28 Principles That Helped Build America – Chapter 11 – Principle #11

Posted by & filed under Franks Blog.

 

The Majority of the People May Alter or Abolish a Government Which Has Become Tyrannical

 

Psalms 133:1 “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”

 

Philippians 2:2-4 “Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”

 

Our Founding Fathers were very well acquainted with the abusive, autocratic government which for 13 years had imposed rules and regulations that were in violation of the English Constitution. This is why Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that when there is a long list of abuses by the government against the people that “it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.”

 

John Locke said in his: Second Essay Concerning Civil Government that “when the government comes in to take away property, beginning to reduce the citizens to slavery that basically the government is setting itself up in war against the people that the government “forfeit the power the people had put into their hands.”

 

However, it needs to be understood that it was the majority that set up the government and so it must be the majority that can authorize an appeal to alter or abolish a particular establishment of government. John Locke went on to emphasize that there is no right or revolt in an individual, a group or a minority, but only in the majority.

 

A good definition of government’s role is found in the Virginia Declaration of Rights where it is stated: “The government is, or ought to be, instituted for the common benefit, protection, and security of the people. And that, if any government shall be found in adequate or contrary to these purposes, a majority of the community has an indubitable, inalienable and indefensible right to reform, alter, or abolish it, in such a manner as shall be judged most conducive to the people or to the public health.”

 

What we need to keep in mind is that according to our Founding Fathers, it’s the people that are sovereign and that when necessary the majority can take over to restructure the political machinery – with the purpose of restoring liberty.

 

When I look at our government today we see that we are losing our liberty by unjust laws that are passed, regulations that begin to choke us, a political elite that determines what is best for us and an educational system that is programming our youth contrary to a Judeo/Christian worldview. Perhaps now is the time for the majority to speak. One way, of course, is the vote that we still have. Might we be wise this coming November 2016 as we vote for the best candidate to be the president of the United States.

 

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

This morning I was meditating on what I see in my wife, my daughters and grand-daughters: the rose. Not the roses that have little to no fragrance because man has cross-bred them, but the natural roses that God created that have many petals and a strong fragrance. The bud doesn’t have a fragrance yet. It’s shut in and undeveloped. As the rose opens up – its fragrance is released. The life of the rose can be over but its oil lives on with others.

 

As I watch these women in my family, I see their inner beauty beginning to flower out with a stronger fragrance. Some of these women express their fragrance by writing, some in service, but all of them by their love for the Lord. What is powerful is that other women are drawn or will be drawn to them by the fragrant oil of their worship of Jesus.

 

My grand-daughters who I see as rose buds now, will someday open up and allow the fragrance of who they are in Christ to bless all those around them. This brought me to another women who brought a fragrance to My Lord and washed His feet with it. What Mary did was of great worth when she poured on Jesus the precious oil before He went to the cross.

 

It has been said that the fragrance of Mary’s oil stayed with the Lord 48 hours. It was with Him during Judas’ betrayal, Peter’s denials, while He was lamenting in the garden with His Father, when His flesh was being ripped open by the whips used on Him, as He walked the cross up the hill and as He hung on the cross, and is still with Him today.

 

To the women in my family, let the fragrance of your life revel your inner beauty of love for Jesus. That will be what people remember you for.

 

“Crucified – laid behind a stone – You lived to die – rejected and alone – like a ROSE – trampled on the ground – You took the fall and thought of me – above all…..

 

Above all powers – above all kings – above all nature – and all created things – above all wisdom – and all the ways of man – You were here before the world began.

 

Above all kingdoms – above all thrones – above all wonders – the world has ever known. Above all wealth – and treasures of the earth; there’s no way to measure what You’re worth!”

 

Song: “Above All” by Michael W. Smith

Just some thoughts

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

This morning while doing my morning workout I was thinking and praying about my life. Here I am – at an age when most people retire from their present work or careers to do the things they have wanted to do, but could not. I don’t have to leave, but I am leaving a great job that pays me very well, has great people to work for, lots of freedom and working 4 days a week. I am leaving to work with my son in our construction company (Dietz Corp.). We have no jobs lined up as yet, but we are in agreement believing it is God’s will and timing for me to do this. Along with that, Carol and I had planned a 2 week vacation the first of April long before I planned on leaving my job with a great company. And, we just bought 66 acres of land that we had been prayerfully waiting 6 years for that God told us 6 years ago He was going to give us, to prepare for what is coming. On top of all this I was recently told that I will need my hip replaced in May.

 

This morning I read in Facebook a little note from my daughter Dori about the book she and some of her friends want to study together called “The End of Me” and the people God calls “blessed.” It really encouraged me. Thank You Lord for allowing me, at this age, to still do great things with You; for telling me that my best years are not behind me but still ahead! Thank You Lord for holding Your hand out to me, and holding me up as we walk together on a path I did not know was there.

 

 

28 Principles That Helped Build America – Chapter 10 – Principle #10

Posted by & filed under Franks Blog.

The God-given Right to Govern Vested in the Sovereign Authority of the Whole People. 

 

During the 1600’s the royal families of England were bringing out the principle known as the “DIVINE RIGHTS OF KINGS.” In other words, it was declared right for them to reign and what they said or did was God-given.

 

The principle of the “God-given right to govern vested in the Sovereign authority of the whole people,” was a radical idea and one that met much opposition for the reigning kings of that time. A man by the name of Algernon Sidney was beheaded in 1683 by King Charles II because he insisted that the right to rule was invested in the people and that no one can rule without their consent.

 

John Locke fled out of England to Holland to be able to say the same thing Sidney was saying: “And whoever gets into the exercise of any part of the power by other ways than what the laws of the community have prescribed hath no right to be obeyed, though the form of the commonwealth be still preserved, since he is not the person the laws have appointed, and, consequently not the person THE PEOPLE HAVE CONSENTED TO.”

 

How we can thank our Founding Fathers for the fact that there was no idea of the divine right of kings in their thinking when they began to lay the foundation of our Republic. Alexander Hamilton said: “The fabric of American empire ought-to-rest on the solid basis of THE CONSENT OF THE PEOPLE.”

 

It is interesting to note that in the early days of our Constitution many of the citizens feared that too much power was given to the Federal government and it was through the writings of Madison and Hamilton their fears were put to rest that ultimate authority resides in the people alone.  When I see today the authority that the Federal government is taking upon itself it should cause great alarm. We are now being told what to eat, what to do, where to go, etc., and with the promise of citizens being taken care of by the government from the cradle to grave. Some might like it, but it is always at the cost of our freedom.

 

This then brings in the question: What happens when the elected officials usurp the authority of the people and begin to impose abusive policies upon them? This brings us to the fundamental principle of our Constitution and the next principle that we will be looking at: THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE MAY ALTER OR ABOLISH A GOVERNMENT WHICH HAS BECOME TYRANNICAL. Here in America we still have the privilege of going to the voting booth to vote in candidates.

 

This is why I think these 28 principles that have made America strong are important to keep in mind when we go to the voting booth. We need to vote for the one that most exemplifies these principles.

 

 

 

 

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

The earth suffers because of the sins of its people; for they have twisted God’s word, violated his laws, and broken His covenant. Therefore, He has set a day for judging the world with justice. He is about to destroy the earth, and the people that reject the Lord’s salvation must pay for their own sin.

 

Look at your cities; they are in chaos. People are afraid and they lock their homes to keep out intruders. Mobs gather in the streets, and there is no joy in life, it is quickly turning to all gloom. Soon the foundations of the earth will shake because all the foundation of righteousness have been destroyed by the wicked.

 

God’s children must not be afraid, but keep speaking out with truth and the hope of Christ! Use the Bible to reason with people; explaining to them what the prophecies say and how to prepare. Tell them to search the Bible for the truth and see that what we are saying is the truth. When people begin to search out these things – many will believe.  So God’s children, don’t be silent!

 

God, You have said what You will do! But those who paid no attention to Your word will be left out in the open of Your judgment. Lord, Your light and truth will guide us. You are the source of all peace and joy. Therefore, I will praise You my God, and I will put my hope in You. You are my Savior and my God!

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

These are the times that test America’s soul! Who and what have we become as a nation? What do we stand for? Listen to what is being said and you will see angry people everywhere. So what will it take to unite this great country? Can any man, or political party bring unity?

 

Unity is not everyone thinking the same way, but rather being willing to listen, discuss with an open mind. When we do not trust what is being said, then there is no communication.

 

There are some areas where we cannot compromise and we must agree that these principles are the foundation of what make this country great. If we have no foundation then when trouble comes everything begins to fall. So what would these four counter posts of America’s foundation be?

 

Truth: People throughout history have asked the question, “What is truth?” Is there such a thing as truth? Can we find truth today, and what does it look like? The answer is the same, truth will always be the same through every generation. Yes, it is the Word of God, it has stayed the same since the beginning. And, Jesus confirmed that it has never changed when He said “I am the truth!” Then He proved it by the way He lived, spoke and died.

 

Respect: We have misplaced this word by saying I will give you my respect when you earn it. Respect is to be given and not earned. Trust must be earned by doing what we said we would do, or not doing what we said we would not do. Trust is being a man or woman of your word. God can be trusted to do exactly what He said He would do.

 

We must learn to respect people: those in authority, our parents, teachers, the police, and etc. Without respect people will not listen to each other and work together for the good of society.

 

Justice: When justice is denied then we have no peace. To have justice we must have judges who do not have an agenda of their own, but rather make judgments based upon the wisdom behind the laws of the land, even if it means that they do not like the law they are to judge with. Justices who are manipulated by the rich and powerful will not assign just consequences for bad choices and wrong doing; for they have lost their good conscience that properly applies the laws of the land.

 

Family: Without the correct thinking of the family unit then there will not be any support or protection for the family. Family, in the way God established family, is what holds a nation together and gives worth to all its communities. We need to honor the correct family unit, and not destroy it by calling any group of like-minded people a “family.” Fathers need to be true fathers; taking their responsibilities seriously instead of running away from their responsibility as a husband and father. Mothers need to have the right to properly raise their children at home without being made to feel guilty by those who stand in judgment with their own agendas. Children belong to their parents and not to the state.

 

We need to honor life, womb to tomb, and not seek to destroy it. We need to consider the future and make decisions today as to how it will affect our grandchildren. Living for ourselves and for what is best for me today – destroys the future for our children and grandchildren.

 

So as we move along – what will we do America? Will we say that everyone is right in his own eyes; there is not absolute truth? Will we not show anyone respect until we get what we want? Will we buy our justices and manipulate the system of law and order so that there are no consequences for bad choices and wrong doing? Will we continue to redefine what a family is, and not honor life? Will we continue to make decisions that are only about me?

 

If we continue to do these things – then be prepared!

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

Son, everything will happen as I have planned. It will be as I have decided for the world. I have a plan for the whole earth, and no one can change My mind or thwart My plans.

 

Some of My children understand what it means to stand for the truth; for many are being martyred by an evil called Islam. Soon all of My children will have a choice to make; to bravely stand up as My child and follow Me, or to reject Me and follow false-gods to their own great loss.

 

Son, there is a great revival coming! My persecuted children will shame a lukewarm people that claim to belong to Me, but don’t. The lukewarm will persecute those that are fired up for Me, but I will soon show them how bitter they have become when I spit them out.

 

My children need to be prepared, for their faith in Me will cost them, but the cost will refine them and qualify them for the crowns I have set aside for the faithful. That is why My prayer in the garden was for them only; for those who will proudly stand up and be counted for Me no matter what comes against them.  I asked My father to protect them by the power of His Name, and so He will. I asked My Father that they be united; that they become one as We are One, and show the world who I truly AM. I asked My Father that they not forget that the world hated Me first and will hate anyone who does not belong to the world because of Me; that they do not become bitter and their love grow cold. I asked My Father that they remember that I came into the world to testify to the truth, so that they will hold on to the truth and Your love Father be secured in them. For they will know the difference between truth and lie, and live by the truth no matter the cost.

 

Lord, in the days ahead give me the insight I need with an understanding heart. Help me to listen to You and do what You say. When my soul is grieved, overwhelmed and too distressed even to pray, help me to remember that You will always provide the comfort I need; a bright pathway is ahead of me so that I will not lose my way with You; for You have made a way for me that I did not know was there! Help me realize every wonderful truth and that You are the God of great signs and wonders. Help me to tell Your truths and give my testimonies of You to my children and grandchildren so that they will know that they can count on You in the time of their testing.

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

What is the difference between humanitarian effort and the work of the church?Today people are saying that the main work of the church is to feed the poor; I disagree. The work of the church, according to our Savior, is to preach the good news about what He came to do; to go into all the world with the good news of His Gospel!

 

Sometimes helping people will give me the opportunity to tell them the good news about salvation in Jesus Christ, but to say that my first goal as a believer is to help the poor; this is wrong.

 

Mark 14:7  “You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to, but you will not always have Me.”

 

Matthew 28:19-20  “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

 

Just some thoughts

 

Matthew 28:19-20 “given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

 

Just some thoughts

 

 

Matthew 28:19-20 “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

28 Principles That Helped Build America – Chapter 9

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Principle 9

 

To Protect Man’s Rights, God has Revealed Certain Principles of Divine Law

 

Exodus 20:1 “And God spoke all these words.”

 

Unalienable rights (a right that cannot be repudiated or given to another) that have come from God could not remain unalienable unless they are protected by ‘a code of divinely proclaimed law.’

 

William Blackstone pointed out that the Creator is not only omnipotent (all-powerful), “but as He is also a Being of infinite wisdom, He has laid down only such laws as were founded in those relations of justice, that existed in the nature of things… These are the eternal, immutable laws of good and evil, to which the Creator Himself in all His dispensations conforms; and which He has enabled human reason to discover, so far as they are necessary for the conduct of human actions. Such, among others, are these principles; that we should live honestly, should hurt nobody, and should render to everyone his due.”

 

The Founding Fathers recognized that human happiness requires recognition of God’s supremacy over all things and this Divine pattern of Law is what the Ten Commandments are all about. What our Founding Fathers thought was so important for securing our unalienable rights – the Ten Commandments – we see how today they are treated with disrespect. They have been removed from every public building and we are seeing our unalienable rights being taken away.

 

John Locke set forth the principle which carried over into the thinking of the American Founders when he wrote: “The Law of Nature stands as an eternal rule to all men, legislators as well as others. The rules that they make for man’s actions must… be comfortable to the Law of Nature— to the will of God.”

 

What are these Ten Commandments and how do they relate to us today? Some years ago a survey was taken of 500 men at a Promise Keepers’ conference in Washington DC. The majority could not name the Ten Commandments and only one out of 500 could name them in the order that they appeared in the Bible. American Fathers knew that for a nation to be great it must have the Presence of God and the Law of God.

 

The first group of commandments deals with man’s relationship to God.

 

1. You shall have no other gods before Me. Since there is only one God, there is only one source of law. This first commandment has to do with the source of authority and law. To modern man with humanistic or evolutionary mindset every man has become a law unto himself. We see today what this has produced: lawlessness.

 

2. You shall not make for yourself an idol. Modern man would not make for himself a golden calf, setting it up in the living room, etc. But the humanists today have created their own idols in their image, creating their own laws and following their own desires, but finding that this idolatry produces bondage, not liberty. They have become a law unto themselves.

 

3. You shall not take the Name of the Lord your God in vain or profanely. This is a prohibition against false swearing, or cursing and profanity. Someone said that the word profane means “outside the temple.” Profanity then would be all speech, action and living that is outside of God. This is more than just blaspheming God’s Name, but is wicked and rebellious language directed against God.

 

4. Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy. Sabbath was a day of rest both physically and spiritually which also points to the eternal rest we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to work six says and rest one day. A physical rest invigorates us to be more productive in the other six days.

 

The last six commandments deals with man’s relationship to man.

 

5. Honor your father and your mother. This commandment, along with the seventh, eight and tenth establishes the family as the fundamental authority here on earth. When God (in Genesis1:26-28) gave dominion to man it was to be carried out through the family. Family is the building block of society, but we see how the state has taken away the family’s authority in many cases, and even more so now with same sex marriage becoming institutionalized.

 

6. You shall not murder. Not only does this commandment prohibit murder it also shows the sanctity of human life. Life is valuable to God and because of that He states that when it comes to murder: a life for a life. The positive activity of this commandment is to bring life to fullness. This is what we, the church are to do – bring life to fullness, to speak words of life and to protect human life from womb to tomb

 

7. You shall not commit adultery. This law is to protect marriage and in turn it protects the family – that is the basic building block of society. As the family goes – so goes the nation

 

8. You shall not steal. This commandment implies that man, and not the state, has a God-given right to own property. This commandment speaks as well of the restoration of a fallen world. What Satan has stolen from us – will be restored.

 

9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Lying is an abomination to God. We are to speak the truth to our neighbor. Since in our societies we have done away with ultimate truth and now we make up our own truth, or those who have the power like judges, governments, etc., they now tell us what truth is.

 

10. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.  Covet here is dealing with the condition of the heart and actions of man; having a desire to have something that does not belong to us, but to our neighbor.

 

“And God spoke all these words.”

 

These Commandments did not come from the inspiration of man, but by revelation from God. Yet we see how they have been downplayed in societies worldwide and worldwide we have suffered for it.  We are not saved by the law, but through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, but the laws of government are to protect our unalienable rights that come from God.

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

What does it take to change the thinking of slaves so that they become freemen? It requires them to seek divine pathways that they do not see as they learn to trust God, whom they have not really known before. The results are that they will be free and fulfilled, useful to the Lord and standing in AWE of God!

 

What does it take to change the thinking of freemen into slaves? Give them what they need and want so that they walk wicked pathways that slave-drivers want them to walk. The results are that they will be enslaved and have ALL HOPE of a good future REMOVED.

 

To be free “in Christ,” is a continual struggle to overcome daily. Most are not willing to keep fighting for their freedom and the freedom of their children and grandchildren; their good future. To become a slave is a subtle progression by changing who we look to for help. Man or God?

 

Who are you looking to; who are you trusting in for everything?