You will not receive from me a political dissertation or personal endorsement of a particular candidate or political party. But I do want to share my heart concerning the future of the next generations that you and I will leave behind when we are gone.
Like it or not, my day will come when I pass life’s baton to my loved ones who will run their race.  
While still here running my race (not as fast as I used to!), I consider myself to be very blessed by the Lord. He has graciously given me and Jo Ann an adult son, daughter, daughter-in-law and son-in-law. I love my “adult kids” with all my Daddy’s heart. I desire God’s best for their lives in every way. In addition, my gray hair has been rewarded with four awesome Roll grandchildren, all under fourteen years of age.   
My family of ten visited us this past weekend. Jo Ann and I are in recovery mode in the aftermath of the kid tornado that hit our home! A bit tired, certainly. Overjoyed having them here, priceless!
 Observing them play with carefree innocence set me to thinking about how our country is destroying innocence. My children’s minds are morally pure. What has happened to moral purity across America? Their innocent, joyful laughter and happy squeals come from uncorrupted hearts. Why is the United States such a sad, sorrowful, depressed, despairing society?
My grandkids uncalculated, unadulterated, uninhibited spontaneity to just enjoy being a kid warms my heart!  I see in each of them untapped, God-given potential. Fearfully and wonderfully made, each pint-sized Roll is precious in their Creator’s sight, highly valued, unique, a one-of-a kind, and significant individual.

• How is it that the American people have so little respect for human life and no idea how to be the person God created them to be and be happy about it?

 My youngest Roll descendants play with each other and get along (most of the time!). Occasional skirmishes and meltdowns are part of the package. How sad that our society is divided by prejudice, bigotry, ignorance, intolerance and hatred.

• To our disgrace, Americans’ do not know how to dream, imagine, play, work, worship, live or succeed together.    
• Children celebrate life. Multitudes of our citizens have lost sight of celebrating life and the One who gives life for now and eternity.

As a Christian, I am deeply concerned and troubled about the moral climate of our culture.
The moral cover we used to have over our nation is all but non-existent. Nationally, America once recognized, revered and respected God’s sovereignty and acknowledged the Lordship of His only Son Jesus Christ. Our forefathers established our republic on Judeo/Christian principles found in God’s Word the Bible.  Faith and obedience to the God of the Bible mattered more than anything else.

• In the past we have been a blessed nation because God blesses nations who call Him Lord.

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen for His own inheritance.” Psalm 33:12   

• This election matters.

Solomon, the wisdom writer, gives us these sober, soul-searching words in Proverbs 13:22.
“The good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.”
According to God’s Word, a good, godly man or woman leaves his offspring an inheritance. I believe the inheritance is much more than money or material possessions. Biblical inheritance is also a legacy of holiness, righteousness, morality and faith. The inheritance our descendants need most from you and me is how to love and walk with God by faith, to glorify His holy name, and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

• This election is a legacy election.

More than ever before in our nation’s history, your and my vote will set in motion what kind of life our offspring will be allowed to pursue. This is what I am chewing on and praying about before November 5th rolls around.
 What kind of moral cover and spiritual life will our kids and grandkids have? Will they be able to pursue life, liberty and happiness as our founders declared? Will they be able to worship God freely and bless others in His name?
This pivotal election boils down to choices. Will you and I choose to leave our loved ones a legacy of purity or perversion? Morality or immorality? Truth or lies?  Love or hatred? Respect or disrespect? Honor or dishonor? Civility or chaos? Peace or violence? Character or corruption? Order or disorder? Stability or instability? Security or insecurity? Generosity or greed? Unity or division? Acceptance or rejection? Inclusion or exclusion? Edifying speech or filthy, profane demeaning words? Trust or distrust? Selflessness or narcissism? Honor or dishonor?

• My children and grandchildren matter. Their future in America matters.

My friends, my fellow Christians, what in the world are we passing on to our offspring? What kind of inheritance are we leaving them? What will America look like during their lifetime?
As you head to the polling place to cast your vote on November 5th, pray for God’s wisdom and take a picture of your kids and grandkids with you. Before you check a box on the ballot, think about your descendants and the inheritance you will be handing off to them.
Dads, Moms and grandparents, our children and grandchildren are watching us like a hawk.  Bless their hearts. They are depending on you and me to leave them a righteous legacy that matters.
This election matters! It really does.
“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously, and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5
A Word For Your Week: Vote for your children’s and grandchildren’s future on November 5th.

​Make no mistake about it: deceivers, liars, false witnesses, truth twisters and fact skewers abound. These last days, the spirit of deception is alive and well worldwide.
To deceive means “to be false, ensnare, cheat, to cause or to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid, a false impression.”  Synonyms include “mislead, delude, fool, beguile.” (Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary). 
Let’s face it and be honest:  you and I can be very gullible!
To my embarrassment, I have been duped in the past and so have you. It is amazing how we can be tricked and deceived into believing something that is not true. It is so patently human to swallow hook, line and sinker what this world is fishing for. Deception always presents itself with a juicy, wiggly worm that beckons unwary individuals to take the bait.
Do you catch yourself wondering what is true and false today? Truth is presented as falsehood, and what is false is declared to be true. Deception produces a spirit of confusion. A prime objective of deception is to make good look evil, and evil look good. Our world today, including our nation, has little or no idea what is true, right, pure and holy.
Deception is subtle and lethal.   
The source of deception is Satan. The devil is the chief deceiver. His dastardly work of deception was conceived in the Garden of Eden. The wily, wicked serpent, Satan, deceived Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:2-7, II Corinthians 11:3). Caving to deception, our first parents were booted out of Paradise, separated from God, and sin and death infected the human race.
Today, Satan’s deceived, demonic minions, from the pit of hell, work tirelessly to peddle lies, falsehood and outright untruth to naïve, vulnerable, unsuspecting people who let their guard down.
Question: Do you believe everything you see, hear or read? Do you buy without questioning whatever a popular, high-profile public figure sells? Are you easily sucked in to ideas, agendas, and philosophies that are not based on truth? Are you duped by what is “trending” at the time?
The preventative to deception is discernment.
To discern means “to separate, distinguish between, to discriminate, to detect, to cut through, to make certain.” Synonyms include “perception, insight, acumen.” (Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary).
Writing to his son, Solomon wrote in Proverbs 1:1-7 to seek “wisdom, instruction, understanding, discernment, knowledge, discretion, wise counsel, wise behavior, righteousness, justice, equity and to fear the Lord which is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom.” Solomon’s son, like you and me, to be wise in life, would definitely need discernment and discretion to avoid deception.
Jesus was concerned that His followers discern the times.
Speaking to a Jewish crowd and their religious leaders who were testing Him, Jesus asked “Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?” (Matthew 16:3b). Paraphrase: you guys and gals are good at discerning the seasons. But not at discerning and understanding the signs of the time you live in.
That could be us too, huh?
Christ followers must be discerning today. Technology invades you and me with massive amounts of information at lightning speed. Deception is interwoven into the fabric of much information. You and I are all but forced to make many decisions on a daily basis as what to believe or not believe.
 God’s people have to be discerning to not be deceived in this day of deception. When we seek and receive the Lord’s discernment, we will walk with confident, overcoming by faith in His wisdom. The way is always clear when we pursue and practice God’s Word in the Bible.
Discernment Do’s And Don’ts

• Do ask God for discernment. If you ask for it, He will give it. Our Heavenly Father’s good, acceptable, and perfect will is for you and me to be discerning, not deceived. Trust Him to help you see clearly through deception.
• Do “fact check” what you hear, see and read with Scripture. If you cannot verify the truth of something based on the absolute truth revealed in the Bible, reject it as false.
• Do surround yourself with a few mature, seasoned Christians who will help you discern good from evil. Iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17). It is wise and prudent to fellowship with others who battle deception too.
• Do be discerning at church. Yes, deception happens in some segments of the body of Christ. Search the Scripture for yourself when you hear preaching/teaching that is suspect.
• Do not be duped by crowds. Just because a choreographed crowd of loud, truth-blinded people shouts deception, do not believe it. An emotionally whipped up, hysterical mob shouted down Pilate, demanding that Jesus, the Son of God, be crucified, even though Pilate declared Him innocent. Majorities are often dead wrong.
• Do not follow an agenda-crazed crowd that has lost its way. Make your own decisions based on sound, biblical discernment. Live your life according to God’s Word, not public opinion.  
• Do not be deceived by “Breaking News”. Breaking does not guarantee accuracy or truthfulness.  Deception is a crafty tool the devil uses through mass media to mislead non-thinking people. Polished, journalistic personalities (even those you like) may not always be merchants of truth.  
• Do not believe something just because it is posted on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat etc. A social media platform doesn’t guarantee something is automatically true.  Most often, it is the opposite. Be very careful what you “Like” and what you “Comment “on regarding social media sites.
• Do not be led astray by surveys, opinion polls and opinion editorials. Deceivers love to get into your head to make you believe something that is always skewed in some way.

Personal Note:  Election Day is fast approaching. Please seek discernment from God as to the votes you will cast. Your and my choices can affect the direction of our nation for decades.
Deception or discernment is up to you.    
“But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have trained their senses to discern good and evil.” Hebrews 5:14
A Word For Your Week: Be discerning then you won’t be deceived. 

​The heat was on the New Testament Church. Jesus’ followers were under fire for their faith.
 
So, the church collapsed. Wrong!!!
 
Our word for this week gives me spiritual goose bumps. I want to jump and shout: GO CHURCH!
 
 And when they had summoned them, they commanded then not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:18-20
 
When our first brothers and sisters in Christ were pressured to compromise their convictions and deny the name of Christ, they refused. Their conscience was clear. No threats tempered their passionate testimony. They didn’t dance with the devil. They didn’t retreat from sinful men. They stood up for their Lord and Savior…boldly, courageously, without apology.
 
In today’s vernacular they “stuck it” to the anti-Christian establishment. Christ’s disciples could sleep peacefully at night because during the day they did not stray from what they believed. Instead of caving in to the pressures, they dug in and pressed back in the name of Jesus. GO CHURCH! 

• The New Testament Christians had a clear conscience based on Christ-centered convictions. They were Christ-conscious concerning their creed and conduct. Not once did they give ground to Satan’s crowd.

 
So, how about you and me….professing Christians in 2024?
 
 Believers in Christ are surrounded by ungodly men and women who seek openly and unashamedly, through mockery, intimidation, marginalization and persecution to erase the name of Jesus Christ from our culture.
 
Paul describes many in our day. “But the Spirit explicitly says that in the later times, some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience s with a branding iron.” I Timothy 4:1-2.  
Did you catch the words hypocrisy, deceitful spirits, liars and seared conscience? What a precise word picture for the day in which you and I live.
 
The word conscience according to Webster means “the sense or consciousness of the moral goodness or blameworthiness of one’s own conduct, intentions, or character together with a feeling of obligation to do right or be good.” A seared conscience is one that no longer senses, feels, or is sensitive to good and evil, right and wrong. Anything goes with people with a seared conscience…and they are dangerous.    

• Clear or seared conscience…which do you have in these critical times?

 
Decisions determine destiny. Choices produce consequences. Character counts. And conscience matters.
 
My heart is heavy concerning the upcoming election November 5th. Choices and decisions will be made. I wonder if selections will be made based upon convictions and conscience, or something else. Will confessing Christian people cast their votes according to their belief and trust in the person of Jesus Christ and the principles of truth He taught in the Bible?  
 
 You and I can become conflicted when our character is compromised. Our conscience becomes confused when we say we believe one way and behave another. Anyone can espouse convictions. It takes people with character to live their convictions. And uncompromised character produces a clear conscience that we can live with.
 
As for me, a clear conscience matters. I will answer to God for my decisions. I must also answer to myself and the people I love and care for. My conscience is clear: I am going to stand up boldly for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, no matter what the cost.
 
On November 5th Christians have an opportunity, and responsibility, to cast their vote based on character, convictions and conscience. I am going to the polling place with a clear conscience. I will leave the same way.   How about you?  
           
Fellow Christian: never stop witnessing boldly of what Jesus has done for you. Don’t compromise your biblical convictions for anyone or anything. Do what is right in the sight of the Lord. Keep your conscience clear.

• Conscience matters. GO CHURCH!

 
“But holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.” I Timothy 3:9
 
“For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced the He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.” II Timothy 1:12
 
A Word For Your Word: Take your Christian convictions with you to the ballot box and vote your conscience on November 5

​Our culture is confused about what matters most in life.
 I believe what we choose to believe is important.  

• CONVICTIONS MATTER.

A conviction is something of which I am convinced. Webster defines conviction as “a strong persuasion or belief, the state of being convinced, certain.”
In our scripture for this week Paul, a Christian serving God in a pagan, heathen, anti-Christian world, was personally persuaded, certain, absolutely convinced, that Jesus Christ was the answer to life.
“For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.” II Timothy 1:12
Under daily pressure to conform to a secular culture, Paul suffered for Christ and was not ashamed. Why? Because he was convinced (conviction matters) that the Lord would guard, keep safe his life which Paul had entrusted to His Lord and Savior.
Take note of the words of commitment Paul uses: “not ashamed”, “know”, “believed”, “convinced” and “entrusted”. No compromise of convictions for Paul!
The gospel trailblazer of the New Testament church was fully convinced that Jesus was the truth, the only truth. Paul was persuaded that the one and only Son of the Living God who died on a cross and rose again to save us from our sins can be trusted to keep His Word to His followers up to the very last day.

• CONVICTIONS MATTER.

As a devoted, sincere, certainly imperfect, wholehearted follower of Jesus Christ, I am deeply concerned and alarmed that many professing Christians, unlike Paul, are compromising biblical convictions because of cultural pressure to erase Judeo-Christian values and traditions from the fabric of our nation.
It is incredible to me and troubles my heart greatly that some Christians are now declaring as acceptable values, beliefs and behaviors that are unacceptable in the Bible, the Word of God.

• Is it wise for you and me to compromise what Jesus Christ shed His precious blood for?

Thoughts About Convictions

• Everyone is convinced about something. Someone said the trouble with a half-truth is that you can get ahold of the wrong half!
• Convictions are the building blocks of character and conduct. What you and I believe defines who we are and influences how we behave.
• A person without convictions is a man or woman without a life compass. Convictions are an anchor for our souls. People without Christian convictions are morally adrift on the sea of life.
• Our morally imploding culture pressures Christians to compromise their convictions to conform to an anti-Christian worldview.
• You and I choose convictions that are biblically correct or culturally, politically correct.
• Convictions drive commitment. What convictions are you committed to? What convictions motivate you to be who you are and do what you do?
• Core convictions based on God’s Word are non-negotiable. You, I nor anyone else gets to change the Word of the Living God. We are cursed if we attempt to detract or add to the truth found in the Bible (Revelation 22:18-19). God blesses those who believe in the Bible and stand up with unwavering faith to witness for Jesus Christ.

 

• CONVICTIONS MATTER.

I ask myself how does a Christian get to a place where man’s opinion, political polls, agenda pushing pundits, popular personalities and celebrities overrule personal convictions?
I am scratching my head and asking the Holy Spirit to console the grief in my heart as to why so many of my professed brothers and sisters in Christ are compromising convictions, selling out to secular society. And for what? Man’s approval? Satan’s lies?
If you are a professing Christian who compromises biblical convictions, I believe you are crucifying Christ again.
I know what my core Christian convictions are. I have held them for fifty-two years and have not altered, adjusted or abandoned them. I never will. Like Paul, I am not ashamed of Jesus and my Christian faith. I will stand boldly for truth and righteousness no matter what cultural pressure tries to do to get me to compromise what I believe.
I know the Lord is taking care of business on my behalf. I am thankful for His faithfulness to me every single day of my life.
My friend, what do you believe? What are your core convictions? Why do you believe what you believe? Are you willing to take a stand for what you believe? Are you willing to defend your faith and values? At any price? Or have you compromised convictions that you say you believe in? Are you waffling with God’s holy Word? Sitting on the fence regarding your faith?
A word from me regarding election of leaders in America.
I love my country. Leadership will dictate our future. Please take time and make the effort to check out the convictions of candidates.
What about their personal convictions, character and conduct? Does their belief and behavior line up with your personal core convictions based on the Bible? Listen very carefully to their words. More importantly, research their lives and track records.
Why would you even consider voting for someone to lead our nation whose convictions are contrary to Christian truth and principles?
Please think about it. If believers in Christ continue to compromise convictions, soon the America you and I have lived in will be unrecognizable. Are you sure you want your children and grandchildren to live in a morally rudderless culture that openly rejects Jesus Christ and Christian values, purposely brainwashing the impressionable minds of your loved ones with anti-Christian propaganda?

• Never, ever compromise your faith.

“And so having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place, that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He should be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.” Acts 26:22-23
A Word For Your Week: Choose uncompromising convictions for the cause of Christ.

​Character.
 
What do you think of when you think of character? How important is a person’s character to you?
 
In Romans 5:1-5, Paul addressed a process that produces “proven character.”  
 
“And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character, and proven character, hope;” Romans 5:3-4
 

• Character is who a person is. Character that is proven is complete, whole, mature, dependable and can be counted on in the heat of life’s battles.

 
Someone remarked “The true measure of a man is the height of his ideals, the breadth of his sympathy, the depth of his convictions, and the length of his patience.” That sounds like a man of proven character, character that passes life’s many tests and challenges.
 
America is experiencing a character crisis in all walks of life.
 

• “Characters” who lack character abound, while men and women with “proven character” are hard to be found.

 
 From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible has a lot to say about character.
 
I encourage you to take your Bible concordance and study the word character and related words. Look closely at the lives of the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 who not only believed and obeyed God, but they behaved in a godly manner, exhibiting proven character.
 
Comments Concerning Character
 

• “Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones.” Phillips Brooks
•  “Character is what a man is when he is in the dark.” D.L. Moody
• People determine your character by what you stand for, fall for and lie for.
• Live your life in such a way that when people tell lies about you, no one will believe them.
• Ability can take you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.
• It is better to be short on cash than short on character.
• A man’s message will always be heard in the context of his character.
• Character is the sum total of what a man has after he has won all; and it is the sole thing left after he has lost it all!
• The first great business on earth is the sanctification of my own soul.” Henry Martyn

 
On Tuesday November 5th, Americans head to the polls to select our elected leaders.
 

• Elections are important. Especially this one.

 
 I believe men and women should serve because of their character. Party affiliation, platform planks, popularity, personal charisma, popularity, pollster’s opinions, and media darlings all pale in significance to the godly, proven character we must have in our leaders if we expect God to bless America once again.
 
As a Christian, who loves his nation and is deeply concerned about where we are and where we are headed, I will be voting according to my conscience and convictions. My belief and values are determined by God’s Word found in the Bible. Holiness not hype, purity not policy, righteousness not rhetoric, morality not tolerance of immorality, conviction not compromise, truth not half-truths will direct my decisions in the polling place. In other words, I will be voting for candidates with proven character.
 
CHARACTER COUNTS. Who a person is matters.
 
God is always looking for men and women who exhibit godly, proven character. So should you and I. Christ-like character is the highest form of “proven character”. 
 
Jesus proved His character when He allowed sinful men to nail Him to a cruel cross where He shed His blood. It took character for God’s only Son to say as He looked on the mocking crowd who reveled in His suffering “Father, forgive them.”(Luke 23:34).
 

• Thank you Lord Jesus for proven character that people who profess to be Christians can have in You. 

 
On November 5th, I will vote for candidates based on their personal character. This is my list for evaluating the candidates. 
 
Character Checklist For Candidates
 
ü  Do they fear, love God and obey His Word as revealed in the Bible?
ü  Do they choose, support and protect life from the womb to the tomb?
ü  Do they stand up for moral decency and oppose sexual immorality?
ü  Are they morally faithful to their spouses?
ü  Do they stand by their convictions no matter what the cost?
ü  Do they tell the truth when truth is not popular or expedient?
ü  Are they the same person in private that they profess to be in public?
ü  Can they be trusted with other people’s money?
ü  Do they respect and uphold rightful authority?
ü  Do they protect those who cannot protect themselves?
ü  Will they put biblical correctness over political correctness?
ü  Would the people who know them best say they are honest and integrity minded?
 
“Characters” or character…which counts most to you? You and I get to choose who will lead our land, making destiny determining decisions that will affect us, our children and our grandchildren for generations to come.
           
Draw up your own candidate character checklist. Pray over it. Ask God who you should vote for. Then do not fail to vote on the 5th of November.
           
·      May God be merciful to the United States of America in the days ahead.
 
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen for His own inheritance.”                                                                                             Psalm 33:12
 
A Word For Your Week: Character counts. Make your vote count on November 5th by voting in men and women with proven character.