TN HOUSE RESOLUTION 0803: A MONTH OF REPENTANCE

“The Tennessee House Joint Resolution 0803 solemnly designates the period from July 1–31, 2024, as a crucial time of prayer and fasting. This is a time when we, as a community, unite in our plea for God’s hand of mercy and healing.”

As to be expected, these congressmen are careful to “recognize that God, as Creator and King of all glory, has both the authority to judge and to bless nations or states” (012438, p.2, para. 15). Yet, they omit the “Name above all names” (Phil 2:9):

Jesus.

“King of kings. Lord of lords” (Rev 17:14; 19:16) to Whom “all authority has been given on heaven and on earth” (Matt. 28:18).

These state legislators would like you to believe they are calling for a state-wide month of repentance. A state-wide mission of crying out for mercy and grace.

Perhaps you are wondering, to whom are they calling you to direct your prayers and fasting?

“God.” Apparently, the god of your choosing.

Repent from what?

If you read the resolution, it is a blanket request— No real admission of guilt. No specific sins against the Holy of Holies…

Just: “We recognize our shortcomings… and humbly ask His forgiveness” (p. 3, para. 2).

Shortcomings? Are you serious? That was supposed to be asking humbly?

Do you know what it means to be humble?

No. No, you do not. If you did, you would not have given us stone-cold silence when Pastor Ashley asked you to come clean with your “resolution for repentance.”

But as usual – you don’t really want to repent… or truly surrender… You, like the rest of this corrupt, filthy group of rags, want a Savior – but not the Lord of lords, to lord over you.

Otherwise – you, at the bare minimum, would call out to Him by His Holy Name.

Jesus. (Just another reminder).

You declared that “our State and Nation suffer from…” And listed the following:

1. Violence
2. Human Trafficking (a type of sexual immorality)
3. Drugs and Alcohol
4. Government finances (that’s almost laughable)
5. Workforce productivity (snowflakes and others not endowed by the Holy Spirit and His commands of integrity eluding our nation… what? No!)
6. And last but not least – “Corruption in the Federal Government.”

Corruption in the Federal government? Really! Since you are approaching the Throne of the God Almighty, we recommend you take a good, long, hard look in the mirror if you think it’s just on the federal level.

Your idea of repentance is what other people are doing. You should consider all that YOU have done to make their evil thrive.

Consider that.

Repent of that.

But don’t worry – We don’t blame you entirely – after all, Judgement begins at the house of the Lord and boy has it started!

We are appalled at the number of heathens that stand in pulpits and spew their twisted and misquoted Scripture in the name of Jesus. We are faced on a daily basis of “Bible-belt,” churchgoing, people more afraid to offend their “neighbor,” but seem to have Spiritual dementia when it comes to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.”

News flash: God’s offended!

Allowing worship to be invaded with lasers and smoke shows. Pastors who cannot fulfill the command of 2 Timothy on their best day. The vast number of uneducated, obese, unstudied, hateful, malicious, bearers of false-witness, unfit for service, blasphemous, idolators – yet demand they are the “final authority in all things Scripture.”

Don’t even get me started on these backstabbing, pretentious women… with their short skirts, low cut blouses, singing all about how their “reckless” Jesus is their boyfriend…. then there’s their offspring: unruly, undisciplined, hateful, disrespectful, malicious little brood of children – that they vehemently defend and make excuses for.

Even in the House of the Lord! But that’s easier than teaching them to be holy and righteous, as God commands. Apparently.

But how would the women know? Especially the younger women! Where are the older women?

They are certainly not being discipled by their husbands! Their husbands aren’t even being discipled!

OBSERVATION: Your monthly pancake breakfast served with a side of cherry-picked Scripture isn’t cutting it!

“If he bears the name of brother…” Sexual immorality, abuse, reviler, drunkard, swindler, greed…. “Purge the evil from among you” (1 Cor. 5:13). “Don’t even eat with such a one” ( 1Cor. 5:11)

Nothing speaks louder than actions. And this violent, drug/alcohol addicted, greedy, obese, unequally yoked, abusive, haters of good, corrupt world says it best!

When the church fails – Society fails.

And where are the Elders? Who’s holding these heretics into account?

Therefore, since there has been a state-wide call for repentance – to the Holy God – (without defining that to repent is to do a literal 180 – to totally and completely surrender to Christ alone and to do the work of Christ – by His laws) and that it is a blood-bought/blood-binding covenant between a man and Christ alone, through Christ alone, for His glory alone:

Here are some starters: Repent!

1. Idolatry. Putting yourself in the place of/or above God. Seeking guidance from anyone or anything other than God. Making laws that go against God’s law. Putting people into office who are “the lesser of two evils” rather than godly men who do the work of Christ.
2. Failing to seek God by seeking humanism played out as secularism. Forcing Christian agencies, companies, businesses, schools, etc., to adhere to pagan practices and man-made rules, procedures, and laws.
3. Embracing laws that serve man and not God. (Not enforcing them, though… No. that’s a different story –if you are not the victim – Victims get grilled and humiliated, that is when they are not flat-out ignored… but those who took an oath to uphold the law, enforce the law… well, they are in the same boat as the offenders – free pass/slap on the wrist/anger management).
4. Putting Nationalism above Christendom. (After all, it’s for the greater good… right?).
5. Embracing “the lesser of two evils” and voting unholy/unlawful people into office, forming committees, bureaucracies, programs, and people that extract an exorbitant amount of money from the people oppressed by your self-centered form of government.

Just a note: When did the government start believing it deserved more than the 10% God demanded in Old Testament law?

Do you believe you are above God?

Yes. Yes, you do.

Just a warning: Calling upon the Name of the Holy God Almighty has consequences: “If you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king” (1 Sam 12:25).

Jesus said, “If you deny me before men, I will deny you before the Father.”

Your fear of offending the masses is an offense to the very God you desire to grant you and this community mercy – and ask Saul how that worked out for him.

So, Tennessee House, let’s start there.

Repent of your humanistic approach to the throne of the grace you so desperately seek – and call out to the King of kings and Lord of lords by the only Name that saves: JESUS.

If you want grace and mercy – then it does begin with repentance. Real repentance – But repentance isn’t the end. You must also resolve to change your ways – no matter what the consequences of your future may be.

Repent and lay down your fears of not being re-elected/or liked in favor of not being rejected by Jesus Christ.

Repent and lay down your fear of not being accepted by your rich friends or invited to their banquet table in favor of being at the banquet of the Lamb (Is 25:6).

Repent and turn from compromise and your lust for power and control, and resolve to serve Christ, who never compromises – and is the only One entitled to and envelops power and control over everything that was made (Jn 1:3).

The lust to maintain your politics like the pagan nations will eventually ruin you and turn to the praise of the pagan gods from which it came” (McDurmon, National Suicide, In the Midst of Your Enemies, p. 391).

You say you want a real resolution – Here you go.

It’s just not so vague. As a matter of fact – It is a covenant.

You’ve seen it before – You just ignored it when we sent it to you last year.

And then again earlier this year.

And after last month’s attempt—greeted with crickets (it’s not an election year, after all)—we determined it would be best to meet your “State Day of repentance” with a true biblical form of repentance—a Covenant.

After all, if you ever read that Bible you so vehemently testify that you cling to, you would know then that covenants are just how God rolls.

We don’t expect to hear from the Magistrates, politicians, or pastors. But we want you to know what the Bible says and the simple fact that you better be serious when you approach the throne.

We have a holy God on a holy throne. “Holy. Holy. Holy.” He is indeed full of mercy and grace.

For those who are crushed in spirit and broken-hearted (Ps. 34:18).

But He is also the God of wrath and judgment. (Read your Bible; it speaks more about God’s wrath than it does about His love for HIS people).

Also, it has been declared this upcoming month of July that we are all called to participate in a month of repentance—but reality dictates that you can only do that if you know what it means and for what it is for which you repent.

But in pure congressional style – they have left that vague and up to interpretation.

But the Bible is clear. Unfortunately, American Christianity is not.

The fact is this: We have many people in this country who identify with Christianity. They see themselves as Paul and Job, Ruth and Mary when the reality is that they are religious Judas and Sauls—Potipher’s wife, Sapphira’s, and Delilah’s.

They live in a Christian community, they read their Bibles, and they sit under teachings (and watch heretical movies about being ‘chosen’) – but they are not saved by the grace of Jesus Christ. They don’t even know the Jesus of the Bible!

They do not understand redemption (picture the woman at the well – and what she did when Jesus called her out! Hint: She ran and screamed out so that everyone heard – “Let me tell you about Jesus!”) – not “my” Jesus. THE JESUS.

Some people think Dave and I are too zealous. We are dogmatic. They are, of course, passive-aggressive in their approach – they would never say it out loud, that is… They shake our hands, smile, pat us on the back – but fear that getting too close to us – well then, others might put them in the same category.

“Zealous for the House of the Lord”… no, we wouldn’t want that, oh my!

I’m sorry, but that reveals more about them, than it does about us.

We have experienced redemption! We know what we have been saved from, and we are happy to run through town shouting from the rooftops! We are also happy to separate ourselves from those who aren’t so “zealous” about Jesus.

Those who want to put a cloak over Him – “not too much… it might offend.”

“Don’t say Christian… Say ‘faith’…”

“Don’t say, Jesus; we say kingdom.”

“Just be neutral… It’s nicer.”

Hell is not nice. The Kingdom of Christ will come, and it will be at His hand these goats will be “cast” into hell.

Jesus isn’t in some far-far-away land just waiting “earnestly” … He is on the throne awaiting His day of glory – including being glorified through those He “created for destruction,” … which means “to be destroyed.”

Whether they be people like Saul, who “God put to death” for not consulting Him. Or Judas – a devout follower of Jesus – who Jesus said, “it would have been better had he not ever been born.”

“Because they do not regard the works of the LORD or the work of his hands, he will tear them down and build them up no more.”

The time of Salvation is at hand. Choose this day who you will serve.

Therefore, State of Tennessee Assembly, Magistrates, and Preachers:  I will allow my husband, Pastor David Ashley, to do what you refuse– and turn it over to “WE THE PEOPLE,” in Biblical form:  

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“O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. Ezra 9:6

“What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, you have punished us less than our sins deserved and have given us a remnant … Lord, the God of Israel, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it, not one of us can stand in your presence.” Ezra 9:13&15

We, the Civil Magistrates, Ministers of the Gospel, and Fathers, in the State of Wilson, Tennessee, by the providence of GOD, living under the reign of King Jesus and having in mind the advancement of His gracious and beautiful Kingdom and the happiness of ourselves and of future generations, recognizing the legal authority of the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Tennessee, yet seeing the failure of those signers to proclaim God’s reign and His law as our ethical standard, we hereby Covenant with each other and with our Lord Jesus Christ. We proclaim God has granted us this authority in that He holds all societies accountable and offers them to choose this day whom they will serve, and that Nehemiah demonstrated the right to covenant as a subordinate civil society under the non-covenanted nation of Persia, and that without permission, with our hand lifted to the Most High GOD, do swear.

GOD

Concerning the nature of God, we declare and teach against heretics, ancient and modern, from the certain Word of God, according to the declaration of the Apostolic, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds, that there is one God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that is, three persons, indivisible, intelligent, and incommunicable, of the same substance, of infinite power and glory, equally from eternity.

Likewise, we confess that the Son was made man, conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, so that our Lord Jesus Christ should be true God and true man, with His body and rational soul thus united with the eternal Word of the Father in one person, because by this union Christ is God and man, but by His free or voluntary humiliation and kenosis, He really suffered, was crucified, died, and was buried according the will of the Father; on the third day He was made alive again and ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Heavenly Father, ruling with equal power with the Father for all eternity; who shall come again with majesty to do universal judgment on the entire human race. And when the resurrection of all the dead has happened, He shall repay each one according to his works; that is, to those who have repented and trust in Him, He shall give possession of the inheritance of God in eternal life; but the rest, the impenitent and unbelieving, He shall subject together with the devil to the penalty of damnation and eternal death.

BIBLE

1. God, who is Himself Truth and speaks truth only, has inspired Holy Scripture in order thereby to reveal Himself to lost mankind through Jesus Christ as Creator and Lord, Redeemer and Judge. Holy Scripture is God’s witness to Himself.
2. Holy Scripture being God’s own Word, written by men prepared and superintended by His Spirit, is infallible divine authority in all matters upon which it touches: it is to be believed, as God’s instruction, in all that it affirms; obeyed, as God’s command, in all that it requires; embraced, as God’s pledge, in all that it promotes.
3. The Holy Spirit, Scripture’s divine Author, both authenticates it to us by His inward witness and open our minds to understand its meaning.
4. Being wholly and verbally God-given, Scripture is without error or fault in all its teaching, no less in what it states about God’s acts in creation, about the events of world history, and about its own literary origins under God, than in its witness to God’s saving grace in individual lives.
5. The authority of Scripture is inescapably impaired if this total divine inerrancy is in any way limited or disregarded or made relative to a view of truth contrary to the Bible’s own; and such lapses bring serious loss to both the individual and the Church.

If ever a truth needed to be taught in this hour. It is the doctrine of repentance.

No truth has been neglected, compromised, watered down, marginalized, or silenced than the gospel truth of repentance.

There are many people today running around calling for the nation to repent who need to be calling for the church to repent. Unless we as a nation, State, church and individuals repent and turn from sin and pursue holiness, there’s no hope for the nation.

If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow; he has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts. – Psalm 7:12-13

“but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”- Jesus

In the New Testament, the first (Mark 1:15) and one of the last (Revelation 3:19) words Jesus speaks is repent.

Fifty–three times in the New Testament men are called to repent or told they must have repentance.

Repentance means that you realize that you are a guilty vile sinner in the presence of God, that you deserve the wrath and punishment of God, and that you are hell-bound. It means that you begin to realize that this thing called sin is in you, that you long to get rid of it, and that you turn your back on it in every shape and form. You renounce the world, whatever the cost, the world in its mind and outlook, and its practice, and you deny yourself, take up the cross and go after Christ. Your nearest and dearest and the whole world may call you a fool or say you have religious mania. You may have to suffer financially, but it makes no difference. That is repentance. – Lloyd-Jones

“Repentance is a grace of God’s Spirit whereby a sinner is inwardly humbled and visibly reformed. For further amplification, know that repentance is a spiritual medicine made up of six special ingredients:

1. Sight of sin

2. Sorrow for sin

3. Confession of sin

4. Shame for sin

5. Hatred for sin

6. Turning from sin

If any one of these is left out, repentance loses its virtue.”- Thomas Watson

“If your repentance has not changed you, you need to repent of your repentance.” – Dr. Steve Lawson

“Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, in saying, “Repent ye, etc.,” intended that the whole life of his believers on earth should be a constant repentance.” – Martin Luther

 Repentance- μετανοέω metanoeō means to change one’s mind, to change one’s way or direction

As we know that the Christian life should be a life of constant repentance and because we are so prone to sin and God is so rich in mercy, ongoing repentance should mark our lives. We hereby covenant with our Father, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit to stay true to the following convictions in repentance in our hearts and to work diligently in our families, our churches, and our community to instill a posture of repentance and hatred for sin.

While signing this covenant, we recognize that in God’s sovereignty our current culture’s civil laws are out of accord with our convictions. While we see the necessity to change numerous laws and to do that as soon as reasonably possible, we desire a peaceful transition and resolve to repent, pray and work to that end. We acknowledge these truths from God’s Word as applicable for all people in all times and places. We ask God to receive our prayers specifically for repentance and appropriate to us His gracious forgiveness.

We know that in times past, God overlooked ignorance but now calls all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30).

1. Jesus Christ is Lord of the nations, and therefore He is Lord of this State. We repent of our failure to recognize Your Son properly and openly (Matt. 28:18; Acts 10:36; 1 Cor. 15:27; Phil. 2:9-11).
2. The civil magistrate operates on delegated authority from God and is responsible to Him (Ps. 2:1-12; 72:8; 110:1-7; Matt. 28:18). We repent that we have regarded our civil officials primarily as servants of men rather than minsters of You, our Lord.
3. The moral laws given in the Ten Commandments are binding for all people of all time. They form the basis for morality and the foundation for law (Deut. 11:1; Ps. 119:44; Isa. 42:4; 2 Pet. 2:6-8). We repent of our previous enacting of unbiblical laws at the national, state, and local levels. We repent of the fact that biblical laws have been removed from our civil law code. We repent of the fact we have not set laws to uphold Your moral law.
4. The Christian faith is a public faith and makes claims upon all areas of life (Isa. 12:4; 45:22; Acts 5:28-32). We repent of laws and interpretations of laws that contravene Your command for us to proclaim Your name throughout the land. We repent of not calling men to repent and to obey the gospel.
5. Abortion is murder and therefore breaks the Sixth Commandment and is a capital crime (Ex. 20:13; 21:22-24; Lev. 18:21; Job 3:3; Ps. 139:13-16; Luke 1:15). We repent of any abortion in our country, state, and State. We repent of not punishing abortion according to Your law, and we ask that You heal our State and forgive us. We resolve that no abortion will be allowed to take place in our State. Please help us.
6. Homosexuality and transgenderism are open rebellion against the Creator and will not be acknowledged, celebrated, or rewarded but rejected as a natural lifestyle as both are moral evil in the sight of a holy God (Lev. 18:22-25; Rom. 1:26-28; 1 Cor. 6:9). We repent for allowing deliberate, public, unrepentant homosexuality and transgenderism in our nation, state, and State. And Lord, help us as your servants to show love and compassion to these individuals caught up in homosexuality and transgenderism by calling them to repent from their sexual immorality. As through your example, the most compassionate thing we can do for those people is, in love, warn them of eternal damnation and call them to repentance. We are to preach and proclaim to them the gospel, proclaim grace and forgiveness as shown in Isaiah and 1 Corinthians. Let our love show them that we want them to live under God’s word and experience God’s blessing on their life. Please heal the land of our State and forgive us.
7. “Idolatry is having or inventing something in which one trust in places of or alongside of the only true God, who has revealed Himself in the Word.” Lord, we repent of the fact that our State has wrongly put false gods before You (Ex. 20:3; Rom. 1:23) and has worshiped according to the commandments of men instead of according to Your laws (Matt. 15:9; Col. 2:23). We repent of allowing idolatry in our land and pledge to remove it as quickly as possible. Lord, please help us.
8. We now live in a culture that calls evil good and good evil. We have compromised and justified ourselves and refuse to call those evils sin as you have labeled them in Scripture (adultery, drunkenness, fornication, pornography, gluttony, etc.). We repent of our compromises on sin and our cowardice in calling it out.
9. Lord, Your Word is filled with verbs that call into action. We are called to go, occupy, contend, love, rebuke, fight, pray, etc.) We repent of our apathy and lack of holiness because we are afraid to act.
10. God has delivered not only commandments relating how we are to behave, but also commandments to the civil magistrate specifying what is to be done when we do not. God’s law contains double sanction: penalty is to be inflicted in order to guard the justice and order of the state. The man created in God’s image who has the responsibility of rule in human government (not citizens, not the church) is required to punish violators of God’s law for the welfare of his country; he has the right to do this because he is the image of God and has God’s law to direct him. When the magistrate follows God’s law in executing criminals, he has the approval and authorization of God. The authorization is that he rules as a representative of God and that his judgment is according to God’s law-judgment.

Signed this day:

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