This past Saturday night I was in a bar in Milwaukee (went to hear a band my cousin's husband was playing in… Hell on Heels). That fact and the title of this post will surely lead some to think I've fallen far from grace. Not to worry. However, I will go ahead and submit this "babe" of the day. Talk about beauty and the handiwork of God…

Her name is Gianna.

The left half of the South Dakota blogosphere, and now the right, is fully caught up in an outrage that I was first to decry… liberal blogger/attorney Todd Epp's sexism with his new "Babe of the Day" feature. You can read the outrage here and here.  I couldn't agree more, human beings are valuable even if they are undesirable to some. Our worth is not in anyway related to how perfect we are. We can't keep treating people as objects to be used and discarded.

Had to laugh at Todd's recent suggestion - "I'm thinking Pastor Steve, Sibby, RadioActive Chief, and I will have our own "Pariahs of the SDBlogosphere" gathering later this summer."  Since I have to miss the real gathering next month, I'm all for a gathering of the pariahs when I return. Fella's, we'll be in good company. Jesus was a pariah.

For my non-local readership, CATG stands for Church at the Gate, the church that I pastor.

Having recently been chided for not denouncing Tiller's killing more decisively - meaning I didn't walk the streets in sackcloth/ashes (I did say it made me sick, sad, and that every life is valuable, including Tillers)  –no matter, since my renouncement of Tiller's killing was not believed by all, I thought to express my sentiments in another way and initiate a conversation from a new angle on the topic of protecting judicially innocent human life.

It has taken some self-restraint to sit quiet while folks like me are blamed for Tiller's killing. (I don't remember Al Gore and his enviromentally whacked-out friends at the Sierra Club getting blamed for producing unibombers like Ted Kacsynski.) And no denouncement out of Obama of the Muslim who killed an American last week - I also noted the PC crowd didn't demand the Muslim clerics of this nation publicly repent for inciting this violence by preaching Jihad texts at American mosques on weekends. But I digress.

The title here - Tiller's killer would've been shot dead at CATG– though probably true, is meant only to be provocative. It's not an attempt to incite additional violence. Frankly, it's about deterring more violence.  You have to read this slow and carefully to really appreciate the irony… I'm suggesting in this post that a pro-life zealot seeking to unlawfully murder a mass murderer in South Dakota's arguably most pro-life church would likely be shot dead on the spot. Scott Roeder is fortunate that Tiller attended the No-Regard-For-Innocent-Human-Life church he did because one of our security people would have shot back.

No need to challenge me on not being "100% pro-life", I weary of those who cannot see the obvious distinctions between the shedding of judicially innocent human blood and the shedding of judicially guilty human blood. And, there are the obvious distinctions between acts forbidden in Scripture - not leaving vengeance (retaliation, revenge) to the Lord - and, acts permitted in Scripture, self-defense and stopping the shedding of innocent blood in process. The same Jesus who said "turn the other cheek" (context… an eye for an eye is for societal retribution, not individual) also said "let him who has no sword, sell his garment and buy one."

Recently I read Shooting Back- a Christian view of the Bible and self-defense. The South African author used his pistol to shoot back and stop a small group of terrorists in what has become known as the St. James Church Massacre. Author Charl Van Wyk shot back and saved innocent lives.  Some reading this know my previous connection to New Life Church in Colorado Springs which was victimized by a shooting last year. It was God's girl with a gun, a South Dakota gal who was volunteering on the security team that day who shot dead the troubled young man who shot people at YWAM base and New Life Church that day.

This is really a post on gun control.  When Cain killed Abel, God didn't ban rocks and sticks, he banished the murderer. While President Obortion makes haste to stifle the First Amendment/free-speech rights of those who think all life is sacred and revoke our Second Amendment right to bear arms as well, some of us see history repeating itself. Interesting chart in the Shooting Back book on how gun control laws preceded every major genocide in the 20th century - from Ottoman Turkey in 1517, the Soviet Union from '23-'59, Nazi Germany '33-45, China, Uganda, Cambodia and Rwanda.  The book pointed me to a gun control verse I'd never seen before in 1 Samuel 13:19-20, 22-33.  To keep Israel from fighting back, the Philistines got rid of the blacksmiths… "now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all of Israel: for the Philistines said, 'lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears."  Israel had to resort to sharpening their ploughshares, mattocks, axes and sickles to protect themselves.

I do appreciate the post over at Madville Times today - Tiller's Killer, Scott Roeder, is no Dietrich Bonhoeffer. It's worth reading. Fortunate was I to study for three years under Dr. F. Burton Nelson, one of the world's leading Bonhoeffer scholars, a personal friend of the Bonhoeffer family, and because of that connection and encouragement I have spent many years since walking with Bonhoeffer as a theological companion. Though there are strong parallel's to note, the differences between Bonhoeffer and Roeder are equally enormous. The parallel's to John Brown are also worth considering.

I disagree with the quote at Madville that "the debate about abortion is not a war." Really when it comes to shed blood it doesn't matter whether someone issues a legal declaration to fire missiles and throw grenades or whether the legal declaration is far more precise using weapons like suctioned cannula's and forceps. The end result is the same. Really, the only thing we are debating here is how to justifiably fight back and how to reverse America's declaration of war/holocaust against innocent human life and end the killing. Far more shocking to moderns is killing in the sacred space of a "church" than in the most sacred place, the womb. God's Word is clear, it's wrong WHEREVER it happens to take place because life itself is sacred.

BREAKING NEWS: Tiller's abortion mill is closing permanently! I'm sure Planned Parenthood will set up a new chop shop ASAP.

Pat Powers at Dakota War College thinks I'm in a "blog war" with local attorney Todd Epp. Pat, this isn't a blog war, I wish it were that benign. Real human beings are dying.

Epp apparently has no concept of how incendiary everyone is right now. Yesterday I gave what I thought was a cool-headed renouncement of the Tiller murder saying it made me sick, sad, and that it hurt our cause, was not God's plan, etc., etc. In about a thousand words I bascially said a very bad guy came to a very bad end – nothing to celebrate. I expressly said "every life is valuable, including Tillers."

Epp didn't see the word "renounce" anywhere in my renouncement so he interpreted it as a non-renouncement. Others read it and thought I was sending mixed messages. I don't know– a mass murderer is murdered in a church. There are a million conflicting angles to this if you ask me.  I articulated a few in a manner that confused the Biblically illiterate.  Epp was the most confused. 

One would think a lawyer like Epp would understand reckless endangerment, false representation and libel and the damages of same. Apparently not because he intentionally and maliciously misled people in a very public forum with a headline that read: Pastor Steve Hickey REJOICES in murder of Kansas Abortion Doctor . That's very damaging to me and nothing could be further from the truth.

KELO pulled two of his posts in the last 24 hours obviously agreeing Epp was way over the line. Epp, with a notable air of immaturity, immediately reposted links and changed nothing. Additionally, he made haste to drop the link on another regional blog. He toned down his post only after talking with KELO earlier today but it's too late as far as I'm concerned as it's eternally etched all over the cyberworld.

Here's where it gets worse… pro-aborts are in a feeding frinzy right now and Epp effectively painted a bullseye on me putting me and my family in harms way. While Epp was explaining himself to the KELO execs I was detailing threats I've received today to a Sioux Falls FBI agent.  There is a dark underworld under Planned Parenthood and the abortion cartel and they are only enabled by President Lawlessness.

I asked him to immediately retract his libelous statements that maligned me and jeapardize my safety. Instead he writes back… "sleep well tonight my friend."  Huh? That feels creepy to me - kind of seems to imply his intent WAS to increase my vulnerability.  He's already indicated that was not his intent.  However, no matter, it was clearly the outcome. 

Todd, did I misrepresent your intent in any place here in this post?  I figured my Sibby-question-style headline was enough over the top to give you a taste of your own medicine. In my two years at this blog I've quickly retracted three posts after I realized they were either untrue or unfair.  I expected the same from you and was disappointed.

But now Epp wants us to move on and posts this… A Palate Cleanser… after all the abortion and Hickey hoopla, I say it's time for a change of pace!  While he slips into horny mode, others of us are thinking about security. Maybe I should ask President Obortion to send US Marshalls to provide security at my church.

I'd love to move on and I'd love nothing more than for the whole Tiller thing to be tossed out in the dumpster of yesterday's news cycle. (If the crime were against a prolifer it would have been.) Tomorrow I'll be working on turning the other cheek and forgiving him.

Lots to read and ponder tonight if you are following the George Tiller assassination. I appreciated some of the points made here.

Also, earlier this evening a friend of mine dropped an interesting historical parallel into the fray that I believe to be right on the money. It made me think there is a little deja vu down there in Kansas tonight.

In 1856, John Brown grew increasingly irate with his fellow abolitionists.  He called them cowards, content with talking about the ending of slavery but afraid to do anything about it. Eventually, he took matters into his own hands, hacking pro slavery farmers to death with broadswords near Pottawatomie, Kansas.  Later, he led a murderous band of angry abolitionists in an attack on Harper’s Ferry Armory, where he gained the arms to further their rampage, hoping to free slaves along the way and convince them to join the revolution. Brown overestimated his ability to coordinate the freed slaves.  The force fell apart and Brown eventually was hanged along with many of his men.

John Brown, though well known, was not considered a hero by mainstream abolitionists. What he had done was reprehensible. They were ashamed of him and publicly joined their voices with the Pro Slave groups in calling for his hanging.  No rational person would consider Brown a positive figure in history….but he did prove something. The issue of slavery was one of life and death. It was not political. It was not governmental. It was much, much deeper than that, and there was no common ground high enough for both sides to stand and feel good about their compromises. It could not be negotiated. It had to be settled.

So it is with the killing of George Tiller. No thinking individual believes this was good for either side….but let the lesson not be lost. The issue will not go away. 

President Lincoln called John Brown a "misguided fanatic." Historian David S. Reynolds hailed him as the man who "killed slavery, sparked the civil war, and seeded civil rights." Historian Ken Chowder said John Brown was "at certain times, a great man", but also "the father of American terrorism." Probably all of the above is accurate.

Growing up in Kansas I remember singing John Brown's Song in elementary school studying Kansas history.  John Brown's Song became the Union's marching song during the Civil War.  Set to the tune of the Battle Hymn of the Republic, slavery in America was defeated by troops marching to these words…

Old John Brown’s body lies moldering in the grave,
While weep the sons of bondage whom he ventured all to save;
But tho he lost his life while struggling for the slave,
His soul is marching on.

John Brown was a hero, undaunted, true and brave,
And Kansas knows his valor when he fought her rights to save;
Now, tho the grass grows green above his grave,
His soul is marching on.

He captured Harper’s Ferry, with his nineteen men so few,
And frightened "Old Virginny" till she trembled thru and thru;
They hung him for a traitor, they themselves the traitor crew,
But his soul is marching on.

John Brown was John the Baptist of the Christ we are to see,
Christ who of the bondmen shall the Liberator be,
And soon thruout the Sunny South the slaves shall all be free,
For his soul is marching on.

The conflict that he heralded he looks from heaven to view,
On the army of the Union with its flag red, white and blue.
And heaven shall ring with anthems o’er the deed they mean to do,
For his soul is marching on.

Ye soldiers of Freedom, then strike, while strike ye may,
The death blow of oppression in a better time and way,
For the dawn of old John Brown has brightened into day,
And his soul is marching on

Tiller's killer is no hero. He's far far removed from a John-the-Baptist-style forerunner of a coming Liberator. At the risk of appearing a hypocrite to those who aren't able to distinguish between the shedding of judicially innocent blood and the shedding of judicially guilty blood, like Brown, Tiller's killer should "hang." (Kansas still has the death penalty last I heard.) In any case, history hopefully won't sing songs about him. However it is true that the battle continues today over the humanity of some. And it is true this isn't going away and that this issue has to be settled.

Thank you to KELOLAND news for deleting Todd Epp's post which they quickly agreed was untrue, harmful and maligning to me. A partial headline still exists but the link is now dead. KELO agreed Epp's post grossly misrepresented what I said and that his headline was damaging to me. For Epp to state that I "rejoiced" at a murder is the polar opposite of what I said.

I said the news of Tiller's murder made me sick and sad. I said it hurt our cause. I said "every life is valuable including Tillers." In no way could it be construed that it made me happy. To state such in such a public forum in this region is tangibly damaging to me. I welcome him and others to challenge my ideas and opinions, however, this is malicious and intentional false representation.

Epp, as some of you know is a local lawyer/blogger who stooped to an all time new low here. I'm still waiting for his personal retraction and I post this only as an attempt to clarify to perhaps only a fraction of KELO's substantial audience in this region, who he intentionally misled, that I indeed said the opposite of what his headline/blog post says I said.

It is illegal to put my name down next to the opposite of what I said. You'd think a lawyer would understand false representation and the damages it causes. I decided not to link to his post directly here because I know he loves the traffic.

The Bible says those who live by the sword will die by the sword. Late-Term abortionist George Tiller the Killer, now a martyr for Molech, discovered today that Scripture passage is true. He was shot and killed this morning while ushering at his Reformation Lutheran Church in Wichita. His wife was singing in the choir at the time of the shooting. Really, really, horrible and sad. Every life is valuable, including Tiller's.

Tiller the Killer now stands before the Author of Life.

How'd you like to be a bug on the wall for those moments? O my. As one who has sought to be a voice for the unborn contending for justice, I'm praying God replays for Tiller the tape of the silent screams he alone has heard every time Tiller went to work each day.

Tiller personally killed more babies than America lost soldiers in Vietnam. Many of them were late term, fully-formed, healthy, and in the seventh, eighth and ninth month —meaning they were viable outside the womb.  One of the lucky babies that lived is named Sarah Brown.  Tiller left her "paralyzed, blind, and mentally retarded after injecting formaldehyde into her brain to abort her then failed to finish the job." 

My history is rusty so pardon me here… I'm trying to remember, did anyone mourn the death of Pol Pot or any other mass murderer? Surely you get my point. I know this is a huge loss for Tiller's family and they need prayer and support because I'm sure they are grieving bitterly.  But this guy was a cruel hardened monster who the law seemed powerless to stop. Any sadness for him personally is grossly misplaced.

It's too early to know for sure but odds are some pro-life zealot took justice into his own hands. I appreciate the sentiments of my friend Troy Newman. Troy has been Tiller's archenemy in Wichita and he released this statement a couple hours ago denouncing the killing:

"We are shocked at this morning's disturbing news that Mr. Tiller was gunned down" said Troy Newman, Operation Rescue's president. "Operation Rescue has worked for years through peaceful, legal means, and through the proper channels to see him brought to justice. We denounce vigilantism and the cowardly act that took place this morning."

I appreciate Father Pavone's statement as well…

I am saddened to hear of the killing of George Tiller this morning. At this point, we do not know the motives of this act, or who is behind it, whether an angry post-abortive man or woman, or a misguided activist, or an enemy within the abortion industry, or a political enemy frustrated with the way Tiller has escaped prosecution. We should not jump to conclusions or rush to judgment. But whatever the motives, we at Priests for Life continue to insist on a culture in which violence is never seen as the solution to any problem. Every life has to be protected, without regard to their age or views or actions.

Shortly after the news broke I spoke with a friend on the phone and he said something to the effect of… "we aren't very good at delayed justice." Vengeance is the Lord's and we when take it into our own hands we are way outside his plan. This hurts the pro-life movement immensely as those who sell abortions will have more examples to site to justify their campaign to smear the pro-life majority in this country with the "terrorist" label. I've had death threats this past year which I've reported to law enforcement - we've had to up the security around me at church at the advice of law enforcement - each side has it's idiots. But only the pro-aborts get away with 4000 horrific deaths every day. Ours is a peaceful campaign for LIFE, working through laws and praying hearts soften and change. I would have preferred Tiller have a change of heart and let God use him powerfully to rid America of abortion.

Maybe it's the line of work I'm in but I received the news of Tiller's murder moments after I finished preaching in our second service today. It hit me in the pit of my gut - really, it made me sick. I reject his killing as misguided and far far more harmful to the cause than helpful.  But the part of the report that stood out to me was that he was killed at church. (Honestly, I was actually surprised he went to church.) Now, I have an major issue with his "Pastor." That Tiller's killing ended in church is interesting to me. It was his pastor's job to stop it long before today.

I want to know what his pastor was planning on preaching this morning.  Can anyone find that out for me? And I can't wait to hear the funeral message for this guy. Already I want to vomit at what others are saying about him… "George Tiller was truly pro-life — he saved womens lives and was willing to sacrifice his own life for them." If pro-aborts can dub Tiller "truly pro-life" than I guess it's fair for Christina at RealChoice to point out… "And shooting Tiller was a profoundly “prochoice” act—based on the idea that if a person’s existence troubles you, you have the right to kill them."

I have to remind myself these folks saying this are far more misguided than the fellow who shot Tiller today. These are people who have no qualms about killing innocent children. These daughters of Molech have racist Margaret Sanger as their hero.  Tiller will surely be beatified in the next few days and will soon reach sainthood status. Brace yourself for the Beatification of Saint Tiller. Abortion is fully religious you know.

It really doesn't matter what we say about Tiller. It matters what God says.  And the left can delude themselves into thinking Tiller is receiving heaven's reward right now. We don't know what that "reward" is but we do know the Bible says in this case it'd be better for Tiller to have had a millstone tied around his neck and thrown into the depth of the sea that to have done what he did in this life… keep children from LIFE.

This close.  That's how close we are to shutting down South Dakota's only abortuary. You can catch up on their latest acts of blatant defiance of the law at my earlier post.  I just about used this graphic for this post because what is presently happening is Planned Parenthood is flipping off the SD Department of Health.  They are flipping off our Attorney General and the Governor. They are flipping off the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.  They are giving the finger to the law and science. Most grievous is that they are flipping off women. 

It's time for some serious outrage. 

Non-compliance is a criminal offense. Non-compliance should equal immediate and substantial fines and if that doesn't work, and it hasn't (they've had nearly ONE YEAR already to comply), then it's time their license get revoked. I'm asking the state to fine Planned Parenthood substantially, and demand they use the state Informed Consent form, and if they don't (and they haven't and now can't be trusted to) I'm asking the state to suspend Planned Parenthood's license in this state and the license of the abortion doctors to kill children here.

Hats off to our Attorney General and the SD Department of Health for holding Planned Parenthood's feet to the fire with regard to them complying with the Eighth Circuit ruling. But now it's time for them to lay down the hammer and revoke the clinic's medical license.  The state has the power and they are more than justified to use it in this case. 

If I had my scanner working I'd link you to a pdf of the "form" Planned Parenthood has been using this past year - for now I'll just post a pic from my camera of one of the pages that is in total defiance of state law.)  It's outrageous and they know it.

Andrea Adams (aka, the new Kate Looby — more on Adams later - she is the new "clinic director" over both the Rapid City and Sioux Falls clinics) responded to the DOH's request to send them the form they are using. Get this… she responded on a Thursday morning with… I'll send the form Monday IF you first assure us 1) they will be kept confidential and, IF you assure us that 2) Planned Parenthood will not cited for deficiencies in the form.  Hello? Who do they think they are?

The Department of Health has the inherent power to regulate HOW the Informed Consent law is followed in our state and can demand Planned Parenthood use state forms.  Planned Parenthood is handing the citizens of South Dakota undeniable evidence they can't be trusted and that they require aggressive and close regulation and scrutiny.

The state's form complies with the Informed Consent law and contains scientific statements of fact about relevant embryology critical to a womens decision.  Get this, Planned Parenthood includes a hyper-condensed section on "embryology" with statements that are absolute gibberish and would make any scientist gag.  My favorite is this one. The first bullet point under the main heading "EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT" is this;

The ball of cells develops into an embryo at the start of the sixth week.

That's the kind of answer a seventh grade boy would give on a test that he didn't study for…   Uh, let me see, um, the ball of… um, cells… develops into a…  a… an embryo, uh, at, um, the start of the… um, sixth week?  Yeah, the sixth week.

I'd think mother to be might want to know the baby's heart started beating at 18 days and started pumping blood through a closed circulatory system at 21 days.  Maybe she'd like to know the "ball of cells" has brain waves at six weeks.  Should we be surprised? The depositions for the Informed Consent case given the Eighth Circuit Court show that NO ONE in the Planned Parenthood clinic here has ANY training in ANYTHING related to science, fetology, counseling, etc. etc.

Here's a pic of the last page of Planned Parenthood's form. 

It's an outrage and I hope this gets broadcast to every citizen in this state.  Planned Parenthood never states on the form anywhere that an "abortion terminates the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being" as our state law and the Court requires.  Instead they muddy all that up with gibberish and then post rebuttals and disclaimers to this statement of fact. Humorous to me, they tell women on the form… "Planned Parenthood objects to having to provide this information and has challenged the law in court."

They didn't go on to tell the women that THEY LOST IN COURT and that the Court stated that Planned Parenthood provided NO EVIDENCE contrary to the fact that this statement is SCIENTIFIC FACT. It is unconscionable that they thumb their noses at the Court, the Law, the Attorney General, the SD Department of Health, the Governor, and most importantly the women. Planned Parenthood's interests are in conflict with the interests of women and THEY DON'T CARE.

Make some noise South Dakota!  This is would not be tolerated for a nano-second if it was ANY other outfit in our state - blatant defiance of state law!

I'm personally aware of women who have had abortions in our state since last September who signed this illegal Informed Consent form provided by Planned Parenthood. They already regret their abortion and believe they would have made a different decision had they been given the information on the state's Informed Consent form. It's most grievous that the clock can't be turned back to save the life lost, but I guess there is some comfort and partial justice in a class action lawsuit with substantial monetary reward. I'd think the State of South Dakota would not want to be party to that kind of lawsuit for neglecting to enforce state law.

Last week I put up a post on Barry Lynn and his group American's United for the Separation of Church and State and how they are harrassing churches and pastors (including me) trying to take away our first amendment free speech rights and get the government to restrict the free exercise of religion in America.

Today we learn Barry filed a complaint with the IRS against Jerry Falwell's Liberty University for not recognizing a College Democrats club that tried to form on campus. This now enormous and influential university was established expressly to perpetuate the undeniably Judeo-Christian values our nation was founded upon and Liberty has every right to keep off campus every group that opposes those values. And we all know the Democratic Party is The Party of Death.

I love it that Liberty is responding by asking the IRS to review whether Americans United should lose its tax-exempt status for regularly supporting Democratic Party positions.

Now for some barely related personal trivia… here's a pic of myself and Jonathan Falwell from last month. I hold his father in the highest regard - my dad accepted Christ in the mid-70's watching his dad on TV. Just prior to this pic we were talking about missing our dads - here's a tribute to his father on his blog. We are partnering with Jonathan to plant hundreds of life-giving local churches and raise up a generation that defends life and liberty.  (I'm noticing that though we are the same age I'm looking more gray on top.)

Last week I honored Father Norman Weslin for his stance for LIFE.  This week I thought to honor another notable defender of the unborn. I'm happy to call Pastor Walter B. Hoye II my friend and thought to share this picture of the two of us. I nearly titled it "Thorns in the Killer's Side" because it delights us to be such a pain in side of those who profit from abortion.

Pastor Hoye serves the Progressive Missionary Baptist Church in Berkeley, California. His blog is here. Pastor Hoye has been a fierce defender of human life since the premature birth of his son - only 2.1 pounds at birth but no less a living, breathing, precious human being.

A year ago this month, Pastor Hoye was arrested under Oakland's new "bubble law" which states pro-life advocates can't be within eight feet of any individual within a 100 foot radius of an abortion clinic. Clinic workers came out to harrass Pastor Hoye, they held up cardboard placards to block his sign. 

His sign read; "Jesus loves you and your baby. Let us help you." The abortion clinic workers made false accusations against Pastor Hoye and had him arrested. Because of the Bubble Law, Pastor Hoye had the foresight to have his demonstration video recorded. You can see his "crime" here - note who is harrassing whom. At his trial, the clinic workers spewed lies and manufactored "unidentified clients" who were upset by his presence in front of the clinic.  There was no supporting evidence provided and the video proves their testimony false. Typical of the injustice of the courts with regard to the issue of abortion, the jury found him guilty. He was sentenced to thirty days in jail. Here's what Jesus had to say about that;

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

From his jail cell, Pastor Hoye wrote a letter to America's clergy whom he addressed as his "brothers, men of the cloth."  You can read it in it's entirety here (pdf alert) as I'll only quote it briefly;

In the spirit of the prophet Ezekiel, I write to my fellow watchmen on the wall… Ezekiel's assignment stood against the prevailing wisdom of his day that called for the leaders of Israel to play it safe and avoid unpleasant topics of conversation…. to speak God's Word whether orf not people wanted to hear it… it is clear… that being a watchmen meant Ezekiel was personally held responsible for the people he ministered to… It was Ezekiel's God-given duty to warn the people of any danger, impending or otherwise… any failure to issue the warning would make him accountable to God for any suffering that consequently resulted…. Like Ezekiel, if we fail to warn the people of impending danger, their blood will be on our hands… like Ezekiel, we are to warn the wicked of God's eternal judgment, hoping that the wicked would turn from his or her wicked ways.

The letter in it's entirely is prophetic and historic and I encourage you to read it prayerfully. In the letter he notes that every 72 seconds a black baby is murdered in the womb of his or her mother and that a black child has less than a fifty percent chance of being born. While President Obortion the Empathy-Challenged stacks the court with eugenics-friendly racist judges, black American's are being born below the replacement level. Pastor Hoye decries abortion as black genocide noting death in Black America outpaces life.

Last week in Washington DC, Pastor Hoye was given the "John Wise Award" at a Family Research Council dinner for his personal sacrifice in the cause of justice.  John Wise (1652-1725) was a leading pastor and defender of Liberty in our nation's founding era. He served a Congregational Church in Massachusetts for most of his life until his death. He was noted for his activism and protests against British tyranny. In 1687, he led his fellow townspeople in a revolt against a tax levied by the royal Governor Andros without the consent of the legislative body. As a result, he was tried, convicted, fined and jailed. Later the Governor was deposed and Pastor Wise was vindicated. His writings and sermons produced a number of phrases that were repeated verbatim in our Declaration of Independance.  Gotta love that… the talking points for the Declaration of Independance were taken word for word from a pastor's sermons.

Last night we watched a show on the National Geographic Channel called "Locked Up Abroad." Afterwards, as a family, we talked about some of our experiences overseas - we laughed about the time we ended up stuck in Ghana police station after our bus driver was arrested.  I remember in the mid-90's when the police in Vietnam opened the doors to my room at night, shined flashlights on me to do a bed check. They monitored the messages I preached in state-regulated churches and gave me rigid guidelines. Last night the consensus as a family is that we are closer to these days than we think right here in Amerika. Just last week I heard even home Bible studies are being harrassed. Unless the good people of this nation speak up, free speech will be a thing of the past. It'll soon be hate crime to preach the Bible and say things like marriage is the union of one man and one woman for one life.

My sense is it won't be long before they lock me up.  One thing is for certain, it won't shut me up. My question for you is what are you willing to go to jail defending? And, knowing we lose the freedoms we don't fight for, how long do you plan to stay out of the fight?  I believe we will win the war for LIFE and there will one day be a national memorial to the unborn in DC. Will your grandchildren be proud of you on that day, or will you be found on the wrong side of history?

Yesterday the Lord set before me a table in the presence of my enemies. Not really. But that familiar part of Psalm 23 did come to mind when I found myself sitting at a table eating lunch with Barry Lynn's staff.  For those of you who don't know, Barry Lynn is the president of American's United for the Separation of Church and State here in Washington DC.  Barry himself was at the table right next to ours.

Would you eat with people who are happy to turn you into the IRS for tax code violations?  I would, and did.  We aim to challenge the Johnson Amendment and Barry Lynn told us he hopes we are penalized. On this issue, the IRS is a paper tiger intimidating those who can be intimidated and ignoring those of us who aren't . The IRS doesn't want this to end up in Federal Court.  We do.

I wasn't going to blog on this but my new friend at American's United already described our time together on the AU blog. Check out the pictures and read of our time together from her vantage point.

It's always good to be in DC and be reminded of the rich Christian heritage of our nation. Like the Declaration of Independance.  Did you know that many of the phrases in it were taken directly from sermons from pastors like John Wise?  Imagine that, pastors were giving the talking points which defined our nation.  27 of the 56 signers of the Declaration had seminary degrees.  These guys made sure Congress printed Bibles for American schools. Wow, have we ever shifted off our foundation as a nation.

Barry Lynn is a reverend and so he should know the framework for our republic was based on the Bible; like the separation of powers taken from Isaiah 33:22 and representative government from Exodus 18:21.  Here's an interesting one… did you know Article II, Section 1 of our Constitution says our President must be a natural-born citizen and the founders drew this from Deuteronomy 17:15?  Here's one that is quite relevent to the purpose of our lunch yesterday… the founders got the notion of tax-exemption for churches from Ezra 7:24.

I know I know, what about Jefferson's separation of church and state??  It was a one way wall.  He meant the state should never in any way restrict free religious expression. Did you know Jefferson was excited at the suggestion to turn the capital building into a church on Sunday.  He even ordered the Marine Band to lead worship.  And he rarely missed a Sunday.  And he was one of the least religious of the founding fathers. 

Thank God for the First Amendment which grants me freedom of speech and the free exercise of religion. A 1954 tax code stipulation that is written to buy up my rights and silence my voice is unconstitutional.