a lament for Orlando

ugh.

i just really feel the need to tell the world that i have a sinus infection.

it's hard enough for me to think some things through, but when you've got gelatinous boogers twanging on all your brain cells, it really does something to things like cerebral functioning, temperament and personal tissue preferences.  there are some thing you just shouldn't get store brand when you are sick.  1-ply (anything)= hatred. 

our mission team to Brazil hadn't even made it past Washington DC before every tv in the airport was throwing us a barrage of updates and opinions and news conference clips regarding the latest massacre, this time in Orlando.

i had feared this very thing- the transition between a week of seeing what God is doing in other countries and in the lives of our friends (and ourselves)… and coming back to America, where things like politics, work drama, societal obligations, errands and the cat all compete for my attention.  

and then i went to a Bible study.

after a great dinner, we sat around an irregularly shaped coffee table and opened our notebooks, clicked our pens and flipped our Bibles to the… saddest and most depressing and mournful book EVER.

Lamentations, man.  Lamentations.  

it is exactly what it sounds like.  it is a collection of the prophet's (historically, and therefore here, Jeremiah's) laments.  his whines. his groans. his poetically penned complaints. no, really- every chapter is written as an alphabetic acrostic. he's got skill, even in grief.

you might say, like i have before, "why on earth?"  why would that ever be included in the Bible?  why was he so frickin' upset? why didn't God tell him to hush up?

and also, "why should i care? how can that ever make me feel better?"

here's why.  just bear with me and my snot-saturated brain for a bit.

here's the layout of this situation that was all up in Jeremiah's face:

he was a part of the nation of Israel, which had for all practical purposes split into Israel (10-ish tribes) and Judah  (1-ish tribes, depending on land, of which the Levites didn't get any, and also the fact that Ephraim and Manasseh were both from the same son of Israel. yeah, i know.  there's really 13 tribes, but one of the 12 sons got a double share, and then one son inherited the priesthood instead of land, so everything shakes out alright). 

anyway, ALL the tribes had… failed.  epically.  this was the origin of the "you had ONE job!!" line.  their ONE JOB was to show how great their God was.  they didn't even have to "do" much.  HE WAS RIGHT THERE.  LITERALLY. PHYSICALLY. VISIBLY. RIGHT. THERE. every nation had seen and heard and wondered at the HUGE things this "Yahweh" was doing. there was a temple where His presence resided, 24/7.  seriously, all the Jews had to do was point.

every time they forgot Him, He gave another gracious reminder of His eternal, all-powerful presence.  then they were good for about 6 months.  possibly a generation, if they were truly impressed.

He made a covenant with them.  "follow these rules, be different from the pagans, and I will love, cherish, protect, bless, multiply, thrill, fulfill you. break the covenant, and I will punish you."

they agreed.

then they forgot. 

then they flat-out ditched Him.  turned their backs on the Deity that brought them through fire and water, and started praying to carved rocks and chiseled wooden pillars.

the One thing that set them apart as a people was the one thing they spurned.  they looked across to the Moabites and Amorites and Ammonites and Hittites and Hivites and Philistines (and yes, they sound like congested people named them all)- and they said, "eh- that's not so bad. it's just a little different. no way would God really have a problem with me doing this."

enter the prophets.

this tiny little subset of Jews were called individually to alert their fellow men of the coming danger.

because God did, and does care.  it's not ultimately about the "things" the people were doing.  it's simply because He is HOLY. He is so much greater and better and stronger and more perfect than our minds can fathom that He can not be around sin, much the same way that light simply cannot ever coexist around darkness.  even a little candle will shatter gloom.  the very nature of light, or holiness, is such that it is forever separated from darkness, or unrighteousness. it's why He made that covenant.  it's why He made the sacrificial system and a non-deadly way for His chosen people to come near Him, live in His presence, speak to Him "as a man speak to his friend" like Moses. it's why He said, "don't be like them" - because they were… they were evil, folks. evil. before you blame God for taking out those nations, research "Molech"-just not during lunch.  and every time His people chose evil over Him, He patiently waited, He nudged, He reminded, He spoke through prophets- everything to get their attention first.  He did everything before punishing- if that's not love, i don't know what is.

well, they didn't listen to Jeremiah, just like they didn't listen to any of the other prophets.

and because God is holy and just and always keeps every single promise, He held to the covenant.  He left His temple. and punishment came.

and Jeremiah wept.

this is not the "oh boy, this hurts" crying.

this is the hopeless, despairing, pain-beyond-words-or-tears-or-breath crying. 

the armies were coming.  the cities were under siege. the chosen people were literally starving to the point of cannibalism. and they still chose to seek favor and help from their carved rocks and chiseled wooden pillars, rather than receive the forgiveness freely offered by God through the prophets. 

guys, i was convicted. and this ain't the germs talkin'.

working through such a depressing 22 verses hurt. it still does.  if my throat weren't sore, i might be weeping right now.

this nation- my nation- has forgotten and rejected God as surely as Israel did all those thousands of years ago.  i know America isn't God's chosen people, but even His Church within America seems to be floundering a bit.  our ONE JOB is to display God and His love, mercy, justice, forgiveness, power, glory… His HOLINESS. i need to be as broken as Jeremiah over the state of this country and what it is costing our souls. i am surrounded by lost, hurting, spiritually confused people and i... i have been called by God to be a witness. and i have failed.  i have retreated.  i have caved to pressure.  and now i see judgement on its way, and i should be weeping a whole lot more than i have been.

the thing with the prophets, and God's judgements, and all that stuff nobody likes to talk about it that it is just impossible to have a true concept of His holiness and a warped concept of sin.  they go hand in hand.  to minimize one is to minimize the other.  you can't take God seriously and in the next breath say, "my sin's not so bad."  because sin is a direct affront to His holiness.  more than that, to wave off sin is to show straight-up contempt for Jesus' sacrifice.  the epitome of love, mercy, grace, justice, humility, perfection- and sinners blow it off.  "my sin's not so bad; thanks for the gesture, Jesus, but i'm a pretty decent person and i don't need your sacrifice."  when we itemize sin, when we compare ourselves, when we apply our own standards to ourselves and hold it up to God like it's some great accomplishment...all of it...all of it takes the camera off God and focuses on us.  try as we might, our souls are never gonna be a pretty picture apart from Christ. we've deluded ourselves into thinking we can dress up the outside and be okay.

i have heard many times that a main deterrent to Christianity is that while Jesus and His teachings are pleasant, God and His punishments-particularly of the ancient non-Israelite nations- are simply intolerable.  they shout "God is love" as if they really understood that phrase and stalk off in anger.  could you appreciate a God who didn't take Himself seriously, who didn't punish wrong, who broke His word and was so small and weak that human brains could completely understand Him? no, really- think about that for a sec before you answer. they ignore the atrocities those people were committing, in flagrant disobedience to God, and say Love wouldn't punish it. God IS Love- but His perfect Love is included as a part of His majestic HOLY character.

they, just like the ancient Israelites, have forgotten His holiness. we as Christians have snuck into the background and hidden from these hard questions because we don't always know the answers- we have forgotten, too.

it hasn't happened overnight.  the Jews didn't collectively wake up one Tuesday and say, "Hey- here's an idea.  let's ask that Asherah pole for some rain, good crops and many many children."  but what was once "wrong" became "weird." before too long, "weird" became "different." soon after, "different" turned into "acceptable/normal/okay/celebrated".

but unlike Jeremiah, we aren't weeping.  we've become callused to words like "abortion" or "Obama" or…

or "lie" and "pride" and "gossip" and oh yes, i just said all that.

we've downsized our "little" sins. we've blamed those who struggle with the "big" sins.  we've got them all ranked and ordered, so we know just how upset we should be. 

the problem is that ALL OF THIS takes our focus off God.  if we were doing our job and upholding His holiness, i think several things would happen.

-we would recognize that our sins are every bit as bad as anyone's from Orlando, whether inside the club or outside. murderer, hater, liar, thief, gay, glutton, abuser, gossip/slanderer...if you sped on your way to work, you broke the law.  if you can't even handle state laws, how on earth do you reckon you're just fine with God's laws? quit calling a wicked gunman "God's judgement on gays" unless you're ready for God's judgement on your sin, too.  NO!! just no. man, that makes me so mad- i almost feel like my fever's coming back.  STOP IT!!

-we Christians would recognize our part in America, and that we share some of the blame for these atrocious sins happening every day across the nation while we creep back into our tiny little comfort zones and block it out. we need to speak out, fight evil, uphold righteousness, be involved in this country and do more than we are to represent Christ.

-we would get over our pride and reach out. reach out to everyone. even if 99% of the ones you reach out to choose to remain trapped in their blindness, if you hold that flame up someone might just see their way to the path leading to eternal Life. BE THE CHURCH.  the Church is the Holy Spirit's dwelling place, the arms and feet and eyes and heart of Jesus.  BE THAT. not the loudmouths who so full of anger and pride that they can't recognize the hurting souls all around them.

-we would weep.  we would weep for our families, our friends, our coworkers and our neighbors who don't/can't/won't see God and His truth.  we would weep for our LGBT community and the sin committed against them.  yes, i think that lifestyle is wrong and outside God's will, but God is lovingly waiting for them, not targeting them.  no, God was not caught off-guard by the massacre; even though it was wrong, it is a part of God's plan that uses people's evil to show His contrasting holiness.

because the whole point of the Gospel is that because of God's holiness and our utter inability to perfectly maintain His standards, there was a Plan already in motion.  He wants to be with us.  He wants us to love Him. so He took a "risk" a gave us free will to follow… or to flop.

God knew we'd flop.  He knew that sheep and goat sacrifices were not a long-term solution to our daily sins.  so to maintain His holiness, keep His covenant and punish sin- but ALSO to not destroy the objects of His affection (that's us, people)- He sent Jesus. 

those who accept His sacrifice are forgiven.  that's it.  clean slate. there is no "ranking" of sinners or penance to be paid.

those who refuse it will take the punishment themselves.  the Jews got a taste of it- the temple forsaken by God, they were left alone and destitute. hopeless and without anyone to even hear their parched cries. 

the Gospel is a word of hope, however.

even though the critics, and many Christians… and i… forget, even something as tragic as a massacre is not outside God's plan.  His greatest victories often come through the most troubling of crises.  our lack of understanding does not negate His omnipotence,  or His ability to turn the whole situation around for good.  this is a dark time for us, for our nation and specifically now for our LGBT community. we as Christians ARE GOD'S TEMPLE that is not forsaken, the visible presence of God- and we have ONE JOB.  let's do it! let's fall down and weep with those who weep.  let's proclaim the news of hope like Jeremiah.  let's hold up a flame and light the way to the Cross, where His holiness is fully satisfied, were darkness disappears, where Hope is eternal and where all God's chosen people find the comfort, love, forgiveness and peace that can only come from Him.

1 am theology (when my trump card trumps Trump's)

i'd like to go on record here and say that i do not consider myself an authority on anything at all.

maybe at work, i can answer questions and explain bilirubin and IV fluids and labs and feeding schedules to parents, but even there i am surrounded by decades of nursing experience that far exceeds my own.

so i take this seriously- at least as seriously as i can- especially because of the timing on a few of these conversations i've had. 

the most recent one was last night, as a nurse that i respect and love and look up to for many reasons, just asked my opinion on this YouTube video.  it was a curiosity question, and i highly doubt she thought i would make it all the way through this 1 hour, 2 minute and 13 second recorded conversation. she was a trigger for the "2 am theology" post some months back, too.  i need to watch out for her ;)

she would freak if she knew that i was listening to it again right now.

my soul is laughing right now.  mostly funnily, but also dear-me-i-hope-not-ly.  i will admit that things about it have nagged at me WAY more than they should have.  i say this here, because i'm now proofreading and i feel SO MUCH BETTER now that i've typed this all out once, made it through to the second, better half of this post and am now at peace with this mess.  if i've piqued your curiosity enough, keep reading.  if you can't hear the name Donald Trump without crying or puking, skip to the " *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^" down a ways ;)

i'm even embarrassed to say which YouTube video this is- that's how weird this is.

but i'm going to- for a few reasons.

1) there *could be* nuggets of truth hidden in there.  i have found vague hints, and i've only put a few hours of my life into this

2) i am very much not an expert on anything related to politics.  i would love input (except for a reminder on how much time i've probably wasted on this endeavor - i am fully aware)

3) if you should watch any part of this, just the first few seconds just might make it all worthwhile.  i nearly died laughing at the first image, and the humor has sustained me for many hours already.  please, click on this link if ONLY to see this image:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqwFWD_Htfo

okay good.  now close that tab and delete it from your browser history.

so here are two parts to this post.  the first are questions or concerns i have regarding this, and the overall political landscape that have supposedly come as a "word from God" to this guy Mark Taylor.

the second is what i've been thinking, learning and hearing about concerning what i know beyond doubt is a word from God that came to a guy named Jeremiah.

because i'm hoping like fury you did NOT listen to the whole hour-plus-long thing, i'll summarize.  if you DID listen, and i got it wrong, please let me know…. mostly so i can judge you for listening to it, just like i'm judging myself right now.

basically, this man was told he had an angel assigned to him, to reveal truth.  then he received a "prophecy" that:

1) Donald Trump (i know… i know…) was "anointed" by God,

2) that he would be the next president and would win by a landslide

3) he would restore America to its former greatness and would "return what was stolen" and restore it sevenfold,  the dollar would be stronger than ever, 

4) that the evil people worldwide would "quake and shake" because they'd know they'd been found out, to which the Holy Spirit says, "Ha! no one shall stop what I have started", and finally

5) several other confusing and convoluted things.

he is absolutely sure that this is a word from God because:

1) this prophecy, which came on April 28 2011, is related to both WWII and the Kentucky Derby.  "Gonna Have Another" won 2 out of 3 in 2011.  this is because God decided His people weren't ready, said "Oops-let's just wait a few years" and worked in this horse into the Plan instead.

1b- the horse Secretariat is a symbol of the end-times church. it's winning of the Triple Crown would be the sign for the Church to arise.

in 2015, American Pharoah won the Triple Crown- on D-Day.  that's when God told this man to "re-write" Eisenhower's D-Day speech and address it to the "Lord's Army."

i wish so badly i were kidding.  those few of you who listened to this, that pain you are feeling is also mine.  there is not enough alcohol and Excedrin in this great state of Tennessee to wash it away.  the coffee and pecan roll from Panera is helping, though.

2) because he's done such an excellent job of exposing the corruption in the government. this is him "splitting the kingdom of evil wide open." (my first thought here: yes, everybody is corrupt.  nobody "exposed" his own corruption, because it's so blatantly obvious.  he flaunts it to the world and acts proud of it.)

3) even though religious people accuse Trump of being "mean", well, Jesus called people names, too.  [personal note: this hurt me.  comparing Trump to Jesus hurt me. part of me hopes i'm not dancing on the line of blasphemy by saying anything about Jesus He wouldn't want me to, even if i don't believe it to be true…]

4) every time people attack him, his poll numbers go up and their ratings go down.  this is God saying, "this is a warning shot; do not touch My anointed." which is why, just like Judas Iscariot hung himself, Cruz and Rubio exposed their flaws and had to drop out.  (my first thought: ummm, woah. again… comparing Trump to Jesus.  i want to cry- not sarcastically.  i want to cry. truthfully, my soul is cringing within me.)

5) this prophesying man has been isolated from the entire world for a decade because of a thyroid and hormone imbalance.

oh yeah.  he said that.  you just have to wait to the end for that tidbit.

according to this prophecy, America is NOT under judgement, only its systems (political, financial, immigration, the New World Order, etc).  America is going to see a mass exodus of evil, scheming, liberals and be full instead of Christians, so that God can use this country as a launching place for the end-times harvest of seeds.

and Trump is God's anointed for bringing all this about.  his wall is going to boot out those lousy immigrants and establish the border, which, as the show host suddenly thought of- is because of that Bible verse where God establishes boundaries.  CLEARLY, God wants Trump to build this racist wall and preserve "His country's" border. (my first thought:  Trump is PART OF THAT financial system that is under judgement…

second thought: just no.  so much no. this wall idea needs to die a quick but painful death)

here are a few of my concerns.

1) the Holy Spirit does not say, "Ha!"

He just doesn't.  the idea that God would re-work His entire plan only after realizing His people were just not quite ready is simply not true.  i do not care who you are.  i do not care about your budget or your credentials.  you. can't. stop. God Almighty.  yes, our actions do matter and they do change circumstances, but God is outside time and has everything planned- even your future mistakes.  don't think the Holy Spirit has to think up comebacks like, "Ha!"  (yes, that is a quote from this man quoting the words of his "prophecy"). 

2) this ethnocentric worldview screams of a misguided theology that too many people share.

America is NOT "God's chosen people."  America is NOT the last Christian country.  America is NOT the Promised Land. America is probably NOT about to waltz into its greatest time ever.  those who hope so are, i think, about to be super-duper disappointed.  these "seeds" that this guy speaks of Trump re-harvesting and bringing back to America?- yeah, he's talking directly about money.  MONEY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE END-TIMES HARVEST.  OH MY FLAMING WORD, AND A THOUSAND TIMES NO. 

America has done good things in this world. very great things. 

but God's chosen people are those who have put their faith in him.  we are indeed chosen to continue His work, but not as "America." God doesn't see His people according to our man-made geographical lines, and evidence from worldwide Christ-followers indicates that God is moving and multiplying His people a jillion times faster in almost every other nation than in America.  God's harvest is going to be priceless souls- priceless because their cost is the very life of Jesus Christ, which He paid to break the unbreakable curse and save the un-save-able. 

"Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Son, Who has been made perfect forever." in the world, but not of it, folks. please stop equating America with heaven on earth.

3) the harvest is not necessarily something to look forward to- it is a warning to be continually aware of. it is a call to action, and urgent mission with eternal consequences.  the harvest means the sickle is coming.  the sickle cuts down the wheat.  then the wheat is beaten out- the grain to the storehouse, the chaff to the fire.  the end-times harvest refers to souls- saved ones to Heaven, lost ones to eternal fire and condemnation.  to be thinking about the value of the paper dollar instead of the eternal destiny of millions… well, frankly that disturbs and disgusts me. i can't believe anyone would reduce this all-important command from God to a flippant promise of money coming our way.

4) this guy has been isolated from all of society for a decade.

yes, i am returning to that.

there are valid health conditions, debilitating ones, that require some isolation.  this one?  i seriously think that he needs therapy.  a different kind than what he's getting.  if all this is coming from what he sees from the media, even religious media, and from his own interpretations from the Bible and not from a pastor or church body or a properly medicated body/mind, then i have to question this. 

5) the Devil is the best deceiver ever. in fact, it's one of his most popular nicknames.

this Mark backed up his validity as a prophet by saying God has also revealed to him a specific date of a probable terrorist attack… but i guess didn't feel confident enough to tell us what that day is- only that he's "working with some people" and that God's people need to start praying that God thwarts it. 

this stinks of deception and (i think) pride/self-glory. 

6) the implications of this "prophecy" are contradictory to what i feel God is saying in other ways.

if it is true that God has anointed Trump to be His tool in America, then it seems that God would be telling us to vote for him in November.

HOWEVER:

every Bible verse that has anything to do with politics tell us as Christians what to look for, support and vote for in our leaders (both spiritual and political).  none of those verses suggest that i should support hypocrites or bullies or racists or open liars or those who disrespect [everyone] and cheat on their wives or worship money and show no concern for vulnerable lives and the helpless and poor that this country was founded to welcome and free and comfort.

i don't think my vote should be wrestled away from me in the name of "the lesser of two evils."  regardless of electoral votes and percentages, my vote says something about what i believe to be true.  i don't think Trump is true.  i don't think i can rightly vote for him.  i do not judge anyone who does- at least not as an alternate to Hillary Clinton.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2016/march-web-only/should-christians-vote-for-lesser-of-two-evils.html?&visit_source=facebook )

i'm so sorry to put you through all of that.

but i really had to vent and throw all that out there, because it really has been on my mind since i first heard it.  it has interrupted sleep and distracted me so much i'll never get anything done until i post this.  typing it out usually helps me process, and posting it not only increases my internet presence but also means that someone out there may be able to offer insight that i lack, give a different perspective and correct me when i am wrong (i hope you feel free to do so- i welcome it and need it).  i didn't even get to mention the part where they talk about Nebuchadnezzar's vision of a cross to "conquer under" and his stopping of Christian persecution… (there weren't Christians back then…)- which not even Google has a response to.

but i already was mentally writing a post in my head, and this fit too perfectly with it.  and rather than spend a whole post talking about Trump (because seriously, i am not ready to hospitalize myself again) i decided to make one really long post and be done with it. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

recent decisions from this country's current "commander in chief" have already rocked the religious minority, and even led our pastor, and then our LifeGroup leader, to deviate from their teaching plans yesterday.  if you go to my church, you would clearly see just how big a deal that is.   Obama's illegal and insulting and...godless… decree regarding bathrooms and gender identity and his lofty opinion of his authority are alarming. serious reflection, prayer and action from His people (not "Americans", "HIS PEOPLE" within America) are necessary. 

but even more necessary is the message we received yesterday.

these words are from God.  I know this.

they came from another isolated man- one distanced from the world not because of an untreated medical/psychological condition but because of the unmistakable call of God upon his life to go out into the world and call everyone who would listen to repent before the coming judgement. 

his name was Jeremiah.

instead of promising wealth and prosperity immediately in the future, he promised a coming judgement.  he very clearly stated why this punishment was coming, and then he also gave explicit instructions to follow, for anyone who wished to survive the advancing army horde of pagan Babylonians.  it involved surrendering openly, willingly going into captivity and then settling down. 

because they were going to be there for a while.

it was to their benefit that they accept this and make do.  live their lives. become involved in the society they were placed in.  build houses. get jobs.  raise families.  all in the knowledge that the land they were in was not their permanent home and that they should always look ahead to their restoration.

this was not a popular message, not even with the attached promise that is on almost every refrigerator door magnet in the South: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will hear you. you will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart.  I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I have sent you into exile." Jeremiah 29: 11-14 ESV.

regarding Trump, and Obama, the parallel seems clear to me, as are the glaring differences  to this Mark guys' "prophecy."  yes, God used "changes" to work His will and His plan may seem to have changed- but humans didn't thwart it.

His people are His, no matter what modern-day nation they dwell in.  American national boundaries have nothing to do with it, and no "i'm gonna build a wall.  a big wall" threat is going to… just no.  forget the wall already!!  please!!!  gaaaaahhhh! 

we are in a type of exile now… yes, even American Christians.  this land is our wilderness, our temporary captivity, makeshift camp.  we'll be gathered, yes, but not to this desert-  to a land flowing with mercy and holiness.

His people are His, no matter what society is doing around us.  we are called to be active in the places He's put us, to be praying for those leading us (guilty… so, so guilty) and to be proclaiming God's truth, even when we are faced with opposition and ridicule- which is a given.

His people are His, no matter what comes our way. it will likely be tribulation and persecution that will bring His people back to HIM (not "America"- GOD!!!), not money.  the Church's most dramatic growth is occurring in the most anti-Jesus atmospheres.  Nebuchadnezzar was not exactly the most humble of emperors, and Babylon is not where we would think of planting a Baptist conference center.  but God knew that this would be the place where His people would "re-find" Him as he refined them. 

the "prophets" who came along and declared that Jeremiah was a liar… didn't fare too well.  they were false.  they spoke just what the rebellious Israelites wanted to hear, and tacked the Lord's name on it.  they willingly deceived the people (though they asked for it, and then got it).

and then they died. 

and not peacefully. 

the Devil used false prophets to lull people into a false sense of security.  those who were unaware, or just plain spiritually lazy, fell for it because someone told them "God told me."

my security is not in the shaky electoral process or any physical thing.

my security is solely in the rock-solid Jesus.  and He's given us hundreds of pages of His written revelations that tell us all we need to know right now. 

His people are His, no matter what.

there is a promise of hope and the best Day IS indeed coming. it's even better and far more glorious than anything this world could dream up.

instead of the twisting and writhing my spirit did (twice, now,) listening to YouTube (don't even think about reading the comments underneath….), i was filled with peace, hearing eternal words of Truth.  God is not worried in the least about who is about to become elected.  He knows and it's already part of His plan.  

Obama may have "a pen and a phone" and a failing grade in human biology and genetics, but God has a throne. 

Trump has YouTube.

i have a Savior.  and free access to Him 24/7- even when the internet is down.

i look forward happily, not towards November, but even farther ahead to the day when all His true people are gathered from the nations, kneeling together around that throne and celebrating our Eternal King, the Lord of Hosts, the Almighty, the Always and Forever Alpha and Omega.  when every true prophecy is fulfilled and every last soul harvested.  when our Promised Land isn't a promise anymore but a reality. 

Amen, and come quickly, Jesus!