Make Christ Lord In Your Heart

1 Peter 3:15

15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;

Carrying on from verse 14, Peter tells those who are being intimidated, not to fear them but to sanctify (or to set apart as holy) Christ, and to put Him as Lord in their heart. This will make them ready to make a defense for the gospel. Thus, for everyone who asks us to give an account for the hope we have (or for everyone who is critical of us), we will be ready to give them an answer. And then Peter emphasizes that we are not to be harsh with them as they are with us; as he states in verse 9, to not return evil for evil. We are instead to be gentle with them with reverence (or respect).

We Need Not Fear or Be Troubled

1 Peter 3:13-14

13 Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED,

When Peter says, “Who is there to harm you?” he is encouraging them to trust the Lord, and so, not to fear; for He will be with them (Isa. 41:10). If they, being righteous, suffer and fear intimidation they need not be troubled, only blessed by the Lord (Peter refers to Isa. 8:12-13).

The Way of Righteousness and Peace

1 Peter 3:10-12

10 For,

“THE ONE WHO DESIRES LIFE, TO LOVE AND SEE GOOD DAYS,

MUST KEEP HIS TONGUE FROM EVIL AND HIS LIPS FROM SPEAKING DECEIT.

11 “HE MUST TURN AWAY FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD;

HE MUST SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT.

12 “FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE TOWARD THE RIGHTEOUS,

AND HIS EARS ATTEND TO THEIR PRAYER,

BUT THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO EVIL.”

In these verses, piggy backing on verse 9, Peter quotes from Psalm 34:12-16. I suppose, being aware of so much evil around him, Peter knows that the way of righteousness and peace is so much better.

God’s Message for All Who Fear ICE – From Romans 13:1-5

Obey the government, for God is the one who has put it there. There is no government anywhere that God has not placed in power. 2 So those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow. 3 For the policeman does not frighten people who are doing right; but those doing evil will always fear him. So if you don’t want to be afraid, keep the laws and you will get along well. 4 The policeman is sent by God to help you. But if you are doing something wrong, of course you should be afraid, for he will have you punished. He is sent by God for that very purpose. 5 Obey the laws, then, for two reasons: first, to keep from being punished, and second, just because you know you should. (TLB)

These words of Scripture apply to us today for all who fear ICE. They are here, placed in power from God. They are here as policeman to enforce our laws. If you have not kept the law then you should be afraid. But if you have not done anything wrong you have no reason to fear.

Peters Appeal to all Believers

1 Peter 3:8-9

8 To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; 9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.

After Peter’s exhortation to be submissive, he gives this appeal to all believers: to be of one mind, understanding of each other, to love one another, to be kind to each other, and to be humble. Then (in verse 9), for those more apt to be proud, he tells them not to return evil for evil, but instead, to give them a blessing (Rom. 12:21). God desires that we all will be blessed. He wants to bless us through each other.

Husbands to Be Understanding

1 Peter 3:7

7 You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

Husbands are to be submissive in the same way as the wives; but not to her as a leader over him (he is to be the leader). His submissiveness is to God in his duty of understanding that she is a woman who is not as strong (physically) as a man. Also, he must honor her as a fellow heir of God’s gift of life. And if he does this (if he understands her and honors her) his prayers will not be hindered. I take this to imply that if a man is not submissive in his duty to his wife he will be in disobedience to God, and thus God will reject all of his prayers. We can’t expect our prayers to be heard if we go against God’s will, especially in regard to our wives.

Domestic Terrorism Against ICE in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Wednesday morning in Minneapolis a woman was shot and killed by an ICE agent as she was driving away from her own act of terrorism against ICE officers. An article in Newsmax described the incident.

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a Minneapolis driver on Wednesday during the Trump administration’s latest immigration crackdown on a major American city — a shooting that federal officials said was an act of self-defense.

The woman was shot in front of a family member during a traffic stop in a residential neighborhood south of downtown Minneapolis. 

The victim was identified by her mother as Twin Cities resident Renee Nicole Good, The Minnesota Star Tribune reported. 

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot the woman in her vehicle, Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement, calling it an act of “domestic terrorism.”

“An ICE officer, fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots. He used his training and saved his own life and that of his fellow officers,” the DHS statement read. 

The ⁠woman appeared to ‍be ‍blocking the ⁠roadway with her car, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said during a press conference. At ​some point, O’Hara told reporters, the ‍vehicle was approached by an ⁠ICE officer and began to drive off, making contact with an agent, video showed. Then at least ⁠two ​shots ⁠were fired.

President Donald Trump ripped into what he called “Radical Left” violence in a Truth Social post on the incident.  

Trump said he viewed video of the incident and called it “a horrible thing to watch,” while accusing activists of escalating attacks on immigration agents and law enforcement officers across the country.

“I have just viewed the clip of the event which took place in Minneapolis, Minnesota,” Trump wrote, adding that “the woman screaming was, obviously, a professional agitator.”

Videos taken by bystanders with different vantage points and posted to social media show an officer approaching an SUV, demanding the driver open the door and grabbing the handle.

The SUV begins to pull forward and a different ICE officer standing in front of the vehicle pulls his weapon and immediately fires at least two shots into the SUV at close range, jumping back as the vehicle moves toward him.

The SUV then sped into two cars parked on a curb nearby before crashing to a stop. Witnesses screamed obscenities, expressing shock at what they’d seen.

O’Hara said the deceased suspect was a 37-year-old white woman. He said she had been shot in the head.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, during a visit to Texas, described the incident as an “act of domestic terrorism” carried out against ICE officers by a woman who “attempted to run them over and rammed them with her vehicle. An officer of ours acted quickly and defensively, shot, to protect himself and the people around him.”

However, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said DHS’ explanation for the shooting was a “garbage narrative.”

“They are already trying to spin this as an action of self-defense. Having seen the video myself, I wanna tell everybody directly, that is bull—-,” Frey told reporters.

The ICE officers who were hurt are expected to make full recoveries, DHS said in the statement. 

There were calls on social media to prosecute the officer who shot the driver. But Daniel Borgertpoepping, a spokesperson for the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, said such decisions wouldn’t be made until an investigation is finished.

“We have jurisdiction to bring charges, as do the feds. It’s a little bit of a complicated interplay but the bottom line is yes, we have jurisdiction to bring criminal charges,” Borgertpoepping said

The shooting marks a dramatic escalation of the latest in a series of immigration enforcement operations in major American cities under the Trump administration.

The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul have been on edge since DHS announced Tuesday that it had launched the operation, with 2,000 agents and officers expected to participate in the crackdown tied in part to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents.

A large throng of protesters gathered at the scene after Wednesday’s shooting, where they vented their anger at the local and federal officers who were there, including Gregory Bovino, a senior U.S. Customs and Border Patrol official who has been the face of crackdowns in Los Angeles, Chicago and elsewhere.

The area where the shooting occurred is just a few blocks from some of the oldest immigrant markets and a mile from where George Floyd was killed while resisting arrest by police in 2020.

Newsmax contributed to this report.

It is clear to me that the woman who was shot was engaged in domestic terrorism against ICE—unlike what mayor Frey said about it. We should know that ICE have been place by our government as authority figures who have been charged with rounding up and bringing to justice all those who are in this country illegally and who are criminals. They should be respected as Federal authority figures that must have our respect and obedience.  

In Romans 13:1-7 we are given the charge of how we are to respect our governing authorities—which includes ICE agents.

13 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. 3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; 4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. 5 Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. 7 Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

The Good Example of Sarah

1 Peter 3:5-6

5 For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands; 6 just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.

The holy women like Sarah did adorn themselves with a gentle and quiet spirit; and thus, being holy she was submissive to her husband Abraham and also to God. All wives who do the same as Sarah will become her children (spiritually). And though some may be fearful of a non-believing husband, they need not be; for they are doing what is right in the eyes of God and He will guard their souls. Evil men may kill the body but not the soul.

Inner Beauty

1 Peter 3:3-4

3 Your adornment must not be merely external — braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; 4 but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.

The wife’s external adornment must reflect her humble submissiveness (v. 5). And I think she can be both beautiful and submissive. But Peter emphasizes here that inner beauty is more important than outer beauty. Inner beauty will not fade away as a flower. In fact, if one is growing in the Lord it will increase in beauty, in contrast to the outward beauty of the body that will decrease with age. What is this inner beauty? Peter describes it as a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious to God.

The Capture of Maduro by American Forces

On January 2, in the middle of the night, American military forces captured Nicolas Maduro and his wife, and they will be brought to justice. This was a great success for the American military and for Venezuela in stopping this criminal.

But we also now see a clear indication of many Americans who are “Democratic Socialists” (Communists). We see it so clearly by their signs and marches calling for Maduro’s freedom. This is what America has come to—wanting criminals to go free, and wanting drugs in our country.

Please, let us rejoice now in seeing Venezuela free from this bad guy. Pray for the Venezuelan people to now have their country back and free.