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Wake Up America–or Die! The Undeniable Crisis & The Awesome Remedy

America, specifically the United States of America has been truly blessed in extraordinary ways throughout most of its history on this continent. However, in the last fifty years there has been a readily observable and measurable decline in the American culture. The importance of lifelong character development has largely been lost.

A true understanding of the intimate and inescapable link between the cohesiveness of the traditional family and the cohesiveness and sustainability of the American culture has faded rapidly. Children have become virtually disposable by abortion, neglect, or surrendering them to strangers to grow up with an endless procession of day care centers, government-sponsored programs and schools, and babysitters while mom and dad devote their best and highest priority time to chasing the elusive “successful career.”

The millennia-long traditional, Biblical, and only sustainable definition of the family is rapidly being diluted to near oblivion. The decline has reached the point that all major institutions (media, education, politics, and entertainment) are dominated and driven by people with an evolution-driven humanistic often godless mindset. The juggernaut of decline is diving toward chaos or totalitarian government control of every aspect of life. Freedom is becoming little more than a legend related by the oldest seniors to their grandchildren and great grandchildren.

If that does not frighten or at least seriously disturb you, read the books. If it does, read the books, which follow the trail from the Founders hard fought freedom codified in the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution to the desperate chaotic conditions of today. The first five chapters deal with the undeniable crisis. Chapters 6-7 begin the journey toward the awesome remedy. The second volume completes the awesome journey. There is a sense in which this book is addressed to the broadest possible audience. But in another sense it carries an especially urgent and compelling message to a more specific group of Judeo-Christian believers. Unless a substantial portion of believers are inspired to become part of the awesome remedy, the amazing country that we inherited will eventually cease to exist, at least in any recognizable form.

These two elegant volumes provide a great handbook for all aspects of Christian living. Compelling sections analyze contemporary Christian history, government, family life, love, happiness, maturity, and freedom. Additional chapters offer intensely practical solutions for contemporary cultural controversies. Finally, the books offer detailed Christian views of science, music, art, education and finally a specific plan for real practical change, beginning with the family, extending through the church and ultimately to the American culture.

The books are supported by 27 powerful endorsements, many from nationally or internationally known figures such as Josh McDowell, Dr. Judith Reisman, William Federer, Major General Bob Dees, U.S. Army (retired), Dr. Michael Brown, Dr. Frank Turek, Coach Bobby Bowden (retired), Rabbi Daniel Lapin, David and Jason Benham, Dr. Jerry Vines, and a host of ministers from a diverse array of denominations and rabbis.

Find the books at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million and many other outlets. The books are available in paperback and online editions (Kindle/Nook).

Excessive Materialism Violates All Ten of God’s Great & Precious Commandments

For hundreds of years, America has been dominated by strong ideals. Among them have been a strong work ethic, a desire to achieve, and the right to enjoy the fruit our labor. That fruit is a gift from God. “…you may say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.’ But you are to remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, in order to confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” (Deuteronomy 8:17-18 NASB)

It is genuinely delightful to enjoy the honestly-earned results of personal labor. However, a preoccupation with the accumulation of material things, while sacrificing other important life considerations, is called materialism.

God draws a particularly serious line at excessive materialism. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” [1 Timothy 6:10 KJV] The ideals that have encouraged boundless materialism must be integrated with numerous other ideals and restrained by God’s infinitely wise Biblical limits.

Sadly, throughout most of the last century the American people have become largely anesthetized by an excessive devotion to materialism. Many seek materialistic goals as life’s highest priority to the exclusion of nearly everything else.

Do YOU place a higher priority on career than family? If so, you are devoted excessive materialism. If you instinctively deny the highest priority of career, ask yourself whether you commit more time each week to career or family. We spend our time on or with what we love. If YOU are spending more time on career that is your first love and you are tacitly devoted to excessive materialism, while not actually admitting it.

God’s view of excessive materialism is very harsh; such a view violates all ten of His great commandments.

  1. I am the LORD Your God…YOU shall have no other gods before Me.

Excessive materialism becomes an insatiable god that can never be satisfied no matter how much effort is exerted or how much time is committed. The god of materialism rapidly becomes addictive, seriously harming every other area of life. Short-term exhilaration becomes long-term sorrow. Ask any celebrity who has been in “rehab.”

2. YOU shall not make for Yourself a carved image…YOU shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD Your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

NYSE Bull

The statue of a bull outside the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) resembles the molded calf worshipped by the ancient Israelites at the base of Mt. Sinai, following their famous exodus from Egypt. Note that the image on the right is a modern replica of the Biblical statue. The exact appearance of the statue is unknown. Exodus 32:8 says, “They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molded calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed to it, and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, which has brought you up from the land of Egypt.'”

Israelites Golden Calf
The NYSE bull statue is a clear image of the idol of materialism. People tacitly bow to the idol whenever they make a commitment to or actually pursue excessive materialism. Up-to-the-moment stock market reports are frequently broadcast throughout the media to remind people of their commitment to the idol—whether or not an individual has any personal investment in the market.

Most companies provide their employees with a 401k Plan and/or shares of stock in their own company. Both are linked to stock market performance and reports, further ensnaring others who may not otherwise have a personal interest in the stock market.

The bull idol is continuously fed (worshipped) by immersion in the American culture. The reminders, encouragements, and lures are everywhere. Consider the pervasive and compelling advertising, tangible and intangible rewards from a supervisor at work, and raves from friends and family when shown a new car or a new house or even a new outfit of clothes. Only a strong faith in God and a conscious, deliberate effort can enable an escape from the materialistic snare.

3. YOU shall not take the name of the LORD Your God in vain (Profanity).

The pressures of materialism are very great. Excessive materialism elicits excess anxieties. When frustrations exceed a personal limit, few can resist the temptation to at least occasionally spew an expletive linked to God’s name. The expletive of often attached to humor to cover the underlying guilt. “I got away with a little sin.” Little? Really?

  1. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days YOU shall labor and do all Your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD Your God. In it YOU shall do no work.

Jews observe a seventh day Sabbath; Christians observe a first day Sabbath. The differences are for another discussion. Regardless of the day chosen, the Sabbath is a day, commanded by God, characterized by rest and godly pursuits including worship. It recognizes and gives thanks for all that God has done for us and provides a regenerating physical rest for the body.

Throughout most of 400 years of American history—from the earliest settlements until recent decades all but the most essential work ceased on Sundays. The cessation created a nearly universal opportunity to enjoy the Sabbath and provided a visible reminder of the purpose of the Sabbath. The pressures of excessive materialism resulted in the repeal of most Sunday “Blue Laws” contributing to profaning the Sabbath, a generalized weakening of faith, and an accelerating drift of the American culture away from God. Today, most businesses operate on Sunday just as in every other day of the week.

5. Honor Your father and Your mother, that Your days may be long upon the land which the LORD Your God is giving YOU.

God designed the family as the essential unit of society. A strong family and a culture of strong families is the ONLY way to assure that godly virtues, values, and principles can be transmitted from generation to generation and on to posterity. The stability of America depends on strong families.

The God-designed family must be physically/geographically close enough to share love, responsibilities, and mutual accountability—all of which are vital to character growth and maturity. However, the relentless pressures of excessive materialism have driven many people to seek employment far away from their families, weakening or breaking important family relationships, reducing love to cheap attractions, and side-stepping an important source of personal accountability. Even retired seniors are encouraged to relocate to a warmer or drier climate, depriving their families of lifetimes of accumulated wisdom.

“Honor your father and your mother” extends to honoring all family members, loving them, and meeting their needs first, then meeting the needs of others after caring for the family. God promises a long life to those who do so. However, the family scattered by excessive materialism risks “extra” anxieties, which contribute to at least 25 health-related maladies that may effectively reduce the long life span, otherwise promised by God.

6. YOU shall not murder.

Excessive materialism has caused or contributed to the murder (abortion) of millions of unborn babies who were perceived to interfere with an apparently promising career. Excessive materialism has also been the motive for adult murder for the same reason.

7. YOU shall not commit adultery.

When excessive materialism becomes a god, it is spiritual adultery.

Excessive materialism also causes excessively long work weeks (50-70 hours per week), resulting in employees spending far more time with employees of the opposite sex than with their spouses, especially after hours and in traveling situations. The frequency of physical adultery skyrockets with the time available and frequency of opportunities for privacy (perceived secrecy).

8. YOU shall not steal.

Excessive materialism creates an incentive to cut corners morally, ethically, and legally. Any material gain beyond the agreed upon expense to others, resulting from cutting corners, steals from them.

For example, any business contract should be a win-win, meaning that there should be equal benefits to both parties. If one party is able to take unreasonable advantage of another party because of superior or inside information, creating a win-lose contract, the “winning” party is robbing from the other party.

9. YOU shall not bear false witness against Your neighbor.

Bearing false witness includes communicating or spreading false information (lying) about another person formally in a courtroom or less formally in business or other life settings.

Excessive materialism creates a motive to slander others for personal gain such as a raise in pay, a promotion, a desirable assignment, or a one-sided contract. The lie or pattern of lies seriously damages the life, reputation, and earning power of others. In contrast, we are obligated to stand up for the truth about others even if there is a personal cost to us.

God vehemently condemns false witness. “These…things the LORD hates, Yesare an abomination to Hima false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren. (Proverbs 6:16-19)

10. YOU shall not covet Your neighbor’s goods

Coveting the goods of others is the root of excessive materialism. A trite old phrase, “keeping up with the Jones” (friends, neighbors, co-workers) captures the incentive for an unreasonable accumulation of material goods, beyond common sense affordability. The goods also fuel pride which is harshly condemned by God. “The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor; let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.” [Psalm 10:2]

America’s Godly Culture

Throughout most American history marriage, treaties, government proclamations/resolutions, oaths of public office, oaths of witnesses in legal settings, and business contracts have all been traditionally rendered, affirmed, and sealed in the name of God. Hence, all of life’s major public and private actions have been made permanent based on the trustworthiness of God. The stability of the American culture rests on the same. Anything that weakens the perceived trustworthiness of God, weakens the American culture.

In reformer John Calvin’s Sermons on 2 Samuel, he wrote:
 
When we have made a promise in the name of God and have called upon him, let that promise restrain and govern us in the future. For example,
·                    When a man marries, let him think, “When we promised faith and loyalty to one another, was this not done before God in his name?”
o        Remembering that vow helps a husband to carry out his duty to live chastely with his wife and foster peace and harmony in his household.
o        The wife also, in remembering that she is joined with her husband in the name of God and that marriage is a sacred thing, will carry out her duty.
·                    Likewise, fathers clearly promise to nurture their children because they have made the solemn promise in baptism, to instruct those children in the fear of God.
·                    A magistrate (politician) who takes the oath of duty to carry out his office will carefully think of this in remembering that he made this promise before God.
·                    People by and by will take delight in keeping this magistrate’s laws, and everything else will fall into place [because the magistrate is accountable to God].
·                    When people [businesses] make contracts with one another, their agreements will be faithfully observed when they can say, “We have in this called on the name of God.”
So, then, what shall we think when we see people using the courts to rescind all their promises, so that nothing prevents their reversing their contracts, and they spend their time working out ways to be relieved of their promises? They bring forward excuses such as: “I have been defrauded in a certain situation that would cause me too much loss”
In the end, equity and fairness will not be maintained unless people remind themselves, “God was witness when I promised a certain thing. Therefore, I must not seek to be absolved before men. The main thing is that I look to God, bring myself before his judgement seat, and examine my conscience so I may keep the obligation to which I once committed myself.” [Emphasis added]
 
Look to God to solemnize and anchor all relationships. Do NOT look to the courts for an escape hatch. Why go to God to anchor all of life’s most important actions (God’s perfect wisdom), then later ask the courts to destroy the anchor (man’s seriously flawed shadow of God’s wisdom). Government courts have no authority to overrule God. Man clearly has no authority to overrule God and is in a fearsome place when he attempts to do so.
 
Today’s broken American culture cannot be repaired without first repairing the home and family. The American home cannot be repaired without the prominence and dominance of God. As the American home goes, so goes America.
 
As America sinks into an ever-deepening cultural abyss, the appeal of materialism and other worldly desires weakens; the appeal of God and heaven shines brighter. God is STILL the answer to all life’s personal and cultural questions/controversies.
 
Thomas Jefferson wrote in the American Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”  The pursuit of happiness could easily and perhaps more accurately be replaced with the “pursuit of holiness.”
 
Holiness precedes happiness; holiness is a prerequisite for sustained happiness. America will be restored to its former widely-envied position as the last and only remaining “hope of the world,” when a significant portion of the people once again understand the importance and vitality of holiness. Why don’t YOU take the lead starting now?

“Twas the Night Before the Election”

“Twas the Night Before the Election”:

‘Twas the night before the election
And all through the town
Tempers were flaring
Emotions all up and down!

I, in my bathrobe
With a dog in my lap
Had cut off the TV
Tired of political crap.

When all of a sudden
There arose such a noise
I peaked out of my window
Saw the Democrats and their boys

They had come for my wallet
They wanted my pay
To give to the others
Who had not worked a day

They snatched up my money
And quick as a wink
Jumped back on their bandwagon
As I gagged from the political stink

They then rallied their henchmen
Who were pulling their cart
I could tell they were out
To tear my country apart

‘On Pelosi, on Shumer!
On Feinstein and ‘Pocahontas’!
On Soros, On Sanders!
They screamed for more progressives!

They took off for their swamp
And as they flew out of sight
Laughing at the conservative voters
Who wouldn’t stand up and fight

So I leave you to ponder
On this one final note –
If you don’t want socialism,
GET OUT AND VOTE!!

Fall of Roman Empire Mirrors America Today!

Colosseum in Rome

When many of us were in school, we were taught that the Roman Empire fell, because it was overrun by barbarians from the north. Partly right, but only partly. Consider the constellation of conditions that existed at the time. Compare them with America today. The resemblance is inescapable and alarming:

  • Rome was overrun by illegal immigrants, initially assimilating, but later failing to learn the Roman language (Latin). Sound familiar today?
  • Roman military was widely dispersed throughout the known world and greatly strained. America today?
  • Rome had a trade deficit rooted in outsourcing grain production to North Africa. Rome was unable to protect the area from capture. Contrary to today’s media reports, corporate outsourcing is more a result of government actions than so called corporate “greed.”
  • Attila the Hun committed terrorist attacks. Today’s Global Terrorism Database provides information on 150,000 terrorist attacks
  • Roman welfare gave free bread to citizens. Juvenal (circa A.D. 100) said the Roman politicians pacified the citizens and bought their vote with “bread and circuses.” A contemporary quote proclaimed, “Those who live at the expense of the public funds are more numerous than those who provide them.” Today, people working for the government outnumber those in manufacturing by nearly 2:1. Nearly 100,000,000 people are out of work. Only those still collecting unemployment compensation show up in the unemployment statistics.
  • Citizens feared Roman tax collectors who were, “more terrible than the enemy.” Sound like the IRS?
  • Huge government bureaucracies created monstrous debt. Self-evident today.
  • Court favoritism was common. Self-evident today.
  • Infidelity and sexual immorality became normal. Political correctness says every behavior should be “tolerated.”
  • Perverted bathhouses Transgender restrooms and locker rooms anyone?
  • Gratuitous violence, as in gladiator fights, became common. The Roman violence was real. Today, the violence in video games, television, and the movies is so lifelike, they trigger brain responses very similar to real violence, thus numbing the public to violence that should be repulsive.

Do we ever learn from history? Should we learn from history? What are the risks of not learning from history?

The conditions listed above contributed greatly to the breakdown of the family. No civilization has ever survived the breakdown of the family.

Living for self (Humanism, liberalism, progressivism, Marxism, etc.) always leads to the decline of civilizations and ultimate ruin. Living for others (Judeo-Christian tradition, religious and political conservatism) creates a stable culture that can be passed on to subsequent generations. What are YOU willing to do to save America?

What does it take to wake-up the body of believers?

What does it take to wake-up the clergy?

The Family is God’s First and Most Important Support Group!

Families

It’s been trendy, among churches, in the last two or three decades to create all manner of support groups. There are support groups for people dealing with alcohol addiction; drug addiction; divorce; mentally or physically disabled children; and older people, with various forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease or other chronic illnesses (caregiver support groups).

However, God created the first and by far the most important support group. It’s called the family. Tragically, as Judeo-Christian believers, we have become professionals as slicing and dicing the family in every imaginable way. Walk into virtually any church and find the family shot gunned into widely dispersed groups based on gender, age, marital status or educational level. Each group is tightly proscribed, narrowly limited, and quickly becomes isolated, especially from the family.

The same situation exists whether the church is traditional (Sunday School) or contemporary (home-base groups). The contemporary church simply scatters the traditional Sunday School around the neighborhood, scattering the family as in the traditional church. The increasingly popular home based groups in some cases exert even more pressure on the family, because they are scheduled at different times and places, during the week.

The result is that the family is forcefully splintered at the very place where they should be reinforced as well as worshiping and learning together. Family members lose a sense of the panorama of time and how they fit into that panorama.

Of course, God views the entire panorama of time from the Garden of Eden to the return of the Messiah. Even with our human limitations, it is extremely important that we understand our debt to the 3-4 generations of ancestors who preceded us and our duty to the 3-4 generations of descendants who follow us.

The usual rationale for slicing and dicing the family at church is that each family member is at a different place in life and has different needs. Balderdash! Every family member has exactly the same need to learn that “God is love” and that His love is manifested through us as humility, forgiveness, mercifulness, longsuffering, and a servant’s spirit. Collectively, they represent the character of God and the lifelong journey to grow in them. Those are lessons the entire family can learn together. Each family member helps the others learn those lessons daily.

 

In modern America, the family is being blown apart. The modern church is structured in a way that facilitates the breakdown of the family. No statistics are necessary. It is self-evident that the family is breaking down among the bodies of believers nearly as fast as it is breaking down in the background secular culture.

The church, whether traditional or contemporary must be restructured to strongly reinforce and build up the family, rather than tearing it apart. Families must meet together, worship together, and learn together as they have for millennia. The devastating slicing and dicing of the family has only been part of the church structure for the last 100 to 150 years.

The family is God’s only support group. It is far more powerful than any other. There are major limitations created by the collapsing American culture. Generations are often separated by long distances. People find themselves single following a divorce that was not of their own choosing. There is also enormous cultural pressure to satisfy self, rather than serve others.

Here is a Biblical remedy. Consider forming numerous family support groups, where groups of families can reinforce each others experiences and learn about high risk activities and how to help family members who fall prey to those risks before the crisis occurs. Thus armed, a family, demonstrating a servant’s spirit, may want to consider informally “adopting” someone in crisis as a means of helping that person. Similarly, when generations are separated by long distances, a family may choose to adopt an older or younger generation family locally.

There is still a place for some of those support groups mentioned in the opening paragraph, but only for those people who don’t have the support of an immediate family.

What does it take to wake up the body of believers?

What does it take to wake up the clergy?

Urgent Message to Pastors!

During the run-up to the American Revolution, the pulpits of America were aflame with righteousness. In contrast, it is not necessary to characterize today’s cultural chaos. Instead,

 shane-idleman

Consider carefully this word to pastors from Shane Idleman, nationally known pastor of Westside Christian Fellowship, in Lancaster, CA.

One of my great concerns is for the pulpits of America. Many are exchanging truth for tolerance, boldness for balance, and conviction for cowardliness…they are not aflame with righteousness. We don’t want to offend; we might lose our audience. We are not to seek the applause of men but the applause of God.

The pulpit regulates the spiritual condition of God’s people which affects the nation. A lukewarm, sex-saturated culture (and church) simply reflects the lack of conviction in the pulpit as well as the pew. Pastors, we are not just cheerleaders, we are game changers. We are called to stir and to convict so that change takes place.

Granted, there are many wonderful pastors and churches—I appreciate their ministry, but, as a whole, the church has drifted off course. They have lost the compass of truth.

As the moral and cultural war rages between our shores, the need to be awakened from our spiritual slumber has never been greater. “Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is tested” (Martin Luther). This battle is for the very soul of our nation. It’s our choice—stand or fall.

But there is hope for those who are teachable and humble. The journey with God begins with the first step in the right direction. Simply say, “Lord, I’ve been wrong…remove my carnality, crush my pride, draw me closer to You. I repent of my sin and I turn completely and unconditionally to you. You are my only hope. God help me!”

http://westsidechristianfellowship.org/articles/3-15-14-an-indictment-against-america-pastor-shane-idleman/

What does it take to wake up the body of believers?

What does it take to wake up the clergy?

Five Frightening Election Words!

donald trump

Here are five frightening words for all voters who backed losing candidates in the Republican primaries and who are threatening to sit out the November election because they don’t like Donald Trump:

Supreme Court Justice Barack Obama.

The choice in November is clear – it will be either Donald Trump or

Hillary Clinton, and a no-vote or a third party vote is the same as a vote for Hillary Clinton.

If Hillary Clinton, arguably the most dishonest and corrupt person ever to run for President of the United States, wins, she likely will name President Obama to the Supreme Court for several very good reasons:

  1. he has covered her backside, no easy task that, in the email server scandals and now wants payback;
  2. he claims credentials as a Constitutional lawyer;
  3. he is buying a mansion in Washington D.C. and has made no secret of his desire to stay in the capitol; and
  4. he could complete his “fundamental transformation”  of our Republic during a lifetime on the Supreme Court.

If that’s not enough to scare everyone into voting, I don’t know what will.

What does it take to wake up the body of believers?

What does it take to wake up the clergy?

John Quincey Adams Compares God’s Blessings on Ancient Israel with God’s Blessings on America!

John Quincey Adams, sixth President of the United States and son of Founder John Adams provided a striking comparison of ancient Israel and modern America.

John Quincey Adams

“When the children of Israel, after forty years of wanderings in the wilderness, were about to enter the promised land, their leader, Moses…commanded that when the Lord their God should have brought them into the land, they should put the curse upon Mount Ebal, and the blessing upon Mount Gerizim. This injunction was faithfully fulfilled by his successor Joshua. Immediately after they had taken possession of the land, Joshua built an altar to the Lord, of whole stones, upon Mount Ebal. And there he wrote upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written in the presence of the children of Israel…

Fellow citizens, the ark of your covenant is the Declaration of independence. Your Mount Ebal, is the confederacy of separate state sovereignties, and your Mount Gerizim is the Constitution of the United States…

Lay up these principles, then, in your hearts, and in our souls…teach them to your children…cling to them as to the issues of life—adhere to them as to the cords of your eternal salvation. So may your children’s children…[celebrate the] Constitution…in full enjoyment of all blessings recognized by you in the commemoration of this day, and of all the blessings promised to the children of Israel upon Mount Gerizim, as the reward of obedience to the law of God.”*

*John Quincey Adams, “The Jubilee of the Constitution: A Discourse,” delivered at request of New York Historical Society, April 30, 1839.

The Time for Believers to Act is Now—or Perhaps Never!

woman reading the bible in the darkness

The time for believers to act—and to act aggressively is now! There may not be another chance to be a positive and effective ambassador for the Lord until He returns. Generational drift has produce believers who are astonishingly ignorant of the Bible and its application to today most vital issues. Consider God’s own perfect words:

“Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?

But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.” [James 4:1-6 NKJV Emphasis added]

The body of believers has become far too friendly with the world. It is a friendship that has distorted the Biblical worldview as perceived my many believers, especially the younger generations. The worldly-influenced distortions of the Biblical worldview has produced generations of sincere believers who are astonishingly ignorant of the pervasive nature of the Biblical worldview and how it applies to the powerful and devastating issues of our time.

Ponder just a few examples:

  • Abortion—Many have a vague notion that abortion is wrong, but are unable to clearly articulate why it is wrong. They may generally recall a Scripture verse where the Lord says, “I knew you when you were in the womb,” but many believers don’t know where to find it. Tragically, many believers have bought into the commonly held abortion exceptions for conceptions resulting from rape or incest and for protecting the health of the mother. They might even consider abortion when tests indicate that the baby might be born with some physical or mental limitations. Bottom line: Statistically, there is no difference between the rates of abortion among conservative Bible believers and the rate of abortion among atheists/agnostics.
  • Divorce—Today, many believers have essentially accepted serial marriage as a new norm. With unmistakable clarity God proclaims in Malachi, “I hate divorce.” Exactly what part of “I hate divorce” do people not understand? Most readers already know and understand the Biblical passages dealing with marriage and divorce. Nevertheless, the political notion of no-fault divorce that easily swept through most state legislatures greased the skids for believers to follow the world’s concept of divorce. Bottom line: The divorce rate among conservative Bible believers is statistically indistinguishable from the divorce rate among atheist/agnostics. Indeed, the United States, driven by Judeo-Christian tradition for centuries, now has a divorce rate among the top five highest in the world.
  • Same-Sex Marriage—For many believers, there is comfort in the God-given Biblical concept of marriage as one man, one woman, for one lifetime. Yet, they are unable to articulate why. They have gradually accepted alternative lifestyles up to and including so called “same-sex marriage.” Traditional marriage is carpet-bombed daily, by the media, the entertainment industry, liberal/progressive politicians, and the public educational system. Bottom line: Like Lot of old, many believers have long ago pitched their tent toward Sodom and have effectively since moved in. The tragic result is the catastrophic collapse of the American culture.
  • Strangers (largely government employees) raising the children of believers—In a devastating about face, the American culture now reveres career as a higher priority than family. Believers have succumbed to that siren song. There is no way a child can emerge into adulthood with solid soul-deep Biblical values unless the child is raised by his/her biological mom who is a full time homemaker, at least during child rearing years, and biological dad. It will not happen when a child is subjected to an endless round of babysitters, infant child care, nursery schools, before school care, after school care and so on. There is no substitute for a child’s God-given parents. Bottom line: The family is being intentionally obliterated by the myriad of forces that oppose it, while believers effectively roll over and play dead. The American culture, envied by the world since its inception, is rapidly falling into the dust bin of history.
  • Pornography—The explosion of the Internet has brought with it an explosion in pornography. It has become nearly impossible to avoid. While many believers will readily acknowledge that habitually viewing hard core pornography is wrong, they quietly accept the notion that a bit of soft porn is no big deal. Bottom line: Porn in any form is a big deal; it destroys relationships; it destroys marriages; it destroys families, thereby causing lasting damage to children. Yet most believers do not understand why and certainly are unable to articulate it.
  • LGBT adoptions—When they hear about LGBT adoptions, believers my feel a ripple of discontent pass through their heart and mind. Once again, they are unable to clearly articulate the associated problems from the perspective of a Biblical worldview. Bottom line: The rate of LGBT adoptions continues to increase with devastating effects on the American culture, while being tacitly supported by many believers.

Believers have become nearly indistinguishable from the world. If we want our children and grandchildren to experience even a fragment of a remaining free culture, the body of believers must act now, with determination and persistence. There is no time left. An occasional Bible class lesson or sermon on a controversial life-damaging topic will not come anywhere close to overcoming the widespread ignorance among believers.

There must be a very intense, all-out effort lead by the clergy. Here are a few recommendations:

  • Weekly group discussions—There must be intense weekly discussions for at least 8-12 weeks to cover all relevant issues. The discussions could occur within the traditional Sunday School or in home-based groups at any time.
  • Weekly sermons—Throughout the same period, there must be a reinforcing series of sermons on the same topics. People desperately want to hear from their spiritual leaders.
  • Suggested resource—An excellent resource is Dr. James L. Garlow’s book, Well Versed: Biblical Answers to Today’s Tough Issues. His book was just published within recent weeks and addresses many of today’s most vexing issues in 3-5 page bite size chunks. A sampling of topics includes political correctness, school choice and parental authority, marriage, schools universities and the Christian faith, abortion, sexual orientation, the judiciary, social justice, Israel, racism, and many more. All topics are addressed from an uncompromising Biblical world viewpoint.

We cannot fail to arm the believers within our sphere of influence with clear, accurate, easy-to-articulate Biblical information to wage the ongoing spiritual war.

But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their intimidation; do not be shaken.” But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to articulate a defense to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But respond with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who slander you will be put to shame by your good behavior in Christ.… [1 Peter 3:14-15 NIV]

What does it take to wake up the body of believers?

What does it take to wake up the clergy?

 

Charles Finney Speaks on Politics and Religion

Finney Charles

Charles Finney, one of the leaders of the Second Great Awakening speaks on politics and religion:

“The time has come for Christians to vote for honest men, and take consistent ground in politics or the Lord will curse them…Politics are a part of a religion in such a country as this, and Christians must do their duty to their country as a part of their duty to God…God will bless or curse this nation according to the course Christians take in politics.”

 

Check Out iVoterGuide.com

iVoterGuide

I have a sticker on my car window that says, “Pray, then vote!” But how? Yard signs are useless. The campaign literature that overloads our mailboxes is nearly useless, because most politicians are reluctant to express a position on important matters for fear of losing votes.

One of the best solutions is iVoterGuide.com. Just click on  https://home.ivoterguide.com/  It is a nationwide effort to provide voters with useful voting information and a project of Heritage Alliance (http://heritagealliance.wixsite.com/heritagealliance ), an organization dedicated to “Equipping Christians to vote wisely.”

At the site for ivoterguide.com, just provide your address and sometimes zip code to bring up your ballot the upcoming elections. Candidates are evaluated from very conservative to very liberal. Clicking on “side-by-side comparison” bring up a table that compares candidates for any particular race. The comparison provides information on each candidate’s endorsements and contributors, a legislative record for incumbents, and the candidates’ responses to a survey that requires an indicate of their positions on issues important to believers. The survey is a series of statements with which the candidate must strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, or strongly disagree. An example statement is, “Life begins at conception.”

Personal Note: After completing a survey myself, I was invited to participate on a panel that evaluated about a dozen candidates in South Florida races. Each panelist evaluated the candidates and then the entire panel met online to resolve discrepancies in the individual evaluations. It was a great experience.

Please check out the site for yourself and publicize it regularly within your congregation.

 

Alexis de Tocqueville: Compare 19th Century America with 21st Century America

Alesis de Toqueville

Anyone who has been a believer for more than a short time, has occasionally encountered awesome quotes by Alexis de Tocqueville. He was a social scientist who travelled America in 1831 and later wrote Democracy in America. Some of his quotes are very well known. Here is a lesser known one that is extremely powerful and must be compared with the conditions that exist today [emphases added]. What do YOU think?

Religion in America…must be regarded as the foremost of the political institutions of that country; for if it does not impart a taste for freedom, it facilitates the use of it…This opinion is not peculiar to a class of citizens or a party, but it belongs to the whole nation…The sects that exist in the United States are innumerable. They all differ in respect to the worship which is due to the Creator; but they all agree in respect to the duties which are due from man to man. Each sect adores the Deity in its own peculiar manner, but all sects preach the same moral law in the name of God…Moreover, all the sects of the United States are comprised within the great unity of Christianity and Christian morality is everywhere the same…There is no country in the whole world where the Christian religion retains a greater influence than in America…and nothing better demonstrates how useful it is to man, since the country where it now has the widest sway is both the most enlightened and the freest.”

What does it take to wake up the body of believers?

What does it take to wake up the clergy?

In a generation or two, the US will ask itself: “Who lost Europe?”

In a generation or two, the US will ask itself: “Who lost Europe?”

Geert Wilders, Chairman, Party for Freedom, the Netherlands, spoke urgently and forcefully at the Four Seasons, New York, introducing an Alliance of Patriots and announcing the Facing Jihad Conference in Jerusalem.

Prayerfully consider his following remarks. Subheadings and emphases have been added, by this writer, for clarity. I’ve been aware of Geert’s mission for some time. This message is a particularly good summery. Consider skimming the highlights; return for details as time permits.

Geert Wilders

Dear Friends,

Thank you very much for inviting me. I come to America with a mission.  All is not well in the old world. There is a tremendous danger looming, and it is very difficult to be optimistic.

Urgent Warning!       We might be in the final stages of the Islamization of Europe. This not only is a clear and present danger to the future of Europe itself, it is a threat to America and the sheer survival of the West. The United States is the last bastion of Western civilization, facing an Islamic Europe. 

First I will describe the situation on the ground in Europe. Then, I will say a few things about Islam. To close I will tell you about a meeting in Jerusalem.

The Europe you know is changing. You have probably seen the landmarks. But in all of these cities, sometimes a few blocks away from your tourist destination, there is another world. It is the world of the parallel society created by Muslim mass-migration.

The New Reality of an Increasingly Muslim Europe

All throughout Europe a new reality is rising: entire Muslim neighborhoods where very few indigenous people reside or are even seen. And if they are, they might regret it. This goes for the police as well. It’s the world of head scarves, where women walk around in figureless tents, with baby strollers and a group of children. Their husbands, or slaveholders if you prefer, walk three steps ahead.

With mosques on many street corners. The shops have signs you and I cannot read. You will be hard-pressed to find any economic activity. These are Muslim ghettos controlled by religious fanatics. These are Muslim neighborhoods, and they are mushrooming in every city across Europe. These are the building-blocks for territorial control of increasingly larger portions of Europe, street by street, neighborhood by neighborhood, city by city.

There are now thousands of mosques throughout Europe with larger congregations than there are in churches. And in every European city there are plans to build super-mosques that will dwarf every church in the region. Clearly, the signal is: we rule.       Many European cities are already one-quarter Muslim: just take Amsterdam, Marseilles and Malmo in Sweden. In many cities the majority of the under-18 population is Muslim. Paris is now surrounded by Muslim neighborhoods. Mohammad is the most popular name among boys in many cities.

The Educational Systems Have Been Islamized

In some elementary schools in Amsterdam the farm can no longer be mentioned, because that would also mean mentioning the pig, and that would be an insult to Muslims. Many state schools in Belgium and Denmark only serve halal food to all pupils.

In once-tolerant Amsterdam gays are beaten up almost exclusively by Muslims. Non-Muslim women routinely hear ‘whore, whore’.  Satellite dishes are not pointed to local TV stations, but to stations in the country of origin.

In France school teachers are advised to avoid authors deemed offensive to Muslims, including Voltaire and Diderot; the same is increasingly true of Darwin. The history of the Holocaust can no longer be taught because of Muslim sensitivity.   

In England sharia courts are now officially part of the British legal system. Many neighborhoods in France are no-go areas for women without head scarves. Last week a man almost died after being beaten up by Muslims in Brussels, because he was drinking during the Ramadan.

Jews are fleeing France in record numbers, on the run for the worst wave of anti-Semitism since World War II.  French is now commonly spoken on the streets of Tel Aviv and Netanya, Israel.  I could go on forever with stories like this. Stories about Islamization.

The Scoreboard Tells the Story

A total of fifty-four million Muslims now live in Europe. San Diego University recently calculated that a staggering 25 percent of the population in Europe will be Muslim just 12 years from now. Bernhardt Lewis has predicted a Muslim majority by the end of this century.       Now these are just numbers.  And the numbers would not be threatening if the Muslim-immigrants had a strong desire to assimilate. But there are few signs of that. The Pew Research Center reported that half of French Muslims see their loyalty to Islam as greater than their loyalty to France.

One-third of French Muslims do not object to suicide attacks. The British Centre for Social Cohesion reported that one-third of British Muslim students are in favor of a worldwide caliphate. Muslims demand what they call ‘respect’. And this is how we give them respect.  We already have Muslim official state holidays.

The Christian-Democratic attorney general is willing to accept sharia in the Netherlands if there is a Muslim majority. We have cabinet members with passports from Morocco and Turkey. Muslim demands are supported by unlawful behavior, ranging from petty crimes and random violence, for example against ambulance workers and bus drivers, to small-scale riots. Paris has seen its uprising in the low-income suburbs, the banlieus.

Who Are These “Settlers?”

I call the perpetrators settlers. Because that is what they are. They do not come to integrate into our societies; they come to integrate us into theirs. Therefore, they are settlers. Much of this street violence I mentioned is directed exclusively against non-Muslims, forcing many native people to leave their neighborhoods, their cities, their countries.  Moreover, Muslims are now a swing vote not to be ignored.

Mohammed Established a Violent and Immoral Heritage

The second thing you need to know is the importance of Mohammed the prophet. His behavior is an example to all Muslims and cannot be criticized. Now, if Mohammed had been a man of peace, let us say like Gandhi and Mother Theresa wrapped in one, there would be no problem. But Mohammed was a warlord, a mass murderer, a pedophile, and had several marriages – at the same time.

Islamic tradition tells us how he fought in battles, how he had his enemies murdered and even had prisoners of war executed. Mohammad himself slaughtered the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza.  If it is good for Islam, it is good. If it is bad for Islam, it is bad.

Let no one fool you about Islam being a religion. Sure, it has a god, and a here-after, and 72 virgins. But in its essence Islam is a political ideology. It is a system that lays down detailed rules for society and the life of every person. Islam wants to dictate every aspect of life.  Islam means ‘submission’. Islam is not compatible with freedom and democracy, because what it strives for is Sharia. If you want to compare Islam to anything, compare it to communism or national-socialism, these are all totalitarian ideologies.       Now you know why Winston Churchill called Islam ‘the most retrograde force in the world’, and why he compared Mein Kampf to the Quran. The public has accepted the Palestinian narrative, and sees Israel as the aggressor. I have lived in this country and visited it dozens of times.

Geert’s Support for Israel

I support Israel. First, because it is the Jewish homeland after two thousand years of exile up to and including Auschwitz. Second because it is a democracy.  And third because Israel is our first line of defense.       This tiny country is situated on the fault line of jihad, frustrating Islam’s territorial advance.  Israel is facing the front lines of jihad, like Kashmir, Kosovo, the Philippines, Southern Thailand, Darfur in Sudan, Lebanon, and Aceh in Indonesia.  Israel is simply in the way; the same way West-Berlin was during the Cold War.       The war against Israel is not a war against Israel.  It is a war against the West. It is jihad. Israel is simply receiving the blows that are meant for all of us.  If there would have been no Israel,

Islamic imperialism would have found other venues to release its energy and its desire for conquest. Thanks to Israeli parents who send their children to the army and lay awake at night, parents in Europe and America can sleep well and dream, unaware of the dangers looming.       Many in Europe argue in favor of abandoning Israel in order to address the grievances of our Muslim minorities. But if Israel were, God forbid, to go down, it would not bring any solace to the West. It would not mean our Muslim minorities would all of a sudden change their behavior, and accept our values.

On the contrary, the end of Israel would give enormous encouragement to the forces of Islam. They would, and rightly so, see the demise of Israel as proof that the West is weak, and doomed.  The end of Israel would not mean the end of our problems with Islam, but only the beginning. It would mean the start of the final battle for world domination. If they can get Israel, they can get everything.

So-called journalists volunteer to label any and all critics of Islam as a ‘right-wing extremists’ or ‘racists’. In my country, the Netherlands, 60 percent of the population now sees the mass immigration of Muslims as the number one policy mistake since World War II.  And another 60 percent sees Islam as the biggest threat.

The Greatest Danger!

Yet there is a greater danger than terrorist attacks, the scenario of America as the last man standing. The lights may go out in Europe faster than you can imagine. An Islamic Europe means a Europe without freedom and democracy, an economic wasteland, an intellectual nightmare, and a loss of military might for America – as its allies will turn into enemies, enemies with atomic bombs.

With an Islamic Europe, it would be up to America alone to preserve the heritage of Rome, Athens and Jerusalem.

Geert’s Final Plea for Freedom

Dear friends,

Liberty is the most precious of gifts. My generation never had to fight for this freedom, it was offered to us on a silver platter, by people who fought for it with their lives.  All throughout Europe, American cemeteries remind us of the young boys who never made it home, and whose memory we cherish. My generation does not own this freedom; we are merely its custodians. We can only hand over this hard won liberty to Europe’s children in the same state in which it was offered to us. 

We cannot strike a deal with mullahs and imams.  Future generations would never forgive us. We cannot squander our liberties. We simply do not have the right to do so.

We have to take the necessary action now to stop this Islamic stupidity from destroying the free world that we know.

What does it take to wake up the body of believers?

What does it take to wake up the clergy?

God Warned of America’s Decline in Scripture!

Working together

As America spirals down into a cultural sewer, we are comforted by knowing that we’ve read the end of the Book. We know how it ultimately ends. Meanwhile, we are told to live the life precisely as instructed by Scripture, visible standing for all that is good and actively opposing all that is evil.

Consider God’s ancient warning to a modern America:

“The wicked will go down to the grave. This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God.” Proverbs 9:17 

“When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the las is joyful.” Proverbs 29:18 

“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice But when the wicked are in power, they groan.” Proverbs 29:2 

And finally, the familiar verse,

“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people.” Proverbs 14:23

It’s up to us as believers to be the “light of the world,” “the salt of the earth,” and positive, loving, ambassadors for God!

 

Don’t Miss Dinesh D’Souza’s New Movie—Just opened nationwide on Friday, July 23, 2016

Hillarys America.jpg

Don’t miss it. D’Souza’s new movie is powerful and well documented. Hillary is just a portion of this blockbuster. After addressing some tough stuff, it has a wonderful red, white, and blue patriotic ending.

It opened nationwide last Friday at 1500 theaters.

Presidential Election Demands Attention!

donald trump

The upcoming presidential election is very literally the most important election of our time, perhaps the most important election in the history of our country. The book Wake Up America or Die!—YOU Must Save America and the Family includes two chapters devoted to government. One is in the “Undeniable Crisis” section; the other is in the “Awesome Remedy” section. Although written with abundant clarity, neither mentions any specific political party or living politician or candidate.

However, it is no longer possible to escape such specifics. With Hillary Clinton wearing horns and a forked tail, the ongoing controversy over Donald Trump is troublesome and dangerous.

There is a view often stated among university faculty members that, “We must teach the students we have not the students we wish we had.” Donald Trump was not my first choice for a conservative candidate. Nevertheless, the candidates for President of the United States have apparently been reduced to Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

Compare the Candidates

Voting is essential. It is an act of worship to protect the God-given freedoms secured by the Declaration of Independence and codified in the United States Constitution. Sitting at home and not voting is absolutely not an option for Judeo-Christian believers. Despite the misgivings of some conservatives and clergy, the bright line contrast between Trump and Clinton could not be greater. Consider as side-by-side comparison:

Donald Trump pledged to restore faith to its level of historical prominence in this country.

Hillary Clinton routinely supports views antagonistic to Judeo-Christian tradition. Her occasional politically correct remarks are overtaken by her actions.

Donald Trump is Prolife. Although he is against abortion, he has supported certain well known exceptions with which many believers, including this writer, would disagree.

Hillary Clinton is pro-death (Prochoice)

Donald Trump supports defunding Planned Parenthood.

Hillary Clinton is demanding substantially even more funding for Planned Parenthood.

Donald Trump pledged to nominated originalist (constitutionalist) justices to the Supreme Court.

Hillary Clinton will nominate the most liberal justices available to the Court.

Donald Trump is committed to aggressively dealing with uncontrolled immigration and border security.

Hillary Clinton is a globalist advocate of a borderless United States and a borderless world.

Donald Trump is committed to aggressively combating terrorism in all forms.

Hillary Clinton is unable to identify the sources of terrorism, beyond perfunctory, politically correct comments following each terrorist attack.

Donald Trump will rebuild the military for the protection of all citizens.

Hillary Clinton will continue to decimate the military.

Donald Trump is committed to “Make America Great Again.”

Hillary Clinton is a globalist committed to taking down America, following Obama’s “fundamental transformation” to make all countries equal.

Donald Trump says, “I refuse to be politically correct.” Political correctness is a movement designed to shut down the Biblical worldview.

Hillary Clinton fully embraces political correctness and all of its nuances.

There are other areas of glaring comparison, but those listed are sufficient for this message.

The greatest American presidents were known for having a noticeably humble spirit, a character trait that often fosters good listening skills. Humility seems to be Donald Trump’s most visible short-coming. But even that attitude is better than Hillary Clinton’s arrogance, sense of supremacy, and infamously harsh treatment of those she encounters and even those within her inner circle.

Judicial Appointments

A vastly overarching sleeper issue is the ability of the President to appoint federal judges. Each President appoints hundreds of federal judges who generally operate under the cloak of media darkness unless the media declares a case to be sufficiently controversial to report.

Many bad judicial decisions stand simply because the resources are not available for successive appeals or the Supreme Court is so avalanched with cases they can only hear a few due to the lack of time. Consequently, a Supreme Court decision not to hear a case can be as important as a decision to hear one.

An out-of-control judiciary was feared by the great Founders of the United States of America. Presidents have the opportunity to greatly influence the federal court system by selecting judges and justices who either support a Originalist view of the Constitution (It is a sacred anchor document that means what it says and can only be changed through the amendment process.) or a post-Constitutional view that claims the Constitution must be treated as a living document, continuously reinterpreted to keep up with the changing times. A so called fluid Constitution is effectively no constitution at all.

Due to political polarization, the power of the president to appoint federal judges has become the most influential and lasting power within the president’s grasp.

Former President Franklin Roosevelt was well known for attempting to pack the Supreme Court with liberal justices. Although he died in 1945, his Supreme Court appointees served until 1975. His appointees, along with liberal justices appointed by Presidents Harry Truman, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and even Dwight Eisenhower handed down a stream of devastating decisions including rulings that:

  • Effectively declared all religions equal and equally subservient to the United States Government. Such a decision effectively replaces God with the federal government.
  • Removed prayer from the public schools
  • Removed Bible reading from the public schools
  • Routinely supported the breakdown of morality in the American Culture.
  • Handed down the infamous Roe v. Wade decision
  • Supported no-fault divorces

Justices nominated by Hillary Clinton, as president, would continue the stream of devastating Supreme Court rulings “lowlighted” by the now infamous ruling sanctifying same-sex “marriage.” Constitutionalist justices appointed by Donald Trump as president would be a powerful restraint on the Supreme Court and possibly tilt the Court in a conservative Biblical direction.

Restoring America is up to YOU!

What does it take to wake up the body of believers?

What does it take to wake up the clergy?

 

Failure to Vote Is a Vote to Fail!

When a believer fails to vote, the voter is effectively voting for the least favorable option. Inaction becomes an endorsement for the candidates least likely to protect the rights and freedoms that are gifts from God. Failure to vote is a very serious indictment of the believer’s own drift away from God, godly character, and godly principles.

President James Garfield explained that the character of the people is responsible for the character of government:

“Now more than ever the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature. . . . [I]f the next centennial[1976] does not find us a great nation . . . it will be because those who represent the enterprise, the culture, and the morality of the nation do not aid in controlling the political forces.”

Since Judeo-Christian believers are the only ones who understand Biblical character, they MUST become vote leaders not anti-vote followers. Francis Grimke (Presbyterian minister and civil rights activist, 1852-1937) boldly proclaimed that a failure to vote is a prescription for America’s self-destruction:

“If the time ever comes when we shall go to pieces, it will . . . be . . . from inward corruption – from the disregard of right principles . . . from losing sight of the fact that “Righteousness exalteth a nation, but that sin is a reproach to any people” [Proverbs 14:34]. . .[T]he secession of the Southern States in 1860 was a small matter with the secession of the Union itself from the great principles enunciated in the Declaration of Independence, in the Golden Rule, in the Ten Commandments, in the Sermon on the Mount. Unless we hold, and hold firmly to these great fundamental principles of righteousness. . . our Union . . . will be “only a covenant with death and an agreement with hell.”

Finally, William Penn (founder of Pennsylvania) profoundly observed that good government depend on good citizens who are good voters:

“Governments, like clocks, go from the motion men give them; and as governments are made and moved by men, so by them they are ruined too. Wherefore governments rather depend upon men than men upon governments. Let men be good and the government cannot be bad. . . . But if men be bad, let the government be never so good, they will endeavor to warp and spoil it to their turn. . .[T]hough good laws do well, good men do better; for good laws may want [lack] good men and be abolished or invaded by ill men; but good men will never want good laws nor suffer [allow] ill ones.”

Vote! Vote! Vote! Vote at every opportunity including seemingly minor local offices. Vote thoughtfully after careful consideration of the record of each candidate and his/her specifically clarified views. Do not fail to vote; do not vote frivolously.

What does it take to wake up the body of believers?

What does it take to wake up the clergy?