I have a dream

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I have a dream speech “This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. “

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote and delivered many speeches, including one of the most famous speeches in history. A speech that gives its readers chills. A speech so filled with love and strong words that it gives hope and strength to its listeners. The speech I am talking about is aptly named “I have a dream”, which was delivered by Dr. King on August 28^th, 1968, during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. I was most impacted by the part of his speech talking about faith to bring us together. I believe that what Dr. King is stating in this passage is that with faith, we will be able as a nation to overcome racial discrimination. He isn’t just addressing the bigotry between the blacks and whites but between people of all colors, and religions. Believing strongly in a nation that could and would stand under one brotherhood, Dr. King spoke bravely on this subject. “With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.” This is still in progress, America has not yet reached this goal. In small ways, we see Luther’s dream in action. We now have inter-racial schools, and businesses. I hope that one day we will indeed be free from segregation, racial discrimination and prejudice. That we will be able to see past color, and religion. That we will be able to stand together with our fellow Americans and fight for what is right. With the faith that we can overcome these obstacles, we are empowered to act upon the knowledge that maybe not in our generation but the unborn generations yet to come we will be free.

Written by my daughter for a class assignment.

I’ll show you mine – Show me yours.

Here is my Official, Long Form Birth Certificate, issued by the state of Michigan. I have redacted some information to protect my identity. If I was to run for political office I would release my military records as well. I have nothing to hide. I swore an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of The United States while in the military and at my current job.

This Birth Certificate shows my full name, date of birth, place of birth, attending physician, record number, my mother and fathers full name and address, race, sex, and my fathers employer. it is signed and has a raised seal.

God Bless America.

HENRY LAWSON WYATT

HENRY LAWSON WYATT,

THE FIRST CONFEDERATE SOLDIER KILLED IN BATTLE.

It is somewhat remarkable that North Carolina, which was the last State to leave the Union, should have furnished the first soldier to the grim monster who during the next four long and weary years was to claim such a host of victims.

            This soldier was Henry Lawson Wyatt. He was born in Richmond, Virginia, February 12, 1842. In October, 1856 he accompanied his father to North Carolina, and ultimately settled in Tarboro, Edgecombe county.

It became evident in April, 1861, that North Carolina must secede or fight the southern States. Private parties, anticipating the action of the State, were organizing and drilling troops for service. One of the first of these companies was the " Edgecombe Guards " of Edgecombe county. It was organized April 18, 1861, and on that day Henry Lawson Wyatt enlisted in it as a private soldier.

The battle of Big Bethel was fought Monday, the tenth of June, 1861, at Bethel Church, situated on the Yorktown road, nine miles from Hampton, Virginia.  (The battle sits is located only a mile or so from my house on Compton Court just off of Big Bethel Road).

A strong column of Federals consisting of Massachusetts troops crossed over the creek and appeared on the left flank of the Confederate line. The Union troops made a rush hoping to get within the Confederate lines. They were met by a cool and deliberate fire, but were concealed in part by a house. Volunteers were called for to burn this house. Corporal George Williams, privates Henry L. Wyatt, Thomas Fallan and John H. Thorpe, of company A, advanced to perform the duty. Their duty was to charge across an open field, two hundred yards wide, in face of the enemy's lines and commanded by his sharpshooters. They behaved with great gallantry, but had advanced only about thirty yards when Wyatt fell pierced through the brain by a musket ball. The other three were wounded and remained on the earth until a shell from a howitzer fired the house and helped to route the enemy.

excripted from an article by: Stephen B. Weeks.

National magazine: a monthly journal of American history, Volume 17

Pages 55-59

"My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?"

Matthew 27:45-46 - "Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"

Prior to 1599 (the Geneva Bible) the Bible was not broken down into the common chapter and verse we have today. If you wanted to reference a scripture you had to quote a portion of the verse. The only book in the Bible that was broken into sections was Psalms.

What was Jesus saying as he died a painful agonizing death upon the cross. Was he begging God to rescue him? Was he crying in vain realizing he had made a horrible mistake trusting in God? Was he expressing the grief of knowing that he was dying for an impotent God that he trusted in to save him? NO!

While the death of the cross was more agonizing then anything we can every imagine. The suffering of Jesus was so great that I can not even comprehend it. The sin of the world was on his shoulders and He took on the wrath of God for us. But God did not forsake him any more then he forsakes us when we sin.

Jesus is quoting Psalm 22, which begins, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?".  Jesus quotes Psalm 22 to draw the attention of the Aramaic speaking Jews to Psalm 22. This Psalm is a Messianic prophecy and the events of the crucifixion are fulfilling the Prophecy. Jesus is aying to the crowd. I am the Messiah. His last words on the cross "It is finished" echo the last words of Psalm 22 "He has done this."

Compare: Psalm 22:7-8 to Matthew 27:43
                Psalm 22:12-15 to Matthew 27:34, 48, John 19:29, Luke 22:36
                Psalm 22:16-18 to Matthew 27:35-37
                Psalm 22:25-31 to All of the Gospel
Jesus was making a final declaraton of his being the Messiah before his death.

and to the republic...

You hear it constantly from the media, you hear it from your fiends, you hear it from the teachers in public schools, you even hear it from our elected officials. “America is a democracy.”

No, it is not. That is a falsehood that is so prevalent that nobody ever questions it.

We are a Republic. So what you might say. You’re just parsing words. I don’t think so. There is a fundamental difference between a democracy and a republic. Our founding fathers did not want the mob rule of democracy. In a democracy the people vote on the governing of the country and 50% is all that is required to pass, the mob rules.  In a republic the people elect representatives to govern for them. This is a significant difference because now a few govern in the place of the many so that the mob rule effect is diminished. The founding fathers did not stop there, they added a second layer to check the representatives, the Senate. The Senate was envisioned to represent the States interests not the interests of the people of the State. The people did not elect the Senators, they were elected by the State legislatures. Each state had equal representation in the Senate and proportional representation in the House. 

Now we come to a long forgotten out of date document that the government disregarded a long time ago; the Constitution. This ancient document was intended to set the parameters of the Federal Government. It listed specific obligations and responsibilities of the Federal government. Each branch was broken down and their respective scope of powers were laid out. Next we have the Bill of Rights, or the first ten amendments to the Constitution. These were adopted immediately and the Constitution would not have passed with out them.

Amendment 10: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

What does that mean? It is plain language, not some 2000+ page monstrosity that even a lawyer would have trouble understanding. It simply says that the Federal Government can do only what the Constitution says it can. All other powers are reserved to the States and the people. What article of the Constitution spells out the scope of the Department of Education? Where do I find the article giving authority to the government to regulate firearms? Where is the ‘Separation of Church and State’ defined? Where can I find the authority to grant a privately owned entity the power to print and regulate money? Maybe I am dense, maybe I am obtuse, maybe I am just an uneducated right wing extremist. Please enlighten me.

Our founding fathers took great pains to ensure that the founding documents could be easily read and understood by any one with an education equivalent to a High School diploma. Compare the wording of the Declaration, or the Constitution to just this one little snippet from the healthcare bill:

(1) IN GENERAL- The Administration shall be headed by a Health Choices Commissioner (in this division referred to as the `Commissioner') who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.

(2) COMPENSATION; ETC- The provisions of paragraphs (2), (5), and (7) of subsection (a) (relating to compensation, terms, general powers, rulemaking, and delegation) of section 702 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 902) shall apply to the Commissioner and the Administration in the same manner as such provisions apply to the Commissioner of Social Security and the Social Security Administration.

Huh? What? This is two small paragraphs of a 2000+ page law. The whole constitution is less the 40 pages with all the amendments and the Declaration of Independence!

God Bless America, and with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

Romans 10:14-15

“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!””

ROMANS 10:14-15 (NIV)

As many who know me already know, I have been called to serve and I am being prepared for this ministry. I do not know exactly where or how I am to serve yet. I feel a strong heart calling to the mission field and I am exploring that at this time. Please pray for guidance for me and my family in our service.

Greatest Mission tool ever

Many of you have probably seen the movie “End of the Spear" or at least heard the story of Jim Elliot, Nate Saint and two other missionaries killed in the jungles of Ecuador. Steve Saint was adopted by the people that killed his father and has a heart for missions. He is also a genius. Check out the video at right. 0-60 in 3.9 seconds! And it flies. I want one for Christmas.