Two articles that are related to this subject are past posts on FAIR & BIASED. They are STATISM by Jeremy Fair, posted on September 10, 2008 and STICK TO PREACHING CHRIST by Steve Fair, posted on September 29, 2008. Thanks to David Weston for his scholarly, well written AN ESSAY ABOUT AMERICA....
Guest Editorial
An essay about America…
By J. David Weston
An essay about America…
By J. David Weston
A historical summary
America--A country where God predominantly pulled people out of England and Europe with the promise to freely exercise their right to worship Jesus Christ based upon their own convictions. Yes some came with a desire to obtain wealth, but most were compelled to leave England and Europe after centuries of oppression and persecution by the Catholic and Anglican Religions.
Upon settling in America, God allowed these Christians to select their own leaders who allowed them to live quiet and peaceable lives and where the Gospel of Christ was promoted without any restraint of the State and as a result, evangelism and righteousness flourished. That is the most important and most wonderful legacy that we have inherited from our forefathers.
Leading up to the point of our Independence and ever since then, American's have struggled with pursuing wealth and licentious behavior over righteousness. Those temptations have been overcome by Great Awakenings and National Revivals. Only Heaven can tell of the exact impact that: the George Whitefield's, the Jonathan Edwards', the Lyman Beecher's, the Dwight L Moody's and the Billy Graham's have had upon our Country.
As a result, our people not only returned to righteousness but sent out missionaries to promote the gospel in other countries. It is one of the reasons that God has blessed us and protected our homeland from the ravages of war that cursed the 20th Century. Our country started along the Atlantic Coast and has spread from "Sea to Shining Sea" and beyond. All in the midst of what would seem to be insurmountable circumstances. Throughout our history, our inventors, our entrepreneurs and our industries have led the world into the unprecedented prosperity that is known on most continents today.
But now we have committed the error of selecting leaders that do not believe the Gospel of Christ and these leaders seek to suppress and curtail the influence of the Gospel upon our society and our government. Our founding fathers were not concerned about the influence of the Church upon the State. They feared the opposite! They never wanted to separate the influence of God from Government because they understood that although they were elected by their constituents, it ultimately was God who had placed them there.
They understood that the State should not be the master of the Christian Church. They understood that the Christian Church should not be servant of the State. But they did understand that the Christian Church should be the conscience of the State.
Our current situation
Upon settling in America, God allowed these Christians to select their own leaders who allowed them to live quiet and peaceable lives and where the Gospel of Christ was promoted without any restraint of the State and as a result, evangelism and righteousness flourished. That is the most important and most wonderful legacy that we have inherited from our forefathers.
Leading up to the point of our Independence and ever since then, American's have struggled with pursuing wealth and licentious behavior over righteousness. Those temptations have been overcome by Great Awakenings and National Revivals. Only Heaven can tell of the exact impact that: the George Whitefield's, the Jonathan Edwards', the Lyman Beecher's, the Dwight L Moody's and the Billy Graham's have had upon our Country.
As a result, our people not only returned to righteousness but sent out missionaries to promote the gospel in other countries. It is one of the reasons that God has blessed us and protected our homeland from the ravages of war that cursed the 20th Century. Our country started along the Atlantic Coast and has spread from "Sea to Shining Sea" and beyond. All in the midst of what would seem to be insurmountable circumstances. Throughout our history, our inventors, our entrepreneurs and our industries have led the world into the unprecedented prosperity that is known on most continents today.
But now we have committed the error of selecting leaders that do not believe the Gospel of Christ and these leaders seek to suppress and curtail the influence of the Gospel upon our society and our government. Our founding fathers were not concerned about the influence of the Church upon the State. They feared the opposite! They never wanted to separate the influence of God from Government because they understood that although they were elected by their constituents, it ultimately was God who had placed them there.
They understood that the State should not be the master of the Christian Church. They understood that the Christian Church should not be servant of the State. But they did understand that the Christian Church should be the conscience of the State.
Our current situation
Unfortunately, a prolonged American prosperity has led to complacency and ambivalence amongst her citizens. Over the last 60 years we have allowed misguided leadership to enact laws that have gradually taken away the conscience that our government needs to make good decisions. The result is that we have selected leaders who drunkenly reel and stagger around the District of Columbia, our State Capitols and our Courthouses making stupid errors and mistakes.
As a result our land has become polluted with the blood of 40,000,000 innocent unborn babies! Our elected officials endorse the perversion of sodomy to our children and call it an alternative lifestyle! They reward slothfulness with welfare! They allow for the proliferation of pornography and profanity under the guise of freedom of speech! They encourage greed amongst speculators and prop up their schemes on the backs of the honest and hardworking! They promote the false-hope of gambling which preys upon the trust of the poor and the uninformed! They allow judges to stay in office that subvert the will of the people! They vomit decadence and call it freedom!
Thus we find ourselves on the verge of government bankruptcy, our enemies plot our demise and our society has decayed to the point of malevolence.
Yet there is hope
As a result our land has become polluted with the blood of 40,000,000 innocent unborn babies! Our elected officials endorse the perversion of sodomy to our children and call it an alternative lifestyle! They reward slothfulness with welfare! They allow for the proliferation of pornography and profanity under the guise of freedom of speech! They encourage greed amongst speculators and prop up their schemes on the backs of the honest and hardworking! They promote the false-hope of gambling which preys upon the trust of the poor and the uninformed! They allow judges to stay in office that subvert the will of the people! They vomit decadence and call it freedom!
Thus we find ourselves on the verge of government bankruptcy, our enemies plot our demise and our society has decayed to the point of malevolence.
Yet there is hope
If America is going to avoid the wrath of a Just and Holy God then her Christian Citizens must once again stand up, speak up and promote the restoration of the ideals of righteousness. Our government must acknowledge her conscience!
The book of Ecclesiastes says that, "To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:" This is a time to for Christians to fall on our knees and beg our Sovereign and Holy God for mercy. This is a time where Christians must turn away from our sins. Where we must rise up and come together and select new leaders from amongst ourselves that are not drunk with a desire for wealth and power, who will restore a quiet and peaceable atmosphere where the gospel of Christ can once again promote Godliness.
An obstacle to hope
The book of Ecclesiastes says that, "To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:" This is a time to for Christians to fall on our knees and beg our Sovereign and Holy God for mercy. This is a time where Christians must turn away from our sins. Where we must rise up and come together and select new leaders from amongst ourselves that are not drunk with a desire for wealth and power, who will restore a quiet and peaceable atmosphere where the gospel of Christ can once again promote Godliness.
An obstacle to hope
Christians believe that the Bible is Inerrant Truth inspired by the Holy Spirit of God. Pastors are characterized as the shepherds who protect and lead their flock/church of sheep/Christians. But pastors, churches and Christians have become intimidated from fulfilling their role as the conscience of our government.
This intimidation is enforced by the Internal Revenue Service which threatens the assessment of penalties and taxes when pastors and churches attempt to talk about the unrighteous behavior that the leaders of our government promote. Prior to July 2, 1954 Pastors could talk to their congregations about this subject. But Senator Lyndon B. Johnson was afraid that his own unrighteous behavior would be mentioned by the pastors within the churches of Texas and therefore he would lose his pending re-election.
His exact quote before the President of the Senate on this dubious day follows: "Mr. President, this amendment seeks to extend the provisions of section 501 of the House bill, denying tax-exempt status to not only those people who influence legislation but also to those who intervene in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for any public office."
And thus, the conscience of our government has been muzzled for fifty-four years!
Further need for change
It can be no coincidence that with her conscience muzzled our government fell into making the depraved decisions that have led our country to brink of insolvency, moral decay and the threat of nuclear obliteration.
It is not happenstance that we now teach our children that they are descended from lizards, tadpoles and monkeys instead of being made in the image of God. It used to be that kids got in trouble for chewing gum and passing notes in class but those small problems have since been replaced in our schools with drug abuse, rape and murder. Perhaps this debauchery can also be tied to the facts that since 1954 our leaders have banned teaching from the Bible, prayer and the display of the 10 Commandments in our public schools?
A step towards renewal and restoration
This intimidation is enforced by the Internal Revenue Service which threatens the assessment of penalties and taxes when pastors and churches attempt to talk about the unrighteous behavior that the leaders of our government promote. Prior to July 2, 1954 Pastors could talk to their congregations about this subject. But Senator Lyndon B. Johnson was afraid that his own unrighteous behavior would be mentioned by the pastors within the churches of Texas and therefore he would lose his pending re-election.
His exact quote before the President of the Senate on this dubious day follows: "Mr. President, this amendment seeks to extend the provisions of section 501 of the House bill, denying tax-exempt status to not only those people who influence legislation but also to those who intervene in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for any public office."
And thus, the conscience of our government has been muzzled for fifty-four years!
Further need for change
It can be no coincidence that with her conscience muzzled our government fell into making the depraved decisions that have led our country to brink of insolvency, moral decay and the threat of nuclear obliteration.
It is not happenstance that we now teach our children that they are descended from lizards, tadpoles and monkeys instead of being made in the image of God. It used to be that kids got in trouble for chewing gum and passing notes in class but those small problems have since been replaced in our schools with drug abuse, rape and murder. Perhaps this debauchery can also be tied to the facts that since 1954 our leaders have banned teaching from the Bible, prayer and the display of the 10 Commandments in our public schools?
A step towards renewal and restoration
We need Pastors to be the good shepherds that, "convince, rebuke, and exhort with longsuffering and teaching." We need pastors to fear God, not the IRS. We need: more Nathan's, more Jonah's, more Elijah's, more Ezekiel's, more Isaiah's, more Nehemiah's, and more John the Baptist's!
We need Christians to set aside their desire for wealth and power and sacrificially serve their God and Country! The District of Columbia, our State Capitols and our courthouses must be purged. Before it is too late, the conscience of our Government must be restored!
Can another Great Awakening save America from herself? Our history and the Bible tell me, YES!
J David Weston is a political activist. He serves as a deacon at his church. David is a past finance director for the Oklahoma State Republican Party. He currently is a financial planner. He can be contacted at jdavidweston@gmail.com.
We need Christians to set aside their desire for wealth and power and sacrificially serve their God and Country! The District of Columbia, our State Capitols and our courthouses must be purged. Before it is too late, the conscience of our Government must be restored!
Can another Great Awakening save America from herself? Our history and the Bible tell me, YES!
J David Weston is a political activist. He serves as a deacon at his church. David is a past finance director for the Oklahoma State Republican Party. He currently is a financial planner. He can be contacted at jdavidweston@gmail.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment