Immigration and the Christian: The Balance of the Welcome and the Wall

www.WaterMark.org ^ | Nov 16, 2014 | Todd Wagner, Senior Pastor, Elder

[Yosemitest]

(Note from poster: This one hour video is very fast moving and well worth your time.
You will probably need to watch it a couple of times to grasp it's full value.
I learned about it through Glenn Beck's interview on the third hour of his Nov 21, 2014 radio program.
I know little about Todd R. Wagner (Senior Pastor, Elder) and his Watermark Community Church,
but more can be found at Forbes.com, and God has certainly rewarded him for his works.
I think this sermon is one that should be studied and reviewed.)

Immigration and the Christian: The Balance of the Welcome and the Wall
Nov 16, 2014, Todd Wagner, Senior Pastor, Elder



Please watch Todd Wagner's Sermon Immigration and the Christian: The Balance of the Welcome and the Wall #4 ( 59:32 ), at this link.
Or you can download it from the same link.



TRANSCRIPT

TODD WAGNER: I like to tell folks that, ah, my great desire in life is to be known as a Servant of Christ, as the Stuart of the Mystery of God.
So what I've been doing over the last couple of weeks is declaring to you that

God is the One who is the Author and Giver of Life.
He can't offer it to you anywhere apart from Him, because it doesn't exist apart from Him.

That true Liberty is not found in being able to do whatever you want to do, but it's … in the freedom to … be able to be whoever you want to be,
a noble, virtuous, righteous person,
not somebody who can do what they want for a moment, until the harvest of what you've sewn returns in your life, and it doesn't go well with you.
That's how we get to the last one.
God wants you to be able to pursue happiness, to live the blessed life.
He wants you to be able to live the life that others would say to you,
"May God multiply your kind",
… and that you might … look forward to the future.
Because you know that what you're sewing is going to lead to your blessings, restored relationships, success … and prosperity, Biblically defined.
Not riches in hell, but righteousness and honor

( 01:10)

It is a fact that if you sew thought, you'll reap an action.
If you sew an action, you will reap a habit.
If you sew a habit, you'll reap a character.
If you sew a character, you will reap a destiny.
And God wants your destiny … to be … one … of happiness.
That's why He instructs you.
He's a loving Father, and He desires it to go well with you.

We've talked about what happens when a Nation TINKERS with the Divine formula ,
and it then does not become a Nation that is header towards future prosperity,
but it is headed towards future JUDGEMENT.
When you take a government that is suppose to prosecute those that do wrong,
and praise those who do right;
and you flip it,
and it begins to prosecute those who speak up for righteousness,
and praise those who do wrong,
you have a land … that is headed … towards … SORROW.
And God doesn't want that.
God's design was that
all the nations of the Earth, would be BLESSED through the revelation of who He was.
It wasn't just for the Jews, it's not just for America.
His design is that
ALL the nations of the Earth would be blessed.

( 02:12 )

We have a great message.
And we can invite as many people as we want, to respond to the message.
It won't burden the system.
It will bring BLESSING to the land.

And so today I'm going to talk about
what to do … when you live in a land that, maybe, others want to come in to.
How do you handle the sojourner, the alien, the immigrant among you?
And I'm going to make a case that
God's Word has given us everything that we need, not just on this topic, but on every topic.
I believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, and it alone
… is profitable … for teaching, reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness,
that the man of God might be adequate and equipped for every good work,
not just the man of God, … the people who gather underneath the Law of the Lord … HUMBLY

And so, let me just say this as we begin today.
If you forget everything else that I say, and you want to know,

"WHAT'S GOD WANT FROM ME ? "
related to marriage, related to the economy, related to immigration, related to how I view life, to what a land should look like,
just remember this one verse.
He has told you "Oh man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you.
To do Justice, to love Kindness, and to walk Humbly with the Lord."

[ (on Screen) HE HAS TOLD YOU, OH MAN, WHAT IS GOOD; AND WHAT
DOES THE LORD REQUIRE OF YOU BUT TO DO JUSTICE, TO
LOVE KINDNESS, AND TO WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD?

MICAH 6:8 ]


( 03:22 )

In other words, You live underneath His revelation … because you believe … that your ways are not … His ways.
And His thoughts are higher above your thoughts, as the heavens are above the Earth.
And that ALL His ways are righteous and true, and that the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous, altogether, as it says in Psalm 19.
That God's way is a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path.
And we would do wise to pay … be wise to pay attention to it.

But when you start talking about things like immigration, you go
"Okay todd, I'm all about JUSTICE, and I want Justice, and I love Kindness.
And therefore, HOW CAN WE EVER TURN SOMEONE AWAY ?
How can we NOT EMBRACE everybody and anybody ALL THE TIME ?"

Well, you need to know this about KINDNESS .

( 04:03 )

Kindness is NEVER suppose to be ISOLATED to just HALF of the people.

We cannot be kind to people in America, and say
"Sorry, you're not in.
So we're not going to be kind to you."
And you cannot be kind to the alien, or the immigrant, … at the expense … of those who are already here.
True JUSTICE … cares for both.

[ intermittent video ( 04:25 to 04:29 )]
And we have a crisis at our border because we have a lot of women and children, specifically, who were making their way up from Honduras, in Central America and other countries down there,
through Mexico, arriving at our border, and seeking asylum, or seeking relief.

[ intermittent video ( 04:38 to 04:45 )]

Now … some perspective … for … anybody, and how they treat them … when I answer… or just as worthless … as any other person's ideals,
if they're inconsistent with God's Word in a RIGHT UNDERSTANDING OF His Word,
because we're not told just to PREACH the Word.
We're told to RIGHTLY DIVIDE the Word of truth as a workman who won't need to be ashamed … because I jerked things out of context.
I made the Word say things it wasn't ever suppose to mean.

So we going to learn something today.
Let me just share with you the Five Principles that I put out, that will guide this, um, … and these are already out there.
Go to WordsFromWags.com/.
It's on the blog.
Check it out.
But I wanted to just cover them real quickly to you, because,
Number 1. (what I said is this) "Rule of Law" is essential to a healthy community.
If you get a group of people together and there is NO LAW, and NO COMMON UNDERSTANDING, … YOU WILL HAVE CHAOS.
And CHAOS ALWAYS CRIES FOR ORDER.
And if the only ORDER you can get, COMES FROM A TYRANT, you'll take it.
That's why people will accept MARSHAL LAW.
And they'll forego their freedoms.
Because the FREEDOM that is in the land, is not ORDERED LIBERTY, and ORDERED FREEDOM.
And there is so much CHAOS, we'll do ANYTHING, even lose our OWN LIBERTY in order to get as LITTLE BIT of STABILITY.

The Bible says in Proverbs 13:13 that the one who despises the Word, will be in debt to it.
And when you've got a land that despises the revelation of God, and it rules by its' own understanding,
if the understanding at the end of the day is that
there is NO righteousness,
there is NO truth.
There's just relativism everywhere, and your ideals aren't better than mine,
you're going to have a society that quickly leads to chaos.

( 06:13 )

But the one who fears the declaration, the Commandments of the Lord, it says, will be rewarded.

1 Timothy, Chapter 1 in verse 8 says we know the Law is GOOD, so the Law IS good.
And Law, the rule of LAW … is ESSENTIAL to healthy community.
Our Founders understood that.
Which is WHY … we BELIEVE IN … what's called .. ah "Rex, Lex" … and not, and not … um, "Lex, Rex".
Okay, actually I said the wrong way.
We believe "Lex, Rex", not "Rex, Lex".
You're like, "I don't know what either one of them means, so I don't care HOW you say it."

Okay?
"Rex, Lex" … "Rex" is the word for "King", "Lex" is the word for "Law", and so what you've got, a, … in ah, in a monarchy, is
you've got "the King IS the Law".
And that is CONTRARY to the "Judeo-Christian" Ethic.
We believe in We believe "Lex, Rex", we believe "The LAW is King".
Our Executive Branch is NOT king.
Our Legislative Branch is NOT king.
Our Constitution IS king.
We believe in … "ORDERED" … "LIBERTY" …
Our Judicial Branch … is to make sure that we … MAKE LAWS … and APPROVE LAWS … that are CONSISTENT WITH "THE LAW",
that is grander and greater than any of us,
or any current individual IN Congress,
IN the Executive Branch,
and (as it was suppose to be) not legislating from the Judicial Bench.

Because it also knew that we needed "checks and balances" … because, in our Constitution, we had a fundamental understanding of the depravity of man,
and that power corrupts,
and that "absolute power" corrupts ABSOLUTELY.

But we understood … the LAW was GOOD !
And God's Law was THE BEST!
The "Judeo-Christian" Law and Understanding … is what FORMED our country.
It's WHY, gang, we have in the Second Sentence of our Declaration Of Independence, a statement of DEPENDENCE.

( 08:01 )

It's in the Preamble; you know it.
We, we, …We believe in our Constitution, uh, … in our Declaration.
We say:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, …
We don't even need to talk about them.
Everybody knows that it is ABSOLUTELY RIGHT AND TRUE.
First and foremost among them:
… that ALL men are created equal, …
That means the native, and that means the sojourner.
We're EQUAL.
We're not better than anybody else, and we shouldn't TREAT PEOPLE like we're better than them.
It is a SELF-EVIDENT TRUTH, (Okay), that ALL men are created EQUAL.
(Five of you like it, and the rest of you guys aren't sure yet, alright.)
Those 5 are right.
Okay.
We want to clap and be glad at all of us are equal, and we're not … valuable because we have some utilitarian benefit to society.
9 Out of 10 kids born with Down Syndrome … are executed,
because we don't believe … that they have any intrinsic value.
We believe that they have because they are created in the image of God.
And so, we LOVE THEM.
And we CARE FOR THEM.
And we SERVE THEM.
Even though there is …. absolutely inside of them, some chromosomal disorder.

( 09:08 )

There is, inside of me, another kind of disorder.
And I'm glad that I'm not rejected because of it.
My disorder is one that leads to DEATH.
Not in the womb, like we do the Down Syndrome Child, but death in relationship to a Holy God.
And He has loved me, and pursued me, and given me value … value SO MUCH that He has given His Son for me.
And we ought to give ourself to EVERY human, 'cause we are created equal.
We believe that truth is self-evident.
We also say inside of there:
that all men are endowed by their Creator with certain …
What ?
… UNALIENABLE Rights, …
And then, what do we say ?
… among which, … are LIFE,
… LIBERTY,
… and the PURSUIT of HAPPINESS.

WHERE do you think we got it ?
We got that from GOD'S WORD, because that's what God's WANTS.
And so, … government's job, when you take a look at it, is to be
the PUNISHMENT OF EVIL DOERS,
AND GIVE PRAISE TO THOSE WHO DO RIGHT.
That's straight out of 1st Peter, Chapter 2, verse 14.
Romans 13:1 through 7 talks about it.

But YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS, … YOU DON'T SAY:
"Come one, come all.
It doesn't matter WHAT you think, WHAT you believe, or WHAT you DO."

We believe that … there IS a RULE OF LAW.
I want to say THIS about the Bible.
The Bible … ADDRESSES ISSUES of OUR day.
The IDEAL that there is … ah … borders, and boundaries, … is NOT a NEW ideal.
It didn't start with United Nations, or the League of Nations, before that.
It didn't start centuries, even before … when we started to draw battle lines, and have more, uh, developed economies and civilized states.
You go ALL THE WAY BACK to the Book of Genesis with the Patriots, with Abraham, when God calls him out of Mesopotamia,
and pulls them to what's modern day Iraq, back over towards Palestine,
you'll find out that Abraham was called a "sojourner" or an alien;
and when he got to a land, … he sought PERMISSION, he adopted the SOCIAL … STANDARDS,
he did NOT adopt their morality,
but he, uh, he adopted SOCIAL PROPRIETY and LEGAL PROPRIETY
even as he start to understood God.
When we went down to Egypt, he asked PERMISSION TO BE THERE.
And when they found out that he was a LIAR, they ran him out.
Remember that ?

( 11:15 )

That happened again, the same thing with Isaac.
When the land had somebody that was a liar, they ran him out.
So they were borders, even back in the Nomadic days.
And God SHOWS YOU HOW you are suppose TO HANDLE entering into another person's property,
and He SHOWS YOU WHAT YOU ARE TO DO,
if someone is traveling through your land,
or if someone becomes a RESIDENT ALIEN,
and He SEPARATES those two.

But there IS TO BE a RULE OF LAW, … and it is a GOOD THING.
And it brings BLESSINGS.

SECONDLY, the RULE OF LOVE is essential, if any place is going to be … representative of Christ's Community.
So the Rule of Law is good, BUT THE RULE OF LOVE IS ESSENTIAL.
John 13:34 and 35, Jesus says this to us, um …
"A new commandment that I give to you,
That ye love one another;
even as I have loved you,
that ye also love one another.

By this … ALL MEN WILL KNOW…"

…THAT THIS COMMUNITY RIGHT HERE, IS DIFFERENT.
It is a DIVINE…LY INSPIRED COMMUNITY.
So we are to be diligent to PRESERVE the UNITY of the spirit and the BOND of PEACE.
We don't just MOVE IN and MOVE OUT when it's convenient for us.
We, um, we walk worthy of the manor … of which, we have been called (Ephesians says) ,
with humility and gentleness, showing forbearance to one another, in honor.
We give deference to one another in honor.
We have a Biblical UNDERSTANDING of LOVE.
Which means,
we ARE patient;
we ARE kind;
we DON'T boast;
we're NOT arrogant;
we don't act unbecomingly;
we don't seek our own;
we don't take into account a wrong suffered;
we're NOT provoked;
we don't rejoice in unrighteousness (if we have Biblical love);
we rejoice ALWAYS IN THE TRUTH.
Because why ?
We know the Law is GOOD.

We bare all things, believe all things; hope all thing, endure all things, we have love that never fails.
That's why when people come into my office;
they're engaged, … they got that … silly star-struck look in their eyes, and then go
"Man, you got to marry us, man, so we can be LEGAL, because WE ARE IN LOVE…"

I look at them; I go:
"Alright.
I, …I know what you've got, is a WAVE of emotion,
because if you're single, and… and you define "love"… "
(and love is SUCH a perverted word).
Many people think that love is
that feeling you feel
when you feel like
you've never felt before.

That is NOT LOVE.

Thats a feeling you feel … when you felt like you've never felt before.

And you won't feel like that, always.

As so, if you hit the "EJECT BUTTON" … once you don't feel that way anymore,
because you brushed up against some girl at the office;
and a bunch of static electricity makes the back of your hair, … the back of your head, the hair stand up, you go
"Oh my God, that's love; … not what I'm going home to ! "
Then you've got a love just like the world,
and that's not the love that I'm talking about, when I say
the … RULE … OF LOVE … is what will MARK US as Christ's Community.
We STAY HERE, and we're COMMITTED.
We don't just have this … "star-struck", spring-break romance.
We have an ABIDING … SELFLESS LOVE.

( 13:51 )

We CHERISH, we HONOR, we NOURISH, we SWEAR to our OWN HURT.
We don't seek our own.
And we aren't … people who love ONE OVER the OTHER.
That's a PERVERTED VIEW of LOVE.

Love is not doing for somebody … what they want done.

So … you need to UNDERSTAND THIS, the RULE OF LAW is ESSENTIAL, but the RULE OF LOVE is what ABSOLUTELY MUST BE THERE,
IF we're going to be know as CHRIST'S PEOPLE.

[ On screen: RULE OF LAW IS NEVER COMPROMISED BY RULE OF LOVE.
WE SERVE A GOD WHO IS FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH ]

THIRDLY, the RULE OF LAW is NEVER COMPROMISED by the RULE OF LOVE.
The two ARE NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE.

We serve a God WHO IS FULL OF GRACE, and FULL OF TRUTH.
And if we're His people, we are TRUTHFUL, and … sometimes, … and GRACIOUS sometimes.
That's exactly what … um … we … we see in James, Chapter 1 when it talks about the VISIBLE image of the INVISIBLE God.
When we saw Jesus, and it says
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
and we beheld His GLORY,
Glory as the ONLY begotten of the FATHER, … "
What's that GLORY LIKE ?
It's FULL OF GRACE, and FULL OF TRUTH,
That means that Jesus wasn't 50% GRACE and 50% TRUTH.
It means the FATHER is NOT 50% KINDNESS and 50% JUSTICE.
HE is A HUNDRED PERCENT JUSTICE and A HUNDRED PERCENT KINDNESS.
( 15:00 )

And the TWO are NEVER … MUTUALLY … EXCLUSIVE FROM ONE ANOTHER.
That's WHY when you form an "Immigration Policy" you can't say:
"Well it's going to be really LOVING, if we bring them in,
if WHAT … bringing them in,
IS NOT LOVING TO OTHERS.
Now, it's a DELICATE BALANCE.
And you've got to go:
" How do I address KINDNESS to the NATIVE,
while ALSO, being KIND to the SOJOURNER ? "

There IS a WAY.
It's not EASY.

But you MUST MAKE SURE … you don't have some PERVERTED and DISTORTED VIEW.
This is, by the way, HOW God revealed Himself in Exodus 34, verses 6 and 7, when He said, "Moses, come here. Check me out."
Moses said, "Alright, I'll check you out. What are you like ? "
He said,
"This is what I'm like. I'm the Lord. I'm the Lord God,
I'm compassionate. I am gracious. I am slow to anger. I'm abounding in loving kindness and truth.
… I'll keep loving kindness … a thousand generations."
But watch this.
"By NO MEANS, let the guilty go UNPUNISHED."

You see that ?

God, NEVER is one at the expense of the other.
And so, whatever we come up with, our policy, it shouldn't have ONE at the EXPENSE of the OTHER.

( 16:00 )

FOURTHLY the RULE OF LOVE has has ORDER and LAW built INTO it. LOVE has ORDER built INTO it.

I love this, on Galatians Chapter 5, … verse 22.
It talks there about how the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT, …
in other words, when the spirit of God is there,
when you are walking with God, acknowledging God, subservient to God,
then what you have is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, fatefulness, self-control; … there are 9 things.
I don't think they're all inclusive.
I think that they are just, ah, representative of every good thing that's there when God is there.
It's WHY I said last week, you know, PRAY for patience.
You try to yield to the spirit of God, what you say is good.
Because if the spirit of God is in your life, you WILL become patient.
If you're not loving, if you're home isn't filled with peace
it's because IT'S NOT LEAD BY A SPIRIT-FILLED MAN,

You don't pray for self-control.
You're problem is … YOU ARE NOT FOLLOWING THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST.
That's WHY you are not showing SELF-CONTROL.
Where God is, there is self-control.
If you are lacking self-control, if you are giving yourself over to your addiction, it's because you are not giving yourself to God.

( 17:00 )

LOVE IS NOT SEPARATE, at that's WHY we call you to RE-GENERATION.
COME and have your life CHANGED.

Put yourself under His authority.
Don't be IMPULSIVE.
BE HUMBLE.

That 4th PRINCIPLE says the LOVE IS NEVER … INCLUSIVE, or, or EXCLUSIVE … OF LAW.
It's BUILT INTO IT.
That's WHY it says at the very end of that in Galatians 5:22 and 23 …
It says,
"AGAINST THESE THINGS, THERE IS NO LAW."
There's not a … a land in the world that says
"YOU CAN'T LOVE PAST 9 O'CLOCK ! "
"YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO BE KIND TO MORE THAN 5 PEOPLE A DAY."
"HEY, YOU CANNOT DRIVE WITH SELF-CONTROL, … on that street."

There NO LAW like that.
We say,"You can't … drive when you DON'T HAVE self-control."
When you're DISSIPATED by some … um … object, … or some chemical substance that would influence you.
We got to keep THOSE PEOPLE off the street.
We, we, … we, uh… THERE'S NO LAW AGAINST PEACE.

THERE'S NO LAW AGAINST PATIENCE.

And so, LOVE AND LAW … are built right into it.
Don't try and separate ONE from the OTHER.
Okay ?
Our Bible … has … "WELCOME" … in it, but it also has WALLS BUILT .

You look at Ruth,
"Ruth, you're welcome here."
You look at Nehemiah.
We're building WALLS, … SO THOSE THAT AREN'T TO BE "WELCOMED"
… WON'T BE "WELCOMED" HERE.
Your Bible … has BOTH.
And you should PAY ATTENTION TO IT.
It DOESN'T HAVE "BLANKET AMNESTY" .
It's got "WELCOME" …
But it's got "WALLS" .

( 18:47 )

LASTLY, WHILE WE CONTINUE TO WARN OTHERS OF THE GRAVE DANGERS OF IGNORING HE RULE OF LAW,
WE MUST MODEL FOR OTHERS … THE RULE OF LOVE.

See, this is WHERE we got TALK about WHAT WE EXPECT OUR GOVERNMENT TO DO,
AND SO, WE GOT TO HAVE AN APPROPRIATE ATTITUDE TOWARDS GOVERNMENT POLICY …
Remember WHAT GOVERNMENT POLICY IS …
GOVERNMENT POLICY SUGGEST PUNISHMENT TOWARD EVIL DOERS,
AND TO PRAISE OF THOSE WHO DO RIGHT.
There's A WAY to do RIGHT, if you are A SOJOURNER.
But THERE HAS TO BE A PUNISHMENT OF EVIL DOERS.

And so, while we're CALLING PEOPLE to HAVE AN APPROPRIATE RULE OF LAW,
we HAVE to, ABSOLUTELY, BE PEOPLE that
MODEL the RULE OF LOVE.

Ah, Philippians 4:9 says this:
"The things that you have learned, and received, and heard, and seen IN me,
PRACTICE THESE THINGS, and the PEACE of God will be with you."
In other words, WE, of, OF ALL PEOPLE, are the individuals that folks look at, that say,
"You know what, we may not like the things that they say, the songs that they sing, the God that they say they know.
But the truth IS,
IF EVERYBODY LIVED like those that say
'They knew the God who declared LIFE,LIBERTY, AND HAPPINESS, … the way they do … ,
THIS WOULD BE A BETTER WORLD."

That ought to be our reputation.

And so …MAKE SURE in whatever you're doing, as you talk about the "RULE OF LAW", YOU ARE MODELING FOR OTHERS.
Matthew 28 says this, YOU TEACH THEM TO OBSERVE EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE COMMANDED YOU.


That means

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE A PERSON, WHO THEMSELVES, WHO IS MODELING … WHAT HE HAS COMMANDED,
SO THEY CAN SEE THE BENEFIT OF LIBERTY,
THAT COMES WITH, … ah, BY OBEYING HIM,
LIFE AND FULLNESS, … AND THE BETTER WAY.

You've got to be able to say, "IT IS GOING WELL WITH US, BECAUSE WE'RE LISTENING TO GOD."

( 20:30)



And we've got to lovingly share.
I want to show you … this little video.
I've HAD THIS … from week one.
I was going to show this week one.
I didn't.
I was going to show this week two.
I didn't.
But I'm going to stick it in, right here.
Because it kind of … encapsulates what … OUR FOREFATHERS UNDERSTOOD … WAS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL

… TO THE PROSPERITY OF THE LAND IN WHICH WE LIVE.
I've heard this story, antidotally, from a lot of different people … ah … even before I saw this video.
That others would COME TO OUR LAND… and they would go,
WHAT IS THE SECRET TO THE GREATNESS OF AMERICA ?
Do you want to know what the secret was?
The secret was,
we were founded on a Judeo-Christian Ethic.
We understood the RULE OF LOVE, the RULE OF LAW.
We knew there was a "RIGHTNESS" THAT WAS BEYOND US, and we were going to ORDER OUR LIBERTY … ACCORDING TO IT .



Tocqueville , the French Historian, when he came here, he said that

"The secret to America's greatness is her "GOODNESS".
When America ceases to be good, she will cease to be great."

And folks, America is increasingly, ceasing to be good, because we don't hold to SELF-EVIDENT TRUTH anymore.
And, what will happen, if you don't hold to self-evident truth, if you REJECT LAW,
… it becomes A "LAWLESS" LAND, and "LAWLESS" LANDS DO NOT LIVE LONG.

( 21:38 )

Watch this:



[Plays video at Harvard Business School]

CLAYTON CHRISTENSEN Professor, Harvard Business School: Some time ago,
I had a conversation with a Marxist Economist from China.
He was coming to the end of a Fulbright Fellowship here in Boston.
And I asked him if he had learned anything that was surprising or unexpected.
And without any hesitation, he said,

"Yeah, … I had no ideal HOW CRITICAL RELIGION IS to functioning of democracy."

The reason why democracy works," he said, "is NOT BECAUSE government was designed to OVERSEE what everybody does.
But rather, democracy works because most people, most of the time, voluntarily CHOOSE to obey the law.
And in your past, most Americans attended a church or synagogue every week, and they were taught there by people who they respected. "
My friend went on to say that
"Americans follow these rules, because they have come to believe that
they WEREN'T JUST ACCOUNTABLE TO SOCIETY, THEY WERE ACCOUNTABLE TO GOD."
My Chinese friend heightened a vague, but nagging concern I've harbored inside,
that as religion loses its influence over the lives of Americans,
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO OUR DEMOCRACY ?
Where are the institutions that are going to teach the next generation of Americans,
that they too, need to VOLUNTARILY … CHOOSE TO OBEY THE LAWS ?
Because, if you take away religion, you can't hire enough police.
[ On screen: A message from People of Faith ]

( 23:11 )

TODD WAGNER: Friends, that's a fact.

That's why you hear me say…
The, That's why you hear George Washington, in his inaugural address to our country, in the very First Inauguration, he said,
If we remove religion and morality from our country, it hasn't a chance.
No nation does.
LOVE AND LAW, they go together.
That why you hear me say, that THE GREATEST EVIL IN OUR COUNTRY …
is not one political party over another,
it's not some radical socialist agency, IT IS THE DEAD AND FECKLESS, THE INEFFECTIVE, GODLESS, COMPROMISED CHURCH
THAT DOESN'T SAY TO OTHERS,
THE THING YOU LEARN AND RECEIVE FROM US,
THE THINGS YOU'VE HEARD AND SEEN,
PRACTICE THESE THINGS.
The church that doesn't make disciples,
the church that doesn't MODEL RIGHTEOUSNESS, LIFE, LIBERTY, AND HAPPINESS,
the church that is ISOLATED,
THE CHURCH THAT IS COMPROMISED,
… THE CHURCH THAT IS NOT … TRUTH-TELLING, … WINSOME, … AND BOLD.

'Cause I'm going to tell you what's happening in our country.
We are not being destroyed from without, it's our children who are growing up and who don't SEEK AND SERVE GOD,
maybe it's not ours, maybe it's not Watermark's …
but I'm talking about people in America, who came out of this … amazing opportunity
that was the birth of our nation …
HOLDING CERTAIN SELF-EVIDENT TRUTHS
THAT WERE SUBSCRIBED TO, AND LARGELY HELD FOR A LONG TIME,
THAT LEAD INTO A GREAT … BLESSING AND PROSPERITY,
LIKE NO OTHER NATION HAS EVER SEEN.

We now begin to SCOFF AT IT, …
and we now SPIT IN THE FACE OF THOSE LAWS, AND THE GOD WHO GAVE IT.
"GET HIS COMMANDMENTS OUT OF HERE !
Don't talk to Him.
We don't even think He's there."
We have a … still, a national MOTO that says," IN GOD WE TRUST" .
It is NOT … OUR NATIONAL … MANNOR.

And I'm telling ya', "I THINK THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE CHURCH."

( 25:00 )

I really do.
It's a "NON-disciple making, NON-ABIDING Church".
Because when we are SALT and LIGHT, when we are a CITY ON A HILL,
there's BLESSINGS and LOVE here.
People will still run to it.
People will IMMIGRATE HERE … IF they see FREEDOM .
So that is our DUTY, and that is our JOB .
And so, let's NOT SCOFF at everyone …
We're not suppose to WATCH FOX NEWS AND FRET.
We're suppose to be FAITHFUL AND DECLARE "LIFE, LIBERTY, AND LOVE" .

How ya' doing?

If everybody this week, ordered themselves … FREELY, not because there's police,
but did RIGHT because of your teaching, your modeling, your encouragement,
WHAT WOULD OUR COUNTRY BE LIKE ?

See, we can't just sit here and just talk about the wicked pornography industry, …
and then, take a little … opportunity to ENDORSE IT , on our phones, and on our computers, when no one's looking.

We can't talk about those that want to RE-DEFINE MARRIAGE, and then walk away from ours, when the going gets hard.

We can't talk about … how wrong it is for our government to go deep in debt, … and then have "Black Friday" RULE us.

Alright ?

So … this is the institution … that is to be "AN AGENT OF GRACE".

So WHAT does this institution SAY ABOUT … IMMIGRANTS … AND HOW WE TREAT THEM ?
Let's see if we can't learn something … together.
There are 3 … MOST COMMON … COMMANDMENTS in scripture, specifically in the Old Testament.
You're going to find this, again and again.
HAVE NO IDOLS.
In other words, don't put anything else in front of Me.
WHY ?
Because ONLY I can give you LIFE.

SECONDLY, you make sure you don't jack with the WIDOWS OR the ORPHANS.
WHY ?
Because they are defenseless.
They have no protector, often no provider.
You can … um, easily … um … destroy them, manipulate them … or ignore them.
And God says,
You best not do that, my people don't do that.
If you know Me, you don't have an IDOL.
If you're not your OWN IDOL … if you serve Me, then you better serve the WEAK.

And then LASTLY, HE SAYS,
Don't oppress the SOJOURNER .
Don't oppress the IMMIGRANT, or the ALIEN .
Now BE CAREFUL, because the Bible uses TWO WORDS when it TALKS ABOUT the SOJOURNER.

And I'm going to teach you THE DIFFERENCE IN THOSE WORDS, and I'm going to SHOW YOU.
And I've got some friends, that I love, that are men that PREACH the Word of God, that have signed onto a document
that I think is ERRONEOUS, AND WRONG,
because … they didn't take A CAREFUL LOOK AT THE WAY that those terms were being used in the scripture,
that kind of … ah … created the evangelicals for "Immigration … uh … Endorsement" of certain Senate Bills
that are probably NOT KIND, both to the "Native", and to the "Immigrant" .

And I'm going to teach you the difference, this morning.

Okay ?

( 27:44 )

So here we go.
Here's you some basic principles that we got to start with.
FIRST of all, I'm going to try to walk this fine balance of
what you're individual responsibility as "A Believer",
and what your responsibility is … as "AN INDIVIDUAL WHO INFORMS" the ATTITUDE of government. Let's start with the individual.
First of all, IMMIGRANTS are people MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD.
I've already mentioned this briefly.
They should be treated with DIGNITY AND LOVE, and CALLED … TO RESPECT THE LAWS OF THE LAND.
Every single person, Genesis 1:26 and 27 says that.
I had 5 people clap last time, now none of you are convinced.
But that's alright.
But here's the deal, Proverbs 22 says this. It says
The rich and the poor have a common bond, the Lord is the Maker of them ALL.
We don't just take certain immigrants because they're … they're SMARTER than others.
We got to make sure that WE ARE FAITHFUL TO LOVE ALL PEOPLE.

There's got to be a SYSTEM, however, … TO CARE FOR ALL PEOPLE THAT WE SAY
WE WANT TO LOVE.

And when you've got a BROKEN SYSTEM, and adding more people to it, IT'S NOT LOVING.
It HURTS those that are HERE, and it's GOING TO HURT those THAT ARE COMING.
Proverbs 14:21 says this:
He who despises his neighbor sins.
Happy is he, who is gracious to the poor.

So even in our Immigration System, there needs to be AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BE GRACIOUS, ESPECIALLY TO THE WEAK.

But we can't help the weak, IF WE'RE WEAK OURSELF.

( 29:03 )

We just talked through the Book of James. In the Book of James, it says
Don't hold you faith in the Lord of Jesus Christ with an attitude of PERSON-FAVORITISM.
For if a man comes to you with a gold ring and fine clothing, a big degree,
an opportunity to come do business that's going to make you rich, and you treat him one way,
And then there's another person who's dirty, … and you say to that person,
you stand over there …
He says that … that kind of distinction … is filled with EVIL MOTIVES.

So let me just say this,
Whatever your view of RACISM, Christian,
whatever your view of RACISM, Godly person,
…if …if you're, ah … if your view of Immigration has any racism in it, IT IS WRONG.
If you're "Immigration Policy" say, "You need to be WHITE to be WELCOME", you are un-informed, un-Biblical, and un-Godly.

Alright ?

So we're not just to "WELCOME" those that look like us.

SECONDLY, … we've got to STOP THINKING that "Welcoming them to America, is 'God's plan of salvation FOR them' ."

Okay.

When … when that little statement was put up on Ellis Island that says
" … Bring me all your weak, and your tired, and your oppressed, …
That wasn't OUR IDEAL.
God's design was NOT that America would be the "Promised Land" .
God's DESIGN was that ANY NATION ON EARTH, ANY INDIVIDUAL ON EARTH … THAT KNEW HIM,
WALKED WITH HIM, DID JUSTICE the way HE DESCRIBED JUSTICE, LOVED KINDNESS THE WAY
HE DIVINED LOVING KINDNESS, AND WALKED HUMBLY WITH HIM,
THAT WOULD BE … A LAND OF OPPORTUNITY AND BLESSING.

And we've got to STOP ACTING LIKE AMERICA IS GOD'S SALVATION FOR THE WORLD.

NO !
JESUS CHRIST IS GOD'S SALVATION FOR THE WORLD.
Alright ?

And so, if you … and I … are MORE EXCITED to ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO COME AMERICA, EVEN AT THE VIOLATION OF LAW,
THAN WE ARE TO COME TO CHRIST,
THAT THE LAW SHOWS US OUR NEED FOR,
WE DO NOT HAVE A SOUND "IMMIGRATION POLICY" .

( 31:07 )

IF YOU'RE MORE ZEALOUS FOR PEOPLE BEING NATURALIZED CITIZENS, THAN SUPERNATURALLY SAVED,
YOU DO NOT HAVE A SOUND "IMMIGRATION POLICY" .
In fact, I just want to say THIS to you, the problem is
America is IMMIGRATING TO GODLESSNESS, AWAY FORM VIRTUE, AND AWAY FROM SELF-EVIDENT TRUTHS.
And so, WE ARE BECOMING OUR OWN PERSECUTOR, AND CREATING OUR OWN PROBLEMS.

And so we've got to get our own HOUSE IN ORDER.
You CAN NOT HELP PEOPLE, IF YOUR OWN HOUSE IS NOT IN ORDER.

That's why I tell guys all the time,
"You want to be a great dad ?
LEAD YOUR SELF."

You want a really good family?
LISTEN, DON'T MAKE MORE MONEY,,
Okay?
FOLLOW JESUS.
Because the best thing that you can to to lead your family, is to LEAD YOURSELF.
We want to lead the world, we better lead ourself.
We better deal with OUR OWN problems, economically,
we better deal with OUR OWN problems, morally,
before we try to tell the world,
"We're here to save them."
We NEED to MAKE SURE that WE HOLD TO THOSE SELF-EVIDENT TRUTHS.

I love this statement,
"Government's JOB, gang, is to FACILITATE THE MOVEMENT OF LABOR IN A MANNOR."
In other words, ALLOWING FOLKS TO COME IN …
Government has to REGULATE THAT … IN A WAY
THAT KEEPS AMERICA FREE, SAFE, AND PROSPEROUS.

And FLOODING IT … WITH UNSKILLED WORKERS WHO ARE GOING TO BE DEPENDENTS ON A WELFARE STATE …
OR WHO ARE GOING … TO HAVE DESPERATE NEED OF CHARITY,
WHEN WE DON'T HAVE A WELFARE SYSTEM ALREADY, THAT WORKS,
… IS NOT LOVING.

( 32:38 )

And we have to … THINK THROUGH … OUR LAW… AND HOW WE ALLOW FOLKS TO COME.
You need to know this:
About 12 MILLION ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CURRENTLY IN OUR COUNTRY.
4 MILLION OF THEM, OR MORE, ACTUALLY CAME HERE LEGALLY.
They just came with WORK VISAS, or EDUCATIONAL VISAS, and they OUTSTAYED THEM, and THEY HAVEN'T LEFT .
We have about A MILLON [point] SEVEN PEOPLE THAT HAVE GREEN CARDS , OR THAT HAVE A WORK PERMIT THAT IS HERE,
700 THOUSAND WORK PERMITS, A MILLION OTHER GREEN CARDS, … um … that are ALREADY HERE.
THERE ARE 5 MILLION PEOPLE LEGALLY WAITING TO GET INTO OUR COUNTRY.

Now listen, … PEOPLE ARE HERE, RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE WE HAVE LET THEM,
AND WE HAVE NOT DONE AN EFFECTIVE JOB OF … um … GUARDING OUR BORDERS, … LIKE NATIONS FROM THE BEGINNING OF GENESIS HAVE ALWAYS DONE.
And we've NOT DONE A GOOD … and HERE's THE REASON WHY BY THE WAY,
there's two signs, by the way (and I really agree with him), … TWO SIGNS AT OUR SOUTHERN BORDER ,
ONE that says "DO NOT ENTER",
ANOTHER ONE says "HELP WANTED" .

( 33:39 )

And we want you to come because you're poor, oppressed, and tired,
and we want to pay you less than other lazy Americans,
because we got a BROKEN WELFARE SYSTEM, that DE-INCENTIVES PEOPLE FROM WORKING.
ONE-SEVENTH of our national economy, right now, goes to "MERIT WELFARE SYSTEMS", that are CREATING
DEPENDANCE ON OUR GOVERNMENT, and PERPETUAL NEED FOR CHARITY,
AND THAT … IS … NOT … LOVING !.

Let me … Here, I … I … I wrote this down.
Let me just give you … 4 sentences of my own ideals on this.
America has to START DOING THE RIGHT THING.
We will NO LONGER BE … THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY … if we don't do the things we need to do, to create and stay, an opportunity society.
That means:
SPEND LESS;
ADDRESS DEBT;
FIX WELFARE PROBLEMS
by making it work for the poor,
NOT AGAINST THEM;
by encouraging people TO WORK,
not be dependent ON GOVERNMENT, or PERPETUAL CHARITY.

The SYSTEM IS BROKEN when we … HAVE PEOPLE WHO CAN DO BETTER BY NOT WORKING, THAN WORKING.
It is INCONSISTENT WITH SCRIPTURE.

We have to REPENT of
UNFAIR WAGES OFFERED HARD WORKING AMERICANS.
We have to
DEAL WITH EDUCATIONAL INJUSTICE;
SECURE THE BORDER;
DEAL WITH THE SHADOW COMMUNITY THAT'S OUT THERE,
BY ALLOWING THEM TO SELF-IDENTIFY,
GET IN LINE,
MAKE AMENDS,
AND CONTRIBUTE TO OUR NATION.

Now HOW WE DO THAT IS GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF NUANCE, and that's not my purpose this morning.
BUT THAT'S GOT TO BE YOUR ATTITUDE .

Now we just got to START by saying,
LISTEN GANG, WE GOT TO GET OUR HOUSE IN ORDER ,
AND NOT JUST INVITE PEOPLE INTO A HOUSE OF DEPENDENCY .

AND IT'S WRONG … THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT WE BRING UP HERE, AND THEY'LL DO JOBS THAT AMERICANS WON'T DO.
It's WRONG because of ONE of TWO REASONS,
BECAUSE IF WE WON'T WORK, WE SHOULDN'T EAT. NUMBER 1, right here.

NUMBER 2, IF GUYS WORK, … AND WE DON'T GIVE THEM ENOUGH MONEY FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DO,
SO THEIR FAMILY STAYS AT A POVERTY LEVEL,
SO THEY NEED SOME ASSISTANCE FROM THE GOVERNMENT,
THAT IS WRONG.
If there is a job that's worth doing, … it's a job that's worth COMPENSATING SOMEBODY FOR,
SO THEY CAN PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILY,
AND LIVE FAITHFULLY IN THIS COUNTRY.
AND SO THAT IS YOUR JOB, AS AN EMPLOYER.

WE DON'T NEED TO RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE.
YOU NEED TO KNOW,
HOW ARE THE FOLKS IN MY COMPANY DOING?
Now, we should't ALL live in the same house, drive the same cars.
But it they can't … EDUCATE THEIR KIDS, … PROVIDE FOR HEALTH CARE FOR THEIR KIDS, … IF THEY CAN'T TAKE THEIR WIFE ON A DATE …
IF THEY CAN'T … EVERY NOW AND THEN, ENTERTAIN THEMSELF … IN AN APPROPRIATE WAYS … TO HAVE SOME FUN,
BECAUSE YOU ARE KEEPING YOURSELF AT A CERTAIN LEVEL … TO MAXIMIZE YOUR PROFITS, IF YOU'RE A COMPANY OWNER,
That my friends, IS NOT A BIBLICAL PROCESS.

We've got A MAJOR WAGE DISPARITY IN OUR COUNTRY.

EXECUTIVES, YOU ASK … THE COMMON WORKING MAN
HOW MUCH EXECUTIVES SHOULD MAKE, MORE THAN THEM,
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE AVERAGE … ah … LINE WORKER WOULD SAY, EXECUTIVES SHOULD MAKE MORE THAN THEM ?

According to a recent Pew Research Pole, they said
I think that guy, he's got bigger responsibility than me.
I'm just doing this job.
He's learned some things I haven't learned.
I think he should make SEVEN TIMES MORE THAN ME.

That's pretty generous.

Do you KNOW WHAT the average Executive makes, more than the average line worker ?
THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY FOUR … TIMES … MORE.

( 36:43 )

That is going to create "CLASS WARFARE", it's going to create problems, and IT'S UNJUST.
And I'm going to tell you, if you're a business here at Watermark, I'M ASKING YOU,
DON'T MAKE THE GOVERNMENT PAY YOUR PEOPLE GENEROUSLY.
YOU CUT INTO YOUR PROFIT MARGINS.
YOU LOVE YOUR PEOPLE.
YOU PAY THEM … GENEROUSLY AND HELP THEM PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILY, CARE FOR THEM.

IT IS OUR JOB.
WE GOT TO … BY THE WAY …
YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING GREAT ?
YOU GIVE PEOPLE JOBS.
We've got a ministry here called "FAITH AT WORK" … where we're trying to get … ah … OWNERS OF COMPANIES to work with us.
It's a PROGRAM, and get a hold of us, J. WARDON AT Watermark dot Org.
Just E-Mail the Church.
We're trying to WORK WITH YOU in a disciple-ship program, to give people … jobs,
where they can provide for their family,
and be a productive member to society.

Gang, it's what we should do.
It's what LOVERS OF PEOPLE DO.
This is BIBLICAL.
Alright?
A workman is worthy of his wages.

And we can't just keep inviting an indigent worker in here,
so we can pay him a little less,
so he can make more here than he'd make down there,
… and act like it's some blessing.

By the way, if you're hiring and aging for somebody who's an illegal immigrant,
You are VIOLATING THE RULE OF LAW … AND YOU ARE A LAW BREAKER.
And I'm going to tell you to STOP DOING IT.
You're PART OF THE PROBLEM.
And the reason you're doing it, is because of GREED, … and it's helping YOU.

AND IT'S WRONG … AND UN-BIBLICAL.

( 38:06 )

RIGHTEOUSNESS EXALTS A NATION, BUT SIN IS A DISGRACE TO ANY PEOPLE.

OUR JOB, gang, IS TO BE INDIVIDUALS …
THAT SPEAK THE TRUTH ,
… THAT STAND FIRM IN THE FAITH,
… AND THAT LOVE OTHERS .

Now let me just do this very quickly, because I told you earlier, that there is some folks that READ CERTAIN VERSES in scripture,
and they go,
Well see, is sounds like what we should do is JUST WELCOME EVERYBODY.
Let me explain this to you.
I'm going to read you a few verses.
In Leviticus 19, verses 33 and 34, it says:
When a stranger resides with you … in your land, YOU SHALL NOT DO HIM WRONG.
… THE STRANGER WHO RESIDES WITH YOU, SHALL BE TO YOU AS THE NATIVE AMONG YOU,
AND YOU SHALL LOVE HIM AS YOURSELF.
FOR REMEMBER, YOU WERE STRANGERS IN THE LAND OF EGYPT.
I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD.
This is VERY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE ABRAHAM, you remember, WAS A SOJOURNER, HE WAS A ALIEN.
But want it is saying HERE is … you were specifically, a "gerim", a "geri" , a "ger ", depending on how you want to pronounce the Hebrew, a "gerim" .
Okay ?
There is ANOTHER WORD …THAT IS USED … IN THE SCRIPTURE that's translated "FOREIGNER", or sometimes "STRANGER", just like the word "gerim".
Unfortunately, it … uh … at times, … uh, … in certain translations, the SAME WORD IS USED, and IT IS A DIFFERENT PERSON.
Okay, the "ger " … is WHAT Abraham WAS.
He showed up,
he ask permission to come,
while he was there, he adopted the SOCIAL … and LEGAL … CUSTOMS OF THE LAND;
He DID NOT take on the MORALITY of the LAND;
But HE … WORKED WITHIN THE SYSTEM … and was A MAN OF PEACE in a LAND that OFFERED HIM PEACE.
He was called A SOJOURNER or A STRANGER,
and like I said, He ADOPTED THE SOCIAL AND LEGAL CUSTOMS.
Ah, IN ISRAEL, when you were a SOJOURNER, you were EXPECTED, uh … NOT NECESSARILY TO … ah, OFFER THE SAME SACRIFICES,
OR TO BE A JEW, BUT YOU HAD TO OBSERVE THE CUSTOM OF THE LAND IF YOU WERE GOING TO BE A "GERIM" .
So you practiced THE SABBATH.
Maybe not as a religious observances, but that's what we DO in this LAND.
You become a SETTLER.
It becomes your new home.
You RESIDE there.
That's "GERIM" .
That's whats going on in Leviticus 19.

There's ANOTHER WORD, it's, it's … it's the WORD "nekar", or, or it's translated sometimes in other places "zuwr", and it's the WORD FOR SOMEBODY
WHO IS LIKE AN INVADING ENEMY, … OR SQUATTER .

So in Lamentations, chapter 5, when ISRAEL WAS OUT OF THE LAND, some "nekar" came, and they were STRANGERS IN THE LAND, and THEY JUST SQUATTED.
AND THEY ACTED LIKE IT WAS THEIR'S WHEN IT WASN'T THEIR'S.
AND THEY TREATED IT LIKE IT WAS THEIR'S WHEN IT WASN'T THEIRS,
AND THEY EXPECTED BENEFITS FROM THE LAND, WHEN THEY SHOULDN'T OF HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY.
These verses that I'm about to read to you, talk about the "GERIM" . .
We have a SYSTEM to WELCOME PEOPLE TO our country.

Now look, one of the things YOU NEED TO KNOW … IF YOU ARE AN UN-EDUCATED, MIGRANT WORKER,
AND YOU WANT TO GET LEGALLY ADMITTED TO OUR COUNTRY,
there's an average wait of A HUNDRED AND THIRTY FIVE YEARS to get in.

There's already 5 MILLION PEOPLE, some un-educated, some educated, that are looking, and have applied for LEGAL IMMIGRATION.

WE CAN'T SAY,
Hey, the guys that get here first, get in.
We've got to have the people that are ALREADY HERE, though, that are IN OUR LAND,
MAYBE BECAUSE WE'VE LET THEM; MAYBE WE'VE LET THEM ASSIMILATE:
WE'VE GOT TO GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO COME OUTSIDE THAT SHADOW AND SAY
"I AM HERE.
I CAME ILLEGALLY .
I NEED TO MAKE AMENDS.
I NRED TO FIGURE OUT HOW I CAN PAY BACK-TAXES.
… PAY INTO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM,
CONTRIBUTE TO THIS NATION."
By the way, I did my work this week.
If you're here and you're an ILLEGAL, …
Okay ?
If you're not a LAW-BREAKER,
If you've adopted the SOCIAL and LEGAL MORES of our LAND,
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO RUN YOU OUT.
We're too limited in resources.
We can't track you all down.
In fact, if you raise your hand,
ESPECIALLY if you've got someone in your family who is LEGALIZED,
if you've have a child, or a spouse, or a family member,
there's an opportunity for you to get in that process,
and begin to become a LEGALIZED CITIZEN.
But we can't just DECLARE AMNESTY, ONE AND ALL.
We've got to put … AN … "ORDERED … SYSTEM" … IN … TO … PLACE .

And be LOVING, and KIND, to those that are HERE.
WE GOT TO CALL PEOPLE HERE … TO WORK …
I'm going to STOP ENABLING OUR CITIZENS,
and we've got to INVITE OTHERS WHO WANT TO INVEST IN OUR NATION WITH US, THE OPPORTUNITY.

( 42:18 )

Alright ?
That;s not MY IDEAL, THAT'S THE BIBLE'S .

But let me show you this.
AGAIN, THE BIBLE TEACHES "WELCOME", NOT "BLANKET AMNESTY" .
Okay, we find both "WALLS" and "WELCOME" in the Bible.
But here's what should happen with every "gerim".
This is important, and then, I'm going to close.
Exodus 22 says "YOU SHALL NOT WRONG A STRANGER, OR OPPRESS HIM . "
That's a "gerim", the person who's HERE, because he's maybe got … uh, "NATIVE" … uh, TIES, OR BECAUSE HE'S NOT YET FULLY STABILIZED .
YOU SHOULD NOT UNDER-PAY HIM .
You should not ,,, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HIS NON-LEGAL STATUS TO EXPLOIT HIM .
'Cause what's he going to do, … file a complaint ?
Show himself to be here, wrongly ?

Okay, by the way, our job is to make sure … when we find somebody who's here ILLEGALLY,
we got to say,
"LISTEN, YOUR HOPE IS NOT STAYING IN AMERICA.
You've got to DO THE RIGHT THING.
THIS IS MY COUNSEL TO ALL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.
"TRIUST IN THE LORD, AND DO GOOD.
DWELL IN THE LAND AND CULTIVATE FAITHFULNESS ."
By the way, Psalm 37:4, this is my counsel to all "NATIVE AMERICANS" :
"TRUST IN THE LORD … AND DO GOOD .
DWELL IN THIS LAND, … AND CULTIVATE FAITHFULNESS .
SEEK FIRST HIS KINGDOM, AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS."

It's the same counsel.

And if you tell people, that being a LAW-BREAKER to live in America … is better than being A HUMBLE FOLLOWER OF CHRIST,
YOU DON'T KNOW MY GOSPEL .
But you ought to CARE FOR THEM, and COME ALONG SIDE OF THEM, and DO WHAT YOU CAN .
Watch, while they're HERE, it says … um, in verse 33 of Leviticus 19 , it says, again:
" WHEN A STRANGER RESIDES WITH YOU IN THE LAND, YOU SHALL NOT DO HIM WRONG.
THE STRANGER WHO RESIDES WITH YOU SHALL BE TO YOU AS THE NATIVE AMONG YOU.
AND YOU SHALL LOVE HIM , FOR YOU WERE ALIENS IN EGYPT ."
Listen to this, Numbers 15:15 and 16 :
" AS FOR THE ASSEMBLY, THERE SHALL BE ONE STATUE FOR YOU, the … uh,
… AND FOR THE ALIEN ."
In another words, you treat him JUST THE SAME.
This is the "RESIDING", in effect, LEGAL RESIDENT.
" A PERPETUAL STATUTE THROUGHOUT YOUR GENERATIONS,
AS YOUR ARE, SO SHALL THE ALIEN BE, BEFORE THE LORD.
THERE IS TO BE ONE LAW AND ONE ORDINANCE FOR YOU AND THE ALIEN WHO SOJOURNS WITH YOU."

"THE SAME LAW …" Exodus 12:49 says, "… SHALL APPLY."
And when we've got people here that says,
"That law doesn't apply to me.
I'm not going to work; I'm not going to contribute; I'm not going to report."
That's A PROBLEM.

( 44:43 )

Our job is help them understand HOW THEY can be prosperous in the land in which THEY live.
Work WITH THEM to form a GOVERNMENT and a SYSTEM, …. that's going to lead to prosperity and show opportunity.
Now LISTEN, we've got a SYSTEM for "POLITICAL ASYLUM" here, when there are individuals who are … OPPRESSED … AND ABUSED.

It's not easy, but it's there, and it OUGHT to be there.
About 700 THOUSAND people a year, just on ASYLUM, not normal Immigration, are accepted into our country, … every single year.
But gang, let me just get back to here, where I REALLY WANT TO FOCUS WITH YOU AND I.

I mentioned to you that … um, our job … is to understand where REAL FREEDOM COME FROM,
and it's not in America.
It comes from a relationship with JESUS CHRIST.
And you've got to ask yourself, RIGHT HERE … RIGHT NOW,
HOW AM I DOING ?
AM I MORE COMMITTED TO THE GREAT COMMISSION ?
OR AM I … COMMITTED TO A GREAT ADMISSION INTO OUR LAND ?

And I'm so proud of certain people.
My daughter at Texas "A" and "M" … she's not JUST a "good aggie"; she's a "good American" …
Alright ?
Because she is … ORDERING herself … in a way to find REAL life, and liberty, and happiness.
She was on a bus, a couple of months ago, in "Aggie Land", trying to figure out "where to go" .
She had moved, she didn't know "what bus" to get to where she was going to go., and bus to "where" she was going to go.
And she realized, she was on the wrong bus.
And she looked over, and there was 2 other gals … that were on that same bus, that happened to be wearing Burqas.
She found out later, they were from Bangladesh.

And she walked over to them, and she said,
Are you guys lost ?

And they kind of looked at each other, and they go,
Yeah, we think we might be.
And so they started laughing together.
And Kirbie said,
Tell me where you're from.

These girls had been through a Under-Graduate … Training … ah, here in our country, and now were Graduate Students.

And my daughter befriended them, … said
Tell me more about Bangladesh.
Tell me more about your belief.
Why do you wear a Burqa ?
Tell me more about Islam.
So she could WIN THE RIGHT to SHARE WITH THEM ABOUT HER GOD, AND ABOUT HER HOPE.
She said,
I want to cook you an American Dinner.
And they went
We've never had an American Dinner.
We've never been over to an American's house, in the 4 years that we've been here.

Now here's a little girl that says,
I'm going to LOVE YOU IN MY LAND .
I'm going to BUILD A RELATIONSHIP with you because you are a "gerim".
You're here, SOJOURNING through.
Let me LOVE YOU AND CARE FOR YOU, THE WAY I WOULD WANT SOMEBODY TO CARE FOR ME.

Ah … Other members of our body … work at a place, where right across the street from where they work, … they put a Mosque in.
People at their place were
Can you believe that, they put a Mosque over there ?
On Fridays, they have police officers out there, you know, … and lots of folks come and go to this very large Mosque.
In the same way that there's police out in front of OUR building on a Sunday.
So you know what they DID ?

They said,
We're going to go to that Mosque.
We're going to go … to their … when they call for their prayer, we're going to GO OVER THERE.
And so, they went, and they dressed modestly.
They … they covered their heads.

And they went over there, and they, they walked and they sat in the "Sister's Section", upstairs, in the back.

And it, when the people … they said,
Why are you here ?
Americans are NEVER here.
Why are you here ?
And they go:
We are here … because we are Christians, and WE LOVE MUSLIMS .
On fact, we frequently (and they do) go … to other parts of the world, where … Muslims have, as their native land …
And we love them there.
We thought, "Why wouldn't we love you, here?"
When those girls bowed, the other one … to "Allah", to pray for them, …
They bow and pray for them, in the name of Jesus Christ.

They developed relationships with them.
ONE OF THEM … when a girl was invited into her house, … and their kids, that were invited over, were very … the Arab children … were extremely excited,
were running around, were chaotic, and the Muslim woman said,
I am so embarrassed.
Will you please forgive me ?
My kids are out of control.
And they go:
That's okay.

No it's not okay.
It is NOT THE WAY my children would behave.
But you've got understand something.
We've been in America for 7 YEARS, … and this is the FIRST TIME they've ever been inside an American's home.

( 48:20 )

And my friends, that's not how it should be, … in this city.

You ought to be LOVING PEOPLE, … and find out "THERE'S A PERSON UNDERNEATH THAT BURQA " .
THERE'S A PERSON BEHIND THAT LAWN MOWER.
THERE'S A PERSON BEHIND THAT COUNTER, AT YOUR FAST FOOD ESTABLISHMENT .
THERE'S A PERSON BEHIND THAT SECURITY DESK .
THERE'S A PERSON … THERE … who wants to be loved.
If you're a Muslim, you don't know "WHAT LOVE IS" .
There's 99 name for "Allah" in … in the "Quran" .
NONE OF THEM … HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH LOVE.
You know that ?
And so, when they run into a person who is ' "LOVING THEM" IN THE NAME OF GOD ', they don't know that God.
And it's going to OPEN UP THE DOORS .
I love what Kirbie's doing.
I love what my other friends are doing.
And I CHALLENGE YOU to do it.
WE … HAVE GOT TO BE … DISCIPLE MAKERS … who LOVE PEOPLE, and take responsibility for the folks that are here, THE "GERIM" THAT SHOULD BE HERE .

And we've got to STOP … we've got to stop, … out of our OWN SELFISHNESS AND GREED … welcoming others in.

And we've got to thing about HOW WE CAN CARE FOR THEM, maybe WHERE THEY ARE.
Bringing them HERE … is not the right thing to do.

Gang, a number of years ago, … um. I was engaging one of the guys that worked here in one of our maintenance groups.
And uh, I got to talking to him, just asking him more about his story.
And I found out that he was here as an Illegal Immigrant.

He had swam the river.
And I just said,
Leno, … I love you, but … but … you can not work here.
I said,
I love you, but we're not going to give up on you.
If other people are going to hire you, that's THEIR business.
But you're not going to be employed here.
But we're going to keep pursuing you.
This is his story.

( 49:57 )
[ shows video ]

LENO LAJOS: My name is Leno Lajos, and I was … ah … born in …uh, Mexico, outside the city, ah … in a very small town.
My mom was … was a full-time mom, at home, and my dad was … ah, working here, in the United States.
He was providing for us, over in Mexico, … saving some money, because every 2 years, he would go back … to Mexico.
He would spend some time with us.
When the money ran out at home, he would come back over to the U.S. for work.
One time, like, … he was going to come to United States, he said a "Good Bye" and it was, uh … the saddest "Good Bye" ever, 'cause he was in tears,
As um, … he hugs us, that "Good Bye", that seemed to be …um … really sad, … became somehow real.
And ah, … a few days, when he left, um … our town, we got the news that … he had an accident in the river.
The boat that, um … the one where he was in … had, ah … capsized.
He and other men … ah … died … in, in … in the river.

My brothers and I, were so little, we ... we couldn't … we couldn't work.
So … my mom had to step out, and um, … figured out a way to provide … for a house.
We had family here … in the United States, back then, … and so, my mom thought on coming to the United States.
So she decided to come FIRST.
As she … find her work here in the United States, she would send money … over there, uh … to provide for our needs.
She … started bring us, one by one.
I was the last one to come.
It was hard for me.
When I got to face the river, … and to see the boat, … the one I was going to go in.
I had some … heart feelings, some worries … to remember, that my dad had passed away in that same river,
and that… that also, could happen to me.

But, we made it … to the other side, and I met with my family, my mom and my 2 brothers.
They lived over in the east Dallas area, ah … with my uncles.
My older brother and I decided to help my mom.
My uncles, they helped us to work … with the maintenance company.
A year and a half later, my mom decided to … ah, … move to our own place.
Also, I got … I got married, and also, I was going to college.
During that period of time … I, … I got transferred to … Watermark.
I did that for about … ah, … 2 years, … until they … they found out … my status was "Not Legal" .
They offered me help to get "Legal" .
When applying for the "Citizenship", we got on the phone, just to find out more … more about
What are some options … ah, on me becoming "Legal" ?
There wasn't uh, … very good options.
So we kind of just left, uh, things like that, and I had to … go to another place and work.
I guess I couldn't … couldn't stay there without being legal.
So, that happened for a period of … 2 or 3 years, and … then finally, there was a law that … passed, called uh, … "Deferral Action" ,
and … that allow me to become "Legal".
So, Watermark invited me … to come and work with them again.

Through all the stuff that was happening in my life, I think it was just … too much of stuff going on.
I left the school, and I was … I was just working, and my wife wanted to have a child.
She got pregnant and, … just several months … later, we discovered that the child had some complications.
Between 7th and 9th month, our child had, uh … pasted away.
We just … we were so broken.
She was so desperate on having ANOTHER child, … but I was not … ready to.
I think it created pain, and certain things that … wasn't healthy for our marriage.
We both were unfaithful to each other.
Um, … And … it was on a Friday, I came to Watermark, and I was … just kind of overwhelmed.
And I had these … this emptiness … on me, and …I needed to spoke to somebody.
And I remember, I came straight to Jim Wemberly, he's the Staff Pastor.
I knocked his door, … and he opened.
And I say,
Hey Jim, do you have a couple minutes.
And I was just so … need to talk to somebody.
And he said,
Yes. Come on in, buddy.
And so, I went into his office, and … I just started open my heart, you know.
I said,
Hey Jim, this is what's happening.
You know, I need help.
Could you pray for us ?
When he heard me, and he seed me as I was, so broken.
He come straight in, and … and said …
The first thing he said to me,
Know that God loves you, Leno.
And just by know … just by hearing, that gave me a relief.
And so he starts … sharing the Gospel with me.
GOD love me SO MUCH that … Christ DIED for my sin.
And I was … THAT was what I needed to hear.
The EMPTINESS that I had in me, is because … I wasn't … I was not LOVED by the one who TRULY LOST, which it … which is Jesus Christ.
As a new creation, I'm dying MORE to MYSELF, to my sin.
I'm learning to put others FIRST, than myself, just like Jesus did when He was on Earth.
The life that I was searching for … was not found in the land.
But it was found in Christ.

[ End of Leno Lajos's video ]

( 55:39 )

TODD WAGNER: Huh.
The life that we're searching for is not found in the land.
It's found in the Lord.

And while they're HERE, … LEGALY for ILLEGALLY, … to NOT LOVE THEM is insane.

To let FOREIGNERS … ILLEGALLY be among us … is insane.
To not have a SYSTEM that will WELCOME THEM, and GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY … TO EXPLOIT THEM … IS UNGODLY.

These are complicated problems.
We've created OUR OWN PROBLEMS here.
And we're going to have to … make HARD DECISIONS to DEAL WITH THEM.
And YOU NEED TO SPEAK "HOPE" TO PEOPLE, THAT THEIR "HOPE" IS NOT IN THIS COUNTRY.

THE "HOPE" IS IN JESUS CHRIST .

That means you have to have a RELATIONSHIP with them, to SAY THAT.
You don't just say,
I'll PRAY FOR YOU AND SEND THEM OUT.

MY BIBLE SAYS, YOU DO THAT … YOU'RE WORTHLESS AND YOUR FAITH IS DEAD .

INITIATE … ENGAGE …
Find out, "WHAT'S BEHIND THE BURQA" .

Find out, "WHAT'S BEHIND THE ACCENT" .
Let them know "WHAT'S BEHIND THE VEIL OF DARKNESS … AND HOPELESSNESS" .
That is "THE AMERICAN WAY" .

It's the "HOPE OF JESUS CHRIST" .
And IF YOU KNOW HIM, YOU … HAVE THAT.
And YOU WANT TO HELP THEM IMMIGRATE INTO THAT LAND, … WHERE THE PRICE HAS ALREADY BEEN PAID, … AND ALL ARE WELCOME.
AND YOU CAN MAKE THEM DISCIPLES SO, IF THEY EVER NEED TO GO BACK
… THEY CAN BE MISSIONARIES IN THEIR LAND.

GOD IS ALWAYS SOVEREIGN.




I was … going to share with you the story of The Story of "Squanto".
If you don't KNOW IT, MAKE IT YOUR THANKS-GIVING HOMEWORK … TO IT FIND .
"Squanto" is AN AMERICAN INDIAN, (very quickly) that was KIDNAPPED, SOLD INTO SLAVERY, … and was LATER BROUGHT BACK HERE …
HAD LEARNED THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE SO, WHEN THE PILGRIMS CAME, AND WERE ABOUT TO DIE, …
GOD HAD A PLAN .
… AND HE HAD SOMEBODY ALREADY WHO COULD SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE, WHO WAS HERE … WHO HELPED THEM SURVIVE … AND FORMED THIS LAND … SO THAT WE MIGHT BE FREE .

You believe in the sovereignty and goodness of God, then declare it.
Be "Declairationers" .

If you're here, and you need to immigrate to the "Land of Freedom", come.
You can come through Jesus Christ.
There isn't … A HUNDRED AND THIRTY FIVE YEAR AVERAGE WAIT .
You can come RIGHT NOW, and deal with your sin.

And then, if you KNOW HIM, would you, … YOURSELF, … not wait for our country, … to deal with educational in-justice …
Would YOU JUMP with us … as we disciple and mentor kids, in towns where they can't be educated like our kids ?
If you're employing people:

would you pay them a "Fair Wage" ?
Would you ask them "What it's like" ?
Would you go VISIT THEIR HOME ?

Would YOU CREAT JOBS, that people who DO HAVE A RIGHT TO WORK HERE, CAN WORK IN A WAY … WHERE THEY'RE NOT DEPENDENT ON WELFARE OR CHARITY, … SO THAT THEY HAVE DIGNITY ?
DON'T JUST DO IT "BECAUSE YOU CAN" .
THAT IS GODLESS .

( 58:37 )

FATHER, I pray that WE REPENT .

I pray that we would MOVE TOWARD YOU.

AND THAT AS WE LIVE WITH YOU, WE CAN INVITE OTHERS IN.

WE THANK YOU FATHER .
THERE IS NO WALL.
THERE IS NO RESTRICTION.
IT IS A "WELCOME" .
COME, ALL WHO ARE WEARY .
I KNOW THERE ARE PEOPLE HERE, THAT ARE LEGAL CITIZENS OF AMERICA, THAT ARE MISERABLE …
… BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT FOLLOWING YOUR DECLARATION THAT THERE IS LIFE WITH CHRIST.
WOULD YOU HELP US TEACH THEM TO OBSERVE EVERYTHING YOU'VE COMMANDED ?
WOULD YOU SET THEM FREE ?
WOULD YOU USE US AS … COMPASSIONATE, KIND, WISE PEOPLE TO SEEK THE WELFARE OF OUR COUNTRY, THAT OTHERS MAY SHARE IN THAT,
AND SO THAT THEIR LANDS CAN BE WELL, AS WELL .
THANK YOU THAT YOU LOVE ALL THE NATIONS, FATHER .
MAY WE BE YOUR SERVANT IN THEM.
IN CHRIST'S NAME,

AMEN .

Have a great week of worship.
We'll see you.

WATERMARK
COMMUNITY CHURCH

( 59:32 )

[Yosemitest]

While I really need to think about this for quite a while, I agree with most of it.
This is the first time I've listen to Todd Wagner, and I thank Glenn Beck for having him on his radio program.

Ya'll have at it.
I checked it many times for formatting error and typos, and I believe I got them all, but I'm tired, so forgive me if I missed any.
I'm tired and may not respond for several hours.
I need some sleep.

Rush Limbaugh, please take a real good read of this and watch the video, or have someone provide you with a "briefing" on it.
There's a lot or f really good ideals here.

[Nifster]

Milton Friedman explained the simple economics of having open borders when you have a give away society. As long as that is true we MUST NOT allow our borders to be a sieve. God does not require us to commit societal suicide to be faithful

[donna]

How can we claim that it is good to bring children to America to learn, in our public schools, the following:
1) Abortion
2) Gay marriage
3) Sex education
4) Socialism
5) America is a bad country

Add anything you want to the list; whatever you add is not something a Christian wants children exposed to.

Better for them to stay in their own country with a family that loves them and won’t sell them to a pedophile.

[Yosemitest]

I agree.

[Yosemitest]

It reminds me
that EVERYTHING we said would happen,
IF "Sex education" WAS ALLOWED INTO our schools, back in the 60s,
when we were trying to keep it out,
and the "Parents Teachers Association" CONTROLLED the school's agenda,
… HAS HAPPENED,
and EVEN MORE THAT WE COULDN'T CONCEIVE OF AT THAT TIME … HAS HAPPENED

[48th SPS]

I am a Christian and fully support Immigration to our nation. I do not supoport criminals. I can pray for them, I can try to steer them to the right path, but I am not called to enable them.

[Yosemitest]

We should not enable criminals, or for that matter, ANYONE who would bring this country to destruction.
I really like this sermon, and all the FACTS that are in it, and how its logic flows.
But I'm not sure I hold the same beliefs as Todd Wagner.
Sure, most people want to help others.
But don't forget:

"I send you forth as sheep IN THE MIDST OF WOLVES:
be ye therefore WISE AS SERPENTS, and harmless as doves."

To "DO JUSTICE" would require "JUST" and "GODLY" judges, as well as applying that requirement of those who sit on the jury.
We don't have that today.
But we desperately need it.

Sometimes, … NO, MOST TIMES TODAY, we are way too lenient with criminals, unless the criminals are "conservatives" ( which is pretty rare).

Criminals must ADMIT their guilt.

ONLY AFTER THEN … can they REPENT of their CRIMES.

Then they MUST ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY for their crimes, and the "JUST" sentence they are given.

They MUST … MAKE AMENDS,
OR ELSE … it's time to send them to their Maker.

And after He resurrects them in the second resurrection and gives them their chance, and THEY ARE FULLY AWARE THAT GOD IS REAL, they will have NO EXCUSE.

After that, beings aware that they have died AND God HAS RESURRECTED THEM, if they still reject his "calling" they WILL MEET THEIR FINAL JUSTICE; " … but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed."

[donna]

Sex education:

I know I don’t want to talk to other parents’ children about sex - it’s just not right.

Why is it that public schools are full of teachers eager to do that very thing?

Those teachers are not normal people and should not be around children.

[Yosemitest]

...it’s just not right.

I agree.
Too many perverts have become government employees by becoming teachers, so they can get access to their targets.

But on the subject of ILLEGAL ALIENS, and how to fix the problem, that sermon is packed with great information.

[donna]

We have already solved the illegal alien problem with current law. It is just not enforced because some people want slave labor and others want anarchy.

[Yosemitest]

The ILLEGAL ALIEN IN CHIEF has made the problem much worse.
A great help would be to "ENFORCE THE LAW" as written BEFORE the Kenyan Turd got into office.
The "Indentured Servitude" they're trapping these people into, is what Obama is all about.

He's a BIBLICAL CURSE !

Remember:
Don't let anyone deceive you in any way,
for [that day will not come] until the rebellion occurs
and the man of LAWLESSNESS is revealed,
the man doomed to destruction.
He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped,
so that he sets himself up in God's temple,
proclaiming himself to be God.
Don't you remember that when I was with you
I used to tell you these things?
And now you know WHAT is holding him back,
so that he may be revealed
at the proper time.
For the secret power of LAWLESSNESS is already at work;
but the one who now holds it back
will continue to do so
till he is taken out of the way.
And then the LAWLESS ONE will be revealed,
whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth
and destroy by the splendor of his coming.
The coming of the LAWLESS ONE will be in accordance with the work of Satan
displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders,
and IN EVERY SORT OF EVIL
THAT DECEIVES those who are perishing.
They perish
because THEY REFUSED to love the truth
and so be saved.
For this reason
God sends them
a POWERFUL DELUSION
so that THEY WILL BELIEVE THE LIE
and so that ALL will be condemned
who have NOT BELIEVED the truth
but have DELIGHTED in wickedness.