An Open Letter to Paxton Smith

Dear Miss Smith:

This past Thursday, I learned about your valedictory address that went viral. While many people commended you for speaking against the new Texas law banning abortions as early as six weeks after conception, I have a differing viewpoint. Hopefully, you are open-minded enough to read this.

First, let me point out I’m a Christian who once leaned towards a pro-choice stance. Radical pro-life advocates who harassed and killed abortion practitioners repelled me from their cause. Then one day, I saw a picture of a little girl whose arm got cut off from an attempted abortion. The back of this flyer had illustrations of a fetus killed during an abortion procedure. That convinced me abortion is taking the lives of innocent human beings. If you haven’t already done so, I recommend watching the movie “Unplanned.”

Those in favor of abortion talk about “women’s rights.” What about the baby’s rights? It’s not the mother’s body cut to pieces during an abortion procedure. That fetus is a separate person. How would you feel if your mother had aborted you?

God forbid, I don’t want to see any woman raped. But every child has a divine destiny regardless of the circumstances of their birth. Did you know there have been famous people conceived in rape like Jesse Jackson and Ethel Waters? I once met a minister’s wife who was the offspring of a rapist. Jeri and her late husband Steve Hill traveled to numerous countries and impacted many lives.

Contrary to your claim, pregnancies are detectable within six weeks. One obvious sign is missing a period. If you ever have an unplanned pregnancy and not in a position to raise that child, you could choose life by giving him/her up for adoption. Again, think of the child’s life. Think about the couples who want children but cannot conceive on their own. Think of the blessing your unplanned child could be to them. Many adoptive parents would be willing to cover hospitalization and other expenses.

I wish you the best in your future. I pray the Lord Jesus Christ becomes the center of it.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” - Jeremiah 1:5

Not Moved By What You See

I didn’t closely follow the Derek Chauvin trial but was a bit surprised with the outcome. The former Minneapolis police officer was convicted on all three counts for the death of George Floyd. I didn’t agree with Chauvin pressing his knee on Floyd’s neck for several minutes. However, fentanyl could have killed Floyd (similar to what happened to Prince five years ago). He had three times the lethal dosage in his system. The jurors may have rendered the guilty verdict fearing reprisals from protesters. 

Throughout history, innocent people have been imprisoned for crimes they didn’t commit. They were sometimes the victims of circumstantial evidence. One online dictionary defines that as “evidence not drawn from direct observation of a fact in issue.” An example could be someone running away from a murder scene with a weapon in hand. Unless witnesses saw him commit the murder, there’s a possibility the suspect wasn’t involved.

Hours before the Derek Chauvin verdict was delivered, I had an incident that reminded me how other situations can be misinterpreted. I went to the Apple Store because the power cord for my MacBook Pro stopped working the day before. Troubleshooting on my part convinced me the USB-C Charge Cable needed replacing. When an Apple Store employee tried a different cord, my laptop didn’t receive power from that. A closer examination revealed residue had accumulated on the Thunderbolt port. Cleaning that resulted in my cable working again.

Jesus warned in Matthew 24:24, “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” In this day and hour, we cannot make decisions strictly by what we see in the natural realm where Satan can manipulate things. We need to be led by the Holy Spirit regardless of what our five senses tell us. Even when our prayers appear to go unanswered, standing on the word of God will produce results. As Smith Wigglesworth famously said, “I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe.”

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” - 2 Corinthians 5:7

Making God Famous

On this day thirty-nine years ago, musician John Lennon was shot to death outside his apartment in New York City. Years before as a member of the Beatles, John made the infamous remark, “We are more popular than Jesus.”

To some people, the Beatles are still more popular with them because they don’t know the real Jesus. That’s why God needs His people to go into the world and share the full gospel with others. Unbelievers need to hear about a Jesus that will heal their broken hearts, cure their diseases, and of course, forgive all their sins.

There was a time when John Lennon had a genuine interest in Jesus. According to Steve Turner’s book The Gospel According to the Beatles, John became a regular viewer of that era’s most influential TV preachers. In 1972 he sent a letter to Oral Roberts that the evangelist later shared publicly. Here are some of the comments Lennon wrote…

“The point is this, I want happiness. I don't want to keep on with drugs. Paul [McCartney] told me once, ‘You made fun of me for taking drugs, but you will regret it in the end.’ Explain to me what Christianity can do for me. Is it phony? Can He love me? I want out of hell.”

Five years later, Lennon told friends he had become a born-again Christian and went so far as to write several Christian songs. Unfortunately, that disturbed his wife Yoko Ono who eventually influenced John to abandon his newfound faith and embrace New Age practices.

I heard one minister say his goal in life was to make God famous. Let that be your daily mission as well. Open your mouth. Tell others about what the Lord has done in your life and that He loves them as well. Then Jesus will become more popular with them.

“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?  And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?  And how shall they hear without a preacher?” - Romans 10:14

A Moral Problem

Matt Post at the Capitol

Last month’s school shooting in Parkland, Florida that killed 17 people has not only triggered more calls for gun control but students leaving classes in protest. As part of the nationwide walkouts this past Wednesday, students gave speeches outside the U.S. Capitol alongside Democratic lawmakers. A video of the speech made by Matthew Post (no relation to me) has gone viral. This high school senior from Maryland declared, “We have a moral problem in this country…The adults have failed us. This is in our hands now. And if any elected official gets in our way, we will vote them out.”

I can sympathize with Matt’s anger and frustration but don’t agree with how he and others like him are reacting. Matt threatened to “shame our national policy leaders into protecting us.” No politician is perfect but we are supposed to honor and pray for those in authority. Many young people nowadays don’t respect their elders.

Voting out certain elected officials is a good idea. I would start with those that stood with Matt on the Capitol steps. Politicians wanting to tamper with the Second Amendment are hypocrites for having armed personnel protecting them. School shootings won’t cease if comprehensive gun control legislation is implemented. The city of Chicago has toughened their gun laws but the murder rate there has actually increased.

Terrorists have found ways to kill people without using guns. After the 9/11 attacks in 2001, we didn’t hear proposals to outlaw airplanes. When two brothers killed and maimed multitudes at the Boston Marathon five years ago, we didn’t see protestors calling for a ban on pressure cookers. Many teens still die from texting while driving even though it’s illegal in most states. I haven’t heard any of their friends and loved ones advocating the elimination of cell phones (although a few fanatics want to get rid of cars).

Yes, Matt. I agree adults have failed you. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Ever since prayer and Bible reading were removed from American classrooms generations ago, we’ve seen an increase in crime, drug usage, and out-of-wedlock births. Homosexuality and gender transition are now taught in our schools as normal behaviors. God-fearing individuals who won’t condone these things are labelled as “haters.”

On the same day Matt gave his speech outside the Capitol, he posted on Twitter: “We’re going to keep marching. We’re going to vote. And we, the youth, are going to bring morality to this country’s politics.” Matt, I hope you do. You seem like a bright young man who has the potential of making a greater impact on our nation. But preaching morality without repentance won’t bring lasting change. It’s like putting a Band-Aid on cancer.

The real moral problem is sin. The solution is knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and planting the incorruptible seed of God’s word in the human heart. When people become born again, they have the supernatural ability to obey His commandments including "Thou shalt not kill."

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” - Proverbs 16:25

A Biblical Viewpoint on Bearing Arms

Whenever a mass shooting takes place, there is increased talk in the media about gun control. That is happening again following the recent tragedy in Las Vegas, Nevada. From two 32nd story hotel windows, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock used automatic weapons to fire upon a crowd gathered for a country music concert. 59 people died and over 500 others were wounded. This surpassed last year’s Orlando nightclub massacre as the deadliest shooting by a lone gunman in U.S. history.

Back in 2012, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher shot and killed his girlfriend before committing suicide hours later at the team’s practice facility. The next night during a nationally televised football game, NBC Sportscaster Bob Costas stated, “If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins [Belcher’s girlfriend] would both be alive today.” Some Americans think taking guns out of public hands will reduce the amount of murders in this country. One of my Facebook friends posted this interesting analogy: “Jim Jones killed a lot of people with Kool-Aid. Thank God Kool-Aid wasn’t banned or I wouldn’t have had a childhood.”

Although I'm not a gun owner, I strongly support the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, which protects the right of civilians to keep and bear arms. President Ronald Reagan stated two years after surviving an assassination attempt, “You won't get gun control by disarming law-abiding citizens. There's only one way to get real gun control: Disarm the thugs and the criminals, lock them up and if you don't actually throw away the key, at least lose it for a long time...It's a nasty truth, but those who seek to inflict harm are not fazed by gun controllers. I happen to know this from personal experience.”

Back when Jesus walked the face of this earth, the sword was the gun of its day. Both civilians and those in authority carried them. According to Luke 22, Jesus was not a pacifist like some anti-war demonstrators want to believe…

36 Then He {Jesus] said to them, “But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. 

37 For I say to you that this, which is written must still be accomplished in Me: ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors.’ For the things concerning Me have an end.”

38 So they said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.”

Of course, Jesus didn’t condone indiscriminate use of weapons. In response to Peter cutting off the right ear of the high priest’s servant, the Lord said in Matthew 26:52, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”  

The problem isn’t the National Rifle Association or gun ownership but wicked criminals who possess these weapons. Guns do not come alive and kill people on their own. Somebody has to pull the trigger. The solution can be clearly illustrated in this poem written by Darrell Scott whose daughter Rachel was killed during the 1999 mass shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado…

Your laws ignore our deepest needs

Your words are empty air.

You've stripped away our heritage.

You've outlawed simple prayer.

Now gunshots fill our classrooms.

And precious children die.

You seek for answers everywhere.

And ask the question “WHY”?

You regulate restrictive laws.

Through legislative creed.

And yet you fail to understand.

That God is what we need! 

“But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” – Matthew 15:18-19

An Open Letter to Daniel Heinrich

Dear Daniel,

I’m a missionary who has lived most of my life in Minnesota. While there’s no guarantee you will ever see this letter, I still felt inspired to write to you. My intent is not to bring additional shame and condemnation you’ve already experienced.

You probably felt some relief after confessing to the abduction and murder of Jacob Wetterling. It would be hard for anyone to have that on their conscience for 27 years. The date of Jacob’s disappearance (October 22nd) always stood out to me because that happens to be my sister’s birthday. I can’t imagine the horror of having a loved one disappear and not knowing their whereabouts for nearly three decades. The news reports I read about your plea agreement indicate you will spend at least 20 years behind bars. Regardless if you ever see freedom again, I want to share some good news with you. 

While there are angry people who want to see you suffer for eternity, God sees things differently. Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” None of us deserve to go to heaven. In case you’re not already aware of this, God sent His only begotten Son to die on the cross for our sins so that we won’t have to go to hell. Every soul is valuable to God…even yours.

If you’re remorseful for what you did, God can still use your latter years for good. Remember the “Son of Sam” killer who terrorized New York City in the 1970s? David Berkowitz became a Christian ten years after being incarcerated. To this day he ministers to fellow inmates. Jeffrey Dahmer was another serial killer who found the Lord but then had his life cut short by another prisoner. This is why we must always be ready for eternity. People from all walks of life die unexpectedly every day.

Skeptics may question “jailhouse conversions.” Others may feel justified for expressing hatred towards you. The Bible actually equates hate with murder (Matthew 5:21-22, 1 John 3:15). Jesus warned that He won’t forgive us if we won’t forgive others (Mark 11:26). Thankfully His grace and mercy are so much greater than man’s. It’s also worth pointing out portions of the Bible were written by men who committed murder such as Moses, David, and the Apostle Paul.

Certainly, I don’t condone the crimes you committed. There are consequences for lawbreakers especially when they traumatically impact the lives of others. Still, I pray that you give your life to Jesus Christ. He will receive you joyfully if you call out to Him. 

In the meantime, I will be praying for you as well as for the Wetterling family.

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” - 2 Peter 3:9

Never Die?

Recently while evangelizing on the streets of Tampa, Florida, I talked with a man who claimed God told him he would never die. He affirmed this belief even after I quoted Hebrews 9:27, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” It amazes me how some individuals think they will be an exception and live forever on this earth. Although God wants us to have a long life (Psalm 91:16), we still live in a cursed world. People die unexpectedly every day from diseases, accidents, murders, and other tragedies.

John 11 contains a passage that appears to be contradictory...

25 Jesus said to her [referring to Martha], “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 

26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

Scripture shows there are two different kinds of death: physical and spiritual. Except for Enoch and Elijah, every person mentioned in the Bible experienced a physical death. That’s when their spirit separated from their body. Everyone who dies without knowing the Lord will experience spiritual death. Four times in the book of Revelation it’s referred to as the second death...

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” - Revelation 2:11

“Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” - Revelation 20:6

“Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” - Revelation 20:14

“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” - Revelation 21:8

Except for Christians who are alive when the Lord raptures His church, everybody will die someday. If the trumpet sounded right now, would you be ready to meet Him in the air?

“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” 

- 1 Corinthians 15:22