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When George Washington was about to leave office, after giving near 50 years of service to his country, he addressed the nation through what has come to be known as his Farewell Address.  In that Address he warned us what to do and what not to do in order to preserve this new government which aimed at giving the “greatest amount of liberty to the greatest number of people.”  In warning us how this new Republic could be overthrown by those working inside it, he stated,

“But let there be no change by usurpation [one branch of government stealing power from another branch] …for…this…is the customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed.”

(Washington, George. September 19, 1796, in his Farewell Address, published in the American Daily Advertiser, Philadelphia, September, 1796. James D. Richardson (U.S. Rep. from Tennessee), ed., A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents 1789-1897, 10 vols. (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Gov. Printing Office, published by Authority of Congress, 1897, 1899; Washington, D.C.: Bureau of National Literature and Art, 1789-1902, 11 vols., 1907, 1910), Vol. 1, p. 213-224, Sept. 17, 1796. Tim LaHaye, Faith of Our Fd. Fathers (Brentwood, TN: Wolgemuth & Hyatt, 987), p. 91.)

And yet, for over 80 years, the branches of the Presidency and the Supreme Court have been stealing the power which our Founders gave to the Congress, or reserved to the people and the states. Continue reading →

Listen to or read this week’s radio program:

© 2014 Don Pinson / To Download, right-click here: [Download]

Thomas Jefferson taught us the principle that “Eternal vigilance is the price of Liberty”.  Watchfulness over their government by the citizens of a Republic is the only way to make sure liberty is preserved.  And only if liberty is preserved will the Gospel go to the next generation by public means.

And yet, in my upbringing, I was not taught that we should be present to watch over local government meetings- and local government is where most seeds are planted that grow into state and national laws.  Consequently, though I was a committed Christian and minister of the Gospel of Christ, I set no time aside to be at local government meetings until I was in my fifties.  I simply didn’t see the need for civil government being given any of my time, except to pray for government servants and to try to vote for moral candidates.  What’s wrong with this picture? Continue reading →