America is fallen-that great country is fallen!

This passage of Scripture was intended to be an epitaph for the government of men. As such, we could substitute the United States of America for Babylon. Like Babylon and Rome before her, America will fall one day. Indeed, ALL of the nations of humankind are destined to fail (and for mostly the same reasons). 

“Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen!

    She has become a home for demons.
She is a hideout for every foul spirit,
    a hideout for every foul vulture
    and every foul and dreadful animal.
3 For all the nations have fallen
    because of the wine of her passionate immorality.
The kings of the world
    have committed adultery with her.
Because of her desires for extravagant luxury,
    the merchants of the world have grown rich.”

“Come away from her, my people.
    Do not take part in her sins,
    or you will be punished with her.
5 For her sins are piled as high as heaven,
    and God remembers her evil deeds.
6 Do to her as she has done to others.
    Double her penalty for all her evil deeds.
She brewed a cup of terror for others,
    so brew twice as much for her.
7 She glorified herself and lived in luxury,
    so match it now with torment and sorrow.
She boasted in her heart,
    ‘I am queen on my throne.
I am no helpless widow,
    and I have no reason to mourn.’
8 Therefore, these plagues will overtake her in a single day—
    death and mourning and famine.
She will be completely consumed by fire,
    for the Lord God who judges her is mighty.”

“How terrible, how terrible for you,
    O Babylon, you great city!
In a single moment
    God’s judgment came on you.”

“The fancy things you loved so much
    are gone,” they cry.
“All your luxuries and splendor
    are gone forever,
    never to be yours again.”

“How terrible, how terrible for that great city!
    She was clothed in finest purple and scarlet linens,
    decked out with gold and precious stones and pearls!
17 In a single moment
    all the wealth of the city is gone!”

From Revelation 18, New Living Translation

Happy 250th Birthday Manasseh! from Pastor General Bill Watson

Pastor Bill Watson, leader of the newly minted Church of God Independent Ministries of Medina, Ohio, just wished America a Happy Birthday! (See Happy 250th Birthday America) Poor old Bill tried to wax eloquent about the "American Experiment," but it fell a little flat.

He said that it was a miracle that America had survived the many challenges it has faced. You know: dispossessing the original inhabitants of all of that land, getting thousands of Africans here across the turbulent Atlantic Ocean and trying to make them work for white folks, leveling vast tracks of virgin forest, making moonscapes of large tracts of land in its pursuit of coal and other resources, finding places to bury all of the refuse we've created, having to get rid of all of those pesky bison and passenger pigeons, building all of those miles of walls to keep people out, figuring out ways to keep undesirables from voting and usurping power from white folks, figuring out new and better ways to wage war and kill people, resisting those nasty folks who would like to mandate public health measures, etc. YES, America has had its challenges, but God has enabled us to survive and thrive! Talk about miracles!

Never one to be at a loss for words, Bill declared that "There is obviously something 'Providential' about the United States that seems to be providing a degree of protection for purposes of clearly, bringing a balance of power to the nations of the world–– and yes, there is: it’s called God’s Covenant Birthright!" You probably didn't know this, but the United States is really an Israelite nation. YES, according to Bill, the people of e pluribus unum are descendants of Joseph's son, Manasseh! Now, aren't we all sorry we slept through U.S. History class in high school?

Although Mr. Watson claims that he is shocked that we haven't seen World War III yet, he appears to be confident that his favorite president has everything in hand. He pointed out how he had completely defeated Iran and "took complete control of the Strait of Hormuz." Indeed, Mr. Watson believes that Trump is so tough that Iran's Russian, Chinese, and North Korean allies didn't dare to even whisper any objections to Trump's actions against Iran. "This is just stunning! Frankly, it’s unbelievably amazing when you think about it. Clearly, God is involved!" Watson crowed. Miracles everywhere we look!

Watson went on to write: "So, it would appear a 'judge' has been raised up in this Birthright Nation to resist and push back at the Globalist. To relieve and slow down some of the oppression and attempted control from the WEF, the UN, and so many of the additional global organizations like the IMF, the WHO, and the World Court, along with so many others, ––a speed bump, if you will––curbing their influence and reducing their momentum from achieving a 'New World Order.' Admittedly, President Trump’s administration has disrupted many of their plans, setting them back on their timeline!" Apparently, we should all be on our knees right now thanking Almighty God that he has raised up such a savior for this great nation of ours!

Mr. Watson sees a great "CHRISTIAN Nation" here. After all, all of those Founding Fathers professed to be Christians didn't they? Oh sure, some of them owned slaves and were personally immoral, but they professed their faith in Christ - Come on, doesn't that mean anything to you people? And, sure, Thomas Jefferson wrote his own version of the Gospels and deleted all of the miracles, BUT he still professed himself to be a follower of Christ's teachings! And, sure, some of our denominations split into Northern and Southern organizations because of their respective stances on slavery, BUT they were all still Christians! And, yes, there were some strong anti-Roman Catholic sentiments within some quarters of the American Christian community, BUT everything is OK now - Protestants and Catholics are united in their condemnation of abortion and homosexuals - SO CHEW ON THAT YOU COMMY ATHEISTIC DEMONCRATS!

Bill is clearly in a happy place. Sure, some will say that he is delusional; but the man is clearly patriotic! Yes, some smart alecks like me will point out that a Christian minister has no business singing the praises of one of this world's nations or becoming a political partisan of one party over another or of serving as a cheerleader for his favorite politician; but there are always killjoys waiting in the wings - aren't there? Maybe we should leave poor Bill alone. After all, he was just trying to wish America a HAPPY Birthday and doesn't America deserve a very happy birthday? What do you think?

The Spirit, NOT the Letter!

Jesus of Nazareth taught that the Jews had failed to fulfill the spirit of Torah - though many of them were careful to obey the written commandments of that legislation. Indeed, he told his followers "unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven!" (Matthew 5:20) In other words, obeying the letter of Torah was NOT enough! (The English Standard Version will be used throughout this post.)

Torah commanded: "You shall not murder," but Christ taught that people shouldn't harbor anger and resentment toward each other (Matthew 5:21-24). Likewise, Torah commanded: "You shall not commit adultery," but Jesus said that husbands shouldn't even harbor lustful thoughts toward women who were not their wives (Matthew 5:27). Torah made provisions for a man to divorce his wife if he was dissatisfied with her, but Jesus said that divorce was NOT what God had intended (Matthew 5:31-32). Torah commanded: "You shall not swear falsely," but Christ said that people shouldn't even be making oaths in the first place (Matthew 5:33-37)! Torah laid down the principle of "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth," but our Savior taught that we should love our enemies and pray for those who mistreat us (Matthew 5:38-42). He went on to say: "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?" (Matthew 5:46-47)

In fact, according to the four canonical Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), Jesus taught that strict obedience to the commandments of Torah was ALWAYS insufficient. It simply was NOT enough! He taught that the Sabbath wasn't just about not doing this or that - that it was more about ceasing from our own evil works and doing good things for each other (Matthew 12:1-13, Mark 2:23-28, Luke 6:1-11, John 5:1-17, etc.). Indeed, Jesus said that the entire approach of the Jewish religious leaders of his day to obeying the commandments of Torah was wrongheaded! He said: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness...You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!" (Matthew 23:23-24) Legalists will note that I left out a portion of this passage and will miss the entire point that Christ was making about obedience by doing so! Jesus went on to say: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So, you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." (Matthew 23:27-28)

When Christ was asked which one of the commandments of Torah was the greatest, he replied: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 22:37-40) Did you catch that? Christ identified two commandments which dealt with the intent of the heart or "spirit" of the Law as fulfilling the whole thing. According to Christ, this was the kind of obedience that God was looking for from his people - an obedience based on LOVE, NOT in scrupulously following a list of dos and don'ts!

The Apostle Paul compared a Christian's relationship to the commandments of Torah to a wife who had been released from her marriage bonds by the death of her husband. He wrote: "Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code." (Romans 7:4-6) Paul went on to say that he served the Law of God with his mind (Romans 7:25). In this same epistle, Paul wrote: "Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,' and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." (Romans 13:8-10) In other words, if we keep this commandment, the other commandments become redundant - unnecessary!

Likewise, in his second epistle to the Christians at Corinth, Paul assured them that his message about Jesus of Nazareth was sincere and heartfelt. He went on to write: "Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." (II Corinthians 3:1-6) Clearly, for Paul, it was what was in the heart that was important. For him, the stuff that was written down was of little importance. Instead, it was what the believer had internalized - what was written on his/her heart!

Human Intelligence vs Spiritual Intelligence

A little over twenty years after Christ's ascension to heaven, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians at Corinth about their devotion to various leaders within the Church. Some claimed to follow Paul, others followed Peter, and some followed Apollos. Some even claimed that they alone were the real followers of Jesus Christ. (See I Corinthians 1:10-12) In the face of these divisions, Paul went on to point out that there were real/tangible differences between human and spiritual wisdom. He wrote:

 I Corinthians1:18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. 19 As the Scriptures say,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”

20 So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. 21 Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. 22 It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. 23 So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.

24 But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.

26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy[g] when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.

30 God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. 31 Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”

I Corinthians 2:1 When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. 2 For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. 4 And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. 5 I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.

6 Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten. 7 No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. 8 But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. 9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”

10 But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 11 No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. 12 And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.

13 When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.14 But people who aren’t spiritual[g] can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. 15 Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. 16 For,

“Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?”

But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.

The New Living Translation

In this way, Paul underscored that spiritual truth did not originate in ANY human source, and that it also didn't depend on the vocabulary, intellectual prowess, or oratorical skills of ANY individual human. Moreover, Paul underscored the fact that God's message to humankind was not readily received by those considered learned or powerful by this world's standards. These are things that all Christians would do well to remember, even those of us who find ourselves in the year 2026!

Shallow Soil

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus said: "Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away." (Matthew 13:5-6, ESV) The soil was too shallow to nurture the seed which had been planted in it. In other words, the soil must have depth for the seed to thrive. This is true botanically, intellectually, and spiritually.

We will not benefit from a message that is not contemplated and studied. Short attention spans and laziness are lethal to learning. Learning demands a willingness to read, listen, cogitate, and respond. It requires an investment of time and attention. Whether consciously or subconsciously, we are all constantly making value judgments which impact our ability to absorb information. We ask ourselves questions like: Is a book too much? Is a booklet sufficient? Is a post too long? Is a four-hour documentary worth the time? Do we prefer headline news, history, theology? Is this consistent with what I already believe to be true?

Ideas are like seeds. If they lay on top of thin or rocky soil, they tend not to take root and grow. And, without growth, there will be no fruit. Ideas must be allowed to penetrate. Moreover, an honest evaluation requires consideration and time. Anything less, is inadequate, unfair, and gives opportunity and space for ignorance and prejudice to flourish. Is your soil shallow or deep?

Is There Anything for God and Christians to Celebrate on July 4, 2026?

The United States of America is approaching the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of its Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. As that date approaches, I think that it is appropriate to reflect on whether or not U.S. Christians and their God have anything to celebrate on that holiday. For most Christians, such questions will seem almost blasphemous and disloyal. After all, they will point out that the Declaration of Independence gives a nod to the Almighty, and that the United States Constitution guarantees freedom of religion. Indeed, many of them proudly declare their devotion to "God and country." Even so, I seem to recall Jesus Christ once saying that it was impossible to serve two masters - to divide one's loyalty.

In 1775, many of the citizens of the various British colonies rebelled against the king and his parliament. Over 1,700 years before those events, the Apostle Paul wrote: "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment." (Romans 13:1-2, ESV) In particular, these people were protesting "taxation without representation." Yet, Jesus once said: "render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." (Matthew 22:21)

Now, in Christ's day, the government was centered in Rome and was carried out in the name of the emperor. We should also note that the emperor did NOT recognize the God of the Hebrews and even regarded himself as an object of worship! Moreover, the emperor's decrees and actions were often cruel, unjust, and self-serving. Nevertheless, the Apostle Peter wrote: "Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor." (I Peter 2:13-17) Was the emperor worthy of honor? Was the emperor righteous? Was the emperor the servant of the people's interests? NO! Yet, according to the apostle, the Christian citizens of the Roman Empire were obligated to accept and respect his authority.

When Jesus stood before the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate, he remained silent before the spurious charges made against him. The governor asked him: "You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?" Jesus replied: "You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above." (John 19:10-11) Even though everything that was happening was unjust and evil, Christ recognized and submitted to the authority over him.

Some questions for Christians to ask themselves about the United States before the upcoming Independence Day celebrations:

Does the United States government truly trust in God?

Do the people who run that government (president, governors, legislators, judges) serve the interests of the citizens of that country or their own interests?

Does the leadership of the United States exhibit high personal moral standards? (love, mercy, kindness, patience, fidelity, faithfulness, courage, truthfulness, fairness)

Does the United States have a history of righteousness and good works? (If you answered yes, what about how Native Americans have been treated, slavery, wars, poverty, exploitation of natural resources, crime, violence, addiction, etc.)

Is the United States a part of this world or God's Kingdom?

I am old enough to remember celebrating the Bicentennial of the United States in 1976! We had just finished with the Vietnam War and Watergate, but the celebration was a happy one. We were trained to exhibit a high degree of patriotism to our country. Later, I had the opportunity to serve in the United States Army. Looking back on all of that now, as a Christian and a student of history, I recognize that the United States of America has exhibited all of the many failures inherent to HUMAN governance. While I am thankful to have had the physical blessings that I and my family have enjoyed and to be able to practice my faith without government interference, I am still very mindful of the many sins of this nation, and my own status as a pilgrim and stranger on the earth. Moreover, I am reminded of the Lord's Prayer - where we were instructed to pray: "Thy Kingdom come - Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven!" (Matthew 6:10) Now, THAT will be something to celebrate!

Excerpts from Polycarp's Epistle to the Philippians

Polycarp, and the presbyters with him, to the Church of God sojourning at Philippi: Mercy to you, and peace from God Almighty, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour, be multiplied.

I have greatly rejoiced with you in our Lord Jesus Christ, because you have followed the example of true love [as displayed by God], and have accompanied, as became you, those who were bound in chains, the fitting ornaments of saints, and which are indeed the diadems of the true elect of God and our Lord; and because the strong root of your faith, spoken of in days Philippians 1:5 long gone by, endures even until now, and brings forth fruit to our Lord Jesus Christ, who for our sins suffered even unto death, [but] whom God raised from the dead, having loosed the bands of the grave. In whom, though now you see Him not, you believe, and believing, rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory; 1 Peter 1:8 into which joy many desire to enter, knowing that by grace you are saved, not of works, Ephesians 2:8-9 but by the will of God through Jesus Christ.

Wherefore, girding up your loins, 1 Peter 1:13; Ephesians 6:14 serve the Lord in fear and truth, as those who have forsaken the vain, empty talk and error of the multitude, and believed in Him who raised up our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, and gave Him glory, 1 Peter 1:21 and a throne at His right hand. To Him all things 1 Peter 3:22; Philippians 2:10 in heaven and on earth are subject. Him every spirit serves. He comes as the Judge of the living and the dead. Acts 17:31 His blood will God require of those who do not believe in Him. But He who raised Him up from the dead will raise us up also, if we do His will, and walk in His commandments, and love what He loved, keeping ourselves from all unrighteousness, covetousness, love of money, evil speaking, false witness; not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing, 1 Peter 3:9 or blow for blow, or cursing for cursing, but being mindful of what the Lord said in His teaching: Judge not, that you be not judged; Matthew 7:1 forgive, and it shall be forgiven unto you; be merciful, that you may obtain mercy; Luke 6:36 with what measure you measure, it shall be measured to you again; Matthew 7:2; Luke 6:38 and once more, Blessed are the poor, and those that are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of God.

For whosoever does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, is antichrist; 1 John 4:3 and whosoever does not confess the testimony of the cross, is of the devil; and whosoever perverts the oracles of the Lord to his own lusts, and says that there is neither a resurrection nor a judgment, he is the first-born of Satan. Wherefore, forsaking the vanity of many, and their false doctrines, let us return to the word which has been handed down to us from Jude 3 the beginning; watching unto prayer, 1 Peter 4:7 and persevering in fasting; beseeching in our supplications the all-seeing God not to lead us into temptation, Matthew 6:13; Matthew 26:41 as the Lord has said: The spirit truly is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41; Mark 14:38

Let us then continually persevere in our hope, and the earnest of our righteousness, which is Jesus Christ, who bore our sins in His own body on the tree, 1 Peter 2:24 who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth, 1 Peter 2:22 but endured all things for us, that we might live in Him. 1 John 4:9 Let us then be imitators of His patience; and if we suffer Acts 5:41; 1 Peter 4:16 for His name's sake, let us glorify Him. For He has set us this example 1 Peter 2:21 in Himself, and we have believed that such is the case.

Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians