“Watch out for false prophets.  They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.  By their fruit you will recognize them.  Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?  Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.”  —Matthew 7:15-17

Do you trust everyone claiming to be a Conservative?  I hope not.  Expecting wolves to appear as sheep, Jesus saw through their pleasant smiles and likeminded buzzwords, instead posing one simple question:  “What’s your fruit?”  In other words, “What results come from following your message?”  

Wolves infiltrate a group to harm its mission.  That’s their bad fruit.  Against Jesus, this meant undermining the gospel, but the wolves facing us have a different goal—undermining America.  These wolves despise America’s founding principles, and they seek to remake America with governing majorities—caucusing as one to overrun liberty.   

That means electing Democrats.  Period.  

So fellow Conservatives, let’s talk about our fruit—politically.  Faced with an enormous and unified Left, we can only win elections by uniting ourselves and drawing others to our ranks.  There is no other way.   “Unite Us, Draw Others”—those four words represent the fruit of winning Conservatives (and the hope for our nation).  Thus, if someone produces other fruit—if they divide us and repel others—we’ll know they are bad political trees, leading us to ruin.  

Unite Us, Draw Others = Good Fruit = Good Tree
Divide Us, Repel Others = Bad Fruit = Bad Tree  

It doesn’t get simpler than that.  

                                                            Know Your Enemy  

But more is needed when hunting wolves.  In preparing for their attacks, you must first know two truths about the American Left:

1. They have virtually unlimited resources and finances.
2. They have absolutely no conscience; nothing limiting what they’re willing to say or do in order to win elections and seize control.

What does this mean?  Simply put, while posing as Conservatives, undercover Democrats can go anywhere (with unlimited resources), while saying and doing anything (without conscience).  Likely paid, these people are well trained and fluent in your talking points.  They use your bumper stickers, frequent your blogs, recite scriptures, and go to your meetings.  Taking time you think Liberals wouldn’t take, they form friendships you think they won’t form, and say things you think they’d never say—all to gain your trust. 

Unbelievable?  Again, consider our opponent, and ask yourself, “If I wanted to undermine the Right and could—and would—do anything, what would I do?  Would I just shout from the outside, or would I subvert from the inside?”  

And once inside, who is the wolf’s top target?  Who does he most seek to damage?  Again, remember that, while we Conservatives bicker over ideology, Liberals unite around one goal—controlling society through winning elections.  So, the wolf only cares about math.  That said, here’s the wolf’s top target:  

Whoever is the most numerically viable opponent to their Democratic candidate.  

For the wolf, no one else matters.  If the wolf moves votes from his most numerically viable opponent to others with less chance to win—or to not voting at all—the wolf succeeds.   

Oh, I know what some readers are thinking:  “So, Andy’s telling us to get in line behind the Republican candidate and shut up, right?  He’s just another Establishment crony!”  

If you think this, you’ve missed it.  I’m stressing mathematical reality because this is all that matters to our opponent.  Truth is, the wolf can pose as anything—whatever helps best in a certain district, state, or national election.  

For instance:

If the GOP candidate is a Tea Party Conservative like Ted Cruz, the wolf might infiltrate moderate ranks, stirring up dissension against “those Tea Partiers who always demand our money and votes while calling us a bunch of evil compromisers.”

Then again, if the GOP candidate is a Mormon like Mitt Romney, the wolf may pose as an Evangelical Christian, telling believers (like me) that “a vote for Romney is a vote for Satan.”  This strategy paid off handsomely in the 2012 race.

Perhaps the GOP candidate is moderate, leading the wolf to infiltrate Tea Party groups, mouthing phrases like, “Why must we always support the ‘Lesser of Two Evils’ when we know it won’t work?  Well, never again, I say!  It’s about time they see what happens when they ignore us!”

Or then again, the wolf might pose as a supporter of the GOP candidate, insulting other GOP factions so they’ll stay home on Election Day.  Some GOP candidates (ie. Mitch McConnell) even help this along with their own divisive comments. 

We don’t locate wolves by thinking about what we want.  We locate wolves by thinking about what they want.  Laughing at our internal battles, the wolf just picks whatever side provides the best leverage for creating division.  In fact, multiple wolves might choose opposite sides to escalate our internal war.  Wolves don’t care how they beat us.  

                                                            Simple Clues

But here’s good news:  Wolves are easy to hunt.  Just look at their fruit! 

1. If someone’s actions don’t unite us and draw others, then they’re either wolves or misguided brethren influenced by wolves. 
   
   
2. Furthermore, if following their advice would harm the most numerically viable opponent to the Democrat, then they are acting as wolves—whether knowingly or not.  Ignore their rhetoric, since wolves will say anything.  Look only at the math.
   
   

During the 2012 election, I hunted some wolves on Conservative blogs, where one classic wolf posed as a Ron Paul supporter.  There were telltale signs.  For instance, while he’d often attack Romney or the Republicans alone (writing endless lists comparing them to Obama), he never attacked Obama alone.  Thus, all his efforts were geared toward dividing Obama’s opposition, not Obama’s supporters—though he would mouth classic criticisms of Obama.  Our division was his only goal, and harming Obama’s most numerically viable opponent was his only fruit.  

Success!  I had located a wolf!  Now, all that remained was to expose him.

The wolf claimed to stand for “principle” (a common tactic for wooing Tea Partiers and Libertarians).  Ignoring this drivel, I asked why he was so determined to divide Obama’s opposition.  Predictably, he said he was equally opposed to both Republicans and Democrats (ironic, given that he’d been spewing far more conservative stances than liberal ones).

Now I had him.

Thrilled at his misstep, I challenged him to provide pre-dated examples of when he’d gone on Liberal blogs and pushed such dissent on the Left—so he could prove he was truly a “principled Libertarian equally opposing Democrats and Republicans.”  Naturally, he failed to do so, and after Obama won re-election, the wolf proudly proclaimed his Democratic support.  By then, many on the blog were already on to him.

Hunted and exposed, he did no damage.  Unfortunately, many wolves did succeed, as millions on the divided Right stayed home, allowing another Democrat romp.

                                                            Stopping The Wolves

It doesn’t take a master strategist to hunt wolves.  Just ask, “Is this person uniting us and drawing others?  Or is this person producing the fruit of a wolf—driving support away from the Democrat’s most numerically viable opponent?  Ultimately, which side—Liberals or Conservatives—applauds this person’s actions?  What’s the math?”

Remember, not all who divide us are paid subversives working for George Soros.  Some just aren’t considering their fruit.  But that’s okay.  When hunting wolves, we don’t have to “get” them all, and it’s not even crucial to discern between the wolves and misguided brethren.  Just unite us, draw others, and don’t let wolves divide you…  

…for that, my friends, is the greatest way to drive them out.  

Let’s close with one more comment from Jesus regarding wolves.  

"I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”  —Matthew 10:16  

When faced with highly financed wolves who are devoid of conscience, it isn’t enough to be innocent in our principles.  We must also be shrewd in our strategy, forging the alliances necessary to deny wolves their prize. 

Therefore, be innocent as doves, shrewd as snakes, and victorious on Election Night.

In other words, don’t ever, ever, ever, ever, ever help the wolves win.  

Happy hunting.

Last week, some stars had nude pics of themselves get hacked and posted.  

Tragic? Hardly.  A good lesson?  You bet.  High profile examples provide much needed warnings for young people about discretion and privacy. They provide healthy fear; even wisdom.  What they don’t provide, however, is an opportunity for us to preach morality.  

After all, why should people be moral?  Have you ever asked this?  Why do we ever restrict sensual urges?  Is it only to avoid judgment at the hands of Bible-thumping Christians (like me) still holding to “antiquated” ideals?  
Doubtful.  

Perhaps you’ve noticed that young people today tend to wear clothing.  It’s true!  But why are they so Puritanical?  Why so modest?  Here’s why:  They actually enjoy physical privacy, along with casual interaction devoid of prolonged looks at their…stuff.  These kids aren’t avoiding the Lord’s loyal fan base.  They’re avoiding each other.  Without admitting it,  today’s teens find varying levels of morality to be perfectly natural—and as it happens, quite fashionable.  

That in mind, I still  wonder why they ever set morality aside.  I suppose, to the degree they go public, stripping off layers draws them favorable attention.  They’re seeking value.  And thanks to the miracles of modern technology and piracy, their publicity can jump to viral status with one tap on a bored hacker’s keypad.

That’s a lot of value…of the creepy kind.  Think of several guys my age (I’m 51) leering at a college girl.  Creeeeeeeeeepy.  Fortunately for the young lass, men my age tend to nod off every few minutes, waking up later in confusion, wondering why all these people are trying to revive us.  As a side note, I find this makes driving in traffic a thrilling adventure.

Ah, but since many youngsters do expose themselves online for creepy old men, perhaps a Christian zealot like me should offer some sort of moral guidance.  Here goes:

Young Americans, it’s natural to enjoy looking good (so I’m told).  It’s also natural to enjoy sex. 

What is not natural is earning your value.  Those who value you more because you remove more clothing or round the bases toward that intimate home run will…well…devalue you if you either stop or reverse course altogether.  No matter how much you enjoy the attention or passion, there’s that little voice in your head saying, “If I stop now, what will he/she think?”  Thus, with every base—or piece of clothing—you are preventing their disappointment.  You’re earning your value, and at your deepest level, you know you shouldn’t have to.  Thus, you feel cheap.

That’s why we Christians (among others) advise waiting until—prepare to groan--marriage.  Once the ring is on, that person has already committed fully to your value, leaving you nothing left to earn.  In one of life’s great ironies, “that old ball and chain” provides complete intimacy…with no strings attached.  Go figure.  When Christians recommend waiting, they're not judging young people.  They're simply sharing their view that young people are precious.  

Let me close this sermon, after which you will uncontrollably dump buckets of money in my collection plate:  Your value can’t be earned.  It can only be accepted, and that only with a lasting commitment.  Yes, you’re really worth that much, and the person robbing your treasure isn’t the older guy catching your snapshots gone viral, or even the panting boyfriend…it’s you.  You already know you like modesty, so don’t trade it in to someone who prefers you have less of it.

As for Hollywood’s latest privacy violation, there’s no moral lesson there—unless morality for you is, “Don’t get coked up and post nudies that can be hacked by bitter nerds who’ve never had non-virtual girlfriends.”  

Morality isn’t something you do to avoid being caught, but rather, to celebrate being special.  Maybe more teens should consider trying it.

And maybe, just maybe, we should consider not scaring them into it.