A Solemn Trust

by Susan Snelling

Voting is a civic sacrament. Theodore Hesburgh (1917-2015, Catholic priest and former president of Notre Dame University)

Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not making a present or a compliment to please an individual – or at least that he ought not so to do; but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country. Samuel Adams (April 16, 1781, The Boston Gazette).

The Founding Fathers believed that America’s best would rise to the top as political candidates and that the people had the character to choose the most trustworthy, capable, and principled candidate for public service.  In Madison’s own words: “An auxiliary desideratum for the melioration of the Republican form and is such a process of elections as will most certainly extract from the mass of the Society the purest and noblest characters which it contains; such as will at once feel most strongly the proper motives to pursue the end of their appointment, and be most capable to devise the proper means of attaining it.“ The Founders talked about purity in the election process. It is up to the people to choose who they want in leadership. This is something that should not be manipulated or controlled. No one should plan to steal elections. Nothing is so in violation of the American political system than election tampering. Every vote by every legally voting citizen, is precious.

Alexander Hamilton said before the New York Assembly on June 21, 1788: “After all, Sir, we must submit to this idea, that the true principle of a republic is that the people should choose whom they please to govern them. Representation is imperfect in proportion as the current of popular favor is checked. This great source of free government, popular election, should be perfectly pure, and the most unbounded liberty allowed.” Alexander Hamilton and other Founders were optimistic about the ability of the American people to choose good leaders, and that the character of the citizens, at the time of the Founding Fathers, was that they could be confident the people desired for the public good and had the sense to vote wisely. Can we say the same today? Hamilton wrote in The Federalist Papers in 1788: “It is a just observation that the people commonly intend the Public Good. This often applies to their very errors. But their good sense would despise the adulator who should pretend they always reason right about the means of promoting it“

That the American government requires virtuous people to elect good leaders is not in question. The Founding Fathers knew that citizens with good character, electing principled politicians to office, was the only way the republican form of government could survive, and purity in that process is of utmost importance. The American people need to know that their vote or lack of vote is not the result of manipulation or intimidation but that it was honestly, freely, and legally obtained. Purity in elections protects the government from corruption.  John Adams wrote: “Corruption in elections has heretofore destroyed all elective governments. What regulations or precautions may be devised to prevent it in future, I am content with you to leave posterity to consider. You and I shall go to the Kingdom of the just or at least shall be released from the Republic of the Unjust, with hearts pure and hands clean of all corruption in elections; so much I firmly believe”

Corruption in elections: manipulation, control, stealing votes through various means (via machine and otherwise), and the various methods for orchestrating a specific outcome, according to John Adams has destroyed all elective governments. Pure and untainted, honest elections with votes legally and forthrightly obtained is at the heart of American politics and government. When people tell us to forget about stolen and manipulated elections in the past and move on without fixing the problem posthaste, they cheer on the destruction of America. Without clean and honest elections America cannot exist as a great and free nation. At that point it is over with as the thieves and manipulators will not allow the righteous to win.

Founder and Justice John Jay said: “The Americans are the first people whom Heaven has favored with an opportunity of deliberating upon and choosing the form of government under which they should live.” Why would we squander that sacred trust? God gave this shining city on a hill to us and we allow men and women of ill repute with wicked agendas to snatch it from us through dishonest elections. It tosses Consent of the Governed (see the Declaration of Independence) out the window. Honest elections ensure Consent of the Governed is not a thing of the past. John Adams and the other founders left regulations and protections of our election system to remain pure and just to us. Will it be said that their posterity failed this sacred trust? That we are the generation that squandered it all and destroyed this elective government? Some say often these days, “elections have consequences, stolen elections have catastrophic consequences.” A solemn trust, a scared duty; accountable to God and America. Election honesty is central to the survival of this representative government. It must be protected or “America” ceases to exist.

What To Do In Dark Days

by Rich Farm

“And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.  But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink , he cried out, “Lord save me!” ~ Matthew 14:29-30

“He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God…upon this rock I will build My Church; and the gates of Hell will not overpower it.” ~ Matthew 16:15-17

There is a lot that could cause us to be fearful of in this day and age; from food shortages to inflation, worrying about our kid’s education, or another school shooting.  We just came through a major pandemic, and they are already projecting another one.  There are looming threats of a possible nuclear war.  The bible warns us that there will be an increase in these events.  We will have many trials and tribulations.  We will have wars and rumors of wars.  We will have famine and pestilence.  We must understand that the dark days will continue to increase, however I believe those who are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ can be overcomers.  It all comes down to what will we have faith in?

I’ve been reflecting on this lately, that fear in just faith in the worst possible outcome.  We focus on the negatives or the what ifs until it consumes us, and paralyzes us.  Fear is a very real and true emotion, and we are all prone to it, yet how we respond to it will play a crucial role in the steps and actions that follow when faced with that fear.  If the enemy can paralyze us with fear, we will stop doing what we were called to do.  If he can stall us through this tactic, he can even push us back in our walk as well.  I know we’ve discussed this before in previous articles, but there is no neutral ground, you are either going forward with heaven’s agenda, or you a falling backwards.  The only way to continually move forward is to establish our firm foundation.

Jesus told his disciples that those who hear his words and do them is like a man who builds his house on a rock. On another occasion He was speaking with them and asked “who do you say I am?”  Peter replied, “you are the Christ (messiah), son of the living God.”  Jesus commended him for listening, listening to who?  The Father.  He said that his father in heaven revealed that truth to him.  Jesus went on to say, “upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.”  That rock He was speaking of, that firm foundation is the statement, “You are the Christ son of the living God”.  If we ground ourselves in the truth of who Jesus is—not some religious or worldly view of Him– but how the scripture describes Him as fully God and fully man, the one who holds the keys of the kingdom, then we can establish that firm foundation in our lives.

When we can believe who God is, we can then believe in what He can do.  We can encounter a trial and turn to the scripture to see how to respond.  We can see through scripture, that even though God’s people went through trials and tribulations that God never left their side.  Even though He appeared to be silent for a season, He always revealed himself and blessed his people.  The other day I joined our local body in prayer for the middle schoolers and their parents, I myself being a parent of 2 middle schoolers.  As I prayed for the boy in front of me, I was given a picture in my mind’s eye.  It was him standing on top of a mountain type structure, large and strong.  I noticed his lower legs were as if they were melded with the mountain, as if he was becoming one with the mountain.  I then saw birds attacking at every angle hitting the boy, and he was unphased and immovable.  I was then reminded of the passage above with Peter’s confession, and how the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

I really feel this could apply to any one of us.  When we know and confess the truth of who Christ is and what he can do, we will be immovable and not easily shaken.  However, there is another part to not wavering when the dark days do come in our lives.  Read Hebrews 10:22-25, but I’ll point to some key points.  Verse 22 says let us draw near with a sincere heart, meaning we surrender to God.  When we confess who Jesus truly is we are surrendering to His leadership as Lord of our lives.  Verse 23 goes on to say “let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”  I believe this means we are to speak out our faith unashamedly.  Those who don’t take a stand for Christ will easily be knocked back and eventually compromise.  Our confession puts our faith into action and it also holds us accountable to what we believe, because others are watching us.  See when people know we identify as a disciple of Christ, it forces us to know our own beliefs and walk them out daily.  Not only do we need to know who Christ is but who we are as well, that we are surrendered to Him and we are not our own anymore.  You are a representative of the King of kings, and you will want to make sure you are doing what you are supposed to be doing.

The final part of that passage says we are to “stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together…but encouraging one another”.  This means we are not meant to do it on our own.  In order to stand firm in these dark days we need community.  Not just any community but a faithful community of believers that we can spur each other on and encourage one another to keep on keeping on.  We are to encourage each other in the truth, help others in need, pick someone up when they fall.  The author concludes that passage “and ALL THE MORE as you see the day drawing near”.  How do we know the day is drawing near?  We can just look around us.  The bible talks about knowing the times and seasons, and even gives descriptions of what it will look like when the end is near.  So, we need to KNOW the scripture and KNOW Jesus deeply and intimately, and we need to encourage each other to do the same.