Introducing the Bill of Rights

  The Bill of Rights reflects the Christian heritage of our nation. The idea of human dignity, that we are created in the image of God, forms the basis for human equality and our core value of liberty (Genesis 1:27 and Mark 12:31). The fundamental basis of religious freedom in human nature secures our rights and limits government. There is a higher authority than civil authority, the laws of God (Acts 5:29). The Declaration of Independence recognizes God, the Creator, that there is a Supreme Judge. His Divine Providence is from where we receive certain inalienable rights, that of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. The moral teachings of the Bible is the guide for the common standards of right and wrong required in ourselves and in government to guide private and public life. The rights and responsibilities of citizenship are learned in the primary institutions of civil society which were the family, church, and the community. This was true when God and His teachings were the center of huge population of Bible believing citizens.
     Our founding fathers were also influenced by the philosophers John Locke and Baron de Montesquieu. John Locke, from England, wrote in his "Two Treatises on Government" of 1690: "God, as King David says (Psalm 115:16), has given the earth to the children of men, given it to mankind in common". Locke knew that people were born with certain natural rights to life, liberty, and property. Also, that governments are formed to protect the rights of the people. When governments fail to protect these rights, tyranny results, and the people have the right to rebel. The political philosopher Baron de Montesquieu, also of France, in his book "The Spirit of the Laws" in 1748 wrote of the best form of government would incorporate a separation of powers into executive, legislative, and judicial branches and would be based on the natural law. Both of their ideas were evident in all three of our Freedom Documents - the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. 
  The Bill of Rights was ratified as part of a gentleman's agreement among our Founding Fathers. There was resistance to the approval of the United States Constitution by Thomas Jefferson because too much power was given to the Federal Government, and American citizens were unprotected. To protect the rights of individual citizens, George Mason had composed the Declaration of Rights, which was passed by the Virginia assembly on June 12, 1776. James Madison of Virginia submitted amendments to the Constitution on June 8, 1789. The Federalists kept their word and on September 25, 1789, the First Federal Congress of the United States approved twelve amendments to the Constitution to be submitted to the states for ratification. The Preamble of the Bill clearly states the Bill of Rights is to prevent abuse of the powers of the Government. By December 15, 1791, all the states ratified ten amendments which became known as the U. S. Bill of Rights to protect the individual rights of American citizens.
  Read the Preamble for yourself. You don't see this part of the Bill of Rights in most teachings anymore but is very important to read and understand what our rights and freedoms are.
                                                         PREAMBLE 
 The Conventions of a number of the States having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best insure the beneficent ends of its institution.

RESOLVED by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, two thirds of both Houses concurring, that the following Articles be proposed to the Legislatures of the several States, as Amendments to the Constitution of the United States, all or any of which Articles, when ratified by three fourths of the said Legislatures, to be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of the said Constitution.

ARTICLES in addition to, and Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, proposed by Congress, and ratified by the Legislatures of the several States, pursuant to the fifth Article of the original Constitution. 


 

  We the people hold the power to take back our freedoms that are being taken away one law at a time. The key to doing this is our coming to terms with what our Founding Fathers were thinking. In coming to the point of setting up the greatest government in the history of the world, they relied on prayer to the one true God as evidenced in many historical documents. I made reference to Ben Franklin in an earlier post of how the prayed. Any rational human being can see we are far from where we began and very far from when we became great.

    
        And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (2 Corinthians 3:17)

  This is where we belong, we must get back to allowing the Spirit of the Lord to guide us. Our society is so full of hate and judgment and a very few live a Godly life. Everyone is screaming to make their godless ideas policy that they are eroding the freedoms of another. Nobody wants God in their life, many "Christians" included that every person's freedoms will be taken from them. EVERY PERSON'S! As you give more power to federal government, your power over your own life is being taken. God was the center of society at our beginning, lets put Him back in His proper place and I promise you that our enemies will flee instead of advancing. Our anger will turn to peace. Our confused children will find straight paths to follow. Our broken marriages will become a pillar of strength. Our addictions will turn to healthy living. All our faults will turn to blessings! Don't we all truly want this??

  To gain this all back there are steps. The very first step is to get right with God! We must look into what He told in His Word, the Bible. Turn from our wicked ways instead of trying to rationalize them. Accept His free gift of eternal salvation found only is Jesus Christ, God's only Son. Then follow Him! Can you pour gasoline on a rose bush and put dirt into the gas tank of your car and hope all will be well? NO! The rose bush will die and the car won't even start. It Is the same for people. We were created with certain needs to have us healthy both physically as well as spiritually. Those needs are only met by our Creator.

                           WON'T YOU OPEN YOUR EYES AND COME?

OUR FUTURE CHILDREN'S FATE IS IN THE DECISIONS OF TODAY.

 

Getting into the Constitution


  I have spent much of this week reading and contemplating the Constitution of the United States. I need to spend more time reading and studying to find all there is to know.
  The things that jumped out to me was how Senators and Representatives are chosen and their roles in government. The role of the President is an interesting read as well in Article two. Since we hear so much talk of His Executive Orders, I looked for that right. Not there!! Congress has the sole right to make and pass laws. President can veto a bill, but it goes back to Congress to get things right or vote to over ride his veto. I have found that EO's have been used since the beginning, but not to the degree we see today. It was to be used, basically, to help Congress get through an impasse. It was NEVER to used for the President to get whatever he wants! That is a dictator!
  I do want to point out the oath that our President must promise to carry out while in office;


"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."


If the President is to faithfully and to the best of his ability preserve, protect, and defend our Constitution, he would know the very first article covers how laws are made! I know past Presidents have taken advantage of the privilege of EO's but none as bad as the one we have now. To boldly proclaim the he has a phone and a pen and he will do whatever he wants should be grounds for impeachment! But, I am not smart enough on such things. I am also aware that I may have some facts wrong but I will study to get it right.
  What I do know is what scripture tells me to do to those who are in roles of leadership;
  Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. (Romans 13:7)
  Also, we should pray;
Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior......................(1 Timothy 2:1-3)


  We must pray for our leaders to be honest people. If they will not be honest, then we must stand and force them out. We the people have that power. We must stand and be heard and demand that out Constitution be honored! We must do this in an God honoring way. If we scream and cuss and call names, then we are no different then those who are in power now and deserve what we get from the same.
  We must come back to God and the Christ who lead great men to found our great land. We must start on our knees!


 

FREEDOM!!!

"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."


   As I read the opening paragraph of our Constitution, I am reminded of a scripture I shared the other day. Proverbs 29:18, "Where there is no vision,... the people perish: but he that keeps the law, happy is he." At the very beginning of our must treasured document, the vision was cast and it was in the hands of "we the people". That is being taken away all the time. Every time the Congress meets, the Supreme Court convenes, the President speaks, our freedoms are being jumbled up and we the people are losing our freedoms.

    We the people are in charge! Not the Federal Government! We are the ones who are the commanders of our perfect union, not federal judges. "Establish justice and insure domestic tranquility" is ours to command as well. We let the power hungry in Washington control this and, just open your eyes and look around, justice is not based on right and wrong and we have NO tranquility. 

   We are in control of our defense. I am not smart enough to know how taxes pay for our military, but I think I am smart enough to say that if I feel threatened by an enemy like ISIS, then my government should be shutting them down! Not allowing them to grow and get stronger!

   "Promote the general welfare" tells me that we should care for the general welfare for our citizens, not every illegal that walks across our borders. It does not mean that we feed the lazy! We should help those who are in hard times, provide some education, provide a job, and help them get to a place where they can help themselves. It means if someone is disabled that we care for them till they are better or if they never get better, care for them. We should not make it easy to have your bills paid and your belly full while you drink and do drugs or smoke cigarettes!

   We the people are in charge of securing the blessings of freedom!! We need to take it back from the liars! Take it back from the power hungry! Take it back from the foul mouthed! Take it back from the perverted, prostitute chasing, idiots that our elected put in place! 

   I am not wanting to sound angry and sorry if I do. I am trying to get educated on what was put in place and what brought our great land to the point of greatness. I truly feel that before we can move forward, we need to look back. Look back and see where we started, where we were going, and where we should be. Almighty God was the guide that that brought us, sustained us, lead men to establish us, and blessed us. We must get on our knees so we can stand.

FREEDOM!!!
Here is an interesting little tidbit. The Supreme Court ruled in 1892 that The United States IS a Christian nation. Direct quote;
"subject, is granted and secured; but to revile, with malicious and blasphemous contempt, the religion professed by almost the whole community is an abuse of that right. Nor are we bound by any expressions in the Constitution, as some have strangely supposed, either not to punish at all, or to punish indiscriminately the like attacks upon the reli...gion of Mahomet or of the Grand Lama, and for this plain reason, that the case assumes that we are a Christian people, and the morality of the country is deeply engrafted upon Christianity, and not upon the doctrines or worship of those impostors."
First amendment protects your freedom to be and practice your Christian faith. The Supreme Court ruled that we are a Christian nation. We shouldn't have any Religious Freedom Restoration Act! It is already covered!! This is the reason I love this country! Up until the past few decades has everything gotten so chaotic. We must get back to when we were great! Back when we were UNITED!! Those who are in power at this time are only wanting to gain power over all of us and strip us of our freedoms. Let's get our heads out of our butts, get truly educated with who we truly are. When you try and force us Christians to be quite, you are pushing your best friend away.
Christian, quit beating a select few in the head with your Bible, Love just like Christ loves you. Quit being a hypocrite and maybe, just maybe, revival could come to our land and all could be made right.

  As I sit and watch and listen to every sort of argument concerning our rights as Americans and see our society get more and more chaotic, I am forced to state the obvious. This is an attempt to impart some common sense in this senseless world.
  I want to go back to a beginning. Our country came about by many events from Christopher Columbus making the discovery of this land in 1492 or all the way back to 1215 to the Magna Carta.  I will stay with the familiar and begin with The Declaration of Independence signed on July 4th 1776. In this beginning document signed by 57 noble men declaring our country independent from Britain and it must be noted that they all were praying men. Ben Franklin was a part of the whole process and he wrote in a letter; "The small progress we have made after 4 or five weeks close attendance & continual reasonings with each other -- our different sentiments on almost every question, several of the last producing as many noes as ays, is methinks a melancholy proof of ...the imperfection of the Human Understanding......... In this situation of this Assembly groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understandings? In the beginning of the contest with G. Britain, when we were sensible of danger we had daily prayer in this room for the Divine Protection. -- Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered."
  The term "Father of lights" is a term from scripture, exactly found in James 1:17, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."
  There are many who say that we were not a country built on Christian principles, but here is but one of many examples of proof that our country was, indeed, built upon Christian principles. This is my desire, to point those who will read or hear my thoughts to come to realize that we are way off the mark in our society.
  So, back to the Declaration of Independence. In the opening paragraphs, we see God as the key authority in making a declaration of a free country;


  In Congress, July 4, 1776
  The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America
  When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.


  Nature's God is spoken of in the very first paragraph! A free country is a product of our Creator! Scripture makes reference again to the source of this statement; "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead..." (Romans 1:20) If they were praying men. Praying to the Father of Lights. Doesn't it make sense that we were built upon Christian principles?
  Let's read on;


  "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. —That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men...."


  "They are endowed by their Creator". What are the "unalienable rights"? "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" Again Creator God is mentioned and His gifts to men are laid out. When we take God out of the equation, life becomes meaningless. Abortion on demand, joy killings, high murder rates, or lack of respect to our fellow countrymen become lacking. Screaming equal rights but squashing the rights of someone with another view has become commonplace. Hatred towards another robs the freedom of conscious for the hater as well as the hated. This is not liberty. There is no true happiness in our day. we all are pursuing more of what we already have enough of. We all are in debt from our personal finances to the federal government. Debt robs us of life, because we can't live it. It robs us of liberty because we become slaves to the one we owe. Put those together and we have no happiness.
  Take a moment and think about what was promised in scripture concerning life. Jesus said in John 10:10,  "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." Life more abundant. Don't we want that? The framers of our republic wanted it, prayed for it, and God gave it because they prayed in the name of Jesus who is the giver of life.
  What about liberty? 1 Corinthians 3:17,
"Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."
We have taken our liberty to focus only on our personal wants that we are killing the liberty of another which causes your liberty to be taken in the long run. Listen to the writer of Galatians 5:13,

"For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another." Where the Spirit of the Lord is we have liberty. When we become so consumed by our own wants and forget the wants of another, liberty is taken from us all.

  There is no true happiness when we push the God out that the founding Fathers clung so tightly to. Wake up America.

  The Declaration goes on to list the grievances toward Britain and reasons why we are to be Independent. The last paragraph is as follows;

We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. —And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

  They made reference to God as the "Supreme Judge of the world". I have already noted the Christian principles that guided our Fathers. The God of the Jew and the Christian is who is the Supreme Judge spoken of here. He provided every protection and provided every need to make us grow to the greatest country to ever exist outside of Israel.

  I beg all who read, let's get this country back to the Christ who made it possible to be a country. There is a moral guide that needs to be followed. Morality is not inside of us, it is outside and must be followed. Take a good look around. Everyone is angry. Let's come together under one banner. Be united. Let's be united under the living banner of Christ just as our country did in the very beginning.

  

Psalm 33:12
 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.
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Do you not see? Do you not understand? I was there when the Ten Commandments were stripped from the walls of schools and court houses. Times were good. the people felt safe. the kids were happy. Families were close and strong. Years have passed and the knowledge of sin is no more, since the Commandments of the Lord are now forgotten. Now, Jesus is no longer allowed in the schools and court houses and a lot of churches. Now times aren't good at all. I don't feel safe, the nation is wide open and we have evil running the country. The kids are self centered and angry, killing, and spreading sexual diseases. Marriage is very weak, few know what it even means anymore. Family is so weak and in a lot of cases, nonexistent. What is needed? I hope you ask. We must get back to our roots. Back to the One who blessed us in the beginning. We must come to acknowledge our sin before our Creator and fully embrace our only hope, Jesus.

OUR PURPOSE AS THE CHURCH,

THE BRIDE OF CHRIST

Why does the church exist? What is our primary purpose?
Sing hymns and preach sermons?
Present the Gospel to the lost?
To bring hope to the hurting?
Provide a place for worship and instruction?
Equip the Saints for the work of the ministry?
To prepare children for life?
To provide for the needy?
To stimulate action on social issues?
Teach the scriptures?
Be a model of righteousness? All of these are vital and necessary, but none are the central reason for the Church's existence.
The primary Purpose;
1 Corinthians 10:31 gives the answer; "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, DO ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD."
   That's it!! Our sole purpose is to glorify the Lord our God. Whatever we could do from our list above, we do it for His Glory! The Corinthian Church wasn't the only one assigned to radiate God's glory. If we would wander over to Romans, Paul instructs them as well in 15:5&6, "Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus; that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
   It doesn't matter if you been an active member in Church since you were a kid or you are brand new in the congregationn, we are all to glorify God in one accord! What did Jesus say about the farmer who hired help in the morning, at noon and again at evening time? When it was time to pay, they all got the same wage!!
Look in Ephesians 1:10-12, "In him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the PRAISE OF HIS GLORY!"
Church, glorify God!! This truth rings through scripture like wedding bells. We could have dynamic preaching or awesome music. We could have the latest in technology in presenting power points, but if God's glory is not the primary focus, all is empty. His glory must be the underlying motive for all we do.
Do you teach? Do it for His glory!
Do you preach? Do it for His glory!
Take care of the treasury? His glory!
Lead in worship? His glory!
Play a musical instrument? His glory!
Operate audio and visual systems? His glory!
Take up the offering? His glory!
Marquee ministry? His glory!!    Can you imagine fueling every action, every word, every Church program with the glory of God?? What would happen? 2 Thessalonians 1:11&12 says, "To this end also we pray for you always that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power; in order that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."
   Amazing fact!!! As we glorify God, we are glorified in Him! Glory leads to more glory! This is why Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in Heaven." Not just doing a good deed. It's in how you walk above all the ill issues of life and can still have a smile on your face and clean language coming from your lips! Truth draws people!!   All it takes is one person with a burning desire to glorify God! Then that flame can touch off brush fires of glory that can blaze across any spiritual landscape. I come from Kansas and in the spring they burn off the prairies and fields for new growth. At night time, watching a line of fire dance across a field is a most amazing sight! I can see the blaze of God's glory burning across any city if His people could catch this!
What is this glory?
  First, Exodus 40:34 ~ "Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle."
This isn't a 25 watt light bulb inside the Dallas Cowboys Stadium. This was like an expolding nova! To enter in inappropriately meant sudden death.
   Second, 1 Corinthians 15:39-41 ~ "All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish. There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars;for star differs from star in glory."
Glory pulsates from the planets just as it pulsates from earthbound creatures.
God's holy brilliance in the ancient tabernacle nor the glory found in creation is the glory best describes the glory the church is to radiate.

John the Baptist lived the third kind of glory. The kind of glory the churh should demonstrate. John 1:23-27 ~ "He said, "I am A VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD,’ as Isaiah the prophet said." Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, and said to him, "Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" John answered them saying, "I baptize fnin water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. "It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie."
   Remember what he said to his disciples who asked him as to why Jesus' ministry was growing and John's was falling apart. "He must increase, but I must decrease." ( John3:30)
   Glory, then, as it relates to us, the Church, means to magnify and elevate the Lord God as we diminish and deny ourselves. It means being occupied with and commited to His ways rather than preoccupied with and determined to go my own way.

   What did Isaiah say? "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8&9)
   We cannot seek personal glory and God's glory at the same time!
   When life gets hard, seek His glory in patiently waiting for His guidance. When it seems as if the stress will over power you, think on Him and His promises! One day, it will be like waking from a bad dream when you enter into His rest!!
   We can't dwell on the questions of will our Chruch will grow or die, just concentrate on His glory! All this is said to remind you, me ,us, that as we focus totally on Him, His glory, His praise, and His Word, His glory will surround us and we will begin to radiate Him! Those who don't know Him will see Him in us, personally and corporately and be drawn in.
   Know what a lunar eclipse is? The moon passes behind the earth directly away from the sun. The moon eases into the earth's shadow. For a short time, the moon is deprived of the sun's light. So, the earth gets in the way of the sun, the moon don't reflect the sun light and it even cools-until it is brought back into the sun's light again. We, as Christians, are just like that moon! Sometimes we bask in the light of our Lord Jesus and sometimes, the earth just gets in the way. We start cooling for Him, live according to the worlds standards and seek our own glory. We dim out and cool down from living for Him. Is it time to get the earth out of the way? Personally as well as corporately? I think yes, it is past time.