“And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.”  Mark 11:13 (ESV).

My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Corner.

From a distance, the fig leaves gave Jesus the impression that there was fruit on the tree.  Upon closer inspection, the tree was fruitless.

Perfect church attendance and ministry activity cannot replace actual Christ-like fruit produced in our lives.

From a distance, it can appear as though we’re bearing fruit but what would we find with a closer look?

Are we content with fruitful appearance or do we yearn for the real thing? 

“Then Elisha prayed and said, 'O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see…'”  Excerpt from 2 Kings 6:17 (ESV)

My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Corner.

One morning, Elisha’s young servant went out first thing and saw the Syrian army surrounding Elisha’s home town. The servant was racked with fear and cried out to Elisha, “What will we do?” Elisha said, “Don’t be afraid.  There are more with us than are with them.”  Then Elisha prayed, "LORD, open this young man’s eyes.” The servant then saw mountain full of horses and chariots of fire!

As opposition mounts in our lives, fear not, the LORD - who is in us and with us - is greater than the hostility present in the world.

“Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”  John 15:2

No one likes to suffer difficult circumstances.  In this era of easy believe-ism it's often conveyed, “If life isn’t always smooth we’re doing something wrong.”

The Scripture teaches us, however, that our LORD often meets fruitful branches with additional pruning.  The pruning is not punishment.  Its actually to make us even more fruitful.

If you’re in a rough spot right now, take heart.  What may feel like the squeeze to end all squeezes could very well be the LORD’s pruning for additional fruitfulness.

When the LORD prunes us He does so for our good.

“The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps.” Proverbs 14:15 (ESV).

My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Minute.

In early March, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention warned that it was possible to contract the Wuhan Flu from contaminated surfaces.

Now, the CDC has updated its guidelines to include a section on ways the virus “doesn’t easily spread.”

And the newly updated CDC guidelines now say the virus “doesn’t easily spread” from “touching surfaces or objects.”

Conventional wisdom concerning the virus for several months has now been completely upended.

I’m glad we’re getting better data on the virus, but this type of course correction drives the American people to demand our country re-open.

“Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” 2 Timothy 3:12 (NASB).

My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Minute.

The First Pentecostal Church of Holly Springs in Mississippi had been in a legal battle with the municipal authorities to continue holding services despite the coronavirus outbreak and subsequent lockdown orders.

As the church awaited a ruling from the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, its facility was burned to the ground. According to investigators, the church was spray-painted with graffiti that said “I Bet you stay home now you hypokrits” before an explosion blew out the front of the building.

The Marshall County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the fire to be a criminal act of arson.

“For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.” Matthew 12:34 (NASB).

My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Minute.

In an interview with The Breakfast Club radio show co-host, who happened to be a black man, presumptive Democrat Presidential Nominee Joe Biden said anyone who has a problem “figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.”

Spinsters immediately came to Biden’s defense saying he was just joking.  But after major backlash the former Vice-President apologized for the remark, saying “no one should have to vote for any party based on their” skin color.

Do you believe the former Vice-President’s apology? Or, do you believe his initial comments flowed from his heart?

“The first to plead his case seems right, Until another comes and examines him.” Proverbs 18:17 (NASB).

My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Minute.

The Colorado Department of Public Health admitted that its COVID-19 death toll was counting those who tested positive for the coronavirus but had died of other causes.

As a result, it has now reduced its total for Coloradans who died due to COVID-19 by over 23%.

The numerical downgrade followed a case where a 35 year old Colorado man named Sebastian Yellow died from alcohol poisoning, but but his death was included in the state’s Wuhan Flu death toll.

It makes you wonder just how often COVID death numbers have been inflated around the nation.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19 (NASB).

My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Minute.

In his October 11, 1798 address to the Massachusetts Militia, John Adams, 2nd President of the United States and founding father said,

Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.

He understood that in order for the American Constitutional Republic to survive long term the church in America must make disciples of its populace.

An immoral people will always destroy themselves through lawlessness. To think otherwise, is to suffer under a grand delusion.

“Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, 'Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.' This is a desert place” Acts 8:26.

My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Minute.

At the height of a Holy Spirit outpouring in Samaria, where the Gospel was being preached with great power and droves of people were converting to follow Christ, the LORD instructed Philip to leave Samaria and head south to Gaza.

Philip didn’t know a divine appointment awaited him. 

Through his ministry to the Ethiopian Eunuch, the Gospel would spread to Africa.

He left the crowd. To serve one.

I call this step down faith. It's easy to step up for the attention and applause of the masses, but do we have step down faith?

“And Moses said, ‘I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned’” Exodus 3:3. 

My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Minute.

In the burning bush encounter Scripture records that it began as Moses kept Jethro’s flock Exodus 3:1.

“When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, 'Moses, Moses!' And he said, 'Here I am'" Exodus 3:4.

Notice, God didn’t speak to Moses until He gave full attention to what God was trying to show him.

Diligent attention to daily duty is necessary.  We must be careful, however, not to allow duty to become an idol.  Are our hearts still sensitive to God? Can God still get our attention?

There were added that day about 3000 souls. 

My name is Abraham Hamilton III and this is the Hamilton Minute. 

The day of Pentecost concluded with 3000 converts being added to the initial body of 120 believers.  Then that 3120 spent time together daily going to the temple and interacting in each other’s homes. They devoted themselves continually to the apostle’s teaching, fellowship, sharing meals together and praying together.

The 3120 that made up the early church came from Turkey, the middle east and Africa, and included Arabs and Romans.  In addition to the geographic and ethnic diversity, they also spoke different languages.  Yet they were made one family in Christ Jesus. 

Scripture has the answer to the issues we face today.

The LORD hates hands that shed innocent blood.  Paraphrased from Proverbs 11:17 (ESV).

My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Minute.

Calvin Munerlyn, a Family Dollar store security guard, was fatally shot in Flint, MI after telling a customer her child had to wear a face mask to enter the store.

After being denied entry, 45 year-old Sharmel Teague returned to the store 20 minutes later with four other people, including her 23 year old son.

The group confronted Munerlyn and Teague’s 23 year old son pulled his gun, shot and killed Calvin Munerlyn.

He is survived by his wife of 10 years, eight children, and his mother.

This is an absolutely senseless killing.

Life has no value to many in our country.

“For nothing is concealed that won't be revealed.”  Luke 8:17(a) (CSB).

My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Minute.

William Barr’s Justice Department has dropped all charges against Lt. General Michael Flynn.

Newly declassified documents indicate that former President Barack Obama surprised even his own deputy attorney general, Sally Yates, by revealing that he knew the details of wiretapped phone calls of General Flynn prior to President Trump taking office.

Previously, we were lead to believe the FBI, CIA, DNI, and NSC all went rogue and Barack Obama didn’t know anything.

These newly declassified documents show otherwise.

Will our media ask former President Obama or Joe Biden what they knew and when they knew it?

Did this corruption reach to the top?

“A false balance is an abomination to the LORD.”  Proverbs 11:1(a) (CSB).

My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Minute.

All charges against Lt. General Michael Flynn have been dropped.

The news came a week after new evidence released by Flynn’s lawyers showed FBI agents apparently trying to trap Flynn into lying to them, hoping he would be prosecuted or fired.

The evidence also suggested they knew he had not committed a separate crime.

In spite of them having no evidence against Flynn, and no evidence of Russian collusion by President Trump, the FBI and the Mueller team proceeded to charge General Flynn in effort to get him to provide them with evidence against President Trump.

This should sicken every single American.

“And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  Matthew 22:39(b) (ESV).

My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Minute.

When queried by the Pharisees concerning the “greatest commandment” Jesus answered,

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

He then said the second greatest commandment is “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” He didn’t simply say you shall love your neighbor.  He said Christ-followers must love our neighbors as ourselves.

Christian duty requires us to employ discernment and active empathy.  We worship our LORD when put our selves in one another’s shoes as we do life together and resolve misunderstandings.

“A false balance is an abomination to the LORD.”  Proverbs 11:1(a) (CSB).

My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Minute.

64 year-old Gregory McMichael and 34 year-old Travis McMichael have been arrested and charged with murder and aggravated assault in the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery.

Arbery was killed on February 23, 2020.  But, no arrests were made in the more the two months that followed.

Two separate district attorneys recused themselves from the case. Finally, it was assigned to District Attorney Tom Durden of Hinesville, GA. He referred the case to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for independent review. That referral led to the McMichaels’ arrest and charging.

Tom Durden will now present the case to a grand jury for possible indictment.

“He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm.”  Proverbs 13:20 (NASB).

My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Minute.

When my wife and I first started having children we discouraged our family members from speaking to them in baby talk… you know the gaga-googoo stuff.

The reason was simple.  We wanted our children to speak English well.  Baby talk would hinder that development.

The same principle applies to spiritual development.

If we want our children to be wise disciples of our LORD we should ask ourselves how much of their time is spent investing in spiritual maturity.

Protracted time in the company of spiritual baby-talkers will inevitably cause harm.

“You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house.”  Deuteronomy 6:7 (ESV).

My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Minute.

Harvard University has planned a secret Summit to crush homeschooling.  One of the Summit’s organizers, Elizabeth Bartholet, the Wasserstein Public Interest Professor and Faculty Director of Harvard Law School’s Child Advocacy Program, explained her reasoning in an article published in the Arizona Law Review.

She wrote,

A survey of homeschoolers show that a majority of homeschool families (by some estimates, up to 90%) are driven by conservative Christian beliefs.

She further argued that a meaningful education includes exposure to “community values.”

Professor Bartholet has no problem with indoctrination as long as it excludes your doctrine.

“But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.”  James 2:9 (NASB).

My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Minute.

There is way more evidence to support the sexual assault allegations made against Joe Biden than there ever was against Justice Brett Kavanaugh. 30-year old assault allegations raised during an election year should give pause to any prudent person.

But, if you opposed Brett Kavanaugh because of the accusations against him how could you now be silent or even support Joe Biden?

Nevertheless, the former #BelieveAllWomen crowd who sought to burn Brett Kavanaugh at the stake are not only supporting Joe Biden they’re endorsing him for President.

“Me Too”: principled movement or political power play?

“A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, But a just weight is His delight.”  Proverbs 11:1 (NASB).

My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Minute.

Previously undisclosed documents in the case against former national security adviser Michael Flynn offer us a chilling blueprint on how top FBI officials sought to entrap the decorated general on blatantly unconstitutional and manufactured grounds.

One such note, written by former FBI Counterintelligence Chief Bill Priestap after meeting with James Comey and Andrew McCabe said,

What is our goal? Truth and admission or to get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired?

The entire case is a miscarriage of justice.  All charges against General Flynn must be dismissed immediately!