Cartoonist/Illustrator - Jeff Larson
Minnesota
 There is the saying going around, 'God is not a Republican or a Democrat.' I look at the major candidates for the upcoming presidential election, Donald Trump or Joe Biden, and I go, YUP, you nailed that one on the head. Trump, while I do believe he did a good job when in office I don't really like him, but Joe? He is a hot mess. He is in decline cognitively, and appears to be a puppet manipulated by others. No offense intended for those of you who like either of these frontrunners, but just 'blurting' my opinion.  The real issue of the day is there are too many issues. There are so many ISSUES with more opinions regarding these ISSUES. Then, the politicians weigh in, and since an election is coming up, their politicized views are loud, bold and more often than not, completely partisan. AND... In my opinion, politicians are like taxes. There are too many, they are unfair, lack reason, they never go away. ie Mitch McConnel and Nancy Pelosi are on my non-partisan short list of politicians overstaying their welcome.  So I watch the 24/7 regurgitated news to catch up on current events. BAD IDEA! This is not reporting news, they are News SHOWS all for ratings, while delivering politicized narratives highlighting hate, rage, protests, division, and wars mostly promoting some sort of pagan ideal. Truly void of any Godly message of hope. And have you noticed the absence of GOOD NEWS? These stories are as rare as Big Foot sightings. So what's a sincere believer to do? Turn to this 66-year-old Christian cartoonist for advice? I would be flattered, but it is probably not a great idea. But if you want snarky answers to complex problems, I am available. Someone recently posed on X (formerly Twitter) the question... What are the most important issues to you in the coming election? This got me to respond the following in no particular order and I could not pick just one. THE BORDER - our open border put us all at risk NATIONAL DEBT - spending, and waste at all levels of government is out of control HEALTH CARE - It appears to be about greed first, then maybe actual health care. AND today 'health care' includes abortion, and gender affirming 'mutilation'. CRIME - is out of control with no real consequences JUDICAL SYSTEM - coddles the criminals, and at times persecutes the victim. MSM - Is a Godless entity that spews hate and lies. It is a DARK FORCE. GENDER ASSAULT - men are men, women are women. Anything else is perverse and empty. LGBTQ+ - Is out of control, and a perversion of natural God designed sexuality. ABORTION - it is NOT Healthcare (mentioned above) VOTER FRAUD - we need same day voting with voter id ONLY CIA & FBI - are on a rogue power trip answering to no one. FEMINISM - It does not empower woman while distorting the true complementarian roles of men and women. REVIVAL - Christian values, a return to being a Christian Nation. Our nation is in decline, but... if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.2 Chronicles 7:14 note: This verse is not just for Israel! The good news is that the answers we are looking for are found in our Bibles. Even simplify it more, Love God and care for others... the rest is details. (my paraphrase of Matthew 22:36-40). I know I know, these details are so essential, but not so important that we lose sight of these two greatest commandments.
 These scriptures are not broad-brush answers for our hurting world. What chance does our nation have if we do not obey God's two greatest commandments? What real chance does the world have in addressing the border, terrorism, racism, hunger, sickness, and war if you don't truly love God and care for others in the moments of our days, and maybe next year with our vote.
I pray these words encourage you to love God and others like never before. Be true to God and His word in all that you do. Jeff (politicizing in the Back Pew) Larson 11/8/2022 The Back Pew Voters Guide It is election time in America... READY or NOT and so I am sharing my '2022 Voters Guide'... READY or NOT At a glance, it appears again to be a choice between candidate 'Tweedle-dee' or candidate 'Tweedle-dum'. Over the last few months my US mailbox has become a fire hazard as the daily collection of election flyers pile up. And Nightly my senses are bombarded with the TV political ads filling almost every bit of commercial air time declaring which candidates are the 'chosen' and which ones by contrast were purely Satan's spawn.
 Then, just like that. POOF all the advertisements are gone after election day. It's like the circus came to town, then in the night the big tents and carnies are all packed up and gone not to be seen again until the next election in two years. The question is... Does my vote matter? After all my choices were tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum. Do we just pick a 'tweedle' or do we vote on issues? It is discouraging as it appears nothing ever changes after those 'tweedles' are elected. They seem to fit right into the government grid-locked like all the other previously elected tweedle lego pieces in a 500,000-piece government bureaucracy lego set.  But ironically even with all the above being true... It matters greatly who we vote for. Those elected officials, write the laws that govern our country, and to a large extent the collective morality in our society. Please don't vote just for a party because you always have been a democrat or republican. Vote for candidate who most closely has a Biblical World View.  Of course, the media and many progressive churches call voting according to a Biblical World View something that smells of Christian Nationalism. The term Christian Nationalism has become the new boogie man attempting to shame Christians who vote with God in mind. Personally, I love my God, and I love my country.. but I do not confuse the two. Just like I love my wife and I love pizza, but do not confuse the two. Nuff said. So I would like to encourage all Christians to... Pray, Listen to God, understand the issues, repent, and then Vote. And sadly, never in my lifetime have traditional Biblical morality been under a greater attack. Let me cite a few obvious examples.
 Those tweedles we vote for will legislate on the above issues and so many more. So again, choose your 'tweedles' wisely and prayerfully. Please pray for election integrity, and our country returns to a Biblical World View. In the mean time I know no matter the outcome of this or any election, my God is sovereign and this is where I place my faith not in any tweedle-dee or dum. So this concludes my 2022 Back Pew Voters Guide. Jeff Below are a few straggler election day toons.
11/1/2020 Pathetic Prayers 2020 A while back my wife Mary and I were reading Max Lucado's book He Still Moves Stones. Let me paraphrase the words of Max. The honest prayer of a hurting man, the feeble prayer of a righteous man.. the awkward prayer of the average joe/jane, the timid prayer of those emotionally/spiritually broken down.. the sincere prayer of a sinner, EVEN a 'pathetic prayer of Jeff' .. HAS GREAT POWER and WONDERFUL RESULTS.  This is my rambling paraphrase of.. James 5:16.Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. , and gleaned from the truths found in .. Mark 9:14-29 where the power of God is found not in what we can do but instead when we pray. Max also writes ..Our prayers may be awkward, our attempts may be feeble. BUT since the power of prayer is in the one who 'hears' it and not the one who 'says' it, our prayers make a difference. That is great news for folk like me who can get lost in my real or perceived problems juggling them in my head all while I pray.. awkwardly. These sincere prayers are highlighted with fumbling words sounding confused, anxious, and kind of pathetic.  So do you ever say pathetic prayers. I am sure you don't, it's only me right? But I would like to suggest when we feel lost and/or pathetic simply cry to God "HELP! I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!" That's OK, because God does. I actually have my prayer list hanging on a bulletin board in my office. This simple list of very few words is mostly family, friends, my church, our country, and this tumultuous world.. and gives me a visual perspective that my issues pale by comparison.. LIFE IS NOT ABOUT ME and when I pray for others and trust God I find a peace that was not there when my prayers revolved around ME.  Philippians 4:6-7 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. So let's all agree to bring our prayers to God even when our words are fumbling and our spirit is weak. Speak to God when you feel forsaken, alone, desperate, when your thoughts are riddled with doubts.. AND when life is good (do not let your guard down) . Our perfect Heavenly Father hears our word and His spirit intercedes for us.  Romans 8:26-27 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. May God bless all of you today with the promise of .. when life is difficult.. God says, "Don't worry, I got your back. Blessings Jeff (praying in the Back Pew) Larson  ps - With the 2020 elections upon us.. our prayers are needed. It matters how we vote, and who we vote for BUT our trust is in God alone, not in any man or woman.
So I pray for the people of our nation to return to God. I pray that the Christians of this nation stand strong for God's law, and become more concerned about offending God than offending man. 8/22/2020 Messiah for.. President? The Messiah is here! We will all be saved by the 2020 Presidential Election! ?? hmmm .. not so much I was listening to the radio a few election years back on the way to vote, and there was an interview with a young woman who took her daughter out of school to vote. This woman was so excited to vote for president saying.. “I have hope for the first time in my life. I won’t have to worry about putting gas in my car or paying my mortgage because if I help ‘him’ with my vote.. ‘he’ will help me.” I actually heard this with my own ears… I am not embellishing! I quickly drove to my place of voting hopeful to see if Jesus Christ was on the ballot. He was not. I hope to think her point was made with a broad brush speaking to a big picture of hope, but it still made me cringe. Truth is.. UNLESS the candidate she votes for owns the gas station chain she frequents, and owns the mortgage note on her house .. her hope is NOT found in either candidate. Oh, and who we vote for should be based on God's Truth, and not persuaded by a meddling MSM.
 What this country needs most is a real REVIVAL where the hearts and minds of Americans seek God's first. Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord, not happy is the nation whose god is whoever you want him/her to be. There is only one God .. PERIOD, and America needs to HONOR Him not apologize for Him. ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets (and elections?) hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-39  In conclusion, Pray for our leaders, pray his will to be found in their actions and words.. but Pray to Jesus (our Messiah) as our hope is in the one true God. Back Pew blessings to all and.. in November vote early, and vote OFTEN! ( a little Chicago politics corruption humor) I am Jeff Larson, and I approve of this message. Jeff (voting my faith) Larson |
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7/1/2024
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