The Key to Understanding Why the Left is Melting Down

Abigail and Dolley readers I was thoroughly confused over the uproar over the President's initial statements about the violence in Charlottesville last weekend. I thought the statements were dignified, appropriate, and diplomatic and just could not understand the hysteria around them. Until I realized that there is a fundamental difference in how both sides view the moral role of the Presidency and Government, everything fell into place, this revelation is the key to understanding what has happened in our current polarized political landscape.

Liberals (who are reasonable rational people that I can discuss things with and enjoy talking with) and their extreme counterparts Progressive Leftist (who are now rapidly evolving into violence) fundamentally believe that the government is a force for good. Thus, the head of the government, the President is the moral head of the nation. The President must be above reproach and as long as he/she is a liberal can do no wrong in their eyes because their motives come from a place of purity, the ends justify the means. Thus, examples of lawlessness by Obama or the Clintons are excused by them (and their media). Like Greek gods, their failings are seen as part of their charms but make them no less worthy of reverence.

Saint Obama depicted with Halo

Conservatives fundamentally believe government is a necessary evil. It should be small and contained. They distrust politicians and power and do not look to political figures to be a moral compass of the Nation. In general, they look to God to serve that role in their lives and the lives of the Nation.  They elect politicians they believe will be effective in making government more effective in the limited role they want it to play.  As long as a candidate seems capable of fixing issues that are important to them, conservatives will overlook personal faults.  Based on these criteria, conservatives will vote for a person they would not personally want to be friends with if they feel they are the best person for the job.

Consider the "thrill up my leg" worship the leftist media had for Obama and why they were completely unconcerned with Hillary Clinton's misdeeds.  Think about the visceral hatred the left had for George W Bush who governed along the same lines as Bill Clinton.  Obama's hectoring lecturing style always made me want to vomit and the Holy Spirit inside of me recoiled at him, yet millions of people nearly worshipped him.  In their eyes, he could do no wrong.  Those same eyes view everything Trump does as evil.

Trump Election Night

So in a moment of crisis, after the Charlottesville violence, the Left wants Obama, their moral leader, who will condemn the things they hate.  What they got was a law and order and equal protection under the law statement from a President who never campaigned or wanted to be the Nation's moral leader, and they completely fall apart. While the Right is scratching their heads and wondering what the heck is going on with the lunatic on TV tearing down statues and crying and wailing about Trump being a Nazi. It all makes sense if you consider how they view the Presidency.

It truly now all makes sense to me! The whole, "Not my President" thing. The hero worship of Obama. The violence, the wailing, and the angst all come from a place of disillusionment and fear so the false narratives have begun! First, it was the Fake News sites created a racist environment that made all the Trump voters come to the polls because we were anti-women and the "fake news" had told lies about virtuous Hillary Clinton. Then, it was the Russians who installed their puppet and stole the election. Now, were are back to Trump being a racist. It is fascinating.  They are living in a mass delusion.

Men are made to worship and adore God, when they reject the true and living God, they will find a false substitute.

There is only one true moral person, only one who lived a perfect life, only one to which to put your faith. He loves you, He died for you, He waits for you to put your faith in Him. Jesus Christ is the moral leader of the world. Don't look to anyone else, ground yourself in this truth and everything else falls into place.

The Real Reason for the Kaepernick Outrage

Why are people so angry over an NFL player that refused to stand for the National Anthem?    Hundreds of thousands of words have been written on the subject and I won't rehash any of them but I'd ask you to consider the reason people are outraged and why it matters.

Sports fan is a shortened form of the original term, sports fanatic.  Fanatic is defined as a person filled with excessive and single-minded zeal (great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective), especially for an extreme religious or political cause.  A religion can be defined as pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance.

We all know these folks, the ones that come to work on Monday depressed because their team lost.  Sports fans across the world spend their time, talent, and money supporting "their team".  They raise their hands and sing praises and cheers in loud voices.  There is nothing wrong with healthy spectator sports, time with friends, and having a good time at an event.  In a balanced life and mind, the wholesome good time of competition and sport is a gift from God but there is another side.

Sports Devotion

As society has moved away from the acknowledgement of the Most High, other things have moved into His place.  Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is so will your heart be.  How many follow every play, watch every interview, devote entire weekends to tailgate and game day, how many stand and cheer and pour their entire attention into a game?  Have sports become too important in their lives?  Do they neglect their family and other important activities during "the season"?

The Sports Fan Couch Potato

Before my husband was saved, I called myself a "Football Widow".  I had no idea how many games were played Saturday through Monday.  If we were not watching a game, we were watching sports TV, and I would be alone every home game.  He'd leave in the morning and return late in the evening chilled to the bone and reeking of stale beer.  He was looking for something to fill the hole, looking for something to be devoted to, and in the end, sports were better than drugs, spending, or women.

Sports Worship

Sports has become an idol, in the sense that fans are "devoted" and "zealous".  We are warned against this in Scripture:

1 John 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

1 Corinthians 10:14 ESV Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

Judges 10:14 ESV Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.

Extreme Weather Fans

So if sports are a god, then people expect them to behave like a god.  They should be honorable and fair and their players should be righteous and good.  As such, when a god does not behave people react with extreme indignation.

FIFA Bribery Corruption

The lesser gods of players are not forgiven for their sins, Kaepernick is just the latest.  Micheal Vick, Tom Brady, Ray Lewis, Lance Armstrong, Joe Paterno, OJ Simpson all have exhibited personal behavior unbecoming to a god and the public has been brutal in its condemnation.

Disgraced Swimmer

This is the real reason behind the Kaepernick uproar; not a spoiled, rich athlete who should know better, simply an object of worship who is not worthy of the devotion.  In the end, only one is worthy, the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ.

30 Days of Birth Pangs - Day 28 American Idol

Exodus 20:3-5 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

Today is 9/11, my fellow Americans will commemorate this day with melancholy and sadness,  In some ways it was yesterday, in others it was two lifetimes ago.  Readers of The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn will perhaps look at this solemn date with a bit more clarity than others.  All of us knew in our hearts that the world changed that day but it is now abundantly clear in what regard.  It was a shaking, a judgement, a warning.

Instead of turning to God and repenting, we doubled down on Patriotism.  We elevated the idea of America to an Idol.  We crossed our hearts to the flag and worshiped America to the National Anthem.  (Disclaimer:  I do not wish to dismiss any of those who perished or lost loved ones on 9/11 or in the years since serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.  I have fiercely loved this country and am blessed beyond measure to have been born and raised here.)

I am as guilty as anyone, maybe more so.  I ate up everything that David Barton of Wall Builders and Glenn Beck sold, I watched and supported the 9/12 Rallies, I marched and protest at Tea Party events across this region.  My long term friends and readers will remember when Abigail and Dolley was a political blog, I was all in.... sold out for the cause.  Then we elected Obama again and I was heart broken.

In the last three years, I have been like a wife who begins to see the dark side of Prince Charming.  Behind the facade, behind the eyes, something is sinister.  There is a slimy black ooze right under the wrinkled and cracked skin.  Something is definitely rotten; to the core.

The Lord has revealed to His Church that we have put other gods before Him, we have made idols, and we have worshiped them all in the name of patriotism and love of country.  JD Farag's July 5th update captured my feelings on this so well.  He speaks of weeping all day, of feeling God removing his church from their love of this Nation and the sadness he felt.

Revelation 18 tells of her utter destruction, like Lot's wife, I still weep for her.

Rapture Index Scores:

Lovers of Self - Day 1: 10 out of 10
Perplexities of Nations - Day 2:  8 out of 10
Mass Animal Deaths - Day 3:  7 out of 10
Revilers - Day 4:  8 out of 10
Signs in the Heavens - Day 5:  9 out of 10
Commotions - Day 6:  7 out of 10
Scoffers - Day 7:  10 of 10
Vexed Souls - Day 8:  10 of 10
Greed -Day 9:  8 of 10
Famine - Day 10:  8 of 10
Itching Ears- Day 11:  10 of 10
Rushing to and fro - Day 12: 10 of 10
Blind Eyes and Hard Hearts - Day 13:  9 of 10
Brutal Men - Day 14:  8 of 10
Wars and Rumors of Wars - Day 15:  9 of 10
Boasters - Day 16:  9 of 10
Messianic Jews - Day 17:  7 of 10
Demonic Activity - Day 18:  8 of 10
Lawlessness - Day 19: 9 of 10
Hedging Your Bets - Day 20:  9 of 10
You Make Me Want to Vomit  - Day 21:  10 of 10
Earthquakes- Day 22:  10 of 10
Nobody Loves Philadelphia - Day 23:  10 of 10
Antisemitism - Day 24:  9 of 10
False Teachers - Day 25: 10 of 10
Asleep Church - Day 26:  10 of 10
Downward Spiral- Day 27: 10 of 10
American Idol - Day 28: 10 of 10

Rapture Index Total to date:  252 out of 280 or 90%

The Hectic Life of a Sports Family

Abigail and Dolley readers, today let's talk about something touchy, sports.   (Take a little ride with me, this is a not an attack on anyone but more of a dramatized tale.  Just pretend that I am the "Ghost of Christmas Present".  Even if your experience is not this extreme, perhaps you can find some truth in the below.)  Sports... the great American pastime, it evokes images of camaraderie, cheering spectators, and life's lessons learned on the ball field.  Just good plain fun, but is that the honest truth in today's world?  An idealized view of modern sports drive behavior and decision making in American families.  We maniacally throwing our children into one activity after the next, all in pursuit of a sports fantasy.  For countless families, the reality is far from fantastic.

In the not so distant past, kids played a variety of different sports.  Sports had seasons and kids moved from one season to another, not settling on a single sport until their late high school years, if ever.  This variety taught them different skill sets, types of movement, tempos, and paces.  Multiple sports insured kids had different friends, coaches, and experiences. Sports were a balanced part of a well rounded childhood, where the family did not revolve around the child or his activities. Today, it is widely believed and practiced that parents should select their "kid's sport" by age eight.  Once chosen, then the wholehearted investment, commitment/pressure, and expenses begin.  These kids embark on a journey of conditioning seasons during the heat of the Summer, special camps, travel teams, year round sports, clinics, personal trainers, and position coaches - for ten year olds.

Let's consider the time.  Public school demands more time from your child's life than ever before - 38 hours a week from bus ride to bus ride + homework.  Then we drag these kids to hours of sports practices and games.  Frazzled moms yell at tired kids to do their homework on the one hour commute to the "away" game and not get fast food mustard on the seat.  Are you tired yet?  Wait, there's more.  Now multiply this scenario by the number of kids, who play different sports, have different practice times, and different locations.  Mom takes one kid and Dad takes the other.  Other relatives are recruited and this insanity bleeds over into households that don't even have children.   Add in Scouts, Dance, Music, and Art because they need to be well rounded.  The truth is we try to give our kids everything that we wanted and didn't get.  Recently, I overheard a lady comment to a boy, "Where've you been, Justin?  We haven't seen you in weeks."  The young boy shook his head, sighed, and said, "I've had 11 games in the last 14 days."  This conversation took place as the 7th grade Junior Cotillion class that was dismissing at 8:30 pm.   That 12 year old boy had put in a 13 hour day and I'd bet he still had homework.

Modern Idolatry

In Second Grade, the highlight of the week was Wednesday when the retired Senior Pastor would teach Old Testament Bible class.  He was gentle story teller who wove pictures and told tales that came alive in our imaginations.  We cheered the victories of the heroes and hung our heads in shame at their failures.  His stories about the Patriarchs, Moses, the Judges, and the Kings were fascinating.

The Old Testament is full of heroes and miracles but it is also full of idol worship.  Idol worship is strange to the modern mind, it seems silly.  As a kid, I always thought that I would never fall victim to all of the sins of the Israelites.  I mean who bows down to a cow statue, right?  I thought idolatry was dead, but is it?

Idol Worship - Then and Now

Idolatry is anything you love more than you should, where you devote your passion, your time, your money, and your thoughts.  Often your devotion will become part of who you are, your defining characteristic and part of how other people describe you.  Think about it for a second, what is the first adjective that comes out of someone's mouth describing your character?  Do they say: "He's an Executive", she's a "Sports Mom" or "She's in great shape"?  How do you describe yourself?  Be honest, what's the first adjective that you use?  How are you defining yourself?.

Now take it even deeper, what do you love?  Do you love your company, your work, your team, your children, your body?  Do you love them more than God?  Do you chose that activity over attending regular worship?  Will you drag yourself out of a sick bed to go to a game but pull the covers over your head for church?  Are you spending evenings reviewing spread sheets and reports but haven't picked up your Bible in years?  Will you drive two hours for a business appointment but not set aside a lunch hour a month to go to a men's Bible Study? Will you drive your exhausted children to football practice four days a week but let them sleep in on Sunday?

Where are your priorities?  Because, my Friends, I will tell you idolatry is not dead, it just wears a new face.  It has a business suit, a yoga bra. or a sports jersey, it might even be looking back at you from that selfie.  Is it in your children, who you try to give a perfect life free of the pain and failure you experienced as a kid?

The first two commandments state, you shall have no other God's before me and you shall not worship idols.  My friends, we are a nation that puts money, business, ourselves and sports above God.  We worship at the alter of the Dow Jones and fret over every jobs report.  We ecstatically worship in arenas, stadiums, and high school football bleachers and turn our noses up in disdain if the person beside us in church lifts their hand in worship and praise.  We care for our bodies in such a way that we are afraid to eat Salmon that has swum by a Salmon farm for fear of contamination.  We have become shallow, lame, and utterly boring in our inward focus and our worldly worship.

Sports Worship

We are a world of idolaters who thumb our noses at the Most High God.  We are a world ripe for judgement.  We are a world of scoffers and idolaters.  God will not be mocked, HE will not stand idly by forever.  Our world has been under a series of judgments for decades and they have escalated since 9/11.  I truly believe a third major judgement will soon befall this world soon if we do not repent and turn back to God.
We can not as individuals control the disintegration of this present darkness but we can change our own hears, we can change our families.  I implore you to look inside, look deeply inside, judge yourself harshly, judge yourself by the standard of perfection - look upon your life, repent, and change.  Ask God to be merciful to you and to your Nation.  Ask for His healing, return to Him.  He loves you, He'll take you back.