*Opinions expressed in Letters to the Editor are not necessarily those of The Messenger
Let me begin with the Word of God (c). According to the Bible, the Armor of God provides no protection if one turns their back on God. As a matter of fact, all the components that are meant to protect us from the wiles of the enemy are located in the front. As pastor and biblical scholar, Rev. Dr. David Jeremiah (Turning Points, 2000) says, “It is not enough to just preach about it. It requires that each one of us make a stand when and where we can” (e). Sadly, my 81 years of life has shown me that the former far out weights the latter beginning in the pulpit. This is why so many Churches are in trouble today (a). False doctrine is alive and well in many of our Houses of Worship.
As I watched the services that recognized the late Charlie Kirk, it reminded me of a man who wore his Armor as a way of life. Beginning with what always comes first: Truth, he made it clear that being a Christian meant more than just claiming to be one (d). As a matter of fact, Dr. Jeremiah confirmed what the expectations are in a recent sermon by noting the following:
• (a) God does not want cowards who will run away.
• (b) God wants us to advance in His power.
• (c) God's children must always use the Word of God to guide their ways.
• (d) God's children must be truthful with themselves.
• (e) God's children must walk and talk Christian. They cannot be pretenders of the faith.
In reflecting on Charlie's mission on earth, I believe it is safe to say that there were no allusions in who he was and what he stood for. Driven by the love of Christ and his fellow man, it did not matter what side of the isle you were on. It is for this very reason that millions of young people, from across the United States and the world, are beginning to put on the Armor of God with the same kind of passion that Charlie did in his brief journey on earth. The “seed” has been planted!
In the coming months, both young and old from across our country will hopefully follow the course Charlie Kirk set for us. Faced with a dilemma that would ultimately cost him his life, we are now confronted with what the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary calls an 'undesirable or unpleasant choice' that we can no longer run away from (a). You see, if we are going to make Charlie's hope for the kind of America he knew we could be, we must put on the entire Armor of God. And like the young shepherd boy who would later become King David or the great Apostle Paul at the end of his ministry, there are times in life when we need to pick a stone out of our bag (I Samuel 17: 49); times when we must be willing to “Fight the good fight of faith” (II Timothy 4: 7) all in the power of God (b).
A year from now, people from the state of my birth: Minnesota, will be going to the polls to vote for a new governor. Faced with the same kind of challenges that we have faced before, this time anyone who claims to be a Bible believing Christian is going to be called upon to walk the talk as Charlie did (e). And if by chance we decide to ignore what we claim to be (d), we could be faced with the prospect of electing Tim Walz, the most anti-Christian governor in the history of our state, for a third term. So let us take a look at the damage this man has done in the name of his god. It is not a pretty sight!
• He has an extreme affinity for the Chinese Communist Party.
• He is the first governor anywhere in the United States to sign legislation that allows newborn babies to be denied lifesaving medical treatment (MCCL). It's Diabolical!
• He made Minnesota a destination state for late term abortions for minors without their parents knowledge (MCCL). It's Diabolical!
• His policy to put infected Covid patients into nursing homes helped give Minnesota the nation's highest percentage of Covid deaths in nursing homes (MCCL). It's Diabolical!
• He signed legislation to wipe out funding to pregnancy resource centers that would help women and families (MCCL). It's Diabolical!
• He stood on the Capitol steps and made threats against any educator who challenged the transgender issue in our public schools (See Minnesota Star Tribune/Picture).
• He lied about his rank as a member of the Armed Services.
• He and his Marxist leaning colleagues have all but destroyed our K-12 Social Studies Curriculum for the next ten years (See American Experiment).
• He claims to be Minnesota's 'educator-in-chief ' and, yet, our public schools' academic performance in math and reading proficiency remains below grade level statewide (MDE).
• He refused six Minnesota Catholic Dioceses funding that could have saved the lives of two students who were murdered by a transgender student while attending Mass in their school.
• He denied grants to non-public schools and, yet, he cannot account for 17 Billion dollars in tax surplus revenue.
• He announced he cannot wait for the morning he wakes up to hear that President Trump is dead. It's Diabolical!
Ladies and gentlemen, we cannot overstate the damage this man has done in his seven years as our governor. Who can ever forget when he boasted about providing his students with Mao Tse-tung's “Little Red Book of Communism” on a field trip to China; how he fanned the flames of discontent in the Twin Cities area and across the state when he let the police station burn? And if that was not enough, the windows at the Governor's residence were opened so 'members of his family could gleefully smell burning smoke on the inside.' Once again, the word diabolical comes to mind.
While I realize that we are still a year away from electing our next governor (November 3, 2026), it is not too late to mark your calendar. And now that we know about Charlie Kirk and the kind of hope he brought to our country, it should leave little doubt that Minnesota cannot afford four more years under the leadership of Tim Walz. As for me, it all boils down to the difference between life and death for our unborn children; uncertainty and despair for a state that deserves far better. His record speaks for itself.
Finally, let the record show that our governor is not working alone. With a political party that includes not only a large number of Minnesota State House and Senate Legislators, but the likes of U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (thankfully she has announced her retirement), and at least four members of the U.S. House of Representatives who were lockstep supporters of his run for Governor and his feeble attempt to be our next Vice President, it is time we stop being afraid (a) as Christians (e) and start trusting in the Lord (Proverbs 3: 5-6). It is called being Biblical Christians...and there can be no more running away from God (a). Come join me at the polls!
Godspeed,
Dr. James Russell Lehman
Kenyon MN
