(More Bible Studies Available @ www.marktabata.com)
It is written:
Romans 13:7-Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.
As Christians living in America, one of the privileges that we enjoy is the ability to interact directly with our leaders. In the past year, I have availed myself more of this advantage in an attempt so encourage and exhort our leaders to consider the Word of God regarding certain moral and ethical situations that continue to be of concern to me as a follower of Jesus and a Gospel preacher. I share these letters on my webpage in the hopes that it will encourage other Christians to similarly contact their representatives. My concern is not as a Republican or Democrat (even though I am a registered Republican). Rather, it is a concerned citizen of Christ’s kingdom, His church. May the Lord defeat our leaders in things that are wrong, strengthen them in things that are right, and lead them all to the saving knowledge of Jesus as we speak God’s Word in love and lift them all up in prayer.
From The Desk Of Mark Tabata (Gospel Preacher)
Mark Tabata (Gospel Preacher)
Resident Of Corbin, KY
Letter Of Gratitude and Exhortation Of Continuing Concerns For Our Nation
July 5 2025
To The Office Of Kentucky Senator Rand Paul
Senator Paul,
I hope that this letter finds you and your family doing well. It was a blessed Fourth of July holiday for my family with the news that some of my close family will soon be expecting their first child around March of next year. I am happy for them and thankful especially that they will be bringing their firstborn into what I continue to believe is the greatest country in the world. Despite her many problems, I thank God for our nation, for our leaders, and especially for our brave men and women who defend her borders and keep her safe.
To that end, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude towards you regarding something I’ve been concerned about for some time: the so called “big, beautiful bill” that our President managed to get implemented. As you know, this bill goes a long way to shutting down 35 rural hospitals in Kentucky (one of which employs my wife). Many are saying this is Democrat fear mongering, but I suspect they are just listening to their favorite news stations instead of actually speaking to people in the healthcare field (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/news/content/ar-AA1GBWc8?ocid=sapphireappshare).
I wanted to tell you first “thank you” for opposing this bill. I had honestly begun to lose any faith in the Republican Party the last fear years as I saw more and more giving in to the demands of this President. While there are some things I applaud President Trump regarding (his stance against abortion, standing mostly against transgenderism being promoted and pushed on children), there are many moral areas as a Christian I strongly disagree with him on. It was encouraging to see you cross party lines and stand against this bill. I am sure it probably made things difficult for you in a lot or ways that I don’t understand.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you!
I also would ask you to please continue courageously standing up for those in our state and country who are being unjustly targeted. As I have written before, I have a special concern for Christians who fled to America while facing persecution from Islam. I wrote previously about Christians from Afghanistan who came here legally, many of whom had helped our country in our fight against the Taliban. While here legally and obeying our laws, they have had their citizenship revoked and have been (and are being) sent back to Afghanistan to face persecution, imprisonment, torture, and likely death. Sadly, the same trend is continuing and appears to be increasing in our country as ICE agents are now targeting Christians who fled here legally from Iran (https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/06/ice-arrests-church-leaders-christians-fleeing-persecution/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=article&fbclid=IwQ0xDSwLWgP9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHlPzGsLYLJyCfo-tZsuuxEz9MMOW2Z1Qg59yPiWsTjqXS4JrUVLz4TyvPVa3_aem_x3fqjtiylAcYvrnJGibAog).
Sir, I continue to protest against these agents, this policy, and the President who has been behind these atrocities. Recently, I even saw the President joking about his, “Alligator Alcatraz” prison (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-alligator-alcatraz-detention-center-florida/). I was reminded of how the accounts of how the crowds in ancient Rome cheered as Christians were thrown to the lions in the Coliseum by godless leaders. It breaks my heart to see Christians in America cheering this type of agenda, joking about the idea of people being maimed and eaten by wild animals. They are sadly following in the footsteps of the President that they adore instead of in the Savior they should be exalting who teaches us to show kindness (Galatians 5:22-23), and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:39). This even includes our enemies (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 5:44-45). What a disgrace that so many who claim to be representatives of Jesus live in such hostility and bitterness towards their fellow man.
1 John 4:8-He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
Indeed, the idolatry that seems to be at work continually concerns me. As an example, my mind keeps going to a video President Trump shared on his “truth social” network in which he expanded on his vision for Gaza. In it, he has people walking adoringly by a huge golden statue of himself, even as he has bearded men in dresses dancing on the shores (https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/114068387897265338). It reminded me of the wicked king, Nebuchadnezzar, who the Bible tells us made a huge golden statue of himself (Daniel 3:1).
Nebuchadnezzar had to learn a hard lesson, but thankfully, he repented and began to serve the one true God (Daniel 4). That continues to be my prayer for President Trump (1 Timothy 2:1-6).
At the same time, I am concerned for the safety of our military men and women during these times. The decision of our President to attack Iran is beyond my purview. Given what I know of the religion of Islam, I am concerned about the leaders of that country gaining nuclear weapons. However, my primary concern was in the President granting permission for Iran to later attack one of our military bases in Qatar (https://www.mediaite.com/media/tv/trump-says-he-told-iranian-leaders-go-ahead-i-understand-when-they-said-they-had-to-take-a-shot-at-us-in-retaliation/).
Is it right, Senator, for a President to grant permission for a foreign military to attack a United States base? If anyone else had granted permission for a foreign power to launch an attack (regardless of effectiveness) against one of our bases, would that be even conceivable? If President Biden had done such, I believe I know how this would have been regarded. But when it is President Trump, it suddenly becomes permissible, defensible, and even applauded.
Sir, this just is not right.
I continue to ask you to intervene for those in our country who desperately need a voice. Thank you for your courage and commitment in that regard.
With deepest respect,
Mark Tabata (Gospel Preacher)