Refreshing

Daily
in God’s Word
Emphasis on

Why
Government
Is Not The
Answer
 September 2016
2016

Biblically Correct
September 1
  Bible Reading: Psalms 33
Key Verse: Verse 12- “Blessed is the nation
whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he
hath chosen for his own inheritance.
Key Words: Blessed is the nation whose God
is the LORD

There was a time when almost everyone could

name the Ten Commandments; but in today’s world
most people, not only cannot name the Ten
Commandments, they appear to oppose them, if not
in action then certainly in word. I can remember a
time when stores were closed on Sunday out of
respect for “the Lord’s day.” But today Sundays are
just another day of business. There was a time when
our citizens stood up and opposed the homosexual
lifestyle and pastors proclaimed “hot and hard” from
the pulpit the wickedness of adultery and
promiscuity. Cursing and obscene language were
unthinkable and considered a moral wrong. But
today citizens, when polled on such issues, view them
as acceptable or inconsequential.
My, my, how times have changed! The strong
Christian influence and spiritual standards that
helped to shape our culture have given way to
compromise and paganism. Yes, I said it: paganism
(one who is not a Christian, someone who worships a
false god). In the United States, political leaders,
legislative bodies, and our courts have adopted an
anti-Christian attitude and agenda. We have been so
bent on being politically correct that we are
spiritually wrong.
 Public institutions and officials now no longer
call it homosexuality, it is called an “alternative
lifestyle.”
 It is no longer called abortion; the courts call it
“reproductive freedom.”
  Instead of calling it fornication and sin, we say
that kids should have “safe sex.”
 Graphic, vulgar language is called “freedom of
expression.”
We live in a society so bent on being politically correct
that we have been spiritually grievous to God.
 Believers today would rather please the flesh
and the world than please God. Often our
churches are no more Biblically correct than
the government.
 Churches today have become worldly in philos-
ophy for the sake of gaining numbers rather
than giving God the glory.
 Churches today talk about religious freedom to
assemble together yet church doors are closed
today more than they are open.
 Churches today fight for the rights of the chil-
dren physically but ignore them spiritually.
 Churches fight to have God put back in our
schools, but lock Him out of our churches.
 Churches fight for the right of prayer in public
schools, but many churches no longer have
prayer meeting.
Let’s be Biblically correct, but let’s be correct in all
areas, not just in areas of our choosing.

What to do:
✞Remember, if you are not “Biblically” correct,
then you are just flat wrong.

****************************************

Patriotism
September 2
  Bible Reading: Psalm 144
Key Verse: Verse 15 - “Happy is that people,
that is in such a case: yea, happy is that
people, whose God is the LORD.”
Key Words: happy is that people, whose God
is the LORD

Maybe you saw all the news shots and

photographs of President Barak Obama, standing on
the platform with his hands to his side while the
National Anthem is being played. You probably have
heard him say that patriotism is not in the wearing of
the American Flag pin. And some weeks ago he said
that patriotism is not in whether you are a Republican
or a Democrat, but patriotism is in your love for your
country, no matter what your political views may be.
Now, while I understand what Mr. Obama was
saying, I also understand that one cannot be truly
patriotic until they understand that true patriotism
sees America as being a nation, not controlled by
mankind, but controlled by God.
Our country’s Pledge of Allegiance was written
especially for children in 1892 as a part of a
celebration for Columbus Day in public schools all
across our land. The original version first appeared
in an educational publication called The Youth’s
Companion on September 8, 1892. It read: “I pledge
allegiance to my flag and the republic for which it
stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice
for all.” The author, Francis Bellamy, was an
assistant editor for the Companion. It was intended
to be used just for the 400th anniversary of Columbus’
discovery, but its popularity led to an annual
tradition. The pledge later became a daily ritual at
school rooms throughout the country.
In 1923, the first revision was made: “my flag”
was replaced with the words “the flag of the United
States of America.” Then in 1954, President
Eisenhower signed a bill at the people’s urging that
added the words “under God.”
You see, in 1954 people understood that there
could be no true patriotism until a nation has
submitted itself, not to man’s rule or authority, but to
God’s rule and authority.
Now from that I will let you judge which of our
politicians are true patriots.

What to do:
✞Are you a true patriot?

The Greatest Liberty of All

September 3

 Bible Reading: John 8:1-32

Key Verse: Verse 32 - “And ye shall know the
truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Key Words: the truth shall make you free

It was in 1776 the Liberty Bell was rung for the

first time. Fifty years later on July 4, 1826, it ushered
in what was known as the Jubilee Anniversary of the
American Republic. The bell, now cracked, no longer
tolls but it is still very much a symbol of our freedom.
No doubt our forefathers were well acquainted
with the Bible so it is not surprising that they
associated liberty with a bell. You may recall that on
the Day of Atonement, the High Priest went alone
into the Holy of Holies to offer a sacrifice for the
nation of Israel. When he entered the tabernacle he
had on a beautiful robe. At the bottom of that robe
was a series of tiny bells (Exodus 28:33-34). As the
priest moved inside the Holy of Holies the bells could
be heard, but when it was time for the sacrifice to be
made the High Priest would take off the robe and it
could not be put on again until God had accepted the
sacrifice for sins. When the people would once again
hear the bells there was great rejoicing for they knew
that God had accepted the sacrifice and their sins
were forgiven.
Christ, our Great High Priest, also laid aside
His garments of Glory and made atonement for us.
As a result, the spiritual liberty bell of freedom can
ring out anthems of joy for we are free – not because
of our effort but because of Jesus. You too can be
free today if you would but trust Jesus as your Savior.
John 8:32, “And ye shall know the
truth, and the truth shall make
you free.”

What to do:
✞Thank God today for your “spiritual” freedom.

The Ant and the Grasshopper

September 4

 Bible Reading: Provers 6:1-11

Key Verse: Verse 6 - “Go to the ant, thou
sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:”
Key Words: Go to the ant, thou sluggard

The following was sent to me and I thought I

would share it with you. Two different versions! Two
different morals!
Old Version: The ant works hard in the
withering heat all summer long, building his house
and laying up supplies for the winter. The
grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and
dances and plays the summer away. Come winter,
the ant is warm and well-fed. The grasshopper has
no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.
Moral of the Story: Be responsible for yourself!
 New Version: The ant works hard in the
withering heat all summer long, building his house
and laying up supplies for the winter. The
grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and
dances and plays the summer away. Come winter,
the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference
and demands to know why the ant should be allowed
to be warm and well-fed while others are cold and
starving.
CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, and ABC show up to
provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to
a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a
table filled with food. America is stunned by the
sharp contrast. How can this be, that in a country of
such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to
suffer so?
Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah with the
grasshopper, and everybody cries when they sing,
“It’s Not Easy Being Green.” Jesse Jackson stages a
demonstration in front of the ant’s house where the
news stations film the group singing, “We Shall
Overcome.” Jesse then has the group kneel down to
pray to God for the grasshopper’s sake. Nancy Pelosi
and John Kerry exclaim in an interview with Larry
King that the ant has gotten rich off the back of the
grasshopper, and both call for an immediate tax hike
on the ant to make him pay his fair share. Finally,
the EEOC drafts the Economic Equity & Anti-
Grasshopper Act retroactive to the beginning of the
summer. The ant is fined for failing to hire a
proportionate number of green bugs and, having
nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is
confiscated by the government. Obama gets his wife
to represent the grasshopper in a defamation suit
against the ant, and the case is tried before a panel of
federal judges that he appointed from a list of single-
parent welfare recipients. The ant loses the case.
The story ends as we see the grasshopper
finishing up the last bits of the ant’s food while the
government house he is in, which just happens to be
the ant’s old house, crumbles around him because he
doesn’t maintain it. The ant has disappeared in the
snow. The grasshopper is found dead in a drug-
related incident and the house, now abandoned, is
taken over by a gang of spiders who terrorize the
once peaceful neighborhood.
P. S. This article was used previously, but re-
used by special request.

What to do:
✞Make sure you always vote.

****************************************

President Nixon
September 5

 Bible Reading: Mark 8:31-38

Key Verse: Verse 36 – “For what shall it profit a
man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his
own soul?”
Key Words: For what shall it profit a man, if
he shall gain the whole world, and lose his
own soul?

As a college student former President Richard

Nixon wrote that he did not believe in the bodily
resurrection of Jesus. There is no proof that he ever
changed his mind. Mr. Nixon never gave testimony
to having a salvation conversion. Knowing these
things it should not surprise us that he used profanity
as if he were addicted to it. He was known in
political circles as a deceitful man, thus the reason
for his nickname, “tricky Dick.”
Politically, Nixon was a genius. Although I do
not personally agree with all his politics, Lyndon
Johnson called President Nixon “the best president in
history.” Time magazine said, “He was the most
important person of the post-war era.” Jonathan
Aitken, a former member of British Parliament, called
Richard Nixon “the finest foreign policy president of
the 20th century.” Nixon opened foreign policy with
China. He began dente with Russia. He convinced
both President Bush and President Clinton to help
reorganize Russian government. President Nixon
negotiated the peace agreement between the U.S.
and Viet Nam. The list could go on and on. But in
spite of all President Nixon’s accomplishments, he
undoubtedly would give them all up for a drop of
water as he burns in hell, which raises the question
for us: “What have you accomplished if you gain the
whole world but lose your own soul?” Your salvation
is the most important decision you will ever make.
Everything else pales in comparison. Have you
accepted Christ?

What to do:
✞Make sure of your salvation.

****************************************

Think About It
September 6
 Bible Reading: Philippians 4:1-8
Key Verse: Verse 4 - “Rejoice in the Lord
alway: and again I say, Rejoice”
Key Words: Rejoice in the Lord

Finally, they may be getting it! The following

article ran in The Birmingham News on September
10, 2008.
“Marie Leech - Birmingham News Staff Writer
 MONTGOMERY – Although Alabama’s
education system is well-funded, its academic results
are some of the lowest in the nation, according to a
report released Tuesday by the Alabama Policy
Institute.
The group describes itself as ‘a nonpartisan,
nonprofit research and education organization
dedicated to the preservation of free markets, limited
government and strong families.’
The 116-page report – ‘Alabama’s Public
Education Dilemma: Does Funding Influence
Outcomes?’ – states that Alabama’s education
investment, or “input,” is high. Teachers’ salary and
benefit packages rank 19th highest in the nation when
adjusted for pensions, cost of living and other value
factors, it states.
However, the results, or ‘outputs,’ don’t add
up, the report states. Alabama students consistently
score below those in most states on the National
Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as
the Nation’s Report Card, and on the ACT college
entrance exam, it states. Alabama’s graduation rates
are 45th in the nation, and the state spends between
$304 million and $454 million per year on remedial
education.
John R. Hill, author of the report, used a Score-
Spending Index for individual school systems and
found that students’ test scores were usually higher
where the per-pupil spending was below the state
average, and lower in schools that spent hundreds
more dollars per child. ‘Throwing more money at
these problems does not appear to be the solution,’
Hill said.”
The government makes a poor educator.
Nowhere in God’s Word do you find that the
government is responsible for the education of our
children. That responsibility belongs to the parents.
Why, just a simple reading of the book of Proverbs
makes that clear.
 The lack of education in our society is just a
little glimpse at the national problem with our
economy, same-sex marriages, and abortion rights –
and the list goes on and on. When will we come to the
realization that righteousness exalts a nation? We
can’t continually be wrong and live wrong and expect
things to turn out right!! Think about it!!

What to do:
✞Remember, it’s the Lord that makes a
difference so rejoice in the Lord, not money.

****************************************

Government Programs
September 7
 Bible Reading: Titus 3
Key Verse: Verse 1- “Put them in mind to be
subject to principalities and powers, to obey
magistrates, to be ready to every good work,”
Key Words: to be subject to principalities

Today many believers find it difficult to submit

to government, primarily because government has
stepped outside of its boundaries and gone against
the very principles, not just of our Constitution, but of
God’s Word.
Charles Colson in his book, Why America Hates
Government, says “that the federal government has
reached its tentacles into more and more areas never
before under its jurisdiction – most of them
controversial social issues that tie the government up
in endless political conflict. As sociologist James Q.
Wilson explains in ‘The Public Interest,’ before the
1960s the federal government was much more
limited. The few tasks it did, it did well: it ended the
depression, helped win World War II, built the
interstate highway system, established Social
Security. Americans took pride in their government.
But today the federal government has plunged into
every area imaginable. It tries to control education,
manage race relations, stop sex discrimination, set up
universal health-care schemes, and even outlaw so-
called hate crimes (as though the state could control
people’s motives). These are all issues over which
the American people themselves disagree sharply.
Which just about guarantees that the government is
twofold: to promote justice and restrain evil. The
first is a positive task: promoting harmony among
people so they can live together in shalom, the
Hebrew word for peace. Even if there were no sin in
the world, societies would still need organization and
leadership. Someone would have to work out
procedural rules to maintain public order, starting
with simple things like where to place traffic lights.
But after the Fall, a second task was given to
government: restraining evil. Public order must now
be maintained through coercion. The angel that
drove Adam and Eve out of the garden with flaming
sword in hand was the first cop on the beat. In
Romans 13, Paul says God has given the state the
power of the sword to punish evildoers. The Biblical
teaching of a limited state is revolutionary. We must
remember that in the first century when Paul was
writing his epistle, the Biblical idea that the state has
specific, limited tasks was revolutionary. It meant
that government does not have ultimate or unlimited
authority over its citizens. Yet at the very time these
words were penned, the Roman emperors were
making a claim to exactly that kind of unlimited
authority. They were setting themselves up as
deities. It was a collision course that ended with
Christians being thrown to the lions. In our own age,
Christians aren’t faced with a Roman coliseum, but
the Biblical teaching is just as revolutionary. Our
national government increasingly rejects any
inherent limits. It keeps reaching deeper and deeper
into social and moral issues that ought to be the
province of churches, families, and local
communities. That may well be why Americans hate
politics.”
The answer is not to withdraw and hide our
heads in the sand. The answer is in knowing what
God’s Word says and in acting on it. Amen and
amen!!

What to do:
✞Do right. Be kind. Be loving...but you can’t
just do nothing.
You Tell Them, Senator
September 8

 Bible Reading: Proverbs 12:1-17

Key Verse: Verses 17 – “He that speaketh truth
sheweth forth righteousness: but a false
witness deceit.”
Key Words: He that speaketh truth

While former Senator John Glenn and I would

never be in agreement in the political arena, I do
admire what he said from the floor of the Senate on
January 26, 2004. Senator Glenn’s address was
sparked by one of his colleagues, Howard
Metzenbaum, who said, “How can you run for Senate
when you’ve never had a real job?” The following is
Senator Glenn’s response.
“I served 23 years in the United States Marine
Corps. I served through two wars. I flew 149
missions. My plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire on
twelve different occasions. I was in the space
program. It wasn’t my checkbook, Howard; it was my
life on the line.
 “It was not a nine-to-five job where I took time
off to take the daily cash receipts to the bank. I ask
you to go with me as I went the other day to the
Veteran’s Hospital and looked at those men with their
mangled bodies, and I want you to tell them they
didn’t hold a job! You go with me to the space
program at NASA and go, as I have gone, to the
widows and orphans of Ed White, Gus Grissom, and
Roger Chaffee, and you look those kids in the eye and
tell them their dads don’t hold a real job. You go with
me on Memorial Day and you stand in Arlington
National Cemetery, where I have more friends buried
than I would like to remember, and you watch those
flags waving. You stand there and you think about
this nation, and you tell me that those people didn’t
have a real job. I will tell you, you should be on your
knees everyday of your life thanking God that there
were some men who held a real job – and their job
required a dedication to purpose, and a love of
country, and a dedication to duty that was more
important than life itself. Their sacrifice is what
makes this country great. I have held a job – a real
job. What about you?”
Way to go, Senator!

What to do:
✞Speak the truth, but make sure it’s true and
always given in love.

****************************************

Tough Economic Times

September 9

 Bible Reading: Psalm 34

 Key Verse: Verse 17 - “The righteous cry, and
the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all
their troubles.”
Key Words: The righteous cry, and the
LORD heareth

The American government is trillions of dollars

in debt. General Motors, AIG, Bank of America, and
other institutions now belong to and are being run by
the government. Unemployment is over 8% and
climbing. The President just announced that he is
pushing for a “national health care” program that will
cost the American taxpayer trillions of dollars more.
America is on the verge of no longer being financially
solvent. We borrow almost daily from China and
Middle Eastern countries in order to stay afloat. Gas
prices are going higher; government is growing while
everything else is shrinking. The baby-boomer
generation which had dreams of retirement now has
nightmares of what might have been.
Now, with all that being said, we are still
pretty well off, are we not? What we are
experiencing is nothing compared to what Israel has
been through as a nation. Imagine wandering
through a wilderness with no food or water and no
place to call home. Or even imagine in more recent
days living in Europe during the Great War (World
War II): no food, millions homeless, sickness on every
hand and bombing raids continually. Or even yet a
more recent time: remember Rwanda? Thousands
upon thousands died due to a famine, homeless,
helpless, and hopeless. Think of Chad, Africa, where
over 50% of the population has died or is dying
because of famine and sickness. Imagine as a mother
watching your children starving to death, and you are
helpless to stop it. And even worse yet, imagine
those who will be left behind after the rapture to go
through and merely exist during the tribulation
period.
 It’s time we as believers stop our “doom and
despair” attitude, and begin to cry out to God to save
not just our nation but the souls of men and women,
boys and girls all across the world. We are the light
of the world; we are the salt of the earth, so let’s let
our light shine and our salt preserve.
I close with the words found in II Chronicles
7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name,
shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face,
and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear
from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal
their land.”

What to do:
✞Don’t get down and out; get up and at’em.

****************************************

I Dare You
September 10

 Bible Reading: Job 12

Key Verse: Verse 23 – “He increaseth the
nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the
nations, and straiteneth them again.
Key Words: He increaseth the nations

I read the following article and found it

interesting.
“For those who want to light Old Glory on fire,
stomp all over it, or spit on it to make some sort of
‘statement,’ I say let them do it. But under one
condition: they MUST get permission from three
sponsors.
“First you need permission from a war veteran.
Ask any veteran who faced and fought the Axis on
foreign soil in every corner of the globe. The
American flag was raised over Mount Surabachi upon
the bodies of thousands of dead buddies. Each night
spent on Iwo Jima meant half of everyone you knew
would be dead tomorrow, a coin flip away from a
bloody end upon a patch of sand your mother couldn’t
find on a map. Or maybe ask a Vietnam vet who
spent years tortured in a small, filthy cell unfit for a
dog. Or a Korean War soldier who helped rescue half
a nation from Communism, or a Desert Storm warrior
who repulsed a bloody dictator from raping and
pillaging an innocent country.
“That flag represented your mother and father,
your sister and brother, your friends, neighbors, and
everyone at home. I wonder what they would say if
someone asked them permission to burn the
American flag?
“Second, you need a signature from an
immigrant. Their brothers and sisters may still
languish in their native land, often under tyranny,
poverty and misery. Or maybe they died on the way
here, never to touch our shores. Some have seen
friends and family get tortured and murdered by their
own government for daring to do things we take for
granted everyday. For those who risked everything
simply for the chance to become an American, what
kind of feelings do they have for the flag when they
pledge allegiance the first time? Go to a
naturalization ceremony and see for yourself, the
tears of pride, the thanks, the love and respect of this
nation, as they finally embrace the American flag as
their own. Ask one of them if it would be OK to burn
the flag or spit on it.
“Third, you should get the signature of a
mother. Not just any mother. You need a mother of
someone who gave his or her life for America. It
doesn’t even have to be from a war. It could be a
cop, or a fireman, maybe a Secret Service or NSA
agent. Then again, it could be a common foot soldier
as well. When that son or daughter is laid to rest,
their family is given one gift by the American people –
an American flag. Go on. I dare you. Ask that
mother if you can spit on her flag.
“Away from family, away from the precious
shores of home, in the face of overwhelming odds and
often in the face of death, the American flag inspires
those who believe in the American dream, the
American promise, the American vision. Americans
who don’t appreciate the flag don’t appreciate this
nation. And those who appreciate this nation
appreciate the American flag. So if you want to
desecrate the American flag, before you spit on it or
before you burn it, I have a simple request. Just ask
permission. Not from the Constitution. Not from
some obscure law. Not from the politicians or the
pundits. Instead, ask those who have defended our
nation so that we may be free today. Ask those who
struggled to reach our shores so that they may join us
in the American dream. And ask those who clutch a
flag in place of their sacrificed sons and daughters,
given to this nation so that others may be free. For
we cannot ask permission from those who died
wishing they could, just once – or
once again – see, touch, or kiss
the flag that stands for our nation,
the United States of America, the greatest nation on
earth. Go ahead, ask. I dare you!”

What to do:
✞Pray for those who stand daily in harm’s way
for our freedoms.

****************************************

Paid Not To Work

September 11

 Bible Reading: II Thessalonians 3

 Key Verse: Verse 10- “For even when we were
with you, this we commanded you, that if any would
not work, neither should he eat.”
Key Words: that if any would not work,
neither should he eat

I read the following and thought you should as

well.

From the Desk of:

Don Genereaux
Honorable Secretary of Agriculture
Washington, DC

Dear Sir,

My friend, Dan Hansen, over at Honey Creek, Iowa,

received a check for $1,000.00 from the government
for not raising hogs. So I want to go into the “NOT
RAISING HOGS” business next year.

What I want to know is, in your opinion, what is the

best kind of farm not to raise hogs on? And what is
the best breed of hogs not to raise? I want to be sure
that I approach this endeavor in keeping with all
government policies.

As I see it, the hardest part of the “NOT RAISING

HOGS” program is keeping an accurate inventory of
how many hogs I haven’t raised.

My friend Hansen is very joyful about the future of

the business. He has been raising hogs for twenty
years or so, and the best he has ever made on them
was $422.90 in 1968, until this year when he got your
check for the $1,000.00 for not raising 50 hogs.

If I get $1,000.00 for not raising 50 hogs, then would

I get $2,000.00 for not raising 100 hogs? I plan to
operate on a small scale at first, holding myself to
about 4,000 hogs not raised the first year, which
would bring in about $80,000.00; then I can afford an
airplane.

Now another thing – these hogs I will not raise will

not eat 100,000 bushels of corn. I understand that
the government also pays people not to raise corn
and wheat. Would I qualify for payments for not
raising these crops not to feed my hogs I will not be
raising?

I want to get started as soon as possible as this seems

to be a good time of the year for the “NOT RAISING
HOGS” and “NOT PLANTING CROPS” business.

Also I am giving serious consideration to the “NOT

MILKING COWS” business and any information you
would have on the endeavor would be greatly
appreciated.

In view of the fact that I will be totally unemployed, I

will be filing for unemployment and food stamps, and
was wondering how long that process takes.

Be assured, Mr. Secretary, you will have my vote in

the upcoming election.

Patriotically yours,

Don Genereaux

P. S. Would you please notify me when you plan to

give out the free cheese again?

What to do:
 ✞Work, it’s God’s plan.

****************************************

The Humanist Manifesto

September 12
 Bible Reading: Proverbs 4:14-27
Key Verse: Verse 23 – “Keep thy heart with all
diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
Key Words: Keep thy heart

You have probably heard of the Humanist

Manifesto. It is the bible for propagating humanism
around the world. It is a socialistic one-world
“movement” promoted by a humanistic philosophy.
Time and space do not allow us to print the manifesto
but below is a brief summary of its contents.

1. “We find insufficient evidence for belief in the

existence of the supernatural. No deity shall
save us, we must save ourselves.” (Atheism)
2. “We regard the universe as self-existing and
not created, the human species an emergence
from natural evolutionary forces.” (Evolution)
3. “Ethics is autonomous (not controlled by oth-
ers): birth control, sexual preferences, lifestyle,
all is based upon a person’s self-interest and
needs.” (Amorality)
4. “We have reached a turning point in human
history. We believe in maximum individual au-
tonomy, reject all religious and moral codes
that suppress our individual freedom. We de-
mand civil liberties, including the right to so-
cialized medicine, a right to die with dignity
(Euthanasia), and suicide (Socialism).”
 According to Tim LaHaye in the book, The
Battle for the Mind, the following organizations are
“card-carrying humanists.”

ADA (Americans for Democratic Action)

AEU (American Ethical Union)
ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)
SIECUS (Sex Information and Education
Council of the United States)
NOW (National Organization of Women)
NEA (National Education Association)
The Ford Foundation
The Carnegie Foundation
UNWHO (United Nations World Health
Organization)
UNICEF (United Nations International
Children’s Emergency Fund)
UNESCO (United Nations Educational,
Scientific & Cultural Organization)

These are just a few of the many organizations

that promote the humanist agenda, along with
Hollywood and much of the media.
We teach the kids the song, “Be careful, little
ears, what you hear. Be careful, little eyes, what you
see.” But I am afraid that today much of what they
hear and see is humanistic. We must protect their
ears and eyes, but most of all, their heart by teaching
them moral righteousness and Biblical truth. Without
parents being extremely vigilant, Proverbs 22:6 can
and will never be fulfilled.

What to do:
✞Be eternally vigilant in the training up of your
children.

****************************************
 Forgive and Forget
September 13

 Bible Reading: Zechariah 8:16-23

Key Verse: Verse 16 – “These are the things
that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to
his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and
peace in your gates:”
Key Words: Speak ye every man the truth to
his neighbour

The Starr Report, released on September 11,

1998, was an investigative account of then President
Bill Clinton by Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr.
The following is taken from Chuck Colson
commenting on the government.
Forgive and Forget? The Christian View of
Impeachment
- September 14, 1998
“All America is reading the shocking Starr Report,
and as you might guess, my phone’s been ringing
off the hook. Naturally, the press wants
comparisons to Watergate. But Christians are
asking questions as well. Do we forgive? And is it
right for Christians to urge impeachment? Isn’t
that a political question? The first question is easy:
I’ll take the president at his word in his statement
of repentance at his prayer meeting Friday. And if
so, God forgives, and so should we. The second
question is more complicated: Several Christians,
including some pastors, have argued that God has
raised up both righteous and unrighteous leaders
for his people Israel. They believe that in the
modern era as well, we should accept our leaders.
After all, Jesus didn’t advocate rebellion. And the
Apostle Paul said obey your rulers. Well, these
Christians’ ideas miss the great political changes
brought about during the Protestant Reformation.
The reformers had a great phrase: Coram Deo,
meaning we live in God’s presence, literally in His
face. So man no longer has to deal with God
through the church or through the king. Instead,
God deals with man directly. The state, therefore,
has limited authority over man. A corollary was
the principle of Lex Rex – the Law is King. It
means that every single person is subject to the
rule of law – the ruler and ruled alike. These two
doctrines made western democracy as we know it
today possible. Our rulers rule with the consent of
the governed and are subject to the same laws we
all are. The rule of law is the heart of a free
society. So Christians have no business avoiding
their political responsibility. In western
democracies we vote for our leaders. And as
Christians we should do so using Godly wisdom.
And the same principle would hold true for
impeachment, a political process. Impeachment,
remember, is essential to preserving the rule of
law because under our Constitution, a sitting
president cannot be indicted for crimes. So the
only way to make him subject to the law, and
preserve the rule of law, is through the
impeachment process. This is why Christians have
every right, indeed, a moral duty, to express their
views on this subject. We are entrusted with
preserving the rule of law, which is a product of
our Christian tradition. Now, the president said
Friday that he wanted to be forgiven and to get on
with the job of government. Is that appropriate?
As most of you know, I’ve had some personal
experience with this. Twenty-five years ago, I
became a Christian in the midst of Watergate. I
asked forgiveness for my sins, and I knew God
forgave me. But I also knew I had to pay the
consequences for breaking the law. I pled guilty –
and went to prison. I hope and pray President
Clinton is genuinely repentant, and that he’ll be
restored to his family, and that Americans will
forgive. But that doesn’t mean he’s entitled to
 avoid the consequences of his sin. If the law has
been broken, justice demands a penalty be paid.
Congress therefore must do its duty, and decide if
the facts warrant impeachment. There’s much
more involved here than a salacious sex scandal.
What hangs in the balance are the two most
important principles undergirding our free society:
limited government and the rule of law. No man is
above it. These are profoundly Christian
principles. Yes, we’d better care – and care
deeply.”

What to do:
✞Pray about everything, but speak the truth
with your Congressmen and Senators as well.

P. S. This is not a spiritual endorsement for Charles

Colson, just an interesting article.

****************************************

We The People
September 14
 Bible Reading: Psalm 106:1-25
Key Verse: Verse 25 – “But murmured in their
tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the
LORD.”
Key Words: But murmured in their tents
I have discovered that some Americans are just
like some Israelites. They love to complain. So for
those Americans, I have included the following
article.
The following has been attributed to State
Representative Mitchell Aye from Georgia.
“We the sensible people of the United States,
in an attempt to help everyone get along, restore
some semblance of justice, avoid more riots, keep our
nation safe, promote positive behavior, and secure
the blessings of debt free liberty to ourselves and our
great-great-great-grandchildren, hereby try one more
time to ordain and establish some common sense
guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt ridden,
delusional, and other liberal bed-wetters.
We hold these truths to be self evident: that a
whole lot of people are confused by the Bill of Rights
and are so dim they require a Bill of NON-Rights.”
ARTICLE I: You do not have the right to a new
car, big screen TV, or any other form of wealth. More
power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no
one is guaranteeing anything.
ARTICLE II: You do not have the right to
never be offended. This country is based on freedom,
and that means freedom for everyone–not just you!
You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a
different opinion, etc.; but the world is full of idiots,
and probably always will be.
ARTICLE III: You do not have the right to be
free from harm. If you stick a screwdriver in your
eye, learn to be more careful; do not expect the tool
manufacturer to make you and all your relatives
independently wealthy.
ARTICLE IV: You do not have the right to free
food and housing. Americans are the most charitable
people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in
need, but we are quickly growing weary of
subsidizing generation after generation of
professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing
more than the creation of another generation of
professional couch potatoes.
ARTICLE V: You do not have the right to free
health care. That would be nice, but from the looks
of public housing, we’re just not interested in public
health care.
ARTICLE VI: You do not have the right to
physically harm other people. If you kidnap, rape,
intentionally maim, or kill someone, don’t be
surprised if the rest of us want to see you fry in the
electric chair.
ARTICLE VII: You do not have the right to the
possessions of others. If you rob, cheat, or coerce
away the goods or services of other citizens, don’t be
surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you
away in a place where you still won’t have the right
to a big screen color TV or a life of leisure.
ARTICLE VIII: You do not have the right to a
job. All of us sure want you to have a job, and will
gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect
you to take advantage of the opportunities of
education and vocational training laid before you to
make yourself useful.
ARTICLE IX: You do not have the right to
happiness. Being an American means that you have
the right to PURSUE happiness, which by the way, is
a lot easier if you are unencumbered by an over-
abundance of idiotic laws created by those of you who
were confused by the Bill of Rights.
ARTICLE X: This is an English speaking
country. We don’t care where you are from, English
is our language. Learn it or go back to wherever you
came from!
ARTICLE XI: You do not have the right to
change our country’s history or heritage. This
country was founded on the belief in one true God.
And yet, you are given the freedom to believe in any
religion, any faith, or no faith at all, with no fear of
persecution. The phrase IN GOD WE TRUST is part
of our heritage and history, and if you are
uncomfortable with it, TOUGH!!!!”

What to do:
✞Remember what you do not have a right to
do.
 Sad But True
September 15

 Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:17-32

Key Verse: Verse 30 – “And grieve not the holy
Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of
redemption.”
Key Words: And grieve not the Holy Spirit

The following is an excerpt from William

Bennett’s speech entitled “What Really Ails America.”
“Last year I compiled the Index of Leading
Cultural Indicators, a statistical portrait of American
behavioral trends of the past three decades. Among
the findings: Since 1960, while the gross domestic
product has nearly tripled, violent crime has
increased at least 560%. Divorces have more than
doubled. The percentage of children in single-parent
homes has tripled. And by the end of the decade 40%
of all American births and 80% of minority births will
occur out of wedlock. These are not good things to
get used to.
“In 1940 teachers identified the top problems
in America’s schools as: Talking out of turn, chewing
gum, making noise and running in the hall. In 1990,
teachers listed drugs, alcohol, pregnancy, suicide,
rape and assault. These are not good things to get
used to, either.
“There is a coarseness, a callousness and a
cynicism to our era. The worst of it has to do with
our children. Our culture seems almost dedicated to
the corruption of the young. We have become inured
to the cultural rot that is setting in. People are losing
their capacity for shock, disgust and outrage...
“The ancients called our problem acedia, an
aversion to spiritual things and an undue concern for
the external and the worldly. Acedia also is the
seventh capital sin – sloth – but it does not mean
mere laziness. The slothful heart is steeped in the
worldly and carnal, hates the spiritual and wants to
be free of its demands.
“When the novelist Walker Percy was asked
what concerned him most about America’s future, he
answered, ‘Probably the fear of seeing America, with
all its great strength and beauty and
freedom...gradually subside into decay through
default and be defeated, not by the communist
movement, but from within, from weariness,
boredom, cynicism, greed and in the end helplessness
before its great problems.’
“I realize this is a tough indictment. If my
diagnosis is wrong, then why, amid our economic
prosperity and military security, do almost 70% of the
public say we are off track? I submit that only when
we turn to the right things – enduring, noble, spiritual
things – will life get better.
“Most important, we must return religion to its
proper place. Religion provides us with moral
bearings, and the solution to our chief problem of
spiritual impoverishment depends on spiritual
renewal. The surrendering of strong beliefs, in our
private and public lives, has demoralized society.
“Today, much of society ridicules and mocks
those who are serious about their faith. America’s
only respectable form of bigotry is bigotry against
religious people. And the only reason for hatred of
religion is that it forces us to confront matters many
would prefer to ignore.
“Today we must carry on a new struggle for
the country we love. We must push hard against an
age that is pushing hard against us. If we have full
employment and greater economic growth – if we
have cities of gold and alabaster – but our children
have not learned how to walk in goodness, justice and
mercy, then the American experiment, no matter how
gilded, will have failed.”

What to do:
✞Make sure – make very sure – that your
children know how to walk with God. Wednesday
night prayer meeting, Sunday School, both
Sunday services, and a Family Altar are certainly
good ways to learn how to walk with God.

Humanizing America
September 16

 Bible Reading: Romans 1:18-32

Key Verse: Verse 22 – “Professing themselves
to be wise, they became fools,”
Key Words: they became fools

During the last 200 years humanism (man’s

wisdom) has controlled the thinking of the western
world. After conquering European colleges and
universities, humanism spread to America where it
has developed a stranglehold on all public, private,
and much of our Christian education. Recognizing
the strategic importance of education and
communication, the humanist developed a monopoly
on magazines, newspapers, television, and the movie
and music industry. The reason humanism is so
successful is that it seems so credible and logical to
those who do not understand the wisdom of God.
Today’s wave of crime and violence in our
streets, promiscuity, divorce, shattered dreams, and
broken hearts can be laid directly at the doorsteps of
humanistic philosophy. As the scripture says in
Romans 1:22, Professing themselves to be wise, they
became fools. We have learned from history that the
ultimate end of humanism is always chaos.
Simply defined, humanism is man’s attempt to
solve his own problems independently of God. Since
moral conditions have worsened in direct proportion
to humanistic influence, you would think that even
the humanists would begin to see the error of their
ways.
An obvious example of the futility of humanistic
thinking appears in the United Nations. Seventy-one
years ago the world’s humanist who founded the U.N.
promised that it would solve the problem of war and
usher in peace. Since that time we have had more
wars, deaths, international catastrophes, and
terrorist activity than in any comparable world
history. If you doubt that statement, just ask what
the U.N. has done to help the Cambodians,
Vietnamese, Angolans, Ugandans, and other war-torn
countries.
One did not have to be a prophet in 1945 when
the U.N. was founded to predict it would never meet
its goals. The reason being is that the Lord warned
mankind that without me ye can do nothing (John
15:5). Today we put our $220 billion a year into our
public education system because we believe money
produces a quality education, which is totally false.
God and God alone provides a quality education. I
realize I do not need to remind you but righteousness
exalts a nation. It is been proven that humanism is
the ruin of a nation.
Let me close by asking, who is teaching your
child and what are they learning?

What to do:
 ✞Make sure your thinking is Biblical, not
humanistic. See what to do for September 15
to see some aids for thinking Biblically.

****************************************

Patriotism Is Not Enough

September 17

 Bible Reading: Romans 5:1-10

Key Verse: Verse 10 – “For if, when we were
enemies, we were reconciled to God by the
death of his Son, much more, being reconciled,
we shall be saved by his life.”
Key Words: we were reconciled to God by
the death of his Son

When nations are engaged in deadly strife, it is

common for patriots to declare that he who gives his
life for defense of his country may be certain of a
home in heaven because of having made the supreme
sacrifice. This teaching is in accord with the
principles of the Moslem religion and not with true
Christianity. Mahomet promised his fanatical
followers a place in Paradise if they died for the faith
in conflict with the “infidels” who rejected his
teachings. Patriotism is a virtue of which any man
may well be proud.
But patriotism, praiseworthy as it is from the
human standpoint, will never fit the soul for the
presence of God. It can never wash away the guilt of
sin. The testimony of Edith Cavell, the brave British
nurse who was killed by the Germans during the
former world war, is well worth considering in this
connection.
This noble woman was born in Swardeston,
Norfold, on December 4, 1865. She entered the
London Hospital for nurses’ training in 1895. In 1907
she was appointed first matron of the Berkendael
Medical Institute at Brussels, Belgium. This became
the Red Cross Hospital in Belgium at the outbreak of
the conflict in 1914. From August of that year, until
August, 1915, Nurse Cavell helped to care for
wounded French, Belgian, English and German
soldiers alike. She ministered faithfully even to those
who had fallen while fighting against her own nation.
Naturally, her sympathies were with the Allies, and in
cooperation with the efforts of Prince Reginald de
Croy, she aided many derelict English and French
soldiers who had fled from the Germans. These
escaped by “underground” methods to the Dutch
frontier, where, with the aid of guides, they were
conveyed across to Britain. When some of these
fugitives were traced to her house in Brussels, she
was immediately arrested and after a court-martial
was sentenced to face a firing squad. All her
kindness to the German wounded was forgotten. Her
captors considered her a spy and treated her
accordingly.
Just before the bandage was placed over her
eyes, as she stood fearlessly facing the soldiers who
were about to take her life, she gave a last message
to the world. “I am glad,” she said, “to die for my
country. But as I stand here I realize as never before
that patriotism is not enough.” Then she went on to
give a clear, definite testimony to her personal faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ and her assurance of
salvation, not through laying down her life for others,
but because He laid down His life for her. In perfect
composure, she submitted to the bandaging of her
eyes and, in a few moments fell, pierced by many
German bullets.
Her words “patriotism is not enough!” have
spoken loudly to many in the years that have gone
since she died a martyr to her convictions.
“What more is needed?” you may ask. The
answer is “Christ!” It is through faith in Him alone
that the soul is saved and heaven assured.
What to do:
✞Remember patriotism is not enough. The
world needs Jesus. You need Jesus as your Savior.

****************************************

The Function of Government

September 18

 Bible Reading: I Peter 2:1-16

Key Verse: Verse 14 – “Or unto governors, as
unto them that are sent by him for the punishment
of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do
well.”
Key Words: for the punishment of evildoers

The general function of human government, as

instituted by God, may be said to be threefold: to
protect, punish, and promote.

1. The Function of Protection: The moment Adam

sinned it was obvious that civilizations would
need some form of restraint and rule to protect
citizens from themselves. An example of this
function is seen in Acts 21:27-37 where Roman
soldiers step in and save Paul from being mur-
dered by his own enraged countrymen in
Jerusalem.
2. The Function of Punishment: Both Paul and Pe-
ter bring this out. Paul writes that duly ap-
pointed human officials are to be regarded as
God’s servants to “bear the sword,” that is, to
impose punishment upon criminals (verses 3,
4). Peter tells us that governors are “sent by
him for the punishment of evildoers” (I Peter
2:13, 14).
 3. The Function of Promotion: Human govern-
ment is to promote the general welfare of the
community where its laws are in effect. Paul
commands us to pray for human leaders “that
we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all
godliness and honesty” (I Timothy 2:1, 2).

I Peter 2:13, Our Responsibility of Human

Government

It is impossible for a believer to be a good

Christian and a bad citizen at the same time. As
children of God our responsibility to human
government is threefold:

1. We are to recognize and accept that the pow-

ers that be are ordained by God. “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). This
truth applies even to atheistic human govern-
ments unless, of course, the law is anti-Scrip-
tural. In that situation the believer must obey
God rather than man (Acts 4:18-20). In fact,
when Paul wrote those words in Romans 13:1,
the evil emperor Nero was on the throne. See
also Titus 3:1.
2. We are to pay our taxes to human government
(Matthew 17:24-27, 22:21; Romans 13:7).
3. We are to pray for the leaders in human gov-
ernment. “I exhort therefore, that first of all,
supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giv-
ing of thanks, be made for all men: For kings,
and for all that are in authority; that we may
lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness
and honesty. For this is good and acceptable
in the sight of God our Saviour” (I Timothy 2:1-
3).
 We must pray for our government leaders but
we must always look to God for answers, not men. If
we spend more time being political activists than we
spend as prayer warriors, we are bound for failure.

What to do:
✞ Understand what the true
function of government is and pray that those in
government will “do right.”

****************************************

Bible In Our Public

Schools
September 19

 Bible Reading: Revelation 22

Key Verse: Verse 22 – “And if any man shall
take away from the words of the book of this
prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the
book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the
things which are written in this book.”
Key Words: : “And if any man shall take
away from the words of the book of this
prophecy, God shall take away his part out of
the book of life, and out of the holy city, and
from the things which are written in this book.”

There is a movement afoot to have Bible taught

in our public schools. Now while this may sound like
a step forward, let me assure you that it isn’t.
The Bible course being pushed for the public
schools in Alabama is called The Bible and Its
Influences or The Bible Literacy Project.
The Bible and Its Influences is being backed
and promoted by the National Education Association
(NEA), the ACLU, People for the American Way,
Council on Islamic Education, and the course in part
was developed by the Communitarian/Pluralist and
anti-National Day of Prayer teacher, Charles Haynes.
A sample of the quotes from this curriculum is
very revealing about how anti-God this Bible course
would be. For example...
 “Do you think Adam and Eve received a fair
deal as described in Genesis?”
 “If God allows evil things to happen, can
God honestly be described as good?”
 A statement from page 163 of the textbook
reads, “Many students, although aware of
good and evil, have not thought deeply
about it. In the Judeo-Christian tradition
God is considered to be all-good, all-know-
ing and all-powerful, yet the view presents
many problems.”
 Also on page 161 of the textbook it reads,
“Job is one of the most difficult books in the
Bible in that it provides no clear-cut answer
to Job’s situation.”
 “Gideon won the battle with the Midianites
by a bit of trickery” (page 181 in the text-
book).

As you can see, this Bible course does not

attempt to glorify God as much as it questions the
very action of God.
When you allow secular humanists to “develop”
a Bible curriculum, the end result will always be a
“Godless” curriculum.

What to do:
✞Pray for our country.
✞Make sure your children receive a Christian
education (you can’t afford not to).
✞Make sure your world view is Biblical, not
humanistic.
 The Pledge of Allegiance
September 20

 Bible Reading: Joshua 1:1-9

Key Verse: Verse 9 – “Have not I commanded
thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not
afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD
thy God is with thee whithersoever thou
goest.”
Key Words: Be strong and of good courage

Joshua, no doubt, did have courage to do as

God commanded because of his love for God and his
desire to see his people blessed.
One of my favorite stories is about Mike
Christian, a POW in Viet Nam during the Viet Nam
war. This story is told by Senator John McCain.
“As you may know, I spent 5 ½ years as a
prisoner-of-war during the Viet Nam war. In the
early years of my imprisonment, the North
Vietnamese Army (NVA) kept us in solitary
confinement or two to three to a cell. In 1971, the
NVA moved us from these conditions of isolation into
large rooms with as many as thirty to forty men to a
room.
“This was, as you can imagine, a wonderful
change and was a direct result of the efforts of
millions of Americans on behalf of a few hundred
POWs. Ten thousand miles from home one of the
men who moved into my room was a young man
named Mike Christian. Mike was from a small town
near Selma, Alabama. He didn’t wear a pair of shoes
until he was thirteen years old. At seventeen he
enlisted into the Navy. He later earned a commission
by going to officer training school. He then became a
Naval Flight Officer and was shot down and captured
in 1967. Mike had a keen and deep appreciation of
the opportunities this country, and our military,
provide for people who want to work and want to
succeed.
“As a part of the change in treatment, the
Vietnamese allowed some prisoners to receive
packages from home. Some of the packages were
handkerchiefs, scarves, and other items of clothing.
Mike got himself a bamboo needle. Over a period of
a couple of months, he created an American flag and
sewed it on the inside of his shirt. Every afternoon,
before we had a bowl of soup, we would hang Mike’s
shirt on the wall of the cell and say the Pledge of
Allegiance. I know the Pledge of Allegiance may not
seem the most important part of our day now, but I
can assure you that in that stark cell it was indeed
the most important and meaningful event.
“One day the Vietnamese searched our cell, as
they did periodically, and discovered Mike’s shirt
with the flag sewn inside, and removed it. That
evening they returned, opened the door of the cell,
and for the benefit of all of us, beat Mike Christian
severely for the next couple of hours. Then, they
opened the door of the cell, and threw him in. We
cleaned him up as well as we could. The cell in which
we lived had a concrete slab in the middle on which
we slept. Four naked light bulbs hung in each corner
of the room. As I said, we tried to clean Mike up as
best we could. After the excitement died down, I
looked in the corner of the room, and sitting there
beneath the dim light bulb with a piece of cloth,
another shirt and his bamboo needle, was my friend,
Mike Christian. He was sitting there with his eyes
almost shut from the beating he had received, making
another flag. He was not making the flag because it
made Mike Christian feel better. He was making the
flag because he knew how important it was to us to
be able to pledge our allegiance to our flag and
country.”
So the next time you say the Pledge of
Allegiance, you must never forget the sacrifice and
courage that thousands of Americans have made to
build our nation and promote freedom around the
world. You must remember our duty, our honor, and
our country.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United

States of America, and to the republic for which
it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with
liberty and justice for all.

What to do:
✞Be thankful for the brave soldiers who gave
their lives for your freedom to go about your daily
activities today. May God bless America!
Why I Opposed the Stimulus
Package
September 21

 Bible Reading: Haggai 2:1-9

Key Verse: Verse 8 – “The silver is mine, and
the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.”
Key Words: The silver is mine and the gold
is mine

Proverbs 14:34, “Righteousness exalteth a

nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”
On Tuesday, February 17, 2009, President
Barack Obama signed the 787 billion dollar stimulus
package into law. Both our President and Vice-
President told us that this plan would have done the
following:
 Immediate action to create new jobs.
 Immediate relief to struggling families.
 Immediate assistance for homeowners and
business owners.
 Help solve our current financial crisis.
 I knew the stimulus package would not work.
The reason is that the problem our country faces then
and now is not a financial or economic problem, it is a
spiritual problem that has at its core “righteousness”
or a lack of righteousness.
Let me list for you seven areas of
unrighteousness in our country.
1. We are unrighteous in our abortion of over
one million babies each year (Psalm 139:14-
17).
2. We are unrighteous in our educational sys-
tem that bans prayer and the Bible.
3. We are unrighteous in our sexual conduct.
Forty percent of all adult men are involved
in pornography on the internet. Seven out
of every ten teenagers are involved in im-
morality before they graduate.
4. We are unrighteous in that we look to the
government for answers, not God (Haggai
2:8).
5. We are unrighteous in that we have love for
the dollar more than we love God (I Timothy
6:10).
6. We are unrighteous in that we as believers
are ignorant in our knowledge of God’s
Word. Let me prove it to you. Answer the
following questions without looking up the
answers. A) Name the three sons of Noah.
B) Name five of the Ten Commandments.
C) Name half of the sixty-six books of the
Bible. How did you do?
7. We are unrighteous in that we have failed to
stand for righteousness in our church atten-
dance (Hebrews 10:25).
The stimulus package did not work because
finances are not our problem, righteousness or the
lack of it is our problem. Dedicate yourself to
righteousness for as David said, “I have been young,
and now am old, yet have I not seen the righteous
forsaken nor his seed begging bread.”

What to do:
✞ Remember our blessings come from God, not
from government.

****************************************

When The Wicked Rule

September 22
 Bible Reading: Proverbs 16
Key Verse: Verse 25 – “There is a way that
seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are
the ways of death.”
Key Words: a way that seemeth right unto a
man

John Adams wrote, “Our constitution was made

only for moral and religious people. It is wholly
inadequate for the government of any other.” Our
rejection of his thoughts can be summarized by these
truths:

 In public schools you may distribute

condoms to twelve-year-olds without
parental consent, but you may not give
them a Bible under any circumstances.
 At school you may attack individuals with
racially-motivated hate language, but you
may not pray God’s blessings over them.
 You may not display a cross on public
property, unless it’s on fire, in which case
the First Amendment protects your action.
 In most states a minor may abort an unborn
child without her parent’s consent, yet she
 can’t go on a field trip to the zoo without
parental permission.
 In America, arguments are waged against
the use of dogs for medical research but in
favor of the right to abort babies for the
same purpose.

The end of man’s ways always leads to death.

What to do:
✞ Make sure – make very sure – it’s God’s way,
not your way.

****************************************

The Right Answer

September 23

 Bible Reading: Psalm 51

Key Verse: Verse 6 – “Behold, thou desirest
truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden
part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.”
Key Words: thou shalt make me to know
wisdom

I love David, don’t you? David was the apple of

God’s eye for a number of reasons. One of those
reasons had to be his honesty. He frankly admits to
the Lord, “I sinned with Bathsheba because, quite
honestly, I’m just not very smart.” Reminds me of a
story I read that goes as follows.
Given that Al Gore has no job, he decided to
take a sightseeing vacation to Europe. While visiting
Europe, he is invited to tea with the Queen. He asks
her what her leadership philosophy is. She says that
it is to surround herself with intelligent people. He
asks how she knows if they’re intelligent.
 “I do so by asking them the right questions,”
says the Queen. “Allow me to demonstrate.”
She phones Tony Blair and says, “Mr. Prime
Minister, please answer this question: Your mother
has a child, and your father has a child, and this child
is not your brother or sister. Who is it?”
Tony Blair responds, “It’s me, ma’am.”
“Correct. Thank you and goodbye, sir,” says
the Queen.
She hangs up and says, “Did you get that, Mr.
Gore?” “Yes ma’am. Thanks a lot. I’ll definitely be
using that!”
Upon returning home, he decides he’d better
put some of his old friends to the test.
He calls Bill Clinton and says, “Hi, Bill, I
wonder if you can answer a question for me.” “Why,
of course, Al. What’s on your mind?”
“Uhh, your mother has a child, and your father
has a child, and this child is not your brother or
sister. Who is it?”
Clinton hems and haws and finally asks, “Can I
think about it and get back to you?” Gore agrees and
Clinton hangs up.
Clinton immediately calls members of his old
staff, and they puzzle over the question for several
hours, but nobody can come up with an answer.
Finally, in desperation, Clinton calls Colin
Powell at the State Department and explains his
problem, “Now look here, your mother has a child,
and your father has a child, and this child is not your
brother or sister. Who is it?”
Powell answers immediately, “It’s me, of
course, you idiot.”
Much relieved, Clinton rushes back to call Gore
and exclaims. “I know the answer, Al! I know who it
is! It’s Colin Powell!”
And Gore replies in disgust, “Wrong, it’s Tony
Blair.”
 Do not some politicians remind you of David
who cried, “Make me to know wisdom”? In other
words, they’re just not very smart.
Have a good day.

What to do:
✞ Put your trust in God, not politicians.

****************************************

Politicians and Principles

September 24
 Bible Reading: Ezekiel 14:1-14
Key Verse: Verse 14 – “Though these three
men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should
deliver but their own souls by their righteousness,
saith the Lord GOD.”
Key Words: Though these three men, Noah,
Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should
deliver but their own souls by their
righteousness, saith the Lord GOD

It is a rare thing to find a politician that has

Godly standards and upholds Godly principles, not
just in this present day but in every period of history.
Politicians are known for a lack of Godly principles to
which they adhere, but oh how true this is for our
day!
Today politicians are known more for sex
scandals and compromise. But in our text we find
three men: Noah, Daniel, and Job. All three were
“politicians.” Noah had to be a “community leader.”
So it was with Job, and we know of Daniel’s “political
leadership” under Nebuchadnezzar and Darius. How
refreshing it would be to have men of their faith and
character as leaders today!
 With politicians in mind, have you ever heard
of President David Rice Atchison? Yes, I do mean
president, like President of the United States.
Forget what the history books say. The 12 th
President of the United States was David Rice
Atchison, a man so obscure that Chester A. Arthur
seems a household word by comparison. At exactly
12 noon on March 4, 1849, Zachary Taylor was
scheduled to succeed James Polk as chief executive.
But March 4 was a Sunday and Taylor, a devout old
general, refused to take the oath of office on the
Sabbath. Thus, under the Succession Act of 1792,
Missouri Senator Atchison, as President Pro Tempore
of the Senate, automatically became president.
Now, President Zachary Taylor was not a
perfect man, but he at least understood something
that our current president seems to have forgotten,
and that’s the importance of being in church on
Sunday. As a matter of fact, I’m sure some of you
reading this devotion need to
learn that same lesson. I trust you
will.

What to do:
✞Pray for the president and be faithful to
“God’s house.”

****************************************

A Different Type of
Politician
September 25

 Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 10

Key Verse: Verse 18 – “By much slothfulness
the building decayeth; and through idleness of the
hands the house droppeth through.”
 Key Words: and through idleness of the
hands the house droppeth through

The following article was taken from Reader’s

Digest Strange Stories and Amazing Facts: America’s
Past.
“At a White House dinner for Nobel Prize
winners, John F. Kennedy called his guests ‘the most
extraordinary collection of talents that has ever been
gathered at the White House, with the possible
exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.’
“Among America’s great statesmen, Jefferson
stands out as a Renaissance man with an incredible
range of interests, knowledge, and abilities. In the
thick of politics for forty years, he still found time for
other pursuits, including farming, architecture, law,
geography, botany, natural history, playing the violin,
and enjoying fine food and wine. With an inquiring
mind and an incisive intellect, he wrote prodigiously
and insightfully about anything that interested him.
His writings on agriculture alone fill a 704-page book.
An avid reader, he amassed a personal library of
6,487 volumes that became the nucleus of the Library
of Congress in 1815.
“More than an armchair genius, Jefferson
found practical application for his talents. A
dedicated farmer, he was the first person in North
America to raise tomatoes for food (they were
considered poisonous), and his experiments with rice
made the nation a leading producer of that crop. He
also invented a new moldboard for the plow. Among
his other inventions were a swivel chair, a pedometer
to measure his walks, a chair that folded into a
walking stick, a dumbwaiter, a revolving music stand,
and a calendar clock. (So that others could have free
use of his inventions, he patented nothing.) A
talented architect, he adapted Roman classicism to
native materials, developing a distinctive American
style for the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.
Not only did he design its buildings, he was also its
general contractor, bookkeeper, overseer during
construction, and landscape architect.
Perhaps Jefferson is best summed up in his
own words: “Determine never to be idle. It is
wonderful how much may be done if we are always
doing.”
Today we need more politicians like Thomas
Jefferson who have determined not to live off the
merits of others but to blaze a trail for others to
follow. That’s leadership. That’s
what’s needed!
What to do:
✞Teach your sons and
daughters to determine to never be idle, and
with all they do to put God first.
✞Remember, an idle mind is the devil’s
workshop.

****************************************

The Liberty Bell

September 26
 Bible Reading: II Corinthians 3
Key Verse: Verse 17 – “Now the Lord is that
Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is,
there is liberty.”
Key Words: where the Spirit of the Lord is,
there is liberty

According to the well-known story, on July 4,

1776, a boy ran to the steeple of Philadelphia’s
Independence Hall and told the feeble, white-haired
bell ringer that independence had just been declared.
Rejuvenated by the news, the old man rang the bell
so vigorously that it cracked.
In fact, the bell never rang upon the news of
independence. Declaration was not actually
proclaimed until July 8, and the crack had occurred
years before. The great bronze bell, inscribed with
the words “Proclaim Liberty Throughout All The Land
Unto All The Inhabitants Thereof,” had been ordered
from London in 1751 to commemorate the 50th
anniversary of Pennsylvania’s democratic
constitution. On arrival, the bell was hung in the
belfry of the State House, which was later known as
Independence Hall. The bell first cracked at this
time, while it was being tested. It was melted down,
recast, and rehung. In 1835 it cracked again –
perhaps, as legend has it, on the day it tolled for John
Marshall’s death. The clappers would have been
muffled, however, which makes that legend unlikely.
It pealed for the last time on George Washington’s
birthday, in 1846, after which it was taken down.
It was not until 1839 – when it was used as a
symbol of abolitionists because of its inscription –
that the State House bell came to be called the
Liberty Bell. In 1847, George Lippard fabricated the
popular story about the bell cracking on the first
Independence Day in a book called Washington and
His Generals, or Legends of the American Revolution.
This is how the Liberty Bell was launched as
one of the nation’s most potent and profitable
symbols of patriotism and started to be depicted on
every conceivable item from neckties and coffee cups
to Liberty Bonds.
But true liberty is not found through
patriotism. True liberty only comes through the
“Spirit of the Living God.” Let us forever ring this
bell for by it all men can be liberated.

What to do:
✞ Let the freedom bell of salvation through
Jesus Christ be heard everywhere you go.

****************************************
 Double-Minded
September 27

 Bible Reading: James 1:1-8

Key Verse: Verse 8 - “A double minded man is
unstable in all his ways.”
Key Words: A double minded man is
unstable in all his ways

Have you ever heard of Richard Stockton?

Stockton signed the Declaration of Independence.
Just a few months after he had signed the
Declaration of Independence, Richard Stockton of
New Jersey recanted and swore allegiance to King
George III. Born in 1730 into a wealthy family,
Stockton became a prominent lawyer and served on
the provincial council of New Jersey under its Royal
governor, William Franklin (the illegitimate son of
Benjamin Franklin). At first in favor of conciliation
with Britain, Stockton was won over to the cause of
independence, and he became a delegate to the
Continental Congress in June 1776.
That fall, after signing the Declaration,
Stockton was seized by New Jersey Tories, who were
British loyalists. He was taken to New York, where
he was imprisoned as a common criminal and
subjected to cruel treatment. When his colleagues in
the Continental Congress heard about it, they asked
General Washington to intercede. Whether he did so
is unknown, but in March 1777 Stockton was back
home in Princeton.
The British command had offered to pardon all
Patriots who would recant the call for independence
and take a pledge of neutrality. By the time spring
rolled around, 4,800 people, most of them from New
Jersey, had accepted British amnesty.
Washington countered by ordering the
defectors to “take the oath of allegiance to the United
States of America.” Those who refused were to be
treated as common enemies. Stockton, ill in health
and broken in spirit, finally complied. The unhappy
man, shunned by his former friends, died four years
later of cancer.
I’ve never known of a double-minded person to
be a happy person. May God bless you as you are
single-minded for the cause of
Christ.

What to do:
✞ Set a goal to be “single-minded” for Christ.

****************************************

God’s Protection
September 28

 Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 32:30-43

Key Verse: Verse 38 - “Which did eat the fat of
their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink
offerings? let them rise up and help you, and
be your protection.”
Key Words: and be your protection

In our text God offers a challenge to the

enemies of Israel. “Let them (your gods) rise up and
help you, and be your protection.” No doubt that our
protection comes from God.
Are you aware of the following story in regard
to George Washington?
If George Washington had not led the
Continental Army in the Revolution, there might
never have been a United States. It could have
happened that way if it hadn’t been for Phoebe
Fraunces, a daughter of a New York City tavern
keeper, Samuel Fraunces.
 Phoebe Fraunces was a housekeeper for
Washington when Thomas Hickey, a member of his
guard, enlisted her help in killing the general.
Fraunces’s role was to serve Washington a plate of
poisoned peas, and she agreed to play it. But as she
was serving Washington, she warned him, and he
flipped the peas out the window.
The failed plot came to light on June 17, 1776.
By then Hickey, in jail for passing counterfeit money,
was hatching another plot. He was trying to enroll
prisoners in a secret Tory corps within the rebel
army; some 700 soldiers, Hickey boasted, were on the
payroll of New York’s Tory governor, William Tryon,
and New York City’s mayor, David Matthews. The
men planned to support a British invasion by turning
their guns on their comrades. New York City would
be set ablaze while a drummer in Washington’s guard
would stab the general.
An investigation was launched. Mayor
Matthews surrendered and was jailed; he later
escaped to England. Hickey was hanged in New York
City on June 28, 1776, before a crowd of 20,000.
In reporting to Congress, Washington wrote: “I
am hopeful this example will produce many salutary
consequences and deter others from entering into
like traitorous practices.”
If nations rise and fall by the authority of God,
and they do, then no doubt God’s protection was
upon George Washington. And just as God protected
George Washington, He protects each of us as well.

What to do:
✞Praise God for His
marvelous providence and protection.

****************************************

God or Government?
 September 29

 Bible Reading: Mark 8:1-9

Key Verse: Verse 1 - “In those days the
multitude being very great, and having nothing to
eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith
unto them.”
Key Words: Jesus

Why? Why did Jesus not seek the power of

institutions to provide for others? Because He knew
the infinite power and the infinite bounty of His
Father, our Lord God Almighty!
To put it in the vernacular, why fool around
with a box kite when there is a Boeing 747 at your
disposal?
Remember the time Jesus fed the multitude?
With seven loaves He fed them – four thousand
persons, plus!
There in the desert, away from the city, the
crowds had gathered and Jesus ministered unto them.
He healed the sick. He made the lame to walk, the
blind to see, the dumb to speak, through the miracle
of God’s love.
At eventide the people were hungry and Jesus
had compassion on them. The disciples questioned
where they would get food to feed so many. But
Jesus said, “How many loaves have ye?”
“There is no need for them to leave. Feed
them here.”
Feed them! With what? Seven loaves of
bread? They asked this of Him to whom all power is
given – in heaven and on earth.
Jesus took the loaves and blessed them and
gave them to His disciples to feed the multitude. And
they ate – every one of them, the whole four thousand
– plus women and children. They ate until they were
filled and even then there were seven baskets of food
left over.
 How great, how truly great, are the works of
the Lord! Oh, ye of little faith! How is it that we turn
to Caesar for the answers to our problems? Why do
we feel the government and not God is the answer for
our lives, our families, our community, our state, our
nation, our world?
Where we look for aid says more about us than
we realize.

What to do:
✞Rely on God, not government.

****************************************

No Title
September 30
 Bible Reading: Matthew 7:1-12
Key Verse: Verse 7 – “Ask, and it shall be given
you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be
opened unto you:”
Key Words: Ask, and it shall be given you

Late in 1974, the ministerial association of

Washington, DC, conducted a survey to check on the
needs of the poor within that city. That survey
indicated that there were some pressing needs: need
for food, need for housing, need for clothing, and
medical assistance. This is in a district that has a
higher per capita income than any state in the union.
Spokesmen for the ministerial association
called a press conference to announce their plan of
action to relieve the needs revealed by the survey:
they would call upon government to provide the
assistance required.
One cannot fault the pastors for their concern.
But, one can fault them for their course of action.
Caesar was their answer. They belittled God. In
their impatience they adulterated their compassion
with a call for coercion.
Every one of those pastors represented a
congregation. What were the members of those
congregations doing to help? What of their personal
Christian responsibilities? Were they praying?
Seeking God’s blessing? Doing His work?
Everyone in those congregations – pastors and
members alike – is the child of a rich and powerful
Father. He holds the wealth of the world in His
hands.
Ask and you shall receive.
Had they forgotten that? Or, did they not
believe?

What to do:
✞Have we forgotten that God is the answer, or
are we failing to believe?
I deeply appreciate the
help of

Mary Parsons

Glenda Myrick

And my lovely wife, Linda

Without God using these

people to help, this
devotional would not
have been possible.
Dr. Mike Rouse
 is a ministry of

5568 Chalkville Mountain Road

Birmingham, AL. 35235
(205) 854-2741
www.mountainviewbaptist.org