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April 19, 2016, Target stores issued a statement to America and their stockholders which said: "We welcome transgender team members and guests [customers] to use the restroom or fitting room facility that corresponds with their gender identity."
After creating this new social dimension to their business, Target said, "That is good."
Choices have consequences.
American Family Association said, "No, that is not good--it's bad."
And launched a national boycott of Target stores. Millions agreed with AFA.
Scripture teaches, "The wages of sin is death..."
History also teaches that choices have consequences. Rome taught us that.
Target Corp. value is now down 30%---once again affirming that choices have consequences.
The stock value of the transgender champion Target Corp. crashed by 13.5% this week after the company's sales again fell below investors' expectations.
Target's stock value is now down by 30% since it made the choice to embrace the transgender political and moral agenda 11 months ago.
On Tuesday, their stock fell to $58.78, down from its April 19 high of $83.98. In contrast, WalMart is up 3% since April and Kohl's is down less than 1%.
Is Target suffering from a "market trend?" No.
However, Target CEO Brian Cornell is telling investors, "Our fourth-quarter results reflect the impact of rapidly changing consumer behavior..."
Changing consumer behavior is, in fact, the reason, but not as Cornell is trying to explain---shoppers are saying "no" to Target. Normal people don't want to see their mothers, wives, sisters and daughters subjected to men "identifying" as women, strolling through the women's changing rooms and restrooms.
And customers are obviously put off by a retail giant that believes that somehow their calling is to lead a social revolution for the .001% who claim to be "transgender" at the expense of tens of millions of women (and men) who are not confused about their gender.
American Family Association President Tim Wildmon said this week: "This [policy] is unacceptable for families, and the dangerous and misguided policy continues to put women and children in harm's way. Men don't belong in the same bathroom as our wives and daughters."
AFA is leading the boycott.
The word sin comes from the concept of "missing the mark." Target has missed the mark---or the bullseye.
There is a lesson in this.
When an individual sins, he or she personally may ask God's forgiveness, which is the "gift of God."
Rather than repent, Target seems more determined than ever to stay the course. At some point, I would imagine, they will be forced to seek forgiveness---at least from the investors--or else they will follow others into the dustbin of business history.
And hopefully, at some point, they may consider the 341,000 employees who are also impacted by their decisions.
But forget Target for the moment.
History is littered with the remains of bad decisions. Not only in business, but in civilizations and cultures.
The city of Rome grew from small communities located around a ford on the river Tiber. It's prime location and some of its decisions led to the phrase "All roads lead to Rome." And they did for many years.
Rome became a mighty empire.
In the beginning, Romans became excellent engineers, political administrators and possessed an exceptional military structure. Religion was wide spread and citizens possessed high morals, and those morals were advocated in their dynamic society. Romans believed in honesty, discipline, frugality and self-sacrifice.
If you have read or studied the history of Rome, or read the 8 volumes of "The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire" as I have, you are left with a clear understanding that the kingdoms of man rise and fall. It is only the Kingdom of God that is forever and ever.
There are principles upon which nations rise and fall.
God Himself instituted nations, with borders, which the book of Acts explains is useful to Him in the accomplishment of His purposes.
While Rome's story is consistent with that of all other great civilizations, it was Rome's political and legal structure that most influenced our Founding Fathers.
And they had learned from the collapse of Rome that the spiritual foundation was most critical to national sustainability. They purposefully chose Judeo-Christian values and principles as the spiritual and moral foundation for their new nation---America.
As Rome's riches grew, people became greedy, complacent, self-indulgent, and lazy---manners fell away, while homosexuality and adultery became the norm rather than the exception. Finally, that behavior was not only accepted but celebrated.
It also became acceptable---even desired and celebrated, to become involved in public bestiality and pedophilia. And other barbaric depraved social rituals.
Roman families began to dissolve as Romans became obsessed with instant gratification. Children became a burden rather than a gift---abortion and infanticide became "normal" and common---even advocated.
One big decision does not define the fall of Rome, nor does it define the troubles of Target---or the moral failure in a personal life.
It is a series of decisions---choices, that are either ignored or explained away.
Typically, collapsing societies fail to recognize the stage or severity of their decline until it's too late.
Who knows what path Target will choose? They will, however, make some choices---probably sooner than later.
The past 8 years have seen a significant moral decline in America which has negatively impacted every other sector of our society. Some citizens---or stockholders in America--were unaware and oblivious to the decline, while others actually advocated for it, calling it "progress."
Some said, "I'm frightened, but what can I do, I'm only one person?"
Millions knew what they must do. They bowed in prayer, and in accordance with II Chronicles 7:14 and asked God for forgiveness and healing, promising to turn from their wicked ways.
Last November, 62,979,879 "stockholders," (citizens) in America, voted for a major change of direction, and those millions of stockholders delivered the needed Electoral Votes to place in office a person whom many said could never be elected.
Even some of his fiercest critics said yesterday, that Tuesday night, by virtue of his Congressional speech outlining his vision for America, Donald Trump truly became President of the United States.
In calling the nation to look to the future, repair our institutions, and reset our moral direction, he has appointed more devout evangelical Christians to his Cabinet than any president in history.
This is the most updated list from the New York Times.
The list includes men and women who are known to be devout biblical Christians. Here are some of them: Vice President Pence, A./G Sessions, Education Secretary DeVos, Health, Dr. Price; Dr. Ben Carson, HUD; Nikki Haley, UN; Rick Perry, Energy; Scott Pruitt, EPA; Mike Pompeo, Ryan Zinke and others.
Pray for the president. Pray for these people and others who will lead in the coming 4 years.
And thank God for answered prayer.
Be Informed. Be Inspired. Be Prayerful. Be Active.