Hope is More than Faith, It is Prayer and Action
We are being told we cannot end social distancing, shuttering businesses, and re-creating jobs until we have “full” testing. Others like Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, bioethicist and nonresident senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, say we cannot end sheltering-in-place, social distancing, and shuttering businesses till we have a vaccine. It should be noted that a vaccine is a year off, at best.
by Stephen Frank
Hebrews 10:23 says, Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. Hope, combined with faith, brings us through the tough times. For months, we have suffered through the coronavirus; we went through the government actions that closed down jobs, education and businesses; we have been forced to be isolated, divided from family, friends and co-workers. Then, as we were seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, we had protests that morphed into riots, looting, vandalism and thousands of business harmed and destroyed nationwide.
One after another, the tragedies of government and life have put many into a depression. It is like a boxer getting hit and unable to have a defense. But, in fact, we do have a defense—it is hope.
Many are they who say of me, "There is no help for him in God." Selah
But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head.
I cried to the Lord with my voice, And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah
I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.
I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me all around.
Hope and prayer, though, is not enough. We need to take action based on our principles. For too long, we have known what is right. But for fear of ridicule, name calling, and retribution, we have been silent. Silence is no longer an option. “Get along to go along” is not the answer. Our state and nation are facing numerous challenges: economic, moral, ethical, health issues, and more.
We can no longer be afraid to use Judeo-Christian evidence of our values. Some will call us racist if we believe that all lives matter. Imagine, wanting the best for all people can be considered a negative. To me it is a matter of Biblical teaching, not ideological agenda.
For instance, Sacramento is going through the new budget while facing a $54 billion deficit. The answer, per Gov. Newsom, is to have the federal government bail us out. At the same time, the super-majority in the State Senate has decided to continue the high-speed rail, which is an economic disaster; spend more money on those in our country in violation of federal laws and a recent Supreme Court decision barring such; and the pension system is collapsing. Instead of fixing our problems to solve the deficit issue, Sacramento wants to continue them by having people in Iowa and Georgia finance California’s mixed-up priorities.
Times change. Issues change. Circumstance change. Principles and values do not change.
Our elected officials need to stand tall on the Biblical values of self-responsibility. At the same time, they can use public policy to put the reins of government back in the hands of the people. This takes leadership. As elected officials, whether on a Water District Board or in the Legislature, by using press releases, appearances on talk radio shows, writing op-ed pieces for local newspapers, speeches to community groups, or holding ZOOM type townhalls, our leaders have a podium to shape public opinion and the public response to issues—in the majority or not, these are powerful platforms.
But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.”
There is risk in being a leader. You face the fire of the media and the special interests. It takes a strong heart, hope and faith to withstand the blaze of those who believe in government, not God—and certainly not the people. I know it is not easy to be called names and have your intentions questioned and attacked wrongly. Sadly, that is the nature of the Public Square today. Real leaders, either in office or volunteers in the community, know that to obtain a victory, you need to be challenged and questioned.
Hope and faith. Prayer and hard work. The road for a worthy future.
Stephen Frank is Senior Contributing Editor of California Political Review. Read California news that is incisive, hard-hitting, and solution-oriented with a free subscription to Steve’s daily emails at http://eepurl.com/UAspv
NOTE: Blogs published on the Judeo-Christian Caucus website are the opinions of their authors and not necessarily those of the Judeo-Christian Caucus.
Time for Strength thru Faith
We are being told we cannot end social distancing, shuttering businesses, and re-creating jobs until we have “full” testing. Others like Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, bioethicist and nonresident senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, say we cannot end sheltering-in-place, social distancing, and shuttering businesses till we have a vaccine. It should be noted that a vaccine is a year off, at best.
by Stephen Frank
In 1776, Thomas Paine wrote in the book The American Crisis, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” Just as at the final stages of the American Revolution that freed a nation, today we are in the final stages of another American revolution, caused by a virus, exacerbated by a government that believes we are owned by them, that they are our Masters. Like Paine, some are taking a stand against a tyrannical government.
Recently, 1200 Pastors wrote a letter to Governor Newsom, saying they were going to open the churches, because they answer to a Higher Power, The Lord. Reminds me of the old TV commercial for Hebrew National hot dogs. The ad noted they abided by the laws of government, but first they “answer to a Higher Power.”
In these times, we need courage. On TV, we have seen hairdressers and gym owners re-opening their businesses with and without the permission of government. You have people in every corner of the nation taking to the streets protesting the seizure of their Constitutional rights. Sadly, across the nation, hundreds of lawsuits have been filed by ordinary citizens to fight and gain freedom once again. Government does not easily give back. Lawsuits should not be needed for government to act responsibly and legitimately.
We need the courage of a Shelley Luther (Dallas hairdresser that got arrested for cutting hair and feeding her family) in our elected officials—whether at City Hall like the city council of Atwater declaring itself a sanctuary city for Constitutional rights for families and businesses, or, at the state level where a State Senator, Holly Mitchell, holds hearings on the no-bid billion-dollar mask contract to a firm owned by the Chinese Communist Party and 410 other no-bid contracts. Then, you have the courage of Calif. Assemblymen James Gallagher and Kevin Kiley presenting a resolution to repeal the Governor’s “Emergency Powers” given him in March before the Legislature left town.
To have strength of beliefs, you have to have beliefs, a foundation of values and principles. For me, these come from Joshua 1:9:
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9 NIV)
I will admit it, there are times when a project gets tough, or I do not see a way to the goal that I think about quitting, giving up, just watching re-runs of Seinfeld. It would be easier not to say something and be “liked” than to tell the truth and be in the middle of controversy. For me, it is easy because I have strong beliefs and KNOW why I have them. I am not politicizing, I am PRINCIPLED.
Were I an elected official, my actions would be easy—especially in times of crisis. As a Maryland Minister stated when he was given a $5,000 fine for opening his Church to allow the community to pray, “The COVID-19 virus did not repeal the Constitution.”
The State of California has a $54 billion deficit, and growing. Governor Newsom is cutting health care for elderly; education for our children; threatening the Feds with cutting First Responders if President Trump does not bail out the collapsing pension system; the train to nowhere; and allowing the Governor—without a vote of the Legislature, to give money to illegal aliens. Plus, there is money in the Newsom budget to give to Planned Parenthood by using the public schools to promote abortion.
It will take courage and backbone to stand up to the Governor and remind him—and the public—we have millions of newly unemployed, people being pushed into poverty and businesses that will never open again. At times like these, we need faithful officials, with Biblical principles as the foundation, to remind Sacramento the role of government is to help people, not to transform and bankrupt society.
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9 NIV).
Yes, we may lose a vote today, tomorrow or next month. But by using your faith as your strength, in the long term you will win. The fight today sets the foundation for a victorious vote tomorrow. Do not despair; the American Revolution, start to finish, took many years. It will take time to return government to the Constitution and the people to vote based on faithful principles.
Stephen Frank is Senior Contributing Editor of California Political Review. Read California news that is incisive, hard-hitting, and solution-oriented with a free subscription to Steve’s daily emails at http://eepurl.com/UAspv
NOTE: Blogs published on the Judeo-Christian Caucus website are the opinions of their authors and not necessarily those of the Judeo-Christian Caucus.
Facing the Future with Resolve and Faith
We are being told we cannot end social distancing, shuttering businesses, and re-creating jobs until we have “full” testing. Others like Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, bioethicist and nonresident senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, say we cannot end sheltering-in-place, social distancing, and shuttering businesses till we have a vaccine. It should be noted that a vaccine is a year off, at best.
by Stephen Frank
The news has not been good. The nation has a 14.7% unemployment rate, and over 30 million people have lost their jobs in the past seven weeks. California faces a $53 billion deficit when it had planned on a $8 billion surplus. We still do not know if schools will reopen and under what conditions. Entertainment, we are realizing, in the near future, will not be very entertaining with physical distancing, masks and temperatures being taken just to get in the door.
Grim.
Yet, the American spirit is historically “can-do.” Seventy-five years ago, we defeated fascism and Nazism. We came out of the Great Depression. Medical miracles, like ending polio, came from our nation. Through thick and thin, Americans have continued to create new technologies and supply food and energy for the world. In the depth of despair and horror, Americans are able to find their resolve.
To get to that point, we have to admit we have a problem. Some are short-term, like shelter in place; some are long term, like the economic devastation of a community and State. It is always easier to solve problems by listing them and then finding solutions, one by one.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29-11 NIV).
In the short term, the challenge is between local government, business and the State. The Governor needs to give “permission” for businesses to resume operation. Yet, Counties like Moduc, Orange, Sutter and Yuba have declared, under guidelines, they are relaxing restrictions.
It took protests started by surfers to reopen the beaches. Hairdressers and barbers are opening up, under the threat of losing their State-issued licenses. The Alcohol Beverage Control Board issued a statement that any bar or restaurant that sells alcohol without the permission of the Governor will lose its license. Yet in the Central Valley, these establishments are beginning to put out the welcome mat anyway.
Once this pandemic started, the Legislature went on “recess,” and the Governor was working furiously. According to a document from Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, the Governor issued 37 Executive Orders and changed 172 State laws. None of this was done with a single legislative hearing or a vote in the Assembly or State Senate. Actions such as these make the legislature irrelevant.
To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the proper answer of the tongue. All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the LORD. Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and He will establish your plans. The LORD works out everything to its proper end—even the wicked for a day of disaster (Proverbs 16:1-4 NIV).
What Gov. Newsom has done is done. Now is the time to return to the Rule of Law. Some are going to court to contest actions taken by the Governor. By listing the Orders and Laws changed, legislators, such as Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, bring attention to the problem of a Governor who has acted by accumulated power, not distributed power.
An action plan to return government to the people needs to be developed and promoted. This can be nonpartisan—every segment of society has been affected by these decisions. For instance, the Governor changed the rules of Workers Compensation, making it easier for folks to get it, though the law says changes can only be made by the Legislature. Who gets hurt the most? The minority and women who own small businesses that could see their Workers-Comp mandated payments go up by a third, making it difficult for these firms to re-open. In all, it takes about $11.2 billion a year from businesses and transfers it to a government program.
Government, one way or another, is being reformed. Instead of complaining, we need an action plan. All of this happens upon a foundation of Faith, the Faith to do the right thing, to be a leader. Have Faith in your beliefs and principles—you have them because the LORD led you to them.
Stephen Frank is Senior Contributing Editor of California Political Review. Read California news that is incisive, hard-hitting, and solution-oriented with a free subscription to Steve’s daily emails at http://eepurl.com/UAspv
NOTE: Blogs published on the Judeo-Christian Caucus website are the opinions of their authors and not necessarily those of the Judeo-Christian Caucus.
Trust Government or God?
We are being told we cannot end social distancing, shuttering businesses, and re-creating jobs until we have “full” testing. Others like Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, bioethicist and nonresident senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, say we cannot end sheltering-in-place, social distancing, and shuttering businesses till we have a vaccine. It should be noted that a vaccine is a year off, at best.
by Stephen Frank
In California, there are four counties without a single coronavirus case. Yet, Gov. Newsom has declared they should stay in complete shutdown. Now, the Boards of Supervisors of those counties have opened their communities. Which “government” should the people listen to—the State government or the county government?
The last weekend in April, tens of thousands of people flocked to the beaches in Orange County. The Governor got so upset he wanted to order all the beaches and state parks in California closed and to use law enforcement to force the people to comply. The City Council of Newport Beach voted 5-2 to keep the beaches open. Which government should the people obey—the State or the City?
These are troubling times. We have a deadly disease roaming the earth due to the irresponsible actions of a government—the Communist Chinese government. They withheld information, misled the world on the seriousness of the situation, and allowed a disease-carrier to travel the world. This is a government that imprisons people of faith, controls the churches and determines for students whether they go to college, where to go to college, or if they are sent to farms or technical schools.
In China, the people have no choices. Yet, the Bible says we must trust and respect government.
Remind the believers to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good (Titus 3:1, NLT).
Does China have the type of government we need to trust or respect? Should the people of China blindly follow the totalitarian government, while their freedoms are held in the hand of the military and their political party?
Another passage in the Bible says, Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God (Romans 13:1, NLT).
Governor Newsom has banned public demonstrations in Sacramento on government property and ordered NO permits be given to the public for any demonstration. In effect, he has repealed the First Amendment, from the federal laws/government and declared himself the Supreme Leader of California—he is taking away the right to assemble and the right to free speech, as well as the right to petition government.
The people have responded by protesting to the Chinese government-type orders from the California Governor. They are doing this though Governor Newsom has issued a ban on protesting at the Capitol. Indeed, a thousand protested on May 1, against the order of the Governor.
Around the State, there are at least ten demonstrations that I know of, from San Diego to Lake County. The people have decided that no government has the right to take away their freedoms. That is the difference between the people of the United State and those in China—we fight back.
There is a long-term problem for government. At what point do the people stop believing or listening to government? New York City is totally shut down by order of Mayor Di Blasio. Yet, Fox News reported on May 1 that construction sites all over the city opened, in defiance of the Mayor. In Auburn, California, two hair salons opened in defiance of Gov. Newsom. In my hometown, a local locksmith has been open—in defiance of orders of the Board of Supervisors. People are deciding that they need to retake their freedoms, their jobs, and their lives. In the past six weeks, 20% of working Americans became unemployed.
These folks need to choose between working and returning to freedom, or listening to government and become a Third-World state and nation.
Without permission of government, people are returning to their previous lives. The actions are loud and clear, government is out of control, no different than the government of China.
He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning (Daniel 2:21, NIV).
We also need to be discerning. The Kingdom belongs to the Lord, not the politicians. Our very lives and freedoms are at stake. These are troubling times. Government is made of man. Man, who is fallible. What do you think?
Stephen Frank is Senior Contributing Editor of California Political Review. Read California news that is incisive, hard-hitting, and solution-oriented with a free subscription to Steve’s daily emails at http://eepurl.com/UAspv
NOTE: Blogs published on the Judeo-Christian Caucus website are the opinions of their authors and not necessarily those of the Judeo-Christian Caucus.
America is Facing a Moral Dilemma
Thanks to the Wuhan Virus, most people are sheltered at home. Many businesses have been closed; our children no longer go to school for an education. Farmers are plowing under food and dairy farmers are spilling milk down the drain—because 30% of their business is from restaurants and schools; all of which are buying very little.
by Stephen Frank
Thanks to the Wuhan Virus, most people are sheltered at home. Many businesses have been closed; our children no longer go to school for an education. Farmers are plowing under food and dairy farmers are spilling milk down the drain—because 30% of their business is from restaurants and schools; all of which are buying very little.
The virus is serious. It is deadly, it Is spread person to person. Social distancing may have stopped the rate of contagion, but per Governor Newsom, at least half of Californians already have it. In a State of 40 million people, just under 1,000 have died from the disease, about equal to a bad year of influenza.
What are the social and health consequences of the “cure” for the virus? From the San Jose Spotlight, “According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Bay Area residents as a whole drank alcoholic beverages 42 percent more than usual during the first week of sheltering in place. This comes as no surprise, especially as local online retailer Wine.com has seen spirit sales alone surge 400 percent and restaurants and bars can now sell alcohol to-go.
But this increase in drinking and lack of contact, some medical professionals say, can be especially hard for those coping with addictions to drugs and alcohol. Anecdotes from addicts at Recovery Café detailed how isolation exacerbates substance abuse, and Harvard Medical School recently published resources to maintain recovery efforts while coping with social distancing.
Due to the concern the virus can spread in jails and prisons, in California over 3500 inmates, so far, have been released from prison and over 10,000 criminals have been released from jails around the State. We cannot tell how bad the crime wave has become, because “minor” offenses, like assault, simple robberies, burglaries, are no longer reported since the police arrest very few, and if arrested, the alleged perpetrator is given release with no bail, so they can go back into the shadows.
And for usually-working Americans, research shows unemployment is a risk factor for suicide. Benjamin Miller, chief strategy officer for Well Being Trust, a national foundation committed to advancing mental health issues, said the virus outbreak already is bringing into sharp relief risk factors for poor health such as loneliness and social isolation.
“Add to these social factors the possibility of an economic downturn, which may include job loss, and we are looking at a perfect storm of problems that will only exacerbate the depths of despair that our nation still has not addressed," Miller said.” All this while criminals are freed to continue their career paths.
USA Today noted, “Looking at a past disease outbreak like SARS in Hong Kong in 2002 and 2003 gives some indication of what may lie ahead. Social disengagement and stress and anxiety among some older adults resulted in an exceptionally high rate of suicide deaths, according to a 2010 study.
Hong Kong's disrupted economy may have led to increased suicides, noted Eric Caine, co-director of the Center for the Study of Prevention of Suicide at the University of Rochester Medical Center. He is concerned the U.S. may see the same. Research shows unemployment is a risk factor for suicide. Benjamin Miller, chief strategy officer for Well Being Trust, a national foundation committed to advancing mental health issues, said the virus outbreak already is bringing into sharp relief risk factors for poor health such as loneliness and social isolation.
Is the cure worse than the disease? That is a moral question we have to face. Yes, politicians will pontificate, give long explanations as they claim the health of the people is more important than jobs and businesses. Yet, the health of the public is at stake. With the virus exponentially increasing the fear of being near others, we face potentially higher rates of suicide, depression, drug use, alcoholism, mental illness, and bankruptcies.
Governor Newsom, Cuomo and others are saying isolation and job losses need to continue until at least May 15, one month from now. The trade off, the moral dilemma, is should government policy “save” lives from the virus, by killing the economy and jobs so no one dies of the virus, or should we open society to save lives from suicide, drug addiction, alcoholism, domestic violence, and the potential of a dismal future?
That is a true discussion for the public. At this point the politicians have made this one sided. It is up to the public to discuss all the ramifications of the current virus policies. What do you think?
Stephen Frank is Senior Contributing Editor of California Political Review. Read California news that is incisive, hard-hitting, and solution-oriented with a free subscription to Steve’s daily emails at http://eepurl.com/UAspv
NOTE: Blogs published on the Judeo-Christian Caucus website are the opinions of their authors and not necessarily those of the Judeo-Christian Caucus.