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Raymond J Gump
May 13, 2022·2 min read
Yahoo News

As someone who has held leadership positions throughout a large portion of my career (along with suffering under a series of poor leaders), taught a seminar on leadership, and has graduate level credits from Penn State in leadership courses along with numerous other training seminars, I read with interest the Tuesday (May 3) leadership guest opinion ("As a leader, Trump outclasses Joe Biden").

While I am in agreement that the listed qualities certainly are the macro view of good leadership, there is a significant disconnect between my perception and the perception of the writer as to how Donald Trump and Joe Biden slot into those traits. Regardless, please allow me to suggest a more nuanced micro view of some of the specific traits of good leadership gleaned from my personal experience and training. The reader can best determine whether Biden or Trump best exhibit each trait and to what degree — be honest.

A good leader:

• Is honest, transparent and has integrity
• Is humble yet confident, but not guided by their ego — lacks hubris
• Treats everyone with dignity, respect and courtesy
• Shows compassion and empathy
• Seeks unity, compromise and consensus
• Takes responsibility and shares credit
• Follows the law and adheres to the traditions of their post
• Puts the good of the organization above self interest in their strategic thinking
• Makes decisions for the good of the entire organization without pandering to special interestsor subverting to the politically powerful
• Supports subordinates who may make appropriate but unpopular decisions
• Is diligent in attempting to provide the opportunity for everyone to succeed
• Is more interested in resolving/preventing mistakes than assigning blame
• Is bold, flexible and creative but not reckless
• Surrounds themselves with competence not sycophants
• Isn’t a serial liar
• Doesn’t bully, coerce, threaten or intimidate
• Doesn’t stoke peoples’ fear, bias or prejudice or identify scapegoats
• Doesn’t seek to profit from their position
• Doesn’t use the power of their position to pursue vendetta or grievance
• The essence of true leadership is to have the courage to do the right thing (legally, morally and ethically) at the right time for the right reasons.
• Raymond J Gump lives in Southampton.
• This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Guest Opinion: These traits are at the heart of a good leader

https://www.yahoo.com/news/guest-opinion-qualities-great-leader-212810788.html

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8:00AM EDT 5/20/2022 JENNIFER LECLAIRE

Cindy Jacobs prophesied about a spirit of violence let loose in the earth a few years ago. Now, we're seeing the spirit of hate rise up.

Church shootings are nothing new, but the rising spirit of hate seemed to motivate the latest incident.

Churchgoers at Geneva Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods, California, conquered and hog-tied a shooter named David Chou who fatally shot one member and wounded five others.

Chou was booked on murder and attempted murder charges in what Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes on Monday called a "politically motivated hate incident," according to USA Today.

You might wonder, like me, how frequently church shootings occur. Listen to this podcast for the whole story here.

According to Lifeway Research, there were three fatal church shootings in 2017 and one in 2019. So far this year, we've witnessed two fatal church shootings.

All told, there have been 21 fatal church shootings since 1999. The deadliest was at First Baptist Sutherland Springs in Texas, with 26 deaths including an unborn child, according to Lifeway.

So, what's going on here?

This is beyond the spirit of violence. At the root, this is the spirit of hate we're dealing with. Jesus said the one who hates is a murderer, tying the spirit of hate directly to murder. (See 1 John 3:15.)

The spirit of hate rose up against Jesus and is poised to rise up in an unprecedented way against His followers. Jesus said, "If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before it hated you" (John 15:18, AMPC). Jesus also said, "You will be hated by all for My name's sake" (Matt. 10:22, AMPC).

We have to understand what's going on in the spirit realm in the end times. I want you to listen in to this insightful teaching from Darris McNeely, a pastor and TV host at Beyond Today.

McNeely nailed it. Principalities and powers are pulling people's strings like puppets.

FBI hate crime statistics show that incidents in churches, synagogues, temples and mosques increased 34.8% between 2014 and 2018, the last year for which FBI data is available.

Yes, 34.8%.

And as of 2018, church security expert Carl Chinn identified 623 people having been killed in deadly force incidents since 1999 at faith-based properties, including churches.

The reality is, this is the new normal. Hatred is driving violence, and it's not just in the world but in the church. Prophetically speaking, we can expect more church violence.

Principalities and powers are driving an end-times drama that's unfolding right before our eyes, and the spirit of hate is tag-teaming with the spirit of violence. It's gotten worse. It's getting worse. And it will grow worse the deeper we move into the end times.

We don't need to be afraid. But we need not be ignorant of the devil's devices.

What should we do? Get the prayer points here.

This is beyond the spirit of violence. At the root, this is the spirit of hate we're dealing with. Jesus said the one who hates is a murderer, tying the spirit of hate directly to murder. (See 1 John 3:15.)

The spirit of hate rose up against Jesus and is poised to rise up in an unprecedented way against His followers. Jesus said, "If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before it hated you" (John 15:18, AMPC). Jesus also said, "You will be hated by all for My name's sake" (Matt. 10:22, AMPC).

We have to understand what's going on in the spirit realm in the end times. I want you to listen in to this insightful teaching from Darris McNeely, a pastor and TV host at Beyond Today.

McNeely nailed it. Principalities and powers are pulling people's strings like puppets.

FBI hate crime statistics show that incidents in churches, synagogues, temples and mosques increased 34.8% between 2014 and 2018, the last year for which FBI data is available.

Yes, 34.8%.

And as of 2018, church security expert Carl Chinn identified 623 people having been killed in deadly force incidents since 1999 at faith-based properties, including churches.

The reality is, this is the new normal. Hatred is driving violence, and it's not just in the world but in the church. Prophetically speaking, we can expect more church violence.

Principalities and powers are driving an end-times drama that's unfolding right before our eyes, and the spirit of hate is tag-teaming with the spirit of violence. It's gotten worse. It's getting worse. And it will grow worse the deeper we move into the end times.

We don't need to be afraid. But we need not be ignorant of the devil's devices.

What should we do? Get the prayer points here.

https://www.charismanews.com/opinion/watchman-on-the-wall/89219-a-spirit-of-hate-rises-up-and-is-killing-christians-just-like-jesus-prophesied

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'Child Abuse?' Parents Pray for, Confront School Board After Teacher Hosts Drag Queen Show
9:00AM EDT 5/13/2022 TRE GOINS PHILLIPS/FAITHWIRE

A group of Pennsylvania parents descended on a school board meeting in the aftermath of a drag queen show hosted by a public school teacher who did not inform parents of the event.

In early May, video footage surfaced online of a drag queen show featuring sexually provocative dances at Hempfield High School. The after-school event was hosted by the Gay Sexuality Alliance (GSA) club and quickly elicited reactions from blindsided and outraged parents, according to The Daily Wire. The school's GSA club is sponsored by French teacher Kelly Tyson, who invited the drag queen performers.

Before stepping into the contentious school board meeting, many parents gathered around the flagpole in front of the school district's administrative building, where they prayed for wisdom and protection ahead of the assembly.

"We are walking boldly for Your kingdom, Lord," one parent could be heard praying, according to a video posted by Daily Wire writer Ben Zeisloft. "So, we thank You for protection tonight. We thank You for safety. We thank You that Your words will come out of us, Lord. We thank You that the Holy Spirit is stirring inside of all of us and that we would give You the glory, we will speak Your truth, we will not shrink back, we will speak boldly in faith and in love just as Jesus did when He walked on this earth."

"Lord, You said that we will do even greater things, Jesus," the parent continued, referring to John 14:12. "And You chose us — what a privilege — to live in this time. This time was chosen for us."

Some of the Christian parents even spoke peacefully with and embraced students who are part of the GSA club.

Once in the meeting, several parents raised their voices in opposition to the drag queen show. "

Our schools are overreaching and indoctrinating our children, which has created confusion and stress in the most vulnerable," said one parent, Stacy Hernandez, who condemned the school board for allowing "filth into our schools" and permitting the "exploitation of our children."

"It's a form of child abuse, and it's about indecency in our schools and lack of leadership," she added.

For the original article, visit our content partners at faithwire.com.

https://www.charismanews.com/us/89153-child-abuse-parents-pray-for-confront-school-board-after-teacher-hosts-drag-queen-show

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10:00AM EDT 5/19/2022 SHAWN A. AKERS

MorningStar Ministries CEO Pastor Chris Reed says he recently received an angelic visitation, one that revealed some amazing prophecies to the prophetic pastor about upcoming world events.

Reed revealed these prophecies to the MorningStar Church congregation and online in a service this past Sunday.

"There are a few things I'm not supposed to share, but of course, you know, just a holy reverential comes all over you when something like that happens," Reed said. "It's unspeakable, it's enthralling, yet completely terrifying. But on May 13, I had an angelic visitation, and it was right when I was waking up.

"The main thing he talked to me about was world events and what's coming up. One of the first things he said to me is that two children of the cold war will be removed and taken out of power. And then, he said to me watch Joe Biden taken out of power and so will Vladimir Putin pretty soon. Both will happen fairly closely together. I say this in the fear of the Lord. He says they'll happen both fairly close together and they will no longer be in their positions.

"He also said that Kamala Harris would be very hesitant and would struggle with the idea of being president. Of course, that's the way it would work, if the president is no longer in office, the vice president steps up. He said to watch Sen. Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts, that she would emerge after this happens to become more of a major player in the void after Biden is no longer in the White House ... I do not wish harm in any way to anyone. I'm just saying there is an unfolding of events and Elizabeth Warren will emerge to help in that time. I'm not
saying she'll be president, but I'm just saying she will emerge in that time.

"Another thing he told me is that, because of the economic turmoil and increasing of birth pains in the earth, the financial economic political upheaval, there will be a lot of confusion and disorientation. He said that the world was now beginning to look for a leader to bring peace and security. France wants another Napoleon, Spain wants another queen, Greece wants another Alexander the Great and Rome wants another Caesar. That's how he said it.

"He went on to say that, in the coming days, the city of Paris, France, will become a hotbed of turbulence; something will trigger a hotbed of turbulence there. This is something that I want to say and please don't read too much into this, but he did emphasize a particular world leader to really keep an eye on and that he's calling the church to pray about—one that could potentially be the world of darkness' answer for the turbulence. Things will unfold, and he said to keep your eye on the newly re-elected president of France, Emmanuel Macron. He said Emmanuel Macron will gain more public notoriety soon, more coverage and he will emerge with more worldwide recognition for his purpose and to introduce false peace primarily to Europe.

"The angel said to me, 'look at his birthday.' And after the encounter, I looked up his birthday and it just so happens his birthday is Dec. 21. December 21 is the winter solstice—the birthday of every pagan god from every culture in history including Jupiter, Zeus, Mercury, Baal and Tamus. They're all born on Dec. 21 because the ancient pagans believed that the sun died that day because it's the shortest day of the year. They believe the sun was being rebirthed after that because the days start getting longer after Dec. 21.

"I'm not saying that he is a pagan god but it's not a coincidence that he's born on that day and the fact his name is Emmanuel. When the Scripture speaks about the man of sin who would be revealed, who would sit in the temple proclaiming himself to be God, remember Emmanuel means, 'God with us.' I don't believe that he's God, but I'm very concerned and very troubled about the future and the enemy's plans for Emmanuel Macron.

"I want you to be prayerful about this and to take this into very strong prayer consideration."

Reed went on to say that the angel told him that there would be an increase in earthquakes; that India would see a major one. And, he also told Reed that a significant war would break out soon, that China would "continue to advance its plans in the attack of Taiwan."

Chris Reed is a prophetic pastor and the CEO of MorningStar Ministries in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

https://www.charismanews.com/culture/89211-angelic-visitation-imparts-stunning-prophecies-to-morningstar-ministries-chris-reed

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1:00PM EDT 5/9/2022 ROB VISCHER

Jack Hibbs, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, believes the American experiment is over. He calls America's government leaderless, socialistic, and overtaken by the gay agenda.

He laments that the Constitution is now a living document, which means anyone can change it to fit their beliefs.

He says, "The United States, in 10 months, went from the pinnacle of power, success, freedom to the case of crippling fear, debilitating confusion, the loss of liberty and freedom. It's as though we were invaded by a foreign army. We have surrendered. We have given up. At the first hint or smell of battle, we folded."

Because we failed to discern the times in which we're living, Hibbs adamantly believes that "America, as we know it, is no more."

To prove it, Hibbs reads a sobering email he received from a current congressman:

"The initial disproportionate D.C. troop presence served multiple purposes: the desired appearance of a military police state designed to induce fear into a resisting populace. And second, to display administrative no-nonsense willingness to
use military powers against its citizens. Now, retaining thousands of troops in D.C., this will continue as the message. During the next few months, the administration intends to pass, declare and implement one anti-Democratic transformational decision after another. The one-party state isn't kidding around. They are swiftly using their unchecked power to their advantage. They will first ensure future elections will present no threat to their power base. By then, they will have re-created the U.S. into a docile, compliant member of the globalist state. That is what Biden's campaign theme means when said, 'Build Back Better.'

The basis of American government ruled by the consent of the governed will have been rendered a dinosaur, while the rule of law will have little effect protecting individual liberties. Chief among these casualties was the loss of rule by the consent of the governed. Because the people were given little to no true audit of 2020 voting integrity — recounting illegal ballots does not equal voting integrity. Next, censorship of individuals' speech by corporate media and political interests. Justice is denied today and was denied to hundreds of millions of Americans in the 2020 election. This began with algorithms from social media globalist conglomerates. Our government did nothing to protect us from the basic trampling upon of America's unalienable rights. It may be too late for a restoration of Americans' freedoms. The Lord of heaven's army may have rendered judgment upon our unrepentant, sin-sick nation, as the current, one-party state was elected by the corrupt alliance between one political party and corporate global behemoths. However, there is always a response that pleases and moves the heart of our living Savior. It is 'Surrender.' As we surrender our all to Jesus we find new joy, new hope, and we live."

Hibbs then says that America can no longer stand. After referencing Democratic Congressman Emanuel Cleaver's "Amen and A-woman" prayer to the Hindu deity Brahma,Hibbs reads Psalm 2:4-5: "He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure" (NKJV).

"I believe America's in a state of judgment now," Hibbs says. "Persecution is coming. It's already started. Persecution always backfires because salvation sweeps cities, counties, states and nations when this takes place."

A Pew research poll recently came out that showed the decline of Christianity on a dramatic downward slope, but Hibbs says the opposite is true wherever the Word is truly preached. His church has exploded, and he attributes it to the unapologetic teaching of the Bible.

"You and I might not have America anymore," he says, "but we've got God. We've got Jesus Christ."

For more of Jack Hibbs' thoughts on America, watch this video.

Rob Vischer is a freelance writer for Charisma Media.

https://www.charismanews.com/opinion/89113-spirit-filled-pastor-anonymous-congressman-reveals-biden-s-plan-for-police-state

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By Hedieh Mirahmadi, Exclusive Columnist
Christian Post

It was astonishing when I first read about the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Disinformation Governance Board. In my 20 years of government service fighting terrorism, the most complicated element of our work was protecting the sanctity of free speech while preventing radicalization. We watched young Americans leave their families to either marry a stranger or die in a foreign war but could do nothing about it because they had not committed a crime. They believed the persuasive pleas of the recruiters and wanted to be part of something bigger than themselves.

Civil rights groups, free speech activists, and others were very wary of our efforts. They claimed we were infringing on religious freedom and free speech by monitoring the recruiters’ activity. Back then, the social media giants wanted no part in censoring online profiles unless they advocated the violent overthrow of the U.S. or encouraged acts of violence. We understood it as Americans; we are not in the business of policing ideas, however unpopular they may be.

The Supreme Court even established “an imminent threat” standard to ensure we did not regulate grossly unpopular or hateful speech. So, it was not until groups like ISIS and Al-Shabab were officially designated as foreign terrorist organizations that criminal charges could be imposed for recruitment and/or material support.

Fast forward to today, and this new board is tasked with addressing the threat of disinformation. The repeated use of the word “threat” by DHS Secretary Mayorkas should be a cause for concern. It purposely creates connectivity between disinformation and the potential for physical harm, so there is a crime that can be investigated and eventually prosecuted.

We already have laws to address any potential harm stemming from intentionally providing false information. There are civil penalties in defamation and slander cases and criminal charges for perjury or obstruction of justice against government officials. However, the Constitution does not allow the government to punish the exaggeration of a story or having a different opinion from the cultural norm.

Look, for example, at all the controversy surrounding the Hunter Biden laptop. What was commonly touted as a wacky MAGA conspiracy was eventually demonstrated to be fact. Same with the research about the utility of masks in fighting off COVID infections and the risks associated with vaccines. Just because something may sound outlandish to some does not mean it’s false. The power of free speech is that the marketplace of ideas allows our opinions to evolve and change with new data. Isn’t that how we defeated slavery and gave women equal rights?

This recent push to criminalize “unpopular” speech started with the backlash against the parental rights movement. Passionate and angry parents at school board meetings triggered the Justice Department to issue a memo about prosecuting the “threat” to school officials. Soon after, DHS issued a National Terrorism Advisory, warning of a heightened terrorism threat caused by disinformation introduced by foreign or domestic actors. Consider the language of the bulletin very carefully:

"These threat actors seek to exacerbate societal friction to sow discord and undermine public trust in government institutions to encourage unrest, which could potentially inspire acts of violence."

The alarming conclusion is this: Our leading national security agency says the most significant domestic terrorism threat today is from people who share unpopular ideas with others, which could make them angry enough to commit a crime. To address this apparent threat, they create a Disinformation Governance Board to advise the operational departments of DHS on who to investigate and possibly prosecute for these alleged crimes.

I am shocked and dismayed this is happening in the public service sector, where I dedicated most of my professional career. How is the U.S. government suddenly the arbiter of “truth?” And why is lack of public trust defined now as a potential terrorism threat?

As if the unconstitutionality of regulating truth in the public square was not bad enough, the choice to govern the Disinformation Board makes it obvious who is the intended target of this effort. Nina Jankowicz, a clearly left-leaning social activist, has already labeled opponents of CRT “disinformers” and considers gender-based harassment online to be a national security threat, equal to terrorism.

U.S. law enforcement power should never be partisan. We saw how damaging that was during the Russian collusion debacle when corruption in senior leadership tarnished the stellar reputation of the FBI. DHS and FBI officials are also never meant to be the thought police. We pride ourselves on that as Americans. Thankfully, many legislators are voicing their objections to this partisan attempt to silence opposition.

Marsha Blackburn from Tennessee wrote to DHS that the “federal government has no place interfering with the rights of all Americans to speak publicly about their political views … In fact, the Supreme Court has made it abundantly clear that this kind of ‘core political speech’ is the primary object of First Amendment protection.” Ranking Senator Rob Portman said, “I do not believe that the United States government should turn the tools that we have used to assist our allies counter foreign adversaries onto the American people.”

It is no secret that the U.S. has directly engaged in “disinformation” campaigns in countries worldwide to defeat communism, totalitarianism, and in many cases, terrorist recruitment. The American people should not tolerate its government now turning around to tell us what truth we can or should believe.

As Christians, even those who try to remain “apolitical” must realize we will be the greatest casualty of this effort. Our truth about who Jesus Christ is as God incarnate and that life begins with conception can easily be weaponized against us when the arbiter does not believe in God’s word. Look at the underwhelming response by law enforcement as the radical’s torch Christian nonprofits and harass conservative Supreme Court judges at their homes. Nothing is being done to stop those crimes as if their truths or legal rights do not matter.

There are dark days ahead of us, “For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18).

Hedieh Mirahmadi was a devout Muslim for two decades working in the field of national security before she experienced the redemptive power of Jesus Christ and has a new passion for sharing the Gospel. She dedicates herself full-time to Resurrect Ministry, an online resource that harnesses the power of the Internet to make salvation through Christ available to people of all nations, and her daily podcast LivingFearlessDevotional.com.

https://www.christianpost.com/voices/be-very-wary-of-the-us-thought-police.html

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Steven L. Sloca
May 14, 2022Yahoo News

If the Supreme Court finalizes the Samuel Alito draft on abortion which was leaked last week, it may impact the First Amendment’s prohibition on the establishment of religion; and it would totally shock the Founding Fathers by enshrining a Popish dogma into American law. This arises from the fact that when and under what circumstances abortion should be allowed is entirely a question of religious faith.

For example, the Catholic Church for 1,860 years held that it was not the killing of a human being to abort a fetus before “quickening,” which was decreed by Pope Gregory XIV in 1591 to be the 166th day after conception (somewhere in the 6th month). There was a very good reason for this doctrine. Catholic theologians such as St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Jerome and others knew that many pregnancies ended with natural abortions, commonly known as miscarriages, usually in the first four months.

Indeed, it has been estimated that more than 25% of confirmed pregnancies end in natural abortions; and the number of embryos not attaching to the uterus and being lost are probably a hundred times more frequent. It was believed that God determined whether a woman would miscarry (as well as when she became pregnant in the first place); and it would have made God into a mass murderer if it were believed that God killed 25% of all babies. Therefore, Catholic doctrine for the first
1,860 years was that God did not give a fetus a soul — and thus render it human — until that 166th day.

When the Protestant churches broke away from the Roman Church in the Reformation, they took with them this same doctrine that “human” life begins at quickening. In Protestant England before the American Revolution, abortion before quickening was not a crime. The American colonies adopted English law; and at the time of the adoption of our Constitution, abortion before quickening was legal in all the states. Justice Alito is just dead wrong on his history and legal analysis.

Other religions have different beliefs as to when a fetus becomes human. Jews believe that souls attach at birth. Muslims believe it happens in about the fourth month, as they say the fetal brain must reach a level of complexity so the soul has something to attach to. Buddhists believe it could happen anytime during pregnancy; but abortion is not an issue for them because an aborted soul simply finds a new and better body. So, the issue of when a fetus becomes a human being has different answers for followers of different religions.

The controversy exists because in 1869, Pope Pius IX declared that God gave souls to fertilized eggs, and therefore any woman who had an abortion at any time must be excommunicated. Nowhere does he explain why he was suddenly changing 1,860 years of doctrine; and the Church, to this day, has no explanation for the change or how it would affect natural abortions.

Mostly Protestant America was not bound by the Pope’s decree; and, indeed, “papism” — or the adherence to the dictates of the Pope — was considered an evil thing in many 19th century Protestant churches. But over the course of the next 100 years, newly formed “evangelical” Protestant churches
adopted Pope Pius’s decree — usually without any knowledge of its background or history. The conflict began — really only in the 20th century — when adherents of the “fertilized egg has a soul” doctrine tried to enforce their dogma on everyone else.

The Court in Roe v. Wade attempted to eliminate the religious debate, and to rest the legality of abortion on an entirely secular standard. “Viability outside of the womb” is a scientifically measurable event (even though it is somewhat blurred by advancing medical technology) which does not require a governmental agency or court to choose one religious belief over another. Instead, every woman, with her family and spiritual advisers, could make the decision in accordance with her own personal religious beliefs.

The Alito draft decision would eliminate 50 years of religious freedom and allow states to impose religious beliefs on non-believers. What is allowed for abortion will likely be followed by other religious beliefs that eager politicians want to enshrine into law. What will result is a government run by religious doctrines — the very thing our Founding Fathers sought to prevent.

Steven L. Sloca lives in Upper Makefield.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Guest Opinion: Alito draft decision incompatible with religious freedom

https://www.yahoo.com/news/guest-opinion-alito-draft-decision-091807932.html

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4:00PM EDT 5/18/2022 ROB VISCHER

In 2020, Pastor Cameron McGill ran for Bladen County Commissioner and won. This year he's running again, unopposed.

Pastor McGill was recruited and trained by the American Renewal Project, a group that aims to "restore righteousness in the public square."

David Lane, the group's founder and president, says, "Our goal is really 20 pastors in 2022 running for local office. And we're going to prove the model in North Carolina. According to Lane, McGill is one of 50 North Carolina pastors running for local office in 2022.

"There's no such thing as the separation of church and state. The First Amendment is to keep the state out of the church," says Lane. "My goal is to restore America to our Judeo-Christian heritage and reestablish a biblically based culture."

To motivate pastors to run, Lane has enlisted North Carolina's Lieutenant Governor, Mark Robinson. Robinson is known for calling it "filth" to teach homosexuality and transsexuality in schools. Some lawmakers on the Left have even called for his resignation. He responded, "I feel compelled to say that word, 'filth,' because we have a filth problem in this country right now."

Lane believes the key to "restore righteousness in the public square" is winning local elections first. "We're interested in the local races because that's gonna be where the magic begins," says Lane. "They don't need to be running for Congress and governor and U.S. Senate. They need to start out [with] city council, county commissioner, school board if they're going to be effective."

When Pastor McGill traveled to Israel with the American Renewal Project, he was inspired to run for office, especially when he witnessed COVID culture and "just how fragile our freedoms have become." Whenever he makes a decision, he says that he feels the weight of it. "I realize, boy, when I make this move, there's 30,000 people that are going to pay the consequences for a bad decision and reap the benefits of a good decision," says McGill.

When Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson addressed the pastors at a recent meeting, he said, "It's time for us to start standing up like John the Baptist, ready to give our heads for the causes of this glorious freedom that God has given us." Then he asked, "You gonna join in the fight? Or you gonna sit in the foxhole shaking in your shoes?"

McGill answered the call and now invites others to run also.

"If ever conservative Christian people — faithful people — are going to run, it's now," McGill says.

Rob Vischer is a freelance writer for Charisma Media.

https://www.charismanews.com/culture/89209-50-pastors-run-for-local-office-in-north-carolina-to-restore-righteousness-in-public-square

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1:00PM EDT 5/19/2022 MICHAEL BROWN

According to his website, Greg Locke is the "Founding and Lead Pastor of Global Vision Bible Church in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, just outside Nashville." But he is much better known as a controversial internet preacher with a large social media following. And in a recent message, he has crossed a very dangerous line. Every God-fearing Christian should denounce his inflammatory rhetoric, rhetoric which could easily lead to bloodshed.

After the 2020 elections, Pastor Locke "guaranteed" that Joe Biden would not serve a single day in the White House as president, since Trump was the real winner of the elections. But after Biden's inauguration, rather than recognize his error, Locke simply doubled down, saying he was not a "fake prophet." It was Biden who was a "fake president."

He also said (of Biden), "He stole the election. I believe that until the day I die. I don't give two flips and a wooden nickel what anybody thinks about it. I don't care what you say about me. He's a liar, and a robber and a thief and a crook."

Of course, the real issue here is not whether the election was stolen, which is certainly a weighty subject. The issue is that Locke guaranteed that Biden would not serve as president for a single day. Sadly, rather than confess his error and ask for forgiveness, Locke railed on his critics.

But it gets much worse.

This past Sunday, in a clip that has now received lots of media attention, Locke made clear that you could not possibly vote Democrat and be a Christian.

He said, "If you vote Democrat, I don't even want you around this church. You can get out. You can get out, you demon. You can get out, you baby-butchering election thief. You cannot be a Christian and vote Democrat in this nation. I don't care how mad that makes you. You can get as [obscenity] as you want to. You cannot be a Christian and vote Democrat in this nation. They are God-denying demons that butcher babies and hate this nation."

To be sure, the Democratic Party is the party of abortion, to the point that 49 out of 50 Democratic Senators voted in favor an abortion bill that was so extreme that Sen. Joe Manchin could not vote for it, even though he would have voted for the codification of Roe.

The Democratic Party is the party of late-term abortion, the party of the most inhumane abortion laws, some of them even opening the door to infanticide.

And the Democratic Party also supports radical LGBTQ activism to the point of favoring gay and trans rights at the expense of fundamental religious liberties.

In that regard, I can understand some of Locke's sentiments, without in any way justifying his extreme rhetoric.

That's why I so strongly challenged "pro-life evangelicals for Biden." The term was a flat-out oxymoron. (See here and here and here.)

At the same time, I recognize that not every Democratic candidate is radically pro-abortion and that there are Christian reasons not to vote for some Republican candidates. And as a follower of Jesus, I do not put my trust in a political party, let alone one specific candidate.

Also, for the record, I have heard preachers railing on Christians who voted for Trump, saying that you cannot vote for him and be a true follower of Jesus. And I have met pastors who said in no uncertain terms that for a Christian to vote Republican was to deny their faith.

So, the unhealthy, unhinged and irresponsible rhetoric goes both ways.

What is much more concerning to me is that Locke also said in his message that he was sick of hearing about Jan. 6, saying. "Let me tell you something. You ain't seen an insurrection yet."

"You keep on pushing our buttons, you low-down, sorry compromisers," he continued. "You God-hating communists, you'll find out what an insurrection is because we ain't playing your garbage. We ain't playing your mess. My Bible says that the church of the living God is an institution that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And the Bible says they will take it by force."

In the plainest of terms, I denounce these words, calling them out for what they are: absolute, unadulterated garbage.

These words are dangerous. These words are despicable. And these words could lead to bloodshed.

As for Locke's citation of Scripture, when Jesus said that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church (Matt.16:18), He meant that not even death itself could stop the advance of God's kingdom. He was saying, "You can persecute us and crush us and even kill us, but the gospel will still prevail."

This is the exact opposite of what Locke was saying. Talk about a preacher butchering the Bible.

As for Locke's reference to Matthew 11:12 ("the Bible says they will take it by force"), this has nothing to do with Christians taking up arms against the government in a violent insurrection. God forbid.

Instead, depending on how the Greek verbs are understood, Jesus is either saying that God's kingdom is under attack, with violent people assaulting His followers. (See Matthew 11:12 in the NIV: "From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it.")

Or Jesus is saying that, as we are being attacked by the world, we must respond in a spiritually aggressive way, waging war with the weapons of prayer and the Word of God. (See the ESV's rendering of the verse; see also 2 Cor. 10:3-5; Eph. 6:12).

But either way, without any question whatsoever, Jesus is not calling for us to engage in violent acts against nonbelievers as an expression of our Christian faith.

To say it once more: God forbid!

That's why it is so reprehensible for a pastor with a large following to engage in this kind of misguided, inflammatory, carnal rhetoric, especially in such divided, fearful and angry times. The fact that he still has such a large audience means that most of his followers agree with him. That is scary.

What makes this all the more unfortunate is that I have been told Pastor Locke has been rock solid on some biblical and cultural issues in the past. And, his website notes, he holds a master's degree in revival history. He is hardly uneducated or unaware, which only makes him more culpable.

Having said that, without a doubt, I believe our nation is in grave danger, and many of my recent books have addressed that danger directly (see here and here and here for recent examples).

And I have also used the term "revolution" for more than 20 years. But I have endlessly qualified my words: I'm speaking of a nonviolent, radical, transformative Jesus revolution that overcomes evil with good and hatred with love. And when writing on the topic, I devote whole chapters to the principles of nonviolent resistance and the call to put down our sword and take up our cross. Locke is calling for a very different kind of revolution. Let us rebuke that call together in Jesus' name.

(Pastor Locke, if this article gets to you, I would gladly have a public debate with you on what the Bible says about these issues. Or you are welcome to argue for your point of view on my radio show. Just reach out to me, and we will put the issues on the table, Bibles in hand, for the world to see.)

Dr. Michael Brown (askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is The Silencing of the Lambs: The Ominous Rise of Cancel Culture and How We Can Overcome It. Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.

https://www.charismanews.com/opinion/in-the-line-of-fire/89215-when-a-misguided-pastor-makes-threats-about-a-violent-christian-insurrection