An Open Letter to Tim Walz

Dear Governor Walz,

I’m a traveling missionary who’s lived in Minnesota for most of my life. Like yourself, I’m 56 years old with a Lutheran background and have served in the Army National Guard. Three months ago, I returned to Minnesota shortly before the coronavirus lockdown began. Since then, I’ve tolerated not being able to sit in coffee shops where I often work on my laptop and minister to people. More unfortunate, churches have been told not to have public gatherings. This violates the First Amendment guaranteeing our right to peaceably assemble.

While I don’t want to see anyone die from the coronavirus, preventing healthy people from living normal lives is not the answer. Past pandemics have been contained by quarantining the sick. This year’s lockdowns have caused many to suffer financially such as my friend Lynda who hasn’t been able to work at her hair salon for over two months. How would you like it if your paycheck was withheld for that long? 

This past Thursday, I was at the Reopen Minnesota rally in front of the Governor’s Residence in St. Paul. There I mostly walked along Summit Avenue passing out gospel tracts. Another man there asked to interview me for his YouTube channel. One of the questions he asked was what I’d say if given the opportunity to talk with you. Although you endorse other policies I’m strongly against, I would focus on something far more important from an eternal perspective. 

Every one of us will someday stand before God to give an account of our lives. Do you know for sure you’re going to heaven when your life ends? The Lutheran church I attended never taught me the necessity of being born again (John 3:3,7). Doing good works won’t prevent anyone from going to hell (Ephesians 2:8-9). It’s knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9-10). I pray you will decide to do that. If you’re already saved, then please study your Bible more. It will help you make better decisions as governor.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Sincerely, 

Todd R. Post

“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.” - Abraham Lincoln

Godly Disobedience

Coronavirus lockdowns have forced many places to close or change how they do business. For two months now, I haven’t been able to get a haircut, hang out at coffee shops, or attend most church services in person. Nevertheless, there are Christians who are quick to preach about “obeying the laws of the land” (Romans 13:1-6, Titus 3:1-2). I agree with that to a point. For example, no one should violate the speed limit except for policemen catching criminals and first responders trying to save lives.

Sometimes civil disobedience is necessary when a law contradicts the higher laws of God. These individuals in the Bible wouldn’t have fulfilled their divine destinies had they followed every man-made ordinance…

• The Hebrew midwives were ordered to throw newborn boys into the Nile River (Exodus 1:16). One mother hid her son for three months and then sent him floating down the river. Moses eventually led the Israelites out of captivity. 
• Esther went against protocol by appearing before King Ahasuerus even though it could have cost her life. Her actions prevented the Jews from being killed.
• Daniel and his three friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego refused to worship the king of Babylon and instead prayed to the true God. All of their lives were supernaturally spared.
• The early apostles were commanded not to preach in the name of Jesus. Peter responded in Acts 5:29, “We ought to obey God rather than men.”

Yesterday I exchanged emails with a fellow American who claimed we aren’t living in times of persecution. Baloney! For the past few years, Christian business owners refusing to support homosexual events have been harassed and fined. Lately we’ve had governors and mayors issuing threats against pastors and churchgoers just for having worship services. This goes against the First Amendment of the Constitution, which is the highest law of the land.

God hates rebellion but He is also against cowards tolerating godlessness. 500 years ago, a German priest named Martin Luther opposed corruption by the Roman Catholic Church that resulted in religious freedom for multitudes of people. This same country later allowed an Austrian named Adolf Hitler to gradually take away personal freedoms. Think that can’t happen here in the United States? Bad things happen when good people do nothing. 

A future law people should not obey is taking the mark of the beast. As A. W. Tozer once said, “To be right with God has often meant to be in trouble with men.”

But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.” - Acts 4:19

An Open Letter to the Caravan (and Those Helping Them)

An arena in Guadalajara

To whom it may concern:

I pray this letter somehow reaches the thousands mostly from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador who are traveling through Mexico towards the American border.

First, I don’t blame anyone for wanting to come to the United States. As a natural-born American citizen, I’m thankful for the prosperity we have here. I also recognize my nation was largely founded by immigrants seeking a better life for themselves and their families. All my ancestors came over from Europe many years ago.

There’s a missionary house in Florida I often stay where I’ve met many immigrants originally from Spanish-speaking countries. As far as I know, all of them came to the United States legally. Videos I’ve seen of some caravan members forcing their way into Mexico indicate they have little respect for authority. I don’t want people like that entering my country. We have enough crime here as it is.

You should be warned here in America our citizens have the right to bear arms. If I lived near the Mexican border and illegal aliens were crossing or camping on my property, I’d have every right to defend my home. At the very least, I’d fire warning shots reminding them they are trespassing. Other Americans with guns may not be as sympathetic and will respond with force if attacked with rocks and other weapons.

Recently I watched a documentary revealing 90-95% of the migrants are men. Only a small percentage of them are women and children. Support for the caravan has come from various organizations including one called “Pueblo Sin Fronteras” (People Without Borders) that flouts American sovereignty. I also read how the Mexican government offered shelter, medical attention, schooling and jobs to the migrants if they agree to stay in southern Mexico but most of them turned that down. Therefore, I question the motives of you continuing on with the caravan.

To those of you giving aid to the caravan, I agree with doing that to a point. You may be familiar with the Parable of the Good Samaritan. If Jesus was with the migrants, I believe He would minister to their needs but also remind them to obey the laws of the land (Romans 13:1-2). If you’re encouraging migrants to illegally enter my country, you are in sin!

In closing, I encourage you to give your life to Jesus Christ if you haven’t already done so. What good would it be to have a better life in a foreign country but not be allowed to walk through the Pearly Gates after you die? I would also ask the Lord where He wants you to live. Just because the United States has more opportunities doesn’t mean you’re supposed to come here. There is a reason God had you born in your country of origin. It could be His will for you to go back and help your nation become a better one.

Where God guides, He provides!

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.” - Psalm 37:23

The Anti-Christian Liberties Union

Certain activists have campaigned to have the Ten Commandments and other religious materials removed from government and public properties in America because of “separation of church and state.” Contrary to popular belief, that phrase does not appear anywhere in the Constitution. It originated in 1802 from an obscure letter then-president Thomas Jefferson wrote to a group of Baptists in Connecticut. He assured them a state religion would not be enforced upon all citizens.

Nevertheless, numerous legal cases have come up to undermine the Christian values this country was founded upon. One organization responsible for this is the American Civil Liberties Union. While the ACLU has defended religious people in a few cases, many of them were groups expressing views contrary to biblical Christianity such as Jehovah’s Witnesses and Westboro Baptist Church. 

If anything, the American Civil Liberties Union is known more for their anti-Christian stances. Their lobbying resulted in the Supreme Court removing prayer and Bible reading from public schools in the early 1960s. Current positions of the ACLU include supporting abortion rights, same-sex marriage and the right of homosexuals to adopt children while opposing the death penalty and government preference for particular faiths over others. With the latter, the ACLU doesn’t practice what they preach. They threaten Christians who pray and display crosses in public but have defended Muslims for practicing their beliefs.

In response to President Trump’s executive order to temporarily bar refugees and citizens of Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States, a few companies have spoken out against that. One of them is Bandcamp, a website musicians use to sell downloads of their music. This past Friday, the California-based company raised roughly $120,000 in donations for the ACLU. That prompted me to close my Bandcamp account.

Christians should never let the American Civil Liberties Union and other secular activists stop us from proclaiming our faith openly. It’s part of the Great Commission. Even if you find yourself in court for that, don’t forget we have an Advocate in heaven who will defend us.

“Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.” - Luke 21:14-15

A Christian Response to Immigration

One of the most contested political issues today is immigration. It’s estimated there are now at least 11 million illegal aliens in the United States. Many Americans want to see them deported. What makes the situation more complex is anchor babies born to aliens are recognized as American citizens.

Recently two minister friends who are immigrants themselves posted comments on Facebook suggesting we shouldn’t have any border controls. One of them claimed, “...restricting immigration is part of Marxist Socialism and is totally contrary to Biblical Christianity.” Yet when the Scriptures were written, cities had massive walls to keep certain people out. Even the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21 will have a wall around it.

While Native Americans have contributed to our society, the United States was predominately founded and built by immigrants and their descendants. The Statue of Liberty has a plaque on its base with this inscription: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” 

The Bible has many things to say on how to relate to foreigners. Deuteronomy 17:15 says, “You shall surely set a king over you whom the Lord your God chooses; one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother.” This Scripture inspired the writers of the Constitution to make it a requirement for the President to be a natural-born citizen.

Under the Old Covenant, certain religious activities were forbidden to foreigners. Exodus 12:43 says, “This is the ordinance of the Passover: No foreigner shall eat it.” It also says in Ezekiel 44:9, “No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart or uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter My sanctuary, including any foreigner who is among the children of Israel.”

On the other hand, the Old Testament commanded God’s people 36 times not to mistreat foreigners. For example. Leviticus 19:33-34 (NLT) says, “Do not take advantage of foreigners who live among you in your land. Treat them like native-born Israelites, and love them as you love yourself. Remember that you were once foreigners living in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”

One of Christ’s earthly descendants was a foreigner name Ruth who found favor in Boaz’ eyes. When He was a young child, Jesus received gifts from three wise men who traveled from Persia (Matthew 2:1). Jesus soon became a foreigner Himself after Joseph moved the family to Egypt to avoid being killed by Herod. Later when describing the Judgment of the Nations, Jesus commended those who obeyed Matthew 25:35, “I was a stranger and you took Me in.” 

Hebrews 13:2 tells us, “Do not forget to entertain strangers...” Therefore as a Christian, I welcome foreigners wanting to move to America as long as they do so legally and assimilate as law-abiding citizens. They shouldn’t insist on us changing our laws and customs to accommodate their preferences. One executive from the Council on American Islamic Relations declared, “If we are practicing Muslims, we are above the law of the land.” He would be better off moving to a country that practices Sharia Law.

I do believe some restrictions should be in place regarding who gets into the United States particularly those connected with terrorism and drug trafficking. Any foreigner who engages in illegal activities like these shouldn’t be allowed in the country. Those that get in and commit crimes within our borders should be prosecuted and deported. 

Unfortunately, the U. S. Government has made it harder for potential immigrants with godly motives. Not too long ago, a Christian family from Germany seeking political asylum to homeschool their children here was threatened with deportation. Now President Obama wants to allow 10,000 Muslim refugees from Syria into the United States within the next year. There are reports that 75% of those refugees are young men who could be potential terrorists. 

Then again, these could be opportunities to minister to people who might not hear the gospel otherwise. Once immigrants receive salvation, they “...are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” (Ephesians 2:19)

Our ultimate focus should be on eternal matters. 

“Dear friends, I warn you as ‘temporary residents and foreigners’ to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.” - 1 Peter 2:11 (NLT)