"'We the people.' These are the first words of the United States Constitution. 'We the people'...do ordain and establish this Constitution of the United States of America." Those aren't just pretty words. They are a clear statement of the origin of all authority and power in this country. This government by the people derives it's power from the people -- power flows from the bottom up, not from the top down. The Constitution is not a document whereby an all-powerful government grants certain rights and privileges to its citizens. No, it's the other way around. The Constitution is a document whereby the citizens of the United States grant certain authorities and powers to the government. 'We the people' aren't passive recipients of rights granted in the Constitution; "We the people" are the actors, the initiators in this exchange.
At least, we're supposed to be. The truth is, 'We the people' have grown quite passive when it comes to our relationship to the government that we empower. As a nation, we have grown quite ignorant of how and why our government works. And in our ignorance and passivity, we have surrendered too many rights and freedoms to our government.
I read these two quotes today, in the book "The Coming Revolution" by Dr. Richard G. Lee.
As soon as I read them I jumped up from my bed and ran to my computer! So without further ado, here they are :}
"A nation or culture can not endure for very long unless it is undergirded by common values such as valor, public spiritedness, respect for others and for the law; it cannot stand unless it is populated by people who will act on motives superior to their own immediate interests." ~ Charles Colson
"The American ideals of freedom and individual rights, charity, duty, honesty, and love for others are, above all, religious beliefs. Even though America is less visibly a religious nation today than it was a century ago, it is the depth and strength of the foundations laid down by our Christian forebears that have allowed us to thrive in the twentieth and twenty-first centruries. And even with all our struggles and doubts, we are still living on the dividends of that investment." ~ Dr. Richard G. Lee
"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, concieved in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that this nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men living and dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us--that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave their last full measure of devotion--that we here hightly resolve that these men shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth."
May we never forget what those men, as well as the countless others, who have given their lives for our country and our freedoms. Are we willing to make sure that "these men shall not have died in vain"?
Our country needs our help. What will you do to make a difference?
A common, controversial topic between Creationists and Evolutionists is the topic of Noah’s ark and how all the animals fit on it.
Let us start with the Bible and examine what God told Noah His design for the ark was in Genesis 6:14. "So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. This is how you are to build it: the ark is to be four hundred and fifty feet long, seventy-five feet wide and forty-five feet high. Make a roof for it and finish the ark within eighteen inches of the top. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks."
All right, starting with the beginning of the verse let us begin to pull it apart and try to figure out what God had in mind. "So make yourself an ark of cypress…" Why did God choose cypress as the wood to make the ark? Well, there are a couple reasons. First, "cypress wood produces an oil called cypressine which acts as a natural preservative within the wood. This inherent characteristic makes it durable and extremely resistant to harsh weather conditions, insects and fungus." (1) I would say, God chose a very good tree. This wood was going to be in the water for forty days and nights in hard weather conditions. This wood has its own natural preservative that will make it last for a very long time even under severe weather conditions. Also, insects always come with animals and food. This tree’s oil would help preserve itself against insects that would want to boor into it, possibly creating small leaks. Lastly, the issue of fungus, inevitably fungus is created when water is in close proximity with anything. Fungus grows very well in wet areas. This tree’s cypressine would have increased the arks protection from many things.
One of the other benefits of cypress is its lightweight. This made the ark easier for the men to build and made the ark lighter than using other kinds of wood.
The next part in the verse says, "..make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out." "..make rooms in it." Obviously God wanted lots of places for the animals to be. Separating the small animals from large animals, shy, quiet ones from the loud and outgoing ones would make sense. Animals vary greatly in temperament and instincts. They are more content in different environments and if they are content then they are easier to take care of. Now, I am not saying that was why God wanted rooms, I just believe that these could have been some of the reasons. The second part of this section looks at the pitch. "..coat it with pitch inside and out." Pitch is a natural waterproofing agent that was often used in ancient times. To coat it on the inside and out made sure that the boat would stay watertight.
Found on Answers in Genesis
Now that we have gone over the materials needed to make the ark, let us look at the size of it. "This is how you are to build it: the ark is to be four hundred and fifty feet long, seventy-five feet wide and forty-five feet high." The size of this ark is incredible. An average American football field is only three hundred and sixty feet long. We are talking another ninety feet to equal the ark! The largest state capital building in the Country is the Louisiana State Capital which stands four hundred and fifty feet high. This building has thirty-four floors. Thirty-four floors! Imagine this building on its side and it would equal the ark. Imagine how many rooms each floor on the ark could have! The height of the ark was forty-five feet. Imagine a house that was forty-five feet high. You would have enough room to make four, ten foot high floors and still have five feet left over. There was plenty of headroom for even the tallest animals; a full grown, male giraffe only stands sixteen to twenty feet high. The largest land animal in today’s world is the African Elephant which stands somewhere around ten feet.
Now the next big question; what about the dinosaurs? Well, first of all the "largest animals were probably represented by ‘teenage’ or even younger specimens." (2) Noah was only taking two of each kind of animal. God new that the animals who would be on the ark would be the original animals and all others in the future would be descendents of them. So it would make sense to take younger ones that would live longer on the new earth and be able to produce more offspring. As far as the dinosaurs go, "the eggs of the largest dinosaurs were no bigger than a football, so all young dinosaurs were quite small." (3)
Again you have to remember that God said to take two of each "kind". A "kind" is another word for species except not as broad as the word species. For example, the horse, zebra and donkey are all in the same species category. Noah however, only required two equine, two of its kind, so that all the different equines to come would be descendents of them.
To put the size of the ark into perspective it was the "equivalent volume of five hundred and twenty-two standard railroad cars, each of which can hold two hundred and forty sheep." (4) This ark was massive!
How did they store all the food and water needed for all the animals though? The most likely conclusion is that they used dried, compressed or concentrated foods or grains. This would take up much less room than fresh food. The water supply would not have had to been gathered and stored on the ark before the flood if Noah and his sons had put pipes that would collect the fresh water from the rain outside the ark day after day. Again more room is made if water did not have to be stored. Another way they could have made more space is the stacking of cages on top of each other. The cages themselves having plenty of room but putting another on top would save space for storing food for the animals in different places all over the ark.
In conclusion, this ark could easily store enough food for the animals and keep all the animals comfortable for the amount of time God kept them in the ark. I had never really studied the ark, but had accepted it as a truth because the Bible said so. However, how all the animals had fit on there sometimes raised questions. God truly did create an ark that was perfect for the animals and the people. The wood chosen was right because of its natural oil and light weight. The pitch made it waterproof. The immense size gave ample room for every living creature and the room needed to store the food. Even if they had to store water on the ark instead of collecting it each day, there still would be enough room.
I have learned a lot and found it very interesting. God’s Word always comes through strong and firm after it has past through a test. No matter how hard it is pressed to squeeze out some inaccuracy or contradiction, it always comes through solid and truthful.
For those of you don't know, a real, to scale, Noah's Ark is being built in Kentucky, USA!!!!! If you would like to check out the "Ark Encounter" and see what you can do to help click here. It will be an amazing park to visit when they are done and an incredible impact on the community, country and the world!
A few years ago I had to do some research on this topic and then write a report for one of my apologetics classes. It was a subject that was fascinating to research and I thought some of you may enjoy it. =)
My Mom and I just watched the movie that was released by ParentalRights.org and were pleased to see what a great docudrama they have made. You can visit their website http://www.overruledmovie.com/ to watch it for free. It is only 37 minutes long and truly worth it.
As Adolph Hitler said, "He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future." The parents have the right to raise their child. Not the U.N., not the Government, not the State, not the Town, not the Schools. It does not take a village to raise a child. It takes loving parents who care about their child, who know their child best and will do what is best for them.
Here is a re-posting of the trailer for the movie:
"I will meditate on the glorious splenor of Your majesty." ~ Psalm 145:5
The hymn "America the Beautiful" was written by Katherine Lee Bates after she climbed to the top of Pikes Peak, Colorado, in 1983. She said, "All the wonder of America seemed displayed there, with the sea-like expanse." She was overwhelmed by the sights of vast, open skies, planted fields, and the majestic Rocky Mountains. These were what inspired her to write the following poem.
America the Beautiful
O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain,
For purple mountains majesties above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And Crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea!
O beautiful for pilgrim feet whose stern impassion'd stress
A thouroughfare for freedom beat across the wilderness.
America! America! God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control, thy liberty thy law.
O beautiful for heroes prov'd in liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved, and mercy more than life.
America! America! May God thy gold refine
Pikes Peak
Till all success be nobleness, and ev'ry gain divine.
O beautiful for patriot dream that sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam undimmed by human tears.
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.
Thank You, Father, for the beauty of this land You have blessed us with. May we do all we can to protect the beauty of America as well as the freedom we enjoy.
"A faithful man will abound with blessings" ~Proverbs 28:20
Today, June 6, 1944, was a monumental day in history. The Allied invasion into France through Normandy took place at 6:30am. (BST)
President Roosevelt read the following prayer, originally entitled "Let Our Hearts Be Stout." over radio to an anxious nation as Allied troops were invading Nazi-occupied Europe on D-Day, June 6, 1944:
"Almighty God, our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity. Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.
They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong...Success may not come with rushing speed, but....we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph....
[Our men] fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise and tolerance and goodwill among all Thy people. They yearn bur for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home. Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.....
Thy will be done, Almighty God. Amen."[1]
"The assault was conducted in two phases: an airborne assault landing of 24,000 British, American, Canadian and Free French airborne troops shortly after midnight, and an amphibious landing of Allied infantry and armoured divisions on the coast of France commencing at 6:30 AM. There were also decoy operations mounted under the codenames Operation Glimmer and Operation Taxable to distract the German forces from the real landing areas.
The operation was the largest amphibious invasion in world history, with over 160,000 troops landing on June 6, 1944. 195,700 Allied naval and merchant navy personnel in over 5,000 ships were involved. The invasion required the transport of soldiers and material from the United Kingdom by troop-laden aircraft and ships, the assault landings, air support, naval interdiction of the English Channel and naval fire-support. The landings took place along a 50-mile (80 km) stretch of the Normandy coast divided into five sectors: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword."[2]
As I looked for information on D-Day, I came across some interesting facts having to do with the invasion.
It is estimated that nearly 2 million soldiers, sailors and airmen were involved in Operation Overlord, including U.S., British, and Canadians who were scheduled to fight after men on the ground secured a Normandy bridgehead.
The United States shipped 7 million tons of supplies (that translates into 14 billion pounds of material).
Of those supplies, ammunition accounted for 448,000 tons.
Air-support operations - often overlooked in the success of D-Day - sustained significant losses:
Between the 1st of April and the 5th of June, 1944, the Allies flew 14,000 missions losing 12,000 airmen and 2,000 aircraft.
127 more planes were lost on D-Day.
By the end of the Normandy campaign, 28,000 airmen were dead.
There are 9,386 graves in the American cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer. Each grave faces west, toward America.
307 of those graves contain the remains of "unknown" soldiers.
1,557 names are listed in The Garden of the Missing for those who were never found.
4,868 British dead are buried in the Bayeux Cemetery.
1,837 British names are listed at Bayeux for those who were never found.
There were 946 Canadian casualties in the Normandy campaign.
21,500 German dead are buried at LaCambe.
Five years before he died, General Eisenhower came back to Colleville-sur-Mer. It was the first, and only, time he made that journey after the war. Looking over Omaha Beach, he spoke from his heart:
. . . these men came here - British and our allies, and Americans - to storm these beaches for one purpose only, not to gain anything for ourselves, not to fulfill any ambitions that America had for conquest, but just to preserve freedom. . . . Many thousands of men have died for such ideals as these. . . but these young boys. . . were cut off in their prime. . . I devoutly hope that we will never again have to see such scenes as these. I think and hope, and pray, that humanity will have learned. . . we must find some way . . . to gain an eternal peace for this world.(Eisenhower: A Soldier's Life, by Carlo D'Este, p. 705.)
Doug Phillips and Vision Forum Ministries is honoring our veterans in a very special way this year. They are taking a group of men who fought on those beaches, with their families and a film crew, to honor those who lived and died in WWII. They will be learning from these brave men the lessons that they had to learn. Listening to their stories and thanking them for their service. Treasuring the time that they have left with that generation of veterans that gave so much for their country & their families. You can follow there journey with these veterans at the website A Final Farewell.
As I close this post, I want us to remember what these brave men did for us; their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and on. Many of those men never came back. They gave their lives that we might live in a free country. Not one under the regime of people like Hitler and the communist. They saw what their country and what the men and women who had come before them had given them and they took the responsibility given to them. The responsibility of protecting their nation, their families, the innocent and the American dream of liberty, freedom and justice.
They were not given an easy task. God had those people born at a time where their loyalty to Him and their country may have cost them their lives and yet God knew exactly who He wanted there for specific purposes.
God has placed us in this great nation, and we as the next generation are being handed the "baton." Will we take the responsibility of keeping our nation "One Nation Under God"? Will we fight for our families, friends, the innocent, our freedoms and liberties and the next generations to come?
With God's strength and His book to guide us as we walk the path He has chosen for us, we can truly "do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
1 Timothy 1:12 "I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service,"
Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."
God Bless You All!
Footnotes: 1. In God We Still Trust Devotional 2. Wikipedia
"Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning." John 2:12
When I have my devotions every morning I read a collaboration of books that help me start my day out well and further my relationship with my Heavenly Father. One of the books that I am currently going through is called "In God We Still Trust: A 365 Day Devotional" by Dr. Richard G. Lee.
Sometimes what is written for a particular day has nothing to do with that days date and other times, the devotional written is a reminder for what happend in history on that specific day.
Today I read the following:
"After the Boston Tea Party, the British navy retaliated by blockading the port of Boston. The colonies surrounding Massachusetts responded with sympathy and action. On May 24, 1773, the House of Burgesses in Virginia proposed and approved a Day of Fasting, Humiliation, and Prayer:
'This House, being deeply impressed with the apprehension of the great dangers to be derived to British America from the hostile invastion of the city of Boston in our Sister Colony of Massachusetts Bay, whose commerce and harbor are, on the first day of June next, to be stopped by an armed force, deem it highly necessary that the said first day of June be set apart, by the members of this House, as a Day of Fasting, Humiliation, and Prayer, devoutly to implore the Divine interposition, for averting the heavy calamity which threatens destruction to our civil rights and the evils of civil war; to give us one heart and mind firmly opposed, by all just and proper means, [to] every injury to American rights; that the minds of his Majesty and his parliament, may be inspired from above with wisdom, moderation, and justice, to remove from the loyal people of America all cause of danger from a continued pursuit of measures pregnant with their ruin.'
***Patriot's Prayer***
Teach me to fast, Lord, so that the discipline is all about You and only for Your glory."
First of all, if you are wondering who or what the "House of Burgesses in Virginia" was, you can click here.
However, the point of the devotional this morning was that these men set aside the first day in June to fast and pray for the following:
* Divine intervention from God. That He would save them from the "heavy calamity" that was going threatening to destroy their civil rights and start a civil war.
* That God would give them one heart and one mind. In other words, that they would be unified.
* That they would use this strong unity to oppose any injury to American rights and would act in a just and proper way when the time came.
*That the minds of his Majesty King George and the members of his Parliament would be "inspired from above with wisdom, moderation and justice." That God would give them the wisdom to see that what they were doing was wrong and to act in an honorable and just way.
* That when the above mentioned, was given the wisdom they needed from God, they would act to remove any danger to the Americans. That they would stop their current course of destruction which was headed for ruin.
These men knew that the future of America was going to be determined in the next few years. They saw the response of the Bostonians to the "Tea Tax" and then the response of the British after the "Tea Party." And yet, despite their aversion to the British rule, they prayed for the King and those in Parliament.
They also made a point to say "Humiliation" in this proposition. Humiliation in the Webster dictionary reads, "to reduce to a lower position in one's own eyes or others' eyes." They were going before God in prayer with a humble spirit. They knew that they were sinners and did not deserve the relationship that God has given each and every one of us that has accepted His gift. They were coming before God in complete humility because they knew they were entering the presence of God, the Creator of the universe, the Savior of our world, the King of king's and Lord of lords.
For me, this was a picture of what we are to be doing. We see where our country is headed. We know how different people are responding to the different situations. We know that the next few years will define where our country will be for future generations. What are we doing?
I decided as soon as I read this in my devotions that I was going to set aside June 1, 2011 as a day that I would encourage my family, friends, and you my fellow blogging friends to use as a day to fast and pray for our great Country and the following:
* Our Leaders, especially those who oppose God and His laws, that they would see their need for Christ. And that God would foil the plans they have for our nation that will injure its citizens and further reduce our amount of freedoms and liberties.
*Those who already know Jesus as their personal Savior would have the courage to do what is right, come what may, because their faith is planted in God and His promises that "He wil never leave us nor forsake us" and that "we can do all things through Christ".
* That our nation would be united under God and would act in honorable and just ways that glorify God.
This prayer, just like those made on June 1, 1773 must be made with "humiliation." Our hearts need to be ready. We need to make sure that when we enter the presence of our loving Savior, we remember that we are also entering the presence of God, who will not tolerate any sin. If our hearts are not clean He will not hear us.
Please share this with others and get the word out. These men made the decision because they saw the critical condition their country was in.
Who will join me in this endeavor to pray for our nation and its future?
Matthew 18:20 ~ "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."
If you would like to join me on June 1, or would like to share this on your own blog. Please let me know in the comments.
"When God is going to do something wonderful, He begins with a difficulty. If it is going to be something very wonderful He begins with an impossibility." ~ Charles Inwood
I was blog surfing this morning and found this information that I thought you may find interesting. Although the date was yesterday, we still need to be reminded of what happened 150 years ago.
The Civil War Begins "When President Lincoln took office seven states had already seceded and the Confederates held Fort Sumter in a siege and demanded the evacuation of Union troops from the fort. On April 12 1861 President Lincoln sent a note to the Confederates telling them that he was going to resupply the fort with food, but not with ammunition and he expected that the Confederates would allow the supply ship through.
Needless to say it does no good to hold a town or a fort in siege if you are simply going to allow the fort to be resupplied and President Lincoln knew this. He knew that the Confederates would fire on the ship and on the fort, but he also knew that at this point there was virtually no chance that war could be averted so he devised this plan in order to goad the south into firing the first shot. And that is exactly what they did–the Civil War had begun 150 years ago today." ~ Steve Dennis
Why did Nicholas Romanov II lose his freedom, respect, loyalty and life? He didn't listen to the cries of those who needed his help. He didn't step outside of his comfort zone and help those who relied on him. He focused on himself and not on others. Although he may not have seen what his decisions would cost him, we can. It cost him his life, his family, and the lives of millions of others.
What cries do we hear and try to ignore or rationalize that someone else will take care of it?
* The cries of the unborn children that are murdered every day
* The cries of those still in slavery all over the world
* The cries of those who are starving to death
* The cries of those who are dying from diseases and injuries because there
are no medical facilities or physicians
* The cries of the elderly who are fighting the darwinian frame of mind that
they are useless to society and should be euthanized
* The cries of the people who work hard to support there family, but are so
overwhelmed with their tax burden that they are losing their homes and
families, while people who refuse to work are receiving money from the
government. (That was put in the governments hands by the hardworking
families)
* The cries of free people who are having their liberties taken away
* The cries of those who are lost and without a Savior
* The cries of those who are persecuted for their faith
* The cry of a Nation that was once a land of freedom and prosperity that is
well on it's way to being a land of oppression, tyranny, and in an economic
depression.
My heart is filled with a mixture of emotions as I write this. Sorrow at the pain and death that happens every day. Anger at the causes of this pain and death. Fustration that some people value life and freedom so little. Thankful for how my Heavenly Father has blessed me. Humble in my realization of how sometimes I take it for granted and yet He still blesses me. Concern for a world that is turning its back on its Creator and Savior. A world that is rejecting a free gift of salvation and doing it with pride. A world that is disobeying all of God's commands and all to often never looking back. It makes me long to do something but I'm not sure what to do at the same time.
Looking for guidance should start by searching God's Word. He calls us to be faithful....come what may.
I say this with shame..I often times "rationalize" my responsibilities by thinking, "Someone else will do it."
We are all someone else to someone else. Yes, God gives each person unique and special abilities to accomplish the work He gives them. But sometimes I wonder if we often miss out on special blessings because we choose to "rationalize" and think someone else will fight for that cause.
I should state here that God did not make us SUPER - MEN OR WOMEN! We can not do everything, however are we willing to reach out and listen to those people and situations that are around us.
For example: I may not be able to work at a pregnancy center or counsel women considering abortion, but I can:
* Pray! This is the most important - God is in control of everything and is
just waiting for us to ask. Can you imagine the work God would be able
to accomplish in every Christian's life if we would only look to Him and
ask for His hand to work in different situations?! He wants us to pray
specifically and truly believe when we ask, that He will answer it. God
knows no boundaries or limits.
He can do anything!
* Stay up to date with what is going on in your State Legislature and U.S. Government.
The Law is a great teacher. I believe abortion is wrong. Period. 100 years ago the majority of people would have agreed with me. However.... the laws changed over time and people started thinking, "well if the law says it's fine, then it must be." Abortion is still as wrong as it was 100 years ago, but the laws changed and the minds of the people followed suit.
For those of you who are able to sign petitions, sign petitions. Or better yet write them yourselves. Go to hearings. Be aware of what is going on around you in the government. We the people have the power and the officials we elect are supposed to represent us. If they are not representing us then they shouldn't be in office.
* Be well informed. This is an area that we will have to strengthen every day
of our lives. We are not going to know everything about everything, but we
need to be aware of the battles that are being fought every day for the rights
of those that are without them.
* Talk with others. Your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers even the
person that you see every time you go to your favorite restaurant.
Obviously with some people it will be easier then with others. Some people's
beliefs will be in direct conflict with your own, but we can live a life that
speaks volumes. :] There are so many people out there who are unaware of
the battles we are facing today in our society. Many of them have been
raised in the public school system and have not even been taught to think
for themselves, so they haven't even thought about the other side of an
issue. Some of them may at first appear knowledgeable, but they are really
just paraphrasing what there teacher told them. And the teachers have just been
fed the same things at a teachers college. But we must always keep in mind that
everything we say should glorify God. We are to be as "wise as serpents,
and harmless as doves." (Matthew 10:16b) We are to be aware of who we
are talking to and what the situation is. While being as gentle, loving and
harmless (not threatening) as doves. Speaking with "meekness and fear."
(1 Peter 3:15) Our ultimate purpose on earth is to glorify God and bring others to
know Him. However He has placed us in this world and we have responsibilities
to the people around us. Jesus was the perfect of example of living for Christ.
He served everyone that needed help and did it all in love.
* Use your God give talents and abilities! Get excited! God wants you to use them!
Do you enjoy making movies? Use that ability to make others aware of what is
going on around them. A few short clips in a movie can make a big difference. Do you like to write? Write an article for your local newspaper. Write something on your blog :) Do you enjoy photography? Make posters with a few words that speak
volumes! It only takes a sentence to make people start thinking.
Do you enjoy teaching kids? Or maybe you babysit? The foundations that a person stands on is built very early on in life. You can leave a large imprint on a persons life and not even realize it.
Do you like to organize events? Have showings of differents movies at your church, home or wherever you can, of movies that make people aware of what is going on!
Do you like to research? So many people would like to make a difference but have not
idea where to start. They need something to tell them where to go and help.... Give ideas,
make pamphlets, direct them to websites, books or organizations that they can learn and be involved in.
We need to be involved in this world. We need to be bright lights in this world of darkness. We need to shine where God has put us! It takes a lot of courage and determination to make a difference, but with God's help anything is possible!! Talk to Him. Ask Him to show you where He wants you to go and use your talents.
Most importantly though, pray. Pray for the people around the world. God desires us to interceed on the behalf of others. There is nothing we can do that would be more powerful than prayer. If nothing else, be a prayer warrior! I have learned recently how much more I need to be praying for people all around the world. Not just those in my family and circle of friends, not even just those in my beloved Nation, but for people, especially Christians all around the world.
Here are a few great resources that God has used to work in my life. Although I don't endorse everything about each one, they are all really good:
DVD's ~ AGENDA: The Grinding Down of America - I recommend this movie more than anything else on
A few nights ago I watched a film called "Nicholas & Alexandra". It was the tragic story of Nicholas II, the last Czar of Russia, set against the backdrop of the Russian Revolution. It was an inside look into the private lives of Nicholas and his wife Alexandra, their daughters and son, the decisions made during their reign, and the eventual execution of the entire family.
The movie had several storylines: The Tsar, Tsarina and their life being the focal point. But it also carried a storyline following the poor and starving of Russia which were a majority of the population. It also portrayed to some degree the rise of a socialist and then communist government.
I decided to write this post because the same cycle that was happening in the movie, I see happening in our very own country and lives. Yes, there are many differences, but I noticed some similarities. History always repeats itself. If we do not learn from the past mistakes then we will have to learn from our own experiences. I know for myself, I would rather learn from the mistakes of others then have to learn them myself.
The Tsar & his family (from the movie "Nicholas & Alexandra".
Nicholas ulitimately wanted to be a family man. He truly loved his wife and children, but as the ruler of Russia he had obligations to the people. His "obligations" however were far from what the people needed. He was a weak man that did not understand the people's needs nor did he try to understand them. He believed God had placed him in his postion and that everyone else would believe the same thing and love him for everything he did.
His wife Alexandra was from Germany and was the daughter of the Duke of Hesse and grandaughter to Queen Victoria. Alexandra was the opposite of her husband. Strong-willed and determined, she too loved her spouse, but often bullied him into making decisions. She was unpopular from the very beginning, coming from a German background and not Russian, as well as being the number one advisor in her husband's life. She believed as her husband did that they, as the royal family, could do nothing wrong and that God was on their side in everything.
The Tsar & his family (This is a picture of the real family)
Nicholas had inherited a nation undergoing enormous changes. The industrialisation of Russia was starting to create serious social problems in the cities which the authorities were not dealing with – and probably could not deal with. The speed of industrialisation, financed by French and other European money, had developed a momentum of its own. Therefore, Nicholas had inherited, in 1894, a nation that may well have rebelled without the input of Lenin and other revolutionaries.
The people had been used to living under the rule of Nicholas' father Alexander III. A man who was domineering and when he decided something, drove at it with an unstoppable force. He was a determined and harsh man. What would Alexander have done in such a situation as Nicholas found himself in? At least he would have been decisive even if his decisions may have been wrong. Nicholas simply could not be decisive.
Russia went through two wars while Nicholas was ruler. The first, Russo- Japanese War (1904-1905) was almost unavoidable. Russia was expanding and as the expansion moved it came into conflict with Japan's ambitions for China and the Asian mainland.
Nicholas approached the war with confidence and saw it as an opportunity to raise Russian morale and patriotism, paying little attention to the finances of a long-distance war. While commands and supplies came from St. Petersburg, combat took place in east Asian ports with only the Trans-Siberian Railway for transport of supplies as well as troops both ways. The 6,000-mile track between St. Petersburg and Port Arthur was one-way and it took a long time for anything to get to the front lines. The Japanese soon annihilated the Russian fleet causing even more hardships.
Despite the onset of the war and the many defeats Russia suffered, Nicholas still believed in, and expected, a final victory. Many people mistook the Tsar's confidence and stubbornness for indifference.
As Russia continued to face defeat by the Japanese, the call for peace grew. The Russian people had lost many young men and did not want to continue the war. Some of Nicholas' own family encouraged him to negotaite peace. It was not until the 27–28 of March 1905 and the annihilation of the Russian fleet by the Japanese, that Nicholas finally decided to pursue peace.
With the defeat of Russia by a non-Western power, the prestige and power of the government and the authority of the autocratic empire was brought down significantly. Defeat was a severe blow and the Imperial government collapsed, with the ensuing revolutionary outbreaks of 1905–1906. In hope to frighten any further contradiction many demonstrators were shot in front of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg; the Emperor's Uncle, Grand Duke Sergei, was killed by a revolutionary's bomb in Moscow as he left the Kremlin. The Black Sea Fleet mutinied, and a railway strike developed into a general strike which paralyzed the country.[1] Tsar Nicholas II, who was taken by surprise by the events, was angry and bewildered. Instead of listening to the people and finding out what they wanted and helping them, he ignored them and blamed his advisors and generals for the lack of control over the people.
What he failed to see or hear was the hungry, starving people, who had no work or were not payed enough to support a family. The rest of the world was moving forward, while the Tsar and his family continued to live in a fairy tale world of peace and love in the confines of their own home.
Many other things happened that caused Nicholas to be labled "Bloody Nicholas". He appeared to the people to be indifferent, uncaring and oppressive. The loyalty that he may have won through attentiveness to the people and their needs was lost through his inability to make decisions, taking advice from his wife rather than his advisors, not doing anything to help the people and his unfailing belief that God had decided that he was the best ruler for Russia and what he decided (or what his wife decided for him) was the best way.
Europe before WWI
The outbreak of war on August 1, 1914 found Russia grossly unprepared. Russia and her allies placed their faith in her army, the famous 'Russian steamroller'. Its pre-war regular strength was 1,400,000; mobilization added 3,100,000 reserves and millions more stood ready behind them. In every other respect, however, Russia was unprepared for war. Germany had ten times as much railway track per square mile and whereas Russian soldiers travelled an average of 800 miles (1,290 km) to reach the front, German soldiers traveled less than a quarter of that distance. Russia's heavy industry was still too small to equip the massive armies the Tsar could raise and her reserves of munitions were pitifully small. With the Baltic Sea barred by German U-boats and the Dardanelles by the guns of Germany's ally, Turkey, Russia initially could receive help only via Archangel which was frozen solid in winter, or via Vladivostok, which was over 4,000 miles (6,400 km) from the front line. By 1915 a rail line was built north from Petrozavodsk to the Kola Gulf and this connection laid the foundation of the ice-free port that eventually was called Murmansk. [2]
Russia was not prepared for war. From the time it declared war in August of 1914 to the summer of 1915, Russia's total losses amounted to 1,400,000 killed or wounded, while 976,000 had been taken prisoner. As the battle front came closer to home for the Russians, chaos became rampant among the people. German bakeries, factories, private homes and estates were ransaked by the mobs of scared and angry people. Their anger, however, soon turned towards the government, especially towards Alexandra because she was German.
As Russia took defeat after defeat, Nicholas decided he should take command of the army himself. This was an unwise decision, as he soon became personally associated with the losses at the front. In reality the move was largely symbolic, since all important military decisions were made by his chief-of-staff General Michael Alexeiev, and Nicholas did little more than review troops, inspect field hospitals, and preside over military luncheons. [3]
Cut off from public opinion as he sat in his HQ at the front lines, he could not see the dynasty was in decline.
When Nicholas went to the front lines to take the position of Commander in Chief, he left his wife Alexandra in charge of the domestic issues and the capital. Her background as a German and other things however, made her less credible to the people and the authority that the dynasty had diminished.
As the government failed to produce supplies, there was mounting hardship creating massive riots and rebellions. With Nicholas away at the front in 1915, authority appeared to collapse (Empress Alexandra ran the government from Petrograd from 1915), and the capital was left in the hands of strikers and mutineering conscript soldiers. Despite efforts by the British Ambassador Sir George Buchanan to warn the Tsar that he should grant constitutional reforms to fend off revolution, Nicholas continued to bury himself away at the Staff HQ (Stavka) 400 miles (600 km) away at Moghilev, leaving his capital and court open to intrigues and insurrection. By early 1917, Russia was on the verge of total collapse. The army had taken 15 million men from the farms and food prices had soared. An egg cost four times what it had in 1914, butter five times as much. The severe winter dealt the railways, overburdened by emergency shipments of coal and supplies, the final blow. Russia began the war with 20,000 locomotives; by 1917 9,000 were in service, while the number of serviceable railway wagons had dwindled from half a million to 170,000. In February 1917, 1,200 locomotives burst their boilers and nearly 60,000 wagons were immobilised. In Petrograd supplies of flour and fuel all but disappeared. War-time prohibition of alcohol was enacted by Nicholas in order to boost patriotism and productivity, but instead damaged the treasury and funding of the war due to the treasury now being deprived of alcohol taxes. [4]
The people were starving and riots were taking place. Mobs were breaking into shops and stealing food. Nicholas was receiving incorrect information and believed that his wife was still in control, so he ordered the police to take firm steps against the people. There was no police force to obey his orders. The few that remained were ill armed, under equipped, and under fed. Some of the army units that were in the city that were told to fire on the protesters, refused to do it. One in particular was the Volinsky Regiment which fired their guns into the air rather than at the people.
The day after the Tsar gave the order, the Volinsky Regiment mutinied and was quickly followed by the several other regiments and guards. By nightfall the 60,000 soldiers had joined the revolution. The provisional government asked for Nicholas' abdication. Faced with this demand that was echoed by his Generals, deprived of loyal troops, his family in the hands of the provisional government and fearful of unleashing a civil war that would open the way for German conquest, Nicholas had no choice but to abdicate for himself and his son.
There is so much that happened after his abdication, that I will not record it all here. However, five months after the abdication the family was sent to Siberia. Supposedly to protect them from the rising tide of the revolution. Two months after being sent to Siberia, the Provisional Government was taken over by the Bosheviks ( Bolsheviks were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903. They ultimately became the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.).
The family was soon moved again and this time to their final destination. A little town called Yekaterinburg. They were treated like prisoners, put on soldiers rations and were given no respect. The Tsar and his family truly believed that they would eventually be rescued by people still loyal to them. However, on the evening of July 16/17, 1918, the family was woken up and moved to another part of the house. I'm afraid the ending of this story is not pleasant. Present with Nicholas and Alexandra, were their five children, the family doctor and three servants. The room they were put in was adjoined by another room that held ten assasins. All of them were cruelly and horribly murdered.
I realize this is not a happy ending or an encouraging or uplifting post. I knew what the ending of the movie was going to be, yet I was still horrified to see it happen. And yet, I couldn't believe the almost imaginary world they were living in. How could they not see the horrific conditions their people were living in? How could they not see their country falling to pieces right before their very eyes? Why could they not listen to the people and hear their cries for help?
When I finshed watching the movie, I realized that there were in many ways a resemblance of how Tsar and his family viewed the situations going on around them, to the way we often times view things. What things do we often times think others will take care of instead of taking care of it ourselves? How many times are we angered by a situation and yet do nothing about it? How often do we see a need and then not do something about it?........................
The Constitution is not a document whereby an all-powerful government grants certain rights and privileges to its citizens. No, it's the other way around. The Constitution is a document whereby the citizens of the United States grant certain authorities and powers to the government. 'We the people' aren't passive recipients of rights granted in the Constitution; "We the people" are the actors, the initiators in this exchange.
