Exercise Your Rights II

In my last blog I laid out the choice that was being presented in this election.  We have made our choice, now what?  This is America, right?  Our government can’t change from democracy to socialism, can it?  This is still the best country in the whole world!  But, anything CAN happen; we as a country are not immune.  It is all up to you!  I think it is time for everyone to wake up and take an ACTIVE role in our government.  Let your voice be heard!  Elections are not the only time to do that.  Our government is, after all, of the people, by the people and for the people.  But this only remains true IF you remain active—it is when we are passive that this right is taken away.

 

What not to do:

• Disrespect – We are to respect the office of our president, vice president, senators, congressmen/women, governors, mayors, etc.  These are offices of authority.  What example is it to our children when we disrespect authority?  How can we expect them to obey us?
• Complain, grumble, slander or in any way bad-mouth the people in office.  This does not produce good fruit; it does not bring change.
• Feed off the ranting of others—this includes conservative media (radio shows, etc.).  You can keep yourself informed without filling your mind and heart with negativity.  Sort through actual news and ranting and tearing down of government officials.  Again, it is not fruitful; it makes you mad, but doesn’t bring about change.  Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”

What we need to do:

• Pray
• Be informed.  For example, do you know what the Fairness Doctrine is?  Or the energy bill that is phasing out the sale of filament light bulbs?  Both of these issues affect your life.  Get your news from an unbiased source; this won’t be channels 2, 6, or 8.  You need to find out the issues.  Check out www.khouse.org, onenewsnow.com, AFA.net, worldnetdaily.com, worldmag.com, to name a few.
• Get in contact with your legislators (local, state, and in DC) and STAY in contact with them.  You can write them letters, send emails, and make phone calls.  I heard somewhere once that every contact they get, they treat as the view of 1000 of their constituents.  They are bound to uphold the views of those constituents.  But how can they know how we feel when we just sit on our couches and stew?  You can sign up for the AFA.net email newsletter–they will send you alerts on legislation and they make it very easy to send a quick email to the appropriate legislators.
• Place your trust in the Lord.  Proverbs 21:1  He is in control.  He is not surprised by this election, He know the end from the beginning.  Isaiah 46:10
• Above ALL, we must obey the Word of God!  Paul tells us in Romans 13:1-7 to respect the authority of government for they are appointed by God to restrain evil on the earth.  When we are disrespecting the government, we are disrespecting God!  Ouch!  Peter tells us in I Peter 2:13-17 that it is the will of God that we submit to the laws of government.  I believe this applies when those laws do not directly contradict the Word of God.  When Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego were told to bow down and worship the idol that King Neduchadnezzar had built, they refused because it contradicted God’s law.  (See Daniel 3)  Paul tells us in I Timothy 2:1-4 that we should pray for our government leaders so that we will lead peaceable lives and that they may come to the knowledge of the truth.

Think about the world that Peter or Paul or Daniel lived in.  I highly recommend reading through the book of Daniel to see an excellent example of how we ought to conduct ourselves in this world.  Peter and Paul lived in the Roman empire—Peter in the province of Judea and later in Rome, while Paul traveled extensively throughout Asia Minor, spending time in Rome also.  At that time in history the world was extremely pagan.  The rulers were the Caesars who wanted to be worshipped as gods, hardly what you consider a godly leader.  Yet, see above for what Peter and Paul had to say about their government.  Christians were severely persecuted in that time, too.  Nero killed both Paul and Peter.  Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were captured from Judah and taken to Babylon where Nebuchadnezzar was ruler.  Babylon is the birthplace of all false religion.  It was a normal part of the culture to worship idols, eat unclean foods, and practice all sorts of perversion in the name of their worship.  These things contradicted the Jewish laws that Daniel and his friends observed.  Nebuchadnezzar was an absolute ruler that could execute any one of these Jews at any time for disobedience if he wished.  What did Daniel and his friends do?  Did they disrespect their captors?  Did they complain?  We see through the book that they obeyed God’s law above the law of the king, but were at all times respectful and as a result were promoted to high government offices.  In the times when they were persecuted by the government for refusing to obey the king, God protected them.  Let this be a lesson to us.  Our world, even though it seems to be getting worse, is not as bad as the pagan cultures of ancient times.  Let our conduct be like Daniel, whose coworkers could find no fault with.  (Daniel 6:4)  Also note how the emphasis throughout the book is that God is the one who gives the kings their kingdoms.  He’s in control and there is no cause to live in fear and worry!

Exercise Your Rights

This isn’t a political blog, but it is ALL Things Health and the health of our nation is at stake.

 

In two weeks we have a very important election.  Not only is this an election regarding the executive branch of our government, but also the legislative.  I hope you have done your homework!

 

Let me sum up for you what I see.  But before I do, did you know that the average span of the greatest civilizations in history is 200 years?  Our great country has spanned 232 years.  Is our life as a great republic about to be over?  I certainly don’t mean to scare anyone with this article, but I sincerely want everyone to wake up and take the blinders off.  For too long we have had an attitude of, “This is America, it can’t happen here.”

 

We have set before us in this election socialism and democracy.  Democracy equals freedom; socialism equals tyranny.  Listen closely to what the candidates are promising you—programs or choices.

 

I urge you to pray and seek God in your decision this election.  Don’t base your vote on your feelings; you must base it on values and principles.

 

I received this recently in an email; I thought it was very applicable:

 

How do you catch wild pigs? You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come everyday to eat the free corn. When they are used to coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the feeding area.

 

When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the corn again and you put up another side of the fence. They get used to that and start to eat again.  You continue until you have put up all four sides of the fence and added a gate.  The pigs, used to the free corn, start to come through the gate to eat; you slam the gate on them and catch the whole herd.

 

Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run around and around inside the fence, but they are caught. Soon they go back to eating the free corn.  They are so used to it they have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept their captivity.

 

That is exactly what is happening to America. The government keeps pushing us toward socialism and keeps spreading the free corn in the form of programs such as supplemental income, tax credit for unearned income, tobacco subsidies, dairy subsidies, payments not to plant crops (CRP), welfare, medicine, drugs, etc… While we continually lose our freedoms—just a little at a time.

 

One should always remember: There is no such thing as a free lunch!  Also, a politician will never provide a service for you cheaper than you can provide it for yourself.

 

In this ‘very important’ election year, listen closely to what the candidates are promising you!!! Just maybe you will be able to determine who is about to slam the gate on America .

 

 “A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have.”—Thomas Jefferson

 

You must know that all these programs that are being promised will cost us ALL a lot!  They will take away a lot from all of us!

 

Why is it that so many are being deceived by these promises?  Sadly, if you study history you will see that there has been a socialist revolution in our country for over 100 years.  The emblem of a particular socialist society is so fitting—a wolf in sheep’s clothing!  This revolution has been ever so subtle, infiltrating every aspect of our society.  We pigs are enjoying our free corn, so much so that we don’t even see the fences being put up!  I was grieved to read an article about even a high-level conservative government official being deceived because the liberal candidate displayed steadiness, intellectual curiosity, and a depth of knowledge.  Folks, steadiness, curiosity and knowledge do NOT add up to wisdom!  As I see it, if you are buying into the socialism deception, you either, 1) have not studied the history of socialist countries, or 2) are so selfish you can only think of yourself and how you can do the least amount of work and rely on the government to give you all they can.

 

The election this year is crucial.  We have been on this downhill slide toward socialism for over 100 years, but we do have the power in this election to keep from falling off the cliff!  Life as we know it could be about to change.  Too many people, for too long, have been happy with the free corn, but we need to wake up and do something before the gates are slammed shut!  Think about the America you want your children and grandchildren to live in!

 

Listen to what Samuel Adams, Father of the American Revolution, had to say –

 

“If you prefer wealth to liberty and the tranquility of servitude rather than the animated contest of freedom, then go home in peace.  We seek neither your counsel nor your arms.  But bow down and lick the hands that feed you and may your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.”

 

I think that says it all.

 

Here are a couple of must-read articles, both written almost 10 years ago, but very fitting today.

 

Twilight’s Last Gleaming?

 

Three Threats to Freedom – especially read the section on Executive Orders.

 

See you at the polls!