Which flag is illegal to burn?

Answer: The rainbow colored flag which is now known to represent “gay pride”.

As far as I know, it is not a crime to burn an American flag. If a person were to steal one, if criminal charges were even brought forth, it would only be the lowest class misdemeanor possible because the criminal charge would be based upon the financial loss which, in the case of a flag, would be relatively little.

16 years for burning a “gay pride” flag
Recently I reported on a man from Iowa who was sent to prison for 16 years for taking an LGBT flag from a church and then burning it outside of a strip club.

To be clear, he had stolen the flag. However, it was the reason that he burned the homosexual’s flag that prosecutors seemed to have a problem with. It was this crime, combined with some previous offenses, that brought about his severe sentencing.

So why did the prosecutors have such a problem with the man burning the homosexual’s flag? Why did he have to pay such a high price for doing that when burning the American flag would almost be considered a non-event?

Thought crimes
It was because of the man’s reasons; his thoughts; his values; his morals.

To steal an American would be considered a misdemeanor. In the eyes of the state, the only value the American flag has is in the purchase price.

Not so with the homosexual pride flag. Burning a homosexual pride flag is a felony which means it carries a much stronger penalty. So why is burning the homosexual pride flag a felony and not a misdemeanor like the American flag? Because of American values, morals, thoughts. There is a greater value placed on the homosexual’s flag than the American flag.

In other words, while the American flag is not idolized (and rightfully so), the “gay pride rainbow flag” IS idolized.

You can’t legislate morality
Have you ever heard that before? It is a common mantra among those who choose to mock the laws of God.

It is ridiculous; absolutely ridiculous. Those same people who say that you can not legislate morality will also say that it should be illegal to murder or steal: Two of the Ten commandments.

All laws; ALL laws are a reflection of “morals”. The only question on the matter is which “morals you want to live by. In other countries, laws are passed with little or no consent of the populace. In America, it was different until Americans chose to surrender their authority to others.

Obviously, I spoke in the past tense and obviously the shift is not yet complete. However, the change is well underway.

America was created as a republic
America was not created as a democracy. America is a republic. That means that the American government is based upon the rule of law: And in America’s case, it is based upon God’s laws.

However, this issue is just one example of how that is changing. We see that, here in America, the citizenry has decided that the homosexual flag is worth more than the American flag: Not because of its replacement value, but because of its intrinsic value. Other changes are also evidence of this foundational shift.

It seems that America has decided that the intrinsic value of the homosexual flag is greater than the intrinsic value of the American flag.

Idolatry
It could very well be said that when the man burned the homosexual’s flag he was burning an idol, or at very least the representation of an idol. The idol of sexual idolatry. The tendency to make an idol of sex is a feature of a decadent American culture: A violation of the first of the Ten Commandments. There is nothing wrong with sex if it is kept in its proper, Godly, context. However sexual idolatry is satanic as we see even in the garden in Eden.

Proverbs tells us that as a man THINKS in his heart, so is he. That man that was sentenced to 16 years was sentenced, not because he burned a $15.00 flag, but because of what he was THINKING when he did it.

Send the message: Loud and clear
The message is clear. If you think that America should burn it is acceptable: But if you THINK that a homosexual flag should burn, then you will pay the price. If you hold America dear, it really doesn’t matter: But you had better not rise against sexual idolatry.

In George Orwell’s book “1984”, he writes ” “The thought police would get him just the same. He had committed–would have committed, even if he had never set pen to paper–the essential crime that contained all others in itself. Thoughtcrime, they called it. Thoughtcrime was not a thing that could be concealed forever. You might dodge successfully for a while, even for years, but sooner or later they were bound to get you.”

Today in America, fear seems to rule the day. People seem to think that if they just keep quiet, they will be left alone. However, that is not the case.

Polycarp
In the second century, there was a man named Polycarp. He had been the disciple of John the Apostle. Polycarp lived in an area that was under Roman authority.

It was Roman law that everyone had to worship ceaser. It was well known that Polycarp worshiped Yahweh God. One day the Roman soldiers tracked Polycarp down and brought him to the magistrate. He was given the opportunity to worship ceaser but refused. As a result, they tried to burn him at the stake but he wouldn’t burn. A soldier finally thrust a spear into him and, at 86 years of age, Polycarp stepped into eternity.

While hypocrites and the cowardly may think that they can have one foot in both camps, in actuality, it is impossible. All through history people have been forced to choose what God they would serve.

You can not serve two masters

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Matthew 6:24

Either you will be accepted by man and rejected by God, or you will be rejected by man and embraced by God. You choose. You can’t have it both ways.

Perhaps you can stay silent for a while and avoid the thought police, but in the end, as the Bible says, Orwell said, and history has proven time and again, you will be identified one way or another.

Choose whom you will serve; or else!
At some point, you will be required to confess your allegiance. Will it be to man? Will it be to the satan? Or will it be to the King of the Universe?

However, what few people seem to realize is that even now, that decision is required of you. No, perhaps not by the state, if you are in America: But by God Himself.

Yeshua said that if you deny me before men then I will deny you before the Father. Certainly, that could be when you are bound and standing before some representative of the state as in the case of Polycarp.

However, it is critical that you remember that you are standing before God even now: And when you fail to represent God, as the covenant you made with Him says you will, then you have denied Him. EVERY time you choose not to represent God, when you have the opportunity, you deny Him. Every time you choose apathy over action you deny Him. Every time you choose to do nothing, when you could have done something, you deny Him. Every time you purposely choose to not help a Brother or Sister in need, every time you choose to not stand for what is right, you deny Him. Every time you have the opportunity to share the Gospel, the love of God, and you don’t, you deny Him.

Of course, all of this is based upon following the Word and Spirit of God but I am sure you get the idea.

As of this writing, because of extreme sacrifices made by others, in most cases, you still have the power of the vote in America. You can still become involved in local politics. You can still openly share the Gospel. There is no greater way to make a difference than to share the love of God with a lost soul.

Thoughts are rooted in the spirit

Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou loves is sick. When Jesus heard that, He said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. 

John 11:3-4 

In these verses Yeshua was presented with a physical reality; Lazarus was “dead”. However, in His spirit, Yeshua “thought” “Lazarus may have “died, but he is not “dead”.

Later, upon arrival at Lazarus’ tomb, Yeshua was told that he had already been dead four days. Nevertheless, Yeshua called to Lazarus and said “come forth”. While others “thought” that Lazarus was dead, Yeshua “thought” that He was not.

That is part of what empowered Yeshua to call Lazarus back into his body.

While thoughts are housed in the soul, the basis for those thoughts reside in the spirit. It is your spirit that enables you to unite with God. It is your spirit that allows you to have the mind of Christ, enabling you to choose life or death

While God watches, He extends great mercy upon people. However, man is not so kind. Days are coming to America in which you will no longer be able to hide your allegiance; to whatever it may be. Like Polycarp and hundreds of millions that have gone before, and followed after, the day that you will be forced to choose or deny God are rapidly approaching.

Confident faith
I am not saying that you will be brought up before a magistrate and asked to deny Yeshua; although that is a possibility. What I am saying is extreme evil is being unleashed upon the earth right now: Evil that can not be subdued by any other means than the power of God. Fence riding will no longer be an option. At some point, for some reason, you will probably be required to either call upon God or suffer the consequences of denying Him.

Today, I encourage you to choose life. Make a conscious choice to choose life and you will never die. God is waiting. He eagerly awaits the opportunity to partner with you in a real way; beginning now.

Parson Rayphe
God’s Kingdom Realm