|
Post by Heritage Ministries on Oct 31, 2011 20:09:55 GMT -5
Which Republican? by: Don PinsonThe debates between contenders for the Republican nomination for President have begun in earnest. Michelle Bachman has been impressive with her consistent answers. Herman Cain has been rising steadily the last few weeks. Still though, the popular political analysts say Mitt Romney is the frontrunner. Whether they are right or are just pushing for him to win, it seems wise to look more closely at Romney to see what kind of President he would be. The Bible teaches that "as a [man] thinks in his heart so is he." (Proverbs 23:7) So it matters a great deal what a candidate thinks about God, about himself, and about others. This will determine his actions. What does Mitt Romney think about God? While no one can see into another's heart, our actions do reveal our heart. Jesus said, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." (Mark 12:34) Mitt Romney is a Mormon. He is an elder in the Mormon Church. We can only assume he accepts the teachings of that group as being the truth. Mormons believe the Bible is wrong where it disagrees with the Book of Mormon. Therefore, they do not believe the Bible to be the absolute authority which Jesus taught it was. Thus, we can expect that Mitt Romney's thinking has been shaped by ideas outside the Scriptures. In principle, this would make him no different than Barak Obama. Obama claimed in his campaign that he was a Christian, yet his policies have promoted abortion, homosexuality, and a one-world government, all of which are diametrically opposed to the Scripture. Indeed, Romney, as governor of Massachusetts, forced on that state, by executive order, the so-called "marrying" of homosexuals. Is that different from Obama? The Bible says, for our rulers we should choose "...able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness...to be rulers..." (Exodus 18:21) If a man believes major lies concerning God and His Word, how can he be qualified to be a ruler in any government office, much less the Presidency! But some would say that Romney has a good grasp on the economy. Consider, does morality flow out of economy, or does economy flow out of morality? Or, does morality have nothing to do with economy? Some would say they have nothing to do with each other: But if that's true why are employers having great difficulty keeping a work crew since, as our morality keeps plunging downward, fewer and fewer workers show up for work on time. When we don't have "internal self government" (which America's Founders used interchangeably with "morality"), we don't have the self discipline to maintain productive work habits. Doesn't productivity greatly affect the profit businesses make? Others say morality flows out of economy. They may not know it, but that's what the father of communism, Karl Marx taught. He taught your income affected your morality. The truth is, economy flows out of morality. The Bible says, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things (food, shelter, and clothing) will be added to you." (Matthew 6:33) If we live according to the Bible, seeking to follow Christ with all our hearts, He will help us use the gifts He's deposited in us to enable us to make a living in this world, no matter what the economy is like! Thus, how could anyone with a Biblical worldview support Mitt Romney for President? Think about it; because if you don’t, someone else will do your thinking for you, and for your children! And you won’t like what that brings to you.
|
|
|
Post by Heritage Ministries on Nov 5, 2011 8:49:28 GMT -5
The Most Important Issue Is Faith by: Don PinsonIn any election year - and certainly this one is no exception - here is a lot of talk about the economy. Steve Beshear seems to have only casino gambling as the answer to Kentucky's down economy. David Williams says he will eliminate corporate and personal income taxes in order to give people the money to invest in their own businesses. He says this will restart the economy. Both candidates are trying to use the economic condition in Kentucky to move voters to their side. But just how important are economic issues in an election? While William's plan is definitely more Biblical than Beshear's, the real question is: Should the economy be the first concern of government? And to determine that, we have to answer the question: "What is the purpose of government?" Our Declaration of Independence answers this in a wonderfully brief - but truthful - manner. It says, “...that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men..." (emphasis added) Government servants are to protect the God-given rights of life, liberty and property. Other than keeping one man from taking away the right of another man to produce, government has no legitimate place in the economy - including promoting casinos! The more government is present in an economy the more sluggish that economy becomes, being burdened down with unnecessary regulations and restrictions. Our Founders in America taught that individual solutions to your economic problems were the real way to fight poverty. Ben Franklin taught that the way to solve the lack of income in your life was to think up some product or service, and then convince people that they needed it. This, of course, requires faith; faith in God to reveal to you a product people need, and faith in Him to give you the ability to produce and market that product. The Pilgrims were wonderful examples of this. Faced with starvation the first winter, they cried earnestly to God to show them how to get the food they needed. He provided them an Indian, named Squanto, who taught them how to stalk the deer and plant corn so as to be able to live here. When a 12-week drought threatened their food supply in the summer of 1623, they set aside a day to fast and pray to find out why God had withheld rain. After a day of repentance over personal and community sins, the rain returned. The Indians took note that the Pilgrims' God listened to their prayers; and many of them began to turn to Jesus Christ as the true God - the One who could deliver them from their selfish natures. Instead of all these political words about the economy, isn't the real issue faith? Jesus said, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:33) Jesus made it plain if we, as an individual or a nation, would seek the right ways of God and live by them, God would see to it that our labor would be rewarded with all the food and shelter we need. So will you vote for candidates who stand for the right ways of God in protecting the life of unborn babies from abortion; and who protect the family from the homosexual agenda? David Williams has consistently voted in the Senate against abortion and the homosexual agenda. Steve Beshear has consistently promoted abortion and homosexuality. Which is closest to the Bible's position on these issues? Think about it; because if you don’t, someone else will do your thinking for you - and for your children! And you won’t like what that brings to you.
|
|
|
Post by Heritage Ministries on Nov 19, 2011 6:36:10 GMT -5
The Pilgrims Relationship With the Indians by: Don Pinson
It was the fall of 1621. The Pilgrims had just gathered in their first crop in this new land in which they had settled. It wasn't a huge harvest, but they thought it would be adequate to get them through the next winter. They knew the God of heaven had blessed them with it and they also knew it was the right thing to give Him thanks for it. So, they set aside a special day in early October to do just that. They planned a feast during which they would pause to pray and thank Him for His blessing of this good harvest. They also invited their newly made Indian friends to the Feast. God had greatly used an Indian named Squanto to help them learn to live in this wilderness. Squanto had adopted the Pilgrims as his new family, since all his tribe had died in a plague about four years before. Squanto had let them know that Chief Massasoit, the most powerful chief of the region, wanted to enter a peace treaty with them. He had acted as the interpreter between the two parties, and from that time on peace had existed between the two peoples. The Pilgrims were able to save Chief Massasoit's life on two occasions by sending their doctor, Samuel Fuller, to aid him during serious illnesses. These early exchanges of friendship created mutual respect between the two groups, and both greatly benefited from the relationship. But the Pilgrims never attempted to merge with the Indians. They were too wise for that. The Bible says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments." (Psalms 111:10)The Pilgrims knew the Bible taught that there was a root of selfishness in all men, and that those who had come to know Christ in the new birth could not walk with those who had not come to repent of that selfishess. They could live together as neighbors, provided that those who didn't know Christ agreed to live by law that was based in the Bible. The Pilgrims peace treaty with the Indians was that kind of law. Both groups kept that agreement. This allowed them to live as neighbors. But the Pilgrims could not be more than that without the Indians coming to receive Christ as their Master, and thus start to overcome the selfishness that had previously been their guiding principle. Indeed, in the following decades, beginning with Squanto, hundreds of the Indians would turn to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. They would leave their native villages in order start what were called "Praying Villages." These were Indian villages which stopped worshipping their old pagan gods and worshipped only Jesus Christ as Lord. These villages developed Biblical civil laws similar to what the Pilgrims lived by. Thus, they did become one with the Pilgrims and walked together. In this day of manipulation toward a one-world government, we desperately need to learn again the Biblical wisdom of the Pilgrims. We can't merge with the nations of the world without having a dictator force us all to live his way. This means the complete loss of liberty, including the right to rear your children the way you believe is right. "Right" will be what the dictator says it is. If this sounds like the "political correctness" of our day, it's because that's exactly what "political correctness" is---a dictator's will! And pagan philosophy is pagan whether you find it in an isolated tribe or on a university campus. Who will be your Lord? Christ or a Dictator? You decide. There's no middle ground. Think about it; because if you don’t, someone else will do your thinking for you, and for your children! And you won’t like what that brings to you.
|
|
|
Post by Heritage Ministries on Dec 4, 2011 21:39:12 GMT -5
The Pilgrims-Overcoming The Hard Times by: Don PinsonForefather's Monument, in Plymouth, Massachusetts, is dedicated to the memory of the Pilgrims: Specifically to the memory of, "...their labors, sufferings, and sacrifices in the cause of civil and religious liberty." One of the five statues which makes up Forefather's Monument is Morality. This statue reveals the Pilgrims desire to live conforming their actions to the Bible. They demonstrated how Christ could live His life through us if we were surrendered to Him as a living Master. And that was true in hard times as well as good times. Their story shows us this reality; even under the toughest of circumstances. When they came together in a church covenant in 1605 to: "...walk together in all His ways...whatsoever it should cost them..."
It would cost them dearly. Several times over the next three years, English deputies would burst into their worship meetings, hauling the men off to jail; fining them and keeping them locked up for thirty days. This cost them financially because they were unable to work their farms in those times. When they moved to Holland in order to have the religious freedom to teach their children the ways of Christ, they were oppressed economically by the Dutch labor laws. Those bad laws would ultimately cause them to loose some of the children to the liberal thinking of the Dutch society, and that was the most difficult thing they ever faced. Yet they didn't give up the dream of being able to teach the rest of their children the Gospel of Christ. When they boarded the Mayflower to come to America to have the liberty to teach their children the truth, they were oppressed by the sailors on the Mayflower. Yet they chose to endure this with patience and forgiveness toward the sailors. The weather dealt them cruel experiences on their voyage nearly sinking the ship many times. They were forced to live crammed into the middle deck while most of them were very seasick. They very unsanitary conditions made the atmosphere miserable, but yet they persevered and worshipped God together every morning and evening. Once here, it became very difficult to find a place to live. When finally a storm (which they believed was the Hand of God) blew them into Plymouth bay and they found the place to live, the winter cold made it really difficult to build their houses. They started dying from exposure to the cold and poor food supplies. Half of them would die that first winter. But, they overcame it all by the indwelling Life of Jesus Christ. And even though Captain Jones begged them to return with him to England the next spring, they choose to stay and keep trusting their God to enable them to build a community here which would live by the Bible; a community which would teach their children in their schools both the message of their redemption through Jesus Christ, and all the academic subjects as being rooted in Christ. Were they able to do it? William Bradford, their Governor for 35 years, would write their history after they had lived here for 25 years. Here was how he summed up their experience here. “Thus out of small beginnings greater things have been produced by His hand that made all things of nothing, and gives being to all things that are; and, as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone unto many, yea in some sort to our whole nation; let the glorious name of Jehovah have all the praise.”
Are you living by the light of Jesus Christ as the Pilgrims did? Are you willing to follow Him as your Master no matter how hard times gets? The Pilgrims did. Think about it; because if you don’t, someone else will do your thinking for you, and for your children! And you won’t like what that brings to you.
|
|
|
Post by Heritage Ministries on Dec 18, 2011 7:12:08 GMT -5
THINK ABOUT IT RADIO PROGRAM “God Was Taking Care of America†by: Don PinsonThe date was December 7th, 1941. The time was 7:55am. To the complete surprise of American forces in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Japanese planes began to sweep down and drop devastating bombs onto our fleet and also our planes on the ground. When the attack was done, 18 of our ships were sunk or sinking, and nearly all of our planes were destroyed. Over 3500 of our servicemen were dead. We were shocked at such a bold and devastating attack on our U.S Navy. Many wondered if the Navy would ever recover; worse, we wondered if our liberty would shortly be ended, and we would be required to worship the Emperor of Japan as god. In the midst of this despair, President Franklin Roosevelt replaced the commander of our Pacific fleet with an Admiral named Chester Nimitz. Nimitz arrived at Pearl Harbor on Christmas Eve, 1941. He immediately went for an inspection of the harbor. Sunken ships and twisted metal were everywhere. Once Nimitz had inspected the whole harbor, the young seaman at the helm of his boat asked him, "Well, Admiral, what do you think after seeing all this destruction?" Nimitz' reply shocked everyone listening. He said, "The Japanese made three of the biggest mistakes an attack force could ever make, or God was taking care of America. Which do you think it was?"
He then listed the three mistakes: 1. They attacked on Sunday morning when most of the men were on shore. He stated we would have lost ten times the men we did if it had been at a different time. 2. They didn't touch with their bombs the dry docks just across the Harbor from the ships they attacked. The dry docks are where ships are repaired. Repairing them here would be much easier than towing them to America to be repaired. 3. They didn't touch our gasoline storage tanks which were easy targets just five miles away. It would certainly seem that "God was taking care of America" on December 7th, 1941. But will He do it again? That depends on those of us who are Americans today. He promises in His word that, for those who walk in covenant with Him, "No weapon formed against you will prosper." (Isaiah 54:17)
So the real question to be asked is "Am I walking in covenant with God? The word covenant means "the meeting of minds." Thus, if my thoughts are agreeing with the mind of God, I'm in covenant with Him; and can thus expect His protection and provision to accomplish what He put me here to do. But if we think we can live anyway we want to, and God will protect us because our grandparents had faith in Him, or because I'm an American, we are badly deceived! He made plain in His word to Moses that if we forget His law he will turn us over to our enemies. He warns: "But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: A nation whom you have not known shall eat the fruit of your land and the produce of you labor; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed always: The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth." (Deuteronomy 28:15, 25, 33) Was God taking care of America on December 7th, 1941? Will He take care of America today? You and I decide that - by whether we live according to His laws. Think about it; because if you don’t, someone else will do your thinking for you, and for your children! And you won’t like what that brings to you.
|
|
|
Post by Heritage Ministries on Dec 31, 2011 9:57:24 GMT -5
THINK ABOUT IT RADIO America Linked to Jesus' Birth by: Don PinsonConcerning the Birthday of Jesus Christ, John Quincy Adams, our sixth President had this to say: "... in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior...it forms a leading event in the Progress of the Gospel dispensation?
Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized [civil government] on the foundation of the Redeemer's mission upon earth? That it laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity..."
This statement shows there is a direct relationship between what Jesus Christ did in redeeming mankind and the original civil government of the United States; and likewise of those individual state governments. Thus all the "whoopla" we hear today about our governments being secular (which, the word secular means "without God") is a lie. Those who claim secularism for our governments are either evil people who want to change us to socialism, or they are deceived people who've been taught by the secularists. For the first 300 years of our history, we weren't so ashamed to mention the Name of Jesus in public and give Him the credit for the birthing and maintaining of our nation. In the year of our Republic's 100th Birthday, Rev. S.W. Foljambe delivered an Election Sermon to the Massachusetts House of Representatives. I'd like to read a considerable portion of this sermon so we can see Biblical base to our institutions of government. Remember, Rev. Foljambe is speaking to the statehouse of Massachusetts. This sermon is not being delivered in a church. He stated: "The hand of God in the development of our national life: Neither nations, governments, nor yet religion itself, are sudden creations. All governments are experimental. They are growths. God simply gives us the seeds of things, and then, under the action of His truth and Spirit, and the leadings of His Providence, we are to see to their planting and growth. The Reformation, with the social impulse to which it had given birth, was destined to advance a second step, appearing in a purer form, but on a different soil. To escape from religious intolerance, a body of English dissenters, contemptuously called Puritans, were seen flying first to Holland, then to these American shores. Thus exiled and escaping, God watched and guided their flight. Through these men He intended to realize, in the form of permanent institutions, the ideas of religion and government which the majority of mankind but imperfectly understood; which they were poorly prepared to appreciate - and were little disposed to promote - but which, being essential to the best interests of mankind, were wrapped up in the divine purpose.
"...The men who came to these American shores, bringing the inspiration and impulse of the new life which had appeared in Europe, were a plain, common people. They were hard-working, Bible-reading, profoundly in earnest, with a deep sense of God in them...they were not unmindful, in seeking this new home, of [material] advantage...At the same time, a deep [Christian] conviction swayed their minds, and a profound religious purpose shaped their lives."
After hearing these words from 1876, is it not easy to tell that Isaiah's words, which referred to Jesus, were no idle words to our Founders. I refer to Isaiah 9:6: "The government shall be upon His shoulder..."
Could American liberty have been birthed without the Birthday of Jesus, the Son of God? Think about it; because if you don’t, someone else will do your thinking for you, and for your children! And you won’t like what that brings to you.
|
|
|
Post by Heritage Ministries on Jan 7, 2012 22:19:12 GMT -5
The Scottish Covenant and American Liberty by: Don PinsonThe year's end is a time for looking back and seeing the Hand of God in our history in this nation. Let's review a segment of our history that is not commonly known. While the Pilgrims and Puritans were establishing themselves in New England, a giant step toward human liberty was occurring in Scotland. In 1638 the King of England was trying to force Roman Catholicism on the Scots. For years the Scots had been more and more throwing off this yoke, and they were not about to submit to what they believed were satanic rituals that would plunge them back into the slavery of the "dark ages." Thus, they came together in a covenant (which means the meeting of minds) vowing to fight to the death to refuse Catholic tyranny in their churches and civil government. Over 3200 people signed the original document---many signing it in their own blood---saying we will die rather than live as slaves to a government that won't submit to the moral law of God. While the movement was far from perfect, the basic premise that the Moral Law of the Bible must be the basis of all civil law, and the principle that all are subject to the civil law (be he King or common man), would become cornerstones of American liberty. The Scots would develop, under the leadership of Reformer, John Knox, an expression of this Covenant for their civil rulers. Once a government servant was elected, they were required to take an oath toward God and the people. They must declare their commitment to be the servant of God in their office and rule according to the Bible. Then they must commit to the people to rule them according to the laws of God. The people would then take an oath to be the people of God and obey Him in their personal lives. Next, the people would pledge, before God, that they would support their newly elected ruler, so long as he kept his agreement with God. They were not obligated to him if he didn't keep his word to God to rule the people according to the Bible! This Scottish Covenant with their rulers would become a foundation stone in our Declaration of Independence. In declaring the reason we had the right to declare our independence from England, Thomas Jefferson wrote: "... That to secure these rights [of life, liberty, and property], governments are instituted among men. That whenever any government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish such government, and to institute new government."
So what does this mean for us today? It means exactly the same thing it meant for our Founding Fathers. Any government servant that does not live and administer law according to the moral law of God should be replaced in the next election. You may say, "Well, what if the people won't get out and vote in order to replace him? Or what if they are too deceived to even know the importance of voting?" In that case, we are to work to teach them. (This is one of the goals of Heritage Ministries). Only a return to Covenant with our God and His Word will save us from slavery. As with the Scots and their Covenant of 1638, we must, as John Adams said, "...resolve to die as free men, rather than live as slaves."
The Bible says, "Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free." [/b](Galatians 5:1)[/b] [/i] Consider: Do you know how to establish Biblical government in your family and church? If not, how can you expect to know how to fix civil government? Think about it; because if you don’t, someone else will do your thinking for you, and for your children! And you won’t like what that brings to you.
|
|
|
Post by Church News on Jan 23, 2012 5:24:07 GMT -5
The Tension Mounts by: Don PinsonWith the Great Awakening in full swing in America in the mid-1700s, children were growing up with a Biblical view of every area of life. Ben Franklin gives us an insight into what the average home life was like in those years. He wrote: "It was wonderful to see the change soon made in the manners of our inhabitants. From being thoughtless or indifferent about religion... one could not walk thro' the town in an evening without hearing psalms sung in different families of every street."
But the more America became like God in its thinking, the more the enemy of God fought against it. And satan found a willing human instrument he could use in King George III. As Americans learned more of the Biblical ideas of government, they discovered the English King and most of the members of Parliament were diametrically opposed to those truths. Thus, the tension grew between the two peoples. The King's idea on how to bring the American Colonies into submission was the use of force. While English government had been mostly content to let Americans make their own laws ever since they settled here, the King now began a series of government "Acts," as they were called, which side-stepped the American Legislatures. The American Colonists knew this was against the Biblical view of government because it took the power of government out of the hands of the people. They knew God had established the people as the deposit of government authority when He created the Jewish Republic under Moses. Even when the Jews later established a king as the head of their government, they still reserved the right to elect those kings that would rule over them. The tension grew as the King began to tax goods in America without American's consent to those taxes through their own Representatives. But what caused Americans to rise up most, was when the King cancelled their Colonial Legislatures. He closed down their own governments by making it a crime for their Legislators to meet. This happened in 1775. They could not allow this tyrannical act to stand, for it left them without Biblical government. That meant one of two things would now happen if they didn't establish their own government independent of England: Either they would be submitting to a Dictator which meant the loss of all liberty: Or chaos would reign because the wicked would have no law to restrain them. It was this destruction of their governments which would lead Patrick Henry to urge the Virginia Legislature to take up arms against Great Britain. He cried out, "An Appeal to arms and to the God of Hosts is all that is left us!... There is no retreat but [into] submission and slavery!"
Thus, each Colony would again send delegates to the Second Continental Congress. The delegates asked John Adams to write a document to be sent to the King entitled: Declaration and Necessity of Taking Up Arms. Adams wrote: "Our cause is just... we most solemnly, before God and the world, declare that, exerting the... powers... which our beneficent Creator hath graciously bestowed upon us; the arms we have been compelled by our enemies to assume, we will... employ for the preservation of our liberties; being with one mind resolved to die free men rather than to live slaves."
They were obeying the Bible by "[Standing] fast in the liberty whereby Christ hath made us free." (Galatians 5:1)They were willing to die for liberty - are you? Think about it; because if you don’t, someone else will do your thinking for you, and for your children! And you won’t like what that brings to you.
|
|
|
Post by Heritage Ministries on Jan 29, 2012 8:23:37 GMT -5
Government Must Limit Man's Selfishness by: Don PinsonAs America's Founding Fathers were growing up as children, one of the greatest revivals in all of history was occurring. It would come to be called the Great Awakening as the Holy Spirit of God awakened Americans to the faith their Pilgrim ancestors had known so well. The Bible became the standard once again for morals as well as manners. They would grow up with the view of God and the view of man which the Bible revealed. The Ten Commandments would set the boundaries for what was right and wrong in their generation. The Biblical structure for education, business, and government would become their quest in building their society. Their view of God was not the "teddy bear" god we've tried to shaped Him into in our day; rather, it was the Biblical revelation of Him as the awesome Creator and Ruler of all that is. Because He was our Maker and Redeemer, in Christ, He was the One Who would be our Judge. Thus, our current view of ourselves as being the focus of life was not their view. They believed what the Bible teaches about man. That is, though we were made in the image of God with the potential of being a channel for the life of God in this world, we had rebelled against our Creator and refused Him His right to rule in our individual lives. This had brought to us a sin principle which caused each one of us to think first of ourselves and what we want, rather than God and what He wants. The Bible reveals this when it says, "For by one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death passed on all men, because all sinned." (Romans 5:12)
It says, "There is not a just man upon the earth that doeth good and sinneth not." Ecclesiastes 7:20
This selfish view in man would cause all the hurt in this world down through the centuries. Noah Webster, the Father of America's original education system would identify this. He wrote: "All the miseries and evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible."
As a result of this view, America's Founders would create a government designed to hold in check this self interest. James Madison, who wrote our original Constitution, stated that the aim of government was, quote: “In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself."
To be able to do this, Madison said, "Ambition must be made to counteract ambition."
So they created a Biblical Republic. That is, a government that placed law as the highest authority; the people, through their representatives, having chosen law that agreed with the Biblical moral law expressed in the Ten Commandments. To make "government control itself,” as Madison said, they balanced the interests of one branch of government against the other branches of government. While not perfect, it would be the most perfect government ever devised by man, to this day. To James Madison it has also been attributed to have stated: “We have staked the whole future of American civilization... upon the capacity of each... of us to govern ourselves... according to the Ten Commandments of God.”
Have you surrendered your will to Christ, receiving Him as your personal Savior; allowing Him to indwell you and live through you in this world? It's the foundation of all successful government. Think about it; because if you don’t, someone else will do your thinking for you, and for your children! And you won’t like what that brings to you.
|
|
|
Post by Heritage Ministries on Feb 13, 2012 5:58:35 GMT -5
Pastors Taught America's Founders by: Don PinsonTo any honest, diligent student of history it is obvious that the generation of America's Founders was one of (if not the) wisest generation that ever walked this earth. The Republic they gave birth to would rival the greatest nations on earth after only 50 years. Many political thinkers would come here just to try to find the secret of the genius of this Republic. Since then, probably more people have, of their own free will, immigrated here than to any other nation on earth; which shows us the greatness of what they created. Where did America's Founders get this kind of wisdom? Who taught them as children and young people in such a way so as to produce the greatest nation in world history? It was basically two groups. Their parents---and their Pastors. And since the Pastors did much of the teaching of their parents---the average adult heard 15,000 hours of Bible teaching in their lifetime--we can honestly say it was the Pastors who shaped their thinking. Their Pastors were generally men of deep Biblical study. And most sermons were not on how to go to heaven---parents taught that to their children---Pastor's sermons were great studies on how to live out the Bible in their present day culture; including the Biblical method of operating education, business, and government. Thus, you could say that, in essence, our Founders learned to think about education, economy, and government, from their Pastors' explanation of those subjects from the Bible. The Pastor of the Pilgrims, John Robinson, taught them how to structure civil government from the Bible. God had given a Biblical Republic to Moses to give to Israel, and John Robinson gave that Republic to the Pilgrims. This enabled them to write their own civil government when they landed outside the boundaries of English government. The Mayflower Compact, as it came to be called, was a civil government based on the Biblical idea of covenant; which is what a republic is. Thus, it was a Pastor who shaped New England's earliest government. In the 1700's this tradition was continued by such men as Samuel Davies, the great Presbyterian Pastor in Virginia. As Ambassador to England he preached at the court of King George II. When, as Davies was preaching, the King spoke several times to those around him, the preacher looked into the eyes of the King and said, "When the lion roars, the beasts of the forest all tremble; and when King Jesus speaks, the princes of the earth should keep silence."
A young man who often heard Davies preach and would greatly benefit from his example of boldness was Patrick Henry; who's "Give me liberty or give me death" speech would fire Americans all over the continent to stand up and fight for their God-given rights of life, liberty and property. Another minister, John Withersthingy, would inspire many of our Founders while he was President of Princeton College. Withersthingy, who himself signed the Declaration of Independence, taught, among other Founders, young James Madison. After considering going into the ministry, Madison decided that was not his call; but to carry Biblical ideas into government was his call. It would be Madison who would write most of our original Constitution! America's Pastors shaped the thinking that would change the world with Biblical ideas. Pastor, teacher, parent: What Biblical ideas are you planting into those God has placed in your charge? Think about it; because if you don’t, someone else will do your thinking for you, and for your children! And you won’t like what that brings to you.
|
|
|
Post by Heritage Ministries on Feb 20, 2012 8:48:56 GMT -5
Patrick Henry - Voice of Liberty by: Don Pinson
A few years ago a state Senator said to me, as I was urging him to stand against the uprising of homosexuals in Kentucky, “I tell you now, I just try to get along with everybody down here” (referring to people in Frankfort). I often hear young people saying what they’ve heard in school or the music of our day: “Let’s just compromise; everybody give a little so we can get along.” I wonder if this state Senator and these young people know that they have been deceived by liberal thinkers of our day into thinking that the foundation of freedom is compromise. This is not what America’s Founders believed! They believed you must know the truth about every subject as the Bible revealed it. Jesus had said, “If you continue in My Word, then are you My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8: 31-32) Then once you knew the truth, you must stand for that truth no matter what the cost. This was true in your personal life and it was true in your state and nation. They believed that your personal moral goodness, founded in knowing Jesus Christ as your Master and Savior, was the basis of being able to stand for liberty. If you knew internal self-government of your bodily desires, then you were qualified and empowered to walk in liberty in your community and nation. If you didn’t, you would have to be ruled by someone else. If you couldn’t control yourself, someone else would have to control you. Patrick Henry of Virginia summed this up well: He stated, “Bad men cannot make good citizens. It is impossible that a nation of [unbelievers] or idolaters should be a nation of free-men. It is when a people forget God, that tyrants forge their chains. An [impure] state of morals, a corrupted public conscience, is incompatible with freedom.”
In 1765, Patrick Henry would give a speech before Virginia’s Legislature that many would consider an act of treason. As he urged the Legislature to refuse King George’s Stamp Act tax as being against their God-given rights as Englishmen, many in the House would shout, “Treason, Treason!” To which Henry replied, “If this be treason, then let’s make the most of it!” He believed our God-given rights were worth fighting for; and if need be, worth dying for. He refused to compromise liberty! He would later write, on the reverse of his Stamp Act Resolves, passed in the House of Burgesses, in May 1765: “This brought on the war which finally separated the two countries and gave independence to ours. Whether this will prove a blessing or a curse, will depend upon the use our people make of the blessings, which a gracious God has bestowed on us.
“If they are wise, they will be great and happy. If they are of a contrary character, they will be miserable. ‘Righteousness alone can exalt them as a nation’. Reader! Whoever you are, remember this, and in your sphere, practice [moral goodness] yourself, and encourage it in others.”
Are you “[standing] fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made you free” Galatians 5:1 by disciplining your own bodily desires? Are you showing that His indwelling life is the power that enables us to be what He created us to be? Are you teaching your children to walk that way? You know, it’s the only way to preserve liberty. Think about it; because if you don’t, someone else will do your thinking for you, and for your children! And you won’t like what that brings to you.
|
|
|
Post by Heritage Ministries on May 10, 2012 11:32:17 GMT -5
Coming to God’s Order By Don Pinson
A principle in one of our schools in East Kentucky insists that the students who come to his school be given breakfast before they start their day, even if they have to take it with them to class. His reasoning: So many children come from homes that are out of order, they may not have eaten since yesterday when they were at school. Of course this is nothing new. We’ve been feeding children breakfast for many years now. But we didn’t do this when I was a child. Our homes still had enough of the holdover of Christian order to them that most parents accepted their God-given responsibility of feeding their children before school.... Listen to or read the entire program: heritageministriesky.com/2012/05/09/coming-to-gods-order
|
|
|
Post by Heritage Ministries on May 21, 2012 19:35:51 GMT -5
The Choice: Vote, Or Be Enslaved! Don Pinson
A very important election is close at hand. Tuesday, choices will be made by voters that will affect the future of our nation for generations to come. Are you prepared to vote? The truth is: Of those who say they are Christians, only half are registered to vote; of the half who are registered to vote, half of them do not vote; and of the remainder who do vote, many of them vote for candidates who are against Biblical moral values. Many of these are sincere people who are trying to live as God wants them to live. Why then do they not go to the polls and vote? I’m glad you asked. Click here to listen to or read the entire article: heritageministriesky.com/2012/05/16/the-choice-vote-or-be-enslaved
|
|
|
Post by Heritage Ministries on May 27, 2012 6:38:04 GMT -5
The Reason For Memorial Day Don Pinson
Why do we have a holiday called Memorial Day? Why do we, at this season, visit the graves of departed loved ones? Where did this tradition begin? Why this day was established as a national holiday is a story we all need to know..... Click here to listen to or read the entire article: heritageministriesky.com/2012/05/23/the-reason-for-memorial-day
|
|
|
Post by Heritage Ministries on May 31, 2012 6:36:37 GMT -5
Why do we need the Constitution? by Don Pinson
Why do we need the Constitution? Why did America’s Founders write in the Constitution that it would be the “supreme law” of the land? After operating for eleven years with a national government known as The Articles of Confederation, several flaws were discovered in the form of that government. These flaws were giving rise to gradually increasing chaos. Noah Webster urged George Washington to use his influence to bring together delegates from the colonies to fix the situation. The fruit of this gathering, which we now call the Constitutional Convention, was the writing of our original U.S. Constitution. This Constitution established a national government which supported the already existing state governments and their Constitutions, while being given by the states thirty specific powers of its own..... Click here to listen to or read the entire article: heritageministriesky.com/2012/05/30/education-in-the-constitution
|
|
|
Post by Heritage Ministries on Jun 9, 2012 7:32:07 GMT -5
Obedience Brings Blessing! by Don Pinson
One of the most encouraging things to happen in many years happened this week in Wisconsin. Governor Scott Walker, the son of a minister, has been working since taking office to get the state out of a deficit of a billion plus dollars. To bring about the cuts in government spending to do that, he pushed through the Legislature a law that stopped the ability of state workers to bargain for higher wages through collective bargaining. While many protested, he stuck to his guns and signed the bill into law. It now appears that the whole billion plus debt the state owes will be gone by the end of this budget cycle—plus there should be a $150 million dollar surplus! Click here to listen to or read the entire article: heritageministriesky.com/2012/06/06/obedience-brings-blessing/#more-758
|
|
|
Post by Heritage Ministries on Jun 17, 2012 7:14:41 GMT -5
The Bible Is The Foundation Of Our Constitution by Don Pinson
If you were to begin to read the books which record our national laws in Washington D.C; and you read them for eight hours a day for the rest of your life, you could not get them all read within your lifetime! Can you believe it? Why is it we have so many laws on today’s law books when early Americans had so few? Click here to listen to or read the entire article: heritageministriesky.com/2012/06/06/obedience-brings-blessing/#more-758
|
|
|
Post by Heritage Ministries on Jul 1, 2012 7:34:20 GMT -5
Persistent Statesman of Liberty by Don Pinson
John Adams was born during the first full year after the Great Awakening (the greatest revival America has ever seen) began. When one studies what family life was like during those years of revival, it’s no wonder Adams was such a Godly statesman. He became a lawyer and one of the greatest statesman for liberty during America’s Founding Era. He would marry, at age twenty-nine, Abigail Smith, the daughter of a minister. Their relationship was one of the greatest examples of Biblical marriage in our history. Though separated many years because of his service to our country overseas, their letters preserve for us one of the most tender and affectionate examples of the marriage covenant between a husband and a wife, that is on record today..... Click here to listen to or read the entire article: heritageministriesky.com/2012/06/06/obedience-brings-blessing/#more-758
|
|
|
Post by Heritage Ministries on Jul 7, 2012 1:25:12 GMT -5
4th of July Thoughts by Don Pinson
It is July the Fourth and my heart is torn between joy and sorrow. I’ve never felt so patriotic, so proud, so grateful to God to be called an American. Nor so frightened- I am “trembling for my country” even as I dance for the joy of our liberties. I am weeping simply because my heart is overwhelmed. I want to eat cake and celebrate for the joy and giddy excitement in my heart but I can’t seem to get it past the lump in my throat. I feel like cheering and mourning, playing and fighting, laughing and weeping, all at once… Click here to listen to or read the entire article: heritageministriesky.com/2012/07/06/4th-of-july-thoughts
|
|
|
Post by Heritage Ministries on Jul 15, 2012 12:02:24 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Heritage Ministries on Jul 19, 2012 6:44:37 GMT -5
Why Christians Avoid Political Involvement by Don Pinson
Evangelicals in America are people who believe a person must be born again to know God, and they believe the Bible is very important to life. They read it more consistently than any other segment of the Christians in the U.S. Yet, only about 1/2 of them are registered to vote. Of the one half who are registered, about 1/2 of them do not vote in any given election. Of the one half who do vote, oftentimes only 1/2 of them vote for candidates who stand for Biblical values. Is it any wonder our governments are going downhill in America!! Click here to listen to or read the entire article: heritageministriesky.com/2012/07/18/why-christians-avoid-political-involvement
|
|
|
Post by Heritage Ministries on Jul 30, 2012 5:38:41 GMT -5
Why Christians Avoid Political Involvement, Part II by Don Pinson
At election time I used to tell the church I pastored: “Now go vote; that is a God-given privilege; but don’t get involved in politics. That’s just a dirty business, and if you get involved with it, you’ll get dirty too.” I learned that statement from older Pastors who had helped me start in the ministry. Why have Pastors refused to be involved in the political realm? Click here to listen to or read the entire article: heritageministriesky.com/2012/07/25/why-christians-avoid-political-involvement-part-ii
|
|
|
Post by Heritage Ministries on Aug 9, 2012 12:00:28 GMT -5
Why Christians Avoid Political Involvement, Part III by Don Pinson
I recently had a very revealing conversation with a Pastor. This good man, who believes and preaches the Bible to be the truth, had served as a school board member in his community for many years. Finally, he lost an election by one vote! Once that had happened, I wonder how many good Christian people wished they had gone to the polls to vote in that election, instead of doing something they thought was more important! They counted on others to protect their children by re-electing him; others counted on them! Every election in America sees half the people who say they are committed to the Bible not show up at the polls to vote. Indeed, half that number are not even registered to vote! They are counting on someone else to protect their children’s liberty! Click here to listen to or read the entire article: heritageministriesky.com/2012/08/01/why-christians-avoid-political-involvement-part-iii
|
|
|
Post by Heritage Ministries on Aug 15, 2012 20:47:22 GMT -5
Education During The Founders’ Era by Don Pinson
What made America rise to prominence among the nations of the world in just 50 years from its founding? Why did this young Republic equal England and France in world influence in so short a time? Many would make visits here to try to find that out. Click here to listen to or read the entire article: heritageministriesky.com/2012/08/08/education-during-the-founders-era
|
|
|
Post by Heritage Ministries on Aug 21, 2012 19:09:39 GMT -5
America’s Original Method Of Education by Don Pinson
What made America the greatest nation in the world through the 1800’s? Was it her great natural resources? Was it her geographic isolation which made attack by European nations difficult? Was she just “lucky”, as some people explain success? Click here to listen to or read the entire article: heritageministriesky.com/2012/08/15/americas-original-method-of-education
|
|
|
Post by Heritage Ministries on Sept 2, 2012 5:29:38 GMT -5
America’s Original Method Of Education, Part II by Don Pinson
The education system that was used in America up until the early 1900’s, taught children how to reason. They learned how to identify the root of an idea or an event from its fruit. In other words, they learned to think Biblically. For example, if someone did some act of kindness, they learned that kindness was a gift from God through that individual, because the Bible reveals that, “Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights…” (James 1:17)
Click here to listen to or read the entire article: heritageministriesky.com/2012/08/22/americas-original-method-of-education-part-ii
|
|
|
Post by Church News on Sept 6, 2012 4:59:12 GMT -5
Praying For Our Nation… by Don Pinson
Consider Praying For Our Republic This Way: * Thank God for our history and original educational, economic, and governmental systems. Ask Him to help you re-learn them! * Pray for a revival of morality (Internal Self-Government). Click here to listen to or read the entire article: heritageministriesky.com/2012/08/28/praying-for-our-nation
|
|
|
Post by Heritage Ministries on Sept 6, 2012 21:37:26 GMT -5
The Miracle Which Birthed Our Constitution by Don Pinson
In the hot summer of 1787, delegates from the thirteen states met in Philadelphia to alter our national government so as to fix some flaws we had been trying to live with for eleven years. The meeting was not going well. In fact, after a month of meetings, there was such division it looked liked the Convention would break up–and along with it, the young nation. It was recorded that George Washington, the President of the Convention, had a look of gravest concern, almost despair, on his face. He could see all the sacrifice of the men at Valley Forge, Brandywine, and other horrendous battles during the Revolutionary War, going “down the drain.” It was at this critical moment that a man not known to be a Christian, rose to his feet. And Ben Franklin stated, “The small progress we have made after four or five weeks…is, think,…proof of the imperfection of the Human Understanding.
Click here to listen to or read the entire article: heritageministriesky.com/2012/08/29/the-miracle-which-birthed-our-constitution
|
|
|
Post by Heritage Ministries on Sept 26, 2012 20:00:20 GMT -5
Voting Can Be Murder by Don Pinson
When is voting murder? In America, there are over 100 million people who say they believe you have to be born again to know God through Jesus Christ. And they say that the Bible is the best book to live by. Of that 100 million, 1/2 of them are not registered to vote. Of the half that are registered, only 1/2 of them will actually go vote in any given election. Of the 1/2 who do go vote (25% of evangelicals), 1/2 of them have (in most recent elections) voted for candidates who stand exactly opposite from the Bible on issues like abortion, marriage, gambling, and liquor. Click here to listen to or read the entire article: heritageministriesky.com/2012/09/04/voting-can-be-murder
|
|
|
Post by Heritage Ministries on Sept 30, 2012 7:45:10 GMT -5
The Bible Teaches Voting by Don Pinson
We’re hearing a lot of talk just now about the Republican and the Democratic National Conventions. Both parties will spend billions of dollars and every possible moment to sell their candidate to whom—to those who vote! Because the bottom line is: The voter decides who is going into whatever office. And the fact remains that there are 100 million plus people in this country who say they are “born-again” believers in Jesus Christ. If indeed we are born-again and therefore want to live by the Bible (for that’s in the heart of every true believer in Christ), then there are enough of us to overwhelmingly control any election in America—if we vote Biblical positions on issues. Click here to listen to or read the entire article: heritageministriesky.com/2012/09/05/the-bible-teaches-voting/#more-907
|
|