Beyond the Point of Return?

By Gary Kah

As we enter 2023, it unfortunately appears that the world’s downward spiral is accelerating. Globalists are pushing harder than ever to implement their anti-Christian socialist agenda. Here in the US, the recent elections failed to produce the sweeping results we had hoped for. However, a few states like Florida performed well, thanks largely to strong leadership and the coalescing of conservative groups of Christians and Jews (many within the Hispanic community) who were determined to take action. Kudos to our many friends in Florida for their hard work, dedication, and willingness to stand up and stand firm. You’re making a huge difference in your state and are setting an example for the rest of the nation.

On the day after the election my friend, Jim Garlow of Well Versed ministry, provided some noteworthy observations regarding the election results. I’ve posted his comments in the article below. Jim’s thoughts closely mirror my own.

Politically speaking, my biggest concern as a Christian who cares deeply about America is that people are waking up too slowly, and possibly too late. The actions finally beginning to occur in our circles – fueled by a growing awareness of our nation’s dire circumstances – needed to take place many years ago. Of course, our trust must first be in the Lord, not political leaders. It is He who grants us salvation and eternity in His presence; it is also He who is able to intervene in the affairs and destinies of nations. Even at this late hour God could still hold back His full judgment of America – if a sincere repentance by her inhabitants were to occur. Required: The complete surrender of our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ followed by appropriate actions and behavior – in our daily relationships with family and friends, in our churches and schools, and politically in our cities, states and nation.

Some Christians believe that God is not prepared to judge the United States. Their rationale: Our country is special, we’ve spread the Gospel around the world, we’ve supported Israel, and, there are more than ten righteous believers in the US. After all, God told Abraham that He would spare Sodom if there were just ten righteous people in that city.

What these believers don’t realize is that God’s promise to Abraham regarding Sodom was situational. It was for that moment in time. Some believers are notorious for taking Biblical events out of context and applying God’s pronouncements – intended only for a specific time and place – across the entire scope of history. Holy Spirit-led discernment is necessary as some of God’s promises are intended to remain intact indefinitely, while others are specific for a certain situation.

The fact is, we’ve seen the demise of many nations and great empires through the ages despite the fact that more than a few righteous believers resided in them. Germany, for example, during Hitler’s reign had hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Bible believing Christian inhabitants. Yet, God brought judgment upon that nation, permitting the Allies to decimate entire cities. You see, when a nation becomes overtaken by vile corruption and rampant sin, even God’s people eventually suffer consequences. A case in point: My mother’s German family consisted of devoted Christ followers, and her father took such a strong stand against Hitler in their small village that it nearly cost him his life. Yet, when the Allies bombed the Swabian villages in the area south of Stuttgart, my mother’s house was partly destroyed – the roof was blown off by an Allied bomb.

There comes a tipping point in the life of a nation when it has reached its “full measure” of sin before God. While only God knows when that point is reached, I believe we as a nation are dangerously close. When that time comes, will God’s judgment be selective (where only certain cities and locations are destroyed), or will it be comprehensive? Will God allow our adversaries to take down our entire nation? There is no way to know for sure; but if all Christians living in the United States fully understood the seriousness of our predicament, perhaps we would see the level of repentance and turning back to the ways of the Lord that are needed to touch the heart of God.

Going the Way of China

As things currently stand, unless there are major changes – politically, culturally, and especially spiritually – the Lord God will allow our adversaries to overtake our troubled and morally bankrupt country. The tragic irony is that in some respects, most notably politically, we have already become much like our adversaries. For example, when it comes to implementing Covid mandates and censoring those who voice a different, non-left-wing perspective, the US Government and media are behaving more like the CCP of China than the leaders of a free, independent nation. The fact is we have already lost many of our freedoms to a Marxist/globalist Establishment which is directing the current regime. We are on a socialist path to becoming like communist China.

China’s extreme Covid lockdown measures are being championed by globalists who see China as the Covid-response model for the rest of the world. However, China’s own citizens, who are among the most compliant/non-violent people in the world, have finally had enough and are taking to the streets by the thousands to protest their government’s draconian “zero tolerance” Covid enforcement. While their President, Xi Jinping, may back down for a while in order to appear reasonable, he is certain to enforce the CCP’s policies moving forward. He is a hardcore Communist who has demonstrated his unswerving loyalty to China’s Communist Party (CCP) time and time again.

Xi Jinping has been ruthlessly intolerant of anyone who doesn’t adhere to his party’s rigid platform. The level of persecution against Chinese Christians worshipping in underground Bible-believing churches has risen dramatically over the last few years, with Jinping doubling down on churches even more so during the Covid lockdowns. His actions are in line with what a Chinese Christian told me in Rome, Italy in the spring of 2019, prior to Covid. Sharing privately with me after a church service, they warned me not to be fooled by Xi Jinping’s seemingly pleasant smile. They stressed the fact that he hates Christians as well as the United States and will do whatever it takes to destroy his opposition. He is completely dedicated to the Marxist agenda for worldwide dominance.

The intentionally created Covid crisis, I believe, was meant to facilitate a global power grab by Marxists who were already in place, occupying key positions in governments worldwide. China’s role was to leak the specially-engineered virus and spread it quickly throughout the world with the help of depopulation advocates who also happen to be dedicated globalists. The more information that comes out regarding the true origins of Covid, the more plausible this scenario becomes. I also believe time will show that the primary funding for this dark assault on humanity came from globalist gain-of-function supporters in the United States who moved their research operations to China because of pressure back home.

Regardless of the US role, China has taken Covid mandates the farthest in the shortest amount of time. The CCP, under Jinping’s leadership, has clearly weaponized the “pandemic” to further consolidate their social credit score system, made possible only because of China’s already functioning, virtually airtight, surveillance network. Their social credit score system closely monitors the behavior and movements of all Chinese citizens, rewarding or punishing them based on their compliance with the CCP’s imposed regulations/mandates. The system’s enforcement is further made possible by the fact that every person’s financial transactions are known to the CCP, because China is now almost cashless. Nearly all purchases by China’s citizens over the last few years have been made via plastic. And, the digital yuan currency has become accepted, being widely used in several provinces in conjunction with digital ID. The tracking of Chinese citizens has become virtually seamless, giving the CCP government complete authoritarian control.

This is what the Biden administration has in store for US citizens! In late September the Federal Reserve announced a major “pilot exercise” for an ESG social credit score system. The Fed stated, “Six of the nation’s largest banks will participate in a pilot climate scenario analysis exercise designed to enhance the ability of supervisors and firms to measure and manage climate-related financial risks.”1

This experimental ESG program is being dubbed “Climate Finance” and is moving us in the direction of the CCP’s social credit score system – in the name of “saving the environment.”

According to financial journalist Jordan Schachtel,

“The climate narrative is the chief rhetorical facilitator for the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) movement. ESG acts as a trojan horse for the continuing centralization of the American financial system. ESG finance, popularized by hyper political asset management behemoths like BlackRock and Vanguard, acts to prevent outsiders from challenging the regime-connected insiders on Wall Street and in Washington, under the guise of acting to manifest a healthier planet. In other words, pro-ESG institutions are committed to attacking free market principles by means of deception, preferring the CCP-style ‘stakeholder capitalism’ that allows for a small group of technocratic elites to make broad determinations about society.”2

Schachtel adds,

“The ESG ‘green transition,’ frequently popularized by powerful world governments and the Davos [WEF] elite, has served as the main vehicle for this movement. Akin to the Chinese social credit score, which is used to coerce businesses, and, by extension, individuals, into specific actions, ESG rules force individuals and businesses in America to deploy capital through the gatekeepers of the system.”3

The banks involved in the Fed’s pilot program are Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, and Wells Fargo. The program is set to launch in early 2023.4

The governments of Florida, South Carolina, Missouri, and Louisiana have recently decided to move their states’ funds out of BlackRock because of that firm’s commitment to the ESG agenda. Kudos to these four states for leading the way. Other states are considering similar actions. I would encourage other investors to likewise pull their funds from BlackRock, Vanguard, and any other institutional investment firms that have embraced ESG. While it is true that these companies have made huge returns for their investors, what is more important, making the largest amount of money or taking an ethical stand to remain a free people?

Digital Currency

Speaking of money, developments in the push for a digital currency are moving in tandem with the ESG agenda. On November 15, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York announced that it would be launching a 12-week pilot program for a central bank digital currency (CBDC).5 According to the Fed, their program is exploring the feasibility of an “interoperable network of central bank wholesale digital money and commercial bank digital money operating on a shared multi-entity distributed ledger” on a regulated liability network.6 The pilot involves central banks, commercial banks, and regulated non-banks. Banking giants participating in this trial run include BNY Mellon, Citibank, HSBC, Mastercard, PNC Bank, TD Bank, Truist, U.S. Bank, and Wells Fargo.7

The US dollar will be represented as tokens and settled through simulated central bank reserves on a shared distributed ledger using technology provided by SETL and Digital Asset. SWIFT, the global payments provider, is also participating in this program, as is the New York Innovation Center (NYIC) which is part of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.8

France, Switzerland, and Singapore have already conducted a joint trial for their digital currencies, one of the first of its kind; and Nigeria has launched its eNaira digital currency. However, China has made the most notable advances in this area. According to Investopedia, “China has tested its digital yuan in several provinces, and the currency is even available to users on the popular app WeChat. It recently added four provinces to its list of regions for the CBDC trial.”9

As with its social credit score system, China is leading the way in the implementation of digital currency, with the intent of tightening its economic grip on its own people and on the “free” world. The US is unfortunately following China’s lead, with an announcement by the Biden administration expected in the months ahead. 

The Fed’s introduction of the “digital dollar” will probably be timed to precede or closely coincide with Biden’s signing of the WHO’s International Pandemic Treaty. The treaty is being written in such a way that it will usurp our national sovereignty and that of other nations (if signed). Anyone who refuses to take the jab when the next bioweapon is released may have their digital wallet frozen. If you want to purchase food, it will be difficult – unless you’ve taken the latest vaccine. I genuinely believe this is where things are headed over the next 18 to 36 months. China’s close collaboration with the UN and its World Health Organization makes the unfolding events somewhat predictable.

The US is dependent on China for most of our life-saving medications, including antibiotics, over 80 percent of which are produced in China. And, we import so many of our strategic goods – from computer chips to lithium batteries and every sort of hi tech energy component – from China, that we are essentially held hostage. From an economic standpoint we are boxed in. China, working closely with its globalist partners in the West, dominates and, in some areas, completely controls the supply chain. This gives China – an authoritarian Marxist superpower – enormous leverage over the United States. 

Coupled with the pressures stemming from an escalating war in Ukraine, China’s growing influence over the global economy virtually ensures the implementation of a worldwide system of socialism that secret society oligarchs have been working toward for many years. Xi Jinping’s regime is merely setting their stage.

A Lesson from History

So, one might ask, why doesn’t God rain down His judgment on China’s government for its global manipulations and its persecution of millions of Chinese Christians? And, why do I say that God may soon judge America instead? Fair questions. Let’s look at how He has dealt in the past with His people Israel.

God repeatedly called His people to repent, because they were becoming like the wicked nations around them. They had begun to worship false gods and engaged in detestable sexual practices and even child sacrifice. After many calls to repentance, God issued final warnings through His prophets. But Israel, refusing to repent, was finally overtaken. First, the Northern Kingdom was conquered and its people taken captive by the Assyrians. Then the Southern Kingdom (Judah) fell to the Babylonians; its citizens being held captive for 70 years.

God’s people were judged because they knew better, yet had embraced the forbidden beliefs and practices of their demon-led adversaries. As a result, God allowed the very nations that had misled and deceived His people to overtake and defeat them as part of His judgment against them. (Eventually, God brought even greater judgment against those same evil powers, bringing them to utter ruin. Whereas He brought His finally-repentant remnant people back from Babylon to rebuild and re-inhabit Jerusalem.)

Could it be that God will deal in a similar fashion with the United States? Our nation’s origins – while not perfect – were firmly grounded in Judeo-Christian principles. God has faithfully led America through many challenges, and has prospered and blessed our nation beyond measure. But, in our prosperity, we have wandered farther and farther away from the Lord and His truth, installing godless leaders and setting a poor example – even shaming the name of Christ – before the rest of the world. Although we have known better, our nation – having once consisted of predominately God-fearing citizens – has become corrupt to the core, with only a remnant of Americans remaining faithful to the Lord and His ways.

As a result, unless there is a Nineveh-like eleventh hour repentance in America, I believe God will allow things to run their course. We, as a nation with Christian roots, have squandered God’s blessings and embraced depravity on a scale unimaginable only a few decades ago. We who have known better, have thumbed our noses at God (like Israel did), refusing to hear His tender voice and heed His warnings. Therefore, unless we repent quickly – from our top leadership down – our blessed country, I believe, will soon fall. Those nations working toward our demise however, will not escape. In due time they will meet their inescapable fate before an all-powerful sovereign God, just like Assyria and Babylon and the other empires of the past.

The Good News

We must fervently pray that when God’s judgment falls on America, He would spare those areas of our nation that have relentlessly fought wickedness and were most loyal to Him (that His judgment would be selective in nature). Although Sodom was destroyed, there was a town (Zoar) just a short distance away that God spared at Lot’s request. It became a place of refuge for he and his family. (Genesis 19:21-22) Nothing is too hard for the Lord! (Jeremiah 32:17) Perhaps His judgment will be decided on a state by state, or city by city basis. We don’t know, but it is possible – something to hope and pray for.

Beyond this, no matter how things ultimately unfold, we have the eternal promises of God to hold on to. If we have placed our trust in Jesus, embracing Him as our Lord and Savior, at the very least our eternity with Him has been secured. This, by itself, is cause for great celebration and joy. 

In addition to this incredible gift of eternal life, we also have the gift of the Holy Spirit, who lives in us and through us while we are on this earth. We are never alone. Jesus promised, “I will be with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) And if this isn’t enough, many of us – those of us who remain alive – will at the appointed time be caught up to be with the Lord; instantly receiving our glorified bodies. It’s true, some of us will not face death, but will live to see the Lord return. Jesus will come and reign victoriously on this earth together with those who are His. How awesome is that!

Yes, Satan will continue to throw everything in his arsenal at us; but in the end he will be defeated. Our God – the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – is still on the throne and will have the final say. This is why the company of angels were able to proclaim with confidence, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:14) The first angel to appear to the shepherds near Bethlehem – described as the angel of the Lord – exclaimed, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ [Messiah] the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11)

The message is simple; the impact profound: God coming to earth in the flesh to redeem sinful man. That includes us, and all who will believe. (John 3:16) Praise God for His undeserved mercy and grace!

Regardless of how close this world and our country may be to “the point of no return,” we have the greatest hope imaginable presented to us through Jesus Christ our Savior. We must therefore resist the temptation of feeling defeated by the downward spiral of our society, remembering instead the victory we already have in Christ and the final say He will have over the affairs of men when He returns in splendor and glory. (2 Thessalonians 2:8)

While it is highly important that we, as Christians, continue to stand up for what is right in every area of society, our greatest focus must be on reaching individuals with the good news – the saving message of Christ. Cities, regions, and nations are composed of individuals and are changed one person at a time. We sometimes overlook this fact when we focus primarily on national political causes; but Jesus understood this principle and applied it with great success to prepare His disciples, through whom He would build His church. We would do well to follow His example.

May the Lord bless and keep you and your families as you follow His leading in 2023! ■

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Endnotes:

1 Jordan Schachtel, “Federal Reserve announces major ‘pilot exercise’ for ESG social credit score system,” https://dossier.substack.com/p/federal-reserve-announces-major-pilot, September 29, 2022.

2 Ibid.

3 Ibid.

4 Ibid.

5 Turner Wright, “NY Fed launches 12-week CBDC pilot program with major banks,” https://cointelegraph.com/news/ny-fed-launches-12-week-cbdc-pilot-program-with-major-banks, November 15, 2022.

6 Ibid.

7 Rahul Nambiampurath, “NY Fed Launches Digital Dollar Pilot Program With Big Banks,” https://www.investopedia.com/ny-fed-works-on-cgdc-6829573, November 16, 2022.

8 Ibid.

9 Ibid.

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Have You Trusted Jesus as Savior?

God loves mankind – his greatest creation. His perfect will is for all to be saved and none to be lost (John 3:15-18, 5:24). However, He makes clear that only those who have accepted (believed in) His divine Son, Jesus Christ, will be spared from the punishment of hell and will spend eternity with Him (Matthew 10:28 & II Peter 2:4-10).

If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, you must believe that Jesus is who He says He is and that He paid the penalty for your sins with His death on a cross. Accept His free gift of eternal life which He can offer because He conquered death through His resurrection. Then, with the help of His Holy Spirit, turn from your old ways of living (repent) and follow Him. Take a moment and tell the Lord that you desire to receive Him into your life and ask His Holy Spirit to dwell inside of you and lead you into all truth.

Once you have settled this most important matter, be devoted in your relationship with the Lord. Spend time with Him by reading His Word (the Bible) and talking to Him (praying) daily. As you grow in His grace, He will direct you and open doors showing you how best to serve Him. With Jesus at the helm, your life and eternity are secure in His care. No situation or power of the enemy will be able to separate you from the love of Christ!

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?… No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

—Romans 8:35, 37-39

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Post-Election Reflections by Jim Garlow

Here are some November 9th musings; 23 totally random thoughts on the November 8, 2022 election, in no particular order, and most assuredly not exhaustive, but which came most quickly to mind:

1. I told many people privately and stated it once publicly on the World Prayer Network zoom call some weeks ago that I felt that for eight months the Republicans were wrong in acting like they had already won the midterms. It seemed as if they were inebriated on the euphoria of the presumed great “red wave.” That is dangerous. Ronald Reagan said to always work as if you were way behind. He was right then. He is right now.
2. The red wave was a red ripple. I remember November 1994 as if it were yesterday. That is what a red wave (or red tsunami?) looks and feels like. 2022 was not a “wave” at all. It was significant, but it was highly overstated by pollsters.
3. Pollsters (and consultants) are often wrong.
4. However, the move forward for the GOP was significant. Ousting Nancy Pelosi as Speaker is significant (assuming that happens). Very significant.
5. Is getting Kevin McCarthy in as Speaker of the House significant? I hope so. My choice would be, hands down, the brilliant and articulate Ohio Representative Jim Jordan. However, he has “offended” too many in “the GOP establishment,” thus he will not become Speaker. That is unfortunate. He can work and think circles around McCarthy. However, Jordan will be poised for a key committee chairmanship. That is good.
6. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnel is going to need to drop his war with Donald Trump. That is unlikely.
7. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ stock just skyrocketed.
8. Due to that, many will want to throw former President Donald Trump under the proverbial bus. They are wrong. They underestimate his following. Tens of millions of “the deplorables” passionately follow him. GOP leadership better not discount that. The masses don’t like elites who ignore them.
9. Donald Trump – though possibly or likely robbed of the election (no, it’s not “the Big Lie”) – needs to stop focusing on it. That is not helping him. He has much to offer the party and the nation, so long as revenge is not his goal for running. What he has accomplished is astounding. He has sacrificed enormously for the nation. His policies while president are stunning. But he must cultivate the “servant” motif. He loves his country. He can do it.
10. The electorate, when polled, says “the nation is going in the wrong direction.” But strangely, they fail to vote accordingly. They say crime is out of control, but reelect many who have caused the problem. They say the border is a problem and yet reelect many who created the problem. They say they want parental empowerment, yet vote for those who have robbed them of the God-given role for parents. They claim they want election integrity (remember – many Democrats think Hillary won in 2016 and many Republicans think Trump won in 2020) but tolerate the same methods which – and party officials who – are part of the problem. The electorate needs to “connect the dots” for who can solve these problems.
11. Florida was the laughing stock of the nation with their hanging chads and dimpled ballots in 2000. But they cleaned up their act. They overhauled the election laws, getting things in order. They delivered the election results accurately and fast. So did Texas. Arizona (especially Maricopa County) and Pennsylvania – and several other states – are quite the opposite. It is inexcusable to have to “wait till Friday” for a Tuesday election. That is not acceptable. Rule of thumb: Where the Democrats are in charge of the process, election problems occur. As a general rule, where Republicans are in charge of the process, it gets done properly. Photo IDs, one day of voting (with a few legitimate exceptions for absentee ballots) and paper ballots are what is needed to enhance honesty in elections and to reduce fraud. Democrats seem to not want to reduce fraud. They are happy with 29 persons being registered to an empty lot, or a 150 year old person miraculously casting a vote. (Those are actual accounts.) Their moral and ethical foundation appears to be, to a large extent, gone.
12. A respectable number of Blacks are shifting from D to R. Hispanics are shifting from D to R in significant numbers. Miami-Dade is stunning. That may be the biggest story of 2022.
13. Whereas the national overview is not as good as many hoped, the local elections – once those reports are fully in – are going to be overpoweringly encouraging. There will be hundreds – maybe thousands? – of school boards who changed hands. The “mamma bear movement” and the rise of the grassroots (whom Hillary labeled as “the deplorables”) – for conservative and Biblical values – are still just beginning.
14. The GOP dramatically increased the number of women and minority candidates. The Democrats don’t know what to do with that. Their claim to being the party of “diversity” is gone.
15. The nation’s electorate does not yet realize that abortion is murder, the slaughter of innocents. And they do not grasp that God sees it all, and justice will someday come for that murder. The only remaining Democrat Member of the House of Representatives who respects life in the womb is Congressman Henry Cuellar of Texas. Some GOP Members of Congress likewise seem to care little about the murder of innocent babies in the womb.
16. Every person who supports abortion needs to have the honesty to actually watch an abortion online. Once they view the mutilation and dismemberment of a baby, with no anesthesia, they – assuming they have a conscience – would immediately repent of their sin.
17. Speaking of sin, it is impossible, once a person knows the truth of what abortion is, to call themselves an authentic Jesus-follower and still support the murder of preborn babies, and to support candidates who support the murder.
18. As I have noted before in my writings, 47 Republican Members of the House of Representatives – that’s 22% – (including my Congressman) violated the Republican Platform and voted, a few months ago, to accept that for which God destroyed Sodom. Once again, God sees all. He does not wink at sin.
19. Speaking of sin, it is impossible, once a person knows the truth about homosexuality and so-called “trans”-genderism (there is no such thing; one cannot “trans” from XX to XY or vice versa), to call themselves an authentic Jesus-follower and still support that for which God destroyed Sodom and to violate God’s Genesis 2 declaration that He made us male and female.
20. It is best to avoid cliches like “God is not through with America” or “Our best days are yet ahead.” It makes one sound trite and uninformed of the seriousness of this moment. When preachers or others say that, it generally means they are not sure what to say, but need an applause line. Be careful. Don’t use those phrases.
21. Even though it is true that God is in control, avoid dismissively saying “God is in control” as a line to use instead of careful analysis. Using that phrase is often a substitute for admitting the failure of the church to act like the church. The last thing we need now are worn out crowd pleasers. What is needed is prayer, fasting, declaring His Word, obedience to His Word, Holy Spirit-given strategy and Christians who know that prayer and fasting is always followed by action – real action – including governmental-political activism. Rather than chanting phrases, get informed and engaged. 
22. I don’t know if America is under judgement or not. She might be. In fact, she likely is. But America is most certainly under discipline. The massive crime, economic and national security problems are directly related to the disappearance of a moral and ethical standard, that is, Judeo-Christian (Biblical) values. One person wrote, “My take on the election is this: the bad news is that it’s going to have to get worse before it gets better. The ‘good’ news is that it’s going to get worse.” Those are sobering words. But be careful not to dismiss them too quickly.
23. Your hope remains in God. He will be here long after the Republican Party and Democrat Party are gone. He will be there long after America is gone. Put your hope in Him.

(Jim Garlow and his wife, Rosemary, lead Well Versed ministry and also head up the World Prayer Network. You can learn more about their organization at https://www.wellversedworld.org/.)