The Old Gray Uniform

Folded and tucked away in a wooden drawer
Lays an old tattered suit of gray
Blood and mud has long stained its color
From a battlefield where the soldier lay

Once he fought for his native land
To protect her purity from uncouth invaders
He battled courageously against blue bellies—
Men who were freedom-haters

Now his uniform lays forlorn
There's not much occasion to take it out
The sight of it usually brings tears
Memories of a bloody bout

The soldier's back was once young and strong
But now he's bent with age
He will never forget the Southern struggle
Of warring against a tyrant's rage

He was once the emblem of the South
Young, strong, and fervently proud
But now he's a forgotten old man
Whose voice is not so loud

Yet he is still just as proud
He still walks with a firm step
His old musket, though a mockery to some
Will always shadow his doorstep

His gray uniform once had a purpose
To fight Liberty's battle
But now—forgotten like its wearer
Is thrown into the mud by prattle

The old gray uniform is an emblem
Of a glory forever long gone
Of a day when the man was young
And his gun was drawn

The old gray uniform is still in battle
Of fighting evil invaders
Men who don't understand liberty
Wicked men who are God-haters

The Absence of Tyranny

"...unless these departments be so far connected and blended, as to give to each a constitutional control over the others, the degree of separation which the maxim requires, as essential to a free government, can never in practice be duly maintained." -James Madison, No.48, The Federalist

All men are born with a depraved sin nature inherited from Adam and his fall in the Garden of Eden.  All men are desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9), and their righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah64:6).  All men are prone to weaknesses, whether physical or spiritual.  Moreover, because all men are sinners, all men make mistakes, even as did our founding fathers when they drew up the Constitution of the United States.  Because of their reassuring faith in God, and their abiding wisdom in making the thirteen colonies into thirteen independent states, we see that they were both wise and knowledgeable.  We as a country have been great because of the principles our founding fathers laid forth.  Still yet, they were men—sinners—who made mistakes just like everybody else.  They were not exempt from sin or error, as we will soon learn.  Although they realized that liberty always has danger—from within and out—they were not perfect and did not draw up a perfect Constitution.  Benjamin Franklin, one of the constitutional delegates, realized this from the beginning.  As he stated:

"I am apprehensive, therefore—perhaps too apprehensive—that the Government of these States may in future times end in a monarchy.  But this catastrophe, I think, may be long delayed, if in our proposed system we do not sow the seeds of contention, faction, and tumult, by making our posts of honor places of profit."

Thomas Jefferson also realized that man is frail and weak.  Speaking of this subject, he said, "Let no more be said of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution."

"The founders of our republics have so much merit for the wisdom which they have displayed, that no task can be less pleasing than that of pointing out the errors into which they have fallen. A respect for truth, however, obliges us to remark, that they seem never for a moment to have turned their eyes from the danger to liberty, from the overgrown and all-grasping prerogative of an hereditary magistrate, supported and fortified by an hereditary branch of the legislative authority. They seem never to have recollected the danger from legislative usurpations, which, by assembling all power in the same hands, must lead to the same tyranny as is threatened by executive usurpations." -James Madison, No.48, The Federalist

A look at history will show that in every nation that has ever been in existence, power corrupts.  Even if the governmental ruler acknowledged God as Supreme Ruler over all, a lust for power in the hearts of men always destroyed what peace there might have been.  Man has always desired power, and he will usually do anything to get what his heart desires.  Before the founding of Jamestown in 1607, nation after nation had risen only to fall as the seeds of corruption entered in.  From the beginning when the serpent tempted Eve, mankind wanted to be as gods, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:4), which, put candidly, is a desire to be as God, or better yet, above Him.  The building of the tower of Babel displays this in Genesis 11.  Man in his naive, finite little mind thought he could reach unto heaven and make himself a name in the earth (v.4).  Psalm 14:1 says that a fool declares in his heart, "There is no God."  Truly, only a fool would utter such a statement.  A simple glance at creation, the work of God's hands, will set the record straight.  All  men in their heart of hearts do know down deep that God exists (Romans 1:18-23).  Their rebellious nature stubbornly refuses to give Him glory and honor.  Instead, they continue to battle God, imagining in their foolish hearts that they can win.  This is the struggle in today's world.  We have seen men like Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Fidel Castro, and others who are as the fool described in Psalm 14.  They somehow visualize a utopian world free from chaos and greed, but without God.  They see fanatical man (themselves) dominant in power as the god of the universe.

The United States was a different story.  Unlike the fallible Roman Empire, unlike the bloody French government of the 17 and 1800s, our founding fathers believed in the One True God.  They understood that man could never rule over the King of kings and Lord of lords; that instead He rules them.  They grasped the fact that the Bible as God's Word is the law which man should live by—not man himself, not man's word, but God's, because He is the Creator of all things who has all authority and power both in heaven and in earth (Matthew 28:18).  They limited man’s power by binding him down with the chains of the Constitution, as Thomas Jefferson precisely said.  Nevertheless, mistakes occurred in spite of their careful meticulousness.

"It is agreed on all sides, that the powers properly belonging to one of the departments, ought not to be directly and completely administered by either of the other departments. It is equally evident, that neither of them ought to possess, directly or indirectly, an overruling influence over the others in the administration of their respective powers. It will not be denied, that power is of an encroaching nature, and that it ought to be effectually restrained from passing the limits assigned to it. After discriminating, therefore, in theory, the several classes of power, as they may in their nature be legislative, executive, or judiciary; the next, and most difficult task, is to provide some practical security for each, against the invasion of the others. What this security ought to be, is the great problem to be solved." -James Madison, No.48, The Federalist

There is a danger in any society where liberty is dominant, no matter how cautious the planning or specific the vigilance.  God will always have enemies, man will always be weak, and Christians will always make mistakes.  We cannot help these basics of life, but something can be done.  We can fight (both figuratively and literally) in battle against God's enemies, we can place the most exemplary and commendable men in offices of government (1 Timothy 3:1-13), and we can, through Christ's help, make right our mistakes.  Because perfectness in man will never be on earth, we must do what we can to the best of our ability through Christ (Philippians 4:13).  We must be vigilant, we must be strong, but above all else, we must put our trust completely in Christ.

"In a government where numerous and extensive prerogatives are placed in the hands of a hereditary monarch, the executive department is very justly regarded as the source of danger, and watched with all the jealousy which a zeal for liberty ought to inspire. In a democracy, where a multitude of people exercise in person the legislative functions, and are continually exposed, by their incapacity for regular deliberation and concerted measures, to the ambitious intrigues of their executive magistrates, tyranny may well be apprehended, on some favourable emergency, to start up in the same quarter. But in a representative republic, where the executive magistracy is carefully limited, both in the extent and the duration of its power; and where the legislative power is exercised by an assembly, which is inspired by a supposed influence over the people, with an intrepid confidence in its own strength; which is sufficiently numerous to feel all the passions which actuate a multitude; yet not so numerous as to be incapable of pursuing the objects of its passions, by means which reason prescribes; it is against the enterprising ambition of this department, that the people ought to indulge all their jealousy, and exhaust all their precautions." -James Madison, No.48, The Federalist

Our government, as intended by the Constitution, is composed of an executive, judicial, and legislative body.  They were created in such a way to complement each other as a just weight and balance of power.  Power was not given to one only, nor was one given too much power above the others.  Their powers, though separate and distinct, were made and given in such a way that each would be accountable to the others—like a conscience—so no one with a big head would overstep his boundaries.  Unfortunately, man once again in his lust for power and control did just that by crossing the forbidden line.  Not many years after the Constitution was put into effect, James Madison expressed his deep concern over what seemed flagrant defiance of the Constitution's law.  As he said in The Federalist Paper, No.48, paragraphs 10-14:

"A great number of laws had been passed violating, without any apparent necessity, the rule requiring that all bills of a public nature shall be previously printed for the consideration of the people; although this is one of the precautions chiefly relied on by the constitution against improper acts of the legislature.

"The constitutional trial by jury had been violated; and powers assumed which had not been delegated by the constitution.

"Executive powers had been usurped.

"The salaries of the judges, which the constitution expressly requires to be fixed, had been occasionally varied; and cases belonging to the judiciary department, frequently drawn within legislative cognizance and determination.

"Those who wish to see the several particulars falling under each of these heads, may consult the journals of the council which are in print. Some of them, it will be found, may be imputable to peculiar circumstances connected with the war: but the greater part of them may be considered as the spontaneous shoots of an ill constituted government."

Already we see opposition to God-ordained law.  It happened fast, to be sure, but so did opposition to God in the Garden of Eden.  Because of man’s weakness for power, our political paradise was lost.  This struggle will be one that will last until Christ's second coming.  Many men will attempt to overthrow God and liberty under His law.  However, Christ will be victorious in making His enemies His footstool (Psalm 110:1)

“All the powers of government, legislative, executive, and judiciary, result to the legislative body. The concentrating these in the same hands, is precisely the definition of despotic government. It will be no alleviation that these powers will be exercised by a plurality of hands, and not by a single one. One hundred and seventy-three despots would surely be as oppressive as one. Let those who doubt it, turn their eyes on the republic of Venice. As little will it avail us that they are chosen by ourselves. An elective despotism was not the government we fought for; but one which should not only be founded on free principles, but in which the powers of government should be so divided and balanced among several bodies of magistracy, as that no one could transcend their legal limits, without being effectually checked and restrained by the others. For this reason, that convention which passed the ordinance of government, laid its foundation on this basis, that the legislative, executive, and judiciary departments, should be separate and distinct, so that no person should exercise the powers of more than one of them at the same time. But no barrier was provided between these several powers. The judiciary and executive members were left dependent on the legislative for their subsistence in office, and some of them for their continuance in it. If, therefore, the legislature assumes executive and judiciary powers, no opposition is likely to be made; nor if made, can be effectual; because in that case, they may put their proceeding into the form of an act of assembly, which will render them obligatory on the other branches. They have accordingly, in many instances, decided rights which should have been left to judiciary controversy; and the direction of the executive, during the whole time of their session, is becoming habitual and familiar.” -Thomas Jefferson, “Notes on the state of Virginia,” (p. 195).

"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God." -Romans 13:1

Many times this verse is quoted by congressmen, senators, representatives, mayors, judges, and other such men in positions of power whenever a Christian opposes their leadership.  Hypocritically, they throw these words back in our faces to silence, subject, and humiliate us.  After all, if God said it, we as Christians are to obey it.  Whoever is in power at the moment we are to obey, and no ifs, ands, or buts about it.  The problem is that the rest of the chapter is not read.  God ordained governmental rulers as His ministers and bearers of the sword.  Many think that Christians are to blindly follow (with no opposition) whomever may be in power, even to the extent that Christians are persecuted, their heads are cut off, they are burned at the stake, fed to lions, and thousands upon thousands annihilated.  Many believe that "whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation" (v.2).  Many tyrannical rulers cruelly take advantage of "feeble" Christians because of a misconstrued idea about Christianity in appliance to government affairs.  What these Christians do not realize is that rulers are not to be "a terror to good works, but to the evil" (v.3).  While evil rulers do hold office under God's ultimate rule, they are not of God.  God does not know them because there is no wicked way in Him.  Those who oppose God, Christians are to oppose.

"God ordained government for our benefit and blessing.  When government becomes a curse, a means of slavery, thieving and fraud, it is not in the will of God." -Pastor John Weaver, The Christian and Romans 13 Civil Government.  

No king, president, governor, or any type of ruler has the right, power, or authority to go against God's law.  As Romans 13 says, God delegates all power and authority which man possesses to them.  Therefore, every ruler is accountable to God.  There comes a time when the people have to say enough is enough and resist their rulers.  We cannot go contrary to God's will, so if our ruler disobeys God, we have the right to oppose him.

"Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God." -Thomas Jefferson

"It appears that the constitution had been flagrantly violated by the legislature in a variety of important instances." -James Madison, No.48, The Federalist

To rebel against biblical authority is wrong; however, resisting tyrannical law is not rebellion.  There must be a distinction between the two.  There is no obligation or command in the Bible to submit to ungodly leaders.  On the contrary, God demands we submit first to Him, and in accordance to His law, to biblical government.  In an absence of tyranny there is freedom; but power corrupts those who are weak and greedy, those who are afraid to stand up for what is right  We as observant Christians must be prepared every day, in every situation.  We have had many blatant violations of the Bible and the Constitution, but that does not mean we are to let our country continue down this path of destruction.  Let our words echo those of Nathan Hale who said, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country."  We indeed have a life to live and give for our country.  The question is, will we give it?

"The conclusion which I am warranted in drawing from these observations is, that a mere demarkation on parchment of the constitutional limits of the several departments, is not a sufficient guard against those encroachments which lead to a tyrannical concentration of all the powers of government in the same hands." -James Madison, No.48, The Federalist

In the words of James Madison above, I leave you with this thought: indeed, ink on paper is not enough to control the minds and actions of men and the "encroachments which lead to tyrannical concentration of all the powers of government in the same hands."  We must be responsible, we must be vigilant, and we must always fight against those who oppose God.  Let us not be weak and disgraced; rather, let us take a stand for liberty and truth.  No excuses or denials will save us.  Only God can save us through His might and power.  Sometimes power corrupts even the best of men, sometimes corrupt power seems very powerful and victorious, but we must keep fighting against evil that threatens to destroy all the good in this world.  We must continue to uphold Christ's Crown and Covenant!  If we have nothing worthwhile to live for, then why do we continue to live?  As in the Marxist/atheistic worldview, man has nothing to live for.  Conversely, according to Christian principles, Christ is everything for which we have to live.  The choice is simple: liberty or death, righteousness or evil, subjection or command, God or Satan, victory or defeat.  Do you want to live or die, especially concerning your eternal life?  The choice is yours.

"It's A Free Country!"

Unfortunately, it's not...at least not anymore.

Do we have freedom to carry our guns to church? Do we have freedom to share the gospel openly in public schools? Do we have freedom to drive down the road without being "checked" by the local police? Do we have freedom to preach on the streets without being arrested? Do we have freedom to peacefully protest without a "go-ahead" from authority? Do we have freedom of speech? Of religion? Do we have freedom from "unreasonable searches and seizures", free in our "persons, houses, papers, and effects"? Do we have the freedom to handle State affairs without the federal government "butting in"? Do we have freedom from attack - not from other countries - but from those in the White House? Do we have freedom from immigrant invasion? Do we have freedom of the press? Of the media? Of perversion from Hollywood? Do we have freedom from communists who have snuck in behind the scenes and are now the ones at the very top of government power? Do we have freedom of property without unjust taxes?  The freedoms we don't have anymore are astonishing. Every freedom that I just listed, plus many more, openly contradict our Constitution. You see, we are no longer ruled by constitutional and biblical law; rather by the whim of whoever stands in office.  The correct terms to use would be totalitarianism and dictatorship.  In other words, tyranny.

No, this is not a free country. Some may call it a New World Order.  We aren't a nation anymore.  Instead there are communists who are working to make all nations of the world one.  Considering the diverse population of the United States, I'd say we are a conglomeration of nationalities, fooling ourselves we are still a nation.  As Barak Obama said, we are no longer just a Christian nation, but a Muslim nation, a Jewish nation, a Hindu nation, etc.  I would also add, "a communist nation and a socialist nation." 

Theodore Roosevelt once said, "The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities..."

He spoke prophetically as if he knew what America would be like in 2011.

We are no longer a nation.

Bearing in mind the fact that there are people who would like a new Constitution, or even a revision of the present one, I'd say we won't have biblical constitutional standards for long, if we continue to let the wrong people lead us.   The Left is adamant that every Christian law and principle be smashed into the dust.  Including gun rights.  Especially gun rights.  They want the people to be left defenseless in the face of the enemy (themselves).  They understand that the right to bear arms is a biblical demand; otherwise they wouldn't be so obdurately against it.   As Luke 11:21-22 says:

"When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armor wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils."

A bill, H.B. 54 that has been presented here in Georgia, has that biblical principle in mind. This is what Bobby Franklin realizes, as does Georgia Gun Owners: a people cannot be truly free unless they have the right to bear arms.   Citizens of Georgia, this ought to be a call to bring us to our feet.  Surely we can see the hidden danger in a society that doesn't have the right to carry their guns to church.  We are then left open to attack, defenseless in the face of the enemy.  However, we are to be prepared at all times.

Another thing we ought to realize is that crime rates plummet downward when God-fearing, responsible citizens have the right to carry guns, and defend life against murderous marauders and molesters.  If the law forbids us to carry our guns to church, eventually the law (or actually the people behind it) will take away our right to carry guns anywhere.  Once that happens, we will be attacked more aggressively from every side.  Our children will grow up in an exposed and vulnerable society where thugs parade the streets and no one is safe.  Are we going to allow ourselves to be backed into a corner with no maneuvering room?

The right to bear arms goes back to the founding of the New World (1600s) when colonial settlers carried their guns to church for the protection of their families (Listen here to find out more information).  People in history have always understood that it is a duty, a God-given right, to protect, families.  It should never be just a consideration or a choice - it is a command.  Americans today deem the usage of weapons as less essential compared to those in past history who considered it necessary.   In this day and age, so many places prohibit guns.  In view of all the crime that rampages our fair country, we never know when we might be attacked, which is why we must always be ready (1 Peter 3:15).

Because there are men out in the world who would like to destroy our families and churches, it is even more vital that citizens who are accountable have the right to carry their guns wherever they go, including church buildings.  If not, crime and corruption will burst out bolder than ever.

Will you join us in supporting gun rights?  Will you take a stand for liberty?  Sometimes we complain that there isn't anything we can do!   Here is your first step.  Uncle Sam doesn't want you; instead God wants you to join His army, one that stands for liberty and justice for all.  Our Constitution is being trampled upon.  Our lives are being surrendered to a Utopian, socialistic dream.  Our very country is at stake.  Don't we want to live in a "free country" once again?

 (Another "checking" device of our so-called justices of the peace. Can we really believe this is security?)

“It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.”  -George Washington

“Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains taken to bring it to light.”  -George Washington

“If we are not governed by God, then we will be ruled by tyrants.”  -William Penn

“No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.”  -General Douglas MacArthur

“Two choices are set before a nation. Either God is the ultimate authority or man is.”  -Gary DeMAr

“No man can escape the problem of authority. Every man will consciously or unconsciously appeal to some authority as basic and ultimate to life. Most authorities revered by men today are human authorities: the individual, the people, the elite thinkers and planners, science, reason, or the state. These are all humanistic authorities.”  -R.J. Rushdoony

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”  Edmund Burke

“I charge you, citizens of the United States, afloat on your wild sea of politics, there is another king, one Jesus: the safety of the state can be secured only in the way of humble and wholehearted loyalty to His person and of obedience to His law.”  -A.A. Hodge.

“When a man is secure in the possession of his property, he has an area of liberty and dominion which is beyond the reach of other men. If no man and no state can reach in to tax and confiscate his property, man can enjoy true liberty and great security, whether he be prosperous or poor. Every attack on private property [and guns] is, therefore, an attack on man’s liberty.  Man’s freedom and security in the possession of his property is not only basic to man’s independence, but it is also basic to his power. A man has power if he can act independently of other men and the state, if he can make his stand in the confidence of liberty. Every attack on private property therefore is also an attack on the powers of free men as well as their liberty.”  -R.J. Rushdoony

A video James Brown of Covenant Commission (pastor of Covenant Baptist Church) speaks on H.B.54

The Right to Bear Arms "shall not be infringed."

 I took the liberty of copying and pasting an issue of my dad's covenant e-newsletter he sent out last night, for my readers' benefit.  Just recently this has came to my attention, considering the fact that my mom, sisters, and I helped Daddy shoot video yesterday.  Below you will find out the important information needed to understand the reason for this post.  People, the right to carry firearms is not something to be afraid of, unless, of course, when guns are in the hands of lunatics (the same thing could be said of driving, drinking, serving in positions of leadership, etc.)  The Second Amendment to the Constitution gives us that right - a right already ordained by God (protecting life).  How is a man to protect his family if he can't carry his gun to church?  "The law makes no sense."   The right to bear arms "shall not be infringed" (2nd Amendment to the Constitution), including places of worship.

 January 26, 2011

Dear Brethren,

On a number of occasions over the years, I’ve awakened to the news that a violent, gun-wielding thug has burst into a place of worship and taken the lives of peaceful worshippers.  Attacks upon defenseless crowds are becoming more common.  Criminals and madmen look for easy targets.

I’m rather troubled by the thought of such an occurrence at places of worship in Georgia.

Unfortunately, if something like this were to occur in Georgia, worshippers would be sitting ducks—defenseless in the face of the assault.

Why?  Because the government of the State of Georgia says we are criminals if we carry to defend ourselves and our families in our places of worship.  Why can we protect ourselves when we go down to the local grocer but not in our worship facility?

The law makes no sense.  We are left open to attack by those who would wish to do us harm. We are considered criminals and this is wrong.

The good news is that we can fix this.  Recently, I was made aware of a bill, H.B. 54, which was introduced in the Georgia General Assembly by Rep. Bobby Franklin.

If passed, individuals in Georgia would be able to carry at their preferred place of worship.

I’m supporting this bill and I hope will too. If you are a pastor or minister, please get behind this bill as well.  We need the support of pastors to get this legislation passed.  Our state representatives must know that pastors and well as their parishioners want this legislation.

What you can do is get on the phone right now and call the legislature.  Call your elected officials and demand that they call for a public, roll-call vote on H.B. 54.  Ask them to publicly support the bill and to vote for it when it comes to the floor.

The first week in February (next week), we are trying to get some pastors and other concerned Georgians to go with us to the State legislature and speak with members directly.  We are attempting to show support for this legislation and influence them to stand firm this time around.  We cannot let them get out of acting on this important bill.  Our public support is the only way to ensure the bill comes to a vote.

If you are interested in going with us to the State legislature please respond to this email as quick as possible so we can get the date and time coordinated.  It will be well worth your time and greatly appreciated.

Thank you very much and God Bless.

For Christ and liberty,

Pastor James Brown Jr.

Covenant Baptist Church

covenant@covenantcommission.org

TSA Travel Terror: Totalitarian Dictatorship

The late great General of the Army, Douglas MacArthur said this: "I am concerned for the security of our great nation, not so much because of any potential threat from without, but because of the insidious forces working from within which, opposed to all of our great traditions, have gravely weakened the structure and tone of our American way of life."

What has happened to Americans to allow this?  America has really lost her once-liberty-loving soul.  No one seems to care much anymore except a handful of people.  I'll give it to you bluntly, folks: America is headed has already reached a crisis point.  We are socialists and communists living underneath a totalitarian government.  Don't believe me?  How do you account for this and this?  America, you've got a lot of explaining to do.

Perhaps this news surprises you, or even puts fear in your heart like it does mine.  What right have we to complain about life's very simple problems when this country has far bigger ones?  Christians, it is time to rise up out of our comfort zone, dig our buried heads out of the sand, and fight the fight of faith!  (Ephesians 6)  This is a rallying battle cry to every American: man or woman, boy or girl.  We all can make a difference.  

To join in a reformation that is seeking Christ's crown and covenant, visit Covenant Commission.  We are dedicated to reforming the home, church, and civil government.  Yes, this is the holiday season and no one wants to be bogged down in gloom, so don't!  This reformation can be exciting, if we will put our hand to the plow and never look back.  Give Christmas an even greater meaning this year.  Christ came to bring us life; therefore make the most of it.  Make a difference.

Also see Covenant Baptist Church.

Destination Destruction. Video by Covenant Commission

Video from Covenant Commission

Can we feel safe anymore with America's system of  "security"?  Check out James Brown Jr's latest video to see how far America has degraded herself.

A Change in the Wind

Hello all my adoring fans and readers! (Hey, I can dream, can't I?)

My blog posts have been pretty sporadic over the year that I've been blogging.  Apparently I can't stick to a specific schedule.  I've tried that several times.  I know that I'm not rhetoric, but what would you, my loyal fans, like to hear from me? (Please don't tell me you'd rather I shut my big mouth...unless you really mean it.)  What would you like to gain from this blog?  My purpose is threefold: to help fellow brothers and sisters (as well as myself!), show forth God's glory, and to convince y'all that there's a dork out there who makes plenty of mistakes...just like you and everybody else.  There's only one thing - we can conquer those things, whether petty or considerable in size.  I want to be effective in what I do, but I need some feedback.

My random (and sometimes sloppy) writing style is going through some major changes. (I have several articles on the horizon, but don't expect too much too soon.)  I'm going to write more often (something I love to do, so it shouldn't be a problem. However, considering the business of life...we'll see.), and more worthwhile.  What are your major concerns?  What do you struggle with most?  What are your dreams, hopes, thoughts, and expectations for the future?  What are your tastes, passions, pursuits?  As for mine, they're practically endless.  We'll not go into them just right now.

What do young women struggle with the most?  That's easy: acceptance.  Many different things fall under that category.  But what about young men?  For that I haven't an answer. (After all, we are different.)  We all struggle with many things, but since God created us male and female, there are hundreds of differences between us.  Surely you've noticed that if your household contains each gender.

What are your worries relating to America?  Do you now fully realize that she is sinking steadily?  Do you see the Constitution being torn apart into little pieces by the ones who have sworn to uphold it?  That's too much irony for me.  What would our founding fathers say?

Every life has a different story.  Is it beautiful or mournfully lonely?  Is it overflowing with happiness or perhaps full of trials?  Is it a victory that overcomes the world?  Just like a writer struggles with different styles for each character, so we live day to day with different characteristics in our lives.  What's your story?

I'd love to hear from you anytime at rachel@covenantdevotion.com with questions, comments, or perhaps a word of encouragement.  Hey, I'd even welcome criticism! (Give it a try.)  Feedback could also help me decide what to write about.  I'm not saying that I'll have all the answers (heaven forbid!), but with lots of study, and principle help from our Lord Jesus Christ, the major issues of life can be fought and won!  "I have not yet begun to fight!" said John Paul Jones.  Let our words be the same.

Lord, we give this day to You,

Bless it - come what may.

Guide us in what e'er we do,

Love us day by day.

Lord, we lift our hands to You in praise,

Bless us - come what may.

Grasp us as to You our hearts we raise,

Love us day by day.

Although many issues in our day and age are desperately serious, hope also remains.  Jesus Christ has promised that one day all the kingdoms of this world will be the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. (Revelation 11:15)  We don't know if America will be vanquished or not.  While hope remains, we are to fight and press on.  Christ will come out victorious in the end and all enemies will be His footstool.  Because we have something to live for, why not live?

Poor As Church Mice

Living in this economically, socially, ecclesiastical, and civilly failing nation, life is hard.  Food and gas prices rocketing more than this generation has seen, Barak Obama's presidential election, moral anarchy, the bouncing stock market, our enormous debt and the money being printed without any security, thousands of jobless Americans, and many other countless problems occurring in the U.S.  Why don't we give up?  After all, the way things keep reoccurring, we're going to end up being a third-world nation with a Muslim dictator who forces our every move.  Why don't we find someplace to hide - somewhere where we can burrow our heads in the sand and never be forced to move?  Sound like an idea?  Okay, let's go! Where to...Scotland or...

Wait a minute.  We certainly cannot hide from God's omnipresence.  Jonah already learned that lesson for us.  If we can't hide or run away, surely there is something else we can do.

I love America, my beautiful homeland country.  But (small as it may be) I am so tired of hearing about our problems.  Sometimes I can pretend nothing is really happening...and I live my normal crazy life.  However, every once in a while "what-ifs" jumble about in my head.  If you want to feel deeply melancholy, start delving into America's numerous problems.

I don't want to focus on pain or sorrow or tribulation.  Life is plenty full of that.  Imagining what America used to be is even worse.  After everything our Founding Fathers did for us, this is what we've done to repay them.  Some gratitude.

Terrible things could occur that I don't even want to think about; things that make me shudder with dread.   We're faced with the issue anyway.  But for once, let's look at the bright side of things.  Optimistically, I prefer joy and happiness over gloom and despair.  As Ecclesiastes says, there is a time and season for everything.

Although life can be gloomy, troublesome, and downright hard, let's attempt to smile at our gloom, laugh at despair, and love during the hard times.  What is worth more than love, and a sparkling smile on a rainy day?  We can be the comfort of those who have given up all hope.  Through our lives Christ can be shown.  That takes real courage.

I've never known what "being rich" is like.  We all can be poor economically.   But what do true riches entail?  Many times life seems to defeat us with problems, but we can still be rich in the factual sense.  Remember when Jesus said that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. (Matthew 19: 23-24)  Perhaps that is why the poor and needy are always (most of the time anyway) reliant upon God because they have not riches to worship.  There is a reason for everything.

Being rich in God's grace, mercy, and love is worth more than all the jewels the world can produce.  As Jesus said in Matthew 4:4,  "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."  Here is proof that we need spiritual food.  Getting enough to eat everyday cannot sustain us.  We need the nectar of God's love.

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."  ~Matthew 5:6

We as Christians in the Church are the Bride, the Beloved of Christ.  Therefore we should trust Him in every aspect of life for He holds tomorrow in His hand.  He gives and He takes away, yet blessed be His holy name!  While we are to do our part as salt and light in this world, God directs the hearts of men.  He is our sustainer, so, "cast thy burden upon the LORD, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."  ~Psalm 55:22

Although we might be "poor and needy; yet the LORD thinketh upon me; make no tarrying, O my God."  ~Psalm 40:17

David said in Psalm 37:25,  "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread."

God sees America's problems.  He sees our personal problems.  And He cares!  Although America has turned her back upon the God of her fathers, He still cares for His own people.  Astonished though we may be, He still loves us with a deep and profound love.  That alone should put a song in our hearts.

"O LORD, Thou hast searched me, and known me.  Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thoughts afar off.  Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.  For there is not a word in my tongue, but lo, O LORD, Thou knowest it altogether."  ~Psalm 139:1-4  If God is acquainted with all our ways, don't you think He could possibly have a plan?  I know He does, which is why I determine to trust Him.  This world isn't getting any better yet, nor are we getting any richer, but God holds tomorrow - though we may not know what it brings.

"And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience."  ~Romans 5:3

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?"  ~Romans 8:35

We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)  If we therefore know, live it joyfully in every way!  Laugh a little, dance a while, and determine to live faithfully according to God’s Word.  Scripture is clear: if we love God we will obey Him.  Then we will reap rewards and blessings. (such as peace from this troubled world?)  But if we disobey and continue to disobey (as America has done) God will rain curses down upon us that could flatten any nation.  Even this unsinkable America.

When we are weak, then Christ can work through our weakness to display His strength. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) Therefore we can live life fully and steadfastly, abounding in His work, for our labor is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 15:58) Don't we serve an amazing God? 

"Has America sold its very soul?"

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, 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."  ~The Declaration of Independence.

Liberty is an essential ingredient in a prosperous nation.  Remove that ingredient, and the whole thing crumbles.  Tragically, that is what is happening in America today.

America was once a great nation.  I can see the old nation now: flags fluttering in the wind; proud militia men marching through the streets; families on their way to church; mothers and fathers raising their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; crowds roaming the streets without fear of molestation; men - courteous, kind, chivalrous, and masculine; women - feminine, noble, gracious, and compassionate; children - obedient, respectful, and dutiful; friends warm and understanding; complete strangers friendly and neighborly; God ruling over the hearts and minds of men; Liberty and Justice reigning under Christ's banner....does not your heart swell with pride?

Once America was great and glorious, but no more.

America has fallen (and will keep falling) because the people have forgotten to Whom their greatness is owed.  Will we stand by and watch our country dissolve into nothing, just something for the scavengers to steal away?  Is this our legacy we leave to our children?

“Let's face it.  America is on the decline - in almost every way.  Look around you when you visit a major city and you will see the vagrants huddled in alleyways.  Look at what passes for entertainment on television.  Look at the way our politicians in Washington disregard the law of the land to protect their own narrow, personal interests rather than those of the people.  Look at the threats on the horizon.  Do you feel confident that the recent crop of leadership can handle them?"  ~Joseph Farah in his book, Taking America Back.

America's problems are real.  We can't bury our heads in the sand and pretend like nothing is happening.  Disaster is happening, but what will we do to prevent it? 

“This is a time to challenge the status quo.  This is a time for agitation.  This is a time for hard work.  This is a time for risks."  ~Joseph Farah

To gain our independence from England's tyrant of a king and his unjust taxation, our forefathers risked everything - their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.  Many brave men died for that one, sacred word: liberty.  Throughout the centuries, thousands upon millions of people have died in sacrifice for freedom.  What more can a people want than the freedom to live in sweet peace? 

What do other countries see when they look at America?  They see freedom.  Why is that?  America is (or was) different from all the other land, just like Israel of old was.  But Israel forgot the God of their fathers.  They grew proud, arrogant, and rebellious.  They began to serve other gods, yet still they believed they were the "chosen people of God."  Ironic?  America has tread the same path.  Although we've grown rich and fat, and turned our backs on God, we continue to think that this nation is invincible, untouchable...unsinkable.  The Titanic was believed to be absolutely unsinkable.  God Himself couldn't sink the ship, many boasted.  But the result was tragic.  Many passengers lost their lives in the cold depths of the Pacific Ocean.  Unsinkable?

Americans just don't seem to care that America is sinking.  Only a remnant seems to notice.  That is what Covenant Commission and Covenant Baptist Church is all about.  Some men of God like my daddy have realized that men, women, and children need to rise up against the flow to take America back.  Look around you and you'll notice that patriotic zeal no longer reigns in the hearts of men.  Americans no longer stand proudly for their country.  We've made the mess, but we don't want to clean it up.  The spilled milk has been rotting, souring, and stinking.  The fumes of wickedness have been rising into the sky. God smells the reeking odor, He sees the stinking fumes.  Do we think He nonchalantly dismisses our sin with a wave of His hand as something that will pass with time?  Certainly not!  His anger is kindled.  The millions of babies murdered cruelly, the innocent being taken captive, abuse, lust, idolatry, immorality, wantonness, adultery, dishonesty, theft, etc. have churned His stomach.  Do we think even for a moment that we will escape unsinged?

No matter how many times people are confronted with the truth, they won't listen.  Nothing is being done but by a handful of people who realize the danger and are truly worried.  Too soon America will explode into shambles if we don't quickly stomp out the fuse.  It's burning quickly faster than before. 

How's that for being the voice of doom?  Yes, yes, I know.  People are sick and tired of hearing trouble and woe.  So am I.  I don't like worrying about the future while on the brink of crisis.  But the trouble is here, and we must deal with it.  Now, more than ever, we need to be awakened from our slumbering.

"Has America sold its very soul?"  A very provoking question issued by Mr. Farah, author of WorldNet Daily.com.  Has America really given up every aspect of liberty?  Have we sold ourselves?

Benjamin Franklin said, "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."  That is exactly what we have done.  Most people today would rather be politically and socially correct that morally right.  Why was the Declaration of Independence written and signed in the first place?  The colonists of 1776 weren't trifling when they declared "no taxation without representation!"  They weren't joking when the Boston "Indians" dumped a shipload of tea crates into Boston Harbor.  They weren't just playing when they sacrificed their lives on the bloody battlefield, braving fear, hunger, the cold of winter, the heat of summer, low ammunition, no shelter, and no provisions.  They were standing up for their God-given rights - rights ordained in the Bible.

Who has what real courage takes?

"Courage is the strength or choice to begin a change.  Determination is the persistence to continue in that change."  ~Author Unknown

We think America has courage and determination?  Think again!  However, I don't want to blame every citizen.  May 31st was Memorial day, a day when America honors those men who have so bravely and gallantly given their lives for the good of their country.  But how many Americans truly cared?  Did they stop and think that perhaps those sacrifices might have been in vain because of our doing?  We're giving up every opportunity to return to the faith of our fathers.  Punishment is coming over the horizon, but still we don't turn away from wickedness.  What will it take?  Egypt's proud power wasn't humbled until the firstborn was slain in their very sight while they watched helplessly on the sideline.

Our government has become tyrannical and unjust.  Our Founding Fathers created the Constitution to define our rights but also for the control of the federal government.  Specific powers being granted to the feds, most was left in the hands of the people (within reason for a good government).  After all, "we the people" created the federal government, so it makes sense, does it not?  What are our senators and representatives for?  To represent the people, to uphold our rights, not their own corrupt desires and lust for power.

How would you define right from wrong?  As a Christian, we answer based upon the word of God.  Sin is the transgression or disobedience of God's law. (1 John 3:4)  But what would a non-Christian say?  They would base their opinions on what they think is right and wrong.  What may be murder to one man isn't necessarily to another.  That is their worldview.  Most people in America have the wrong set of values.  The Bible is no longer held as the supreme law of the land.  Every man does what is right in his own eyes. (Proverbs 21:2)

Look at government schools.  They are raising the children of the next generation.  Mothers no longer embrace their responsibility in the home, so daycare and government run schools raise the children, shape their thinking, and brainwash their young minds into a Marxist, socialist worldview.  No wonder the young people are in such a mess!  The corrupt government is molding them into little destructive explosives.  Once Marxists, communists, and socialists reached the women with their terrible lie, the home became in greater chaos.  The "liberated" women have torn the family circle apart by no longer being women.  Now the men are no longer men but weak, passive individuals who let everybody override them when they are supposed to be strong leaders!  And the children are no longer being raised by their parents.  Karl Marx, Margret Sanger, John Lenin...they all had it figured out.  Disrupt the family, a Bible-ordained institution, and you disrupt the whole of America.  Take God and prayer out of the schools, you shape the next generation.  Take the women out of the home, they will destroy the men, and no longer be the hand that rocks the cradle to rule the world.

Taking America Back is Joseph Farah's call to a revolution.  Revolution?  That's a scary thought.  But no, this is not a bloody revolution like that which shook the streets of France and ran red with the blood of the innocent.  It is not a massacre, of the common people rebelling in lust, greed, equality mob rule, and a desire for power.  Heaven save us all from such a day!  This revolution is one that "can save us from tyranny, despotism, and slavery."  This is a revolution of Christians taking a stand for the rights of the people.  We don't want slavery, we don't want tyranny, but let freedom be our cry!  We need to stop being lazy and complacent.  Battles can't be won from the couches.

We believe in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  Peace is glorious only when men are free under God.  We can complain and cry all we want, but tears never softened any captor's hard and cruel heart.  Our jailer is hard-hearted and fierce, but he can be overcome by people who will stand on God's strength.

We can't rely on the government.  Do you truly believe they will ever change from their wicked ways?  Neither do I.  We the people must make the first move.  We belong in harmonious liberty under God.  We obey our Lord rather than men.


I'm not against government.  On the contrary.  The Bible even declares that good government is necessary for good life.  But I am most assuredly against corrupt government.  That is the type which gives any government a bad name.

Bluntly and honestly, America is socialistic.  There is no denial.  Our hearts should be crying out in anguish.  How could we have come so far?  Does not the impending judgment frighten the people enough to make them stop and think?  Does not disaster cause fear to rise in our hearts?  Does not our horrible wickedness repulse us?  We have become hard-hearted indeed.

Although the federal government is limited by the Constitution, we are no loner under that jurisdiction, their actions seem to say.  That is why they are meddling in thousands of affairs they have no authority sticking their hands into.  As William Penn said, "If we are not governed by God, then we will be ruled by tyrants."

America is ruled by tyrants.

"No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation." ~Gen. Douglas MacArthur

Gen. MacArthur understood that a people who will not uphold their freedom are not worthy of that blessing.  A nation cannot be great without liberty and morality.  Although Congress has become corrupt and vile, this is what they said back in 1787:  "Religion, morality, and knowledge are necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind."  (Could you imagine them saying that now?)  Are we happy?  Are we free?  Are we ruled by Jesus Christ?  The answers to those questions determine the type of nation we are.

This is tragic.

America is sinking, just like the Titanic.  (I know, I know, more "woe is us!" mentality.)  I'd rather talk about peace and prosperity as well.  But unless Americans heed the call, peace and prosperity will never come to pass.   Too soon we'll be like the other countries of the world - no longer a great and prosperous nation.  People from other lands will no longer look to us for safety and freedom, guidance and support.  They will see a desolate land full of immorality.  A Christian nation?  We're no better than the Amalekites, Canaanites, Moabites, Hittites, and every other wicked kingdom listed in the Old Testament.  We have sunk deep indeed.  Will we still continue to bury our heads in the sand?  We shouldn't be content any longer.  Our country has fallen.  Ask any person over the age of fifty, and they will tell you we have come far even from when they were young.  Oh what an age we live in!  It should be glorious, considering all the wealth we had once accumulated, how far technology has advanced, how much better life could be.  But we can take full control of this opportunity.  All isn't lost until we have given up all hope.  God is still on the throne; therefore we can still come out victorious!  I don't want a third-world country any more than the next person.  Now is the time to take America back...once and for all.

Will we heed the call?

"As is the religion, so is the nation."  ~Charles Galloway

"Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged."  ~Ronald Reagan

"Liberty cannot be established without morality, or morality without religion."  ~Alexis de Tocqueville

"It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible."  ~George Washington

"Expect great things; attempt great things."  ~William Carey

"Two choices are set before a nation.  Either God is the ultimate authority or man is."  ~Gary DeMar

"Standing in the gap is more dangerous and troublesome than getting behind the hedge, for there you may be more secure and under the wind; but it's best to be where God looks for a man."  ~Abraham Cheare

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."  ~Edmund Burke

Covenant Commission now has a blogtalk radio, live on Tuesdays and Fridays at 12:00 to 1:00 Eastern time. Listen to James Brown Jr. as he deals with America's situation.