🕑 5 minutes

I know many of you may be burning inside. Flags of God flying high in your hearts, prayers rising like incense for the unborn, or the lack of organized prayer in schools, or against the pledge of consenting adults to live a life of love and faithfulness together..

I see you.

It’s easy to lock on what’s happening on the surface. Or to cling to verses some live and breathe.

But the greater challenge is maybe to see the unseen with our hearts.

Flags with crosses, Jesus 2020, and Icthyus flew at the Capitol Riots. Flag poles were used like spears to thrust through windows and beat fellow man. My God.

I ask you, Christian, don’t forget King Saul.

King Who?

Beloved, anointed first King of Israel. Yes, God never wanted ANYONE to rule over them. Yes, God warned that having a King would involve wars, taxes, taking of sons and daughters to fight or serve, enslavement..

But the Israelites then, like so many today, wanted to be like everyone else. Everyone else had a King.

So God gave in.

So King Saul (note: there was another Saul from the same tribe, you maybe know him as Paul), was handsome, stately and fitting the bill by any read.

He tried his best to rule well, but kingship thrust on anyone pushes morality and integrity to the core.

After what seems a simple misstep, God rejects King Saul’s kingship.

And it only goes downhill from there.

Jealous.

Remember David and Goliath? King Saul commissioned that battle and in the victorious aftermath, the people celebrated in the streets, singing:

‘Saul has slain his thousands,
David his tens of thousands’”

“Saul was furious and resented this song. “They have ascribed tens of thousands to David,” he said, “but only thousands to me..”
(1 Samuel 18)

Pride cuts a King’s heart.

Despite David becoming his son-in-law, King Saul’s wounded pride morphs into fear, fury and ultimately madness.

The King tries to spear David on multiple occasions, even sending a squad to slay him. Even going after priests/religious leaders aka Anyone that aided David

Saw even gets so “religious” about his own decrees he almost agrees to kill his own son (verse).

The horrific, drawn-out downfall only ends when Saul dies.

Anointed King, Rejected by God, showing eventually through his actions why he was rejected.

A Call To Lay Down Arms

Who is your king? The humble servant who chose a crucifixion over global dominion? (verse). Or anyone proclaiming to be a Christian, touting so-called “biblical values” and in a position of great power?

Head’s Up: The Greatest Biblical Value is to Love Your Neighbor.

To those tweeting Bible verses and shouting in Congress, obstructing minimal efforts to protect fellow man by e.g. wearing masks, or refusing to walk through metal detectors–all on account of freedom… to those feeling they need to fight for God and anything less is weakness:

Please stop.

Don’t let your fire be used against you and turned on others.

I know these are times of misinformation, sparking division and hate. People will even question truth itself, just like Pontius Pilot before ordering the crucifixion. (verse).

Now more than ever we need a Love Litmus to test messages and motives behind them.

The following is the best test I know and you can use it to judge/guage any information, policies, statements, even your personal relationships (does s/he really love me?).

LOVE LITMUS:

Love suffers long (is patient) and is kind;
Love does not envy;
Love does not parade itself,
is not puffed up;
does not behave rudely,
does not seek its own,
is not provoked,
thinks no evil;
does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth..
(from 1 Corinthians 13)

The Royal Law is to love your neighbor as yourself–regardless of language, color, culture, status.., so please check-in. Especially with all the prophecies of false prophets in sheep’s (aka Christian?) clothing.

By their fruit you’ll recognize them (verse here-yikes, the last line!).

Let your Zeal be only for Loving All, and for striving to stand in the shoes of another. <3

“He was practically foaming at the mouth.. these people were true believers in the worst way.” – Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges

Is the Ladder Leaning on the Right Wall?

Saul was God’s anointed King, but God saw below the surface. To those enthralled by Trump, who feel hurt or forgotten by “The System,” you never were and never will be. (“one nation under God”/ e pluribus unum).

But beware ANY who seek to lead you to a promise land.

Do the Love Litmus, inspect the fruits cross check against this), and know in these times we can’t afford to get this wrong.

“When I was a boy and would see scary things in the news, my mother would always say, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'” – Mr. Rogers

Stay safe, be brave and know God may still be trying to show us all a new thing. <3

Hey, I’m Jasmine, thinking about the US, thinking about the need for more love and remembering my own painful stint as a Pharisee (read: Did you make God an Idol? 5 Signs and Tips to Quit).
Hope you are safe, hopeful, and growing in love for yourself and others when you read this. <3

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For those aware of the rife CSA/E (child sexual abuse/exploitation) in the world, check:
–Porn, Kids & Other Mess: 5 Simple Ways to Help Protect Kids Today
–10 Life & Sex Lessons Mom Never Told Me: Porn is Crazy Addictive
–FTND / Fight the New Drug
………………

Contact me if you’d like to know more on this topic, or be alerted to an upcoming advocacy intervention. <3
(ps: Did you know kids’ exposure to porn is considered a form of sexual abuse? In 2014, 1 in 3 kids experienced some form of sexual abuse, and in 2016, 1 in 10 visitors to a porn site was under 10yrs. How do you think those stats are Today? People, start talking.. )

PHOTO CREDITS
-Cover image, “Christ of Saint John of the Cross” by Salvador Dali, modified by me.
-Rep. M. Greene going through metal detectors, photo by Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP
-Engraving image of King Saul attacking David – Gustave Dore, The Bible
-Ohh Noooooo – Giphy.com, helping with the laughs.
-Painting King Saul tries to Spear David by: Guercino (Giovanni Francesco Barbieri)
-For God So Loved the World Meme- @JasNotes w/backing image modified from Ryoji via Unsplash
(where I can, I always try to credit sources. If you have some I miss, pls holla <3)

Dear Christians at the feet of Trump: Don’t Forget King Saul