Proverbs 29:2 – 2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: But when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.
Presidential Race
Rush Limbaugh, His Peace with God and Himself
I have followed Rush Limbaugh’s radio career since 1987. I have no doubt that he has been the force that God used to cause Conservatism to resonate with the American electorate. Almost singlehandedly, Rush Limbaugh took on the old Republican establishment and exposed many of them for what they were, “Rhino-Republicans,” Trojan horses of liberalism, masked as conservatives.
https://www.theblaze.com/news/rush-limbaugh-plea-re-elect-trump
When his voice grows silent with death, as all of our voices will, he will be missed much, but I rejoice he has found peace, by placing his faith in Jesus Christ as his Savior.
A shepherd and a patriot,
Travis D. Smith
Copyright 2020 – Travis D. Smith
Coronavirus and A History Lesson from Another Crisis – September 15, 2008
As I see panic gripping our nation and its rippling effect around the world, I ponder the question:
When was the last time I experienced a hysteria like the one I am witnessing in the United States?
The date was September 15, 2008, less than two months before the historic election that propelled Barak Hussein Obama from the relative obscurity of a junior U.S. Senator to become the President of the United States.
When the Federal Reserve refused to bail out Lehman Brothers and guarantee its loans, that giant financial investment bank filed for bankruptcy. Lehman Brother’s default set in motion a national and international economic crisis that experts suggested nearly plunged our nation and world into another Great Depression.
Bank failures, a plunging stock market, consumer default on home loans, and an eventual bail out of two of the big three automakers created instability and economic havoc.
For the Democratic Party and its socialist policies, the stage was set to take the White House in 2008, as well as, the House of Representatives, and Senate.
Dateline: March 2020 – A national crisis with seven months to the Presidential Election.
The news of the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the public panic fed by a 24\7 news cycle has forced politicians to respond to perceptions over reality (death toll as of March 16, 2020 is 69 according to USA Today).
Federal and state governments are instituting harsh policies that politicians insist are necessary to curtail the spread of the virus. The Washington Post headline reads: “U.S. Life Shuts Down Due to Coronavirus.”
In a matter of days, we have witnessed something no one expected: the world’s strongest economy is in trouble, federal interest rates are at zero, and the great surge of support for the re-election of President Donald Trump is threatened as he and his administration grapple with the Coronavirus and the political fallout.
What do 2008 and 2020 have in common?
A crisis that has set the stage pitting two political ideologies against one another: Republican vs. Socialist.
Like the wizard hiding behind the curtain on the Wizard of Oz, I wonder who is pulling the levers of power in the current crisis. Regardless of who or what is behind the turmoil, the power to decide our fate as a nation still rests with “We the People.”
As Americans, we have an opportunity to decide if we will live in a “nanny-state” and serve the government, or if we will accept nothing less than a government that serves “We the People.”
Let us not place our faith in men. Trust God knowing He is Sovereign.
Romans 8:38-39 – “38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Copyright – Travis D. Smith
PRINCIPLES AND PROMISES, NOT PERSONALITY, DIRECTED MY VOTE FOR TRUMP

ANTI-TRUMP RIOTS IN AMERICA’S CITIES
I declared in an earlier post on my “Heart of a Shepherd” blog, that the election of Donald Trump is nothing more than a reprieve in an ongoing war for the heart and soul of our nation.
The SWAMP, the label President-elect Donald Trump aptly gave Washington, DC, is facing a change of administrations; however, the Left is not defeated nor has it retreated from their war against our democracy and the American people.
Christians must accept we cannot legislate a change of heart for this nation. America needs a spiritual awakening, an old-fashioned revival that begins in hearts, homes and churches. I fear churches and Bible believing Christians will, following Donald Trump’s successful run for the presidency, retreat to their lethargy and spiritual complacency only to face a greater assault on our Constitutional liberties, religious freedom, and moral values in four years.
Recent WikiLeaks emails exposed what we all suspected…the riots and attacks on law enforcement in our inner cities was a coordinated effort to disrupt and encourage lawlessness. Already, we are witnessing a rise of anti-Trump demonstrations. Encouraged and funded by the likes of billionaire George Soros, the Left, rather than retreat, is rallying its militant groups to disrupt the peace of our nation and foment anarchy. The demographics of the militant groups differ; however, the leadership of Black Lives Matter (BLM), LGTBQ parties, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Communist Party, and sundry other groups share one passion… weakening this nation and silencing any who oppose them.
If we are to see America turn back from Political Correctness and its courtship with leftist anti-God, anti-Christian, anti-family, anti-marriage, anti-life, and anti-democracy policies, our churches, pastors, and homes must become bold in our faith and witness. We do not have the luxury to retreat; we must take the high spiritual and moral ground of a God-fearing people and confess we have failed to be the pure salt and undiminished light Christ commanded His Church to be in this world of darkness.
* In my next posts I will suggest ways we can right our failure to be salt and light in the world.
Matthew 5:13-16 – “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Copyright – Travis D. Smith
AMERICA IS ON THE BRINK OF SELF-DESTRUCTION and, if Hillary Clinton is Elected President, Working Americans Will Not Survive The Financial Holocaust That Is Coming
The politics in America and the rhetoric that dominates the news should awaken us all to the reality that America is not at a political crossroads; we are at the cliff’s edge of political and moral debacle.
I grieve for my country and countrymen because a rabid, socialist political class that crosses Democratic and Republican party lines has distorted the minds and hearts of our citizens. I loathe media liberals who serve as the cover for a moral and political corruption that exceeds the average American’s imagination. I fear…fear that the freedoms that made America the envy of the world is being lost by a generation so narcissistic and self-absorbed they are participants and supporters of their own enslavement.
The spiritual, moral, and financial corruption in Washington, DC is so overwhelming and blatant that Americans have become cynical and desensitized to the sad reality we are on a trajectory of imminent self-destruction. These United States were founded upon Christian principles, but we have rejected God, the sanctity of human life and marriage, and the principles of right and wrong embedded in our laws from the Bible. The open-wickedness of our society is so great that the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah’s citizens is muted by our nation’s rush to its own judgment.
The ruling class has all but destroyed the American dream for the working class. If Hillary Clinton is elected president and Americans are foolish enough to give Democrats a majority in the Senate, and open seats on the Supreme Court…we will forever lose the America the majority of us love and remember. Consider the following realities we must all soon face:
1) The projected inflationary weight of ObamaCare has been suppressed throughout President Obama’s tenure; however, it is predicted some will soon bear the oppressive burden of 40% or more in premium increases in 2017. Couple that nightmare with debilitating out-of-pocket deductibles and maximums and even the healthiest risk becoming impoverished by medical costs.
2) We have enjoyed the luxury of affordable energy; however, EPA regulations and presidential executive orders have destroyed the coal industry, forcing electrical companies to shut down and mothball coal-burning facilities making the nation dependent on power plants that burn “cheap” natural gas. Given the law of “supply and demand”, it is only a matter of time before “cheap” natural gas combined with suppressive regulations on “fracking” will force upon our citizens unsustainable energy costs.
3) The loss of hundreds of thousands of “blue-collar” manufacturing jobs over the last 20 years has cheated the average American citizen of the hope of an entry-level job and, through hard work and discipline, raising his or her standard of life while pursuing the American dream of home ownership and financial independence. You wonder why there is a cry for $15.00\hour entry-level jobs? It is because Democratic and Republican policies on trade have destroyed traditional employment opportunities for average Americans.
4) Many other issues paint a dire economic picture for our nation; however, I close with one: I believe we will soon experience hyperinflation as the federal government grapples with a $20 trillion debt. Artificially low-interest rates have economically suppressed the life-savings of the baby-boomer generation who, through hard work and discipline, saved for retirement. Because banks have paid less than 1% interest on savings over the past 8 years, the “savers” have been robbed and millennial “spenders” have been rewarded with cheap money fueling unsustainable indebtedness.
I am not a prophet; however, I am a student of history and refuse to drink the Kool-Aid served up by liberal socialists. Elect Hillary Clinton as president, embrace her socialist agenda, and our nation will drive over the cliff spiritually, morally, and economically to our own destruction.
Copyright 2016 – Travis D. Smith
The Political Left’s Feigned Outrage Over Trump’s Words
The following is a post from my Spiritual Minutemen Facebook Page, but one I also want to share with those who subscribe to this Spiritual Minutemen Blog.
STOP IT! While so many of you are posturing outrage over Donald Trump’s words on a secret recording (and I agree, his words were a juvenile pig trough of Junior High locker room foolishness); threatening or assuming you have any other option is either political ignorance or stupidity. THE SAD REALITY IS–AMERICA IS ON THE POLITICAL CLIFF OF MORAL DEBACLE IF WE SUFFER 8 MORE YEARS OF LEFTIST DOCTRINE.
The only reason Trump is at the head of the Republican ticket is because our Washington politicians long ago betrayed conservative values and principles. Paul Ryan, John McCain, Mitch McConnell, and the Bush clan can protest Trump all they want…However, they are the problem that created a rebellion against the Republican establishment.
Even Tea Party politicians betrayed us…Marco Rubio arrived in Washington and the first thing he did was hold hands with Chuck Schumer and the Gang of 8…
Yes, I share your disgust; however, we have to deal with reality and not be divided the way Hillary and the Democrats are desperately wanting.
Hillary Clinton is no longer a political chameleon…she is a bold, in your face, leftwing socialist. She is an enemy of moral values and Constitutional liberties. Her agenda is fraught with godlessness and immorality. She is the antithesis of American liberty and her agenda for appointing left-wing Supreme Court justices should strike fear in the #NeverTrump, #AntiTrump citizenry. Continue down this path and we will lose our nation forever!
Copyright 2016 Travis D. Smith
Tim Kaine’s VP Debate Debacle



A Tragic Conspiracy We Will All Live to Regret

The Dilemma of Character Mediocrity: Donald Trump vs. Hillary Clinton
I had the joy of being with family in the Carolinas this past week and enjoyed a brief respite from Facebook, Blogs, and emails. With both the Republican and Democratic Conventions behind us, I am tentatively stepping back into the dirty waters of politics and social media only to discover a debate raging over Donald Trump in “conservative\evangelical” circles (apparently fueled by noted evangelical authors and preachers Wayne Grudem and Albert Mohler).
Wayne Grudem is being eviscerated by some for his article, “Why Voting for Donald Trump is a Morally Good Choice”. On the other hand, Albert Mohler contends he will use his vote to “write-in” the name of a third-party candidate and not vote for either the Republican or Democratic party candidates (many are arguing, and I agree, the effect of voting for a write-in or third-party candidate essentially relegates one’s vote to a “throw away” vote).
I believe it is a mistake to argue that a vote for Trump or Clinton is a “morally good choice” since both are incredibly flawed candidates. If anything, our nation is faced with an unconscionable dilemma of identifying our own character flaws and moral failures as a people in the two candidates put forward by our citizenry to serve in the highest and most influential place of leadership…the President of the United States. We, the American people, have guided this ship of state to the brink of a national disaster and face the reality our leadership is illustrative of our own rejection of God, His Law and Commandments.
Rather than argue who is most capable and qualified to serve as President, I believe the discussion must be which of the two candidates will do the least damage to our Constitutional rights and freedoms. With at least three, if not four, Supreme Court appointments hanging in the balance, our only choice is the candidate who has proposed appointing only those nominees who will honor Constitutional principles. Hillary Clinton has stated unequivocally her intent is to nominate justices to the Supreme Court who will legislate from the bench a liberal ideology that not only fundamentally changes America, but will assault conservative principles that have been the basis of our freedoms for 240 years.
Like it or not, we have two choices for president this fall and only one of the two offers us any hope of remaining a Constitutional Republic–Donald Trump.
Copyright 2016 – Travis D. Smith
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