Remember: GOD LISTENS

Today in our hostile political and immoral social environment, there is growing desperation, fear of one another, bigotry reflected in almost every civic encounter, growing anxiety, and panic attacks, and a nation divided by hate and mistrust that overwhelms our country and points to our inability to solve our problems.

It seems we have placed far too much trust in our own human wisdom by believing we alone without any Godly intervention, can solve the many crises that have crippled our founding Judeo/Christian principles and values. 

In the mid-term 2018 election, there was a sense of hope where we thought we could vote away the many serious civic and political issues created by our own selfishness and lack of national unity. 

Instead, today we find our government deadlocked by further accusations of corruption and a confrontational mindset which may well destroy our republic and position as the world leader in standing for justice and righteousness. Also clearly not understanding the political ethic of compromise.

In the 11th Chapter of Genesis, there is a Biblical lesson we may well learn from the people created after the Great Flood who came together speaking one language and a common speech. 

Because they thought they could accomplish anything they placed in their heart and used their own selfish will together, they no longer had to lean on God or even acknowledging Him as our God. They gathered together with the idea to build the largest tower known to man, the infamous Tower of Babel.

"Come let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves…. “ 

They wanted to demonstrate their superior knowledge and ability to communicate and work together to prove they could solve any issue they confronted and to demonstrate to the new world, that they could take care of their own problems without looking to God for direction. 

They also were filled with pride and selfishness and wanted to make a name for themselves. 

The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them". Genesis 11:6 

They had actually started to build this new tower with bricks instead of stone. They used tar as the mortar which was a new building material at this time. It could be said humankind had developed a new building technology, where they felt there was no need for God in their plans. 

"They said to each other, Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly. They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar". Genesis 11:3 

Imagine if we spoke one language and one common speech and had common goals and had our own selfish plans to prove to God we could resolve our problems and build a tower that reached into the heavens as had never been done before in human history. 

By constructing this towering monument to personal greed and pride we could show the world we simply didn't need God in our lives or great dreams for our future. 

We should not forget they found themselves in this predicament because they were a new people that were created out of the Great Flood. 

The Great Flood was sent to destroy humankind because they had forgotten God and felt they didn’t need God to direct their lives and wanted to live as they pleased. They had lost all honor and respect for God. 

We know from the Bible account, God destroyed the old sinful world, saving Noah and his family with animals of our world to preserve life for a new world.

Without God in their plans, the new people begin to build their great tower to the heavens, and once again man begins to think they didn't need God and could build this great tower that proved they were as creative as God himself. 

God created humankind so that we would celebrate, honor and worship God, not so we would go off on our own with no regard for him. To disregard and dishonor God in spite of His promise to be with us no matter what issues of sin we encountered. 

Right now in our society, there is a belief that we don’t need God to address our national earthly problems much less in our plans to build a new society on Mars in a futuristic space colony. 

We are hooked on the false and broken promises of politicians that we believe will help us to get us by.

It is time we quit relying on man-made solutions and instead of building monuments to humankind’s achievements, and that we must realize we need to call upon God to provide the necessary leadership to keep us on the perfect path. 

Just as God created confusion and disruption, and took away the ability for these people building the tower to communicate with one another, the plans for the great tower were destroyed. 

"So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel —because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth". Genesis 11:8‭-‬9 

We must not rely on any person but must put our trust and faith in God. 

Politicians have proven very clearly they can not bring us out of the confusion and conflict we face. God has clearly created a situation where language and speech confusion has prevented our political infrastructure from being unable to lead us to a place where we can out-create God and do not need His Leadership and Godly Grace. 

If we want to achieve great plans and seek Godly Wisdom, we must quit relying on our own plans and false dreams and the broken promises of our misdirected politicians who want to lead us further from God to more failure and defeat.

I believe very strongly that we are living in a time when the cultural wars are meant to bend and break our faith in God. Without placing our faith and trust in the teachings of the Holy Bible shared with us from generation to generation will cause our life of freedom liberty to be destroyed by the evil forces lurking in every civic debate.

God is still the answer for today...and we must stop trying to make a name for ourselves, or reach goals and objectives without acknowledging that our God must lead the way. 

In God we Trust was a motto placed on our money to remind us, we should never rely on personal or humankind material promises or riches, but to always Trust in God. 

(FLI ~ Faith Latino Initiative) Please keep Faith Latino Initiative Ministry in your prayers. 

Together we can serve The Lord and make a difference. 

"Remember GOD LISTENS"

Rev Fidel "Butch" Montoya

Fighting the Spiritual Battle

The school shooting in Parkland,  Florida is clear evidence from the scriptures that this war against violence and death is provoked by the "spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places," and "against the schemes of the devil. " 

The horrific toll of death and injuries once again has shocked our nation. The debate about easy accessibility of guns rules the headlines. But the real debate should be lead by faith leaders who know that we are fighting a spiritual battle against demonic forces. 

If we are to succeed in this battle, it will take our calling upon the supernatural and spiritual forces of the Holy Spirit. We cannot stand firm or withstand in the evil day without our calling upon The Lord to intervene "against the rulers, against authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness. "

We cannot remain silent or complacent during these evil days, but we must "be strong in The Lord and put on the whole armor of God." 

The scripture in Ephesians speaks boldly and clearly to each of us today. May we encourage one another in our spiritual battle against the evil that permeates our society. 

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

Ephesians 6:10‭-‬13 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/eph.6.10-13.ESV

Here is a link to a news article in which the shooter claims demons directed him to kill students at the high school in Parkland, Florida. Nicolas Cruz claims he heard demonic voices telling him to kill students and adults at the school. A clear indictment and spoken evidence that demonic forces are directing the violence and evil in our society.

Demon voices told school gunman to attack cops called to home 39 times. https://tiny.iavian.net/lm0d

May we support one another in coming together to proclaim that in this spiritual battle, we can call upon The Holy Spirit to help us stand firm in full armor.

May our prayers and thoughts be with the victims of the shooting and may we join in the debate as 

Prophetic voices in our communities. 

Dreamers' Bad Dream a Nightmare

Dreamers' Bad Dream a Nightmare
 By Fidel "Butch" Montoya

As the push for comprehensive immigration reform begins to build in the House of Representatives, Mohammad Abdollahi and the leadership of the National Immigrant Youth Alliance (NIYA) made a couple of serious tactical mistakes costing them the support of Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill).   

Congressman Gutierrez agreed to a private meeting last week in Washington, D.C. with NIYA and parents of the Dreamers detained by ICE in El Paso, Texas.  The statement from Rep. Gutierrez stated the meeting was “frank, emotional, and confidential.” Gutierrez had been working with The Department Homeland Security and an attorney representing the detained students to gain their release.

Unfortunately, the meeting was “recorded surreptitiously by NIYA, without the knowledge of the parents, the Congressman or his staff.” NIYA dreamers started a “sit-in” in Congressman Gutierrez’s Office. They were asked to leave, one refused until Rep. Gutierrez called President Obama asking him to release the dreamers detained in El Paso. Gutierrez’s staff called the police and had the dreamer removed from the office.  This incident along with the recording of the meeting, Rep. Gutierrez broke off his relationship with NIYA and their affiliated advocates at DREAMActivists.org. 

The Congressman had become disenchanted with NIYA for their public opposition to immigration reform. Mohammad Abdollahi on his Facebook page stated his opposition. “I am going to kill immigration reform in the most productive way this summer. y’all have seen nothing just yet.”

The outcome of Congressman Gutierrez are the hostile and mean-spirited comments by dreamers that he “should be removed from office.”  “Doesn’t he know he elected to represent us?” I hate to break the news, but for dreamers to making demands on elected officials, doing sit-ins in their offices, after being asked to leave, is not the way to build a coalition. Some of the dreamers seem to have forgotten that Rep. Gutierrez has worked very hard in representing their position. Now he is being called out for being “a sneaking politician.” 

With the pressure of fighting for comprehensive immigration reform, it is difficult as it is, struggling against the Right Wing of the GOP, without having the NIYA working to defeat the legislation.

The reality that many dreamers fail to understand, American Latinos have been strong supporters of immigration reform.  I have been a strong advocate among other faith leaders calling for unity to support reform. However, I will not accept the lack of respect for one of our national leaders, Rep. Luis Gutierrez. 

I will work with those dreamers who will respect our government process, as disappointing and difficult as it is. But I will join Rep. Gutierrez in not supporting the NIYA and their affiliate advocates at DREAMActivists.org.

I believe it is time for some of the more outspoken dreamers that a better strategy is to back off and attempt to salvage the serious miscalculation of recording the meeting “surreptitiously without the knowledge” of the parents and Rep. Gutierrez.

I suspect this outburst of disrespectful comments on the social media will create an even deeper rift between other Latino elected officials and others like myself who are fighting for comprehensive immigration reform. In-spite of the lack of respect and maturity of some dreamers, we will continue to work to pass immigration reform, but will be more careful of the dreamer groups who have rejected the support of members of our national leadership and who would rather not work for comprehensive immigration reform.

Here are copies of the press release issued by Congressman Luis Gutierrez Office.

This afternoon the office of Congressman Luis Gutierrez (D) released the following statement about the #Dream30. On October 16, Gutierrez had supported the group.

Congressman will no longer work with National Immigrant Youth Alliance

(NIYA) or DREAMActivist.org on deportation and detention case

Washington, DC – This afternoon, representatives of the National Immigrant Youth Alliance (NIYA), DREAMActivist.org, and the DREAM30 sat-in at the office of Congressman Luis V. Gutiérrez (D-IL) in Washington, D.C.  One activist, who was recently released from detention in El Paso, Texas at the request of Congressman Gutiérrez, was removed from the office of Congressman Gutiérrez for refusing to leave until the Congressman spoke personally with President Obama and secured the release of other detainees.  The activists were asked to leave by U.S. Capitol Police.  Two activists left the office.  A third refused and was escorted out by U.S. Capitol Police.  

The following is a statement from Douglas Rivlin, spokesman and Director of Communication for Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez:

The Office of Congressman Luis V. Gutiérrez (D-IL) will no longer work with the National Immigrant Youth Alliance (NIYA) and their affiliated advocates at DREAMActivist.org

The Congressman met privately with the parents of some of the young people in detention in El Paso last week in Washington; a meeting that was frank, emotional, and confidential.  But that meeting was also recorded surreptitiously by NIYA, without the knowledge of the parents, the Congressman or his staff.  It is unfortunate that the actions of the advocates in this case are preventing this office from being able to work with parents and family who are understandably and rightly concerned for the safety of their son or daughter.

The illicit tape recording of a confidential conversation was the latest chapter in a long and difficult relationship with NIYA and its leaders.  The NIYA leaders have expressed their strong opposition to immigration reform (LINK), have expressed disturbing racism (LINK), and have put young people in harm’s way.  In talking with the families, the Congressman and his staff believe that the parents and families were being manipulated by NIYA and its leaders and were not well informed about the law and the legal process.

The Congressman is warning parents that these actions can hurt the chances that young people will be able to return to the United States or live legally in the United States.  Only one in ten asylum cases like these are approved and a deportation or removal could put future legal status in doubt.  The Congressman continues to fight for the ability of DREAMers and their parents to remain in the U.S. or to enter legally if they have been removed or left the United States.

The Congressman’s staff had been working with the Department of Homeland Security and the attorney for the detainees to help secure their release.  The Congressman’s staff has also communicated directly with a number of the parents, siblings and supporters of the detainees in the past several weeks.