Flip Side of the Coin!

Yes, we are "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14) by God in His image and likeness, (Genesis 1:26) but because we are sons and daughters from Adam's seed, we have a sin nature.  As long as we're on this earth we'll be subject to sinful temptations.  "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked," the Bible says in Jeremiah 17:9.

Many of the Founding Fathers, and perhaps most of them, made a regular practice of reading the Bible from cover to cover every year.  They really knew and applied God's truth to all of life, including the government they were putting together from the individual states.  Recognizing the Biblical truth that man is sinful and must not be entrusted with unrestrained power, our wise ancestors divided the power of the national government into three parts or three different branches with different duties.  Each part was given some authority by the people for carrying out their respective responsibilites for the people.  All of the power rests in the people, individuals subject to the God who created them.  We delegate some of our power to the legislative branch, to make just laws to protect our God-given freedom.  We delegate somewhat less of our power to the executive branch, to carry out and enforce those just laws, made by our lawmakers, representing you and me.   Lastly, we delegate even less of our power to the judicial branch, to settle disputes between states, etc.  To make sure the bounderies between the branches are respected, with no branch of government sneaking over the fence to steal some power we did not delegate to them, (as sinful men operating government have a tendency to do,) we listed each one's duties and each one's authority, setting up road blocks for each to police the others.  The division of power into three distinct parts or branches is called "Separation of Powers", and the roadblocks restricting power grabs are called "Checks and Balances."  Beautiful, isn't it?  And all carefully crafted to protect the freedom of the people by law, because the Founding Fathers recognized the Biblical truth that man has a sin nature.  They built a unique system of government, acting on that truth, being "doers of the Word, not hearers only." James 1:22     

Blessed is that nation whose God is the Lord

Our wise founding fathers carefully designed a plan for Americans to hold on to the freedom they won for us, and that magnificent plan is called the United States Constitution. They wanted this country to become a land of hope and opportunity. They recognized the Biblical truth that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139) by our Creator in His own image and likeness, with great abilities and talents to be used to glorify God.  With Him, in Him, and through Him, we are able to grow in knowledge, understanding and wisdom to create from the resources God has placed here for us. We can produce works of beauty and wonder in art, music, literature, drama, architecture and helpful inventions. We can explore and discover the secrets of the earth and the universe, as God allows. So to "promote the Progress of Science and useful arts," the plan for freedom gave "authors and inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries." (Article I, Section 8)They can produce, prosper and profit from their intellectual property and create wealth and jobs for themselves and others. The founders established government to protect their right to do so. The result of this constitutional provision is shown in the Inventors Hall of Fame where over 90% of those honored are Americans or have done their work in America. This protection by law has resulted in the highest standard of living for the greatest number of people the world has ever known. All people are created by God, for God, and have the potential for great achievements. I thank God our founders recognized this Biblical truth and designed a government policy based upon it. We're still benefiting from that decision over 200 years later.

Government Cannot Create Wealth

The Obama "porkulus" spending plan is not designed to "create wealth" but to punish wealth and make sure new jobs are not created by businesses. If higher tax rates are forced upon those making over $250,000, how many businesses will be eager to expand when their money supply is reduced? The proper role of government is protect the individual's right to produce wealth, not to reduce the wealth of individuals so they find it difficult or impossible to produce wealth for themselves and others. The Alabama Constitution, Article I, Section 35, states it well:"That the sole and only legitimate object of government is to protect the citizen in his enjoyment of life, liberty, and property, and when the government assumes any other function, it is usurpation and oppression."

Freedom Is The Road Less Traveled

Freedom is “The Road Less Traveled”
Barbara Moore

As we’re rapidly approaching this monumental election of 2008, it would be appropriate to examine the two diverging paths before us. George Washington clearly directed us, saying, “Let us have a government by which our lives, liberties, and properties will be secured.” John Adams added his convictions, stating, “All men are born free and independent, and have certain natural, essential, and unalienable rights, among which may be reckoned the right of enjoying and defending their lives and liberties; that of acquiring, possessing and protecting property.” Thomas Jefferson wrote, “A wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned.” The Father of the Constitution, James Madison said, “The protection of private property is the first object of
government.”
These illustrious past presidents of the United States of America well understood that a tax by the government on one’s income is wrong. They knew that taxes that increase as income increases punishes achievement and hard work, not to mention being very unfair and discriminatory against successful citizens. The founders created a government to protect the freedom of all Americans to pursue their dreams, prosper and succeed. The Constitution they designed did not permit an income tax, nor a graduated income tax, which violates every principle of equality, fairness, privacy and common sense. Americans were protected from this legalized invasion of their privacy and theft of their property until the 16th amendment was passed in 1913 by the progressive socialists who promoted redistribution of the wealth or “spreading the wealth around”, by taking money from those who work and earn it and giving it to those who don’t.
There are two very different ways of looking at wealth:
1. Wealth is unlimited. It can be created by individuals because they are “fearfully and wonderfully” made by their Creator in His image. Creativity, genius, hard work and resourcefulness with the God-placed resources of the earth can be used to invent and produce desirable goods and services in voluntary exchange for desirable goods and services invented and produced by others. Protection of private property is important to God and His people, as two of the Ten Commandments address it: “Thou shalt not steal,” and “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods.”
2. Wealth is limited so it must be divided among the people on the earth. It must be taken away from the ones who possess it and shared with those who don’t. Force is used by the government to take from the rich and give to the poor. The government divides the people into “classes” with labeling the “haves” from the “have nots.” Incitement of envy and jealousy is provoked by the promises of the politicians to “soak the rich” and make things better for the “common man.”

In the Bible we see that envy, jealousy and coveting what belongs to other people is sinful. It says that those who will not work, shall not eat; that those who do not take care of their own families are worse than infidels. It is wrong to sow discord among the brethren.
Abraham Lincoln, known as “The Great Emancipator,” spoke pointedly to these differences: “You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by encouraging class hatred. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn. You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man’s initiative and independence. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.”
“America’s abundance was created not by public sacrifices to “the common good,” but by the productive genius of free men who pursued their own personal interests and the making of their own private fortunes. They did not starve the people to pay for America’s industrialization. They gave the people better jobs, higher wages and cheaper goods with every new machine they invented, with every scientific discovery or technological advance – and thus the whole country was moving forward and profiting, not suffering, every step of the way,” wrote author Ayn Rand.
John F. Kennedy said, “The road to progress is freedom.” Not many countries in the world have chosen this less traveled road. It requires a knowledgeable and moral, virtuous citizenry. But for those of us who have experienced the exquisite joy that such a land of hope and opportunity affords, taking this less traveled road of freedom has made all the difference.

WHO WILL VOTE?

"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice!"  the Bible says in Proverbs 20:2.  But  WHO  will put the righteous in authority? Will the ungodly vote for godly leaders?  I don't think so.  Will the unrighteous place the righteous in decision-making positions?  No, they will vote for those like themselves instead voting only for those that understand the Biblical role, the right and proper role of government, that of protecting the citizen in his enjoyment of life, liberty, and property.  "All men are endowed by their Creator with certain, unalienable rights, among which are,  Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.  That to secure (protect) these rights, governments are instituted among men..." Declaration of Independence   WHO will vote?  WHO will vote rightly according to God's standards, protecting LIFE from conception to natural death?  WHO will do their duty to God by allowing His Voice to be heard in the elections?   WHO will vote for candidates who will protect holy matrimony between one man and one woman?  WHO  will vote for candidates who understand that both the church and the nation are subject to God and must recognize His authority over all the earth?  As George Washington so rightly stated, "It is the duty of all NATIONS to acknowledge Almighty God, and be humbly grateful for His benefits."  The Bible says, "Blessed is that nation whose God is the Lord!"  So has it always been, so will it always be.  We've been so blessed by God, but can we continue to be if we are silent at the polls and allow wickedness to prevail?  The church is the nation's conscience.  Let the church be silent no more.  Rise up church, and vote!