Homeland Security quoted a line from Thomas Paine's "American Crisis". This post from DHS reminded me that it is almost the 249th anniversary of George Washington crossing the Delaware. We should understand Revelation 6, which Paine referenced in his essay and which was read to the men in Washington's Army.

Welcome to Politics by Faith. Thanks for being here. The other day, yesterday, I believe it was, we quoted John Locke with his Appeal to Heaven, which made it to the George Washington approved, commissioned flag. Appeal to Heaven, a quote on Judges 1127, John Locke and his second treatise of government. Today, I want to go from John Locke to Thomas Paine. Thomas Paine, during the Revolutionary War, in the beginning of it, we were losing. 

We were getting crushed battle after battle. And Thomas Paine wrote The American Crisis, a series of 13 essays, in order to boost morale. A lot of famous lines in there. These are the times that try men's souls, one of them. I just want to share some of it here. He starts off explaining the desperateness of the situation. 

He says, let it be told to the future world that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive, that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet and to repulse it. The heart that feels not now is dead. The blood of his children will curse his cowardice, who shrinks back at a time when a little might have saved the whole. I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress and grow brave by reflection. Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but he whose heart is firm and whose conscience approves his conduct will pursue his principles unto death. " So I'm just imagining being 1776 and you're in this country that's getting attacked by the king and how desperate the situation is and reading this. 

is to myself as straight and clear as a ray of light, not all the treasures of the world, so far as I believe, could have endured. me to support an offensive war, for I think it murder. But if a thief breaks into my house, burns and destroys my property, and kills or threatens to kill me, or those that are in it, and to bind me in all cases whatsoever to his absolute will, am I to suffer it? Of course not. " And then he makes a reference to Revelation 6 .16. That's why I'm talking about it now here in the Politics by Faith podcast. Revelation 6 .16. He doesn't quote Revelation 6 .16. He was so familiar, and so was his audience, so familiar with Revelation 6 .16 that he could just talk of it. Most historians today overlook how often our founding fathers would quote the Bible, because if you have no biblical knowledge of your own, you would miss this. You wouldn't even recognize that it was of the Bible because he doesn't say, as it says in Revelation 6, it doesn't say that. It just says these words. I conceive likewise a horrid idea in receiving mercy from a being who at the last day, so he's talking about if we lose this war, Even if they were to grant me mercy, I conceive it a horrid idea of receiving mercy from a being who at the last day shall be shrieking to the rocks and mountains to cover him and fleeing with terror from the orphan, the widow and the slain of America." That's Revelation 6, 16. 

So he's talking about how the British, even if they win this war, they will be cursed by God. They will be like people on the Latin, the last days. I'll wrap up with Revelation 6, 16 at the end of this podcast here. But the British too will be taken out by God, crying to God for forgiveness. for their sins. " Thomas Paine says, there are cases which cannot be overdone by language and this is one. 

And then he goes on and he says this, which Department of Homeland Security posted the other day with a painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware. Not the famous one, a different one, but still a great painting of Washington crossing the Delaware. Paine said, I thank God that I fear not. I mean, it just went through a pretty horrific description of the state of things, but his turn is, I thank God that I fear not. I see no real cause for fear. I know our situation well and can see the way out of it. 

I saw Homeland Security posted that and under it, someone posted a meme with that painting and it says, Americans will cross a frozen river to kill you in your sleep on Christmas. Literally not kidding. We've done that before. Which brings me to December 26th, 1776, 249 years ago. It's always fascinating to me how we look back on history and we think, oh, well, of course it turned out that way. Of course we won World War II. 

Of course we won the Revolutionary War. Of course, George Washington made it across the Delaware. Of course, we invented the atom bomb first. Of course, of course, of course, we made it to the moon, whatever. Of course, we did this thing. Of course, the Wright brothers were the first to invent. 

No, not even close. All these things that we look back on and think, well, yeah, of course it went this way. They're all miracles. And George Washington crossing the Delaware coming out to about 249 years ago was absolutely one of those miracles. His men were starving. It was freezing cold. 

It was in the 20s. There was a nor 'easter. The wind, they wrote, cut like a knife, driving sleet and snow. Many of them had no shoes. And they went on a three mile hike to get to the river by midnight. Three, three mile hike, 20 degrees, not wearing anywhere near proper attire, pitch black to get to the starting point of the mission. 

And that's when George Washington, 2 ,400 men, 18 cannons, 200 horses crossed the Delaware. Well, of course that worked. No, there were two other crossings planned at the same time or attempted, I should say. So three in total, two of them never made it. They never made it. The ice was too thick. 

The plan was too preposterous. And George Washington himself, the group he was in, he was about to abort too. They were three hours behind schedule. So by the time they made it across, if they made it across, there was still another 10 mile hike that would take another five hours. So they'd get there after the sun came up, they would lose the surprise and they'd all be killed. But he decided in his own words, quote, push on. 

Thank God they did. 22 enemy soldiers were killed, 98 wounded. The Americans captured a thousand prisoners. Only three Americans were killed in the Battle of Trenton, thanks to George Washington's crossing of the Delaware. And this was the turning point. It should not have worked. 

Conditions couldn't have been worse. They fought through a Nor 'easter. Thomas Paine published his first essay on December 19th, 1776 in Philadelphia. It was read to George Washington's troops on December 23rd, 1776. Right before, on Christmas Day, they crossed the Delaware. These are the times that try men's souls. 

The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country. But he that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered. Yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. Let's go to Revelation 6, which Thomas Paine knew intimately enough to reference as an offhand imagery, and that the American people and the people fighting, crossing that Delaware, knew so well that it was powerful and meaningful to them. Revelation 6 is about the six seals on the white horse, red horse, black horse, pale horse. 

Then we finally get to the fifth. Let me quote here. When he, Jesus, opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? Then a white robe was given to each of them, and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed. When all the martyrs are made, God will set it right. 

Then the sixth season began. This is the one that Thomas Paine was referencing. I looked when he opened Jesus opened the sixth seal and behold there was a great earthquake and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair and the moon became like blood and the stars of heaven fell to the earth as a fig tree drops its late figs when it's shaken by a mighty wind then the sky receded as a scroll when it's opened up and every mountain island was moved out of its place and here it is the kings of the earth The great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains. 

Okay. 

They hid themselves and said, let me go back to Thomas Paine. He said, I conceive likewise, a horrid idea and receiving mercy from a being who at the last day shall be shrieking to the rocks and mountains to cover him. Here's revelation 616. So everyone, great men, mighty men, commanders, kings of the earth. They shall hide in the caves and rocks of the mountains and said to the mountains and rocks, fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb for the great day of his wrath has come. And who is able to stand all the mighty Kings, all the great men, everyone brought low. 

It's so bad. They're begging the rocks to fall on them and crush them and kill them rather than face God or in this case, the wrath of the lamb. And that's the final point I want to make here. coming up on Christmas. The wrath of the lamb in Revelation 6. The lamb we think of as the gentle lamb, the baby who we are. 

celebrating coming to earth, Emmanuel, God with us, right? Maybe you'll see some Christmas plays or whatever. That's a little baby, right? This innocent little precious baby, the gentle lamb. Well, his judgment in Revelation 6 is so dreadful that all the mighty kings and great strong men will plead to die, plead to be crushed by rocks rather than face him. So let us celebrate first George Washington and the men who crossed the Delaware. 

Coming up here on the 249th anniversary of that, let us celebrate Jesus as a baby. And also let us know that the wrath of the lamb will happen. Let's not be the people begging to be crushed by rocks rather than face him. We should be people who run to Jesus as a place of refuge, not people who run to caves, begging to be crushed to death. I'll end here. Could go on forever about this. 

Go to Revelation 16. This is the pouring out of the bowls. And this is the third, the third angel poured out the bowl on the rivers and springs of water and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters saying, you are righteous. So Lord, so you're thinking you hear all these, this wrath and it's horrible and awful. And here's, here's an angel saying you are righteous. 

So Lord, the one who is and who was and who is to be, because you have judged these things for, they have shed the blood of saints and prophets and you have given them blood to drink. So that's their punishment. They shed the blood. Their punishment is they have to drink the blood for it is their due. And I heard from. I heard another from the altar saying, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous 

are your judgments. Even in the midst of what we may look at today and think horrible, rough, whatever. From our perspective, God is good. God is good. His punishments are fair and appropriate and just. So repent, run to him, make him Lord of your life. 

Merry Christmas. Mike Slater, not your normal Christmas message. MikeSlater . Locals . com. Transcript commercial free. It's all on that website. MikeSlater .

Two topics on today's podcast: I love when the Appeal To Heaven flag returns to the news. Also, too many families know what the Reiner family went through with an addict son.

Welcome to Politics by Faith. Thanks for being here. I want to talk about Rob Reiner in a moment. Let me get this out off my chest first. Every once in a while, this flag comes up in the news and it's great when it does. The latest is a USA Today report. 

The congressional reporter at USA Today found a Christian nationalist flag. In his words, a controversial Christian nationalist flag. This one hanging outside the DC office of a top education department official. This USA Today reporter is very upset because this is the flag that was raised by rioters during the January 6th insurrection. Don't remember it there, but I'm sure someone had the flag. It's the same flag that flew at Sam Alito's house. 

Unbelievable. 

It's the Appeal to Heaven flag. It's a white flag with a tree in the middle and in black letters on the top it says Appeal to Heaven. Now this USA Today reporter, after being roundly criticized online, deleted the tweet and he wrote back, this flag is more accurately described as quote, a symbol associated with Christian nationalism. Why? Because when you call it a Christian nationalist flag, it makes it sound like the January Sixers made it up a couple of years ago. It's a brand new flag that they just made up themselves. 

The appeal to heaven flag was commissioned by George Washington. The tree, the pine tree in the middle was a symbol of new England. It's a symbol of, uh, well, it's a symbol of tyranny too, because the colonists, There were all these regulations that the crown put on the colonies of harvesting our own timber. The King's officials would come by and they would mark the best pine trees. It was an Eastern white pine. They'd mark the best pine trees for the King's Royal Navy, but they were our trees. 

and we wanted to use them for our boats. So the pine tree became a symbol of resistance and a symbol of independence and a symbol of our Navy, the boats, our boats that we'd use the trees for. There was also something called the Pine Tree Riot in New Hampshire in 1772. So that's the pine tree. The appeal to heaven comes from John Locke on his second treatise of government. And his point was that if you don't have anyone else to appeal to, in our case, appealing for freedom, then your ultimate appeal comes from heaven. 

He wrote, sufferers who have no, who having no appeal on earth to write them, they are left to the only remedy in which cases, in such cases, an appeal to heaven. And he quotes judges 1127, which says, you go a little bit back actually. Therefore, I have not sinned against you, but you wronged me by fighting against me. May the Lord, the judge. render judgment this day between the children of Israel and the people of Amman. So we have lacking a human court. 

The Jephthah must appeal directly to God and appeal to heaven. I love this story and I love when this flag pops up every once in a while because it highlights a few realities. One, that people have no idea about our history. That's sad. We should all know this flag. Everyone should be intimately aware of what this flag is. 

Second, how ignorant people are about our Christian roots and our Christian founding. where they see this flag and appeal to heaven and they're like, Oh, that must be some crazy evangelical Christian nationalism. George Washington, okay, appeal to heaven. George Washington commissioned the flag. John Locke wrote about it. And to prove how far we have to go still, that flag 

and the concept of an appeal to heaven should not be controversial. Go get the flag yourself. Fly it high, fly it proud. All right, let's talk about Rob Reiner and this horrible, tragic story. Rob Reiner's wife murdered by their son with a knife, slit throats, where it's reported. It's worth, as horrible as it is, I think it's worth taking a minute. 

I think it's important to take a minute to consider, to imagine this. And what Rob Reiner must have been thinking, and his wife must have been thinking, one of them saw the other die. They saw their son do it. The fear that... I don't even know. 

I don't even know. 

Just go there for a minute. It's important to do that, I think. It's about as awful as it gets. I don't know if there's a family, obviously. They made a movie together, Rob Reiner and his son, Nick. It's called Being Charlie, about their experience with addiction. 

Nick went to a It's called rehab for the first time when he was 15. He's been 17 times. He's been homeless in many different States before. I've seen three family photos and everyone in the family looks very happy and healthy and rich except for Nick. He's standing there, but he's not there at all. He's not wearing appropriate clothes that everyone else is wearing. 

And his eyes, his eyes are totally spaced out. It's just not, not there. And it's very sad. And I know this is very relatable for a lot of people. of families as well. I don't know enough about addiction. 

I'm just gonna be honest. I'm tangentially connected. I'm in no position to give any advice at all. What is the balance between people, you know, back in the day we used to say, you have a couple screws loose. That was the old expression. And how much of it comes from, like people are born that way versus how much of it is trauma from childhood. 

What the amounts are of each, I don't know. But I do know, and this is going to be next week's or this week's special is Spiritual Warfare is Real. I know it's real, and I know that plays a role. The Bible talks about alcoholism. Talk about nothing new under the sun. It's there. 

Isaiah 5, 1. Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that may run after strong drink, who tarry late into the evenings as wine inflames them. Titus 2, 3. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine, not being a slave to wine. They are to teach what is good. It's a sin. 

And if you're addicted, you are a slave to it. It doesn't end well. Woe to those. Romans 6 20. It says, but when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at the time from the things of which you are now ashamed? 

For the end of those things is death. If you're a slave to sin, what do you get from it? Nothing. The end is death. I don't know how to break addictions other than the same way we break any sin. The only way to break sin, and that's through salvation with a new heart. 

We played the clip the other day of Jelly Roll on Joe Rogan's show, talking about a new heart, a new creation, not a slightly modified heart, not fixed a little bit here or there, a new creation, a new heart. Romans 6 .11 talks about being dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. It's the only way to do it. My TV producer sent me a note the other day. It's something I'm thinking about a lot lately. Everyone's always like thoughts and prayers. 

You hear it all the time. Whenever there's a tragedy or thoughts and prayers, thoughts and prayers or thoughts and prayers go with now. Thoughts is the most ridiculous thing ever, but I'm setting my thoughts. I don't even know what that means. Really. It's definitely become an odd trite thing to say thoughts and prayers, but the prayers part is interesting too, because as my producer said, why not just pray right there? 

Thoughts and prayers is essentially a social way of acknowledging a situation, but not actually praying. Notice this in churches a lot too. You'll be seeing people in the hallways of the church and someone will share something. Oh man, I'll pray for you. And then you go on. And how many people actually pray for the person later? 

How often does that happen? Maybe a lot. I don't think so. Not enough. As opposed to, pray right there. Here's my challenge. 

If someone says something to you in church this Sunday, instead of saying, man, I'm going to pray for you about that. How about let's pray right now and just do it. Let's do it right there. No one will think you're weird. That's the place to do it. Now you do it anywhere, but that's a good place too. 

It's not an odd, it shouldn't be out of character to pray in the church building. What may be out of character is to pray on a podcast. Dear Heavenly Father, I want to pray for everyone who's going through addiction right now. Way too many people, God. I want to pray that you can break their addiction, give them a new heart and have the Holy Spirit speak so clearly to them that they can focus on you. and focus on good things. 

God, I pray for peace for families that are going through addiction with family members. God, I'm having a hard time thinking of anything more difficult than that. I pray for peace for them and a clarity, God, that everything will be perfect in heaven. There will be no crying or pain or addiction in heaven, and I can't wait to be there. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. We talk about the Puritans a lot on this show, and they wrote often about how God has limited our comforts here. 

and how that is a blessing so that we don't cling to this life too tightly, but instead we long for what is to come. We long for eternity. Maybe that perspective, if you can relate to what the Reiner family went through for a long time, if you can relate, maybe that perspective can be helpful. That's all I got. mikeslater . locals . com. Transcript commercial free on the website mikeslater .

Your Chriamas service might mention Isaiah 9, calling Jesus the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. That's great, but I have never heard the REST of Isaiah 9 quoted. 

Welcome to Politics by Faith. Thanks for being here. Quick, before we get to the main portion of today's podcast, I want to mention the Michigan football coach. Still lots of rumors going around. Don't exactly know what happened, but it seems to be a mistress of sorts on the staff, a young woman on staff. He's married. 

He has three kids. He was taken into custody by police in Michigan. A lot of holes to fill in the story, but apparently he was fired. And then he went to this young woman's house with a knife and threatened either to kill her or himself, both, and then she called police and they took him in and he's in protective custody right now. Daryl Harrison, he said, as a pastor friend of mine once said, sin makes you stupid. Adultery is never worth what it will surely cost you in the end. 

Proverbs 5 says, my son, be attentive to my wisdom, incline your ear to my understanding. that you may keep discretion and your lips may guard knowledge, for the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil. But in the end, she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two -edged sword. Her feet go down to death. Her steps follow the path to Sheol. She does not ponder the path of life. 

Her ways wander, and she does not know it. " Harrison said, Sharone Moore, the head coach of Michigan football, is finding that out in real time. Pray for him, his wife, his children, the alleged adulteress, and everyone involved, the situation is as ugly as the sin that caused it. Someone else posted the line, sin will take you farther than you want to go, cost you more than you want to pay and keep you longer than you want to stay. It's amazing that someone can have it all. 

Wife, kids, tons of money, fame, power. You had it all. So you thought. So the world told you, but it wasn't enough. So you sought more. 

Blew it all up. 

Parable. Actually ties in nicely to the ending of Isaiah 9. If you go to a church service coming up here and it's Christmas themed, Isaiah 9, the beginning of Isaiah 9 might come up. This often quoted around Christmas sermon or scripture says, for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders and his name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Now, if that's all you read out of Isaiah, you might think Isaiah is pretty nice, pretty good little book in the Bible. Alas, if you read all the chapters leading up to that, it's as heavy and dark as could possibly be. 

Praise God that there is this not only a glimmer of hope, but the brightest blinding light of hope that you could ever imagine. But it is this bright because it is amidst the darkness that is the first at least 10 chapters of Isaiah. Let me just quote a couple quick points of Isaiah or moments in Isaiah 1 through 10. I just picked like four random ones. A sinful nation of people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly. The audience, We'll go on. 

Instead of perfume, there will be rottenness. Instead of a belt, a rope. Instead of a well -sealed... baldness. Instead of a rich robe, a skirt of sackcloth. And branding instead of beauty. 

Your men shall fall by the sword and your mighty men in battle. And our gate shall lament and mourn. Empty, she shall sit on the ground. Later on, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root will be as rottenness and their blossom go up like dust. For they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people, and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them. 

And the mountains quaked, and their corpses were as refuse in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still. " Later on in that day, every place where there used to be a thousand vines worth a thousand shekels of silver will become briars and thorn. And then the line right before Isaiah 9, what we call Isaiah 9, they will look to the earth, but behold distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish, and they will be thrust into thick darkness. But now we have Isaiah 9, but the gloom will not be upon her who's distressed. As when at first he lightly esteemed the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, we'll get to those in a second, and afterward more heavily oppressed her by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan and Galilee of the Gentiles, The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. 

Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined. Let's jump over to Matthew verse 15. Jesus was just baptized. He was immediately tempted by the devil. And the very next section, often titled Jesus Begins His Journey. verse 12, now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee, and leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, of all places, so that when was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled, and he quotes, the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, Isaiah was written about 700 years before Jesus was born. 

Here's what I love about this. Neptali and Zebulun, it was as dark and hopeless as you can imagine, called out in Isaiah as being the darkest of the dark lands. But then Jesus, in the very beginning of his ministry, went to this place. And said what? Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The people in this region were the first to feel the wrath of the Assyrian invasion on them. 

And they were the first to see the light of the Messiah during his ministry. Now, if I may, a Christmas sermon might stop at the beginning of Isaiah 9 with a very nice sounding Prince of Peace. But if you keep reading, here's how it goes on. The Israelites, unrepentant Israelites. who say in pride and arrogance of heart, the bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild. The sycamores are cut down, but we'll replace them with cedars. 

Therefore the Lord shall set up the adversaries of resin against him and spur his enemies on. The Syrians before and the Philistines behind, and they shall devour Israel with an open mouth. For all this, his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. " This is straight after the old Prince of Peace talk. So the Israelites, ah, who needs God? Oh, fine, sure, maybe an enemy will come and knock us down a little bit, but we'll just rebuild, no big deal. They still refused to humble themselves. John Calvin wrote this over 300 years ago. He said, how many are the distresses with which Europe has been afflicted for 30 or 40 years? How many are the chastisements by which she has been called to repentance? Say the same about America today, right? And yet it does not appear that those numerous chastisements have done any good. On the contrary, luxury increases every day. Lawless passions are inflamed and men go on in crimes and profligacy more shamelessly than ever. What then? shall we expect, but to be bruised with heavier blows." More affliction on our nation doesn't necessarily cause people to repent, could cause people to sin even more. So my goodness, what's the way out? 

There's only one way out, being born again. And only Jesus can give us the new heart. This is the Christian singer Jelly Roll. It's Jelly Roll's real name. I don't like using stage names. I think it's silly. 

Jason DeFord. It says Jason DeFord. Right when he walked on the Joe Rogan set, Joe Rogan says, you're a totally new human being, man. 

And here's how Jason takes it. 

You're a totally new human being. It is, man. You know what's crazy? I don't want to get super spiritual out the gate, but I will, because I think God wants me to right now, because you're saying that. There's a scripture in the Bible that says, in Christ, all things are a new creation, which I thought was interesting, because it didn't talk about restoring the old. It says that in God, we are a completely new creation. 

You know what I mean? So like I was looking at it at first, like I'm restoring my heart. But then when you're saying that, I'm like, no, I didn't restore my heart. I got a whole new heart. 

This is a brand new heart, Joe. 

You know what I mean? Yeah, it might be cloaked as the old one, but God touched it. 

It's a whole new heart, baby. All I can end with is what Jesus told us to do when he was in the land of Zebulun in the land of Naphtali. Repent, repent, repent, and he will give you a new heart. Merry Christmas. Mike Slater dot Locals dot com. Transcript commercial free on the website. Mike Slater dot Locals dot com.