America After …

On January 20th, 2021 America inaugurated another President devoted to erasing America’s value and history. Conservatives have a great deal to accomplish and we have a large number of adversaries. The words and actions of many indicate they are giving up. Here are my humble opinions of how to direct America after riots, after “elections,” and after Trump.

”It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes”

Psalm 118: 8-9 NIV

Over the last twelve years many in America have ignored this Biblical advice. In 2008 I was sickened on Inauguration Day when Barack Obama became President. While I feared for the nation because of his promised “fundamental transformation,” I also feared what I saw that day from the throngs of worshipers both at the inauguration and what I witnessed in the small doctors office I was in that day. Nurses, already behind schedule, all entered the waiting room, and watched as the 44th president was inaugurated, arms interlocking. On television, devotees praised the incoming administration as a savior. He would erase mortgages and gasoline costs. Obama was already nominated for a Noble Peace prize before he had taken a single action as President. In 2008, my conservative friends were equally sickened.

How disappointed I was when I saw similar behavior from them 8 years later when Trump was inaugurated. While I agreed with them on many policy issues, the Tea Party lost steam because the entire conservative movement was focused on one man. They heralded his every word as if every inane, self-serving utterance (yes, there were many) was a strategic move on a massive chessboard. In the process we lost track of what our part in the process was. Both the Left and the Right made everything about Trump and we stopped educating our neighbors about American principles.

I voted for Trump, twice, given the choices, he was the most conservative candidate that could win. Obviously, I don’t fault people for voting for him. That doesn’t mean I can’t admit to his faults. A man can only lead others to salvation if that man is leading others to Jesus Christ. Trump was very proud of himself, and those who showed him affection, but his skin was very thin. For a large part Trump kept his promises. It was remarkable to see a politician fight for the priorities he actually promised. Embassy in Jerusalem? Done. Reduced regulations? New trade deals? No new wars? Done. Border wall, in progress despite massive resistance. Energy independence and peace treaties in the Middle East? Almost impossible, but true. Vaccine timeline drastically reduced? Yes, he did that too. He did all of that and more, earning him deserving praise and dangerous devotion.

The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.

Deuteronomy 28:12 NIV

Trump kept promises … except on the debt. The debt was the unifying message of the Tea Party and as the debt grew, concern seems to have evaporated over the last four years. On Trump’s watch, America spent trillions of dollars, even before COVID, that we didn’t earn and have no plan to pay in the future. We are just accumulating more interest for generations still unborn to pay. For them, it is the very definition of taxation without representation. Interest on the debt is now America’s fourth largest annual expense. It is on a path to be greater than national security spending just two years from now. Biden’s first demand as president? An almost 2 Trillion dollar spending bill that will bail out cities that overspend and build more museums. He seems to be trying to beat Trumps $4 trillion deficit in 2020. That is the wrong competition to be in. Meanwhile, America’s focus is on gender dysphoria and the outrage Olympics. America needs to refocus on our spending problems.

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.”

Luke 11:17 NIV

It is sad commentary that this quote is most frequently attributed to Abraham Lincoln instead of his source, the Bible. This brings up two more problems we must correct. First, we must resist the urge to be independent of each other. When the Whigs realized that their party was not sizable enough to win elections, they didn’t continue to operate separately and they didn’t divide the party further. They joined with many other minor political parties to create the Republican Party. Each party gave up independence to win challenges that none of them could do on their own. There is a lot of talk about more third parties, more NPAs, and more Independents, but what will that accomplish? We divide a party that just lost elections across America into even smaller factions which will neuter all of them. If you don’t like the Republican Party, the easiest way to change them is to join them. I don’t just mean that you should register. I mean you should become a part of local membership, leadership, maybe a chairperson. More conservatives in the party, actually voting on the policies, voting on which candidates are funded, and pressuring (or becoming) leadership will encourage Republicans to actually adhere to their platform.

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

Revelation 3:15-16 NIV

Out of everything I have said, telling people to join a political party will anger the most people. Why is this? Go back to my first comments about people worshipping politicians. If you are not going to help steer the bus, don’t be surprised if your destination is determined by the driver. Our motto at the East Side Tea Party has always been “Citizenship is not a spectator sport.” If Conservatives want victories, we have to be directly involved in them. We can’t just send a list of demands to politicians and then go watch HGTV. From 2008 to 2016 the Tea Party was a formidable force and we moved the needle. Since then, we have spent more time complaining on social media than actually conversing with our representatives. Become a Republican or a Democrat and work for the change you seek. There will NEVER be a political party that will be both ideologically pure AND large enough to win elections. Even getting a room of conservatives to agree is a Herculean accomplishment. We have to swallow our pride. If we divide more, we doom ourselves. Independents and NPA party registrations merely tell the politicians who actually hold office to ignore you. In 2008 conservatives began to transform the Republican Party, but expectations of quick fixes and party purity caused many to drop out thus reducing the number of conservatives actually influencing the party. It is easier to control the Republican Party and compete in elections with their donors than it is to try to grow a brand new political party or run candidates from parties that advocate no real policies at all. P.S., this is exactly what the Justice Democrats “Squad” is successfully doing to move the Democrat Party further left.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:23-25

Your presence is needed. The events recently at the Capital, as much as they involved conservatives, were committed by those who did not abide by Church teachings. As fewer people attend church, there is a negative impact on society. Nothing benefited America on January 6th. The wills of America hating ANTIFA and BLM advanced while giving the media the ammunition against conservatives that they desperately sought for over a decade. Participants may fume, but the moment that anger turned to lawlessness they lost the argument and took the moral high ground away from us all. The Apostle Paul wrote the quote above. In his letters he encouraged church attendance, discouraged disunity, and called people to persevere in running the race to win. He did this after Rome had conquered Israel, destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem and threw him in prison. Comparatively, we are the lucky ones. We still must be the salt of the Earth. We must find the time to pray and to join with others of like mind. A mind focused on the Savior Jesus will not assault police defending the Capital. A person who is joined to a faithful community will care for people in that community reducing the need of government intervention. People who wish for God to prosper will not advocate theft from their neighbors. People who cherish Christ’s sacrifice will not easily harm others. America needs the church to function. As the Church becomes less prominent, our society suffers. Even basic civility is challenged. If you cannot attend the full body because of the pandemic, call up someone from church today and please, don’t forget to pray for the United States of America.