Coming Soon!
Supreme Court’s Ecce Homo: The Pentagon’s Unseen Vulnerability
Supreme Court’s Ecce Homo moment & the Pentagon’s tin soldier fate. Get the critical political insights here!
The Prophet’s Grotto
Liberty & Justice for All: A Nation in the Rearview Mirror of War, Poverty & Political Strife
America’s Liberty & Justice for All Tour reveals war crimes, tariffs, migrant issues, & a Mayberry Nightmare.
2025 Liberty and Justice for All Tour
Their Last Moments
The United States rocks under the Administration of Imbalance and Uncertainty, like boxer TKO but still wobbling on his feet. As the sunset of 2025 approaches, the images in today’s blog capture some of the infamous events of this year. This timeless piece from The Beatles will accompany your journey.
CNN reports Secretary of U.S. Department of War ordered a “double-tap” strike to kill two survivors clinging to boat wreckage after a U.S. strike on a suspected drug vessel. Showing no quarter is a war crime. Disobeying a criminal order takes an act of courage. Our children and grandchildren serving in the U.S. Military in armed conflicts will pray that the enemy treats our captured wounded with decency and mercy. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” Matthew 5:7.
War crimes separate the short-lived trigger high from the sobering reality of consequences. – JPB
There is a reason it's called "hunting" and not "killing."
-An Arizona Deer Hunter
While changing a title to Department of War seems like a chest-beating moment of pride, the concern is that we sleepwalk the United States into justifying killing as the mission, when peace is our goal. Labeling an entire group as evil greases the machinery to justify killing everyone as the mission, civilian and soldier alike.
In the moment of the Mai Lai Massacre 16 March 1968, certainly for a moment the squeezing of the M16 triggers felt like settling the score with an insurgency who disappeared by day into rice paddies and pho restaurants. Once the acrid smell of self-righteous cordite wafts away, it is replaced by the iron smell of innocent blood running into the soil, a stench that sets teeth on edge as it cries out, “War criminal!”
The author commends leaders like Commander Holsey who retired rather than continue to shed innocent blood. Commander Holsey by his laying down his arms sent the message that “Killing, for killing’s sake, was never the mission.” The question remains, of all the chaplains in the U.S. Armed forces, why are their prophetic voices silent on the killing of unarmed survivors clinging to wreckage? It is one thing to serve Communion for those about enter into battle to deliver us from forces of evil. It is another to serve as holy shamans for demagogues hell-bent on shedding innocent blood to paint their war drums.
In the moment of the Mai Lai Massacre 16 March 1968, certainly for a moment the squeezing of the M16 triggers felt like settling the score with an insurgency who disappeared by day into rice paddies and pho restaurants. Once the acrid smell of self-righteous cordite wafts away, it is replaced by the iron smell of innocent blood running into the soil, a stench that sets teeth on edge as it cries out, “War criminal!”
A double entendre invoking the failed Cuban “Bay of Pigs” mission to topple Castro and the “Quiet, Piggy!” remark of the President to a female reporter. The “Bay of Piggies” mission follows the same trajectory as the ill-fated “Bay of Pigs.”
The question remains, of all the chaplains in the U.S. Armed forces, why are their prophetic voices silent on the killing of unarmed boat survivors clinging to wreckage? It is one thing to serve Communion for those about enter into battle to deliver us from forces of evil. It is another to serve as holy shamans for demagogues hell-bent on shedding innocent blood to paint their war drums.
The Department of Snore
The President calls the “Department of Snore” together to launch “Operation Sandman.” Multiple press sources report presidential fits of slumber.
Be a role model. The younger is watching.
- Fortune Cookie
Balance is the Key
You may ask, “Jim, are you a liberal Democrat?”
No, I am neither a Democrat nor a Republican. I believe in balance … a balance between Republican and Democrat, between Socialist and Fascist, between believer and unbeliever. Balance provides the key to a society in which freedom of thought, speech, and religion can flourish. My freedom of religion builds upon the same foundation that allows another to choose unbelief. The mutual respect between the two gives us the miracle of dialogue and true freedom.
Those trapped in a political party, turning a blind eye to the party leaders’ abuse of the weak and vulnerable, must admit that this is the ghost of the battered wife syndrome – a woman who clings to her man as she can’t define a life without her abuser. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene rose above the political battered wife syndrome, resigned from Congress as of next January, and said she refused to be a “battered wife hoping it all goes away and gets better.” Political parties serve us. The day we serve the party is the day we lose our freedom. Though this author did not vote for Ms. Greene, he respects her profile of courage.
Those trapped in a political party, turning a blind eye to the party leaders’ abuse of the weak and vulnerable, must admit that this is the ghost of the battered wife syndrome – a woman who clings to her man as she can’t define a life without her abuser. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene rose above the political battered wife syndrome, resigned from Congress as of next January, and said she refused to be a “battered wife hoping it all goes away and gets better.” Political parties serve us. The day we serve the party is the day we lose our freedom.
Additionally, some say they want to eliminate the possibility of America becoming a nonChristian nation. So, they order the 10 Commandments displayed in every classroom and scrub any lesson that might hint of the sins of religious extremism resulting in hate against entire groups of people, such as immigrants. The result is an even more godless society above which gold-plated cross is raised as a banner of bigotry and hate.
Back to the U.S. Military, the present U.S. trend of the Secretary of War’s firing those who might challenge the ethics of his decisions appears like a streamlining of decision making for a safer world, but eliminating top uniformed JAG officers is removing the safety on weapons poised to deliver to us the redux of the next Mai Lai Massacre.
One unanticipated factor of being a lethal weapon bully is that the chest-bump killing of two surviving fishermen is shadowed by loss of allies and the scheming of retribution by true enemies of the United States who see this a moment to arbitrage loss of U.S. goodwill in the world’s neighborhood.
One unanticipated factor of being a lethal weapon bully is that the chest-bump killing of two surviving fishermen is shadowed by loss of allies and the scheming of retribution by true enemies of the United States who see this a moment to arbitrage loss of U.S. goodwill in the world’s neighborhood.
News of Bitter Brews: The Ethics of Affordability
“I Don’t Want to Hear about the Affordability!” – Donald Trump. Dollars show actual cost+tip of a small vanilla latte outside of Kansas City. Daily Coffee News reported the impact of tariffs on coffee: United States President Donald Trump announced his “Liberation Day” tariffs yesterday, including new fees between 10% and 46% on imports from 15 of the world’s top 20 coffee-producing countries.
The Liberty and Justice for All Tour: A Nation on the Move
“The Liberty and Justice for All Tour!” It rings a bell! “Change is gonna come.” Make America America Again. The author does not endorse any one candidate and reiterates the need for plurality of thought and balance of political strategies that has the open mind to shake hands across the aisle.
The ‘Liberty and Justice for All Tour’ didn’t come with a concert ticket or a backstage pass. Instead, it arrived in the form of a $7 latte and a shifting global conscience. As we moved through 2024 and into the heart of 2025, the ‘Tour’ became a metaphor for a nation trying to reconcile its appetite for luxury with the increasingly bitter reality of what that luxury costs our relationship with one another and the rest of the world. “We are a nation in transit, moving away from the blissful ignorance of the ‘cheap cup’ and toward a destination where every transaction is a statement of values.”
“We are a nation in transit, moving away from the blissful ignorance of the ‘cheap cup’ and toward a destination where every transaction is a statement of values.”
The Last Professional: 78,000 Reasons Why Labels Matter
Appeared in mind after reading Outrage over Trump’s bill reclassifying nursing as not a ‘professional degree’ for college students The U.S. is projected to have a shortage of 78,610 RN FTEs in 2025.
Steerage Class: A New Breed of Migration
Inspired by Odd Comment by Trump Administration that Migrants Brought in Diseased Cattle
A Nation in the Rearview: Thanksgiving from the RV and the Old Car.
A Nation in the Rearview: Thanksgiving from the RV and the Old Car
A DOGE Thanksgiving. Tonight we remember those unemployed, hungry, imprisoned, deported, grieving, and alone this Thanksgiving. For those living in old cars and RVs, we pray for you and give thanks in hope of a better tomorrow. “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”
While the headlines speak of streamlined systems and digital efficiency, our hearts turn toward the quiet corners of the nation. Tonight, we remember those the spreadsheets forgot: the unemployed, the hungry, the imprisoned, and the deported. For those whose ‘home’ is the steel frame of an old car or the cramped hope of an RV, we offer more than a meal—we offer a witness and prayers with feet. In a world of cold data, we cling to the warmth of the promise: Blessed are the poor in spirit.“
Inheriting the Wind: Tariffs and the End of Generational Farming
Inspired by press release describing impact of tariffs on Missouri farmers.
They promised a resurgence of American industry, the view from the cab of a combine in late 2025 tells a different story. While the administration’s $12 billion ‘bridge’ payments were meant to steady the ship, for many, they feel like a life vest tossed into a hurricane. With fertilizer prices up 25% and soybean markets in China evaporated by retaliatory tariffs, the American farmer is learning that in the new economy, you can do everything right and still end the year in the red. We aren’t just losing crops; we are losing the ‘Last Professional’ of the land.”
DOGE: Billion-Dollar Audit of a Five-Dollar Crime
Inspired by the “Indiscriminate Madness of DOGE Layoffs.”
Saints, Spin, and Saline: The Vatican Joins the Media Circus
Erika Kirk is the widow of political activist Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA. No further comment is needed on this. Arizona’s Attorney General reported that a former Turning Point USA leader (not the Kirk’s) and Arizona GOP legislator pled guilty to attempted election fraud. The Baptists had an old saying, “It’s not how high you jump; it’s how straight you walk!”
Trophy Scapegoats
As Missouri deer season closes, Republicans continue to hunt ways to blame Biden for their own freefall in the polls.
Likewise, Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the serpent:
12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” – Genesis 3
Coughing Up Eagles: The Virus of the Superpatriot
These words from Mad Magazine have condensed into a more virulent version 57 years later:
The 24-Karat Chop Shop: Renovating the East Wing for Fun and Profit
White House Auto Nation “Panic Sale!” These are the finest junk cars ever sold. All repairs will be paid by Mexico! Free document prep shredding. Complimentary tamales. Undocumented customers receive a free one-way test drive to Nigeria. “We will not be out-lied! “ The destruction of the East Wing for a pay-for-play gold-plated ballroom, coupled with layers of add-on schemes to bilk the American people for self-benefit, reeks of self-enrichment that no gold tinsel can hide.
The destruction of the East Wing for a pay-for-play gold-plated ballroom, coupled with layers of add-on schemes to bilk the American people for self-benefit, reeks of self-enrichment that no gold tinsel can hide.
JPB
Does anyone know where to order some Oval Office golden deer repellent decorations? Deer keep gettin' into the beans.
Mayberry nightmare: Opie’s Big Catch
Breaking news! Opie just caught the politicians whitewashing the Epstein Files again! “Let’s tell Barney!”
It turns out that in 2025, even the most innocent corners of the ‘Nation on the Move’ are being painted over to hide the ’24-Karat’ rot underneath.”
The Great Regression: Trading the ACA for the 19th Century
What is the labor plan to replace a lost immigrant workforce? What is the plan to replace Affordable Care Act health plans? Will we return to a child labor workforce, preexisting conditions, and female health insurance priced double that for a man?
A huge wave is rolling in! It’s blue, it’s purple, it’s white, it’s brown, it’s black. It will reclaim the rocky shores of hate.
JPB
Fabulous Pharmacy Fibs and Tylenol Tales
Inspired by the Presidents snap at the reporter, “Quiet, Piggy!” and the “Affordable” health insurance premiums for millions of Americans with Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace plans that are projected to more than double, on average, in 2026 if enhanced federal subsidies are allowed to expire at the end of 2025.
What country bankrupts its citizens in medical debt while spending billions to deport gardeners and car wash attendants?
JPB
Liars & Ladders: The Boardroom Game
The White House Press Secretary has announced “Liars & Ladders” to fabricate the most magical Christmas ever! In fact, Hallmark stores have swapped their Nativity scenes for these gameboards that tell The Greatest Breaking Story Ever Told of the only President to write his own books in the Bible … First through Sixth Trumpalonians! Proceeds will go to the First Family.
Our grandchildren and their children's children will study and marvel at the collective hysteria that captured a major U.S. political party—one where members launched into spontaneous lying as a symbolic 'gift' of their MAGA membership.
Received My White House Holiday greeting card! So honored!
The Fortune Cookie
TheWeek.com reports that Donald Trump added $3 billion to his wealth since his second coming to the White House:
In consideration of the above, let there be the creation of the 2028 U.S. Chief Executive Civil Forfeiture Act: Tasked with recovery of funds gained by corruption and self-benefit while in office of President:
2028 U.S. Chief Executive Emolument Civil Forfeiture Act: Recover funds gained by corruption and self-benefit while in office.
Article I, Section 9, Clause 8:
No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.
For most of its history, courts have rarely substantively analyzed or interpreted the Foreign Emoluments Clause.1 During the administration of President Donald Trump, however, a number of private parties, state attorneys general, and Members of Congress sued the President based on alleged violations of both the Foreign Emoluments Clause and the Domestic Emoluments Clause2 (collectively, the Emoluments Clauses). Three major federal lawsuits concerning the Emoluments Clauses were filed against President Trump.3 Over nearly four years, these cases progressed through the lower federal courts, resulting in the first significant judicial decisions on the Emoluments Clauses.
The Grift of the MAGA vs The Gift of the Magi
The Grift of the MAGA: History will record the MAGA era as a mass delusion where spontaneous lying wasn’t a sin, but a ‘gift’—the speaking-in-tongues of a political cult.
This blog was inspired by a fortune cookie.
He was born in an obscure village,
The child of a peasant woman.
He grew up in still another village,
Where he worked in a carpenter shop
Until he was thirty.
Then for three years
He was an itinerant preacher.
He never wrote a book.
He never held an office.
He never had a family or owned a house.
He didn’t go to college.
He never visited a big city.
He never traveled two hundred miles
From the place where he was born.
He did none of the things
One usually associates with greatness.
He had no credentials but himself.
He was only thirty-three
When the tide of public opinion turned against him.
His friends ran away.
He was turned over to his enemies.
And went through the mockery of a trial.
He was nailed to a cross
Between two thieves.
While he was dying,
His executioners gambled for his clothing,
The only property he had on Earth.
When he was dead,
He was laid in a borrowed grave
Through the pity of a friend.
Twenty centuries have come and gone,
And today he is the central figure
Of the human race,
And the leader of mankind’s progress.
All the armies that ever marched,
All the navies that ever sailed,
All the parliament that ever sat,
All the kings that ever reigned,
Put together have not affected
The life of man on Earth
As much as that
One Solitary Life.
-Dr. James Allen Francis
The Bus Driver’s Final Stop: Christmas Eve, 2025
“Alright, folks, watch your step as you exit the bus. Please check your pockets for any stray Trophy Scapegoats or GOP Pennies you might have picked up along the way. We’ve covered a lot of ground today—from the $7 bitterness of our morning brew to the ‘Mayberry Nightmare’ unfolding at the fishing hole.
It’s been a Jim Dandy year for the ‘Liberty and Justice for All Tour.’ We’ve watched the East Wing get swapped for a gold-plated ballroom and seen the ‘Last Professionals’ trade their scrubs for a 19th-century labor plan. Some say the country is in a freefall, but as we saw at the White House Auto Nation, as long as you can put a fresh coat of tinsel on a rusted-out frame, someone will buy the lie.
As you head home to your families—or your RVs in the DOGE-monitored parking lots—remember that the only thing spreading faster than the Virus of the Superpatriot is our capacity to look at a ‘Fabulous Pharmacy Fib’ and call it a miracle.
On behalf of the 47th Administration’s MAGA-Bus Boycott, we wish you a Merry Christmas. Lock your Tylenol tight in your purse, keep your children off the night shift, and may you never, ever look too closely at what Opie just pulled out of the swamp water.”
No More Back Seats,
JPB
Up Next In a land of daddy warbucks, be a rosa parks
How to Get to Empathy Street: The Good Samaritan’s Timeless Guide to Compassion
Who is my neighbor? Dive into the Parable of the Good Samaritan to uncover the profound meaning of empathy and mercy.
The Expiration of Empathy: “One of These Things Doesn’t Belong Here”
One of these things doesn’t belong here
One of these things just doesn’t belong …
-Cookie Monster, Sesame Street
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
25 And behold, a certain [h]lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”
27 So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
28 And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”
29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among [i]thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 On the next day, [j]when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ 36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”
37 And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.”
Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
- Luke 10
To Be Continued …
Up Next Empathy is a sin!
Behold! The Tariff!
Giving one person control of U.S. tariffs tax creates the world’s largest stock insider trading scheme.
A tariff is like pig manure. It usually benefits its creator and leaves a big stink. “Th-Th-Bde-The-That’s all folks!”
“I don’t want to hear about the affordability!” This little vanilla latte gem set me back shy of $7.00 after tip at a drive-thru near Kansas City. I’m saving the cup to savor every drop. The neighbors are green with envy.
The Rich Man and Lazarus
19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Luke 16
JPB
Up next grandpa’s final investment
Brother Love’s Traveling DOGE Waste Cleaner Show
The difference between a MAGA politician and a traveling vacuum salesman is the politician leaves the dirt and takes the carpet.
Coming to a town near you …
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them. - Matthew 7:15-20. Words of Jesus Christ from the Sermon on the Mount
UP Next separate church and hate
Red Velvet Rope Economics
The Failed Plan that Separates the Ultra Wealthy from the Riffraff of the Middle Class
The Great Equalizer
My wife and I honeymooned at New York-New York casino, where we built some lifetime memories in that once great Las Vegas. The cold North winds of time have blasted a deep chill on the Vegas strip. While browsing YouTube, I ran across the video below that indicates that the CEO’s of Las Vegas crafted their own decline in a scheme to “Keep the Riff-Raff Out!!” Historically, Vegas was “the great equalizer” where a construction worker from L.A. or a lawyer from Beverly Hills could escape to Vegas an experience the same odds of winning at the same table. Now Vegas has priced out the working class, which decimated the Vegas strip, that now sits half empty.
The United States was the Great Equalizer. The immigrant and the citizen could find a path forward, not only to make a living, but to buy a house, start a business, and build a meaningful life. They were not kicked out as the riffraff due to the nation’s leadership catering to the ultra-wealthy.
Red Velvet Rope Economics
In viewing the Vegas video, I had the epiphany that this was not only about the Las Vegas strip but about an economic strategy in the United States that caters now to the ultra-wealthy corporations and billionaires, culling the lower end, the value-oriented folks who elected the politicians in the first place.
A place that used to welcome everyone now feels like a country club with a velvet rope.
From
Vegas Casino CEO Admits Why the City Is Empty – No More Riff Raff
This economic practice erects a barrier that sends a statement of luxury and elegance. This is why the gold-plated Oval Office and a golden Air Force One gifted luxury liner from Qatar sends the message, “Behold the elegance and the luxury that I now have! Aren’t you fortunate to see my wealth?!” In truth, these politicians have forgotten what made Washington great in the first place … working people!
In the image of the golden “Me First One,” you can see the plane being loaded with cash, Bitcoin, and Argentine cattle. A warship airburst shows those great checkers words, “King Me!” Outside the barrier sit homeless people and farmers cooking hotdogs over a camp fire, surrounded by their broken down vehicles. They are unemployed.
Priced Out by Policy
Where have the regulars gone? The regulars work for a living. The regulars have 2.5 children who attend public schools that have plumbing and air conditioning issues that haven’t been addressed for 30 years. The regulars are but one medical condition away from bankruptcy. The regulars who can’t afford to insure their children, gamble that their child’s young age will ward off the specter of grave illness, when actually this is a form of wishful thinking. The regulars watched their parents work blue-collar jobs, buy a house, retire with pension. Now between taxes, car payment, insurance, and inflation, homeownership has become a trap snaring new owners into indentured servitude to service the bloated mortgage, insurance and fees. The red velvet rope economy beguiled the middle class until they realized the luxury and the wealth were for those on the other side of that elegant barrier.
The red velvet rope economy beguiled the middle class until they realized the luxury and the wealth were for those on the other side of that elegant barrier.
The Red Velvet Rope Economy ensures that the supply is up and prices are down for the wealthy while supply is down and prices are up for the working class. Red Velvet Rope Economics bifurcates the natural supply and demand cycle of supply and demand. You may say, “Jim, that’s silly. Supply and demand mean the same for everyone. Supply rises and prices drop; supply down means prices up.”
This is what the rich want you to believe. The supply they receive is tax sheltered thanks to lobbyists working on their behalf. Their profits are maximized due to early and, sometimes, insider trade information before the rank and file investors get opportunity to trade. An example is the White House tipping its friends that an announcement will be made on a tariff or removal of a tariffs on a certain industry. Trades are bet on horses which already won the race in a predetermined race.
Thin Red Line Economics: Not Trickle Down, But Roped Out Economics
While the current President drools over deploying the U.S. military against U.S. cities, he is attempting to draw in permanent marker The Thin Red Line to protect the MAGA ultra-wealthy from The Regulars who, along with their parents and grandparents, who built and made America great. The Regulars deserve to be included inside The Red Velvet Rope of economic exclusion.
When Did You Realize You Were Priced Out?
You realized you stand outside The Red Velvet Rope … when you paid $6.00 for a black cup of coffee. When two choice steaks at Walmart cost over $30. When you had to choose between health insurance or car payment, rent, and food. When tariffs bankrupted your business due to increased supply costs. When your government job evaporated because the politician considered you the riffraff that needed to go. When you immigrated to the country only to find the Thin Red Line of bigotry blocked your path of a new life. These are the signs of The Red Velvet Rope Economy.
When the poor need food, they call it socialism. When farmers need bailout, they call it patriotism. Let’s call it all civility.
-JPB
Unhook the Rope and Enter Here
We’ve been there. Standing in a long line at a theater or a restaurant, guided by the red velvet ropes to keep us in line and checked. Then as a smartly dressed couple approach the velvet barrier, the guard gives a nod of acknowledgement, unhooks the rope and smiles at the couple who walk in. What can we do to unhook the velvet rope barriers to prosperity. How can we reclaim our power as “The Regulars”? What can we do to return America as “The Great Equalizer”?
🧵 The Parable of the Velvet Rope
In a vast marketplace beneath a golden sky, two lands stretched side by side. On one side stood the Land of Plenty, where fruits overflowed, homes gleamed, and time moved gently. On the other side lay the Land of Labor, where hands were calloused, shelves were sparse, and clocks ticked fast.
Between them hung a red velvet rope—soft to the touch, but firm as iron. It was not nailed down, nor locked, yet no one from the Land of Labor could cross it. They could see the abundance, smell the bread, hear the laughter—but the rope whispered, “Not for you.”
One day, a child from the Land of Labor asked, “Why does the rope shimmer so beautifully crimson if it only divides?” Her question echoed across both lands.
An elder from the Land of Plenty heard her and wept. He had once crossed the rope long ago, when it was thinner and frayed. He gathered others—makers, thinkers, dreamers—and together they began to loosen the rope’s knots.
They built bridges of fair wages, ladders of education, and pulleys of shared ownership. The rope didn’t vanish, but it lifted—higher and higher—until it became a banner, not a barrier.
And beneath that banner, the two lands began to trade stories, share harvests, and walk freely. Is was then they discovered that the crimson rope that once barricaded them off from one another became the tie that bound their hearts togethers as neighbors.
Discussion
- Read James 2:2-7. What kind of barriers do people face as newcomers to a community? As people of a different ethnicity or orientation? When attending a new church? Does discrimination happen today? Share an example. How can we be more honoring of the poor and marginalized in our churches?
2 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong? -James 2
2. Why would the principle of Supply and Demand work differently when applied to the rich as opposed to the poor? While some imply that poor people are lazy, describe ways how it actually takes more effort to be poor? (Example: A single mother of three works two jobs. Half her money goes to rent. The other half goes to child care and rent. She relies on food banks to feed her family.)
3. In decades of ministry, I have never asked my congregation to watch a video about the Las Vegas strip. Now, I ask you to watch the embedded video, a lesson not only in Las Vegas economics but a life lesson of the president clear-and-present economic danger facing the U.S. today.
Consider the casino mentioned which returned to free parking, $5 deluxe buffet, free drinks, rooms comp’d for players after a few hours playing (I am not advocating gambling and drinking, rather an economic principle of shared equity) and lower table betting minimums.
- Why did “The Regulars” return? How is this a win-win?
- What would it take for “The Regular” workers to take priority over AI involvement?
- How does laying off 40,000+ of “The Regular” delivery workers in the name of AI “high value” progress reflect the same misguided thinking of Las Vegas CEOs?
- How might the principle of shared equity come into play for The Regular workers in the midst of an AI based workplace?
- What steps can you do to unhook the velvet rope to acknowledge the image of God in the “The Regulars” brought into your life?
A Circle of Friends,
JPB
The Day the President Told the Truth
The 5202 Mandate: 🎙️The Press Conference That Changed Everything *
Setting:
The East Room of the White House. No flags. No teleprompters. Just a single podium, a circle of chairs, and a quiet piano playing Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings as the press enters. The room feels more like a chapel than a stage. This press conference changes everything.
The President enters alone.
He’s not in a suit, but in a simple dark jacket. No applause. Just silence.
Opening Words:
“I come before you not as a victor, but as a man who has seen the edge. I have failed. Not just in policy—but in spirit. Three nights ago, following the world’s finest Argentine prime rib dinner in my new ballroom, I dreamed of an angel who placed a glass scroll in my hand. It burned with seven truths. I woke up, and the burn remained.”
He holds up his right hand. There’s a faint red mark—like a brand or a birthmark.
The Scroll Unfolds:
He reads each of the seven seals aloud, slowly, letting them land. After each one, he pauses. No applause. No spin. Just breath.
First Seal: The Truth of Humility
“I have failed. Not just in policy—but in spirit.”
— A leader must begin with the admission of fallibility. Without humility, governance becomes theater and allies turn enemies.
Second seal: Truth of Accountability
— Power without repentance corrodes the soul of a nation. The burn on my hand is not punishment—it’s proof of awakening.
Third Seal: Truth of Transparency
— No more spin. No more applause lines. Truth must be spoken plainly, even when it wounds.
Fourth Seal: Truth of Unity Over Victory
— The Circle Cabinet symbolizes shared wisdom. No more partisan conquest—only collective healing.
Fifth Seal: Truth of Moral Governance
— Legislation must mend, not divide. A bill that profits from pain is a betrayal of the people.
Sixth Seal: Truth of Courageous Leadership
“If I am removed, so be it.”
— True leadership walks into fire, not away from it. It risks ridicule for righteousness.
Seventh Seal: Truth of Integrity Without Reward
“You may not be loved. But you must be true— The final truth is the hardest: to act rightly without applause, to serve without seeking legacy.
These truths aren’t policy points—they’re soul markers. They form the backbone of the 5202 Mandate: not a reversal of laws, but a restoration of conscience.“
When he reaches the final line—“You may not be loved. But you must be true.”—he looks up and says:
“I will not run again. I will not campaign. I will not fundraise. I will spend the rest of my term walking this path. If I am removed, so be it. If I am mocked, so be it. But I will not lie to you again.”
Questions from the Press:
Reporter 1: “Mr. President, are you saying you’re stepping down?”
“No. I’m stepping forward. Into the fire. Into the truth. I will govern with a Circle Cabinet. I will listen more than I speak. And I will not sign another bill that divides us further.”
Reporter 2: “What if Congress refuses to cooperate?”
“Then let the people see who stands for healing—and who profits from the wound.”
Reporter 3: “You’ve listed some lofty ideals; how do you see this playing out?”
The President right hand trembles and clutches the glass scroll held in his memory, his eyes still echoing the dream of the scroll still burning faintly with celestial ink. He reads aloud from his handwritten account:
1. Truth Before Tribe
“We must speak the truth, even if it costs you personal allies.”
“I was wrong. We must be better. We must publicly acknowledge the failures of our administration—not with spin, but with humility. This includes naming policies that deepened division, and inviting bipartisan review, including reversing the divisive policies of Project 2025.”
2. Restore the Commons
“The land, the air, the schools, the silence—these belong to all.”
“We will launch a national initiative to protect public goods: libraries, parks, clean water, public institutions, and public education.”
“We will end attempts to privatize and profit from essential services, which would erode dignity and access.”
“I have signed an Executive Order called, “Restore the Commons,” which will establish a commission to restore public terminated public employees and programs and institutions. We will cease leaning on our public institutions, healthcare and Medicare, fair voting rights, and military for political purposes.”
3. Civic Sabbath
“Give the nation one day to breathe together.”
“I declare a monthly “Civic Sabbath”—no political ads, no partisan broadcasts, no algorithms. We encourage local gatherings, storytelling, and shared meals across divides. We are strongest when we walk together.”
4. The Listening Road
“Walk the land. Hear its grief.”
“Today I embark on a cross-country journey—not as a campaign, but as a pilgrimage. Listen to forgotten towns, broken systems, and those who feel unseen. The poor and the rich, the religious and the secular, the immigrant and the citizen. No speeches. Just presence.”
5. Reprieve for the Disillusioned
“Forgive those who gave up and welcome those forsaken. Invite them back.”
“We will offer pathways for re-engagement for our immigrants, voters, educators, and our civil servants. We recognize that many left the system not out of apathy or despair but were driven out.”
“I have signed an Executive Order called The ICE Fairness Doctrine Act. We will immediately halt ICE operations against farm workers, construction workers, laborers, those attending court hearings, and ICE actions against nonviolent and noncriminal immigrants. Those who have been arrested will be given fair and due process given the above. We move ICE toward community-based policing that provides fairness and justice alike, preserving human and civil rights, recognizing that U.S. communities will never welcome the invasion of paramilitary and military personnel to force compliance of unjust laws.”
6. The Circle Cabinet
“No one ideology shall rule alone.”
“Today, I have signed the “No One Ideology Act,” forming a new advisory council with voices from across the spectrum— Democrats, Independents, Socialists, Republicans, activists, elders, youth, theologians, scientists, poets.
“Decisions must pass through this circle before becoming law.”
7. The Final Line
“You may not be loved. But you must be true.”
“As President I must accept that reconciliation does not guarantee popularity. My legacy will be judged not by polls, but by whether our nation begins to heal.”
Closing Gesture:
He places a copy of the scroll—now etched in glass—on a pedestal beside the podium.
“This is not a mandate from me. It’s a mirror for us all. The 5202 Mandate begins now. Not with power. But with repentance.”
He walks out. No anthem. No spin room. Just the sound of chairs creaking as the nation leans forward.
These truths aren’t policy points—they’re soul markers. They form the backbone of the 5202 Mandate: not a reversal of laws, but a restoration of conscience.
🌟 Closing Image
He folds his paper scroll. The ink fades. But the path remains. He walks to the window, sees the first light of morning, and whispers: “Let it begin.”
*This fictional op-ed contains truths that could change the world.
“And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.'”
Revelation 21:5:
JPB
TARIFFying! Frankentax Rises from the Grave of Emptied Wallets
Happy Halloween!
JPB
Coins of Truth: The Need for Good Faith Truth-Telling
In the midst of a U.S. Government shutdown with no end in sight, the Treasury Department floated the idea of minting a $1 dollar coin in the likeness of Donald Trump:
My Two Cents: The Scarcity of Good Faith
We live at a time when the U.S. faces a scarcity of good faith dealings by the United States’ present leadership. Lying itself has served as a token by which elected officials prove loyalty to one who has set himself up as King of the Road to the White House. “I’m willing to lie for you,” has become an emblem of trust between those complicit in presenting a united front of lies. During a time when politicians call for hanging the Ten Commandments in schools, the question remains, “What happened to living the Ten Commandments versus only displaying them?” Today, we talk about the missing Ninth Commandment, “Thou shalt not bear false witness.”
What makes the Ninth Commandment critical is that personal, business, and national dealings are based on good faith. As one definition put it, ‘She acted in good faith’ be interpreted not only as ‘She believed that what she did was the right thing to do’, but also as ‘She acted in a decent and fair way.’
No Truth for You
Imagine you sit with your morning coffee and tune into the morning headline show to see the President sitting behind his desk with a breaking Executive Order, “Truth is a Crime: Anyone caught forcing someone to tell the truth is guilty of violation of the DOGE efficiency act. The best interest of the United States is to lie to protect self-interest.”
Acting on what he believes to be his best self-interest, Jon a real estate broker pockets all the earnest money gathered that day and wires it to an offshore account and declares that the company had a cyber attack that drained company funds.
A nineteen year-old boy faces a capital murder charge for a crime he didn’t commit. The prosecutor, to advance her career on her spotless conviction record, deleted DNA evidence that would have exonerated the boy whose petty crimes and race would play well with the mostly white jury for a conviction.
You may say, “Jim, these are interesting hypotheticals, but we are at war with the liberals. They do the same to us. We just need to do it first.”
So, you believe that you are doing the right thing. So, that makes bad faith dealings appropriate? As the definition we cited above shows both ends of the kayak paddle of truth, “She believed that she did was the right thing.” and “She acted in a fair and decent way.” Belief we are doing the right thing and action in fairness and decency comprise the tandem paddles of truth through the white waters of deception. Belief in good faith precedes actions but remains incomplete without verifying action.
A Parable of Good Faith Betrayed
Maria’s husband, a U.S. citizen voted for Donald Trump. He listened to his plan to “Make America Great Again” and that they would, as promised, only pursue the criminal element for removal out of the country. Maria was certainly not criminal. As mother of their three children under the age of 6, she attended Mass weekly, serving the needy at the church’s food and clothing bank, where she provided Spanish translation along with food.
Her husband Joe worked at Aldi’s as a stocker, where he personally stocked the entire store due to the store’s labor reduction. Maria worked a night job as a motel housekeeper after the kids were asleep. Joe and and Maria wanted their children to grew up secure and safe in the U.S. They listened to other Latino politicians who believed and who promised them a better future.
Fast forward after the election, Maria has been held in an unknown ICE detention center for the last four months, with no word. Joe struggles to care for their three children, as the love of his life has been ripped from their home. Joe struggles to make sense as the the words promised by the politicians ring hollow in his ears.
What happened? Four years ago, Maria was pulled over coming home from a New Year’s Eve party. She was the designated driver as Joe had a little too much to drink. However, Maria lacked both a driver’s license and insurance, for which this was her second citation. Maria never considered herself a criminal. She and Joe faithfully attended their ICE check in as they were paying an attorney what they could in hopes of securing a green card one day.
One day at the ICE check in, where Maria always arrived 15 minutes early, she sat with her youngest, a 3 year-old. Maria noticed the hallway was filled with men wearing black masks and military tactical uniforms. As her name was called for her appointment, she entered the room, verified her name, and was promptly arrested as a “criminal alien,” citing her driving without a license and insurance. She was zip tied and started crying in Spanish for someone to call her husband and her lawyer. Somehow when the six ICE agents rushed out to prepare for the next victim’s rendition, the 3 year-old was locked out in the hallway, where he sat until the end of the business day crying.
When Joe ran franticly into the ICE check-in facility looking for his wife, he found his three-year-old crying and lying alone, wet pants and hungry, under the waiting room chairs with Maria gone. “Where’s my wife!?,” Joe demanded.
The receptionist frowned and shrugged her shoulder through the bulletproof plexiglass and slid him a generic business card for the ICE Regional Office, where he could not reach a live person who could tell him where his wife was being held.
“How could this have happened?,” Joe relived the events that led up the last election. “They told us, ‘They were going after the worst of the worst.” Joe and Maria looked into the eyes of the local Latino political leaders who, so he felt, believed Joe and Maria, and thousands like them were safe. “The government is going after the cartels and criminals.”
But like both paddles of a kayak, belief in doing the right thing and actually acting decently and fairly are both needed to chart a course of good faith dealing. It doesn’t take much for someone to deceive himself into considering a course of action is the “right thing to do.” But if the tandem paddle is not balanced with acting in decency and fairness, the result will cast society on the shoals of injustice. In other words, how you get there matters.
‘She acted in good faith’ can be interpreted not only as ‘She believed that what she did was the right thing to do’, but also as ‘She acted in a decent and fair way.’
The Meaning of Good Faith
Truth Traumatized: Combat Vet and U.S. Citizen Pepper Sprayed and Jailed
The present administration fails to grasp that doing a “Kavanaugh Stop” on people because of their skin color, pepper spraying and jailing them for days without cause has betrayed the good faith of the American people. Whereas Justice Kavanaugh “believed” that it’s fine for an officer to ask Latinos a few questions to verify their nationality before letting them go, the real actions of pepper spraying, assaulting, and jailing U.S. citizens without cause betray the decency and fairness that was founded even by the Ninth Commandment of bearing a true, decent and fair, witness.
Truth Telling,
Pastor Jim
Up Next “People of the mirage”
Manifest Indigestion: The False Flag of Faith
A Christian Zionist and a Jewish Zionist fight in Jerusalem to choose winner. Winner captures the flag. Loser gets “Manifest Indigestion.”
In the Beginning was the Conspiracy
Certain evangelical Christians believe that a sign of the second coming of the Messiah manifests as their physical, political occupation of Jerusalem as God’s chosen people. Some believe the sooner this happens the better. Out of grace the evangelicals are willing to share the New Jerusalem with the Jews. Jewish Zionists take exception to this belief. Sadly, zealous groups take the Bible’s spiritual prophecies and convert them into their manifest destiny to take the earthly shares by force from those who do not share their prophecy customized to fit the personal financial balance sheet of the enlightened. “Let us give thanks” is replaced with “Let us send tanks.”
But certain obstacles are parked in the path of the enlightened. For example, Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ, is located in the Palestinian area of the Holy Land, outside Israel’s border wall. The Muslim’s golden “Dome of the Rock,” a holy site, sits squarely on top of what evangelicals view as their temple’s “Holy of Holies.” Church conspiracy groups buzz about secret tunnels burrowed under the “Dome of the Rock” along with the preparation of bronze bowls, knives, and altars to resume sacrifice of sheep and cattle once the “Dome of the Rock” falls. Any clue of movement gives a theological high pounced upon in hopes of finding final dopamine fix of finding the “Ark of the Covenant.” But show me a Christian faith built by conspiracies, tanks, and bulldozers, and I will show you a quiet faith built on the foundation of service to the poor, care for a neighbor, healing of the sick, and embracing the immigrant. These whisper the coming of the Day of the Lord!
But the show me a Christian faith built by conspiracies, tanks, and bulldozers, and I will show you a quiet faith built on the foundation of service to the poor, care for a neighbor, healing of the sick, and embracing the immigrant. These whisper the coming of the Day of the Lord!
The above Times of Israel story described Ambassador Huckabee’s argument that the Jewish Zionists are not being Christian enough. Implied is, “After all, Jerusalem is all going to be handed over to us Christians. We’ll make some room for you.” Mike Huckabee is the U.S. Ambassador to Israel and Southern Baptist High Priest in Jerusalem. Someone, by the way, needs to tell the Baptists that the First Temple was never officially known as “First Baptist Church of Jerusalem.”
You ask, “Jim, don’t you believe in Jesus and that Jesus is returning through the Eastern Gate to meet his believers?”
The Bible answers that in Hebrews 10:8-10:
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
Jesus himself said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place” (Gospel of John 18:36).
I believe in Jesus and his words. His words do not neatly fit into end-time charts written by preachers who hawk on Amazon these color-coded end-times charts, conspiracy filled books, adrenalin rush movies, and celebrity pastor Alaskan Bible cruises. Shown below is one of the many future timeline charts available for sale on Amazon.com today:
Christians must take care that, in believing about a future Battle of Armageddon between good and evil, they don’t create an apocalypse as a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Pastor Jim
“Jim, what you allege between the United State’s ambassador and Israel is far fetched.”
Please do not take my word for it alone, considering you may think I am promoting conspiracy. View the video below to review extremist groups at work in Israel today. Watch it to the end as you will find some familiar faces. And as you watch, be mindful of the above quote: “… create an apocalypse as a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
Worship of Conspiracy
One might ask, “Why would Christians go ‘all-in’ on conspiracy theories?” These devout souls bite on a new juicy conspiracy like a trout swallows a wooly bugger fly. Take a moment and view the movie trailers below. Make note of the bits of truth that are strung together as “clues” to hook the viewer to the next “truth bit” until you are firmly down the rabbit hole.
You may say, “Jim, don’t you believe in the U.S. Constitution or the return of Jesus Christ?”
Yes, I do believe in both of them, but even the Apostle Paul warned us about turning aside to follow conspiracies down a hole of no return:
"They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." - St. Paul in 2 Timothy 4:4
Ward Cleaver Was Right
Motley Fool’s investing article by Nate Parmelee was spot on: Slow and steady may be boring, but it can also be tremendously profitable. Investing is about the future, but to make reasonable predictions, you need a healthy understanding of the past.
The article referenced 1962 Leave It to Beaver episode “Stocks and Bonds”, in which Eddie Haskell tried to convince Wally and The Beaver to invest in Jet Electro stock to turn a quick profit, rather than investing in a boring dividend stock:
Rocket ships or utilities?
In the episode, Ward steers Beaver and Wally toward a dividend-paying company, Mayfield Power and Light. If that doesn’t sound like a nice, safe, and absolutely boring investment, I don’t know what does. But the boys are simultaneously tempted their friend Eddie Haskell to invest in Jet Electro, a company that builds rockets.Naturally, Jet Electro’s stock shoots up, and the boys can’t stand their boring local utility a minute longer. Ward relents and moves their money into the rocket company. Can you guess what happens next? The rocket company loses steam, and the boys lose almost their entire investment. Anyone who indiscriminately picked up a dot-com in 2000 can empathize. In the end, Ward saves the boys because he kept some of their money in slow and steady Mayfield Power and Light.
The Christians who pursue conspiracies and cheap prophecies of political power trade the gospel of Jesus Christ for a Jet Electro quick spiritual high — a Christian scratcher ticket, addicting the pilgrim to the dopamine of digging more theories hoping for a winning ticket.
Final Investment
Jesus said, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19-20).
Jesus calls us to a life “slow and steady” upward movement of growth in the kingdom of God, in this life and the life to come. If you want “revolution now!” and “force the Kingdom of God now!,” take a moment and consider those in the gospels who tried to force Jesus’s hand, beginning with the temptation of Christ by the devil. Jesus showed us the way: “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).
Learn from Our Past “Great Disappointment”
Our evangelical friends can learn from The Great Disappointment of the Millerites at which time William Miller, Baptist lay preacher, prophesied that Jesus Christ would return October 22, 1844, the chart below shows his prediction –
The day came and went, evaporating the hopes the 50,000 to 100,000 Millerites went “all in” camping out on that date expecting the Second Coming. On October 22nd, the Millerites donned white robes, gave away all their possessions, and climbed mountains or trees to speed their ascension into heaven. When the prophecy failed, most abandoned Miller’s apocalyptical teachings and returned to their original churches.
I waited all Tuesday [October 22] and dear Jesus did not come;—I waited all the forenoon of Wednesday, and was well in body as I ever was, but after 12 o’clock I began to feel faint, and before dark I needed someone to help me up to my chamber, as my natural strength was leaving me very fast, and I lay prostrate for 2 days without any pain—sick with disappointment.
Henry Emmons, a Millerite
The Great MAGA Fall From Grace
MAGA Christians sat on America’s front pew and could have shown the United States and the world what God’s love was all about in culture and in government. This walk onto the stage of history dwarfed the combined Utopian and Second Coming movements of the 19th century United States, which taught that God was making a perfect society of heaven on earth in the U.S. [One of these groups, The Shakers, practiced celibacy, neither marrying nor having children.], as Adventist groups declared days of Jesus return.
The MAGA gospel taught today teaches, for the most part, the same end times charts as the Millerites. In other words, they hold the secret to the end times … or so they believe. The difference is that the MAGA Gospel, rather than a white dove or robe, wields the self-righteous sword to force the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The MAGA disciples serve as the Armed Knights of the MAGA Crusaders for Christ.
Take a moment to consider the evangelicals orbiting the Trump administration:
Mike Johnson – Speaker of the House. Paula White-Cain: Televangelist appointed as Senior Advisor of the White House Faith Office. Mike Huckabee: Ambassador to Israel. Former governor of Arkansas and a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom are strong supporters of Israel. Kristi Noem: Secretary of Homeland Security. Pete Hegseth, Department of Defense (See end of Israeli Extremist video above).
Mustard on Your Tie
As groundswells of the U.S. populous rise in protest at the inhumane treatment of citizens and noncitizens alike, the evangelical churches sit blindly knitting at their circled tables of deception. The chart below shows April, 2025 that 72 percent white evangelicals approve of the Mr. Trump’s handling of the job as President:
The False Flag of Persecution of the Poor
Our grandchildren will ask us, “Why were the churches silent? Did they not know how migrants were treated less than human? Why did they remain silent? Were they threatened? Did the government hold the pastors hostage? Were they not aware of their stain on human history?”
If you are a descendent reading this, and if this survives the great evangelical book burning, a large swath of churches was complicit. Rather than The Great Disappointment of 1844, congregations in the United States experienced The Great MAGA Fall From Grace. Eventually the fog of their faith-war lifted and MAGA faithful saw firsthand the chains they forged to persecute the poor, migrants, homosexuals, disabled, minorities, homeless, and the sick.
In this final self-made Armageddon, these same churches called-for and participated in the MAGA Persecution. These churches traded their”white ascension robes” for self-righteousness tactical armor and ballistic helmets that ignited fires of hate in the name of Jesus. As I write this, America is in crisis with mass deportations, people of color dragged from the streets by hooded military, tariffs against the world, the U.S. government agencies slashed …
You may ask, “Pastor Jim, certainly the U.S. church arose and cried against this evil. Right?”
Sadly, the image below shows the response of the U.S. church. The leaders raised their hands in devotion to their god on earth. The author notes that not all churches have embraced The False Flag of Faith, standing as they can against the winds of public faith of national fanaticism. Sadly the bulk of churches spent more time discussing what flavor donuts, coffees, and sweet creams to offer in their lobbies, sleepwalking through their burning house. Until now the fear of offending someone within or without the church has crippled its prophetic stance, but this is changing. Churches are awakening to stand against the peril of this self-created Armageddon.
“Christian Nationalists Taking Selfies and Praising Jesus for Eliminating Those ‘No Good’ Heathens”
Read and Discuss : The dispiriting truth about why many evangelical Christians support Israel
For many “Christians Zionists,” and particularly for popular evangelists with significant clout within the Republican Party, their support for Israel is rooted in its role in the supposed end times: Jesus’ return to Earth, a bloody final battle at Armageddon, and Jesus ruling the world from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. In this scenario, war is not something to be avoided, but something inevitable, desired by God, and celebratory. – From “The Dispiriting Truth” (2023)
Voices in the Desert
In the 3rd to 6th century CE, Christian saints fled to the deserts of Egypt, Syria, and Palestine to escape corruption of Christians leaders who were seduced by the wealth and power of Roman government that legalized Christianity in 313 CE. These Desert Fathers and Mothers remind us of the day coming when the church in the U.S. must make a decision to separate from the seduction of money, corruption, and power, even as Christ was tempted, to take the Kingdom of God by force.
What the new Voices in the Desert might look like, the author can only conjecture. Perhaps Christians will form communities committed to care for one another and outsiders in the local community. This neo-monastic life would include building and providing housing and food for all in the community. These “barn raisings” per se would tie the communities together. Food plots would flourish as bankrupted farmers move to the communities of faith and share their agriculture expertise. Medical care is provided by purged government doctors.
What of the evangelical houses of worship? Given their current course, these buildings would likely be transformed into housing for the homeless and food kitchens for the neo-monastic communities. The churches in America stand at a crossroad and have failed the test in correcting its course to date. The author prays for their course correction, before the house collapses under its own weight and we witness The Great MAGA Fall from Grace.
Slow and Steady,
Pastor Jim
Discussion
- Why would the church trade “Jesus Loves Me” for “Jesus Loves Me When We Beat and Arrest the Migrant and the Poor”? How is this movement a “False Flag of Faith”?
- How might a church see the present U.S. environment as Armageddon a call for them to take up arms? What spiritual basis would cause a church celebrate community violence?
- Read John 18:11. Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” How do Jesus’s words apply to our path of response?
- Review the video regarding Israeli Extremist Groups. What makes extremism so attractive? How can it quickly become destructive and disappointing? Why do extremists gravitate toward religion?
- How can we avoid being fixated on our own “Great Disappointment”?
- Describe a time when you followed a path that resulted in disappointment.
- How might Christians who climbed into the MAGA nationalist wagon find themselves up in the proverbial tree? What makes a “Great Disappointment” movement so attractive initially? Why is it so easy for one to embrace a “Great Disappointment” movement and so difficult to leave it at the end? Do you think some Millerites refused to come down from the rooftops and trees? One Millerite described his disappointment:
I waited all Tuesday [October 22] and dear Jesus did not come;—I waited all the forenoon of Wednesday, and was well in body as I ever was, but after 12 o’clock I began to feel faint, and before dark I needed someone to help me up to my chamber, as my natural strength was leaving me very fast, and I lay prostrate for 2 days without any pain—sick with disappointment. -Henry Emmons - Read and discuss 2 Corinthians 4 and discuss: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Extra Credit
Have you heard of Palestinian Christians? Did you know that today Bethlehem is not in Israel; it is in Palestine? Review this video and consider the experience of our brothers and sisters in the Christian faith experience living in Bethlehem and in the shadow of Israel’s border wall.
Consider that Joseph and Mary fled as refugees from King Herod, who slaughtered the male infants of Bethlehem in an attempt to kill the Christ child.
Which side of the wall in the video would Christ be born if his birth was today?
