An Ordinary Giant Slayer
May 29, 2018
00:00:59
The Hamilton Minute is a power packed 60 seconds where we tackle the issues of the day through the lens of God’s Word. You don’t want to miss a moment of it.
David, the son of Jesse, was just an ordinary giant slayer.
David’s battle with Goliath is an epic drama where the little boy stands in God’s power to conquer the Philistine giant.
David didn’t awaken that morning expecting to slay a giant. He didn’t stroll in with an entourage after a rugged mountain range training camp like Rocky in Rocky IV. He was just a regular kid bringing his brothers’ lunch. But fully confident in God’s immeasurable power, though he saw Goliath, David never acknowledged him as a giant, saying, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine who dares defy the Lord of hosts?”
When regular people are fully persuaded, fully confident in God’s power, giant’s fall.
“And this day shall be unto you for a memorial.” Exodus 12:14 (KJV)
Three years after the Civil War ended, the head of an organization of Union veterans established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers.
Decoration Day has now come to be known as Memorial Day, the day we honor those military members who have given their lives to secure our nation’s freedoms.
As we honor them, let’s pray for our military members. In addition to their physical safety let us also pray for their spiritual and eternal well-being.
“And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” Matthew 15:14 (ESV)
Ten states and the District of Columbia are now poised to commit their electoral votes to whichever presidential candidate wins the nation’s popular vote—regardless of who wins the state.
Connecticut is the latest state to join the national popular vote pledge pool.
The mechanism for electing the head of the federal government, the president, was the most debated issue during the Constitutional Convention.
The Electoral College is a feature of the Constitutional Republican form of government.
Ignorance of or disdain for our Constitutional Republican form of government is dangerous.
“A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.” Proverbs 10:4 (ESV)
Ashley Lamothe got her first job with Chick-fil-A when she was 15 years old. She used her earnings there to buy her first car.
She continued working for the company while attending Spelman College.
At 26, Ashley has now moved to L.A. to become the franchise owner of the restaurant’s first ever downtown Los Angeles location making her one of the franchise’s youngest owners in history.
Her new 6,500 square-foot restaurant will occupy two stories.
From employee to business owner. Diligence pays.
“Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool.” Proverbs 26:1 (ESV)
Within weeks of announcing its decision to pull certain rifles from its stores and impose a 21 year old age requirement for all gun purchasers, Dick’s Sporting Goods saw its stock price plummet alongside a reduction of same store sales.
Dick’s has now hired lobbyists to advance its anti-gun agenda on Capitol Hill and three key gun manufacturers have cut ties with the store. O.F. Mossberg and Sons, Inc., Springfield Armory and Hi-Point Firearms Manufacturers' MKS Supply will not abide Dick’s assault on the Second Amendment.
“Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil.” Matthew 5:37 (ESV)
While announcing the U.S.’ withdrawal from the JCPOA, commonly known as the Iran Deal, President Trump correctly explained, “the Iranian regime is the leading state sponsor of terror. It exports dangerous missiles, fuels conflicts across the Middle East, and supports terrorist proxies and militias such as Hezbollah, Hamas, the Taliban and Al Qaeda.”
Iran’s military budget exploded by almost 40% and the mullahs used the new money to build its nuclear capable missiles.
Thankfully, President Trump has withdrawn the U.S. from the deal.
“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Luke 1:37 (ESV)
The National Assessment of Educational Progress, a report released by the U.S. Department of Education, revealed 65% of eighth graders in public schools were not proficient in reading.
67% of eighth graders were not proficient in math.
These are the stats while over 91% of all American children are educated in public schools.
Decisions concerning our children’s education are really decisions about when, where, how and by whom they will be discipled.
Time is the critical ingredient to discipleship. Education is discipleship.
“For nothing will be impossible with God.” Luke 1:37 (ESV)
Chinese geologists have published a peer reviewed study confirming that the mountain above North Korea’s main nuclear test site collapsed on itself.
The study, carried out by scientists at the University of Science and Technology of China, concluded that the mountain buckled under the stress of multiple explosions.
Interestingly, these findings preceded the unprecedented talks between North and South Korea and a verbal agreement to end the Korean War.
They also precede direct talks between North Korea and the U.S.
Perhaps, this encouraged Kim Jong-Un’s presence at the international negotiating table.
“…in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.” 1 Timothy 4:1 (ESV)
Grace Cathedral Episcopal Church in San Francisco hosted its first ever “Beyonce-Mass.” Instead of the 50 people they’d usually have for a Wednesday night service this “Beyonce Mess” drew over 750 attendees.
They replaced worship songs and hymns with songs from the canon of Beyonce and Destiny’s Child.
The “church meeting” centered on an artist whose music is profane, sexually explicit and who’s admitted that her body is taken over by a spirit named Sasha Fierce when she performs.
“What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.” Genesis 4:10 (ESV)
England has shown us that single-payer “affordable healthcare” translates into kill the patient if it saves the government money.
When the government pays for your body’s care, the government decides what care your body receives.
So when they run the numbers on the cost of saving a life versus the mathematical probability of getting that money back through taxes paid during that patient’s lifetime, and the result is undesirable… kill the child.
First Charlie Gard. Now Alfie Evans. Whose next… because the pattern is clear.
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.” John 15:18 (ESV)
Jeff Myers, President of Summit Ministries which is one the nation’s premier Biblical Worldview development ministries for teens and young adults, called California Assembly Bill 2943 “the most blatant chilling of free speech in America” he’s ever seen in his lifetime.
The bill, which seeks to criminalize the conveyance of the Biblical teaching on human sexuality, places Summit Ministries’ staff in legal jeopardy.
Consequently, Summit has cancelled the conferences it planned to hold in California saying “we cannot and will not bend God’s truth to accommodate California.”
“And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place.”
Acts 17:26 conveys to us the reality that we were born and placed in the 21st century by God’s specific design. He determined before time where we would live and when we would live there.
If you’re in Minnesota, Mississippi, or Maine, God put you there on purpose.
He’s not surprised by the darkness we see around us, nor is He caught off guard by it. In fact, He specifically prepared for it by making sure you’re alive right now. God can do whatever He wants, but He’s chosen to use you and me as ambassadors of His kingdom.
We are His torches to light up the darkness.
"Always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for the reason for the hope that is in you.” 1 Peter 3:15 (ESV)
Many who oppose Christianity target their hostility on our foundation, the Bible. They say it is unreliable because Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 are contradictory accounts of the creation story.
In actuality, the 2 chapters are complimentary and not contradictory.
When Jesus was asked about marriage, He quoted from both chapters 1 and 2, saying that He made them both to be male and female in the beginning. "And for this cause shall a man leave his mother and father and cleave unto his wife."
Genesis 1 is an overview of the creation story and Genesis 2 is an up close examination of day 6. If Jesus relies on them both, so can we.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
What is the proper role of government? Romans chapter 13 outlines government’s function and it is basically this: to restrain or to punish wickedness and to reward righteousness.
Government was never intended to be our savior. Government is our servant.
As we focus on our civil occupations and our civic engagement responsibilities, let us never forget that government is not our God. We don’t put our trust in it; we put our trust in our Christ.
As a result, what we want is a government that stays out of our way and leaves room for our church to do our business of fulfilling the Great Commission.
What is the source of America's greatness? Alexis de Tocqueville, a 19th century French political thinker and philosopher, had this exact same question.
On the heels of the French Revolution, he came to America in 1831 to investigate America's ascendency. In doing so, he found that America's greatness did not lie in her economic system. It did not lie in her banking system. Nor did it lie in her educational system.
He found that America's pulpits, aflamed with righteousness, was the source of America's greatness. He opined that America is great because she is good, but when America ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.
Let us pray for restoration of the flame of righteousness in our pulpits.
What would it take for you to compromise your principles?
Recently I heard a statement that went like this. “I don’t think principles matter if you can’t get elected.” Principles form the core of who you are; principles form the foundation of a civil society.
George Washington in his farewell address identified religion and morality as indispensable supports. “In vain would that man claim attribute to patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness”, George Washington said.
It makes me think of a scripture; “What would it profit a man to gain the whole world yet lose his soul?” What would it profit a candidate to gain an election but lose his principles?
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.” 1 Timothy 6:10 (ESV)
A lawsuit has been filed against the Federal Election Commission because the entity ignore complaints that the Hillary Clinton Campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) funneled money through state parties to avoid campaign finance laws.
The lawsuit argues the Hillary Victory illegally funneled $84 million in donations from the DNC through state party chapters who then sent that money back into the Clinton Campaign war chest.
The money laundering effort included between 34 and 40 state parties.
The Clinton syndicate strikes again.
“…they have rejected me from being king over them.” 1 Samuel 8:7 (ESV)
California’s legislature is debating Assembly Bill 2943 which would criminalize the sale or purchase of any good or service intended to or that results in sexual orientation changes of same-sex attracted people including changes of behaviors or “gender” expressions of same-sex attracted people.
The Bible teaches that the inclinations of the sin nature, including sexual inclinations, are transformed by the powerful blood of Jesus Christ.
This law could literally make it illegal to buy or sell a Bible in California.
Folks, this is full fledged tyranny.
“A fool's lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating.” Proverbs 18:6 (ESV)
In an interesting turn of events, regressive Comedian whose no friend of President Trump—Trevor Noah, even recognized the walking hypocrisy that is James Comey.
You can’t present yourself as the lofty and noble patriot and still profit from a salacious book called ‘Higher Loyalty.’
Noah said, Comey’s pettiness “hurts his credibility. You can’t take the high road and the low road at the same time.”
Comey has lobbed barbs at President Trump to sell books not to protect the Republic.
His loyalty is to his pockets.
“Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth.” Psalm 127:4 (ESV)
The Toys ‘R’ Us official statement concerning its imminent store closures said,
“Most of our end-customers are newborns and children, and as a result, our revenues are dependent on the birthrates in countries where we operate. In recent years, many countries’ birthrates have dropped or stagnated as their population ages.”
The only developed country in the world producing enough children to replace and grow its national population is Israel.
Overt hostility toward children that stems from a low regard for life destroys commerce, cultures and countries.
