 
They know that the Republican and Democrat Parties are the right and left wings of the same bird of prey. They know term limits is the right way to serve their country. They know public service is a brief civic duty, not a career, but they don't care about right and wrong. They live by man's so-called laws of legal and illegal. They will continue to lie, cheat, and steal for as long as they can get away with it. 

Man supposes (thinks and does things that are completely crazy and confusing). God disposes (places, distributes, or arranges things in an orderly way). 

God Has The Final Word

But I say to you that for every idle (without purpose or effect; pointless) word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. ~ Matthew 12:36 

 

When the time is right, I, the Lord, will come quickly. I will make these things happen. ~ Isaiah 60:22

Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man (Jesus) whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead. ~Acts 17:30-31

 

 

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