FAITH IN PROVIDENCE: TWO KINDS OF TRUMP SUPPORTERS

FAITH IN PROVIDENCE

There are two types of Trump supporters. One that worries that he will be impeached and another that doesn't.

Of the those who don't worry that Trump will be impeached there are two reasons why they don't worry. One is that they have faith in our justice system. The other is that they believe Divine Providence has a hand in matters.

If one says that we are living in crazy times, most folks on all sides, would agree.  If one states that there are efforts to deceive the public taking place, folks on the Left, Right and Center would second that. If one says that there is evil and good in the world, I suspect most could go along.

But the moment one ascribes Divine Providence to any of it, that is when 80%+ of folks would say you have gone too far.

I appreciate that many people think it is nonsense at best to think that God is involved in our national politics, let alone in picking Presidents. And I am certainly not saying that our votes don't matter!

But I do believe Divine Providence played a part, a large part, in America.

My faith is strengthened by the our Nation's role in history and the words of our the greatest General and President in our history, George Washington.  Washington truly believed that this experiment, we call the USA was possible due to “that Almighty Being who rules over the Universe, who presides in the Councils of Nations, and whose providential aids can supply every human defect.”

In his inaugural address George Washington said, "No People can be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible hand, which conducts the Affairs of men more than the People of the United States. Every step, by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation, seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency."

I am not saying that a Democrat is an evil person or that a Republican is a good person!!  I am not saying that America doesn't do terrible things. It doesn't work like that!  "God works in mysterious ways."

But I am saying that Donald Trump is no coincidence.

The following is a famous poem by William Cowper from 1773 called "Light Shining out of Darkness."  Mr. Cowper was a witness to the history that shaped our Nation. The metaphors expressed in his poetry seem deeply relevant still.

Light Shining out of Darkness

God moves in a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never-failing skill,
He treasures up his bright designs,
And works his sov'reign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take,
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust him for his grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding ev'ry hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flow'r.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan his work in vain;
God is his own interpreter,
And he will make it plain.

LIKE MOSES

AOC IS ESPOUSING A COMMUNIST MANIFESTO.

Ocasio-Cortez: "We need an, uh, uh, a United States that really, truly, and authentically, is operated, owned, and decided by ... all people in the United States of America"

AOC is essentially describing and promoting the core beliefs of communism.  The revolution AOC seeks is very much like the Communist revolution. Both aim to put the working class in power and in turn establish social ownership of the means of production. 

Given that intersectionality is so pervasive on the Left you wouldn't think that Bernie Sanders, a near 80 yr old white cis-male would be her favorite.  But it makes sense. Because AOC's primary political philosophy is communism. Bernie has praised Communist leaders and spent his entire career in politics promoting Socialism.

AOC is a classic case of ignorance and misguided thinking.  She is the product of a ruined educational system that has been saturated with radical Leftist ideology and then has exploited it's position to spread narrow beliefs through a captive body of students whose minds are vulnerable to brainwashing. The system has blocked Conservative views and silenced Conservative voices. The descent is not allowed to represent in the environments where opinions like AOC are being formed and hardened.

Many like AOC and her teachers have no belief in God. They have substituted Government and the ways of Man.  For them, morality is derived from government. Their philosophy is the antithesis of the vision of our Founding Fathers who believed America trusted in God.

Whereas AOC puts her faith in the Central Government, our Founders distrusted government so much so that they risked their lives, property and legacy to give us LIBERTY.  Then, having secured it, in order to preserve it they formed a more perfect union. They brilliantly codified their "great experiment" by fashioning our 3 separate branch system of governance and our US Constitution.

At the very core of what our Founders sought to do was to PROTECT the People from the Government - and from fools like AOC and Bernie who would throw it all away!

George Washington warned future Americans of times like these in his Farewell Letter.

Like Moses who knew he would not be able to see the Promised Land, Washington knew he would not see this day himself.
Like Moses who was warned by God that the people would transgress, Washington was divinely inspired to warn the people.
Like Moses who wrote down a Song for the Israelites to bring them back to the Torah and the ways of God, Washington wrote a letter to bring Americans back to the Constitution and back to a moral code that is rooted in the belief of God.

We have gone down the very mistaken path that Washington foresaw nearly a quarter millennium ago. We are the "Divided House" that the Bible and Lincoln warned of.

Like Moses, George Washington showed us the way back.  With God's approval we shall find it!

AMEN.

HE LEADS!

TRUMP'S CRITICS SAY PULLING USA TROOPS FROM THE SYRIAN BORDER WITH TURKEY CAUGHT THE MILITARY OFF-GUARD. REALLY?

I CALL BULLSHIT!

Before I even say why I call "bullshit," why are we supposed to listen to:
- military experts and politicians who have given us endless wars?
- who have created hell on earth and chaos in Libya.
- who caused ISIS and wasted trillions of taxpayers dollars in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan?
- who said moving our embassy to Jerusalem would be a disaster?
- who trusted Iran way more than we should have?
- who have let American taxpayers pick up the tab for being the main defense for our allies around THE WORLD!!

CAUGHT OFF GUARD IN SYRIA?  I DON'T BUY IT!

Aside from the fact that Trump campaigned on ending endless wars, since 2018 the president has indicated over and over that he wants U.S. forces out of northern Syria. The Pentagon knew this and has had nearly two years to develop plans for when the president would make good on his vow.

Since 2018 there have been reports in the press that the U.S. military has slowly been implementing a drawdown of U.S. troops in Syria in anticipation of the President's final order to remove the remaining forces, said to be 38 soldiers.

What’s more, for all of the talk of having been taken by surprise, the Syrian Kurds were somehow able to get Bashar al-Assad’s forces (along with the Russians) to intervene on their behalf against Turkey’s invasion of northern Syria—in less than 24 hours. Some surprise, eh?

The permanent national security state was not caught off-guard by President Trump’s order to evacuate from northern Syria. The Pentagon has known for nearly 18 months this was coming!  So if there has been a lack of planning and preparation the Pentagon should do it's own internal analysis for why that is.

The military was not caught off-guard. It just had people like Mattis and Bolton who didn't support the President.  But guess what -- there is ONE COMMANDER IN CHIEF so they are out!

President Trump is not an isolationist!  He has meet with more foreign leaders in the White House and abroad than any President. He has developed personal relations with leaders across the world, friend and foe.

President Trump is a pragmatist and a businessman who is learning how to be a politician on the job.  He thinks outside the box and operates in unorthodox and less traditional ways.

Trump's enemies love to say he is "unpresidential," as a pejorative, however, one of the keys to his success is his unpredictable and politically incorrect nature.

There is one undeniably Presidential aspect of Trump though.  HE LEADS!

THE HYPOCRISY OF HIS ADVERSARIES IN POLITICS AND THE MEDIA IS GREATER THAN THE TRUTH.

WHEN THE ENTIRE HEBREW NATION WENT CAMPING TOGETHER

I have written 237 posts since I began my blog in February 2011. Now and again I look at the rolled up data on page views.

I find it interesting to see which posts got the most views.  I can't figure out why any article out performs others.  There are too many factors, so I would be speculating.

Nonetheless, I find it fascinating to look at this list. Of course for me the list has tremendous meaning because I know the story behind each post just from the title.

Each post is an observation - a deep dive.  The mere decision of what to write about is in itself a reflection.

It is so easy to go through life with one day rolling into the next and not taking a moment to meditate or contemplate.  I don't believe that was the case before electricity and even more so before candles and lamps when we lived by the light of the moon and campfire at night.

I suspect humans did much more deep contemplation when we sat by campfires.  That would be the time when we conceived of the scriptures and oral legends began.  Perhaps in the silence with just the light of the stars and the moon and a campfire we were closer to God.  Consider how the cycle of the moon would have so much significance at that time.

In many respects it is much easier to appreciate the Jewish lunar calendar than our Gregorian calendar.  Such are the ways of Man. 

On Erev Sukkot, the evening at the beginning of Sukkot (The festival of booths) these thoughts are particularly relevant.  This is the moment God COMMANDED us to not just remember - but to re-live. We are told to build a temporary hut and experience being outside under the stars, just as our ancestors did when the fled Egypt and stayed the first night in place called Sukkot in a sukkah.  Or another way to look at it, when the entire nation went camping together.

That first night of freedom must have felt both profoundly liberating and exceptionally frightening.  

In "the first" post I wrote I explained the reasons why I was beginning my blog and what I hoped to gain from doing so. Looking back at it, I am satisfied with the results.  I will keep it up.

POUR OUT A FULL HEART

I hope you can relate to my full heart . . . A heart so full of love that it must overflow. 

My wife and I have two children. They gave us three grandchildren - 1, 2 and 3.  We are still counting. 

Forgive my bias.  Our grandchildren are the sweetest, cutest, funniest and brightest little ones in the world.  But I am not biased. 

I watch them. I play with them. I read to them. I talk with them. I hold them. I think about them.  I do whatever they need me to do. I am their Saba.

I love when they get excited to see me. I love when they call my name, Saba. I love when they want me to pick them. I love when they give me hugs & kisses hello, and cherish their goodbye hugs & kisses.

I dream for them. I see them at 7, 11 and 13.  I start to become a bit sad when I see them much older when I am much older and they are starting to slip away because I am starting to slip away.  Then, my heart is still filled with love. 

Being a grandparent may be the best "being" there is. Being a husband is great. So is being a father and an uncle and a boss and leader. But being a grandparent is the best "being" for me.  

It is pure joy. There is no "but." There is never a doubt. There are no trade offs. Nothing feels like a sacrifice when it is for them.  There is no tinge of regret.  No offsetting negatives.  Being a grandparent is pure joy. 

Grandchildren fill my heart. I can pour out my love and it never empties.  

WHAT IF

What if there is a God and we were in the Garden of Eden?

What if that God is Spirit? What if that God has Angels? What if some of those Angels created an abomination? What if God destroyed the earth in the Great Flood to destroy that abomination? What if God scattered Nimrod's city and destroyed it's Tower of Babel?

What if there was a Moses? What if God showed Pharaoh signs? What if God led the Hebrews out of Egypt to be our God and on the first night we stayed in a place called Sukkout? What if God spoke to Moses on the Mountain? What if we have a Covenant and an obligation?

What if Jacob's tents were so lovely? What if a Generation wandered the desert until they perished because they were not faithful?

What if the next generation conquered the Promised Land? What if the Sound of seven Shofar blasts destroyed Jericho's walls?  What if having the Ark made it possible to defeat the Canaanites and many other's too.

What if we turned away and God withdrew his protection? What if God let our enemies destroy our Temple and sack Jerusalem?  What if we were taken as slaves and scattered unto the nations as it was foretold?

What if there is a God that has done all this?

What if God's providence was with George Washington? What if "Proclaim Liberty throughout the Land" are God's words and the God given purpose for America? What if our Nation was Founded in order that the prophecy to "gather his people" in the Promised Land again could be fulfilled? What if Patriotism to America and Israel is a way that we show our love for God?

What if "In God we Trust" becomes hallow words?

What if the Prophets were right and we are at the end of the second day and just before the third day? What if at the beginning of the third day the Messiah will rule for a thousand years?

What if Evil lurks among us too? What if Evil has it's angels? What if ravenous wolves do dress in sheep's clothing? What if we are being deceived by them?

What if God gave us signs but we ignored them and his Word? What if the Messiah is real and about to rule? What if our prayers are not acceptable because we worship false gods and follow the ways of Man? What if we hate in our heart rather than love our fellow?

What if Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, 

Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachic were God's prophets? 

What if Elijah and Elisha, Gad, Micaiah, Nathan and Samuel were prophets too?  

. . .  And we what if we didn't know them?  What if they had prophecy for us? What if we ignored their prophecy?

What if there is a Righteous path and we didn't choose it? What if there is a God but we lacked faith?

What if we have been deceived? 

What if there is price to pay for pursuing empty folly? What if we forsake our own welfare?  What if God proclaimed Judgment on us like Nineveh? What if we wait past the Messiah to believe? What if then it is too late?

What makes us think that if we do not have faith, and do not know the prophets and do not study the Word that we will recognize the true Messiah? What makes us think if we wait for Judgment to find these things that we will be acceptable to God?

What if we put our faith in God?  What if we recognized the Evil forces and acknowledged our false gods?

What if we loved our fellow?  

What if there was a Garden of Eden? What if we could be born again?  What if there is ONE GOD and we are ONE?

OUT OF MANY, ONE!

FEAR DEATH THAT YOU MIGHT CHOOSE LIFE

The Unetanah Tokef prayer is a very special liturgical poem that is chanted on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

This link offers the words and an explanation of the Unetanah Tokef. Here is a link to an audio performance by one of histories greatest cantors, Naftali Hertstik.

The Unetanah Tokef peom is based on concepts of Jewish apocalyptic literature which parallel Christian writings based on similar sources.

Whereas Christian liturgy concerning judgment focuses on Revelation and a single "End Times" Judgment, Jews view the High Holy Days as a recurring annual time of Judgment.

You might say we Jews keep doing a rehearsal to get ready for when the Messiah comes. But in essence, the Jews and Christians are both preparing for the "Main Event" each in their own way. Either way, the concept of Judgment Day is meant to strike fear.

FEAR like all God given emotions serves a purpose. I find it interesting that God has given us the emotion of fear to help save us. Whether it is fear of risky behaviors and risky situations which may injure us, or fear of a person who might hurt or kill us, fear serves the purpose to "save us." It offers us an opportunity to change our path. Evidently, Jonah struck enormous fear in the hearts of the people in Nineveh. Failure to listen to our fears can have serious consequences.

Because fear is so powerful, it is often exploited by evil forces.  In addition, there are times we need to overcome our fears in order to achieve greatness.

It is fair to say that all of our emotions have to managed.  Emotional stability is key to a healthy, happy and productive life overall. I digress ... back to FEAR.

Fear of an imagined death associated with "Judgment Day" serves a more profound purpose. The fear of an eternal life in Heaven or Hell, presents us with a powerful choice about our behavior now. It is the ultimate free will.

Fear of the consequences of "Judgment Day" is "designed" to "Save us."  "It is not sinners that God seeks." Fear is God's way of encouraging us to choose life everlasting.

Ironically, the change in behavior that the fear of Judgment helps to create leads to a better life and a better world.  Jews and Christians end up in the same place. Heaven on earth ruled by the same King and God.

HEAR, I AM.

Have our prayers been insincere? Or our charity inadequate?  Is it more repentance that You demand?

Or have we simply failed to see the signs - through the Words of Your prophets.

DANIEL Chapter 9:
7 To You, O Lord, is the righteousness, and to us is the shamefacedness as of this day, to the people of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel both near and far, in all the lands to which you have driven them for the treachery that they have perpetrated toward You.
.....
10 And we have not hearkened to the voice of the Lord our God, to follow His teachings, which He placed before us by the hand of His servants, the prophets.
.....
13 As is written in the Law of Moses, all this evil has come upon us, and we did not entreat the countenance of the Lord our God to repent of our iniquities and to contemplate Your truth
.....
16 O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, may Your wrath and Your anger return now from Your city, Jerusalem, the mount of Your Sanctuary, for because of our sins and because of the iniquities of our forefathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a mockery to all those surrounding us.
.....
19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do, do not delay; for Your sake, my God, for Your Name is called upon Your city and upon Your people."

Here we are again on the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. Having sounded Your Trumpets. Standing where we have stood for 2000 thousand years before the Torah. Repeating the Words as they appeared even before that. 

As we did for 70 "weeks" before Jerusalem fell. Offering the Atonement that we offered before we were sent into exile as the Diaspora. Reciting the same prayers we said before England and Spain expelled us and forced us to rip up our roots. Repenting and fasting before the pogroms. Performing the rituals and honoring Your Yamim Tovim, Your Festivals and the feasts of Pesach (Passover), Shavuot (Weeks or Pentecost), and Sukkot (Tabernacles, Tents or Booths) before the Holocaust.

Surely You want us to be close to You or You would not have placed us in Your Garden and walked with us alone in Your vast universe! 

Even when the earth was corrupted You held onto us and did not let us perish during the Great Flood.

LORD, You spoke to us through Moses to lead us out of bondage in Egypt and we have declared to the world ever since that You are the ONE God.

Have we not kept Your Ten Commandments?
Were our offerings not sufficient?
What use are our prayers? 
What value is our repentance?
Are our sins too great? 

Your Providence established the great nation of America. Founded to Proclaim Liberty. Built on the Foundation of Your Word - In God we Trust. Have we not been a Blessing to Israel?

LOOK AT US NOW. 

Do we Trust in God? 
Do we hear God's Prophets?
Could it be that God heard our prayers but we failed to hear his?

Daniel 9:23 In the beginning of your supplications, a word came forth, and I have come to tell it, for you have desirable qualities; now contemplate the word and understand the vision.

TODAY, YOM KIPPUR, JEWS READ THE BOOK OF JONAH. IT IS SAID "THERE WAS NO GREATER SIGN" THAN GOD'S PROPHET JONAH.