Tag United States

A Prayer for President’s Day

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

“We have staked the whole of our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.” —James Madison

Presidents Day is a day to celebrate the lives of Presidents Washington and Lincoln.  America’s beloved first President was born, according to the Gregorian calendar, on Feb. 22, 1732.  And America’s 16th President was born on Feb. 12, 1809.

In 1971, Congress decided to merge the birthdays into a one-day celebration and deemed that “Washington’s Birthday,” also known as Presidents Day, would be moved from February 22 to the third Monday in February.

“Believing that a representative government, responsible at short periods of election, is that which produces the greatest sum of happiness to mankind, I feel it a duty to do no act which shall essentially impair that principle.”—George Washington

“I leave you hoping that the lamp of liberty will burn in your bosoms until there shall no longer be a doubt that all men are created free and equal.”—Abraham Lincoln

“The only assurance of our nation’s safety is to lay our foundation in morality and religion.”  – Abraham Lincoln

When Washington was leading his troops in the struggle for independence, he was greatly discouraged during the harsh winter the army was gathered at Valley Forge. A resident of Valley Forge, Isaac Potts, was walking through the woods when he heard a man praying aloud. He peeked through some trees to see that it was General Washington himself!

Isaac Potts later told his pastor, the Rev. Nathaniel Snowden, that the prayer he heard was “a plaintive sound” coming from a man in need of divine help. Mr. Potts went on to say that he saw Washington on his knees, his sword on one side and his cocked hat on the other. He heard Washington beseeching God for aid and direction. “Such a prayer,” Isaac said, “I never heard from the lips of man. I left him alone praying.”

Once again our nation is beset with great barriers to overcome. We are faced as a nation with many national decisions to make. As a nation we are poised on the precipice of bankruptcy and ruin. At such a time as this it is only fitting to once again fall to our knees and offer a plaintive sound of a nation in need of divine guidance and providence once again. So we beseech the God of Washington and Lincoln once again:

Lord of heaven and earth, we offer you our deepest appreciation for this blessed land. Stir up a sense of stewardship in every citizen so we all may care for our nation and each inhabitant of it.

We pray especially for our leaders. Prompt everyone in a position of authority, from local to national leaders, to strive for righteousness, justice and the welfare of all citizens.

Finally, we pray that we may be ever mindful of the psalmist’s teaching that “Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord …” (Psalm 33:12, NRSV). May that promise become real “from sea to shining sea.” Amen.

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Educating Our Children

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

“Train up a child in the way that he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” — King Solomon, Proverbs 22:6
 

consequences_of_failureOne group of people apparently knows this truth better than another. With the advent of public education we now have a system in place to train children to believe whatever it is the public school system wishes for them to learn. With a school system under the control of godless men and women is it any wonder that we have raised several generations who have forgotten from wench we have come? Is it any wonder that these same children grow into adults who repeat back the pabulum they were fed as children?

Is it any wonder that the government controlled school system teaches that it is the government which occupies the highest seat of honor in the country and not the individual for which our constitution was drawn up to protect. Is it any wonder that today’s young people view socialism positively and yet our founding father’s looked askance at the very idea of a strong centralized government interfering in the lives of the citizens. Train up a child in the way they should go and when they are old they will not depart from it is wise instruction. Do you suppose it is time we get back to teaching our children what made America great? Do you think it is time to get back to teaching our children about the richness of our Christian heritage? Do you suppose it is time to teach our children about what freedom really means and how to maintain a free society? Do you suppose it is time to teach our children about the failures of our federal government and remind them of what our Constitution actually taught? Do you think that perhaps it is time to do away with government-run education?

 

This week is National School Choice Week, School Choice advocates will gather all across the nation to shine a spotlight on effective education options for every child. Rather than accepting the status quo, and putting up with failed schools, advocates for school choice stand up to demand their children be given a choice in their education. Parents want alternatives to the failed government-run school system. National School Choice Week, a collaborative effort by more than 150 organizations, will raise public awareness about any and all forms of educational choice, including public charter schools, magnet schools, virtual education, homeschooling, tax credit scholarships, and opportunity scholarships.

Americans have talked about the need to fix our public schools for decades. There have been movies, documentaries, books, newspaper stories, panel discussions, academic studies, and presidential speeches all pointing to the problem within Americas public school system. And yet here we are still talking.

Our leaders promise reform, but each spring, too many kids graduate high school full of hope and dreams, only to quickly find out they don’t have the skills necessary to compete in a global economy. Our public schools have failed them. That must change.


During the week of January 23 29, 2011, concerned citizens from all across the country are joining together to promote school choice as the best way to reform our nations failing public education system.

The message of National School Choice Week is very simple: let parents decide which kind of school works best for their child. It might be a charter school (which is just another type of public school), a cyberschool, a private school, a religious school, or a traditional public school. Whichever option they choose, parents should have the right to decide which school will best help their child to learn and grow.

Allowing children to stay trapped in failing schools is immoral. Critics charge that school choice advocates secretly want to do away with public education. That’s simply not true. School choice advocates want all children to receive the best education possible. Instead of questioning our motives, teacher unions and their political surrogates should join the effort to do what is best for each child.

God advocated for parents to teach their children especially when it came to teaching them about the ways of God. He desired that every child be learned in the way of God so that when they grew older they would remember all the wonderful things that God had done for their parents. Therefore allowing parents to have the final say in their child’s education is supported by scripture.

As a nation we have failed to instill in our children all the blessings bestowed upon this great nation and as a result we have seen our children grow up to forsake the way of the righteous and run off after worldly gain. It is sad really to see how quickly our society has crumbled because of our neglect for the ways of the Lord. Parents, grandparents, I urge you to once again take up the torch of truth and light the pathways of knowledge for your children and grandchildren, shine the light of truth into the darkness of deceit and declare with certainty and authority the right paths to take. Shine your light of truth so that those who are seeking truth can see it and be led into the path of truth.

There is a great deal of teaching going on in our public schools that is having a harmful effect on our children and thusly upon our nation. It is time we get back to the basics and teach once again about the goodness of God, and teach our children to honor the Lord in all things. Now there is a civics lesson that needs to be taught.

For more information about National School Choice week, visitwww.schoolchoiceweek.com
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Yes America, There is a Jesus Christ

Allen Frederick 6 Comments

Be ready to spread the word whether or not the time is right. Point out errors, warn people, and encourage them. Be very patient when you teach. A time will come when people will not listen to accurate teachings. Instead, they will follow their own desires and surround themselves with teachers who tell them what they want to hear. People will refuse to listen to the truth and turn to myths. 2 Timothy 4:2-4

Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...
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In Germany, as in most of Western Europe, there is a continuing debate about the emerging Muslim population. Their traditions and customs are constantly being called into question, especially those related to women wearing the burqa.

Recently German Chancellor Angela Merkel decided to enter into the debate and make very explicit her feelings on the issues that are dividing a country, fostering hostility and discrimination. In a speech to her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, she said the problem is “We don’t have too much Islam, we have too little Christianity.” She informed the delegates that multiculturalism in Germany had utterly failed.

And here in America apparently the same thing can be said of us. We too have too little Christianity. A great deal of religion perhaps, but very little true Christianity.

Last year (October 2009) the Pew Forum on Religion in America showed us to be a nation that is, more and more, spiritual but not very religious. Asked to describe their beliefs, many Americans describe a theology that is a mulligan stew of Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Native American spirituality, and New Age mumbo-jumbo. http://pewforum.org/

In the mainline denominations, church attendance has replaced church membership as the measure of a church‘s success because American Christians prefer to attend churches that don’t require a commitment.

An Insight Express survey conducted for Parade magazine shows that nearly 60% of Americans believe that all religions have validity. A quarter of Americans say that while religion is part of their lives, it isn’t a big part. While 69% of Americans claim to believe in God, only 27% attend religious services weekly, and a third confess to attending only rarely.

According to the latest data, those Christians for whom religion is important don’t really know all that much about it.

Last year the Barna Group discovered that half of all Christians don’t believe that Satan or the Holy Spirit are real, living entities. A third agreed that the Bible, the Koran, and the Book of Mormon taught the same basic truths — and simultaneously believed that the Bible, which says some radically different things from the other two books, is “totally accurate” in its principles. Forty percent don’t know what they think or how they feel about Wicca, even after they’ve been told that it is an “organized form of witchcraft.”

And this year the Pew Forum on Religion in America has just informed us that Christians know less about their own religion than atheists and agnostics do. In fact, compared to Jews, Muslims, Mormons, atheists, and agnostics, Christians know the least about religion in general and their own religion in particular.

What do you suppose is the reason for these statistics. Every town has at least one church, some have several within a 4 block radius of one another. It would appear that America loves to go to church with the number of church buildings in every town and hamlet across the country. But look inside and you will see empty pews . Church attendance is seen as unimportant to many in our society. And society shows the signs of this apathetic behavior.

Promotion of the Gospel of Christ has been eliminated from most public debate and instruction. Businesses, governments, schools and the public square have all but eliminated any mention of God or God’s ways. The teachings of Christ have not only been eliminated from the public forum, it has also all but disappeared in our homes as well.

Yes Virginia, we are told there is a Santa Clause, but I ask you is there a Jesus Christ in your Christmas plans? At this time of Advent it would do us all well to evaluate our walks and commitment to the Lord. Have we made God an afterthought, or is He first and foremost in our hearts and minds? According to the statistics quoted above I fear the former is our reality. Yes America there is too little Christianity.

And that is this weeks tail feather. Think about it.

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. Isaiah 40:31Open Link in New Window (BBE)

Along for the journey
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Things Are Bad and Getting Worse: There is an Election Coming

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

 

Psalm 37:3 “ Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.”

Times are tough in America. Unemployment teeters around 10%, those receiving government assistance is at an all-time high, more Americans are finding themselves homeless than at any other time in American history, the dollar continues to decline in value, the national debt has climbed past 13 trillion dollars with no end in sight. What are we to do?

 

In The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, completed in 1787, Edward Gibbon (English historian and Member of Parliament) lists the following reasons for that fall:

  • The rapid increase of divorce; the undermining of dignity and sanctity of the home, which is the basis of human society.
  • Higher and higher taxes and the spending of public money for free bread and circuses for the populace.
  • The mad craze for pleasure; sports becoming every year more exciting and more brutal.
  • The building of gigantic armaments when the real enemy was within: the decadence of the people.
  • The decay of religion—faith fading into mere form—losing touch with life and becoming impotent to guide the people.

Sound familiar? Are we headed for the same destiny? Is there any hope for America?

 

Well I can tell you were you will not find any hope or help… the federal government. Thomas Sowell once said “there is nothing so bad (in America) that politics cannot make worse.” To which I have to nod my head in agreement. He was not the only one who took humorous potshots at the government. Listen to what Will Rogers said about the government of his day. He died on August 15, 1935.

  • – A fool and his money are soon elected.
  • – About all I can say for the United States Senate is that it opens with a prayer and closes with an investigation.
  • – Anything important is never left to the vote of the people. We only get to vote on some man; we never get to vote on what he is to do.
  • – Be thankful we’re not getting all the government we’re paying for.
  • – I don’t make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.
  • – If I studied all my life, I couldn’t think up half the number of funny things passed in one session of congress.
  • – It’s easy being a humorist when you’ve got the whole government working for you.
  • – Last year we said, ’Things can’t go on like this’, and they didn’t, they got worse.
  • – On account of being a democracy and run by the people, we are the only nation in the world that has to keep a government four years, no matter what it does.
  • – Our constitution protects aliens, drunks and U.S. Senators.
  • – The only difference between death and taxes is that death doesn’t get worse every time Congress meets.

No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan

Ernest Benn is quoted as saying:

“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy.”

To which you might add politicians then go around telling you that they fixed the problem only to come back next election cycle and tell you the problem they fixed with the last fix needs to be fixed again with a new fix. Sounds like someone is in need of a fix alright. Politics is opium to those who seek power over a people. And just like opium politicians are always in search of their next fix.

 

It is time for an intervention. Government needs to be cured of it’s addiction. By instituting voter enforced term limits upon each and every politician the damage they can ultimately cause will be limited by the length of time they get to remain in office. Although there seems to be no end to government meddling and tomfoolery at least if ‘we the people’ continue to vote out incumbents each election they may soon learn who is actually supposed to be running this country. My motto is simple: “One Term Until They Learn: it is government of, for, and by the people.” There should be no such thing as a career politician.

Gerald Warner said:

“We should be long past applauding politicians of any hue: they got us into this mess. The best deserve a probationary opportunity to prove themselves, the worst should be in jail.”

Two weeks from today the polls open for the mid-term elections. And hopefully the polling places will be overrun by fed up American’s pulling the lever to oust incumbent congressmen and women and replace them with solid constitutional conservative candidates. We need to send a clear message to the remainder of the incumbents that they are next on the chopping block unless they get back to representing the people and not ruling by fiat.

 

What’s our hope then? Not in government of that we can be certain. The only thing that government has accomplished is to increasingly make matters worse. Therefore we should go into this election cycle knowing full well that politicians are not the answer. They are the cause of most of our problems. The best we can hope for is to place these rascals on very short leashes and make sure that we monitor their every activity and hold their feet to the fire when they deviate from the Constitution of the United States, that is our responsibility as good citizens.

If there is any hope then it is this:

Again in the words of Ronald Reagan:

Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face.

 

Without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure.

And from the holy scriptures we read: “I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2

 

Like Rome of old and Israel before that the people chose to be ruled by a king and not by God and reaped the rewards of their folly. The only hope for America, or any nation for that matter, can only be found in the King of all kings, and the Lord of all lords, Jesus Christ.

Come November 2 as a good citizen of the United States I will cast my vote to remove from office anyone who has been there for more than one term. But as a Christian I shall continue to lead my life by the precepts found within the covers of the bible. I will reject any policy or regulation enacted by any government that does not uphold the precepts outlined in the bible. In addition I will call upon the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to have mercy on us and to continue to bless America. Will you join me in this prayer for America?

And that is this week’s tail feather. Think about it.

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. Isaiah 40:31Open Link in New Window (BBE)


Along for the journey



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Another Failed Obama Policy: GREEN JOBS!

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

Only a liberal or a fool would actually believe all this green jobs non-sense coming out of Washington. If we are not now leading in the manufacturing of these products what makes O think that somehow we will become the leader? While he chases this pipe dream more American jobs are being lost, not because of NAFTA or CAFTA but because of environmental mandates.

There is one sector of our economy that was doing well until “O” and the EPA shut it down, and that was domestic oil production. Here is a market that will actually create good paying jobs and benefit the US economy more than any of these green initiatives pursued by Obama. Or how about coal and nuclear? These are two industries that would definately bear the mark MADE IN AMERICA if we were actually allowed to produce our own energy.

There is a lot of green leaving this country and a good bit of it can be laid right at the feet of the environmental wackos and the liberal agenda.

Amplify’d from blog.american.com

brokenPresident Obama, the Congressional Democrats, and environmentalists around the country keep talking up the idea that implementing new environmental regulations that raise the costs of energy, goods, and services is going to trigger a jobs boom of one sort or another. “See, when folks lift up the hoods on the cars of the future, I want them to see engines stamped ‘Made in America,’” Obama said in an August 16 speech at a Wisconsin plant. “When new batteries to store solar power come off the line, I want to see printed on the side, ‘Made in America.’ When new technologies are developed and new industries are formed, I want them made right here in America.”

But as the upcoming closure of America’s last major incandescent lightbulb factory shows, such claims are generally bunk. Even the Washington Post, not exactly famous for its conservatism, points out that while the Obama administration pledges 800,000 “clean energy” manufacturing jobs by 2012, “the number of manufacturing jobs in the United States has been shrinking for decades, from 19.5 million in 1979 to 11.6 million this year, a decline of 40 percent.”

Rather than setting off a boom in the U.S. manufacture of replacement lights, the leading replacement lights are compact fluorescents, or CFLs, which are made almost entirely overseas, mostly in China. Consisting of glass tubes twisted into a spiral, they require more hand labor, which is cheaper there. So though they were first developed by American engineers in the 1970s, none of the major brands make CFLs in the United States.

This is no surprise to anyone who has (unlike the president and his allies in Congress, apparently) ever bothered to think about the difference in labor rates, worker-safety regulations, environmental regulations, and raw material costs in Asia. Apparently the understanding that Chinese manufacturing is simply less costly than ours is beyond the grasp of liberal politicians in America. Unless Americans are willing to work with Chinese labor rates and workplace and environmental standards, or to enact destructive trade barriers, our new green energy devices, whether lightbulbs, windmills, solar panels, or what have you will be manufactured in Asia.

Oh, and about those “Made in America” batteries, Mr. President? “Advanced battery manufacturing currently is dominated by China, Japan, and South Korea, together accounting for 98 percent of the market in 2009.”

Read more at blog.american.com
 
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