This is the first in a series on what I believe to be God’s non-negotiables. You will find some of them hard to swallow and please correct me if I’m making something more non-negotiable than He intends.
America is a global superpower. We have the world’s mightiest military and can impose our non-negotiables upon many others.* “No nuclear weapons” and “Open the straits” are two for Iran. Those who don’t take our non-negotiables seriously place themselves at risk – consider the several “late” ayatollahs and Venezuela’s Maduro.
The SUPERpower
But there’s another One, a SUPERpower Whose non-negotiables we the Church seem free to dismiss like the now-unalived (as we say) ayatollahs dismissed Donald Trump. And while there will be an end to America’s global superpower status, there will be NO end to this SUPERpower. He is eternal, unchanging and to be taken seriously – as all who don’t, will see. Jesus gave many non-negotiables regarding Eternal Life present and eternal and we are not free to decide things for ourselves without dire consequences.
I say boldly and confidently that His non-negotiables are unavoidable preconditions to John 10:10 Abundant Life now, and they shape the measure of our eternal reward. I am less confident about how many are actually preconditions to our going to heaven when we die but I wouldn’t want to risk finding out the hard way. Hell is horrible and forever is a long time – besides, the Kingdom Life that Jesus invites us into through His non-negotiables is the only truly fulfilling way to live now! Satan’s options rob us of that Life.
More to come.
*That can change in a heartbeat at the nod of the SUPERpower, and I expect to see it.
Ken Stoltzfus
Kidron, Ohio USA
April 13, 2026
Printable pdf at: www.10minas.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/26-12.pdf