History Sermon

History can be a great teacher of what the future can hold by looking at the past. It teaches us that Rulers and Kings desired the support of the people they govern and to gain that support made promises of an easier life with less responsibility. Recent history tells us that in 1913 an amendment to the Constitution, relieved our elected officials of the responsibility to account to us on how we are taxed and for what we are taxed. With this power they promise the people they govern an easier life with less responsibility.
I was given a copy of a sermon that I think illustrates how history from four thousand years ago can look so familiar today.
The Pastor of this sermon is unknown.

Good morning, brothers and> sisters; it's always a delight to see the pews crowded on> Sunday morning, and so eager to get into God's Word. Turn> with me in your Bibles, if you will to the 47th chapter of> Genesis, we'll begin our reading at verse 13, and go through> verse 27.> > Brother Ray, would you stand> and read that great passage for us?> > ...(reading).....> > Thank you for that fine> reading, Brother Ray.... So we see that economic hard times> fell upon Egypt , and the people turned to the government of> Pharaoh to deal with this for them. And Pharaoh> nationalized the grain harvest, and placed the grain in> great storehouses that he had built. So the people brought> their money to Pharaoh, like a great tax increase, and gave > it all to him willingly in return for grain. And this went> on until their money ran out, and they were hungry again.> > So when they went to Pharaoh> after that, they brought their livestock, their cattle,> their horses, their sheep, and their donkey - to barter for> grain, and verse 17 says that only took them through the end> of that year.> > But the famine wasn't over,> was it? > So the next year, the people> came before Pharaoh and admitted they had nothing left,> except their land and their own lives. "There is nothing> left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our land. > Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? > Buy us and our land for food, and we with our land will be> servants to Pharaoh." So they surrendered their homes,> their land, and their real estate to Pharaoh's government,> and then sold themselves into slavery to him, in return for> grain. What can we learn from this, brothers and sisters? > > That turning to the> government instead of to God to be our provider in hard> times only leads to slavery? Yes. That the only reason> government wants to be our provider is to also become our> master? Yes. > > But look how that passage> ends, brothers and sisters! Thus Israel settled in the > land of Egypt , in the land of Goshen . And they gained> possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied> greatly." God provided for His people, just as always has! > They didn't end up giving all their possessions to> government, no, it says they gained possessions! > But I also tell you a great> truth today, and an ominous one. We see the same thing> happening today - the government today wants to "share the> wealth "once again, to take it from us and redistribute it> back to us. It wants to take control of healthcare, just as> it has taken control of education, and ration it back to us,> and when government rations it, then government decides who> gets it, and how much, and what kind. And if we go along> with it, and do it willingly, then we will wind up no> differently than the people of Egypt did four thousand years> ago - as slaves to the government, and as slaves to our> leaders.> > What Mr. Obama's government> is doing now is no different from what Pharaoh's government> did then, and it will end the same. And a lot of people> like to call Mr. Obama a "Messiah," don't they? Is he a> Messiah? A savior? Didn't the Egyptians say, after Pharaoh> made them his slaves, "You have saved our lives; may it> please my lord, we will be servants to Pharaoh?" > > Well, I tell you this - I > know the Messiah; the Messiah is a friend of mine; and Mr.> Obama is no Messiah! No, brothers and sisters, if Mr..> Obama is a character from the Bible, then he is Pharaoh!> > Bow with me in prayer, if> you will.> > Lord, You alone are worthy > to be served, and we rely on You, and You alone. We confess> that the government is not our deliverer, and never rightly> will be. We read in the eighth chapter of 1 Samuel, when> Samuel warned the people of what a ruler would do, where it> says "And in that day you will cry out because of your king,> whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not> answer you in that day." And Lord, we acknowledge that day> has come. We cry out to you because of the ruler that we> have chosen for ourselves as a nation. Lord, we pray for> this nation. We pray for revival, and we pray for> deliverance from those who would be our masters. Give us> hearts to seek You and hands to serve You, and protect Your> people from the atrocities of Pharaoh's government.> > In God We Trust...

Healthcare

This is not about numbers or statistical data on health care. There are many sources for everyone to gather that information. This is about provoking thought to stimulate a desire to be informed on the issue of healthcare. Our Government claims we have a crisis that requires legislation on healthcare that will impact each and every individual in the country. The availability of medical care and treatment for everyone is not the problem. We have the best health care system in the world.
The Social Security Act of 1965 signed into law by President Johnson as amendments to the Social Security legislation gave us Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare operates as a single-payer health care system. So we have experience with a single-payer government run system. If we have the best healthcare system in the world, run by the private sector in a capitalist system, why do we have a crisis that requires government to socialize our healthcare?
Our Federal and State Governments can lower cost thru the reformation of program regulation and mandates that limit opportunity for competition and choice. Tort reform: to limit lawsuits, tax reform: to allow deductibility of insurance premiums, and health savings accounts. The debate should be about reform to lower cost to the healthcare system, and to promote competition and choice. To follow the examples of Canada and Great Britain and socialize America’s Healthcare system would not be the will of the People.

Representation

“But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever…” John Adams
For our government to function, as it was intended to function, we have to elect people that represent the virtues and values of the voters. They should not pander to groups with an agenda to politicize an issue designed to divide us into voting blocks. We cannot allow ourselves to be divided on single hot button issues. Politicians use this tactic to further their own political ambitions, not to serve the will of the people.
One example would be the cap and trade bill. Without presenting to the American people the cost to our economy or the impact it would have on our daily lives, they continue to support this idea. Have our elected officials listened to the objections and concerns of their constituents? No, it is not the will of the people.
Another issue of the day is Health Care. At town hall meeting, all across America, people have voiced their concerns and opposition to a Government run and controlled health care system. But today they still pursue what we the people do not want. This is not the will of the people.
Going Green is the catch phrase of the day. Agreeing with the United Nation on this issue, and to expose our country to the dictates of this organization is not popular with the American people. The United Nations goal, for global control and global taxation on this issue, is something our Government continues to consider. This is not the will of the people.
With technology and the internet, it has never been easier to stay in contact with our elected officials. They need to be informed of our opinions about how they represent us. They need to know that we hold them accountable to serve the people, not the government.
We hear from our elected officials how other governments around the world view our system of government. They have even apologized to other governments for what we are and who we are. Our Constitution gives us the only form of government in the world is required to insure its people Freedom, Liberty, and Posterity….”Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other”…John Adams
Why would anyone apologize for that?
We must start today with individual efforts to hold our elected officials accountable. We must educate ourselves and be informed with what our government is about or we will surely awaken one day and not recognize the place we have come to. “I know of no safe depositor of the ultimate powers of [a] society but people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education. This is the true corrective of abuses of constitutional power.”… Thomas Jefferson.

Preamble and XVI Amendment

In reading the Constitution of the United States, the Preamble is a powerful introduction. You may find yourself reading it over and over; each time analyzing the meaning of those words: WE THE PEOPLE, Blessings of Liberty, Welfare and Posterity.


PREAMBLE

WE THE PEOPLE of the UNITED STATES, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, and promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

The 16th Amendment to the Constitution is also very powerful. Analyze the meaning of those thirty words in contrast to the words of the preamble.

Amendment XVI

The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without census or enumeration.

With this amendment our Government has been given the power to rule our freedom, our liberties, our welfare and posterity; this is not what our founding fathers intended.

Acorn Supporters

Why in the world would any responsible Elected Official vote to keep a Unscrupulous organization like ACORN funded. If any of these representatives are in your district you should call them at their capitol office and demand an explanation and maybe you should start seeing who you can elect to replace them.

Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc.
Xavier Becerra, D-Calif.
Robert Brady D-Pa.
Corrine Brown, D-Fla.
G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C.
Mike Capuano, D-Mass.
Andre Carson, D-Ind.
Kathy Castor, D-Fla.
Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo.
James Clyburn, D-S.C.
Joseph Crowley, D-N.Y.
Elijah Cummings, D-Md.
Danny Davis, D-Ill.
Diane DeGette, D-Colo.
Bill Delahunt, D-Mass.
Mike Doyle, D-Pa.
Donna Edwards, D-Md.
Keith Ellison, D-Minn.
Eliot Engel, D-N.Y.
Chaka Fattah, D-Pa.
Bob Filner, D-Calif.
Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio
Al Green, D-Tex.
Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz.
Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y.
Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii
Rush Holt, D-N.J.
Mike Honda, D-Calif.
Jesse Jackson, Jr. D-Ill.
Sheila Jackson-Lee, D-Tex.
Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Tex.
Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, D-Mich.
Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio
Rick Larsen, D-Wash.
Barbara Lee, D-Calif.
John Lewis, D-Ga.
Stephen Lynch, D-Mass.
Markey, D-Mass.
Betty McCollum, D-Minn.
McDermott, D-Wash.
McGovern, D-Mass.
Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y.
Alan Mollohan, D-W.Va.
Gwen Moore, D-Wisc.
Jim Moran, D-Va.
Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y.
Richard Neal, D-Mass.
John Olver, D-Mass.
Frank Pallone, D-N.J.
Bill Pascrell, D-N.J.
Donald Payne, D-N.J.
Jared Polis, D-Colo.
David Price, D-N.C.
Nick Rahall, D-W.Va.
Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y.
Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Calif.
Bobby Rush, D-Ill.
Linda Sánchez, D-Calif.
Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill.
David Scott D-Ga.
Bobby Scott, D-Va.
Jose Serrano, D-N.Y.
Brad Sherman, D-Calif.
Albio Sires, D-N.J.
Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y.
Pete Stark, D-Calif.
Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.
Edolphus Towns, D-N.Y.
Niki Tsongas, D-Mass.
Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y.
Maxine Waters, D-Calif.
Diane Watson, D-Calif.
Henry Waxman, D-Calif.
Robert Wexler, D-Fla.
Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif.