The Crawford Stand

IT TAKES A LOT TO GET JEWS TO SHUN DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES, so says writer for the New York Post, Adam Brodsky.
It does take a lot, for traditionally, most Jews vote democratic, so say the polls. But that is changing, changing more so every day and finally for the right reasons. Far too many democrats, and democratic candidates for office are anti-Israel and consequently, more or less, antisemitic. No matter what they say, their actions speak louder than words.
So many today are pro-Palestinian, and consequently, anti-Israel, and as a result of that, anti-Jewish, antisemitic. The protestors demand that the United States not support Israel, not provide it with foreign aid, weapons, or justification, or defense of any kind. These protestors have no problem with present day Israel becoming the homeland of the Palestinians, even if Israelis are located or even extinguished. Jihadist radicals have no problem with that, and in fact, that may be their goal, for the motto is:
EVERY JEW IN ISRAEL BURRIED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MEDITERRANEAN!
Israel has a population of approximately 7,250,000 people, which is less than the population of New York City, and a good many of them are not Jewish, but Arab or otherwise. The land of Israel is 8,000 sq. miles. It is 263 miles from north to south, and 71 miles at the very widest part, and only 6.2 miles at the most narrow. Israel, all of it, is approximately the size of the state of New Jersey. By contrast, surrounding nations, mostly Arab and Muslim, are huge in size geographically and in terms of population, and include Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and not far away Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia among others. Strange it is that none of these countries want to welcome the so-called Palestinians and allow them access and living in their very own countries. The Arab hatred for Israel and the Jews is far more important than the wellbeing of the Palestinians, so it seems.
Long ago, well before the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, himself of course a Jew, the God of scripture, THE GREAT GOD JEHOVAH, gave this land, this promised land to his chosen people and if you believe the Bible account of that land gift, said to Abraham, the father of the Jews:
“I GIVE YOU THIS LAND FROM THE GREAT RIVER NILE OF EGYPT TO THE GREAT RIVER OF BABYLON, THE EUPHRATES.”
Interestingly, Israel now occupies but a small part of that God-given gift. But the divine promise continues to exist and one day, in the providence of God, that land inheritance, all of it, will be fulfilled. If you believe the Bible and the promises made in the book of Genesis, Israel, THE PROMISED LAND, belongs to the Jews, to the descendants of Abraham, all of it.
The world ignores October 7, 2023. That was the most horrible day for Jews and antisemitism since the holocaust. Hundreds of innocent Israelis, including women and children, were slaughtered by Hamas, jihadist radicals. It is only natural that for the first time in the lives of so many Jews, they feel nervous about America as a refuge. That fear is fueled by district attorneys, like Alvin Bragg in New York City, who do nothing, do not prosecute those who assault and physically attack Jews, political candidates almost all of whom are Democrats who rail against the Jews, and Israel, champion the protestors, and the insidious movement DEI (Divestiture, Equity and Inclusion) which, at its extreme, encourages antisemitism and hatred of the Jews characterizing them and all Israelis as oppressors and colonizers. It seems as though the radical jihadists, not only Muslims but so many other ignorant individuals, entities, institutions (colleges and others) to foster this hatred of Israel and the Jews. President Biden did nothing, other than a complete about face. When Israel was attacked by Hamas October 7, 2023, Biden aggressively told the world that he and our country would protect and defend Israel and the Jews. Just before his withdrawal as Democratic Presidential Candidate for 2024, Biden showed clearly that he had reversed that position completely, supplying additional arms and aid would be suspended or reduced and he will leave office with his famous quote:
“THE PROTESTORS HAVE A POINT.”
The holy day of the week for Muslims is Friday, and for the Jews Saturday, and for the Christians Sunday. Radical jihadists say the following:
FIRST THE SATURDAY PEOPLE (THE JEWS), AND THEN THE SUNDAY PEOPLE (CHRISTIANS)!
Our world, which now comprises more than 8 billion people, is comprised itself of 1.7 billion Muslims, and adherence to that religion seem to grow daily.
Israel has always had a very special relationship with the United States. There are now some 2,500 US companies which do business with Israel in one form or another and employ some 72,000 Israelis according to the US Chamber of Commerce. This small nation of 7,250,000 people has the highest concentration of engineers, scientists, and technicians per capita and produces more scientific papers per capita than any other nation in the world. The economic and commercial relationship between these two countries includes IT, biotech, life sciences, healthcare solutions, energy, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, defense industries, cyber security, and aviation just to name some. Even our own armed forces benefit greatly from Israel’s innovative
economy with many critical military components invented by this industrious little nation. Again, Sunday Christians, never forget that Jesus of Nazareth was Jewish!
Robert Knight, writer for the Washington Times, said the following:
“THE RADICAL AMERCIAN LEFT HAS MADE COMMON CAUSE WITH THE ANTISEMITIC, PRO-HAMAS MOVEMENT.”
Israel is the only functioning democratic republic in the Middle East, not without problems and difficulties to be sure, but the very best governmental structure in the entire Middle East and far better, more tolerant, and democratic than any other nation in that entire part of the world. Scripture requires that all who believe, all Christians, and all Jews, that the Great God Jehovah, will, as HE so plainly said, will bless those nations and individuals who bless Israel and the Jews, and conversely, curse those who persecute Israel and the Jews. Jerusalem is His holy sitting place. Israel, the land he gave to Abraham, and consequently, the rightful legal and religious heritage and inheritance of the Jewish people. That truism means that a whole lot of radical university professors, politicians, and protestors, and now an ever-growing number of businessmen and wealthy individuals will fall under the curse of Almighty God, a promise which should make them tremble in their boots.
We are urged to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, peace for Israel, America, and the whole world. The great I AM intended Abraham and the Jews to be a blessing to all humankind and all nations, and our Lord and His special emissary, the Apostle Paul, hoped and prayed for grace, peace, and mercy for all humankind, and these promises, these hopes are the only thing which can end war, hatred, killings, and bring a love and understanding to all humankind. May each of us, Jew, Gentile, and all humankind do everything possible to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, and our neighbors as ourselves, and hope and pray for the day when this DIVINE PEACE, the peace of Jerusalem and the world becomes a reality. The way this world is, and the ever growing anti-Judeo-Christian forces at work, we may have to wait until the second coming of our beloved Messiah, who perhaps, all alone, can be the only one to bring the promised:
PEACE OF JERUSALEM
to all of us, to all humankind.

IT’S THE ECONOMY, STUPID!
Those were the famous words of former president Bill Clinton when asked what the most important issue was in Presidential Election 1992.
Clinton was right, at least about that one thing. Nothing works, everything breaks down if the economy doesn’t work and it breaks down. And the American economy is breaking down, slowly but surely. When an economic crisis occurs, or a collapse occurs, no entity, no family, no individual can function normally, and everything breaks down and even grinds to a halt.
Our scriptures tell us to:
OWE NO MAN NOTHING!
Nothing, that is, that cannot be repaid with current monies. But inflation, the insidious rising of prices, produces a lack of affordability which is even now affecting lower income Americans who cannot purchase, in some cases, even basic necessities. Inflation is the artificial rise of prices without necessarily economic justification. Inflation produces monetary crisis and virtually the end of free nations when it finally produces economic crisis. Said one economist:
“THE NATIONAL DEBT CRISIS IS COMING!”
And perhaps the beginning of that crisis is already here.
No matter, our Federal Government continues to spend, more so every day, with impunity and without consequence. Higher prices occur from regulation, serious regulation. Because of that spending, higher taxes are necessary to raise the revenue needed to pay back debt, old and new.
But, no matter, says our Federal Government, the Biden Administration, America will never run out of money because we will simply print more. The dollar is our currency, we control it, and if we need more money to pay debt, we can and we will make that happen. The result, of course, is even more inflation, less value to the dollar, and more dollars required to buy goods and services. That is inflation and debt run rampant. If we the people were STUPID (Bill Clinton), economically stupid, then our Federal Government is far more stupid as it incurs far more debt, caring little or nothing about repayment. The American debt which WE THE PEOPLE (not the government) owe is now at or about real dollars 35 trillion. That debt is projected to rise in the next decade to 55 trillion dollars which will mean that every American citizen will owe as much as $200,000 for debt repayment. The amount of the debt principal and interest is projected to rise to almost 130%, more than the gross domestic product (GDP) in its entirety. More dollars will be printed, inflation will continue to rise in rampant, uncontrollable ways, and prices of everything, EVERYTHING will rise to absolutely brutal and unaffordable levels. That debt will, as economist Gerald Seib so well said, will indeed:
SINK THE AMERICAN EMPIRE.
Economists warn us that Medicare and Social Security costs and obligations are simply totally out of control. They are now federal debt obligations, massive in size and growing every day. In the next decade, one out of five American citizens will be at retirement age, 65 or older, heavily if not entirely dependent upon Medicare and Social Security and both programs will in real economic terms be bankrupt, without reserve (all reserves have been spent by Congress) and in need of that new paper money which Congress can authorize and print which will raise prices, lifestyle costs, and the standard of living to totally unsustainable levels.
Every individual and household will need to earn more money and depend even more so on Federal and State Governments for economic assistance. But, these economic conditions will actually result in even lower wages, not higher. Employment and the family will be in a state of total disruption and a certain chaos will reign. Unemployment in America, like in 1929 and the Great Depression, will be at an all-time high.
Credit ratings will be worse than ever. Individuals will find it virtually impossible to borrow and credit cards will become obsolete or unusable. There will be, says Seib, massive defaults in mortgages, investments, even such items as automobiles and other kinds of lesser financing now taken for granted. Buying on credit will be almost impossible.
In this coming economic crisis, so many economists say, there will be higher interest rates for everything, not only higher but absolutely unaffordable. There was a time once in the American economy, some 30 years ago, when interest rates rose to almost 20%, but even that ridiculously high interest rate will be far exceeded, say these economists, when the new and perhaps final American debt crisis arises. And again, the only solution will be some cut-back in spending, especially with social programs, including defense and education, the printing of more, cheap, and meaningless money to pay debt, or the insolvency and bankruptcy of virtually everything. These conditions, say these economists, are not scare-tactics, predicted by naysayers, but have already started, and they will become the new reality, THE NEW NORMAL!
Our Federal Government will default on virtually every obligation, every debt and payment it must make. The dollar, now the standard for much of the world’s currency and economic foundation, will be greatly devalued, if not meaningless. We will in fact
default to nations like China who control so much of the American debt, unless we can persuade other nations to refinance, accept payments in wildly inflated American currency, or simply endure the nonpayment and further endure the world chaos that will cause. That will be the end of the American nation, like it was with Rome of old, and France in the late 1700’s, and Germany in the 1930’s, a Germany which eventually produced such civil and economic chaos and unrest, the maniac Hitler, the dictator and world destroyer, was the ultimate outcome. They predict, these economists do, that there will be civil unrest, revolution like never before, chaos and total disruption of lifestyle, and the end of everything, THE END! All or some of that may occur even as soon as the next decade, so they predict.
It seems as though WE THE PEOPLE care little. We seem to do nothing. Unless any or all of these conditions directly affect us, we the People, our families and lifestyles, we seem to do little but talk, vote the best way we can, but watch as our great country sinks every day deeper and deeper in debt. Trump says no new taxes, but they may be necessary to correct the borrowing-spending habits of past governments. Biden says new taxes and especially taxes on the wealthy. Neither approach is the answer. The only answer is to stop spending, cut spending, endure hardships in many areas of our governmental support and do it now or eventually there will be no such support.
Wake up Americans, WAKE UP! No matter who you are, Christian, conservative, atheist, liberal, woke, even anti-American as it now is:
WAKE UP!
Face the realities of this here and now, and coming like a hurricane, economic crisis, which indeed will SINK THE AMERICAN EMPIRE. No matter how we live or how busy we are, we better work now, all of us, to solve these problems or it will be the absolute end of our beloved America. Founding Father Benjamin Franklin told us that we had, as far back as 1776, a new republic, a way of life like nothing else in the world or in history, a new republic:
IF WE CAN KEEP IT!
We now do one terrible economic job in keeping that republic, and the way things are, we will in fact lose it. Perhaps we have one last chance in the next several years to save it, to keep it. But, that depends on:
YOU.
Are you willing to do what is required to save America, are you willing to sacrifice, at least to some extent, will you do what is right and necessary in order to save this beloved country and the lifestyle you enjoy, are you so willing?
NOW OR NEVER!

OWE NO MAN NOTHING!
So says the scripture. Good advice, not only spiritual wisdom, but secular as well. Debt, unrepayable, with its pressure and tension, ruins everyone and everything.
That makes reference to debt which cannot be repaid in the normal course of business or living. Tens of millions would never own a home, or a car, or be able to afford the extreme cost of education today unless reasonable financing was accomplished. Scripture means don’t incur debt you can’t repay in the normal course of living and in the present.
But, my fellow Americans, we have a debt which we know little about, and which only increases daily, and which cannot be repaid in the normal course of living. That debt is the American Federal Government debt which now exceeds the unfathomable sum of, are you ready for this:
$35 TRILLION DOLLARS.
Not millions, not even billions, but now TRILLIONS of debt dollars, owed by Uncle Sam, that is by:
YOU AND ME.
That means, says one economist and accountant, that you and I, American citizens who elect and foster the decision making of this federal government owe the unbelievable sum of, are you ready for this:
$100 THOUSAND DOLLARS.
$100,000! And if we think that is a problem, that number only increases daily, hourly, for this DEMOCRAT GOVERNMENT, the Biden Administration, just loves to spend your and my money and of course without ever asking.
Biden Administration officials now spend and increase this American debt number by:
ONE TRILLION DOLLARS EVERY ONE HUNDRED DAYS.
That, my fellow Americans, my freedom-loving, freedom-from-debt-loving Americans, is an absolutely staggering financial fact and it is absolutely stunning that such a debt, this unbelievably high number is accepted, if it is even understood, by you and me. WHY?
And another absolutely stunning fact. WE THE PEOPLE must now pay one trillion dollars per year, ONE TRILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR just for interest alone on that debt. ONE TRILLION DOLLARS EVERY YEAR JUST FOR INTEREST ALONE AND THAT NUMBER GROWS EVERY DAY! That interest payment alone is more than we spend as a nation on DEFENSE. It is more than we spend on the ever-declining American infrastructure. One Trillion Dollars in interest is more than WE THE PEOPLE spend on Education and more than we spend on poverty programs. It is the worst kind of debt, really unpayable unless there are mammoth and massive new taxes put in place, and the world at large comes calling for the repayment of that debt, demanding that each American citizen pay the one hundred thousand dollars each would owe if the debt were to be repaid. How in the world did we the people ever let our country, our profligate Federal Government ever get to this point, HOW?
President Bill Clinton knew that we had to deal with this big long-term debt problem, but he and his administration did nothing about it. President Barack Hussein Obama knew such fiscal policy was “irresponsible” but did nothing about it. President Donald J. Trump said we’ve got to get rid of this long-term American debt, but he as well did nothing about it. Then comes President Joe Biden, a man given to the lie whenever expedient, and he tells the American people one of the largest lies he has ever told:
“WE LITERALLY CUT THE FEDERAL DEBT IN HALF.”
And no one, especially his supporters, liberal, woke, radical media cohorts ever challenged one of the greatest and largest lies ever told by any American President. Not only was the American budget not cut in half, but it was and is increased by one trillion dollars every one hundred days, President Biden! We Americans don’t need nuclear warfare with Russia or China or any other nation to destroy us, we have become expert at:
SELF DESTRUCTION – FINANCIAL SELF DESTRUCTION!
Small wonder we have had the inflation problems so recently experienced, in the last four Biden years, where the prices of everything have risen dramatically. We are on the verge as a country, of what is known as hyperinflation, an economy out of control, and a nation virtually bankrupt. It was that very hyperinflation which destroyed Germany, the German economy after World War I and produced perhaps the most evil man in all of human history, Adolf Hitler as dictator, promising to solve the hyperinflation problem and restore Germany to its former greatness. Many think there is some possibility that such a thing could happen in America at some time in the future, the end of course of our great nation and our even greater democracy.
No problem says Biden. We will just tax the rich, the wealthy even more. We will get what we need to manage the debt in the present (not reduce it) from the American rich. That of course, as Biden and his cronies well know, is an absolute impossibility. The Federal Government could confiscate all the wealth, all the assets held by the wealthiest Americans, whoever they are and however many of them there are, and this profligate American debt would never, ever be extinguished or repaid. We are, my fellow Americans, a nation painfully out of financial control and you and I, YOU AND I, are responsible for letting that happen.
In ten short years, or realistically even sooner, the debt held by the American public will reach the staggering sum of:
$50 TRILLION DOLLARS.
If so, that staggering number would represent 136%, 136% of the entire American economy. Our nation would be beyond hyperinflation and would be utterly destroyed financially. Why, my fellow Americans, do our elected officials, our politicians with their heads in the sand, never acknowledge or deal with these problems, why?
This ever increasing debt produces ever increasing interest payment demands, and the payment of interest alone will be one of the most destructive factors ever in the American economy. This profligate Federal Government (Biden) spending will destroy our country, utterly destroy it. Our elected officials, our politicians do not seem to really view these critical and crucial financial matters as real problems, and it matters not whether the politician is Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, or whatever. NO ELECTED WASHINGTON-FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL HAS THE COURAGE TO DEAL WITH THE GREATEST PROBLEM AMERICA HAS EVER FACED!
WE THE PEOPLE know that and we do nothing about it, NOTHING! WHY?
America, the republic, the democracy, is on a path to self-destruct. It will soon be another post-World War I Germany, where hyperinflation destroys the lives, the lifestyle, and the economy of millions upon millions of people. But it seems as though WE THE PEOPLE remain indifferent. We do nothing. We lack courage or demand. We elect and forget. We vote every four years or sooner, and get back to the good life, all the while our beloved America is economically destroyed. Like Nero of old, he fiddles on a balcony while Rome burns, while Rome is destroyed. We just simply don’t seem to care. God help our children and grandchildren, and those young yet to come, for them there will be no America, no nation even close to what we know and in which we have lived.
Instead of owing no man or anyone nothing, WE THE PEOPLE will owe everything we have and that debt will be the end of everything.

I had three uncles who were Methodist ministers. They so very faithfully served parishes in the state of New Jersey.
They were men who were strong Christians, biblical Christians, born-again Christians, and they were proud to be Methodists when the United Methodist Church was a biblical church to be proud of.
But, like other old line protestant denominations, the UNITED METHODIST CHURCH has gone its own way, departed from the biblical way and brought its own man-made interpretation to scripture and the Christian view, succumbing to the pressure of current culture rather than the scriptural love, admonition, and standards of the Christ.
The United Methodist Church General Conference voted overwhelmingly in May to disavow the once clear ban on clergy who are “self-avowed practicing homosexuals.” Such individuals can now be ordained and become full ministers in the Methodist Church. In addition, individual UMC churches can now decide whether or not to conduct and ordain gay marriages (weddings).
Prior to this new and radical vote, the UNITED METHODIST CHURCH authorized any individual Methodist church to depart from the denomination and become independent. ALMOST EIGHT THOUSAND METHODIST CHURCHES DID SO, Bible believing, real Christians and real Christianity at the core, unwilling to abide by these new woke, current-culture changes.
That led one critic to state:
“The General Conference has as expected rolled back not just decades of United Methodist policies, but centuries of Christian teaching.”
This critic, Mark Tooley, said further:
“Liberal theology and politics displaced orthodox doctrine, evangelism, and exacting spiritual standards.”
Founder of the real Methodists, John Wesley, would turn over in his grave!
One of the nation’s largest protestant religious denominations has gone woke, has gone rogue, and once with more than 5 million members, is now a shell of its former self. When this matter came up for vote, you could say that some 8 thousand congregations, hundreds of thousands of real Christians, voted with their “feet and wallets.” To practice real Methodism, real Christianity, and real biblical teachings. Liberal, woke, protestant denominations continue to do what they have always done, adding a pious blessing and an air of divine sanction to the cultural politics of the day no matter how far left those politics moved. They followed the sexual revolution of the times, they supported abortion, and homosexuality, and transgenderism, all in the name of current and compromised “divine love.”
Now, the United Methodist Church no longer believes that marriage is an inclusive and sacred union between one adult man and one adult woman. Man can marry man, and woman can marry woman. That man-made decision is of course absolutely contrary to biblical teaching and the tradition of the UMC for more than 3 centuries.
Interestingly, in 1970, only some 50 years ago, THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH claimed the following:
“We do not condone the practice of homosexuality and consider it incompatible with Christian teaching.”
And in 1984, the following:
“Therefore, self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in the United Methodist Church.”
Forty years ago, the UMC believed, followed, proclaimed, and operated by biblical teachings and standards. Somehow, false teachers, as the Apostle Paul would say, took over, gained control, and corrupted THE WORD OF GOD, reinterpreted that and destroyed, overnight, Christian practice and belief. My three born-again uncles, once proud Methodist ministers, would turn over in their graves.
The Apostle Paul was incensed at such arrogant, prideful, manmade false teaching, and he warned all to stay away from them, have nothing to do with them, and in fact, said of them:
“Let them be accursed!”
What a sad day. Under the great Constitution of America, and the immutable First Amendment, there is absolute freedom of religion, where any American citizen can believe what he or she wishes, and worship as they will. They can adopt any belief, see and understand God as they desire, and worship as they please or not at all. Our constitution allows no man, no government to in any way forbid any human being from worshipping as they please, establishing any religion they wish, no matter whether true or factually based. That freedom is absolute, unconditional, and cannot be abridged by any government authority. THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH can posture any set of beliefs they wish and no one, not even their very own congregations can prevent that from happening.
HOWEVER, it is absolutely untrue, the highest form of falsehood, for the UMC to declare it still remains fully Chrisitan. The UMC cannot declare itself a Christian denomination, following Christian practices, for their conduct clearly indicates they are anything but. They are now some sort of a church man-made, operating as men think, not as the Bible instructs, and surely without the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit. The false teaching which the Apostle Paul feared so very much has not only crept into this church, but become dominant in its thinking, belief, and practice. A small wonder 8,000 congregations left, openly refusing to follow this man-made gospel.
I have from time to time visited the state of New Jersey, travelled through its small towns and large cities. I have seen again as I did years ago, the great churches and strong edifices built by the Methodists to honor our Lord Jesus Christ. Some are absolutely magnificent, wonderful tributes to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. I spent time as a young boy with my uncles and aunts in their parishes and worshipping with them in their real and biblical Methodist churches. I remember those real, biblical, Christ-loving experiences in New Jersey towns like Woodstown, Pleasantville, Salem, Haddonfield, Ocean City, and more. My Methodist uncles and the strong church ministries they established and fostered taught me so much about the Lord Jesus Christ. Their experiences with Him and consequently mine were real, wonderful, and loving. I learned so much about my Lord through their preaching and the strong, loving bible teaching of my aunts. Methodism, real and biblical, real Christian Methodism, was an indispensable part of my life and still is. You can well imagine how sad it is for me to see the compromise, the corruption, and departure of this once great church from real, true, biblical, Christ-filled Christianity.
But I thank you, thank you with all my heart, Revs. Bill Duvall, Bruce Duvall, Tom Eden, and my beloved aunts, Mildred, Jo, and Esther for the real Methodist teachings of our beloved Bible and the love of Christ. You made Him real to me and I am forever indebted.
Both magnificent New Jersey churches, once filled with the love of Jesus Christ, now seem empty, hollow, devoid of real spirituality. But I, and so many others I am sure, will always remember what they once were, the message in word and song, which echoed through those magnificent cathedrals, and the real Christian men and women who once made Methodism a dynamic and passionate Christian witness.
THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH is now the DIVIDED METHODIST CHURCH, splintered, broken, compromised, a spiritual shell of its former self. Perhaps the message should be to those who remain:
“COME YE APART AND BE YE SEPARATE!”

FREEDOM!
We are, America is, the home, the land of the:
BRAVE AND THE FREE.
We are lovers of freedom. It is, you could say, in our genes. We inherited that love of freedom from those who founded our great country, fought against the oppressors more than two centuries ago and built the foundation for the FREEDOMS we now enjoy today. Give us, we say with that great statesman and our forefather Patrick Henry, give us that LIBERTY or if that is taken away, give us death for there is no real life without freedom.
For us, America is in fact exceptional no matter the indifferent attitude of Barack Hussein Obama who thinks that America is no more exceptional than any other country! But all of America and we the people are exceptional in so many ways, including our way of life and our lifestyle. Everything is okay down to the last sentence and raise and champion our great flag, and wear the American flag pin proudly, especially in the world of academia which thinks the American flag is a symbol for racism and xenophobia rather than exceptionalism.
And now, we should take quality time to honor the founding documents which make us great, namely our Constitution, our Bill of Rights and our Declaration of Independence. We should honor these incredible documents by reading them, studying their content, understanding the values therein and resolving as the authors of these documents did, and honor our forefathers who provided them for us recommitting to them and the world at large that we the people will protect and preserve the freedoms contained therein, even to the laying down of our lives.
In this day, there are so many who would CHANGE what we have, or even more radically so, eliminate it. There seems to be an ever-growing number of those in our very own country with little or no respect for our great founding documents, our freedoms, the principles by which we have lived and built THE GREAT SOCIETY, and especially what America has been, our glorious history. They the un-Americans wish to eliminate or erode so many of our freedoms and move this great country toward socialism. THEY are the enemy inside and they must be stopped. We the people, true Constitutional Americans energized and emboldened by our founding documents and founding fathers must make certain we do what is right for our great country, and as true patriots, protect and defend our freedoms as never before. We should do everything humanly possible to prevent socialism of any kind in thought or deed.
We should remember the words of that great statesman, a founding father himself, Benjamin Franklin, who said, when asked, that he and his fellow revolutionaries have given us, Americans then and now, a Republic. Not a Democracy, but a Republic. Franklin went on to warn us then and now that this Republic was FRAGILE, and needed at all times to be protected with vigilance, vigor and valor. That this Republic of the combined United States could never be taken for granted. Nor could any citizen assume it would go on, and on. For freedom, for Franklin and the fathers, was a precious right that could only be sustained by watchful, involved and proactive citizens. We who would live in this free country and enjoy its immense freedoms must at all times be:
WATCHMEN AND WOMEN ON THE WALLS
Not talk, debate or discussion, but action, actively working to protect our freedoms and our way of life, willing to die in the fray if necessary. Would you be willing to die, to lay all on the altar in the cause of freedom? What would you do if ISIS or jihadists attacked America and threatened harm to your family and you? What would you do? Our forefathers never gave the matter a second thought. They, in Second Amendment fashion, took up arms to defend their country, their freedoms and their family. Would you?
In fact, we AMERICANS should be so proud of our country, and our freedoms, that we as a nation are ready at all times to help others in the cause of freedom. We gave the lives of millions of young American men and women to others in the cause of freedom. Witness World War II. One Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman 83 years young arrived in Paris by airplane. At French customs, it took him several minutes to locate his passport. The Customs Officer with sarcasm and disdain asked Mr. Whiting:
“You have been to France before, Monsieur?”
Mr. Whiting answered, yes he had and the smart aleck French official replied pompously:
“Then you should know enough to have your passport ready!”
Mr. Whiting then stared this official in the eye and said the following:
“The last time I was here I didn’t have to show my passport.”
To which the French Customs Official replied:
“Impossible! Americans always have to show passports on arrival in France!”
Mr. Whiting gave this arrogant Frenchman a long hard look and he proudly stated:
“Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country, I couldn’t find a single Frenchman to show a passport to!”
You could have heard a pin drop. God bless America and God bless Mr. Whiting.
And yet another instance of a proud American at work. When in England at a fairly large conference, Secretary of State Colin Powell was asked by the Arch Bishop of Canterbury if America’s plans for Iraq were simply a rationalization for empire building or land-grabbing by George Bush as American soldiers went to war. Powell simply answered by saying:
“Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those who did not return.”
All attending that conference were deadly silent. Well said, Mr. Powell, well said as a proud American.
There was once a conference in France when a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. One of the French engineers said the following:
“Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intend to do, bomb them?”
Those in attendance snickered and jeered. That is, until an engineer from the Boeing company in America stood up and proudly stated:
“Our aircraft carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people. They are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities. They have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day. They can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day. They carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and the injured to and from their flight deck. We have eleven such aircraft carriers. How many does France have?”
You could have heard a pin drop.
And again, a U.S. Naval Admiral was attending a naval conference that included admirals from the united states, England, Canada, Australia and France. Every one in attendance was conversing in English. Suddenly a French Admiral complained the Europeans learn many languages but Americans learn only English. This French Admiral arrogantly and pompously said:
“Why is that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?”
The American United States Naval Admiral stood up proudly and replied:
“Maybe it is because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so that you would not have to speak German!”
The room was deadly silent.
So, whether here at home or anywhere abroad, anywhere in the world, it is our privilege, our duty, our passion to protect FREEDOM at every turn. That freedom means for us and all in the world the fundamental rights, the God-given rights to:
LIFE
LIBERTY
THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
It is our right to live life free, with maximum freedom. It is our right to live and champion liberty everywhere. And, it is our right to pursue happiness as we define that, as free individuals, to pursue life legally and lovingly as we choose. May it always be so, but it only can be if we are willing to do anything possible to protect those freedoms. ANYTHING! Are you?
So now, this Independence week, culminating in the great day July 4, Independence Day, we should honor America, this great country in which we are privileged to live. We should honor all things American and we should honor our flag as a symbol of who we are and what we believe. There are those who would desecrate or cause to be irrelevant the great stars and stripes. There was the action of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) which banned the wearing of the American flag as a lapel pin or otherwise in clothing because the flag in their view was controversial and represented the causes of certain conservatives. How tragic, how ridiculous, how un-American the actions of the American Broadcasting Company. There are times when our President, our Congress, our leading citizens simply do not wear or honor the flag or any other symbol of all great things American. We the people should find all such conduct unacceptable and we should protest. The greatest form of protest is to protect, preserve and defend our freedoms and the symbol of those freedoms, the great American flag, the perfect symbol of our independence and the finest possible expression of freedom on the great day July 4, Independence Day. Do just that loudly and proudly my fellow citizens.
Think carefully, my fellow Americans, about the precious freedoms granted by your Constitution and your Bill of Rights. Remember that you are guaranteed the right to freedom of religion, to worship and practice religion as you please. You are guaranteed the right to free speech, to speak as you wish at anytime, anywhere, with any words. You are guaranteed the right to freely assemble, to petition, to print in press or on the Internet. YOU ARE GUARANTEED THOSE RIGHTS! You are guaranteed the right to bear arms, to purchase, own and use them for pleasure or in self-defense. You are guaranteed the right against governmental illegal search and seizure. You are guaranteed the right a trial by a jury of your peers rather than to be summarily convicted by any governmental agency. You are guaranteed the right to counsel if you can not afford one when charged with a crime. You are guaranteed the right to vote.

You are guaranteed to pursue life, liberty and happiness as you wish! You are guaranteed by your Constitution and Bill of Rights the highest and best form of living and lifestyle the world has ever known! You should give thanks for America, for all that it was, is and can be in the future if YOU as Benjamin Franklin so well said standup and do everything possible to KEEP IT that is the great experiment in freedom which our founding fathers intended. Please join with me this Independence Week, this Freedom Week and especially on the set-aside day for freedom celebration, namely July 4 in pledging once again our allegiance to this great country. Please join me in these great words which honor America:
I pledge allegiance
to the Flag
of the United States of America
and to the Republic for which it stands
one nation
indivisible
with liberty and justice
for all!
I ask humbly and lovingly that GOD BLESS AMERICA.
And I ask humbly as well that GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!
There is only one America. Keep it that way!

It is becoming difficult to know what a man is, that is the definition of a real man in this woke society of ours.
The definition of a man seems to change. Once a man, by both biblical and secular-societal definitions was clear, in biblical terms created by the great G-d Jehovah, the great I AM to be like him, to be the ruler of the planet and to be head of all things. That included Eve, with the creation of the first man’s helpmeet, and the family, the children to follow. Sadly, no more.
The definition of a real man has changed and is constantly in the process of change. HOMO SAPIENS can now be gay, that is homosexual; bisexual, that is having genetic desires for both man and woman; transgender, a man wishing to become a woman (i.e. Bruce Jenner); or simply queer, whatever that means (LGBTQ); or perhaps even intersexual, alternative or anything else which eviscerates the definition of a man, A REAL MAN.
It is just a tragedy what has happened to God’s first man and all men. We the men, the creation, are no longer like HIM, the great creator.
A real man, like a real woman, is called by God and that calling is clear, and a matter of priority. That real man is called upon to be strong, not only in body, physically, but in mind, will, spirit and soul. That real man is possessed of a body which is THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, and the physical body of a real man should be honored, respected, cared for, and kept in the finest physical shape possible as the housing of the triumvirate HOLY SPIRIT.
So, the real man, while like our Lord, may enjoy the fruit of the grape, the wine which Jesus drank, should never be drunken. Drinking to excess is the ruination of the Temple of the Holy Spirit. No real man can function mentally or spiritually under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
The real man respects his body, and especially his sexuality, and will not be given to adultery, lascivious living, and fully respects marital intimacy.
The real man constantly strives to learn, educate himself, and in all things, ask for the wisdom for decision making which only God can give. If that man really asks with all his heart, God, pure wisdom, will give that wisdom to that man.
That real man is strong spiritually, learned in the Bible, studying and teaching, always growing in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. That is the only way that man can be a real father and train up his children in the way in which they should go, the way of the Lord.
That real man is politically active, rendering under Caesar oversight, involvement, constructive criticism, and a demand for morality, truth, respect and honesty in all political decisions made. The real man is a watchdog, a watchman on the wall, making certain that Caesar functions in the way that Caesar should.
The real man discharges his duties as HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD. That notion has become most unpopular today. Far too many men abandon their responsibilities, leaving that critical household responsibility to the wife, or others by default, often to the ruination of the family.
The real man loves his wife, and children, really loves her and the relationships, the marriage and the fathering really work. The real wife, and woman, really respects her husband as the Apostle Paul says, and she can only do that if he really loves her.
If the real man is privileged to have a real family, then that man, husband, father, and friend, spends time, quality time, consistent regular and respectful, with every member of that household, lovingly together, and respectfully individually. That man is involved with their training, their growth intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually, and really enjoys the opportunity, the privilege to build relationships with every member of his family-friend circle which God has allowed him to have.
The real man doesn’t lie. Truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, transparency in all things is not only necessary but a way of life. When relationships are intimate, all know and easily sense hypocrisy, the phony, and most certainly the lie of any kind. No relationship can be sustained without trust built on truth.
The real man, with the support of the real wife-woman, never fails to discipline. That discipline is not physical, but confrontational, always ready to say no when necessary. The governance of the household is the joint responsibility of the real man and the real woman, and the right rules and regulations must be followed. In that regard, that real man and woman must be examples, living examples, of the rules, the lifestyle, the values they insist upon.
In the search for strength and wisdom, every real man, and woman, must spend QUIET TIME, time in prayer, meditation, thoughtful evaluation, and in the study of scripture and in constant communion with their maker, their God. No matter the demands of anything else, that quiet time is an absolute priority, cannot be avoided, and must be practiced on a regular, surely daily basis.
Today more than ever, it is really difficult to be a real man or woman. The morality, the values, the standards, the definitions of old are constantly challenged, belittled, changed, and disrespected. But no man can ever be fulfilled, live the life with the full potential he has, leave so much behind unless, with courage, the constant will to be all that he can be, he is prepared to meet the challenges of this world, this society, and the GOD AND FATHER who created him. It is far too easy to compromise, give up, or succumb to the pleasures, lusts, and daily distractions of the flesh. We, who recently celebrated Father’s Day, should count it a privilege to be a man, a real man, a spiritual man, and to never let anyone or anything distract us from that sacred calling and even our reasons for existence. What a privilege and pleasure it is to be a real man, A REAL BIOLOGICAL MAN. To be so, that requires work every day, diligence, growth, prayer, learning, never, ever afraid to admit wrong, to apologize, to shed a tear, to show love, and respect, knowing there is nothing in life, NOTHING which begins to equal the responsibility, the privilege of being:
A REAL MAN.

Two kinds of fathers are there.
The one Heavenly, the other earthly.
The Lord of Glory, the Carpenter of Nazareth said:
“I AND THE FATHER ARE ONE.”
What a claim. Blasphemy by a human being if it were not true. But they were ONE, and the carpenter from Nazareth told us in unequivocal terms that the CREATOR OF THIS UNIVERSE AND OUR EARTH was indeed among so many other things a:
FATHER
To Him and to us. For otherwise, this Creator would be completely unknown, incapable of being known by us, but HE is. And, the Supreme Creator loves us and cares for us. To me that is a thought incomprehensible were it not for:
HIM
Our Lord Jesus Christ took something remote, obscure and unfathomable and made it known, personal, deeply meaningful and loving so that we, the creatures of His creation, could understand who we are, why we are, and what we should believe.
We are to understand and believe said Jesus, that there is for us an ETERNAL FATHER and not merely a cosmic Creator. We are known as individuals, as sons and daughters by this Father, and we are not mere specks in the universe or dust in the wind. We have meaning. We are in fact SONS AND DAUGHTERS of this Father having claimed our inheritance as such through the SON Jesus Christ. Hard to comprehend but true.
We are also told that God the Father is love. GOD IS LOVE, and that love is the essence of God and so available to us. Love is the greatest says the Scriptures, more so than faith and hope, and to know that God is love incarnate is just incredible.
And we who are fathers should love the very same way. Even as the eternal Father loves us, so should we love our children. If a Heavenly Father loves unconditionally, so an earthly father should do the same, love the child unconditionally. The highest attributes of any earthly father are the embracing, heartfelt and unconditional loving openness to the child even as the Father loves the child:
LOVE NEVER FAILS
But there is another side of love from our Heavenly Father, a TOUGH LOVE. That is, love at work which is ready to:
DISCIPLINE
Love may indeed be meek, warm, gentle and forgiving, kind and open and it should be. But love must also be tough, demanding, disciplined and concerned for all things which are:
RIGHT
For there are indeed prodigal sons and daughters who go astray. As such, they honor not the Heavenly Father nor the earthly. Discipline is required, firm and straight. The rod was used in the old days to accomplish discipline and to carryout punishment. But that has been taken away. Discipline today is more on the order of depriving the child of opportunities and pleasures or requiring the child to make up for the wrong and do what is right. Sometimes it works and sometimes not. But fathers can not SPARE THE ROD however the rod is determined for that is a fatherly duty. No child can grow without discipline for there is nothing worse for a father than a child spoiled and bent upon his own way. Demanding standards, the terms and conditions of sonship, are a father’s duty which can not be delegated or ignored. And the Scriptures make it perfectly clear:
WHOM THE FATHER LOVES HE CHASTENS
Chastening is real love at work. BY THEIR FRUITS, LOVING DISCIPLINE AT WORK, YE SHALL KNOW THE FATHER AND WHO THE FATHER TRULY IS.
The integrity of the father is critical. Dads must do what they say and dads must say what they mean. The father must live by the same standards he requires of the child. The father must be consistent in character, live a life with values and without hypocrisy. Nothing is harder for a child to accept than lectures about right and wrong from a father who lives by neither. So that, a father does not have to explain or justify the demands. The father does not have to negotiate with the child and in the course of discipline ask the child if it is OK.
For it matters not if the child agrees with the father. If a child respects a loving father, that is all that is required. So many families seem to have so little respect for each other and rapidly become dysfunctional. But a true father, a real father is head of household. He is the one in charge, so say the Scriptures, kind, loving, considerate and respectful of all including and especially the wife-mother, but head of the household nonetheless. Discharging all of those functions gives the father the right to discipline and demand. But again, the father has earned that right by the way he lives. When the son is old and ready for his own life, the ways of the father will be his and the son in turn will perpetuate, carryon those values for his family.
It is so very important for the father to incorporate the son into his life. To train up the child is to involve the child in the life, the career, the work of the father. So many sons carry on, inherit and follow the father. Father and son, or daughter, work together,
learn together and the father teaches in practical ways. What the father holds dear and in which he has invested his life becomes part of the child, a very practical and worthy training for the child. The child can learn the way of business, work, industry so that like father, the child can be:
A WORK MAN OR WOMAN WORTHY OF HIS HIRE
That kind of fatherly guidance is so very important and it is the duty of the father to invest the time and effort to train up the child in that way.
And so with hobbies, and fun. There are games, trips, sports, theater, dining and all manners of wonderful vacation which must be shared by father and child. Life is difficult and even as there are the demands of work, there must be the pleasures of play. To laugh and cry together. To enjoy the joys of this world as God has indicated is our right. Lasting moments are created in fun and play.
Father and child are intimate, or should be. Their dialogue, their caring for each other should be totally open, transparent. Nothing should be hidden. The child should have the confidence and the trust in father to openly reveal, discuss hurts, ask questions, confess doubt, challenge beliefs and otherwise make certain that the father fully understands precisely who the child is. For the child develops independently and individually, a special and unique creation by God, and not merely as the earthly father would have him be. The answers to questions should come first from the father, not from peers or school but from DAD. The son should want to talk to father first and be assured that he knows what the father thinks. They can not always agree but father and son can always be open and honest with each other. That seems so lacking today. There is little communication, virtually no dialogue. Father’s preach and lecture but seldom practice one of the most important attributes of good fathering:
LISTENING
Really listening. Patiently allowing the child to open the heart, to question, to express love and anger and to know as a child the father will listen and respect. That more than anything builds character and confidence in the child. Fathers are friends and confidants. The father in the mind of the child is the first GO-TO.
If not, the child seeks FATHER SURROGATES and substitutes. Today’s education can often occur without traditional moral values or the standards of old. No third party education is a substitute for a father’s education. Children who are fatherless in actuality or spiritually seek comfort, guidance and acceptance from their peers which can often be secular and even with immoral influences. They are ready to learn and adapt, to be accepted in so many ways different from what the father might believe or want for the child. The conduct of the child can then become permissive, even unlawful as standards or morality are worn down and compromised. That fatherless child goes a different way and the father has forsaken the most important duty of fatherhood, training up that child. If you have a child, if you are a biological father, then you must, YOU MUST be a spiritual, loving father as God would have it. Don’t send a child to church. Take him. Worship with him. Love together the Lord of Glory. Study Scripture and pray, together. Talk about spiritual things for the child is even more interested in what the father thinks and believes than perhaps a pastor.
Take time for the child’s life, school events, sports. Be there, lovingly and with respect for the child growing to adult. Nothing means more than a father BEING THERE. That child is YOU, dad. You can not ignore or deny YOU. The child wants YOU more than anything else. There came to you that little bundle of joy, your very own son, your very own daughter, YOU IN EVERY WAY! You are privileged to be a father of that child and he or she should be a clear priority, a first priority. There will never be better earthly love, nothing comes close, than the love of a father for his child. However strong the bond, and even if the father-child bond is broken, in some deep primal way, love is always there, or at least the hope of that love. There is no child, or father however old or hardened who does not feel that way. What a joy, what a privilege to be a father.
Even as an adult, well-educated, perhaps successful, father himself, a son will always seek out a father, for fellowship, for advice, for comfort and caring, and for love. That never changes. Even in death, he the father being dead yet speaketh. All he was and all they were together lives on, it is eternal even as the love of God is eternal. The words, the deeds, the loving deeds will never be forgotten. The understanding, the trust and the respect between father and child will never die.
Perhaps a father’s proudest moment is when the child, adult and ready, leaves the father and becomes his own man. That is a biblical requirement, and at that time, the father should be proud, very proud of the INVESTMENT he has made in the child. For a father can think back, reminisce and remember all of those things which forged the bond, the training, the education and growth of the child, an investment far more valuable than anything financial. That, says dad, is my son. That, says dad, is my daughter of whom I am so very proud. He or she was worth everything I gave. The loving bond between father and child will sustain, motivate and guide the child for a lifetime. It is the earthly component of the Heavenly Father. What a privilege it is to be a father.
So, I and my company the Crawford Broadcasting Company salute fathers, real fathers who love, educate, grow and train up their children in the way in which they should go. You are special, dads like that, very special. The world needs real fathers now more than ever. And, what is so wonderful is that it is never too late to be father no matter what has gone before. Fathering may ebb and flow but the opportunity is always there, always. Never quit, never give up on fathering.
So, enjoy your day DAD. Father’s Day can show love and respect for dad one day. But real fathers are honored by their children every day. For the most priceless thing any child can have is:
A LOVING FATHER!