It is still surreal that Roe v. Wade has been overturned. For so many years, most of my life really, this was a desire and often a prayer. In my 10th grade Biology class I argued for why abortion was wrong for a debate topic.
Now here we are with states being able to have their own laws!! Let us not be complacent; it is still something to thank God for! May He bless the states that are banning abortion and prosper them spiritually and fiscally.
Here is a current map showing the status:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/us/abortion-laws-roe-v-wade.html
One day I want to live in a state that does not allow the murder of babies. I want my taxes going to a state that has taken a stand for life, and that's where I want to be a blessing to a community. Let the states that kill the innocent sleep in the bed they are making.
In a shocking turn of events, 2.5 yrs into the 'pandemic' where the recovery rate is still extremely high, the CDC has realized people can use their own risk assessment judgment on how to conduct themselves regarding the novel virus. Does this mean people may stop telling others they might get a cold after being around them and that they no longer should socially distance or quarantine?
The word 'fatigue' was even mentioned in the article, and not in regard to symptoms, to the useless regulations that have destroyed lives, economies, damaged relationships and revealed how untrustworthy the US media and medical advisors are. Of course, the liberal news source didn't come out and say it quite like this writer did. I'm cutting through the masked refuse.
The main thing COVID has shown is how idiotic the world is, at large and individually.
Nothing has changed for this writer with the aforementioned news, except hope that one day 'home test' will revert to thoughts of home education and nothing else.
It is so subtle you'll miss it if you've been duped by these liars. This is how the left 'admits' omicron was nothing more than a cold, masks don't stop the transmission of covid, and covid is not a serious threat to the vast majority of people, especially children. YET, we still see ignorant people easily controlled by fear and misinformation wearing masks and avoiding congregate settings. Wow.
https://patch.com/virginia/fredericksburg/s/i51h4/cdc-updates-covid-mask-guidelines-what-it-means-in-virginia?utm_source=alert-breakingnews&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=alert
Now that the Democrats are feeling the crush of their lunacy regarding covid vaccines and masking (Biden's 38% approval rating.....), we MUST NOT FORGET what is means to stand for truth. We cannot forget how manipulative and wicked the mainstream media like MSNBC and CNN are. Those who voted for baby-killing Biden should repent and be ashamed of how they bought in to the lies of the left. They should look to their misinformed ways and go in a new direction for their news input.
Let us not forget the brave people of Grace Community Church who knew worshiping the Lord was tantamount, and that covid was being used to control and fear monger among the nation and the world.
I'll never forget a family member thinking that gathering was worse than abortion, so he voted to expand abortion rights and transgender wickedness among children. That sort of thinking is terribly warped and demonstrates a complete lack of discernment. If we think we are Christians, we must be able to discern evil and we cannot do that if we are not studying the Word of God ourselves and listening to the teaching and preaching of God's word regularly.
https://pulpitandpen.org/2020/07/30/video-dr-macarthur-admits-his-friends-have-forsaken-him/
Be forsaken by those who refuse to stand boldly for Christ. It is worth it.
One of my friends said the other day that she doesn't think there would be a pandemic without the media, there would be a virus.
I like a pithy saying laced with good thoughts. I realize, of course, that there are specific criteria to mark something as a pandemic.
The title of this blog post is the title of a book by Dr. John MacArthur, but I'm using it simply to say that as believers, we are safe, safest even, when we walk circumspectly, as the Lord desires.
Just as an unbeliever can't really claim that everything happens in their life for a good reason, or a reason that will bring some measure of 'positivity', everyone can't claim safety in the Lord. The benefits of being in a saving relationship with God, through Christ, are reserved for born-again Christians. There is not a middle ground. We are either in Christ and safe, or we are outside of Christ and VERY unsafe.
Sinful practices that lead to a lack of safety would be things like having sex outside of marriage or lying when you think it is justified (for example: you don't live in your college district for in-state rates but will say you do so you save money; you call out sick but are not sick; you intentionally mislead people about your actions; you don't claim all of your income on your taxes....). If you get drunk as a part of your life practice, or have other lifestyle sins God expressly prohibits, you can't claim the peace and safety which come from a saving relationship with God. The promises don't apply to people comfortably living in ways that God forbids. God has standards, and they cannot be lowered because someone feels they are the exception. How we live reveals our heart toward sin, and God is clear that those who claim to belong to Him, yet practice these and other sins, are not in Him. Believers represent God, and God has NO place in sin. He uses strong language about hating all who do iniquity. (Ps 5:5)
When Psalm 4:8 says, 'In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For you alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety', the believer can know he can safely rest in that truth. It isn't socially distancing that keeps the believer safe, it isn't wearing a mask, it isn't a vaccine, and it certainly isn't staying home for months and months avoiding interaction with one's fellow man to try to stay safe.
Am I staying safe? You betcha. I'm safe because I've trusted God to forgive my sins because of the shed blood of Christ, who died for a wretch like me, was buried and rose from the dead on the 3rd day. As a healthy person WELL under the age for COVID complications, I'm safe in church worshipping the Lord weekly with His people. A Christian who is out of fellowship with the body of Christ is at great risk for being drawn away from the truth. That person is not playing it safe when it comes to their spiritual health. (Christians who are at high risk for serious covid complications need to be proactive in guarding their minds while avoiding society obviously.) I'm safe because my faith is in the God of the Bible, not a man-made religion that thinks we earn the Holy Spirit of God in parts. You can't portion out the three members of the Trinity.
A saved person attending a Bible preaching church is far safer than the unsaved person who has quarantined for 10 months. A saved person with COVID is far safer than an unsaved person without COVID. These are dark times spiritually in America. There is a lot of wickedness abounding and more is about to abound with the new administration that is coming.
Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him! Psalm 2:10
Unfortunately at some point the issue of aborted fetuses comes up with most vaccination discussions. With the covid vaccine being new, there are a few fresh articles discussing this.
This one from Nebraska Medicine in Omaha is succinct.
https://www.nebraskamed.com/COVID/you-asked-we-answered-do-the-covid-19-vaccines-contain-aborted-fetal-cells
This interview is a bit longer but also worth looking at:
https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/a-hill-worth-dying-on-expert-explains-how-aborted-baby-cells-taint-covid-vaccines
Understanding more about this:
https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2019/april-web-only/why-christians-refuse-measles-vaccinations-moral-grounds.html
Many in our nation are in healthcare fields that require vaccinations. These are tough issues. It is a personal decision each one of us has to make. Does using fetal lines equate fetal tissue being in the vaccination? Does the good that vaccines do get overlooked because of the tainted process by which the vaccine came into existence or was verified? When our own livelihood isn't impacted, we can more readily denounce any part in aborted fetuses in connection with vaccines. It is important, however, to realize that our fellow citizens may be in a much different predicament. May God have mercy on us as we work through these things.
I hate that aborted fetuses have ever had any part in medicine. It is deplorable to me. But the fact the babies were not killed for medical reasons should be noted. It may not change a person's view, but is it the same thing to kill a baby for medical investigation vs. using the cells for science after the child was already killed? Maybe, maybe not. Some would say that the good which came from the aborted child is a blessing given the fact the innocent child's life was taken by its mother for her convenience. It is rather like donating your own organs should you die by murder rather than an accident. Does the murder get condoned because your organs have helped someone else live? Of course not. But it would be different to murder someone expressly for their cells and then try to make good out of it. With an innocent, aborted child, of course the best thing would have been for the baby to have had a proper burial, honoring its life and the fact it was created in the image of God. For an adult who is shot in cold blood to have their body for scientific advancements, it somehow seems better. Is it the fact the unborn child had no choice in the matter? What if the murdered adult didn't either? I'm against shooting people in cold blood. I'm also against abortion. But I do want to be consistent in my logic if possible.
This is a sin-wrought world. We should all be concerned with the judgment of God, but just what that looks like, as we've seen with mask compliance, will vary from person to person. This is simply one argument in the corner of why the federal government should not mandate vaccinations.
While there are Christians solely focused on spreading the gospel, we must realize not all believers have the same drive or purpose. The issue of sanctification is important, as well as sharing the truth with the unsaved. One of us plants, another waters and so forth.
There are serious issues in our culture that Christians cannot ignore simply because their mission is gospel deliverance. I think that we can fall too far into one of two camps: intense political involvement to the point of losing sight of the main thing, or shunning controversial topics like why Christian kids are not well served being in public schools. We want to be black or white so as to avoid confronting ourselves and to not have to make uncomfortable decisions.
Believers under the influence of philosophies contrary to God's word are at greater risk of falling away from the Lord, and then being useless to Him. Children who sit in classrooms devoid of God's truth, are less likely to come to know God, even if they are in church weekly. See the sidebar with Voddie Baucham's "The Children of Caesar" for some compelling data on why this is so. Shouldn't we who know the dangers warn our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ about something they may not know the history of, if God gives that opportunity? We have to care about where kids are educated. The world forces of darkness travel easily in the classrooms of government-funded schools.
The saved also have to care about political issues that God cares about. We live in a country with a system of government that gives us a voice, so we should use it when we can, to be a godly influence. Likewise, we have to understand the purpose of the church--it is for believers primarily, not the lost, and the way church is handled should be primarily for the saved to be edified. Christians who think only about focusing on the gospel often miss the boat on the actual purpose of the church, and the issue of sanctification. God uses other believers as part of the sanctification process, and that happens primarily in church. The pastor's role isn't to primarily reach the lost, it is to edify the saints. Church should be hitting on all of the issues that believers need to be taught and it isn't wrong for sinful cultural practices to be brought up. There is something very wrong in a person's life if they claim to be a Christian yet vote for the unborn to be killed or vote that children should be free to choose their identity, without parental involvement. Likewise, how can Christians think it is OK to have philosophies that are completely contrary to God's word before them for 13 yrs of life? Pastor's are there to shepherd the flock, in all areas.
These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.
John 16:33
Victoria Cobb, President
Thursday, December 17, 2020
Yesterday, Governor Northam presented his proposed amendments to the 2020-2022 biennial budget to the joint “money committees,” just over a month after he signed a revised budget approved during a special legislative session that lasted 84 days. In probably a harbinger of what’s to come under a presumptive Biden-Harris administration, we learned that Northam plans to transform the judiciary by setting aside funding to add four judges to Virginia’s Court of Appeals who will be more likely to protect the Left’s radical new policies enacted during his term.
Among the other spending measures recommend by the Governor, such as “free” 2-year college for certain students and $90 million to provide vaccines, his signature plan to grow Virginia’s economy and improve education appears to hinge on legalizing recreational marijuana and using tax revenue from the sale of it to fund early childhood education for three and four year-olds. See the details below.
Education priorities ignore the real needs of families
Among the spending measures Northam outlined yesterday, one of the largest proposals is over $500 million for public schools to supplement the losses in funding due to the reduction in student enrollment. While he was reluctant to give a full explanation as to why there’s been a drop in enrollment, we know it’s mostly due to parents finding alternative education - private school, PODs, or home schooling – so their child can receive in-person learning or to escape the onslaught of the leftist indoctrination of their kids. And while the percentage of students failing is increasing in this virtual learning environment, House Minority Leader, Todd Gilbert (R-Woodstock), points out that the Governor’s recommendations offer “no funding to help parents get the technology or other assistance they need to succeed.”
Northam also renewed his call for a program to give three-year-olds access to early childhood education programs, a major priority of his that’s clearly designed to move Virginia towards mandatory universal pre-K education.
The Governor is proposing $30 million taxpayer dollars to offset financial aid increases at public colleges and universities, and renewed his “free” college program called “Get Skilled. Get a Job. Give Back.” (“G3”). The G3 plan would make associate degrees at Virginia’s community colleges “free” for students willing to go into certain fields the government deems more valuable than others. Last year, Del. Mark Cole (R -88, Spotsylvania) likened this same proposal to “indentured servitude for community college tuition,” and believes that while the proposal focuses on the right fields of study, it will be too expensive since “Nothing is free. Somebody somewhere is footing the bill for it.”
Legalizing marijuana to fund early childhood education?
To help pay for all of his early childhood education programs, Governor Northam wants to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, relying on yet another vice like gambling to fund the education of students in Virginia. Yet, we know that marijuana leads to more addictions, increasingly contributes to automobile infractions, is used by more minors each year, and will further harm families during this pandemic when a record number of people are unemployed.
Aubrey Layne, the Secretary of Finance, also reported yesterday that $90 million of the projected $120 million in tax revenues had been collected through the “temporary” legalization and regulation of [so-called] “games of skill” gambling machines. Since these games are found in many convenience stores and bars all across Virginia, which have been closed due to mandatory COVID restrictions, there simply wasn’t enough activity to reach their revenue goals.
It was promised during the regular and special sessions by certain legislators that these “games of skill” would only be made legal through June 2021, so we will be closely monitoring the budget process to see if they will uphold that promise in light of the lower revenue totals admitted during today’s briefing.
Ethical concerns associated with vaccination and LARC proposals
Governor Northam is proposing $90 million to “ensure we have the supplies, staffing, and other infrastructure needed to vaccinate eight million Virginians” with the new COVID vaccine. Funding to provide vaccines to 8 million Virginians (VA has about 8.5 million total), combined with Northam’s statement that “vaccines are the only way we can end this pandemic and get back to a more normal life,” appear to indicate the real possibility that his administration is preparing for mandated vaccines without religious or ethical exceptions. This would be a major infringement upon individual liberty, as every person should have the freedom to decide for themselves and their families whether or not to receive the vaccination.
The Governor has also recommended continuing the “LARC” program which essentially funnels $2 million each year to Planned Parenthood and other abortion clinics to pay for and insert intrauterine devices (IUDs).
These are just some of the priorities the Governor is hoping to spend your tax dollars on over the next two years, but like any budget we’ll be reviewing the Governor’s proposed amendments for other items such as taxpayer funded abortion. You can also review his proposed budget amendments yourself HERE.
Senior Counsel Scott Woodruff answers questions and assists members with legal issues in your state. He and his wife homeschooled their children. Read more >> |
Call Congress to Action!
