The Kingdom Chronicle – “No Plan B: Heaven’s Bold Strategy to Rely Entirely on Us”
By Ima Disciple | Staff Writer

In a shocking revelation that has theologians, churchgoers, and coffee shop philosophers buzzing, it appears that Jesus Christ—Son of God, Savior of the World, and occasional foot-washer—has absolutely no backup plan for spreading the Gospel, healing the broken, or ushering in the Kingdom of God.

Sources close to the Trinity confirm: “It’s us. Just us. That’s the whole strategy.”

Straight from Scripture

According to 1 Peter 2:9-10, believers are described as “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession.” Which sounds lovely until you realize it’s not just a compliment—it’s a job description.

“You were chosen to declare His praises,” the verse continues, which theologians now interpret as divine shorthand for: ‘Tag—you’re it.’

Heaven’s HR Department Speaks Out

When asked why the Creator of the Universe would entrust His mission to a group of people who routinely forget where they put their keys, Heaven’s spokesperson replied:

“Look, we tried outsourcing to angels once. They’re great at singing and smiting, but they just don’t get nuance. Humans, though? They’ve got stories. They’ve got scars. They’ve got TikTok. That’s how the message spreads.”

No Contingency Plan Found

A recent audit of Heaven’s strategic documents revealed no alternate plan, no celestial task force, and not even a divine intern waiting in the wings. The folder labeled “Plan B” was completely empty except for a sticky note that read: “See Plan A.”

So What Now?

If you’re wondering who’s supposed to feed the hungry, comfort the lonely, challenge injustice, and share the good news—it’s you. Yes, you. The one reading this while procrastinating on laundry.

Jesus didn’t say, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel unless you’re tired or it’s raining.” He said, “Go.” Period.

Local Pastor Reacts

Pastor Linda of Grace Fellowship Church responded to the news with a sigh and a shrug: “Well, I guess we better get to work. Apparently, if we don’t do it, it doesn’t get done. And Jesus isn’t sending in the reserves. We are the reserves.”

So next time you feel unqualified, overwhelmed, or tempted to wait for someone holier to step up—remember: Heaven’s counting on you. There’s no Plan B.

And if you’re still unsure, just reread 1 Peter 2:9-10. Then grab a coffee, say a prayer, and get moving. The Kingdom won’t build itself.

When a tyrant dies, his reign ends; When a martyr dies, his reign begins. (Soren Kierkegaard, Danish philosopher and theologian).

I was stunned to learn of the murder of Charlie Kirk, a 31-year-old husband and father of 2.  He was the founder of Turning Point USA and a funny, witty, highly intelligent, self-taught individual.  His organization sponsored him traveling to college campuses across the country to engage with often confused and misguided college students in respectful, civil debate.  

He addressed many topics in these rallies, including that socialism may not be the best form of government, in light of the extraordinary success of free market capitalism; why transgenderism is so fundamentally unfair, and dangerous, allowing mediocre male athletes to compete in women’s sports and encouraging the butchery and mutilation of young children who are “confused” about their gender; or, how an innocent unborn child, while a creation of her mother and her father, is a genetically distinct and independently sacred life, worthy of protection, with a heartbeat at 18 days, and brain waves measurable at 45 days, after conception. 

He also spoke regularly of the great importance to his life of his Christian faith and strong belief in Almighty God.

And why was he murdered? Well, no one was trying to steal his car, home or money. He was not even an elected official. He was shot and killed for his ideas even though they were stated in a charitable and constructive way. He never advocated for violence; in fact, he warned against it. 

And that is the cruelest irony of all. 

He died because he dared engage in freedom of speech and freedom of conscience on a college campus which, at least traditionally, was a bastion of vigorous intellectual debate and inquiry.  No more, unfortunately. The fascist Thought Police of the violent Lunatic Left were Charlie’s self-appointed judge, jury and executioner.

As recently as the 1960’s, students on college campuses opposed to the Vietnam War demanded to be heard, including engaging in sit-ins in college administrative offices and other forms of civil resistance. Today, the opposite is true.  Today, a conservative speaker on a college campus, if he or she is allowed at all, is often harassed, threatened and shouted down for expressing a dissenting viewpoint.

This is the dark coven of Political Correctness coming home to roost; The ultimate form of Cancel Culture:  Charlie Kirk’s life has literally been cancelled.  Snuffed out.  On live television. Within the eyesight and earshot of 3 thousand students. With millions watching on TV and on-line.  A Public Execution.

And yes, while there is political violence on both sides, I believe in the last decade the vast majority of it has targeted conservatives. That is what caused the death of Charlie Kirk.  The Left, including the national media, have for years relentlessly attacked conservatives deeming them “white supremacists, “Nazis” and “destroyers of democracy.” 

The Left has also deemed speech with which it disagrees to be “violence” to the listener.  It is, then, not difficult to imagine an unstable individual reacting to that “violence” with murder because it’s been justified by powerful Leftist elites who don’t really have a problem with violence being done to conservatives (polling indicates 50% of the Left are not strongly opposed to the killing of Elon Musk or Pres. Trump).  Speech is not violence.  Violence is violence.  In short, while calls to violence arise from the distant fringes of conservatism, calls to violence come from the heart of the Democrat Party.

I will always remember him as the warm, funny and gracious person he was.  I will never forget watching him face a throng of college students, many of whom insulted him, prompting him to chuckle and then share the truth.  

When I think of a life lost in this fashion, I remember something I read many years ago by an author I cannot recall who said on the passing of a loved one that, “sadly, a light has gone out.  There is now an empty place against the sky.”  That is how I will remember him.

However, rather than having silenced a clarion voice for truth, I think his death will ignite a legion of like-minded patriots. I hope his death will serve as a transformative turning point in our nation and culture.  Millions of flames of light have been lit across a broad and peaceful sky. That this continues should be our prayer. 

Today we are going to throw a few spitballs and see what sticks. This article is going to cover what’s going in our world today and what needs to be talked about. 

In the bass fishing world, congratulations to Team USA for winning the World Championship., topping teams from Japan, Germany, Canada, Italy, Portugal and Serbia to name a few. Bass fishing truly has become a global sport that may become an Olympic sport one day.

One of the members of Team USA was  fishing pro Jacob Wheeler, who just won his fourth Major League Fishing (MLF) Angler of the Year title. This guy continues to set the bar for all anglers with incredible consistency and his total domination of the sport. 

Speaking of domination, there’s a young man in East Texas who has made a name for himself as a consistent winner. Longview’s Zach Fogle is someone we’ll remember. He has been the American Bass Anglers (ABA) Angler of the Year the past two seasons. 

Zach will be taking his fishing to the next level next year with the Toyota Series and the BFL’S. All of us are glad to see Zach move up in the world as we’re all tired of donating to his future fishing endeavors!

Next, let’s talk about one of the legends of bass fishing announcing his retirement. For 30 years California’s Skeet Reece has set the standard for what it means to be a professional angler. Other than Kevin Van Dam, no one has capitalized on their fishing success better than Skeet. 

He’s an angler known for his business prowess and bright yellow fishing rods, truck and shoes. He’s a master at branding and taking advantage of the worldwide bass fishing market. I would like to wish Skeet happy days in his retirement.

Nothing is more exciting than the start of football season and nothing goes by faster as we are already into Week 3 or 4 depending on what state you’re in (Texas high schools kick off a week earlier than on this side of the Sabine River and Toledo Bend).  The Dallas Cowboys have been a pleasant surprise as they opened playing very competitively with their conference rival, the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. In Week 2 the ‘Boys defeated the New York Giants in an overtime thriller, 40-37. 

With football well underway, it means that hunting season is here, starting with dove season. A dove hunt is nothing more than a social gathering that gets hunters excited to pull the trigger. A passing cold front, days getting shorter, and fall foliage puts everything in motion for all hunters.  

To all those who will be hitting the woods and waterways this fall for both bucks and ducks, we would like to wish each of you success in whatever game you’re pursuing. ‘Til next time, happy hunting! 

September 17 holds a special place in American pop culture history. On this day in 1937, the masked hero known as the Lone Ranger made his debut on national radio, galloping out of regional obscurity in Detroit and into living rooms across the country. What began as a small-scale radio drama would soon evolve into one of the most enduring legends in American entertainment, spawning television shows, comic books, films, and a cultural legacy that still echoes nearly nine decades later.

The Lone Ranger had already been riding the airwaves for a few years in Michigan before this national breakthrough. Created by WXYZ radio station writer Fran Striker and station owner George W. Trendle, the character was imagined as a heroic Texas Ranger who survived an ambush and fought for justice in the American West. With his iconic silver bullets, trusty horse Silver, and loyal companion Tonto, the Lone Ranger embodied a romantic vision of the frontier.

By the time the program went national on September 17, 1937, the United States was in the depths of the Great Depression. Families gathered around radios not just for news, but for escape, and the Lone Ranger delivered. His adventures brought listeners into a world where good triumphed over evil, and where the lawless frontier could be tamed by courage and honor. The show quickly gained a devoted following, making “Hi-Yo Silver! Away!” one of the most recognizable catchphrases of the era.

The significance of the Lone Ranger’s debut goes beyond entertainment. The show helped set the template for modern serialized storytelling. Its weekly cliffhangers, character arcs, and strong moral center influenced everything from superhero comics to today’s television dramas. Scholars have also pointed out how the Lone Ranger reflected American ideals of the time: rugged individualism paired with a sense of duty and justice.

Yet the series was not without its complexities. Tonto, portrayed by Native American actor Jay Silverheels in later television adaptations, became both a groundbreaking role for Indigenous representation and a controversial stereotype. Historians and critics have debated the cultural impact of the character for decades, noting how the show reinforced some outdated tropes while also giving audiences their first mainstream Native American hero.

The Lone Ranger’s influence stretched far beyond radio. The first television adaptation premiered in 1949 and ran for eight years, cementing the character in visual culture. A string of films, comic books, and merchandise followed. Even as late as 2013, Disney attempted to revive the franchise with a blockbuster film starring Armie Hammer and Johnny Depp, though the movie met with mixed reviews. Still, the fact that the story continues to be retold speaks to its lasting resonance.

September 17, then, marks more than a date on the calendar. It marks the birth of a pop culture icon that bridged radio, television, film, and literature. The Lone Ranger’s call to justice, his silver bullets, and his bond with Tonto are all reminders of how a character created during the hardships of the 1930s could ride into the national imagination and stay there for generations.

We are in the middle of remodeling our children’s ministry space at Trinity Methodist Church. Part of that project was finding a place for our Mother’s Day Out program and pre-school to meet. We are space sharing, but for this article you need to know the preschool kids are on the floor directly above the church offices. Now I have set the stage.

It’s 7:45 a.m. on a Tuesday, and the church parking lot is already a battleground. Not of spiritual warfare, mind you—but of minivans versus ministry.

On one side: daycare parents, armed with coffee, diaper bags, and toddlers who believe pants are optional. Their mission? Drop off their little cherubs before the morning meltdown begins.

On the other: the church staff, clutching devotionals and half-eaten granola bars, praying for a parking spot close enough to avoid the Louisiana humidity turning their hair into a theological metaphor for chaos.

The moment the daycare opens its doors, a holy stampede begins. Parents circle the lot like Israelites around Jericho, hoping the walls of occupied parking spaces will miraculously fall. Meanwhile, the youth pastor, who arrived early to prep for Bible study, is boxed in by a double-parked SUV with a “Jesus Loves Me” bumper sticker and a rogue juice box under the tire.

The church secretary—who has seen things—keeps a running tally of passive-aggressive notes left on windshields. Last week’s favorite: “Thou shalt not park in the staff spot. Exodus 20:15.”

The senior pastor, ever the peacemaker, suggested a “Parking Lot Reconciliation Ministry.” It lasted one week. After a parent tried to cast out the spirit of tardiness from a staff member’s Honda Civic, the ministry was quietly retired.

Some staff have resorted to spiritual warfare. One youth intern reportedly anointed his parking spot with oil. It was later discovered to be Chick-fil-A sauce.

Despite the chaos, there’s beauty in the madness. Parents and staff share stories, swap prayer requests, and occasionally rescue each other from rogue tricycles. The parking lot, it turns out, is more than asphalt—it’s a place of community, laughter, and the occasional sanctified fender bender.

So next time you find yourself circling the lot, remember blessed are the peacemakers… and those who arrive before 7:30.

By Royal Alexander

It’s hard to grasp. The City of Chicago is nothing less than a killing field. People are being murdered daily. Violent crime is completely out of control. Fox News reported “days after President Trump warned he would send the National Guard to Chicago, police said at least five people were fatally shot and 35 others wounded over the Labor Day weekend.” (Fox News, 8-31-2025). There has been more since then.

Yet, Chicago’s Democrat city and state officials continue to insist Chicago does not need Trump’s help to tackle the violence that has so long plagued it even as the bodies continue to pile up. Now, President Trump has made clear he is going to get crime under control in Chicago if its leaders don’t do so immediately.

I believe strongly in the primacy of the 10th Amendment, which reserves to the states and to the people all rights not expressly granted to the federal government and enumerated in the Constitution. In fact, the very purpose of a state’s inherent police powers is to protect the health, safety, and welfare of its citizens. However, the citizens of Chicago, Illinois (and every other city and state in the U.S., including Louisiana) are also American citizens and if they are being harmed and killed, a president must act.

So, what can be done?

Well, the legal authority for a president to send troops to a city like Chicago is based upon the Insurrection Act of 1807. The act provides a crucial exception to the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, which generally prohibits the use of federal military forces for domestic law enforcement. The Insurrection Act authorizes the president to deploy military forces inside the United States to suppress rebellion or domestic violence.

So, a president can request that a governor deploy their state Guard, but a governor can refuse. To override a governor, the president must invoke the Insurrection Act, federalizing the Guard.

The Insurrection Act gives the president three paths for a domestic military deployment: 1). a state requesting a president to send in troops to suppress an insurrection; 2). to enforce federal law; and 3). to protect constitutional rights, especially, as here, when state authorities cannot or will not protect those rights.

I believe the strongest of the three is the third, involving the deprivation of constitutional rights. It is hard to imagine a more graphic or blatant example of the denial of due process of law—including the right to life and liberty—than the injury to or murder of an innocent civilian in the streets of our cities.

The Wall Street Journal described the broad rationale for Trump’s actions: “Earlier this month, President Trump announced a federal takeover of law enforcement in the District of Columbia, citing its persistently elevated violent crime rate. National Guard troops were deployed to the capital to support the police, and Mr. Trump has indicated that Chicago and other urban areas may be next. On Monday, he also signed an executive order aimed at forcing cities to end the use of cashless bail, which allows suspects to be released from custody without putting up money to ensure that they’ll show up at trial. Most violent crime is committed by previous offenders and limiting (the ability of) judges and prosecutors to detain suspects until their court dates can make streets less safe.” (WSJ, Jason L. Riley, Aug. 26, 2025).

I cannot comprehend how Democrat leaders think it’s a good strategy to oppose President Trump’s effort to fight crime. I think residents of even the most liberal cities in our country seek safety, especially typical Americans who don’t have armed guards or high walls to protect them and must think of their and their family’s personal safety, and fear for their lives, every time they traverse their neighborhoods. (Or simply be at home when a stray bullet comes through the wall or door of their home, killing a family member, as happens often). As Breitbart News stated, “any mayor or governor who has over 40 of his own residents shot and/or killed on a Labor Day Weekend and refuses law enforcement support is placing politics over the safety of his own people.”

I don’t understand this but am grateful President Trump proposes to make that previously great American city safe again. Without law enforcement there is no law, and without law there is no civilization. (Rep. T. McClintock).

There’s one famous quote among tournament bass anglers, “When it’s your turn to win, it’s your turn and you can’t mess it up.” So basically, no matter what you do, the bass fishing gods will make sure you don’t mess it up. 

I’m not a superstitious angler, but I do believe that there are the powers that be that can make things happen to help you win. Every now and then, things go your way and Lady Luck shines on you like a beam of light from the heavens.

But sometimes it seems like the whole world is against you and it becomes obvious that today just might not be your day. On these days you’re left wondering, “Where is my Lady Luck and why is she not stepping in and saving me from myself?” This is exactly the question I was asking at a recent event on Lake of the Pines.

After a pretty good practice for two straight days and feeling good about a couple of patterns I had put together, things went south quickly on tournament day.

But let’s start with the first cast of the day as I was working a topwater bait when a 3-pound bass came up and exploded on it! As I swung the bass into the boat, I thought, “This is going to be a great day when your first cast produces a solid 3-pound bass! What a great start!”

But many anglers believe it’s a bad omen to catch a bass on your first cast. Again, I’ve never believed in these kinds of superstitions, but it seemed to be real as things went downhill from there. 

Despite the bad omen, I was feeling good about my first fish of the day being a 3-pounder in the live well. But I continued to throw the topwater bait with zero results. 

I turned to plan “B,” as I reached down and picked up a spinnerbait that I had been catching a ton of fish on the previous two days of practice. They were hitting this spinnerbait so well in practice, I had to put a guard over the hook so I wouldn’t hook any fish that I might need on tournament day. 

One thing is for certain; bass fishing is a funny sport. However, the bass gods have a warped sense of humor as they evidently sent out a memo to all bass that day to “not bite the spinnerbait Steve Graf is throwing!”

But that’s OK, I have a plan “C.”  I decided to start fishing a small worm in and around boat docks and brush piles. This is how I thought I could win this event, as 90 percent of my bigger bites in practice came off brush piles. 

But my day went from bad to worse as I had three fish break off on the hookset. I lost two huge fish (both over five pounds each) when they pulled off beside the boat as I was playing them down so I could land them. 

I knew it wasn’t my day when I lost a $400 Daiwa rod and reel combo that got hung up in the net I was using to land a fish. I lost 45 minutes of valuable fishing time trying to drag and snag the combo with a crankbait — with no success. 

Then the final straw came around 1:45 that afternoon as I bent over to pick up a certain rod and almost blacked out due to how hot it was. This has never happened to me before and I had been so conscious of making sure I was hydrating properly. 

This was a wakeup call for me personally as at the age of 64 I’ve come to the realization that I don’t handle the heat like I used to. Even though I wear good quality sun protective clothing and sunscreen, it’s the heat that you just can’t escape when you’re on the lake trying to win a tournament. 

If you think you would like to be a tournament bass fisherman, understand that there will be days that will frustrate you and make you question every idea you had on how to catch a bass. But it could be worse; you could have decided to pursue golf rather than tournament fishing!