July 2012
Dear Friends and Prayer Partners,
By the time you receive this letter, the barbeques and fireworks celebrations of the Fourth of July will be past, but I hope that your remembrance and appreciation for the founders of this nation and their sacrifices to establish this nation on Biblical principles will not pass away. Here are a few quotes to counteract the lies of secular humanist textbook revisers who want to expunge God and Christianity from the founding of our once great nation (which has been degenerating faster and faster.)
Pertinent Perspectives from America’s Founding Fathers
Thomas Jefferson wrote: “The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.”
John Adams wrote: “The Christian religion is, above all the religions that ever prevailed or existed in ancient or modern times, the religion of wisdom, virtue, equity and humanity.” – John Adams, Works, Vol. III, p. 421, diary entry for July 27, 1796
“I have examined all religions, and the result is that the Bible is the best book in the world.” – John Adams, Works, Vol. X, p. 85, to Thomas Jefferson on December 25, 1813.
John Adams was a SIGNER OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE; JUDGE; DIPLOMAT; ONE OF THE TWO SIGNERS OF THE BILL OF RIGHTS; SECOND PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
John Quincy Adams said: “In the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior. The Declaration of Independence laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity.”
John Quincy Adams was the SIXTH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES; DIPLOMAT; SECRETARY OF STATE; U.S. SENATOR; U.S. REPRESENTATIVE.
Can you imagine the howls of protest from Hollywood, the media, the Freedom from Religion Foundation and the ACLU if any politician would openly say such things today? Behold how far we have fallen! Pray! Pray! Pray!
“TRUTH IS THE NEW HATE SPEECH”
Perhaps you remember the brief article we shared by Ray Hawk with this title in our April letter (If you save our letters, I encourage you to look back and read it – or you can look it up on our website at www.overseasoutreach.com or write to us for another copy.) The article is clear, concise, convicting – and true! I recently received a letter which vividly demonstrates the complete accuracy of Ray Hawk’s allegations. Here is the background for the letter:
I was in one of the businesses we have provided lighting for, and I offered the owner’s wife our May letter. She obviously didn’t want it (I guess she read some of our other letters) and began to severely criticize Mitt Romney. I told her I’m not enthused with Mitt Romney either. Then she dropped the bombshell statement by saying that the man who now occupies the White House is the most honest man who has ever been there. Believe it or not – I held my tongue (amazing, isn’t it!). I did walk out very soon after that!
A short time after that I read Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk newsletter for April in which he documents and exposes with direct quotations some of the lies Barack Obama has been caught in concerning abortion, free speech, freedom of religion and freedom of conscience for pro-life doctors, pharmacists, etc. I decided to send her a copy with the question, “If he is the most honest man to occupy the White House, how do you explain these blatant contradictions?” Here is her reply – word for word. (I’m deleting the author’s name to protect the guilty. I am offering the letter to my friend, Rich Schell, to use in his counseling classes as an example of multiple violations of logical communication.)
“Mr. Rick H Deighton,
Anyone that used the pulpit to spread hate needs to think over what the Lord must think
of that. We are all his children. He didn’t say ‘come ye little children unto me, no not you,
not you and not you.’ Let him be the judge and love mankind.
The world is so full of hate. I stand by what I said to you and I know the name
President Obama. Who is James Dobson? I raised six children, two adopted. I didn’t
abort any of mine but considering what some people have to offer, drug homes ECT.
That is between them and God. I am so sick of people that go around looking down
their noses at people that aren’t the replica of themselves.
I help the man with a cup on the corner and I don’t ask him his political status or his
religion or if there are any warrants out for him. If he is hungry he should be fed. I or
you are not his judge or jury.
Freedom of Choice allows me to write you. Freedom of Choice is what America stands
for. I refuse to be caught up in hate.”
She used huge, bold print – then hand wrote the last three sentences – with the underlining – apparently to express her strong emotions. I did not send her a reply – what’s the use? However, here is what I felt like writing:
“Thank you! Your overwhelming love for Dr. Dobson, for me, and for all other conservative Christians is so evident from this letter! By the way, you didn’t attempt to answer my question. Why not?
Yours & His,
Rick Deighton”
Here are some observations:
1. I did not speak to her from a pulpit – I sent her a well documented letter. (If you want a copy, please write. We will gladly send you a copy.) However, I will say that I am not afraid or ashamed to say from a pulpit what is documented in James Dobson’s letter. I believe that Barack Obama is a false prophet with a huge ego and a Messiah complex who needs to be exposed. If Christian leaders don’t do it – who will? Shall we leave that to the conservative Jews, Mormons and Catholics? Be strong! Be bold! Tell the truth! Remember, when a moral issue becomes a political issue, it does not stop being a moral issue. In the early years of American history most preachers had election sermons to expose the moral issues and the candidates’ positions. In 1954 Senator Lyndon Johnson designed a bogus law to threaten preachers with the loss of the tax exempt status of the church if they dared to preach election sermons again. He didn’t want preachers fouling up his socialist plans and programs. That law passed. Now many preachers are afraid to speak up because they may lose their tax exemption. What about being more afraid of Almighty God? He inspired Paul to write to Timothy: “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” 2 Timothy 4:1-5 (NKJV)
Alliance Defense Fund has been encouraging pastors to challenge this bogus law as a blatant violation of the constitutional right to freedom of speech. They want the IRS to take a pastor to court so they can openly expose this law as unconstitutional. On Freedom of Speech Day three or four years ago, about fifty challenged the law by preaching on moral issues that have become political and sending copies of their sermons to the IRS. This year over four hundred did so. To date, the IRS has not attempted to rescind the 501c3 status even once! Could it be they know better than to try?
2. I believe that Barack Obama is a highly dangerous hypocrite, not only for America, but for all Christians – both domestic and foreign. Why do I say this? Because Barack Obama professes to be a Christian, yet by his actions he denies and blasphemes the Name of our Sovereign Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “By their fruits you will know them.” Matthew 7:20. He was speaking about false prophets. Barack Obama is the man who spurned the National Day of Prayer in May, then declared the entire month of June as a celebration of homosexuality his first year in office. This year, along with Eric Holder, he denounced the Defense of Marriage Act as unconstitutional – then called it Defense Against Marriage Act when going public with his endorsement of “gay marriage”. Barack Obama adamantly promotes the murder of the innocent unborn (and even some who are born), the agenda of the homosexual rights campaign (which God labels abomination), and the agenda of Islam, both foreign and domestic, (he even bowed before the king of Saudi Arabia). Maybe you have also wondered why a committed Marxist who trained under activist demonstrator Saul Alinsky would want to team up with Islam. Precisely because both Marxists and Islamists hate America, hate Israel, and hate Christians. Both philosophies follow the maxim that the end justifies the means. Therefore, by either of these anti-Christ philosophies it is right and good to lie, cheat, steal – even murder – if it promotes their “greater cause”. Unless we understand this we cannot understand what is going on. This helps us realize why Obama has appointed at least thirty nine Czars (Caesars) who answer to him – not to the American voters (and one of these – his “Green Czar” was removed after being exposed as a card-carrying communist). This also helps us realize why he and his administration speak of the “freedom of worship” (private) rather than the freedom of religion (public) which our United States constitution guarantees. The late Chuck Colson pointed out on one of his latest broadcasts that the only time he ever heard Barack Obama speak of “Freedom of religion” was when he was promoting the building of a gigantic mosque at the New York City site of 9/11. To Islamists everywhere such a mosque is a symbol of victory and claim to ownership.
Earlier I mentioned that Barack Obama not only believes in and promotes abortion (the murder of the unborn), but also infanticide (the murder of babies already born). That is because as a senator he repeatedly voted against the “Born Alive Act”, which was designed to save the lives of infants who have survived botched abortions. During his campaign he lied to cover this up – in spite of obvious exposure by his recorded voting record. It is my sincere conviction that any man this cold hearted is capable of any of the atrocities committed under the Nazi regime. In fact, if you want to look carefully at the parallels between the United States of America now and Germany in the 1930’s you will find them striking and startling. I highly recommend that you consider reading Eric Metaxis’ carefully documented biography, “Bonhoeffer” and Erwin Lutzer’s, “When a Nation Forgets God”.
You may notice that I never use the title “President Obama”. That is intentional – because I don’t believe he legitimately deserves the title. He is the man who has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars for legal defense to avoid producing a valid birth certificate and refused to show up in court in Memphis when subpoenaed to appear to validate his claim that he was born in Hawaii in spite of strong evidence that he was born in Kenya. He apparently believes that he is above the law. It is a fact that his father is not an American citizen, which already nullifies his legitimacy for the presidency.
3. What about hate? Do I hate Barack Obama? I confess that I’ve sometimes struggled with the temptation to hate him, but I’ve asked God to deliver me from such hatred by realizing:
A. That he is a soul for whom Jesus died. On the cross Jesus prayed for His enemies, “Father forgive them – they know not what they do.”
B. That he is a blind man spiritually. You don’t hate a blind man for walking in darkness – you pray for God to open his eyes, convict him of sin, and bring him to deep and true repentance, baptism, forgiveness of sin and receiving of the gift of the Holy Spirit. That is what I’m doing. Therefore, I do not hate Barack Obama – I love him with the love of Christ by praying for his conversion for his sake and for the sake of the nation. Even though I hate what he is doing and sometimes feel intense anger, I do not hate him. (Every parent should also relate to such feelings!) For example, when I see the Obama administration taking the State of Arizona to court for protecting their own borders, encroaching more and more on constitutional freedoms by power grabs and executive orders, and intentionally driving America to bankruptcy with outrageous pork barrel spending (which will hurt our kids and grandkids more than us) I do feel angry – intensely angry. I am not ashamed of that fact. I believe more Christians need to wake up and get angry. Anger itself is not sin – it’s what we do with it that matters. The Word of God says, “…be angry – and sin not.” Ephesians 4:26, and “God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day.” Psalm 7:11. Sometimes anger is the most godly emotion we can experience – and apathy the most ungodly! I’m reminded of a story I heard about a preacher who approached an elder and said, “We have two huge problems in this congregation – ignorance and apathy. What do you recommend we do to solve these?” The elder replied, “I don’t know – and I don’t care.” These are huge problems in most American churches – and too many don’t know and don’t care. Believers, earnestly pray for revival and prepare for persecution. Hopefully the revival will come before the persecution – but it may not. Already there is intense hostility toward Biblical Christianity in Hollywood, in the media, in academia, in the school system, in the court system and in many businesses – yet many Christians are asleep with the attitude that it can’t happen here.
I’m first a Christian, but I’m also a husband, a father, a grandfather, a missionary, a business owner and a citizen of the United States of America. There are responsibilities in each realm of my life and influence. Abraham Lincoln spoke of government of the people, by the people, and for the people. In this nation politics is my business – my responsibility. If you are an American citizen – it’s yours too! If you are a Christian, your responsibility is heightened, not diminished because we are the ones to be salt and light in a dark world. What are you going to do about it?
3. I also realize that Barack Obama is simply the front man for some other powerful, shadowy figures – billionaires like George Soros, Ted Turner, and Tom Gill who share his godless philosophy. I also pray for their conversion.
4. The real battle is spiritual. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-6.
Does the fact that I do not agree with the political agenda of the left wing elitists mean that I hate them? Does the fact that James Dobson rips the mask off and exposes some of Barack Obama’s false promises and outright lies mean that he is propagating hate? This must be an effective tactic – they keep using it as their trump card. If their charge is true then we must face the inevitable conclusion that our Lord Jesus Christ was guilty of “hate speech” as well. The chief priests were both political and religious leaders in Israel, yet Jesus ripped the mask off their lies and false doctrines, exposed them as false prophets, and called them hypocrites! (See Matthew 23). Jesus was even more severe with them than the Old Testament prophets were with the corrupt leaders in their times. Yet in Acts 6:7 we read, “And the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.” Finally, the truth penetrated their calloused hearts! Many of the priests repented and obeyed the gospel! Praise God! It took the severity of Jesus’ love, plus overwhelming evidence to convict and convince them. Sometimes love must be tough! Paul was the man God chose to pen the most potent description of true love in all literature (see 1 Corinthians 13), yet Paul is the man who exposed a false prophet with harsh words: “But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, ‘O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? ‘And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.’ And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.” Acts 13:8-12. This exposure led to the salvation of the proconsul. That’s tough love in action! Where is the tough love today in our churches? In our politically incorrect society? (How can it be “politically correct” when it is morally wrong?) Why was Joe Wilson pressured by his Republican colleagues to apologize for shouting, “You lie!” when he spoke the truth? James Dobson used more polite terminology, such as duplicity and deception, but the bottom line is that he exposed some of Barack Obama’s lies (which the liberal media refuses to expose).
Are we willing to speak truth about abortion? About marriage? The Word of God says, “Marriage is honorable among all and the bed undefiled, but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” Hebrews 13:4. So called “gay marriage” is not gay (happy)! It is not marriage! It is not honorable! It is not undefiled! It is homosexual perversion which God calls an abomination. What right does anyone have to call “marriage” what God calls abomination? Friends, it’s time to wake up! It’s time to call a spade a spade and a sin a sin! How else will sinners be convicted by the Word of God and come to repentance? Tough love is real love – Biblical love! Ravi Zacharias has a message entitled, ‘The Intolerance of Tolerance”. Is the letter I received a classic example of this message? One university professor opposing Christians on campus for rejecting his viewpoint (about homosexuality, I believe) said, “We don’t tolerate the intolerable!” We shouldn’t be surprised. Biblical Christianity was “intolerable” in the first century also. Jesus said, “If they hated me they will hate you.”
The Tender Side of Love
Abraham Lincoln has been described as “the man of steel and velvet” because he had a touch of velvet (compassion) for the slaves, the downtrodden, the oppressed – but a backbone of steel in opposing slave traders, lobbyists or others seeking to bribe, threaten and manipulate him for their own gain. Where do you think he learned these traits? Jesus Himself was the ultimate “Man of steel and velvet”. He perfectly fulfilled the prophecy that “A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench” (Isaiah 42:3, Matthew 12:20) in His gentle manner with hated tax collectors like Matthew and Zaccheus and immoral women like the woman at the well and the one caught in adultery. On the flip side, He demonstrated His backbone of steel by turning the trap around to spring on the hypocrites who set it for Him. Truly no one ever spoke with such authority as this Man – and no one ever handled controversy better than He did. The hypocritical chief priests were so angry and vengeful toward Jesus for capturing them in their own traps that they manipulated His execution by crucifixion carried out by pagan gentiles – then Jesus once again turned the trap back on them by conquering death, rising from the tomb, fulfilling Biblical prophecy again, and empowering His apostles with the baptism in the Holy Spirit accompanied with signs, wonders, miracles and mind boggling boldness in those who had run like scared rabbits at His capture and crucifixion. Peter used the “keys to the kingdom” (truths of the gospel) to open the door of salvation and service to multitudes of the bent, bruised and broken souls to come home to the gentle Jesus Who was now demonstrated to be the triumphant Conqueror of sin, death and hell.
Even so today the broken-hearted, repentant thief, cheat, liar, fornicator (whether homosexual or heterosexual) adulterer, murderer, etc. who comes to Him for forgiveness He will not turn away. His invitation still is “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29. Why? “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. It is the proud, haughty, rebellious, unbroken promoters of evil that Jesus will break with a rod of iron. But even now, for those who bow, surrender and submit, “The Spirit and the bride say ‘Come!’…And whoever desires let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17. Today is the day of salvation! The door is still open to you! “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.” Acts 2:38.
Powerful, Pungent Quotes
“The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.” Proverbs 29:25.
“Fear of criticism is the kiss of death in the courtship of accomplishment.” – Michael Yousef
“Tolerance is the highest virtue of those who don’t believe anything.” – G.K. Chesterton
“YOU HAVE FIRM CONVICTIONS – STAND STRONG BEHIND THEM.” (This was on a fortune cookie slip which I found on the greenbelt trail while taking a break from writing this letter. Hmmmm!)
Has God Withdrawn His Protective Hand from America?
From the USS Cole to the 9/11 terrorist attacks (and others), to Hurricane Katrina, to a massive killer tornado in Joplin, MO, and other strange, bogus, disastrous weather patterns, does it also appear evident to you that our Almighty God is withdrawing His protective hand from America – as He did from Israel – because of massive wickedness and rebellion? On Saturday, May 26, Memorial Day weekend, I heard a radio weather report of a potentially dangerous heat wave in Indiana, which would affect the Indianapolis 500 – yet in Montana they were facing a huge snow storm, which could possibly drop up to two feet of new snow. At the same time disastrous wildfires were raging in thirteen states (mostly in the west), while the eastern seaboard states from Florida to the Carolinas were being warned to brace for huge tropical storms, which may drop up to a foot of rain in one area. Hmmm!
“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.” Romans 1:18-32 (NIV)
Now let’s take a good look at Romans 13:11-14 (NIV):
“The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and morality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”
Please, please pray earnestly for true, deep repentance and revival in American churches and sweeping spiritual awakening in our corrupt culture!
Trust God in the Dark
As I was writing this letter, a song came on the radio entitled “Trust God in the Dark”.
Trust God in the dark
When burdens are pressing and sorrows distressing
there’s someone who loves you and cares
When life becomes weary and days are so dreary
your darkness can change into song
Trust God in the dark, you need never despair
Trust God in the dark, every heartache He’ll share
Let come what may along life’s way
And trust God in the dark
When life is confusing, the fight you are losing
You wonder to whom you should go
When grief plants in secret her thorn in your pathway
Reject it
To whom should you go
Trust God in the dark, you need never despair
Trust God in the dark, every heartache He’ll share
Let come what may along Life’s way
And trust God in the darkest hour
Yes, trust God in the dark
Trust God in the dark
This also reminds me of a book I read on the way home from Ukraine by Robert Jeffress entitled, “Twilight’s Last Gleaming” and subtitled, “How America’s Last Days can be Your Best Days”. The purpose of the book is two-fold:
1. To challenge Christians to stand up and speak out truth in a corrupt society as the black clouds gather on the horizon.
2. To encourage Christians to realize that the darker the night is around us the more brilliant is the light of the stars. Praise God – and let your light shine! Jesus is coming! Hallelujah!
Respectfully yours & His, Rick