THE RIGHT HAS IT WRONG!

I’ve been hearing from too many on the right, in their attempts to defend against the same-sex marriage movement, a call for government to stay out of the marriage business. The thinking seems to be “Let the democratic process play out by letting the people decide by the conventional democratic process on a state-by-state level how marriage will be defined.”  Wrong! This is absolutely the wrong argument. Marriage is not the product of popular consensus. It is an institution devised, defined and overseen by God himself—the God in whom we declare place our trust!
 
Government didn’t create marriage. Federal or state governments cannot, therefore recreate marriage in any form.  The only obligation and responsibility government has concerning marriage is to recognize it as God has defined it, and protect it as a foundational principle for the “pursuit of happiness.” But unfortunately, you won’t hear this argument from today’s populist leaders. So it’s up to the clergy of this nation to once again lead the way to American revival.  One cannot separate American peace and prosperity from American morality. The very Father of our country taught us:

“The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained.”
 

 The U.S. Supreme Court should simply declare that marriage is not a construct of human government, but rather an institution ordained by God, codified in natural law, and verified through human experience as the union of one male and one female unrelated by blood. It is the duty of nations as well as of men to recognize it as such, and to prefer it for the betterment of civil society above other social arrangements.

A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE OF THE WALL STREET PROTESTS

Yes, there is corruption in corporate America. We agree on that point. However the corruption on Wall Street isn’t due to the wealth of the 1%. But rather it is due to the universal corruption, self-centeredness and greed of the 100%. The Wall Street protesters are demanding that what the wealthy have should be given to them, and what drives them is nothing less than their own self-centeredness and greed, or in Biblical language, “covetousness.” That is, “I want what you have.”

Another valid point of the present demonstrations is bringing attention to the unholy alliance of government and business –crony capitalism. On that point, we also agree. To have a business community of self-centered human beings joined by a government community of self-centered human beings can only produce a powerful force of self-centered human beings –tyranny.

However the solution is not compulsory redistribution of wealth dictated by self-centered, greedy human beings using the force of government to take from others what they want for themselves. (Remember the French Revolution?) The answer is not legislation; it is leadership –moral leadership.

Government imposed re-distribution of wealth has never worked. As Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis told us, the choice is between the unequal sharing of blessings and the equal sharing of miseries. All one has to do is look to the former Soviet Union, the present condition of Cuba, or the unfolding situation in Europe to see where that economic philosophy takes us.

The answer is not in neo-communism, anarchy or in the rejection of our founding principles, but rather in the re-affirmation of those principles that undergird a virtuous society –capitalism framed by a Christian ethic.

We need moral leadership that will be able to effectively communicate the fact that we are one nation, under God, blessed with peace and prosperity as no other nation has ever known. And as such, we have a responsibility to help the less fortunate among us, not through the force of law, but by free and willing hearts, by corporations and wealthy people -the 1%- giving to charitable organizations, and their respective communities of faith to feed the hungry, and care for the poor.

However, for this to happen, there must be a genuine spiritual revival that will produce a new breed of selfless Americans who will be willing to sacrifice for others because they know the One who sacrificed for them. That’s the history of our nation. It’s the answer to our current dilemma. During the Second Great Awakening of the mid 19^th century, Charles Finney’s Benevolent Empire, a coalition of institutions dedicated to caring for the material needs of the poor, had a budget that nearly equaled the size of the federal government’s budget.

The answer isn’t one group of corrupt individuals demanding the goods of another group of corrupt individuals. The answer is in the love that a virtuous people have for one another when they come to know the One who is love.

Without Christ, we’re just managing the darkness. We must turn on the light! The Church must lead the way!

OF IGNORANCE AND ARROGANCE

Ignorance and arrogance, a dangerous combination. Unfortunately, this is what was demonstrated by President Obama’s recent big speech on the economy. He reminds me of the boy who found a hole in his blue jeans and was afraid his Mommy would yell at him so he grabbed the scissors to cut the hole out, so it wouldn’t be there when Mommy came home.

Unfortunately for our nation, this current administration is so deluded with Keynesian economic fantasy that no dosage of reality will apparently shake them from their mission to control, as they see it, an ignorant populace until they can usher in their egalitarian Utopia, “peace on earth” and a “chicken in every pot.”

They truly believe that it is an established fact that government is the answer. If one stimulus didn’t work, then obviously it must have been too small. Let’s go for more stimulus. Sure, cut the hole out of the jeans and see what you end up with. What is it that is said about the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result? If it’s not insanity, then we’re left with ignorance. There are no other choices.

Then you have the arrogance that is reflected in the tenor of the President’s speech as though he were scolding the Congress and the American people. Today he made another speech to Congress, showing up 30 minutes late, as usual, demonstrating his lack of respect, and his lack of accountability to those whom he is supposed to serve. It’s that arrogance that makes him unteachable. When he is fired by the American people in 2012 he will no doubt conclude that the American people were just not ready for him; we aren’t smart enough to appreciate his wisdom. Any student of world history will be familiar with that particular personality type as being characteristic of your average narcissistic tyrant dictator. Thank God for the separation of powers in our system that helps to protect us from such personalities, but only so long as we remain vigilant.

The demonstrated ignorance and arrogance -not to speak of the incompetence- of this current administration sends a clear message to reasonable thinking Americans: We must choose leaders who are educated in the ways of American traditions and values, and who are running for office, not because they are motivated by political ambition, but because they sense a divine calling to help lead America toward peace and prosperity for the benefit of the next generation.

Our experiment with a post modern humanist celebrity president has failed. It’s time to choose men and women who fear God and who understand the time-tested values that have made America the envy of the world because we were “One Nation Under God.” We must be so again, or succumb to ignorance and arrogance. The recent election in New York’s 9^th Congressional District where a Democratic majority voted overwhelmingly for a conservative Republican encourages me in the knowledge that Americans, even in New York, are neither ignorant nor arrogant, but rather intelligent and humbly grateful for God’s grace shed on us.

Has the Torch Been Snuffed Out?

Has the torch of liberty been snuffed out? Is the” last best hope of the earth,” as President Lincoln called us, a thing of the past?

Today, we no longer have the resources to help our friends, and fellow human beings in Japan suffering the effects of nature’s wrath, because we are a nation that is broke, and drowning in our own tsunami of debt.

In the Middle East brave men and women are giving their lives to pursue the liberty we take for granted, and our current administration responds to their desperate cries with meaningless “contemplation” of options. This “dithering” sends the message to those whose hearts are beating with a passion for liberty that they can no longer count on the U.S. to help them realize their God-given right to freedom.

Within our own borders we see gay rights movements and labor union thuggery exchanging civility and decency for perverseness and chaos.

Are America’s best days behind us? Will we pass on to the next generation a nation that is less prosperous, less peaceful and less civil than the one that was passed down to us?

The answer lies with the Christian clergy of the nation, those who know that
“A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory.” (Matthew 12:20)

It will take, yet one more revival, beginning with men and women of God desperately crying out in repentance from our own self-centered ways to see God once again, shed His grace on our nation as He has for so many years.
The clergy must repent of their dissensions and factions (Galatians 5:20) and come together in the Name of Jesus to see this nation turn around from its current path to oblivion.

Those who call themselves “Christian” must rise up to do their duty to their community and nation as part of their duty to God. God will bless or curse this nation and the next generation according to the actions of believers. If we rise up to the occasion the “smoldering wick” will once again be ablaze with glory and we will continue to be that beacon of liberty for a world in need, and God will get the glory!

WHAT THE MID-TERM ELECTIONS TELL US.

The results of the mid-term elections just completed tell us that the system still works, but now begins a new season for people of faith to work the system.

James A. Garfield, 20th President, reminded us that
"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."

Now we must begin the work of demanding that only intelligent, brave and pure Americans sit in the seats of government. We must rededicate ourselves to the proposition that the liberty we enjoy is a sacred stewardship for which we will be held accountable by God and our posterity. We must therefore be active participants in the institutions of American government from local school boards to state and national offices.

We begin with the premise that we are “One Nation Under God,” and we look for leaders who are themselves, “under God” to give us reason to hope that they will lead in ways that are consistent with that Judeo-Christian ethic that has produced the greatest nation the world has ever known.

This is not a time to be quiet about our faith. It is not a time to buy into the lie that “Two things you don’t talk about are politics and religion.” After all, what is more important than politics, which addresses the condition of our civic happiness, and religion which addresses our eternal well being? No, let’s be sure that if we only get a chance to talk about two things it will be politics and religion.

The work of turning around a nation that was steadily declining into a Socialistic state begins now. We will have another opportunity in 2012 to elect more Constitutionally-minded citizens to public office. In the meantime we must work to recapture those foundational principles and re-educate the citizenry so that liberty will be safeguarded. Remembering Thomas Jefferson’s admonishment, “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.” To which let me add “active participation.”

What the Recent Primaries Reveal

The recent Primary election results illustrate clearly that the mantle is being passed from one generation to another younger, purer generation of leaders still committed to principles of liberty and statesmanship.

Thank God that American liberty is perpetuated, not by the shed blood of revolutionaries, but by the shed egos of corrupted self-serving politicians.

The fact that people like Charlie Christ and Lisa Murkowski choose to run as independents instead of supporting their party’s nominees, reveals the nature of their true character-self-serving ambition. They are intoxicated with power and would rather punish the nation with the election of a Democrat than support a Republican who isn’t them. Their actions simply validate the wisdom of those who went to the polls on Primary Day.

It is clearly a time for a changing of the guard, for retiring the white-haired monuments -of either party-who see themselves as the untouchable ruling class. It’s time for a purge! It’s time to get back to principles of ordered liberty under God as outlined in our Constitution.

We have a unique history of winning against the odds –evidence of God’s favor. Let’s not lose it. Let’s continue to pray that American Christians will turn to God in repentance and prayer, repent from our own self-centered ways, and trust God for a revival that will turn hearts toward Him, and make us once again One Nation Under God. Let’s do it for the next generation.

Glenn Beck's Restoring Honor Rally

Glenn Beck’s Restoring Honor Rally in Washington D.C. was a gift to America straight from the Throne Room.

Whether Beck is a Christian or a Mormon is irrelevant to the significance of the event. It’s not about the man; it’s about the message. God has spoken in times past through unlikely vessels. He seems to have a thing for that. Beck was a prophetic voice calling a nation back to God. He recognizes more than some, that this must be the first step to restoring our nation. We must be one nation under God first. Then we can discern His will for our nation and develop our national life and public policy within that paradigm.

That is the message we have been preaching and teaching in our theme, “America Bless God.” God has blessed America for over 200 years. We must turn it around and acknowledge His sovereignty over us if we can expect to continue to enjoy the peace and prosperity we have known.

Now it’s time for preachers to preach it from the pulpits. Don’t be out-done by a news commentator. Shame on us! Our pulpits must be “ablaze with glory” once again.

Glenn Beck talked about the “Black Robed Regiment.” This was the regiment that King George feared the most –the preachers of the colonies. The Black Robed Regiment must once again lead the way to national repentance and public acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty over America. We must look to the stone we’ve been cut, the rock from which we have been hewn, (Isaiah 51:1), and work to restore our spiritual, and moral foundation, or we will no doubt go the way of Sodom and Gomorrah –not too good!

Pray for Glenn Beck, pray for your pastor, pray for our President and all those in authority over us. Pray for our nation to turn back to God for the benefit of generations to come, that they might know the peace and prosperity that we have known. Pray to see “America Bless God!”

The Future of America is in the Hands of the Clergy

As we were enjoying a festive Independence Day weekend one thought kept replaying in my mind with an ever-increasing crescendo as the weekend unfolded: The future of this Nation lies in the hands of the clergy –the Christian clergy.

Let me explain. This is the only nation in all of world history that was established “…for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian Religion...” as stated in the Mayflower Compact. We have enjoyed peace and prosperity unmatched on the face of the earth, because of the effectiveness of the Biblical principle:
“blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord.”

As long as we have publicly acknowledged God as the true Sovereign of our Nation, and have endeavored to fashion our private lives and our public institutions according to the principles set forth in the Bible we have prospered.
But there is a new spirit elbowing its way into American life, an anti-Christ spirit that is actively working to displace our Christian identity to replace it with the gods of Secular Humanism.

The Church is the only bulwark against such an evil intrusion into American life, and the Christian clergy are the leaders of His Church. I’m reminded of the words of elder statesman Edmund Burke, “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” So I ask, is that where we are in America? Have the “good men” done nothing, and as a result our children will enjoy less peace and prosperity than our parents passed on to us? Is this why the holy institution of marriage is being perverted into an abomination that will result in the abuse of the next generation? Is this why families are disintegrating as love is growing cold, why our economy is unraveling, and instead of being the lender to the world, we have become a borrower? Have we forgotten, or have we not known that the borrower is slave to the lender?

Corruption in government is now accepted as normal, and perhaps rightly so, since it is a government of the people. If the people of the nation have become corrupt –godless-then so must the government of the people be corrupt also, and where are the clergy? Where are the prophetic voices crying out, “Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any people.”

I confess, we have isolated ourselves in the ivory towers, we call our pastor’s study or office, while the world outside is going to hell in a hand basket. But we don ‘t want to get too political for fear of becoming defiled. Can you imagine Jesus saying to His disciples, “We’re not going into the Valley of the Gaderenes, because I don’t want to get all that demon stuff all over me. I need to stay clean?” I don't think so. The very fact that politics is dirty demands our attention all the more. Charles Finney told us “In a country like ours politics is part of our religion…God will bless or curse this country according to the course Christians take in politics.”

Will the clergy lead the army of God to redeem America, as the last best hope for a dying world, a world in need of the Gospel message we have been entrusted with?
Will the Christian clergy of this nation quit preaching dead sermons to dead congregations and begin to set their pulpits ablaze with glory preaching the righteousness of God, under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and witness Christ confirming His Word with signs and wonders bringing our nation to its knees in repentance, that we might once again give the Sovereign His rightful place of authority over our land?

The clergy will have to come out from their offices, and even out from their church buildings and proclaim God’s will at the school board meeting, at the town council meeting, at the County seat, wherever the “gates of the city” are found to set the course for our citizens. It is our Biblical mandate, not to complain or criticize those who sit “at the city gates” but to “posses the gates.” It is the Christian clergy, and those that they have equipped who are to be sitting in those positions of authority, not the godless.

It defies all logic to expect ungodly people to rule in godly ways. Mind you, God isn’t calling every believer to get directly involved with politics, but he is calling some. The clergy must identify and equip those who God has called for the work of this particular ministry. It is a mission field.

We just celebrated 234 years of Independence sparked by what King George called “that Presbyterian rebellion.” The future of this great Nation “under God” is still in the hands of the Christian clergy. What kind of stewardship will we exercise? When we stand before Him who sent us, how shall we answer? There is no doubt the Church will be triumphant. The question is, “Who will march in the parade?”

Now What?

Let me repeat once again a basic principle of liberty first spoken by English statesman Edmund Burke:

“All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”

It’s apparent that good men and women obviously did not do enough to stop this socialist assault masquerading as a National Health care bill. Can anyone, Republican or Democrat, Conservative or Liberal really believe:

1. That 30 million more people will have health insurance coverage without an increase in cost?
2. That 30 million more people will have access to medical care with no increase in doctors, and without rationing?
3. That we will rid Medicare and Medicaid of the gross fraud and theft?
4. That the government calculations are even remotely reliable?
5. That premiums will really come down?
6. That the IRS will be able to effective administer the financial elements of this program?

It defies logic to believe any of the above will be true. Anyone who really believes any of it is obviously intoxicated with the liberal cool-aid, or grossly ignorant of the issues involved.

But good can come from evil. If Americans who believe in the principles of liberty will rise up to take back our country, we can have a revival of American nationalism, and reset the foundational principles that have produced the greatest nation on the face of the earth.

It must begin with a purging of all legislators and elected officials who will not be ruled by our Constitution, but rather insist on changing the Constitution by means other than those set forth by our founders. Every eligible Christian must be registered to vote this November and they must vote for men who fear God and who believe in the system of eternal rewards and punishment. This is what our founders believed to be a prerequisite for holding public office and it is a principle we must reaffirm.

For the sake of our children and generations to follow, get involved, get engaged, get educated and let the purge begin! Purge 2010!

State of the Union 2010

Unfortunately, the State of the Union message delivered by President Obama was a disappointment.

The President of the United States sounded like an angry juvenile blaming all his shortcomings on everyone else, and pledging to re-double his efforts to continue down the path that will be the ruination of the greatest nation on earth. He just doesn’t get it. He spent most of his time double-talking about the economy to appease both sides of the aisle. But if his track record tells us anything, it tells us that he only plans on following through with half of what he said –the half that appeases the left.

It’s clear he hasn’t learned from his mistakes handling the economy. He persists in promoting cap and trade legislation that will certainly pull the plug on an economy already in critical condition.

He doesn’t get it when it comes to national defense. As if the morale of our armed forces isn’t hurt enough by his refusal to treat terrorists as enemy combatants, now he wants to make homosexual rights in the military a cause célèbre.

What this tells me is that we must re-double our efforts, first of all, in praying for our President and all those placed in authority over us, then we must prepare to purge the government of all ungodly leadership in 2010 and 2012. The Tea Party movement is a good start, but yet we must go further to address the most fundamental issue of our national identity, that we are “One Nation Under God.” That must be our starting point.

From a foundation of faith in God and the Holy Scriptures we derive, standards, policies and laws for good government. This was the belief of our founders, and it must be the guiding philosophy of good government and politics if we are to see our nation and our culture prevail.

This is a time to learn, to teach, and to prepare for the biggest governmental purge this nation has ever seen. Yes, let the purge begin, 2010!

CALLED TO FALL JULY 5TH

It’s quite telling that it was reported today that President Obama may attend the funeral of pop idol Michael Jackson while he refused to participate in last May’s National Day of Prayer observance. This tells me he thinks more highly of Michael Jackson than he does of God! This is just one more indication that we must pray for leadership that is equal to the challenges of our time. Each day it becomes more obvious that Barak Obama is -to use a phrase he used as a candidate- in above his pay grade.

President Obama is systematically destroying our economy in his quest to bring the Marxist-Socialist system he learned from his twenty-year mentor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. We’ve learned we cannot judge him by his speech. What he says has no bearing on what he does, because his words have one purpose - to gain favor from his audience in the moment. Truth is relative, and just like his view of the “living” constitution, all is based in situational ethics. In other words, right is whatever will advance his agenda, and consolidate his power.

If he is not purposely lying to the public, he is guilty of gross incompetence. It must be one or the other. He said if he didn’t pass the massive $787 billion stimulus plan, (President Bush should never have started this trend in the first place.) that unemployment would rise to unacceptable numbers. Well, we did pass his stimulus plan, and unemployment still rose to those same levels. So what did we get for all the money we spent? More government control of American life. This was either a purposeful ruse or Obama is totally incompetent. It must be one or the other.

While he still tries to sell the illusion that 95% of Americans will see a tax break on one hand, on the other , he is about to sign the largest tax increase in America’s history for 100% of Americans with his new “Cap and Tax” bill. He has certainly proven himself to be a master at political slight-of-hand.

On the foreign policy front, the very thing he campaigned about –regaining world respect- is the very thing we are quickly losing. Just ask Ahmadinejad of Iran, or Kim Jong Il of North Korea. While the President is naively trying to play nice, our enemies are planning our demise. Soon President Obama will be singing “Give Peace a Chance,” while our enemies are lobbing missiles and lopping heads.

We are at a time when we must turn back to God, or our children will suffer for our complacency. Democrats may be leading this downward plunge, but godless Republicans do no better. It’s time for Democrats, Republicans, Independents and others to turn back to God, then plan on “throwing the bums out” and replacing them with men and women who fear God, who understand the times and who know what America must do. It must begin in the Church. There is no other answer but that answer that is found in the book that helped birth this nation -the Bible. We must turn to God.

This July 5th, we are calling on believers everywhere to fall on their knees in repentance and cry out for God’s mercy on our nation. For more information on this event, log on to www.call2fall.com.

The great 19th century revivalist, Charles Finney forewarned us when he said, “God will bless or curse this nation according to the course that Christians take in politics.” Let’s choose the right course.