Free Speech?

Isn't it amazing that the same groups that champion free speech and rail against censorship on issues like sexually explicit literature and "adult" themed entertainment suddenly want to pull the plug when the message contradicts their point of view. I'm talking, of course, about the uproar over the prospect that Focus on the Family will show a pro-life ad during the Super Bowl featuring Tim Tebow and his mother.

Feminists and pro-abortion groups are outraged that CBS would allow such a controversial ad to be shown during the biggest TV event of the year. How dare they interrupt our comfortable enjoyment of a football game with an issue of eternal consequence. 

I believe God is using this to wake up the pro-life movement in this country, which has been asleep too long. Of all the "wicked ways" that the US must turn from before God will heal our land, abortion is at the top of the list. 

Please take the time to let CBS know that you support their decision to air the Tebow ad. You can leave a message at -  http://www.cbs.com/info/user_services/fb_global_form.php

"if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land".  2 Chronicles 7:14

Thanksgiving

A few years ago, the Independent Florida Alligator (UF's student newspaper) published an editorial/commentary before Thanksgiving, praising it as "our favorite non-religious holiday".  I wrote a letter to the editor, which was not published, asking whom they were thanking at Thanksgiving, and what indication from the historical beginnings of the holiday led them to the conclusion that it was "non-religious".

If you have any doubts that we have lost contact with our Christian heritage in America just consider what has happened to Thanksgiving. Now it's just a bump on the retail-driven speedway that begins at Halloween and ends at Christmas. There's too much food, too much football and very little thankfulness. 

Today's most quoted online reference source - Wikipedia - gives this definition of the holiday:

Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival. Traditionally, it is a time to give thanks for the harvest and express gratitude in general. It is a holiday celebrated primarily in Canada and the United States. While perhaps religious in origin, Thanksgiving is now primarily identified as a secular holiday. 

Was it "gratitude in general" being expressed by the Pilgrims at Plymouth in 1621 at the first recorded Thanksgiving feast, or by the members of our first Congress who issued this proclamation in 1777?

IN CONGRESS
November 1, 1777 

FORASMUCH as it is the indispensable Duty of all Men to adore the superintending Providence of Almighty God; to acknowledge with Gratitude their Obligation to him for Benefits received, and to implore such farther Blessings as they stand in Need of….

 

Can you imagine our current Congress issuing such a statement? Here is the beginning of the first Thanksgiving proclamation issued by President George Washington:

THANKSGIVING DAY 1789
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - A PROCLAMATION


Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor - and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."
Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be…

 

Does that sound like a President or a nation confused about the meaning of Thanksgiving?

It was President Abraham Lincoln who began the yearly celebration of Thanksgiving in 1863. Here is an excerpt of his proclamation:

 

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.
It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.

 

I highly recommend reading the full text of these and other Thanksgiving proclamations issued by Congress and the Presidents over the years. They can be found at - http://www.pilgrimhall.org/ThanxProc.htm

 

I'd also encourage you to start a new Thanksgiving tradition at your house. Read an excerpt of one of these early Presidential proclamations as part of the prayer time before the meal. I'm sure your children will be surprised that the government that now seems intent on removing all traces of religion from public life once felt the need to thank God for our blessings. I can assure you they won't learn it in their history class.

 

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.  Psalm 33:12

America's best idea?

PBS has begun another Ken Burns documentary series called:  National Parks: America's Best Idea.

While I enjoy visiting the national parks, and admire the foresight that has preserved the wonders of God's creation, I still believe that America's best idea is - 

"All men are created equal, and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness".

No other nation is founded on such a basic Christian principle - the sanctity of life. Yet we now battle the culture of death, promoted by those who hold the humanist worldview that currently controls our schools and our government.  The Worldview conference with Gary DeMar last weekend highlighted for me just how far our country has drifted from its Christian foundation. Ever since the Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortion in this nation we have been under God's judgement. Healing can only begin when Christians believe the Bible and recognize God as the giver and taker of life - just as the Declaration of Independence does.

 The "legal" justification for abortion rests on the idea that the fetus is not a person, and is therefore not protected by the Constitution.A new pro-life movement has begun. It's called Personhood, and it rests on the biblically and biologically correct idea that you are a person at the moment of conception - entitled to all the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. The Personhood movement seeks to amend by petition those state constitutions that allow it, to define the fetus as a "person" under the law, which would make abortion murder. 

I believe this movement has the potential to energize the pro-life movement and change the culture of death in this county. Eventually it will result in a national amendment, but change must begin from the bottom not the top. Please visit their website - http://personhoodfl.com/ - and look for further updates from the Community Issues committee. The first step is to gather enough petitions to get the Personhood amendment on the Florida ballot in 2012. Just like the Yes 2 Marriage amendment protected the sanctity of God's plan for the family, the Personhood amendment will protect the sanctity of God's gift of life.

 For you created my inmost being; 
       you knit me together in my mother's womb. Ps.139:13

Coming events

I'm convinced that one of the greatest challenges of our generation is focusing on what's important in an environment where distractions are everywhere. I've just learned that one of the most important events of the year at Westside - Gary DeMar's Worldview conference - is in conflict with (gasp) a Gator game!   That's right, the conference begins at 6pm Saturday, Sept.26. The Gators game with Kentucky has been re-scheduled by ESPN for telecast at the same time. Talk about conflicting worldviews - here's your first test. I know you know the right answer. Grab the game on your DVR, or VCR and come hear one of the country's most influential authors talk about how Christians can influence our increasingly hostile culture for Christ. Tim Tebow would be the first to tell you that there are more important things than football. This is one of them.

That same day is the Eric Yerman 5K Walk/Run at Westside Park, starting at 8am (fortunately). Proceeds benefit the effort to build a Baptist Children's home here in Gainesville - a worth cause and a good time. Registration is $20 and can be done in the lobby on Sunday or the day of the run at 7am. Plan to be there.

Finally, I'd like to offer some food for thought on the local political scene. Gainesville city elections are coming again this spring. Last spring we saw the effort to remove the Gender Identity ordinance fail. One of the prime supporters of that ordinance - Craig Lowe - is now running for mayor. If you are one who is concerned about the direction of our city, county, state and nation; it's time to start encouraging and supporting Christian candidates for public office. It may even be time to consider running yourself. The qualifying deadline in Gainesville is Jan. 29, 2010. 

Remember the words of Edmund Burke - "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."  
Those words have never been more true than they are today.

God Bless

What's the Rush?

A favorite columnist of mine is Thomas Sowell. His column yesterday is worth saving.

Listening to a Liar
Thomas Sowell
Tuesday, September 08, 2009

The most important thing about what anyone says are not the words themselves but the credibility of the person who says them. 
The words of convicted swindler Bernie Madoff were apparently quite convincing to many people who were regarded as knowledgeable and sophisticated. If you go by words, you can be led into anything. 
No doubt millions of people will be listening to the words of President Barack Obama Wednesday night when he makes a televised address to a joint session of Congress on his medical care plans. But, if they think that the words he says are what matters, they can be led into something much worse than being swindled out of their money. 

One plain fact should outweigh all the words of Barack Obama and all the impressive trappings of the setting in which he says them: He tried to rush Congress into passing a massive government takeover of the nation's medical care before the August recess-- for a program that would not take effect until 2013! 
Whatever President Obama is, he is not stupid. If the urgency to pass the medical care legislation was to deal with a problem immediately, then why postpone the date when the legislation goes into effect for years-- more specifically, until the year after the next Presidential election? 
If this is such an urgently needed program, why wait for years to put it into effect? And if the public is going to benefit from this, why not let them experience those benefits before the next Presidential election? 
If it is not urgent that the legislation goes into effect immediately, then why don't we have time to go through the normal process of holding Congressional hearings on the pros and cons, accompanied by public discussions of its innumerable provisions? What sense does it make to "hurry up and wait" on something that is literally a matter of life and death? 
If we do not believe that the President is stupid, then what do we believe? The only reasonable alternative seems to be that he wanted to get this massive government takeover of medical care passed into law before the public understood what was in it. 
Moreover, he wanted to get re-elected in 2012 before the public experienced what its actual consequences would be. 
Unfortunately, this way of doing things is all too typical of the way this administration has acted on a wide range of issues. 
Consider the "stimulus" legislation. Here the administration was successful in rushing a massive spending bill through Congress in just two days-- after which it sat on the President's desk for three days, while he was away on vacation. But, like the medical care legislation, the "stimulus" legislation takes effect slowly. 
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that it will be September 2010 before even three-quarters of the money will be spent. Some economists expect that it will not all be spent by the end of 2010. 
What was the rush to pass it, then? It was not to get that money out into the economy as fast as possible. It was to get that money-- and the power that goes with it-- into the hands of the government. Power is what politics is all about. 
The worst thing that could happen, from the standpoint of those seeking more government power over the economy, would be for the economy to begin recovering on its own while months were being spent debating the need for a "stimulus" bill. As the President's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, said, you can't let a crisis "go to waste" when "it's an opportunity to do things you could not do before." 
There are lots of people in the Obama administration who want to do things that have not been done before-- and to do them before the public realizes what is happening. 
The proliferation of White House "czars" in charge of everything from financial issues to media issues is more of the same circumvention of the public and of the Constitution. Czars don't have to be confirmed by the Senate, the way Cabinet members must be, even though czars may wield more power, so you may never know what these people are like, until it is too late. 
What Barack Obama says Wednesday night is not nearly as important as what he has been doing-- and how he has been doing it.

 

 

 

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." – Edmund Burke
"It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds." – Samuel Adams
"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." – Thomas Jefferson
"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty." – Thomas Jefferson 
"In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem." – Ronald Reagan
"The trouble with socialism is that you finally run out of other people's money." – Margaret Thatcher
"So everyone who hears these words of Mine & acts upon them shall be like a wise man that built his house upon the rock." – Matt 7:24

School Prayer

If you need any additional proof that our school system has become anti-Christian, just read the story in the latest edition of the Florida Baptist Witness, which recounts the arrest of the principal and coach of Pace High School in Milton for praying at a school function - http://www.floridabaptistwitness.com/10646.article

Please be praying for the arrested men, and the Liberty Counsel lawyers to stand strong and hold the line against the ACLU in upcoming court hearings. 

In just two generations, we have gone from a country where the Bible was used as a textbook, to being told that even silent prayers in school are against the law. If that doesn't provoke a sense of outrage, I don't know what will.  
Students of history know that both the Nazi's and the Communists placed special emphasis on publicly-funded, state-controlled public schools. They knew that controlling the minds of the younger generation is the key in taking over society.  This is why the Bible places the responsibility for education in the hands of parents, not the government. 

The secular humanists that control our school system are determined to remove all traces of religious expression from our schools. How long will we stand by silently and watch? 

Why Get Involved?

Westside Baptist Church

Community Issues Newsletter

Summer 2009

 

 

Why get involved?

 

This is the first newsletter from the Westside Baptist Community Issues committee. Future editions will highlight and focus on specific issues, which you can impact with your involvement. We want to begin, however, by answering the question that many Christians ask first – Why get involved?

 

Jesus expects it  - His example is clear throughout the Gospels. Jesus engaged the culture of His day, including the religious and political leaders, at every opportunity. He also preached about compassion for our "neighbors" in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), and concern for the physical needs of others in the parable of the sheep and goats (Matt 25: 31-46). As Christians, striving to follow Christ's example, we should be moved toward involvement by compassion for the lost and hurting, and outrage when our laws and our leaders deny and contradict the truth of God's word.

 

Our children's future is at stake – Anyone with children and/or grandchildren has to be alarmed at the direction in which our society is headed. Unless Christians make their voice heard, and their votes count, the next generation will live in a society that is not just post-Christian, but anti-Christian. Last springs Gainesville city election is an example. 73% of registered voters stayed home and allowed a coalition of gay student groups and hired gay activists to defeat the amendment to overturn the Gender Identity ordinance, exposing our children to the threat of sexual predators using the law as cover for lurking in public restrooms. When Christians unite and stand up, as they did in the "Yes 2 Marriage" amendment vote last fall, traditional biblical values are preserved. Our public school system is another area where the prevailing attitude is hostile to Christian belief and expression. As Christian parents we must get involved or risk losing the hearts and minds of our children to a humanist education system.

 

God ordained government – When Jesus told us to "render to Caesar that which is Caesar's"(Mark 12:13-17) it goes beyond paying taxes. In a democratic society each of us is Caesar. We enjoy the benefits of government laws and services. We are also obligated to ensure that government works well and that its laws are not contrary to God's law. 1 Timothy 2:1-4 provides the rationale for God's interest in good government. Only in an atmosphere of order and peace can the gospel spread. God's primary desire is that all people have the chance to repent and be saved. Our Christian obligation to government in a democratic republic is to participate with our vote and our voice.

 

I'll close with one issue that requires immediate attention. The Federal Hate Crime Bill is another expression of the homosexual legislative agenda being pushed by the current administration that seeks to criminalize thought, and will have the effect of making anyone who speaks against homosexuality, e.g., your pastor, a criminal.  This has already happened in other countries with similar laws. A Senate vote (S.909) is expected soon. If it passes it will be signed by the President. For more information and ways to contact our Senators, visit the Family Research Council's website – www.frc.org

                                                               In His Service – Frank Ahern, CIC chairman