tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63649936321639634852024-03-15T06:15:27.591-07:00A Woman Who Fears the LordCurrent and archived commentary by Angela Somers WittmanAngela Wittmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04025738299107632514noreply@blogger.comBlogger316125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364993632163963485.post-36420471101845123912023-12-09T13:03:00.000-08:002024-01-27T05:08:03.960-08:00Remembering Founding Father Dr. Joseph Warren<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiocLdNvvF9OHhrCOKp9VuTbp-NEd9OnsrPvyB3wjH2AiUxlAuvjH920e__emPnsJrLOKTRT2RdiSFTbolYaavqXBrtMQ4LWs_Fw5e8Nk5_LnKtMFlua7Qa5QNoUtiQp5UL_2Dl2QaET9-swI2v_sl58xYkYcu6hZvAAwC7kxqGKOFKRzZej7nkVQo8wa1/s466/817MIAKcVCL._SY466_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="302" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiocLdNvvF9OHhrCOKp9VuTbp-NEd9OnsrPvyB3wjH2AiUxlAuvjH920e__emPnsJrLOKTRT2RdiSFTbolYaavqXBrtMQ4LWs_Fw5e8Nk5_LnKtMFlua7Qa5QNoUtiQp5UL_2Dl2QaET9-swI2v_sl58xYkYcu6hZvAAwC7kxqGKOFKRzZej7nkVQo8wa1/w414-h640/817MIAKcVCL._SY466_.jpg" width="414" /></a></div><blockquote>'The mistress we court is LIBERTY; and it is better to die than not to obtain her.' ~Joseph Warren to Samuel Adams, June 15, 1775</blockquote><p></p><p>I recently read Dr. Joseph Warren's biography <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Founding-Martyr-Joseph-American-Revolutions-ebook/dp/B077LR8Y2P?ref_=ast_author_mpb" target="_blank">Founding Martyr: The Life and Death of Dr. Joseph Warren, the American Revolution's Lost Hero</a></b> </i>written by <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Christian-Di-Spigna/e/B07G1XDNVQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1">Christian Di Spigna</a> and was impressed with the facts presented in his book. I learned a great deal and recommend others read it as well. It's balanced and presents a thoroughly researched account of one of our leading founders few have heard about.</p><p>I also viewed the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdDxlPR9Fv0" target="_blank">Youtube video</a> featured below and the speaker, Vern Frykholm,<span face="Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05); color: #131313; font-size: 14px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span>does an excellent presentation of summing up the character and life of Dr. Warren, who has become one of my favorite heroes living during the events leading up to our separation from Great Britain.</p><p>However, there is more to the story as Dr. Warren's body was mutilated by the British because they hated and feared him due to the influence he had over the colonists. But Satan always overplays his hand and the result was it raised up John and Samuel Adams to take more of a prominent leadership role. Plus, it inspired the colonists to fight even harder against the British. I recommend both the book and this video as it's a wonderful story of a unique, courageous man who was martyred at the battle on Bunker Hill with his Bible in his coat pocket.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CdDxlPR9Fv0?si=fT44EM_CX97__WUg" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdDxlPR9Fv0"><b>Joseph Warren - Lexington Concord Character Study</b></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdDxlPR9Fv0">(youtube.com)</a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>Dear Father in Heaven,</p><p>Thank You for Dr. Joseph Warren's brief, but wonderful life. He truly was a man who displayed great courage and love for others. As a nation, we are blessed to have heroes like him who stood for freedom and had the courage to act on their convictions.</p><p>Dear Lord, I know our Founding Fathers had feet of clay and while they were great men, they also weren't perfect. I apologize for the Freemasonry some of them were involved with, and sadly, Dr. Warren was heavily involved in it. However, in Your grace You used him to accomplish Your purposes and I praise You for it. </p><p>Thank You for this man and for preserving his memory.</p><p>In Lord Jesus Name, I pray. Amen</p><p><i><br /></i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4T_Vh8qAtf0qyy5HiIAojsIlkVRfa8Ip8JEArDXfCiWZItFhTIAMdZjOIYe_V4C2bJDJpX2GqBmz51zY4ocK1Q4txxwtuIACPa0cRZtuhZtNezjwSFQ0t-deketRYkEKOaD5KosAu9umCMuFiKPihvlOucuTbw7ZEmpyhwE2KQCBY6EcHSzlazGPtPZWq/s707/JosephWarrenByCopley.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="707" data-original-width="568" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4T_Vh8qAtf0qyy5HiIAojsIlkVRfa8Ip8JEArDXfCiWZItFhTIAMdZjOIYe_V4C2bJDJpX2GqBmz51zY4ocK1Q4txxwtuIACPa0cRZtuhZtNezjwSFQ0t-deketRYkEKOaD5KosAu9umCMuFiKPihvlOucuTbw7ZEmpyhwE2KQCBY6EcHSzlazGPtPZWq/w514-h640/JosephWarrenByCopley.jpeg" width="514" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Joseph Warren (1741-1775)</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">(<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Warren">Wikipedia</a>)</div><i><br /></i><p></p><p></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUsCdjPTtD4nztcuEH_CUhoSO1Ht2BSYxS53Ax5OpIvPPf0sc8tEfIoWliLqhicQkgTXFUREeHYuxQqmN9Oxtk-BkvS2Z69ODIpw8bf5ijvICFXTSNLi-2GfEPtKujN7JbiR8JOphPefFRgtzo-A_zKBTH4ntb3ZI6P9PeZegnMqVQC1hATdV0xzl4xKon/s776/The_death_of_general_warren_at_the_battle_of_bunker_hill.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="514" data-original-width="776" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUsCdjPTtD4nztcuEH_CUhoSO1Ht2BSYxS53Ax5OpIvPPf0sc8tEfIoWliLqhicQkgTXFUREeHYuxQqmN9Oxtk-BkvS2Z69ODIpw8bf5ijvICFXTSNLi-2GfEPtKujN7JbiR8JOphPefFRgtzo-A_zKBTH4ntb3ZI6P9PeZegnMqVQC1hATdV0xzl4xKon/w640-h424/The_death_of_general_warren_at_the_battle_of_bunker_hill.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><b>The death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775 </b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><b>by John Trumbull</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">(<a href="https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Joseph_Warren" target="_blank">New World Encyclopedia</a>)</div><i><br /></i></div>Angela Wittmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04025738299107632514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364993632163963485.post-32706612366720135972023-11-22T08:47:00.000-08:002024-01-27T05:08:26.198-08:00Remembering Founding Father Reverend John Witherspoon (1723 - 1794)<p>On this Thanksgiving Eve, I am delighted to share this tribute to Rev. John Witherspoon, a founding father and dedicated Christian, featured at <b><i><a href="https://breakpoint.org/the-legacy-of-john-witherspoon/" target="_blank">Breakpoint:</a></i></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjni1lPF3Uj2fnMfggzxJ7CYQwg2XfpVpQtmXq7rRQkJ-Pjx1SMtY-QVkNfTWpn9VUhhnde5d53IC_sZcJtDAWfo2qGtmD-zsPr3mmEM5cu_cJNdXJh7ZlDvJvK6bXapmDLiAdbPgJhlYk9MazeG5QP0paS50uPlDH-_UjCl7FBXefP-UmFXsTt4eZflVcu/s1024/Declaration_of_Independence_(1819),_by_John_Trumbull.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="672" data-original-width="1024" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjni1lPF3Uj2fnMfggzxJ7CYQwg2XfpVpQtmXq7rRQkJ-Pjx1SMtY-QVkNfTWpn9VUhhnde5d53IC_sZcJtDAWfo2qGtmD-zsPr3mmEM5cu_cJNdXJh7ZlDvJvK6bXapmDLiAdbPgJhlYk9MazeG5QP0paS50uPlDH-_UjCl7FBXefP-UmFXsTt4eZflVcu/w640-h420/Declaration_of_Independence_(1819),_by_John_Trumbull.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">In <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_Independence_(painting)"><i>Declaration of Independence</i></a> by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Trumbull">John Trumbull</a> (1818), Witherspoon is the second seated figure from the (viewer's) right among those shown in the background facing the large table.</div><div style="text-align: center;">(Public Domain/ <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Witherspoon" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</div><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW202234919 BCX4" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br /></span><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW202234919 BCX4" style="box-sizing: border-box;">The Legacy of John Witherspoon</span></h3><b><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW202234919 BCX4" style="box-sizing: border-box;">The groundwork of a lesser-known founder who shaped the early years of the Repu</span>blic.</b><br /><br />The month of November marks the death of John Witherspoon, one of the most important and most <i>underrated</i> of the American founding fathers. Born in Scotland in 1723, Witherspoon received a Master of Arts at age 16 from the University of Edinburgh, where he would continue his studies in divinity. In 1745, he became an evangelical minister in the Church of Scotland. <br /><br />Witherspoon was no fan of the monarchy and was imprisoned the following year for opposing the royalist Jacobite uprising, an experience that damaged his health for life. After his release, he returned to pastoral ministry. In 1764, the University of St. Andrews awarded Witherspoon an honorary Doctor of Divinity. <br /><br />Four years later, Witherspoon accepted the presidency of the College of New Jersey, a Presbyterian college now known as Princeton University. Though the school’s primary mission was to train Presbyterian ministers, Witherspoon found the school in quite a mess. The students were given poor teaching and an inadequate library. Through fundraising, reorganization, higher standards, and securing new resources–including donating hundreds of books from his personal library–Witherspoon transformed the college into a top-tier school. <br /><br />In addition to providing leadership at a crucial time in the university’s history, Witherspoon taught courses in rhetoric, history, divinity, and moral philosophy, a required course at the college. His ideas were anchored in his Reformed faith and the natural law tradition. He was also heavily influenced by Scottish philosopher Thomas Reid’s <i>Common Sense Realism</i>. These ideas took deep root in Princeton and across American society generally. Witherspoon’s teaching laid essential groundwork for both the American Revolution and the government that followed. <br /><br />Leaning heavily on the Calvinistic tradition, Witherspoon promoted the rights of people to challenge governmental overreach, even by force of arms if necessary. Unsurprisingly, he strongly supported the American Revolution, especially concerned by a growing centralization of government and the Crown taking over responsibilities that were historically the prerogatives of the colonies. The final straw for Witherspoon was when bishops were appointed from England to oversee religious life in the colonies. <br /><br />Like his Presbyterian forebearers in Scotland, Witherspoon saw these violations as justification for revolt. He served in the Continental Congress from 1777 to 1784, taking on a prodigious amount of work and serving on over 100 committees. After the war, he helped draft the Articles of Confederation and later shepherded the Constitution through the New Jersey state legislature. <br /><br />Even with that impressive resume, Witherspoon’s most important impact came from the students who took his moral philosophy classes at the College of New Jersey. Witherspoon taught James Madison the necessity of checks and balances in government. Among his other students were Aaron Burr, 37 judges, including several members of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and three justices of the Supreme Court of the United States, 10 cabinet officers, 12 members of the Continental Congress, 28 U.S. Senators, and 49 U.S. Congressmen. Witherspoon was arguably the single most influential founder who shaped the early years of the Republic. <br /><br />Despite all this, Witherspoon is mostly remembered today for owning two slaves. Like many of the founders, Witherspoon’s attitudes toward slavery were complex and often contradictory, a fact that explains but does not excuse his stance. Witherspoon taught that slaves and employees should be treated with dignity and respect. He even spoke out against the institution of slavery at the college. However, he also opposed a measure by the state legislature that would have banned slavery in New Jersey. Like many others, Witherspoon believed slavery would die out within a generation, and thought the legislation was unnecessary and could interfere with the process he believed was inevitable. <br /><br />Though there were a few consistent abolitionists among the founders, Witherspoon was among the many elites in the eighteenth century who owned slaves as domestic servants or to work land. <br /><br />Witherspoon failed to extend his convictions about liberty for all to the slaves in his midst. That moral tragedy should not fully blot out the honor owed to him for his incredible contributions to the founding of the United States and the securing of the freedoms we enjoy.<div><br />This <i>Breakpoint</i> was co-authored by Dr. Glenn Sunshine. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, go to <a href="https://breakpoint.org/">breakpoint.org.</a> <div><br /></div><i>© Copyright 2020, All Rights Reserved.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><b>Source: <a href="https://breakpoint.org/the-legacy-of-john-witherspoon/">The Legacy of John Witherspoon - <i>Breakpoint</i></a><i> </i> </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>~~~~~~~~~~~~</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Dear Father in Heaven,</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>As we bow our heads in thanks for Your many blessings and providential care of Your people, we remember Rev. John Witherspoon and the godly influence he had in the founding of the United States of America. We thank You for the many godly men and women who helped form our nation. </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Lord, it is true we've forgotten our Christian heritage and it is no longer taught in our schools or honored in our government. However, You have been long-suffering toward us and we pray You will continue to preserve the memories of our Founding Fathers and help us to teach others to live moral, honorable lives. </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Please give us, Your Church, a heart for reaching the lost and please lead our nation back to the Cross.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>In Lord Jesus Name, I pray. Amen.</b></div>Angela Wittmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04025738299107632514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364993632163963485.post-29184794496872010552023-10-10T08:52:00.000-07:002024-01-27T05:08:55.951-08:00John Hancock: 'We must all rise or fall together.'<div><i>One of my favorite founding fathers is John Hancock. While some think he was an opportunist or vain man, I happen to think he is one who rose to the occasion and risked it all - his fortune, honor and even his life to stand for what is right and to secure liberty for future generations.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>So, you can imagine my interest in the article <a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2023/10/john-hancocks-politics-and-personality-in-ten-quotes/" target="_blank">JOHN HANCOCK’S POLITICS AND PERSONALITY IN TEN QUOTES by Brooke Barbier posted at The Journal of the American Revolution.</a> I was wondering where Mr. Hancock stood on the ratification of the Constitution as Samuel Adams* and Mercy Otis Warren were opposed to it. But I think John Hancock showed great wisdom in this quote as recorded below. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>May God continue to bless the memory of John Hancock - a man with flaws, but also one who was used mightily in the formation of the United States of America. </i></div><div><br /></div>“<b>8. 'We must all rise or fall together.'</b>—John Hancock to the US Constitution Ratification Convention of Massachusetts, February 6, 1788<br /><br />"In 1788, Hancock was governor of Massachusetts and president of the state’s constitutional convention when he proclaimed these words in one of the most important speeches of his life. The proposed national constitution had been sent to the states for ratification, and as the Massachusetts convention began, five states had already approved it. The new government framework was more than halfway to securing the necessary votes for approval.<br /><br />"While Americans think of the Constitution as an inevitable part of the country’s fabric today, it faced considerable pushback from states concerned about an overreaching federal government. Massachusetts was considered a swing state for ratification. Because of its strong revolutionary credentials, other states might be inclined to follow its lead. New Hampshire was waiting to see which way their neighbor went, and George Washington was worried their decision could also sway Virginia and New York.<br /><br />"Hancock himself was skeptical about the new Constitution, and as the most powerful political figure in Massachusetts, he would no doubt influence some with his perspective. Just before the vote was taken, Hancock gave a speech supporting the Constitution but asked everyone to recognize that it was a divided issue. As such, no one should rejoice that half of the population would be disappointed with the outcome. He hoped everyone would be conciliatory and eventually unite together. This was a sentiment rarely heard from leaders during such a contentious time, and it showed Hancock’s power. The Constitution narrowly passed in Massachusetts."<div><br /></div><div><b>Source: <a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2023/10/john-hancocks-politics-and-personality-in-ten-quotes/">John Hancock's Politics and Personality in Ten Quotes - Journal of the American Revolution (allthingsliberty.com)</a></b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbv4sod7d_l0Ij-ANQi0ZlzGV5xVnNbk4OLWD-LT_87sp7-oBESiNShY-kT6ZKsGmfP9Qf05K88oZhueNanAWbEDT0avsDxta5KXzmVecRbpwlNKY7M9iWtcwqahG_QVUihgHvPnycYpnNAaCWFcfu0g3BXDd_Sg1Dc62cxxeEFWRkbQ_yYq2OrunTSipX/s1024/John-Hancock-portrait.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="848" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbv4sod7d_l0Ij-ANQi0ZlzGV5xVnNbk4OLWD-LT_87sp7-oBESiNShY-kT6ZKsGmfP9Qf05K88oZhueNanAWbEDT0avsDxta5KXzmVecRbpwlNKY7M9iWtcwqahG_QVUihgHvPnycYpnNAaCWFcfu0g3BXDd_Sg1Dc62cxxeEFWRkbQ_yYq2OrunTSipX/w331-h400/John-Hancock-portrait.jpg" width="331" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>* Adams was one of those derisively labeled <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Federalism">"Anti-Federalists"</a> by proponents of the new Constitution, who called themselves "Federalists". Adams was elected to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Massachusetts_ratifying_convention&action=edit&redlink=1">Massachusetts ratifying convention</a> which met in January 1788. Despite his reservations, Adams rarely spoke at the convention, and listened carefully to the arguments rather than raising objections. Adams and John Hancock had reconciled, and they finally agreed to give their support for the Constitution, with the proviso that some amendments be added later. Even with the support of Hancock and Adams, the Massachusetts convention narrowly ratified the Constitution by a vote of 187 to 168. (Source: </i><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Adams#Return_to_Massachusetts">Samuel Adams/Return to Massachusetts - Wikipedia</a>.)</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>For additional information on John Hancock's position during the ratification of the United States Constitution, please also see: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hancock#Final_years">John Hancock/Final Years - Wikipedia</a>.</i></div><br />Angela Wittmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04025738299107632514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364993632163963485.post-86326109402735423132023-10-06T11:54:00.000-07:002024-01-27T05:09:27.834-08:00Christian Citizenship Bible Study<p>Sadly, the acknowledgment of our Lord and Savior as Sovereign over our (and all) nations was omitted from our founding document, the Constitution. I plan to take a closer look at this omission and the <a href="https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/christian-amendment/" target="_blank">movement for a Christian Amendment</a> in a future post; but for now I want to share a <i>Christian Citizenship Bible Study</i> with you. This material was taught to me by my Reformed Presbyterian pastor approximately 20 years ago. Please be blessed as you study it with Bible in hand.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTRL0tHup7vUyTvB5lnrRudny8ScQb1xgmPUahNt9j3NqlsT5jIyWHXHPirb4hvs4xio6OpgprTPxBfEx5ClAoYv_N1pXxZbPQTPfpFwdkD15xy9uFgl9K1NHM4UA1W5h2MypRXXn0gjrOfF7yJeqtCyBachp2t8BWtUdMgFVxO7uDwwjtonZDv9AhDb2o/s701/Congress-Prayer-701x512.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="701" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTRL0tHup7vUyTvB5lnrRudny8ScQb1xgmPUahNt9j3NqlsT5jIyWHXHPirb4hvs4xio6OpgprTPxBfEx5ClAoYv_N1pXxZbPQTPfpFwdkD15xy9uFgl9K1NHM4UA1W5h2MypRXXn0gjrOfF7yJeqtCyBachp2t8BWtUdMgFVxO7uDwwjtonZDv9AhDb2o/w400-h293/Congress-Prayer-701x512.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Understanding Biblical Doctrine, Lesson XVI, “Christian Citizenship”</h3><div>Romans 13:1 “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.”<br /><br /><b>I. The Biblical View of Government</b><br /><b><br />A. Man’s need for civil government stems from the fact that God created him with the ability to live in an orderly society.</b><br /><br />(Genesis 1:28 — And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth).<br /><br />What authority is God conveying to Adam here?<br /><br /><b>B. All exisiting governments receive their right to rule from God (Rom. 13:1).</b><br /><br />What government (power) did Paul live under?<br /><br />How does he say it received its authority?<br /><br />Could the government of Paul’s day be considered as a Chrisitian form of civil government?<br /><b><br />C. Since the fall, government has become necessary to:</b><br /><br />1. restrain evil. Rom. 13: 3a – “For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power?”<br /><br />What is the role of rulers toward those who do evil?<br /><br />2. protect and reward the innocent. Rom. 13: 3b – “do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same”<br /><br />What is the result of our doing good?<br /><br />3. punish evil-doers.<br /><br />Rom. 13:4 – “For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.”<br /><br />What is the ruler as a “minister of God” to do to law-breakers?<br /><br /><b>D. The governments of men are under the sovereign control of God through Jesus Christ, the ruler and judge of Nations.</b><br /><br />1. Dan. 4: 37 – “Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.”<br /><br />What lesson does God teach proud Nebuchadnezzar?<br /><br />2. Matthew 28:18 - “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”<br /><br />What is Jesus claiming here?<br /><br />3. Ephesians 1:22 - “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,”<br /><br />a. What does Paul state about Jesus here?<br /><br />b. Is this to be in the future only?<br /><br />c. Does this include the governments of men?<br /><br />d. Who are the beneficiaries of Christ’s kingly rule?<br /><br />E. Men in government are responsible to God for the way they discharge their duties: the moral law of God should be the basis of civil law.<br /><br />(II Chron. 19:6,7) And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment. Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.<br /><br />1. For whom do rulers (judges) carry out their duty?<br /><br />2. Does God have any part in legal decisions?<br /><br />3. What characteristic is given as necessary for a good ruler?<br /><br />4. What 3 reasons are given why God’s judgements (His Word) are to be the basis of civil law?<br /><br /><b>F. No particular form of government is set down exclusively by Scripture, but all civil authorities are summoned to recognize the authority of Christ as King.</b><br /><br />1. Psalm 2:10-12 “Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”<br /><br />a. To whom are these verses directed?<br /><br />b. What are they required to do?<br /><br />c. What is the result of rejecting Christ’s rule?<br /><br />2. Psalm 33:12 “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.”<br /><br />What is the key to blessing for a nation?<br /><br />3. Psalm 132:12″If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore. ”<br /><br />What is required of a ruler here?<br /><br /><b>G. A government cannot justly require of its citizens anything that is contrary to divine law or compromises the citizen’s prime loyalty to Christ.</b><br /><br />1. Acts 4:13-20 “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”<br /><br />a. What had Peter and John been doing?<br /><br />b. How did the Jewish government act?<br /><br />c. How do Peter and John respond?</div><div><br />2. Acts 5: 17-29<br /><br />“Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned and told, Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within. Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow. Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people. Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”<br /><br />a. Why are the apostles imprisoned?<br /><br />b. What does the angel of the Lord do for the apostles?<br /><br />c. What does he tell the freed prisoners to do?<br /><br />d. How does Peter defend himself before the council (Sanhedrin)?<br /><br />3. Daniel 6:13 “Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day. “<br /><br />a. What does Daniel refuse to do?<br /><br />b. Why does he refuse to conform to this civil law?<br /><br />c. Does he attempt actively to overthrow the government because of its sinful laws?<br /><br /><b>H. Even when a government is unwilling to recognize Christ and passes unjust laws, such a government is still under God and we must render submission to it in so long as we do not personally compromise our faith.</b><br /><br />1. Matthew 22: 17-22 “Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s. When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.”<br /><br />a. What is the context of what Jesus says here?<br /><br />b. What does it mean to “render unto Caeser the things that are Caeser’s?”<br /><br />2. I Peter 2:13,14 “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; 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.”<br /><br />a. What is required here?<br /><br />b. What is the reason for this submission?<br /><br />c. Are there any exceptions? ( Acts 5:29 – “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”)<br /><br /><br /><b>II. The Church and State Compared: TWO Spheres of Authority</b><br /><br /><b>CHURCH</b><br /><br />Ordained by God for His glory.<br /><br />Governed by Christ.<br /><br />Subject to God’s law.<br /><br />Elects its own leaders.<br /><br />Deals with the spiritual welfare of all men under it’s rule.<br /><br />Independent of State, but under Christ.<br /><br /><b>STATE</b><br /><br />Ordained by God for His glory.<br /><br />Governed by Christ.<br /><br />Subject to God’s law.<br /><br />Elects its own leaders.<br /><br />Deals with the physical welfare of all men under its rule.<br /><br />Independent of Church, but under Christ.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p><i>Dear Father in Heaven,</i></p><p><i>Please forgive our Founding Fathers who thought it best or unneedful to acknowledge You in our most important founding document, the Constitution of the United States. I am amazed at how You've strengthened and cared for us even though we have this glaring omission! I can only hope and pray we will come to our senses, repent and turn back to You as a people and a nation.</i></p><p><i>May You have mercy upon us and heal us of our backsliding.</i></p><p><i>In Lord Jesus Name I pray, amen.</i></p></div>Angela Wittmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04025738299107632514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364993632163963485.post-61310464121556253352023-10-05T12:14:00.010-07:002023-10-06T06:30:01.047-07:00'Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant'<i>“His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” Matthew 25:23 KJV</i><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXoSR6egH_NJuNCNpWWsdy_6pO4OknSBjqRlRnt7BsVazW9D5romoQzU4Nq3tAfePIcKi55DuhQHaX-lVD5W1so72qfDOcBKGZTgoG2a_Ale1Su1mQlTJ4nTa1mKg-CJ2Sp87lQ1-4joD4rMAEGG57bcawVpBFrGfk_prymACWWkBg6EpKqasU9YEreFo/s1328/Bob%20Morrow.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1302" data-original-width="1328" height="628" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXoSR6egH_NJuNCNpWWsdy_6pO4OknSBjqRlRnt7BsVazW9D5romoQzU4Nq3tAfePIcKi55DuhQHaX-lVD5W1so72qfDOcBKGZTgoG2a_Ale1Su1mQlTJ4nTa1mKg-CJ2Sp87lQ1-4joD4rMAEGG57bcawVpBFrGfk_prymACWWkBg6EpKqasU9YEreFo/w640-h628/Bob%20Morrow.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Rev. Robert Wesley Morrow </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>(April 5, 1933 - September 30, 2023)</b></div><div><div><br /></div><div><i>Bob Morrow was my elder at the Sparta RPCNA - such a humble man!</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>I was a member of the Sparta RP Church years ago and I remember how faithfully Bob watched over me and my son. It was at least a 30 min. drive from Sparta to my home in Waterloo and he would do home visits, plus discipled my son in a weekly Bible Study. These things are rare in today's society - but Bob held to the "old" ways. You can be assured he performed his duty as an elder to the best of his ability. He was quite the godly man.</i><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-size: 14px;"> </span><i> </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>I didn't know how much the good Lord had used him in ministry until reading his obituary as he never bragged, but instead displayed kindness and humilty. I'm certain he has now heard "Well done, good and faithful servant." </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Condolences and prayers for Bob's family, friends and loved ones. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>- With Christian love, Angela Wittman</i></div></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><div><br /></div><div><b> Rev. Robert Wesley Morrow, 90, Sparta, Illinois, went to be with the Lord on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, at Bria of Columbia.</b><div><br />Robert was born in College Springs, Iowa, on April 5, 1933, to William L. and Martha Mae (McKibbon) Morrow. He attended country school in Pleasant Valley and Olive Branch in Clarinda, IA. Robert became a communicant member of the Clarinda Reformed Presbyterian Church in 1953. Robert graduated from Geneva College, Beaver Falls, PA, in 1957.<br /><br />While attending Geneva, Robert met Shirley Ann Smith. They were married on July 29, 1955, in Beaver Falls. Robert attended Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh from 1957-1961, and he continued to serve the Reformed Presbyterian Church for the rest of his life. He was ordained by the Pacific Coast Presbytery, September 13, 1961, and was called to serve as a missionary pastor in Hot Springs, New Mexico, until 1964. Robert then pastored in Morning Sun, Iowa, from 1964-1967. During that time, he was the moderator of presbytery and led the youth as Young People’s Secretary. In the fall of 1967, Robert moved to Ohio to pastor the Belle Center congregation until 1974, during which time he was presbytery clerk and later moderator, Young People’s Secretary, and served on various committees. Robert moved to Sparta, Illinois, in 1975 to pastor the Sparta Reformed Presbyterian Church. The Sparta community became his home. He pastored the congregation until 1983 and then remained in that congregation as a ruling elder for nearly 30 years and served in the denomination in many ways. Robert owned R & S Auto Service with his sons, Sam, and Eric, and drove a school bus for Sparta schools.<br /><br />Together Robert and Shirley raised four children, Mary Morrow, Samuel (Denise) Morrow, Eric Morrow, and Ruth Ann (Dwaine) Armentrout. He enjoyed traveling, camping, hunting, gardening, and spending time with his grandchildren.<br /><br />Robert is survived by his children and by his grandchildren, Caleb, Levi, Cara, and Kate Armentrout, and Brenna, Devin, Steven, and Vanessa Morrow. Robert is also survived by his brothers and sisters as well as many nieces and nephews.<br /><br />Robert was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Shirley. He talked about her often in these last years and looked forward to being with her in heaven with their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He was also preceded in death by his brother David. Robert was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend.<br /><br />Funeral services will be held at 12:00 pm on Friday, October 6, 2023, at Sparta Reformed Presbyterian Church, 605 N. Market Street, Sparta, Illinois 62286, with Pastor Ross Fearing officiating. Burial to follow at Hill Prairie Cemetery, Sparta, Illinois. Friends may visit the family at the church on Thursday from 5 to 8 pm and on Friday from 11:00 a.m. until the start of the service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Sparta Reformed Presbyterian Church or Geneva College, Beaver Falls, PA, c/o Wilson's Funeral Home, PO Box 217, Steeleville, IL 62288. Arrangements have been entrusted to Wilson’s Funeral Home, Steeleville, Illinois.</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Obituary Sources: </b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=719007730265824&set=a.465327505633849">Facebook</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rpcna" target="_blank">Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America</a> </b></li><li><a href="https://www.wilsonsfuneralhome.net/obituary/robert-morrow?fh_id=16205"><b>Obituary | Robert W. Morrow of Sparta, Illinois | Wilson's Funeral Home (wilsonsfuneralhome.net)</b></a></li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOlacJbUYcvF9vKAq3tGalVpX-Lnl__pnlwh8eVngWn2nZwGaupOwkFCKDCywbOeg9HJHtmdA0pX6vQEQaxmCH0NLw3VXWRTBHkRzkqzKwgMoR8I5dmIyn3RFTrprPZym0OBuIZWc3IVR_kyKFC4g39pW1MgQ6Yg8zhwxX303znk4ZkovAo3BwB4obxrA/s300/Sparta_Reformed_Presbyterian_Church.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="169" data-original-width="300" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOlacJbUYcvF9vKAq3tGalVpX-Lnl__pnlwh8eVngWn2nZwGaupOwkFCKDCywbOeg9HJHtmdA0pX6vQEQaxmCH0NLw3VXWRTBHkRzkqzKwgMoR8I5dmIyn3RFTrprPZym0OBuIZWc3IVR_kyKFC4g39pW1MgQ6Yg8zhwxX303znk4ZkovAo3BwB4obxrA/w640-h360/Sparta_Reformed_Presbyterian_Church.webp" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image Source: <a href="http://sparta.rpc.org/history/" style="text-align: left;">History – Sparta Reformed Presbyterian (rpc.org)</a></div><br /><i><br /></i></div>Angela Wittmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04025738299107632514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364993632163963485.post-2780481750846277512023-08-12T09:30:00.000-07:002024-01-27T05:09:55.654-08:00Patriotic Ladies: 'Republican Mothers'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT-Fv8vaUQBWd3J1ta2IdJn3weQXo72k-NFzxX7caLguepXkFwFTCfhha6-2C77muzeB4ocCZIE1lxJHt8XvhWjYiJJqbbG5vb2Q1R3KRR4BKn0W8Ri1-4JohPfL-jo8AsJDtjj_4ukPillpbaU7K4YFWWUkWanQPAC5eN0r8VlYdZM3h5SXqykzWxmljL/s800/800px-The_artist_and_his_family_james_peale.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="800" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT-Fv8vaUQBWd3J1ta2IdJn3weQXo72k-NFzxX7caLguepXkFwFTCfhha6-2C77muzeB4ocCZIE1lxJHt8XvhWjYiJJqbbG5vb2Q1R3KRR4BKn0W8Ri1-4JohPfL-jo8AsJDtjj_4ukPillpbaU7K4YFWWUkWanQPAC5eN0r8VlYdZM3h5SXqykzWxmljL/w640-h614/800px-The_artist_and_his_family_james_peale.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Peale">James Peale</a>, The Artist and His Family, (1795)</div><div style="text-align: center;">(Source: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_motherhood">Republican motherhood - <i>Wikipedia</i></a>)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><div><br /></div>While reading biographies of Mercy Otis Warren and Abigail Adams, who were not only peers, but also close friends during the War for Independence, I often find the term <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_motherhood" target="_blank">"Republican Motherhood"</a> used to describe them and other ladies of that time who cherished their role as homemakers, but also did what they could to promote liberty. <p>These founding ladies weren't "feminists," but they were intelligent and helpful to their husbands and the other men leading the charge for our independence from Great Britain. They also believed education for both sexes would be instrumental for a free society. </p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_motherhood" target="_blank"><i>Wikipedia</i></a> tells us:</p><i>"Republican Motherhood" is an 18th-century term for an attitude toward women's roles present in the emerging <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States">United States</a> before, during, and after the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolution">American Revolution</a>. It centered on the belief that the patriots' daughters should be raised to uphold the ideals of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republicanism_in_the_United_States">republicanism</a>, in order to pass on republican values to the next generation. In this way, the "Republican Mother" was considered a custodian of civic virtue responsible for upholding the morality of her husband and children. </i><p>At <i> <a href="https://www.nyhistory.org/">NYHistory.org</a></i> I recently discovered the article <a href="https://wams.nyhistory.org/building-a-new-nation/navigating-the-new-government/republican-motherhood/">Republican Motherhood</a> with an extract from a speech titled “Fourth of July speech by Norwich woman,” published July 10, 1799 in <i>The Courier</i> (Norwich, Connecticut) and thought it would be helpful for us to read the sentiments of one unnamed founding mother:</p><i>“In every age of the world the conduct of females has had a conspicuous effect on society. Among savage tribes, where our sex being denied all knowledge themselves, are of course incapable of instructing their infant children, we see barbarity is perpetuated. But wherever man has elevated us to the rank of intellectual companions, the rising generation has received with an increased lustre the light we have enjoyed.</i><div><i><br /></i></div><i>Though our influence be most visible when the olive overshadows every dome, and soft quiet pervades every habitation, when the son matures under the eye of his mother, unmolested by the tyranny of war, yet it often appears in the prowning tumult of a battle.<br /><br />“The brave deserve the fair’ has stimulated many a hero to deeds of immortality in the ensanguined field. Sacred story remarks the chagrin which tortured even a king in Israel, when females sang to their umbrels, ‘Saul has slain his thousands, but David his ten thousands.’ In Sparta and ancient Republic, though it possessed no luxurious refinements, it acquired a sublime height in military glory. Its women were heroines, and a mother’s parting injunction to her son going to battle was ‘to return victorious or be borne home dead on his shield.’</i><div><i><br /></i></div><i>In the primitive age of our country, witness our maternal ancestors who spurned the delights of wealth and magnificence, to embrace the horrors of a howling desert, for the cause of religious freedom. Witness the pains they endured while extinction daily frowned on its infant establishments. Witness the anxiety, solicitude, watchings, and self denial, which wearied our mothers while they cheerfully aided the purchase of this venerable day.<br /><br />Let us then appreciate justly the rank of our sex, not indeed by an affection of political science, nor like the voluptuous ladies of France, who insinuating themselves into the cabinet have blended gallantry and state affairs, until the motley code has inscribed ruin upon the Empire. Nor do the hackneyed paths of Fashion and Frippery afford a just field to display female excellence.</i><div><i><br /></i></div><i>In the narrow but liberal walks of domestic life our sphere lies. To act nobly in this be our aim. As mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters, we may all be important, teach our little boys, the inestimable value of Freedom, how to blend and harmonize the natural and social rights of man, and as early impressions are indelible, this assist our dear country, to be as glorious in maintaining, as it was great in gaining her immortal independence.”</i><div><br /></div><div>While reading this excerpt of her speech, I was also reminded of the virtuous Proverbs 31 woman:</div><div><br /></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>The Woman Who Fears the Lord</i></b></div></b><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.</div><div style="text-align: center;">The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.</div><div style="text-align: center;">She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.</div><div style="text-align: center;"> She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands.</div><div style="text-align: center;">She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar.</div><div style="text-align: center;">She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens.</div><div style="text-align: center;">She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.</div><div style="text-align: center;">She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong.</div><div style="text-align: center;">She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night.</div><div style="text-align: center;">She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.</div><div style="text-align: center;">She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.</div><div style="text-align: center;">She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet.</div><div style="text-align: center;">She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land.</div><div style="text-align: center;">She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.</div><div style="text-align: center;">She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.</div><div style="text-align: center;">She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.</div><div style="text-align: center;"> Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:</div><div style="text-align: center;"> “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.”</div><div style="text-align: center;"> Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.</div><div style="text-align: center;">(Source: <a href="https://www.esv.org/Proverbs+31/">Proverbs 31:10-31 -| ESV.org</a>)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4N9ZTpEUroC5Jq6FQZZjwEpj3WgTKgYeFwUYnnWApyN5Vnekvu6JvwLZxICdi1TulzjeVjbpVpOiK-X7bh5lNPO8P2xTPf3iHOyfaUHpQbnVjt87PyRJhEv1iNbFdXBjIJwRjzq8VO97CwOyfko3qjXl6fexJ1Y6oVaXo0VmpBuO07u4h_OZWLNrKTqF/s1050/psalm45.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1040" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4N9ZTpEUroC5Jq6FQZZjwEpj3WgTKgYeFwUYnnWApyN5Vnekvu6JvwLZxICdi1TulzjeVjbpVpOiK-X7bh5lNPO8P2xTPf3iHOyfaUHpQbnVjt87PyRJhEv1iNbFdXBjIJwRjzq8VO97CwOyfko3qjXl6fexJ1Y6oVaXo0VmpBuO07u4h_OZWLNrKTqF/w198-h200/psalm45.jpg" width="198" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>As the children of these brave, resourceful women, I pray we will rise up, call them blessed and aim to follow in their noble footsteps.</div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><div><br /></div><div>Dear Father in Heaven,</div><div><br /></div><div>Thank You for these precious ladies who loved You, their husbands, children and future generations of Americans. They left us a rich heritage; I pray You will help us to appreciate the sacrifices they made on our behalf and to imitate their godly viritues.</div><div><br /></div><div>In Lord Jesus Name, I pray, amen.</div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWELot4moNlLQBpcXguF1bS9LeFLBkRxf9TqbcPyg9CFkukQ8FxTYaDoNPRKEjJ3UauMcgi3-QEUy-56hDNB4qz6lvT7DI007GPAfSDErtGXU4kFzSiZrtnPvYUkpxCxjdxDzfjx9OYCd1_nFq70HkPthKpm99W7JTT3nf2nK_v27n5G8EZNSk33kIQeCB/s1222/Psalm%2090.12.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="698" data-original-width="1222" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWELot4moNlLQBpcXguF1bS9LeFLBkRxf9TqbcPyg9CFkukQ8FxTYaDoNPRKEjJ3UauMcgi3-QEUy-56hDNB4qz6lvT7DI007GPAfSDErtGXU4kFzSiZrtnPvYUkpxCxjdxDzfjx9OYCd1_nFq70HkPthKpm99W7JTT3nf2nK_v27n5G8EZNSk33kIQeCB/w400-h229/Psalm%2090.12.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></div>Angela Wittmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04025738299107632514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364993632163963485.post-7440497940599290042023-07-15T12:47:00.000-07:002024-01-27T05:10:17.723-08:00Patriotic Ladies: Mercy Otis Warren<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj2OkdGBDE6g7TPQ5HVvSGCmK6A4ZAdokcrOnGwVVydRX7sCQsEBzbYX9_QcLc6wX9HER9ouyAoW6uXkfcF9SnE42nfQICIq942cJwvwWM2Nd7EIBtHYZXCZBbh0VZZd4Kd_yEYsmb_BbZPkTlO8OlwJp-40kVU4eveVBME42JNUv54wJcXmyy0YpaSx16/s499/51gI3VQpbxL._SX307_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="309" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj2OkdGBDE6g7TPQ5HVvSGCmK6A4ZAdokcrOnGwVVydRX7sCQsEBzbYX9_QcLc6wX9HER9ouyAoW6uXkfcF9SnE42nfQICIq942cJwvwWM2Nd7EIBtHYZXCZBbh0VZZd4Kd_yEYsmb_BbZPkTlO8OlwJp-40kVU4eveVBME42JNUv54wJcXmyy0YpaSx16/w248-h400/51gI3VQpbxL._SX307_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>I'm presently reading <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Minds-Hearts-Story-James-Warren-ebook/dp/B0993TC9SQ/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank"><i>Minds & Hearts: The Story of James Otis Jr. and Mercy Otis Warren</i> by Jeffrey H. Hacker</a> published in June of 2021 by Bright Leaf. <p></p><p>I appreciate the author giving us a closer look into the Otis family and especially these two siblings to whom we owe so much of our independence from Great Britain. </p><p>Something I've gleaned from the book are the traditional values Mercy Otis Warren held. I've read biographies of her that emphasize her writing and politcal insight, but not so much of her dedication to her husband, sons and home. It's truly wonderful to read of this housewife whom the Lord has used so greatly in our American history. </p><p>I encourage you to get this book and read her amazing story.</p><p>Here is a review posted at <i>The Journal of the American Revolution</i> website: <a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2021/10/review-mind-and-hearts-the-story-of-james-otis-jr-and-mercy-otis-warren/">Review: Mind and Hearts: The Story of James Otis Jr. and Mercy Otis Warren - Journal of the American Revolution (allthingsliberty.com)</a></p><p>For Mercy's professional accomplishments I also recommend this brief biography by Debra Michaels posted at the <i>National Womens History Museum</i>: <a href="https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/mercy-otis-warren">Biography: Mercy Otis Warren (womenshistory.org)</a></p><p>For more insight into James Otis Jr. and his contribution to our liberty, please see: <a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2013/05/no-taxation-without-representation-part-1/">"No Taxation without Representation" (Part 1) - Journal of the American Revolution (allthingsliberty.com)</a> and <a href="https://billofrightsinstitute.org/founders/james-otis">James Otis - Bill of Rights Institute</a> . (I plan to do a more indepth article on James Otis Jr. in the near future. <i>MA</i>)</p><p><i>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</i></p><p>Dear Father In Heaven, </p><p>Thank You for preserving the memory and work of Mercy Otis Warren - a truly godly woman who knew and served You during the most difficult times. I pray You will continue to honor and preserve her memory for all eternity. And I pray You will please encourage others with her story.</p><p>In Lord Jesus Name I pray, amen.</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>Thank you and may God bless you as you learn more of this amazing patriotic lady.</p>Angela Wittmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04025738299107632514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364993632163963485.post-26349415574806319292023-07-08T10:05:00.007-07:002023-07-08T10:26:29.632-07:00Encouragement for Today: 'An Angel Encampment'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWT-RqcB2P0V1DBNzYLOmC0TuvdUIqP7QI1RCX2mlJ2LtGWCSi1AWX_R4wWbPX973Bil3BqhspkoIBgVkZY2vjC-5vAqRe8r9MQsr_HCR5-RricUzuATJuhF0h_lPHn-rI6Y5N7E4eOrq0w5OUg_VCLbmECrs_1NvVp24tkPNoHIJ6Wei8_N883Plh-3M/s834/psalm%2023.4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWT-RqcB2P0V1DBNzYLOmC0TuvdUIqP7QI1RCX2mlJ2LtGWCSi1AWX_R4wWbPX973Bil3BqhspkoIBgVkZY2vjC-5vAqRe8r9MQsr_HCR5-RricUzuATJuhF0h_lPHn-rI6Y5N7E4eOrq0w5OUg_VCLbmECrs_1NvVp24tkPNoHIJ6Wei8_N883Plh-3M/w614-h640/psalm%2023.4.JPG" width="614" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Please be encouraged by today's <a href="https://www.sermonaudio.com/daily.asp"><i>Daily Checkbook</i> devotional by Charles Haddon Spurgeon posted at SermonAudio.com:</a> <blockquote>The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them<br />— Psalm 34:7</blockquote><div><br />We cannot see the angels, but it is enough that they can see us. There is one great Angel of the Covenant, whom not having seen we love, and His eye is always upon us both day and night. He has a host of holy ones under Him, and He causes these to be watchers over His saints and to guard them from all ill. If devils do us mischief, shining ones do us service. Note that the LORD of angels does not come and go and pay us transient visits, but He and His armies encamp around us. The headquarters of the army of salvation is where those live whose trust is in the living God. This camp surrounds the faithful so that they cannot be attacked from any quarter unless the adversary can break through the entrenchments of the LORD of angels. We have a fixed protection, a permanent watch. Sentineled by the messengers of God, we shall not be surprised by sudden assaults nor swallowed up by overwhelming forces. Deliverance is promised in this verse -- deliverance by the great Captain of our salvation, and that deliverance we shall obtain again and again until our warfare is accomplished and we exchange the field of conflict for the home of rest.</div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><div>Amen! </div><div><br /></div><div>Lord, please open the eyes of our faith to see the Heavenly encampment surrounding us, Your children. </div><div><br /></div><div>In Lord Jesus Name I pray, amen.</div>Angela Wittmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04025738299107632514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364993632163963485.post-1880440581698881812023-07-04T06:17:00.000-07:002024-01-27T05:05:55.756-08:00The Declaration of Independence<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4uE-tqe0xsQ?si=BexfLQDlZMX993op" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p> </p><blockquote>The Declaration of Independence, written in 1776, announces a complete break with Britain and expresses the ideals on which the United States was founded: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.</blockquote><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="https://museum.archives.gov/founding-documents">Founding Documents in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://museum.archives.gov/founding-documents"> National Archives Museum</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p><br /></p><p><b>In Congress, July 4, 1776</b></p><br /><b>The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,</b> When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.<br /><br />We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.<br /><br />He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.<br /><br />He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.<br /><br />He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.<br /><br />He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.<br /><br />He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.<br /><br />He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.<br /><br />He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.<br /><br />He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.<br /><br />He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.<br /><br />He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.<br /><br />He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.<br /><br />He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.<br /><br />He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:<br /><br />For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:<br /><br />For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:<br /><br />For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:<br /><br />For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:<br /><br />For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:<br /><br />For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences<br /><br />For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:<br /><br />For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:<br /><br />For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.<br /><br />He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.<br /><br />He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.<br /><br />He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.<br /><br />He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.<br /><br />He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.<br /><br />In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.<br /><br />Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.<br /><br />We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.<div><br /></div><b>Source: </b><a href="https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript"><b>Declaration of Independence: A Transcription | National Archives</b></a><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Angela Wittmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04025738299107632514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364993632163963485.post-68050010071511474182023-07-03T05:18:00.000-07:002024-01-27T05:10:53.453-08:00Independence Day Reflection: The Presbyterian Influence for Independence<p><a href="https://orlandorpc.org/leadership/" target="_blank"> Nathan Eshelman, a pastor in the <i>Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America </i></a> has been so kind as to remind us of the noble Presbyterian history of our great nation in <a href="https://gentlereformation.com/2019/07/02/enjoy-your-freedom-thank-a-presbyterian/" target="_blank">his blog post at <i>Gentle Reformation</i></a>. As you celebrate Independence Day in America, please contemplate this part of our Christian heritage and please give thanks to God for the freedoms and religious liberty (while not perfect) we still enjoy today.</p><p><i><br /></i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnib8Tl_dyAcuuqeZWZzviCpGJd-wokBDf5vgFsp9QKZGhW_FZ_nkSq0Uh121wSBZkGgH-PGryur63-PadxFlru89NLascgC4dC9frOZ-au9zSZN3chALQH6jquyjVwczdJTDsKwKkH6MfAm5-1AsLOMFi-vXYS2mb_3wuvJNKjXHY0nNXvxeSJN-8m9B-/s300/Rebellion%20to%20Tyrants.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnib8Tl_dyAcuuqeZWZzviCpGJd-wokBDf5vgFsp9QKZGhW_FZ_nkSq0Uh121wSBZkGgH-PGryur63-PadxFlru89NLascgC4dC9frOZ-au9zSZN3chALQH6jquyjVwczdJTDsKwKkH6MfAm5-1AsLOMFi-vXYS2mb_3wuvJNKjXHY0nNXvxeSJN-8m9B-/w640-h640/Rebellion%20to%20Tyrants.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://gentlereformation.com/2019/07/02/enjoy-your-freedom-thank-a-presbyterian/" target="_blank">Enjoy Your Freedom? Thank a Presbyterian.</a></h3><div><i>Published July 2, 2019</i></div><div><br /></div>As those of us in the United States this week celebrate freedom from British governance, consider the many ways that Presbyterianism influenced the decision to enter a war for independence and take up arms against a magistrate:<div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Only a Presbyterian understanding of Romans 13 would allow us to enter a war. The Bible calls for submission to magistrates, but Presbyterians understood the nuances that allowed for rebellion against tyranny. (See James M. Wilson's Establishment and Limits of Civil Goverment for an exposition of Romans 13.)</li><li>It was psalm singing Presbyterians like Rev. James Caldwell who helped win some battles--when paper for musket wads was unable to be found--Isaac Watts' Hymnbook was used instead. "Give 'em Watts, boys!"</li><li>King George referred to the war for Independence as the "Presbyterian rebellion." The Anglicans were never fans of rebellious presbyterians.</li><li>The prime minister of England, Horace Walpole said in Parliament that "Cousin America has run off with a Presbyterian parson."</li><li>“The Revolution of 1776, so far as it was affected by religion, was a Presbyterian measure...so intense, universal, and aggressive were the Presbyterians in their zeal for liberty..." Lorainne Boettner in "Calvinism in America."</li><li>Historians note: "When Cornwallis was driven back to ultimate defeat and surrender at Yorktown, all of the colonels of the Colonial army but one were Presbyterians elders. More than one-half of all the soldiers and officers of the American Army during the Revolution were Presbyterians.”</li><li>One German mercenary soldier wrote home: "Call this war by whatever name you may... it is nothing more or less than a Scots-Irish Presbyterian rebellion.”</li><li>British troops, knowing the role of the Presbyterians in the war, turned Presbyterian church buildings into stables--or sometimes choosing to burn them to the ground.</li><li>Joseph Galloway, former speaker of the house, fled back to England, blaming Presbyterians for the war, calling it a "religious quarrel."</li><li>Harvard historian, Dr. G. Bancroft notes: “The first public voice in America for dissolving all connection with Great Britain came not from the Puritans of New England, the Dutch of New York, nor the Planters of Virginia, but from the Scotch-Irish Presbyterians of the Carolinas.”</li></ol>As you wave sparklers in the air, crack open a few cold ones, eat grilled meat, and watch the fireworks, remember that God used Presbyterians to give liberty in the new world. Have you thanked a Presbyterian today?</div><div><br /></div><a href="https://gentlereformation.com/">Gentle Reformation</a> © 2023<div><br /></div><div><b>Source: <a href="https://gentlereformation.com/2019/07/02/enjoy-your-freedom-thank-a-presbyterian/">Enjoy Your Freedom? Thank a Presbyterian. (gentlereformation.com)</a></b></div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Dear Father in Heaven,</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>We thank You for the men and women who helped found our nation. We are especially grateful for the Christians who advocated freedom and liberty for all men based upon Biblical principles. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>We also thank You for the noble Scottish Presbyterians who brought their zeal for freedom to these shores and helped found our nation.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>In Lord Jesus Name I pray, amen.</i></div>Angela Wittmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04025738299107632514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364993632163963485.post-84047849406475882132023-06-22T09:00:00.006-07:002023-07-08T10:49:55.039-07:00Encouragement for Today: 'Living or dying we are the LORD's'<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB4Q39TCy1XE5aFhE4QE_jWbHn9S11-lfukGaGhjD3CRsMRgPwD1QBlRfBa2nUDUAgy1M98mUqfmwSdO_hd3_CWBbSoPEatB1_f0JWNslMhV6QBjOkInbY8oWC3JjQN9XuNhyOTncWd7ocQ_51dh7rpRqRCyFEVn3tOnoiXsaHajeJNU6q_16D-PGckBw/s1200/j0434030.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB4Q39TCy1XE5aFhE4QE_jWbHn9S11-lfukGaGhjD3CRsMRgPwD1QBlRfBa2nUDUAgy1M98mUqfmwSdO_hd3_CWBbSoPEatB1_f0JWNslMhV6QBjOkInbY8oWC3JjQN9XuNhyOTncWd7ocQ_51dh7rpRqRCyFEVn3tOnoiXsaHajeJNU6q_16D-PGckBw/w640-h426/j0434030.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Please be encouraged by today's <a href="https://www.sermonaudio.com/daily.asp" target="_blank"><i>Daily Checkbook</i> devotional by Charles Haddon Spurgeon posted at SermonAudio.com:</a></p><blockquote>The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened<br />— Proverbs 10:27</blockquote>There is no doubt about it. The fear of the LORD leads to virtuous habits, and these prevent that waste of life which comes of sin and vice. The holy rest which springs out of faith in the LORD Jesus also greatly helps a man when he is ill. Every physician rejoices to have a patient whose mind is fully at ease. Worry kills, but confidence in God is like healing medicine. We have therefore all the arrangements for long life, and if it be really for our good, we shall see a good old age and come to our graves as shocks of corn in their season. Let us not be overcome with sudden expectation of death the moment we have a fingerache, but let us rather expect that we may have to work on through a considerable length of days. And what if we should soon be called to the higher sphere? Certainly there would be nothing to deplore in such a summons but everything to rejoice in. <i>Living or dying we are the LORD's.</i> If we live, Jesus will be with us; if we die, we shall be with Jesus. The truest lengthening of life is to live while we live, wasting no time but using every hour for the highest ends. So be it this day.<div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><div><br /></div><div>May it be so! </div><div><br /></div><div>Dear Lord, please encourage our hearts today.</div><div><br /></div><div>In Lord Jesus Name, I pray. Amen.</div></div>Angela Wittmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04025738299107632514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364993632163963485.post-77566252822660242432023-06-03T06:11:00.023-07:002023-06-03T12:44:35.181-07:00Our Home: A Bit of History of Cook Station, Missouri<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyCQCHPc91_hhCtIYiq5peukWI7B9YVQSOhC3UQxdF12dG7qsQH7xEIxCPXL9h9fgNE9un3ipKmKdRQkTJUC_ugoWsjEDkEUY89HrzCUftk2Uv0ynkJOmSUMOoh5fB5ENg__OaxyNuBwfRPfo71QR0oktSec2SQKxsCegsrKPCv2uYIsMJlgv31sH2/s2016/253656487_633081647865504_9100421419185531669_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="997" data-original-width="2016" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyCQCHPc91_hhCtIYiq5peukWI7B9YVQSOhC3UQxdF12dG7qsQH7xEIxCPXL9h9fgNE9un3ipKmKdRQkTJUC_ugoWsjEDkEUY89HrzCUftk2Uv0ynkJOmSUMOoh5fB5ENg__OaxyNuBwfRPfo71QR0oktSec2SQKxsCegsrKPCv2uYIsMJlgv31sH2/w640-h316/253656487_633081647865504_9100421419185531669_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Entrance to our home on Burley Ridge Rd, Cook Station, MO</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We moved to historic Cook Station in September of 2020 after my husband retired. At the time I was caring for my father who suffered from Alzheimer's Disease, plus we were in the beginning of the COVID crisis. It was a challenging time, but the friendliness of the people here and the natural beauty surrounding us made the transition go much smoother. </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGzQdQ2wDMEiCXItR_cLXVrmAeoHKvxcJVW7yFfI0FwK4n0fHC7PWC-tHSSrEBc24WVRBsKPBidNe7gVxkghYoCELzEMrCsDGxV_a7h7UEOnfnVzgLoaaczb5sOUlJxkSaFBSIQNT3MqGpCS9mmadwS9Z--UbB4WjE43jeMKIOR0VegTCWha-enzIf/s2048/cook%20sta%2022.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGzQdQ2wDMEiCXItR_cLXVrmAeoHKvxcJVW7yFfI0FwK4n0fHC7PWC-tHSSrEBc24WVRBsKPBidNe7gVxkghYoCELzEMrCsDGxV_a7h7UEOnfnVzgLoaaczb5sOUlJxkSaFBSIQNT3MqGpCS9mmadwS9Z--UbB4WjE43jeMKIOR0VegTCWha-enzIf/w480-h640/cook%20sta%2022.jpg" title="Hidtoric Cook Station MO 2022 by Matt Wittman" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Historic Barn near Cook Station, MO</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div>The information posted below is from <b><a href="http://files.usgwarchives.net/mo/crawford/history/towns/cook.txt" target="_blank">USGenWeb</a></b> and was written in 1972 by James Ira Breuer:<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Villages of Crawford County, Missouri - COOK STATION</b></h3>Cook Station had its beginning with the building of the railroad along the Meramec Valley toward Salem in 1872-73. Several years before this Christopher C. Cook and wife had moved from Dent County and settled at the present site of the village. <br /><br />The Civil War came and Christopher enlisted in the Confederate Army where he served first as a private in Company F. Fifth Missouri Cavalry, and later raised and became captain Of Company R., Freeman's Regiment. <br /><br />Early in 1861 Tom Freeman's men attacked Bennight's Home Guards, commanded by J. Wesley Bennight with headquarters at Bennight's Mill near the southern line of Crawford County. Tom Freeman's men, with Christopher Cook as their captain, kept up a hideous yelling all night during the firing. Thomas Howe of Howe's Mill was wounded, and being disabled, lay there and answered the yelling of Freeman and Cook's men by hurrahing for Lincoln. <br /><br />Colonel Thomas Freeman was a native of Phelps County, had served on the Phelps County Court, and when General Franz Sigel marched into Rolla on June 14,1861, he fled Rolla and soon organized a guerilla band which terrified all of south Missouri. He raided the Meramec lron Works. <br /><br />Union troops battled with his band at Salem. He was then unattached to the Confederate Army. But soon, by agreement between northern and southern generals, such guerilla bands were outlawed--that is, made subject to execution if caught. Freeman then joined up with the Confederate Army. <br /><br />When Christopher Cook went away to war he had been married thirteen years. At the close of the struggle he came home with a saddened heart, a lost cause behind him, but his family was waiting to welcome him home. He at once began all over again and with diligence and thrift was soon the owner of much of the land at the present site of Cook Station. <br /><br />A railroad was proposed from Cuba to Little Rock, Arkansas, and the securing of rights-of-way was an important issue of the time. In order to guarantee that the new railroad be built up the valley to Salem, Christopher Cook donated two miles of the required land for that purpose. Of course this assured that the railroad would pass nearby. Now Captain Cook began to make up for all his losses. <br /><br />A town developed at the site was called Cook Station. Lewis Taff had the first store and when the postal authorities approved a petition for a post office he became the postmaster. Goodspeed' s record listed him as the postmaster in 1888, but it is not known how long he served in that capacity. In later years others perhaps served. Mrs. Ozella Gorman, still serving as postmistress, has been in that position for over thirty years. Mrs. Gorman, widow of the late Jeff Gorman, now owns most of the property in Cook Station, including the present store, the bank building, a second store building, and several other houses, all of which have been converted into cabin homes for sportsmen and city dwellers. <br /><br />The Cook Station Bank was established in 1913 with 0. P. Watson as president and William H. Carr, as cashier. The bank continued to operate successfully until closed during the depression of 1929. <br /><br />The Cook Station Baptist Church was organized March 8, 1879, by A. F. Russell, T. E. Carr, and John Godby. The following were the first members: Richard Roberts and wife; William Taff; C. B. Vaughan and wife; Mrs. Sarah Roberts; T. E. Carr and wife; Charles H. Lay, and John M. Lay. The schoolhouse in District No. 1, Township 36, Range 5 West, was used for religious purposes. The ministers at that early period were T. E. Carr and John Godby. In 1888 the membership was twenty-four, and though composed of men of wealth, the congregation at that time had no minister. <br /><br />The Cumberland Presbyterian Church at Cook Station is a small congregation and holds services monthly. The visiting minister is Virgil Parker, a speaker well known in this part of the country, and a man prominent in the field of education. Virgil Parker is a gifted speaker and is often invited to deliver commencement speeches at high school graduation exercises. His present home is at Salem, Missouri, where he teaches in the Salem Schools. <br /><br />The Cook Station Public School was an important institution for the educational development of the children in the community. It began with Emma Cook as the first teacher and was one of the last rural schools in the county to be closed under the reorganization plan of the early fifties. It is now used only as a community center. <br /><br />The village of Cook Station formerly had two stores and one of them was closed a few years ago. One of them had formerly been operated by Chris Cook, a son of Captain Cook. Chris Cook sold his store to Everett Dickson, Grover Wilsinger, and Bill Dunlap who were partners in business for several years. On the hill overlooking the valley and the village lives Lee Cook, a grandson of Captain C. C. Cook, the founder and a man who remembers much of the history of this beautiful little village. <br /><br />The writer was privileged to visit with Lee Cook, his wife, and Noah Reeves, all growing old in years but still young at heart. They remembered much of the past and recalled that down the road there was another store operated for the last eighteen years by Carl Conway. They commented that a paved road passed by the Conway Store, turned down the valley, and left Cook Station without a good road. <br /><br />From the site could be seen the little village cemetery with its marble and granite shafts shining in the sun. We could see the old Cook Station Bank with its closed doors, and the old vacant store that was once the scene of daily activity. Inevitable decline and decay of the small village seems to be in the offing, but Cook Station is still beautiful and a ray of hope may lead it to better days.<br /><br />------ CRAWFORD COUNTY AND CUBA MISSOURI James Ira Breuer, 1972 p. 92-102 <br /><br />==============================================<div><br /></div><div>USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. <br /><br />These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Joe L. Miller <mio@netins.net><br /><br />Source: <a href="http://files.usgwarchives.net/mo/crawford/history/towns/cook.txt">http://files.usgwarchives.net/mo/crawford/history/towns/cook.txt</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Also posted at: <a href="https://angelawittmansblog.christian-heritage-news.com/2018/04/the-history-of-our-future-home.html">The History of Our Future Home (christian-heritage-news.com)</a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">----------------------------------</div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9sTEK8nz-jplkR85GVRSG9XrV-rxcVSLwU4brL3C5R_vzGNUNc8UVqVlBrpKL5i4VPM318bMaqWLlJ_wVTPaRWmeyZtbUwxhXRr4LmY6AHTie18cT7Dpvp7Y1t9OwSgJ9N-WpXJRb1BrXtYe_9OiSZ9QaPM9maFp35yEjujIgmy-xihnen2Su1dS/s1010/IMG_20220806_140239662_HDR%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="1010" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9sTEK8nz-jplkR85GVRSG9XrV-rxcVSLwU4brL3C5R_vzGNUNc8UVqVlBrpKL5i4VPM318bMaqWLlJ_wVTPaRWmeyZtbUwxhXRr4LmY6AHTie18cT7Dpvp7Y1t9OwSgJ9N-WpXJRb1BrXtYe_9OiSZ9QaPM9maFp35yEjujIgmy-xihnen2Su1dS/w640-h300/IMG_20220806_140239662_HDR%20(2).jpg" width="640" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Cook Station Bank window</i></div><div><br /></div><div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4l5fhqg6BedMtS3rGW0wr1EBkiMBR_q3rE9Y8ARCox_TL--_zjzKhg4kHAuAbxWrSud29yDevy5wLk6PRKkj_G4RYUB90ybq88u9gpMgIWnO0Q5IcNNihB7fTlU-LfyXLAqmcd0r4vyJNNFDbzjSMzqupCacJ9eVO6UrYkAueNpWSCsazwcBBntGb/s4096/IMG_20220806_134740765.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4l5fhqg6BedMtS3rGW0wr1EBkiMBR_q3rE9Y8ARCox_TL--_zjzKhg4kHAuAbxWrSud29yDevy5wLk6PRKkj_G4RYUB90ybq88u9gpMgIWnO0Q5IcNNihB7fTlU-LfyXLAqmcd0r4vyJNNFDbzjSMzqupCacJ9eVO6UrYkAueNpWSCsazwcBBntGb/w480-h640/IMG_20220806_134740765.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Mercantile building - Cook Station, MO</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>*Photos of Cook Station taken in the summer of 2022 by Matt Wittman</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>For more photos and history of Cook Station, please see:</b></div><div><ul><li><b> <a href="http://stateoftheozarks.net/showcase/2020/01/10/cook-station-missouri-a-short-history-by-william-mckellips/?fbclid=IwAR3NoLKmHPqufU56ddViIYkvzMCXge4IzFsdMUoGojliI3QkCyxjYQZh4Ts">Cook Station, Missouri, A Short History by William McKellips – State Of the Ozarks Showcase</a></b></li><li><a href="https://www.oldhousedreams.com/2017/10/31/cook-station-mo/"><b>Cook Station, MO - Old House Dreams</b></a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGGqH0EFpdM"><b>Historic Cook Station Tobacco Barn/Log Cabin Restoration - Cook Station, MO - YouTube</b></a></li></ul></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div></div>Angela Wittmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04025738299107632514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364993632163963485.post-64177246702298944262023-06-02T07:03:00.013-07:002023-07-08T10:51:57.750-07:00Encouragement for Today: 'Come, LORD, and set free Thy captives, according to Thy Word'<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq1YlxGyVvuF7RJHGxb2y_LYK4ZR__535JPlUwB9MDNXnmuYXcmM3AwyLA9-9-C6Zi6Dt747moarOP4CyREREMpHkrvhjaTB2QX6vWx-UssWTP-miNiRg8zRo7Bg4EFUYMfxH9j3hmSgOg5LTvO5WJTtyRI1kDvl4OJ50yAwsH1ja1cgL1QG19zdCw/s893/j0433144resize.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="893" data-original-width="688" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq1YlxGyVvuF7RJHGxb2y_LYK4ZR__535JPlUwB9MDNXnmuYXcmM3AwyLA9-9-C6Zi6Dt747moarOP4CyREREMpHkrvhjaTB2QX6vWx-UssWTP-miNiRg8zRo7Bg4EFUYMfxH9j3hmSgOg5LTvO5WJTtyRI1kDvl4OJ50yAwsH1ja1cgL1QG19zdCw/w247-h320/j0433144resize.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>The title of this post is taken from today's <i><a href="https://www.sermonaudio.com/daily.asp" target="_blank">Daily Checkbook</a></i> devotional by <a href="https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/blog-entries/who-is-charles-haddon-spurgeon/" target="_blank">Charles Haddon Spurgeon,</a> who was probably the first reformed theologian I was exposed to as a young believer. <p></p><p>I remember reading his little book <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Morning-Evening-Classic-Daily-Devotional/dp/1683227247/ref=sr_1_1?adgrpid=1343603781940556&hvadid=83975308567994&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=87751&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvtargid=kwd-83975596742426%3Aloc-190&hydadcr=22591_10787613&keywords=spurgeon%27s+morning+and+evening&qid=1685713989&sr=8-1" target="_blank">"Morning and Evening"</a></b> and being amazed at the love of God it contained. I simply couldn't wait to read what each morning and evening selection held for me. They truly were the highlight of my day!</p><p>Please be encouraged by today's <i>Daily Checkbook</i> selection as <a href="https://www.sermonaudio.com/daily.asp" target="_blank">posted at Sermon Audio</a>:</p><blockquote>For now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder — Nahum 1:13</blockquote>The Assyrian was allowed for a season to oppress the LORD's people, but there came a time for his power to be broken. So, many a heart is held in bondage by Satan and frets sorely under the yoke. Oh, that to such prisoners of hope the word of the LORD may come at once, according to the text, <i>"Now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder!"</i> See! The LORD promises a present deliverance. <i>"Now will I break his yoke from off thee."</i> Believe for immediate freedom, and according to thy faith so shall it be unto thee at this very hour. When God saith "now," let no man say "tomorrow." See how complete the rescue is to be; for the yoke is not to be removed but broken; and the bonds are not to be untied but burst asunder. Here is a display of divine force which guarantees that the oppressor shall not return. His yoke is broken, we cannot again be bowed down by its weight. His bonds, are burst asunder, they can no longer hold us. Oh, to believe in Jesus for complete and everlasting emancipation! <i>"If the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."</i> Come, LORD, and set free Thy captives, according to Thy Word.<div><br /></div><div>Source: <a href="https://www.sermonaudio.com/daily.asp">SermonAudio - Daily Devotional</a></div>Angela Wittmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04025738299107632514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364993632163963485.post-89933748627174167222023-05-31T06:25:00.026-07:002023-06-04T07:04:47.443-07:00What does Scripture have to say about the 'Toxic'?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_gJssrjpnEH8ppSkHcY6Cxn8JvTND4o5hULOE_cLvw0shczWzJLdUcYGFltVGxItXIs1Gh9-WIWa7Nt1pq5YT8cmwElYmU2CBbkkFPEkWsN3LVp2H4cIXsjpcL6a8sbPWhG0qvQSIdscZO2nd15LTkxUccUC3kGYm9V-pKelYyw5DohHF2GTyWmiC/s1024/Matthew%2010.16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="807" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_gJssrjpnEH8ppSkHcY6Cxn8JvTND4o5hULOE_cLvw0shczWzJLdUcYGFltVGxItXIs1Gh9-WIWa7Nt1pq5YT8cmwElYmU2CBbkkFPEkWsN3LVp2H4cIXsjpcL6a8sbPWhG0qvQSIdscZO2nd15LTkxUccUC3kGYm9V-pKelYyw5DohHF2GTyWmiC/w504-h640/Matthew%2010.16.jpg" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As Christians in this world we will have to deal with wicked people which are often referred to in our culture as "toxic." </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Toxic people can be found at your workplace, in your neighborhood, as part of your church and even in your family. How do we as Christians with a high set of standards deal with these tormented souls?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Let's take a look at Scripture and see what insight we can glean from the <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%2012:2&version=KJV" target="_blank">Author and Finisher of our faith</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2037&version=KJV" target="_blank">Psalm 37 (KJV)</a></b> tells us what the end of the wicked (or toxic) is and how God deals with them. Please also notice that we're instructed not to fret or worry about them, but instead to rest in the Lord for He sees what they do and will avenge His people: </div><p></p><i>Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.<br />For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.<br />Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.<br />Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.<br />Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.<br />And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.<br />Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.<br />Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.<br />For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.<br />For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.<br />But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.<br />The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.<br />The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.<br />The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.<br />Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.<br />A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.<br />For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the righteous.<br />The Lord knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.<br />They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.<br />But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.<br />The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.<br />For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.<br />The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.<br />Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.<br />I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.<br />He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.<br />Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.<br />For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.<br />The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.<br />The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.<br />The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.<br />The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.<br />The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.<br />Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.<br />I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.<br />Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.<br />Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.<br />But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.<br />But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble.<br />And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.</i><p>In <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%205&version=KJV" target="_blank"><b>1 Corinthians, chapter 5</b></a>, the Apostle Paul gives the church these instructions for dealing with the unrepentant (or toxic):</p><i>1 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.<br />2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.<br />3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,<br />4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,<br />5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.<br />6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?<br />7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:<br />8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.<br />9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:<br />10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.<br />11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.<br />12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?<br />13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.</i><div><br /></div><div>And in <b><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%206&version=KJV" target="_blank">Ephesians, chapter 6</a></b>, we are reminded that our battles on this earth are spiritual:</div><div><br /></div><i>10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.<br />11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.<br />12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.<br />13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.<br />14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;<br />15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;<br />16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.<br />17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:<br />18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;</i><div><br /></div><div><div>And let us not forget these words of God from <b><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Peter%203:9&version=KJV" target="_blank">2 Peter, chapter 3</a></b>:</div><div><br /></div><i>7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.<br /><br />8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.</i><div><i><br /></i></div><i>9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.</i></div><div><i><br />10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.<br /><br />11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,</i><div><br /><div>It's hard for us to understand why God doesn't immediately strike the wicked down, but is often longsuffering and patient toward them so they might repent. You can read about God's longsuffering toward the wicked at Pastor Shane Lems blog <i>The Reformed Reader</i>: <a href="https://reformedreader.wordpress.com/2023/05/31/gods-incredible-patience-with-the-wicked/">God’s Incredible Patience with the Wicked – <i>The Reformed Reader Blog</i> (wordpress.com)</a> </div></div><div><br /></div><div>I recently read the article <a href="https://witness.lcms.org/2023/being-merciful-to-the-toxic/" target="_blank">"Being Merciful to the Toxic" by David Petersen</a>, posted at <i>The</i> <i>Lutheran Witness </i>which gives this instruction for Christians when dealing with toxic people in their lives:</div><div><br /></div><i>Christ calls us to love our enemies, to act with mercy. We should not as a knee-jerk reaction insist on our rights. We yield to the weak in faith and attempt to win a brother. There is a sense, however, in which that mercy has limits. Jesus does not command that we suffer abuse and injustice passively. He does not teach that our forgiveness means we completely forget what has been done to us nor does it eliminate boundaries. Stewards guard their resources to fulfill their vocations.</i><div><i><br /></i></div><i><b>Boundaries with the toxic</b><br /><br />There are times when Christians need to set extreme boundaries for their relationships and there can even be times to separate from others. Jesus instructs us to separate from those who refuse to hear godly rebuke from the church and amend their ways (Matt. 18:17). They aren’t to be indulged forever. Jesus commands us to leave those who won’t hear His Word (Matt. 10:14), to be shrewd as serpents in the world (Matt. 10:16) and even not to love father and mother above Him (Matt. 10:37). In a similar way, St. Paul warns Timothy that some wicked people might claim to be learning, but if they never come to any actual knowledge and continue in their wickedness, they are liars who resist the truth. Timothy is to have nothing to do with them (2 Tim. 3:2–9).</i><div><i><br /></i></div>You can read the entire article here: <a href="https://witness.lcms.org/2023/being-merciful-to-the-toxic/">Being Merciful to the Toxic – <i>The Lutheran Witness</i> (lcms.org)</a><div><div><div><br /></div><div>If you are dealing with toxic family members, I recommend reading this book which is written from a Christian viewpoint: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BVJDH9VP/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_d_asin_title_o00?ie=UTF8&psc=1"><i>Surviving Toxic Parents: Dealing with toxic parents in a Christian way</i> - Kindle edition by Finch, Carola. @ Amazon.com.</a><br /><div><br /></div><div>I pray you will find comfort and instruction in God's Word as you navigate this world full of toxic people. It seems as though their number is increasing, and while we hope and pray for them to become new creations in Christ, we are not left without help or instruction from our Heavenly Father who sees the harm they do. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">May God comfort and encourage you. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">In Lord Jesus' Name I pray, amen.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/r-XIGanYS2s" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p></div></div></div>Angela Wittmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04025738299107632514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364993632163963485.post-90265148423927986492023-05-29T05:22:00.006-07:002023-05-29T05:36:59.477-07:00Healing for the Broken Hearted<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguWgG4R7BLhFmDRMHO7XoBJSW3h8pIFClWfWNZ11_7-gT8LEjbcyT5ELhdQgk3Xn8lT2Z1e4FVL1vRitOCs6djj26mfAvRNbXSARcRk6Qo_q3IDPMcyCpTUwwNtET3RvWhUsjJOJeufjn71Re1Gt9I-K9CGUFvH3GfOyfkGCoNLR0UMlv1oZ7dggSM/s952/Isaiah53.3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="952" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguWgG4R7BLhFmDRMHO7XoBJSW3h8pIFClWfWNZ11_7-gT8LEjbcyT5ELhdQgk3Xn8lT2Z1e4FVL1vRitOCs6djj26mfAvRNbXSARcRk6Qo_q3IDPMcyCpTUwwNtET3RvWhUsjJOJeufjn71Re1Gt9I-K9CGUFvH3GfOyfkGCoNLR0UMlv1oZ7dggSM/w640-h424/Isaiah53.3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/broken-heart-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20354617#Overview" target="_blank"> Mayo Clinic tells us there is a physical ailment called Broken Heart Syndrome</a>:</p>Broken heart syndrome is a heart condition that's often brought on by stressful situations and extreme emotions. The condition also can be triggered by a serious physical illness or surgery. Broken heart syndrome is often a temporary condition. But some people may continue to feel unwell after the heart is healed.<p>What causes Broken Heart Syndrome? Extreme reaction to a physical or emotional event:</p>An intense physical or emotional event often comes before broken heart syndrome. Anything that causes a strong emotional response may trigger the condition. Examples include:<div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Sudden illness such as an asthma attack or COVID-19 infection.</li><li>Major surgery.</li><li>Sudden broken bone.</li><li>Death of a loved one or other loss.</li><li>Strong argument.</li></ul><p>(Source: <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/broken-heart-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20354617#Overview">Broken heart syndrome - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic</a>) </p><blockquote>...but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.</blockquote><p>(Roman 5:8 ESV) </p><p>Perhaps you are experiencing a loss or terrible stress due to living in a broken world. There really is no escape from pain or heartbreak, but there is One who knows our frame, who has our days numbered and who suffered on our behalf. He is our refuge in trouble and the only one who can get to the heart of the problem and bring about lasting healing. I'm talking about Jesus Christ who suffered and died on a cross so that we might have forgiveness of sin and become new creations. </p><blockquote>For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.</blockquote><p>(John 3:16 ESV) </p><p>Once you become a Christian, you will still have troubles in this world, but you no longer carry those burdens alone. I remember when my mother and I were told by an oncologist that she had an aggressive form of cancer and there was no cure. All that could be done for her at that point was pain management. I literally felt my heart break. It was devastating news for mom, but thankfully, she had recently become a new creation in Christ and He gave her the strength, grace and courage to face death. Mom knew she would live eternally in Heaven and while still here she could roll her tears and pain onto Christ. I often marvel at the composure and peace she had after receiving such heartbreaking news. I also marvel that even though my heart was also breaking at the loss of my mother, Christ gave me strength to get through such a difficult time. I truly don't know how people who don't know Christ handle such grief. The sweet comfort of the Holy Spirit is something I will never forget, nor can I express how wonderful and loving He is to the children of God.</p><blockquote>Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,<br /> and your healing shall spring up speedily;<br />your righteousness shall go before you;<br /> the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.</blockquote><p>(Isaiah 58:8 ESV) </p><p>If you are going through troubling times right now - perhaps you're facing serious illness, been hurt by a loved one or suffered tremendous loss, please seek comfort and healing by rolling those painful burdens onto the back of the One who loves you more than words can express. Amen.</p></div>Angela Wittmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04025738299107632514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364993632163963485.post-4514163415745101502023-05-24T11:45:00.000-07:002024-01-27T05:05:55.914-08:00Patriotic Ladies: First Lady Abigail Adams<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEBKYdU1Q3Z6Xxf7XeeUhk-kVJosTQjijV-_Q0ASYSlVK7XtpcG_jfMzxH0vE3byvP5-3xBSUGPatCuM_iK4gSmoqqwKMu1efKjX1wfNA3NqLcSevDDvwN8W52rtB3UOQAUv8b3K1RSVZ9oEzx8-Rv59U0MigGscjEcZtxF27qK2LNy8uAJ3ZSnW83Q/s599/455px-Abigail_Adams.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="455" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEBKYdU1Q3Z6Xxf7XeeUhk-kVJosTQjijV-_Q0ASYSlVK7XtpcG_jfMzxH0vE3byvP5-3xBSUGPatCuM_iK4gSmoqqwKMu1efKjX1wfNA3NqLcSevDDvwN8W52rtB3UOQAUv8b3K1RSVZ9oEzx8-Rv59U0MigGscjEcZtxF27qK2LNy8uAJ3ZSnW83Q/w486-h640/455px-Abigail_Adams.jpg" width="486" /></a></div><span style="color: #660000;"><br /></span><p></p>"You have this day to declare yourself head of a nation.<div><br />"And now, O Lord, my God, Thou hast made thy servant ruler over the people.<br /><br />"Give unto him an understanding heart, that he may know how to go out and come in before this great people; that he may discern between good and bad.<br /><br />"For who is able to judge this thy so great a people?" were the words of a royal Sovereign; and not less applicable to him who is invested with the Chief Magistracy of a nation, though he wear not a crown nor robes of royalty...<br /><br />"Though personally absent...my petitions to Heaven are that 'the things which make for peace may not be hidden from your eyes.'<br /><br />"That you may be enabled to discharge them with honor to yourself, with justice and impartiality to your country, and with satisfaction to this great people, shall be the daily prayer of your Abigail Adams."<br /><br />(Taken from <i>America's God and Country</i>, by William J. Federer)<br /><br />And so we have the words of one of America's First Ladies, Mrs. Abigail Adams, the wife of second President John Adams and the mother of our sixth president John Quincy Adams.<br /><br />How does one become the beloved wife and mother of two presidents and a leading lady in the war for our Independence? Reading historical accounts of Abigail Adams show that she was courageous, intelligent, well-mannered, pious, and charming.<br /><br />She knew the art of femininity and the role of womanhood. She was devout in her religious faith and faithful to her responsibilities as a wife and mother.<br /><br />When her husband was away in the Second Continental Congress founding our great nation, Abigail was at home farming and raising their four children. This is quite a contrast to our modern society where we see women competing with men for status and jobs.<br /><br />I've heard it said that the goal of the modern feminist movement is to have all women working outside of the home. We have only to look around us at the high divorce rate to see that the "new" way of thinking about morality, womanhood and equal rights is not the answer.<br /><br />Dear ladies, perhaps it is time for us to take notice of Mrs. Abigail Adams and begin to lead our families back to the tried and true ways of our LORD?<br /><br />May we take to heart the words John Quincy Adams wrote as an epitaph for his parents, John and Abigail:<br /><br /><b>Married 25 October 1764.</b><br />During an union of more than half a century<br />They survived, in harmony of sentiment, principle, and affection,<br />The tempests of civil commotion;<br />Meeting undaunted and surmounting<br />The terrors and trials of the Revolution;<br />Which secured the Freedom of their Country;<br />Improved the condition of their times;<br />And brightened the prospects of Futurity<br />To the race of man upon Earth.<br />PILGRIM.<br />From lives thus spent thy earthly duties learn;<br />From fancy's dreams to active virtue turn;<br />Let Freedom, Friendship, Faith, thy soul engage,<br />And serve, like them, thy country and thy age.<br /><br />(<i>The Spirit of America</i>, William J. Bennett)<br /><br />Amen!<div><br /></div><div><i>Originally posted at <a href="https://angelawittmansblog.christian-heritage-news.com/2005/02/remember-our-heritage-leading-first-lady.html">Remember Our Heritage: A Leading First Lady </a> (2.25.2005 - Revised 5.24.2023)</i></div></div>Angela Wittmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04025738299107632514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364993632163963485.post-48141776752120131632023-04-29T12:50:00.117-07:002023-07-08T09:27:15.913-07:00Is Satan Real? Here's My Story.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZWZs-cjI5Al2vYUKISG1OuNgF_uhqDIITECCOTVcPzWFMIXMgUE0LVkKS4v8iyqpGE74Qc7B3Oiyuuw5rt9JIrW2Few0F60KNj90YhkCia6eiz5PH_wXkapJhR9GUYPh3H4xOJrlXAowBN0Xn7E4AFMT0-Cw6c-IGgRiIhhdlI6A2eJNt9kRMdqf4/s880/Galatians%202.20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="880" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZWZs-cjI5Al2vYUKISG1OuNgF_uhqDIITECCOTVcPzWFMIXMgUE0LVkKS4v8iyqpGE74Qc7B3Oiyuuw5rt9JIrW2Few0F60KNj90YhkCia6eiz5PH_wXkapJhR9GUYPh3H4xOJrlXAowBN0Xn7E4AFMT0-Cw6c-IGgRiIhhdlI6A2eJNt9kRMdqf4/w640-h494/Galatians%202.20.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Is Satan real? I think so and here's my story of a frightening experience that drove me straight toward Christ.</p><p>My story begins in the early 1970's while visiting the <a href="https://www.wisdells.com/" target="_blank">Wisconsin Dells</a> area with my parents, I had brought a friend on vacation with us and she and I decided to walk around the local town square while my parents shopped for food and other items for our two week camping trip at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Rock_Lake" target="_blank">Castle Rock Lake</a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRgh797LnXpYY-ry-ij21t5DK0Rmybu2g2OJQ5ZU53zSjheOKzWAejAlv5gEESynCYFIyrMiAWWzAS_6lAXHRyqWNVkabnMp21la1jNj77vxrSIOVvBgJSfLhPDhjKz1wce-8r14BVxqNYfdYMbxBeSljx3ZK6Sokc0YIAZ47rOG35odtXhNvV6r6c/s1024/Juneau_County_Courthouse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRgh797LnXpYY-ry-ij21t5DK0Rmybu2g2OJQ5ZU53zSjheOKzWAejAlv5gEESynCYFIyrMiAWWzAS_6lAXHRyqWNVkabnMp21la1jNj77vxrSIOVvBgJSfLhPDhjKz1wce-8r14BVxqNYfdYMbxBeSljx3ZK6Sokc0YIAZ47rOG35odtXhNvV6r6c/w640-h480/Juneau_County_Courthouse.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Historic Juneau County Courthouse on the town square in Mauston, WI</div><div style="text-align: center;">Image Source: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juneau_County_Courthouse#/media/File:Juneau_County_Courthouse.jpg">Juneau County Courthouse - Juneau County Courthouse - Wikipedia</a></div><p>My friend and I were both in our early teens; but we looked older. So, we were quite flattered when some local teenaged boys sitting on the lawn of the Courthouse noticed us, and we stopped to talk to them. We told them we were from Missouri and would be camping at Castle Rock Lake for the next couple of weeks. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTcLOrQ_42--zPbgl8X3yeZax5TrhLyKQQ8qCR2HUQvCO_-Tw4qGs7h5FXRzvsH_jEGEjbux10ZREcgPdjhswFusdLln2cEOaD7CZPbhd5wttnT0003bZ0EDday6OJbCm_NDwykXX-eJD-DLPXVsaD53WBAzQr77g5oSML0IFlasyTgdxZQ7WtmY52/s1066/8582019_orig.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1066" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTcLOrQ_42--zPbgl8X3yeZax5TrhLyKQQ8qCR2HUQvCO_-Tw4qGs7h5FXRzvsH_jEGEjbux10ZREcgPdjhswFusdLln2cEOaD7CZPbhd5wttnT0003bZ0EDday6OJbCm_NDwykXX-eJD-DLPXVsaD53WBAzQr77g5oSML0IFlasyTgdxZQ7WtmY52/w640-h480/8582019_orig.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="https://www.co.juneau.wi.gov/castle-rock.html">Castle Rock - Juneau County Government (wi.gov)</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>I explained that my dad was in the Missouri Air National Guard and we would come to Wisconsin for what he called "summer camp" every year. Dad would work at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volk_Field_Air_National_Guard_Base" target="_blank">local air base</a> during the day and we would site-see during his hours off. It was a special time for our family and we looked forward to it as we loved the natural beauty of Wisconsin. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrfCE7lK1BbIqcIY_nKfbmPusjsSzQJwcVWS9iCtbSF61jpaKPoI2nU7SLs-rjAKVR9lJzr9c9SSSQzPKgRKcOs3G9yvgN0-0JRiguc09JU5xVgormynWAqqY0J9n6GCIBf5jIzH6wRLxbaz2AiAomjVy03ro-m1I6KegLznMBKxsu82xrgGxt7L7O/s1024/VolkMainGate.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrfCE7lK1BbIqcIY_nKfbmPusjsSzQJwcVWS9iCtbSF61jpaKPoI2nU7SLs-rjAKVR9lJzr9c9SSSQzPKgRKcOs3G9yvgN0-0JRiguc09JU5xVgormynWAqqY0J9n6GCIBf5jIzH6wRLxbaz2AiAomjVy03ro-m1I6KegLznMBKxsu82xrgGxt7L7O/w640-h480/VolkMainGate.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volk_Field_Air_National_Guard_Base#/media/File:VolkMainGate.jpg">VolkMainGate - Volk Field Air National Guard Base - Wikipedia</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>A day or so after getting settled at our campsite, my friend and I had some visitors. It was two of the teenaged boys we met in town. They passed my parents inspection and we were allowed to take a walk around the campground with them. They were well-mannered and I found myself connecting with one of the boys - Jim.* He and I had much in common - we liked the same kind of music, books, etc. Jim was a couple of years older than me; but he treated me with respect - he didn't use bad language or behave unseemly. I was at an awkward age and his attention toward me made me feel special. He revealed that he had a somewhat troubled life, but I didn't pry into it. However, it stirred my sympathy toward him. </p><p>We spent almost everyday together; I remember he and his friend borrowed a tent and camped out at the same campground as us for a few days. At the end of the two weeks Jim and I said our good-byes, exchanged addresses and promised to write each other. I secretly hoped we would meet again the following year. </p><p>I'm not certain who wrote first, but Jim and I corresponded a few times and then it was as though he had forgotten about me; I was somewhat sad because I really liked him, but I eventually focused on school and other things and got over my hurt feelings. </p><p>This was how our relationship went on for several years - he would suddenly write me a letter or call me, and I would always respond with the hope that he cared for me as much as I cared for him. It was as though he knew I would be waiting in the background for him and sure enough I would be there when he needed someone to talk to or confide in. I was clearly infatuated with him. </p><p>I believe it was after I turned 16 years-old that he unexpectedly showed up on our doorstep. He had hitch-hiked from Wisconsin to the St. Louis area where I lived. My parents weren't quite sure what to do with him as he had no money or place to stay, so my dad gave him some money and found him a cheap place to stay. I have to give Dad credit for making sure it wasn't close by our home and for taking him to see it without me tagging along. I can only imagine what Dad said to him because whenever a boy showed up at our door, he would embarrass me by asking "What are your intentions toward my daughter?"</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidbZFW2z-BVo9pd_9szkCWz6cMdBMOxNfPMytyP6Z2lroZGYS5XoOFRIO_hyYczxGqvIiV__aghWhE9DApF9z6T4PV3ZOcx3FuilnVGIQzFVLeVGQEqpHv_09opiScabJ0D43jlqKt1hgjT05rjXtUI-HrZ8xz32Bf31OaNhQq_5NLZ9Grq2ITf3aF/s1059/image-asset.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="1059" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidbZFW2z-BVo9pd_9szkCWz6cMdBMOxNfPMytyP6Z2lroZGYS5XoOFRIO_hyYczxGqvIiV__aghWhE9DApF9z6T4PV3ZOcx3FuilnVGIQzFVLeVGQEqpHv_09opiScabJ0D43jlqKt1hgjT05rjXtUI-HrZ8xz32Bf31OaNhQq_5NLZ9Grq2ITf3aF/w640-h432/image-asset.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">'Hippie Hill' in 1969 (Forest Park)</div><div style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="https://www.forestparkforever.org/blog/2014/12/2/winter-on-government-hill-behind-the-scenes-with-forest-park-forever-horticulturist-crystal-camp">Winter on Government Hill: Behind the Scenes with FPF Horticulturist Crystal Camp — Forest Park Forever</a></div><p>Jim appeared to respect my father and never disclosed their private conversation to me. I was happy to finally have the young man who I thought I had loved for several years to notice me and come so far to see me. I was still in high school and while I went to school, he would hang out in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_Park_(St._Louis)" target="_blank">Forest Park</a> and talk to people associated with <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/Hare-Krishna.html" target="_blank">Hare Krishna</a>. He shared their books and literature with me. The images in the books scared me - they struck me as being evil. I wanted no part of it. I also began to suspect he was using drugs. When I confronted him about my suspicions he admitted he had used them, but didn't have a drug problem or addiction. He also admitted he had tried <a href="https://recovery.org/cocaine/history/" target="_blank">cocaine</a> which was his favorite drug. </p><p>When he ran out of money and couldn't pay rent, he left the St. Louis area. I'm not sure if he went back to Wisconsin or went to stay with family in Iowa. He once more disappeared for a brief period of time. </p><p>The last time Jim and I saw each other I was 17 years-old and staying out of town with family during summer vacation. He followed me there and that's when I caught a glimpse of hell. My parents were becoming alarmed at his bold, possessive actions toward me, and made a secret trip to his hometown where they spoke to his parole officer and the local police. They discovered he had been in trouble with the law, broken parole and recently hitch-hiked to California with a teenaged girl who came from a local respectable family. I'm not quite certain if she became pregnant on the "trip" to California, but once they got there, he abandoned her and went back home. The local authorities told my parents they should keep me as far away from him as possible and that he was trouble. </p><p>I confronted Jim with this news and he admitted it happened, but the girl had done something wrong to him, plus he didn't love her as he loved me. He felt justified in leaving her. Of course, he would never do anything like that to me, he said. </p><p>By this time I was almost completely under his spell. Family members tried to warn me that something wasn't right about Jim as he was isolating me from friends and even trying to isolate me from family members. I remember he didn't like my mother and he would tell me things about her that he thought would make me angry toward her. Thankfully, I didn't believe him, but I did begin keeping things from mom because I knew she didn't like him. At this point I would have run away from home with Jim if they tried to break us up. I think my parents suspected that might happen, so they tolerated the relationship for the time being.</p><p>Eventually that summer we did break-up - I must have done something wrong, in his opinion, as he told me he no longer loved me. I wasn't given an explanation for his sudden change of heart; he just left town. I remember that I was heartbroken. </p><p>Then one day shortly after our break-up, he called me on the phone and told me he was shooting up (<a href="https://www.addictioncenter.com/drugs/heroin/" target="_blank">injecting heroin</a>) and it was because of me. I began begging him not to do it. I think I even began praying outloud when suddenly I heard a voice - not his - say "You are mine. You think you know the Bible and God? Everything God says is a lie. The truth is the opposite of what the Bible says." I responded with something to the effect of "I am not yours and never will be." I then hung up the phone and called a local Baptist Church where the pastor just happened to be in his office. I asked him if I could come talk to him right away because something terrifying had just happened to me. He agreed to see me and I literally ran to the church. I told him about the weird phone call and the evil voice I heard that clearly was not Jim's as he had a distinctive voice due to a slight speech impediment. The voice I heard sounded like pure evil. I don't think the pastor believed it was actually a demon I heard, but he could see I was terribly shaken-up. He prayed with me to receive Christ and while still terrified, I knew I had done the right thing by calling the pastor. I vowed to stay away from Jim.</p><p>I didn't hear from Jim for a long time after that experience. I went on with my life, married and had two sons when suddenly, out of the blue, Jim wrote me a letter telling me he was in prison. I didn't even read the entire letter - I destroyed it immediately. </p><p>I've recently learned that Jim died at least a decade ago, if not before 2013. It might very well be that his addiction to drugs killed him.</p><div>For more information on deaths due to drug overdoses please see:</div><div><ul><li><a href="https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/trends-statistics"><b>Trends & Statistics | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) (nih.gov)</b></a></li></ul></div><p>Here are some links to resources on Satan and demons from reliable sources. Please share them if you know of others who are in need of a rescue. </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://purelypresbyterian.com/2023/04/13/lawful-unlawful-remedies-against-witchcraft/"><b>Lawful & Unlawful Remedies Against Witchcraft – Purely Presbyterian</b></a></li><li><a href="https://purelypresbyterian.com/2023/03/23/satans-evil-wonders/"><b>Satan’s Evil Wonders – Purely Presbyterian</b></a></li><li><a href="https://purelypresbyterian.com/2023/04/24/satans-dominion-overthrown-de-jure-de-facto/"><b>Satan’s Dominion Overthrown De Jure & De Facto – Purely Presbyterian</b></a></li><li><a href="https://theseed.info/sermon.php?id=311&fbclid=IwAR0NeBEkEXnxcwhzGEMZhdxKkTf88E9iuks7_f2x_wHGVUuodaojDi3Gxrg"><b>TheSeed.info - The Devil Hates You and Has a Terrible Plan for Your Life</b></a></li><li><a href="https://bredenhof.ca/2021/08/24/know-your-enemy-and-your-father/"><b>Know Your Enemy - and Your Father - Wes Bredenhof</b></a></li><li><a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/who-Satan.html"><b>Who/what is Satan? Who/what is the devil? | GotQuestions.org</b></a></li><li><a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/idols-demons.html"><b>How are idols connected to demons (Deuteronomy 32:16-17)? | GotQuestions.org</b></a></li><li><a href="https://bereanresearch.org/angels-demons-spiritual-warfare/"><b>Angels, Demons & Spiritual Warfare - Berean Research</b></a></li><li><a href="https://www.mbts.edu/2019/10/10-truths-about-a-liar-a-biblical-theology-of-satan/"><b>10 Truths About a Liar: A Biblical Theology of Satan - Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (mbts.edu)</b></a></li><li><a href="https://ftc.co/resource-library/blog-entries/ten-truths-about-a-liar/"><b>For the Church | Ten Truths About a Liar (ftc.co)</b></a></li><li><a href="https://ftc.co/resource-library/blog-entries/living-wisely-to-spite-satan/"><b>For the Church | Living Wisely to Spite Satan (ftc.co)</b></a></li></ul><div>Jim was manipulative, lacked empathy and showed no signs of remorse after lying, hurting people or committing crimes. I suspect he was a sociopath. He controlled as much of my life as possible. I remember he would tell me what to wear and even went so far as to disagree with how my parents wanted me to dress. He would pout and tell me I didn't love him unless I did what he told me to do. He kept me on an emotional roller-coaster. The article <a href="https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/signs-sociopath"><b><i>Signs of a Sociopath: What to Look For</i> (webmd.com)</b></a> tells us:</div><div><br /></div><i>"Sociopaths are more likely to abuse their partners, spouses, and children. Since they may engage in criminal behavior, they are also more likely to spend time in prison, and their aggressive behavior can put them at risk of harm. They may have other mental health disorders, like <a href="https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/what-is-depression">depression</a> and anxiety."</i><div><br /></div><div>What are the signs of a sociopath to look for? <a href="https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/signs-sociopath" target="_blank">WebMD</a> tells us to look for these consistent personality traits:</div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Lack of empathy for others</li><li>Impulsive behavior</li><li>Attempting to control others with threats or aggression </li><li>Using intelligence, charm, or charisma to manipulate others</li><li>Not learning from mistakes or punishment</li><li>Lying for personal gain</li><li>Showing a tendency to physical violence and fights</li><li>Generally superficial relationships</li><li>Sometimes, stealing or committing other crimes</li><li>Threatening suicide to manipulate without intention to act </li><li>Sometimes, abusing drugs or alcohol</li><li>Trouble with responsibilities such as a job, paying bills, etc.</li></ul><div>In conclusion, did I actually hear the voice of a demonic entity during that torturous phone call? Was Jim somehow manipulating my feelings again? Or was it my imagination? Only the good Lord knows, but it is a fact that that experience drove me closer to Him and that's what really matters. I sincerely hope Jim found Christ at some point in his life. But, regardless, I am forever grateful that Christ came to rescue this little lamb from the clutches of Satan. </div><div><p>May God be glorified forever!</p></div><div><br /><div>You can read more of my journey toward Christ here:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://angelawittmansblog.christian-heritage-news.com/2023/02/kent-state-and-summer-of-1970.html"><b>Kent State, the Summer of 1970 and the Grace of God (christian-heritage-news.com)</b></a></li></ul><div><br /></div></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqsicQxYVupN6iMTgSLbsrVWKtLEa2RJCmuOOwwT95JgkkAXgoJkV3iTB0edalPpsOq7D1Y6Y1nmf2TEn9y9eOjX8farZvEZ8N6hvgrfADlBixnZ1x2fck46wPBXzAFa2f14-F1F9lUWowHTYoifEYla-9cA_UuHODkjB0HC0jlxgeQMfCpj5sZjU/s1008/Psalm%2018.46.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="672" data-original-width="1008" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqsicQxYVupN6iMTgSLbsrVWKtLEa2RJCmuOOwwT95JgkkAXgoJkV3iTB0edalPpsOq7D1Y6Y1nmf2TEn9y9eOjX8farZvEZ8N6hvgrfADlBixnZ1x2fck46wPBXzAFa2f14-F1F9lUWowHTYoifEYla-9cA_UuHODkjB0HC0jlxgeQMfCpj5sZjU/w640-h426/Psalm%2018.46.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>May the good Lord bless the reader and continue to keep Satan on a leash. Amen.</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></p><p><i>*Please know that I am not using the actual name of the young man in this story due to respect for his family's privacy.</i></p><p><br /></p></div>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W5HGNyBfhbU" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>Angela Wittmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04025738299107632514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364993632163963485.post-41377696677341370692023-04-25T10:13:00.000-07:002024-01-27T05:11:44.888-08:00Essential Reading for American Patriots: 'History of the Rise, Progress, and Termination of the American Revolution'<p> Liberty Fund has made available <i><a href="https://www.libertyfund.org/books/history-of-the-rise-progress-and-termination-of-the-american-revolution/" target="_blank">History of the Rise, Progress, and Termination of the American Revolution</a> </i>written by<i> </i><a href="https://www.mercyadamswrites.christian-heritage-news.com/2023/02/mercy-otis-warren-published-poet.html" target="_blank">Mercy Otis Warren</a>. According to the book's description, Mrs. Warren had a unique perspective on the historical events unfolding in her lifetime and was</p><p><i>"Steeped in the classical, republican tradition, Warren was a strong proponent of the American Revolution. She was also suspicious of the newly emerging commercial republic of the 1780s and hostile to the Constitution from an Anti-Federalist perspective, a position that gave her history some notoriety."</i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzjzvg7zvB-N5-tf7hiwNOJxWNAI5DcHGG6DaGM8Ld4H2ebnIrbIONhp9yt6mPAlnEX4aLpjInjYHXWmAhX_reBZf7-4CZk1wtUJ5YbEx1Y8sLHnChHWf97zmqRdDC_Z8NO6hxnBAXSIC-U98gX08vkYCKZ3L8b84hHDDKPMO3r0mC-YwdDdIYwpp1w/s800/WarrenHistoryRise_9780865970694_800h_72-2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="594" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzjzvg7zvB-N5-tf7hiwNOJxWNAI5DcHGG6DaGM8Ld4H2ebnIrbIONhp9yt6mPAlnEX4aLpjInjYHXWmAhX_reBZf7-4CZk1wtUJ5YbEx1Y8sLHnChHWf97zmqRdDC_Z8NO6hxnBAXSIC-U98gX08vkYCKZ3L8b84hHDDKPMO3r0mC-YwdDdIYwpp1w/s320/WarrenHistoryRise_9780865970694_800h_72-2.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>You can purchase Mrs. Warren's book here: <a href="https://www.libertyfund.org/books/history-of-the-rise-progress-and-termination-of-the-american-revolution/">History of the Rise, Progress, and Termination of the American Revolution - Liberty Fund</a>.<p></p><p><a href="https://lawliberty.org/classic/enduring-memories-of-the-american-revolution/" target="_blank">Kirsten Anderson Birkhaug has written a review of the book which is posted at <i>Law & Liberty</i>.</a> Here are some highlights from her review <i>Enduring Memories of the American Revolution:</i></p><i>Alexis de Tocqueville metaphorized his thoughts on nations when he wrote that “the whole man is there in the cradle.” Though preceding him in life by nearly eighty years, no one could have agreed with this sentiment more than Mercy Otis Warren, the greatest historian of the American Revolution to have lived through it.<br /><br />When Warren published her magnum opus, <a href="https://www.libertyfund.org/books/history-of-the-rise-progress-and-termination-of-the-american-revolution/">The History of the Rise, Progress, and Termination of the American Revolution</a>, she was seventy-seven. Nearly thirty years had elapsed since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Warren, already mature by the first rumblings of American independence, had carefully observed the development of sentiments, ideas, and actions that led to the formation of the new nation. In this work, she wove her observations into a narrative, offering a historical record and a trove of her political, social, and philosophical views. She maintained that the Revolution laid the blueprint for all potential futures for the United States—that the whole man was, in fact, there in the cradle. In reviewing Warren’s History, two things are incumbent: first, an assessment of the work itself and what the worlds of academia and public history might take from it, and second, an assessment of this particular edition of the text (in this case, the 1989 Liberty Fund two-volume edition, edited and with an introduction by Lester Cohen).</i><div><br /></div><div><i>The first of these tasks is the more complicated, and as such comprises the bulk of this review. This complication hinges on the nature of this work. What is Warren’s History, exactly? What is its purpose, and separately, how might it be useful for us today? Warren purports to write a history of the American Revolution, but her work surely would not pass muster among today’s academic historians. She rarely cites her sources, and she is open with her personal and political viewpoints ranging from the predictable (any Otis or Warren, to a one, is written as a hero) to the inexplicable (her treatment of John Adams so wounded him that it irrevocably damaged their friendship). She sometimes gets her facts wrong and often editorializes. Cohen, in his introduction, heeds readers not to treat Warren anachronistically; she wrote a history using the methods of her day. In fact, that Warren gets as much right and cites as much as she does signals her remarkable memory and intellect. Still, even if a reader understands Warren as a historian of her time and not ours, the question remains: is Warren’s History useful if we cannot use it to reliably understand the facts of history as they occurred? <br /><br />The answer, I think, is a resounding yes. This work continues to bear fruit when we move past Warren’s imperfect history to examine her meta-narrative, which centers not on history, but on memory, history’s much less stable and much more powerful sister. Her story is, at its core, about the way truth is forgotten and recovered, and the mission of her work is to preserve truth from being forgotten once again. Warren seeks not to record a list of disjointed events, but to preserve the sentiments and principles that gave those events significance. </i>(Source: <a href="https://lawliberty.org/classic/enduring-memories-of-the-american-revolution/">Enduring Memories of the American Revolution – (lawliberty.org)</a></div><div><br /></div><div>I think there is much we can learn from historical work such as this one by Mercy Otis Warren. It gives an insight into the thoughts of one who witnessed the unfolding of events that led to our independence and the formation of one of the most powerful nations on earth. I also want to point out that Mrs. Warren wrote from a Christian viewpoint. It was quite plain to me that she was a knowledgable, orthodox believer in Christ Jesus and one who had been taught Scripture and Biblical principles from an early age.</div><div><br /></div><i><a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/woman-whose-words-inflamed-american-revolution-180963765/" target="_blank">The Woman Whose Words Inflamed the American Revolution</a> </i>posted at Smithsonian Magazine gives us this information of her education as an inquisitive youth and avid reader:<div><br /></div><i>The younger sister of <a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/transformative-patriot-who-didnt-become-founding-father-180963166/">James Otis</a>, Boston’s leading advocate for colonists’ rights in the 1760s, Mercy was a bookish girl in a time when many girls never obtained basic literacy. Her father, James Sr., encouraged her curiosity. She demanded to join in when her brothers read aloud and took the place of her second-oldest brother during lessons with their uncle, a local minister. While James was a student at Harvard, he’d come home and tell her about his studies, especially the political theories of John Locke. She read voraciously: Shakespeare and Milton, Greek and Roman literature, Moliere’s plays in translation, Sir Walter Raleigh’s History of the World. At age 14, she met her future husband, James Warren, at her brother’s Harvard graduation. They married in 1754 at ages 26 and 28, respectively. While raising five children, she began writing private poems about family and nature.</i><div><br /></div><div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUuIJ5NkutJifM_mD6SnKvFU489bCRzdJftBcWk1VE_HwyV3FolWy2C02i_FuHaosJ_ZNP-sMuVaqLSVP1_TWjatBfCp0w3GEiVq2qKsdSECw01nyZUwfGHhGHdSbAsFHRdoquSOYC01UO3hc3YZc_dOikTeuwqXSQomvsEkc7I43Y0lvr1XY5jHuAvA/s1000/mercy_otis_warren_bronze_statue_at_barnstable_county_courthouse.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUuIJ5NkutJifM_mD6SnKvFU489bCRzdJftBcWk1VE_HwyV3FolWy2C02i_FuHaosJ_ZNP-sMuVaqLSVP1_TWjatBfCp0w3GEiVq2qKsdSECw01nyZUwfGHhGHdSbAsFHRdoquSOYC01UO3hc3YZc_dOikTeuwqXSQomvsEkc7I43Y0lvr1XY5jHuAvA/w400-h300/mercy_otis_warren_bronze_statue_at_barnstable_county_courthouse.webp" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Bronze sculpture of Mercy Otis Warren stands in front of Barnstable County Courthouse, Massachusetts. (<i>Wikimedia Commons</i>)</div><div style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/woman-whose-words-inflamed-american-revolution-180963765/" style="text-align: left;">The Woman Whose Words Inflamed the American Revolution | <i>Smithsonian Magazine</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Dear Lord, </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Thank you for preserving the work and memory of Mercy Otis Warren who appears to have been a genuine student of the Bible and follower of Christ Jesus. I pray You will continue to bless her memory and name, and that others will learn our national history from her book. I also pray You will use her life and work as an example for other women who also love their country and want to preserve our liberties which were so hardily won.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In Lord Jesus Name I pray, amen.</div></div></div>Angela Wittmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04025738299107632514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364993632163963485.post-59960041501120206892023-04-18T08:52:00.000-07:002024-01-27T05:12:07.064-08:00The Early Life of Patrick Henry<p><b><a href="https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/henry-patrick-1736-1799/" target="_blank"><i> Encyclopedia Virginia</i></a></b> gives us a snapshop into the life of Virginia Statesman and great orator Patrick Henry. Let's take a look at his formative years:</p><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimH1Lx9AOThGyWHyxZi4507i6EAnFcKp-w_xN3yjklt99ko_yqF52LVmhFcAs-0h5CGOfy9vPYRmB3hIl3JE39lBBOBVz3RbkYdQRwIeR3Bimotb_Wsrx_xpT03-vpadG-uZyVxLUTtg4T3bVDjjYWHZxIWdnQdz_LdSFodXeOsPOSSCamtw7gR7Z1Og/s1453/117hpr_bbf00100ef41460-1200x1453.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1453" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimH1Lx9AOThGyWHyxZi4507i6EAnFcKp-w_xN3yjklt99ko_yqF52LVmhFcAs-0h5CGOfy9vPYRmB3hIl3JE39lBBOBVz3RbkYdQRwIeR3Bimotb_Wsrx_xpT03-vpadG-uZyVxLUTtg4T3bVDjjYWHZxIWdnQdz_LdSFodXeOsPOSSCamtw7gR7Z1Og/w330-h400/117hpr_bbf00100ef41460-1200x1453.jpg" width="330" /></a></div><br />Patrick Henry was born on May 29, 1736, at Studley plantation in Hanover County. His father, John Henry, was a planter, mapmaker, and justice of the peace who was educated at Kings College, Aberdeen; his mother, Sarah Winston Syme Henry, was a former widow from a prominent family. Henry was the second of their nine children. He was educated by his father and by his uncle the Reverend Patrick Henry, rector of the Hanover <a href="https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/parish-in-colonial-virginia-the/">parish</a>, Saint Paul’s. Though Henry held true to his <a href="https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/church-of-england-in-virginia/">Anglican</a> beliefs throughout his life (becoming an Episcopalian after the American Revolution), as a youth he regularly accompanied his mother to sermons given by the evangelical Presbyterian <a href="https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/davies-samuel-1723-1761/">Samuel Davies</a>, whose oratorical example had a strong influence on Henry.</i><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Here we have a hint of the Christian foundation that guided Mr. Henry throughout his amazing life, including Presbyterian and sound preaching by one of America's most famous and influential preachers: <a href="https://www.logcollegepress.com/blog/tag/Samuel+Davies" target="_blank">Reverend Samuel Davies</a> (who has also been referred to as "<a href="https://rchstudies.christian-heritage-news.com/2015/12/samuel-davies-apostle-of-virginia.html" target="_blank">the Apostle of Virginia</a>").</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Davies_(clergyman)" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a></i></b> tells us this about Rev. Davies:</div><div><b style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></b></div><div><b>Samuel Davies</b> (November 3, 1723 – February 4, 1761)<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Davies_(clergyman)#cite_note-encyclopediavirginia-1">[1]</a> was an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangelism">evangelist</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presbyterianism">Presbyterian</a> minister. Davies ministered in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanover_County,_Virginia">Hanover County</a> from 1748 to 1759, followed by a term as the fourth <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Princeton_University">President of Princeton University</a>, then known as the College of New Jersey, from 1759 to 1761. Davies was one of the first non-Anglican preachers in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia">Virginia</a>, and one of earliest missionaries to slaves in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteen_Colonies">Thirteen Colonies</a>. He was a strong advocate for religious freedom, and helped to institute significant religious reforms in the colony.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Davies_(clergyman)#cite_note-bondage-2">[2]</a> Davies was also a prolific writer, authoring several hymns and publishing a book of poetry.</div><div>(Source: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Davies_(clergyman)">Samuel Davies (clergyman) - Wikipedia</a>)<br /><p>Let's take a look at one of Rev. Davies sermons to see what type of preaching Patrick Henry was influenced by:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxShdKoDVyAyUrqBcCPf1iKlS3hm7CiF8gDahdnhLzKbY30UUVVa1QIRCY-pzQu1jT16dYUucXtTFMlvoPh3bujTU19qO1q8yF2QWUTyyLyk1YCL95eMsPUN-Vbs_pCsy1Fl4dawImo9pbwPam3jpLjm8l-NINf-cf0yDMax0BQ__6hCIZSiVoLg4z6w/s750/SamuelDaviesOfPrinceton%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="614" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxShdKoDVyAyUrqBcCPf1iKlS3hm7CiF8gDahdnhLzKbY30UUVVa1QIRCY-pzQu1jT16dYUucXtTFMlvoPh3bujTU19qO1q8yF2QWUTyyLyk1YCL95eMsPUN-Vbs_pCsy1Fl4dawImo9pbwPam3jpLjm8l-NINf-cf0yDMax0BQ__6hCIZSiVoLg4z6w/w328-h400/SamuelDaviesOfPrinceton%20(1).jpg" width="328" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The Justice of God—and the Sins of Our Country</b></div></b><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Samuel Davies, 1755)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>"When disaster comes to a city—has not the LORD caused it?" Amos 3:6</b></div></b><br />It concerns you all seriously to reflect upon your own sins, and the sins of your land—which have brought all these calamities upon us. If you believe that God governs the world, if you do not abjure him from being the Ruler of your country—then you must acknowledge that all the calamities of war, and the threatening appearances of famine—are ordered by his Providence! And if you believe that he is a just and righteous Ruler, you must also believe that he would not thus punish a righteous or a penitent people.<br /><br />We and our countrymen are sinners, aggravated sinners! God proclaims that we are such by his judgments now upon us: by withering fields and scanty harvests, by the sound of the trumpet and the alarm of war. Our consciences must also bear witness to the same melancholy truth. And if my heart were properly affected, I would concur with these undoubted witnesses; I would cry aloud and not spare; I would lift up my voice like a trumpet—to show you your transgressions and your sins.<br /><br />O my country, is not your wickedness great, and your iniquities infinite? Where is there a more sinful spot to be found upon our guilty globe? Pass over the land, take a survey of the inhabitants, inspect into their conduct—and what do you see? What do you hear?<br /><br />You see the gigantic forms of vice bidding defiance to the God of heaven—while true religion and virtue are obliged to retire, to avoid public contempt and insult!<br /><br />You see herds of drunkards swilling down their cups, and drowning all the morality within them!<br /><br />You hear the swearer venting his fury against God—trifling with that Name which prostrate angels adore, and imprecating that damnation, under which the hardiest devil in hell trembles and groans!<br /><br />You see AVARICE hoarding up her useless treasures, dishonest craft planning her schemes of unlawful gain, and oppression unmercifully grinding the face of the poor!<br /><br />You see prodigality squandering her stores! You see luxury spreading her table!<br /><br />You see vanity laughing aloud and dissolving in empty, unthinking mirth, regardless of God, of time and eternity!<br /><br />You see sensuality wallowing in carnal pleasures, and aspiring, with perverted ambition—to sink as low as her four-footed brethren in the stalls!<br /><br />You see cards more in use than the Bible; the backgammon table more frequented than the table of the Lord; novels and romances more read—than the history of the blessed Jesus!<br /><br />You see trifling and even evil diversions and amusements, become a gigantic business! You see the outcome of a horse-race or a dog-fight more anxiously attended to, than the concerns of eternity!<br /><br />And where these grosser forms of vice do not shock your senses—even there you often meet with the appearances of more refined impiety, which is equally dangerous!<br /><br />You hear the conversation of reasonable creatures, of candidates for eternity— engrossed by trifles, or vainly wasted on the affairs of time! These are their important subjects of conversation, even at the threshold of the house of God!<br /><br />You see swarms of prayerless families all over our land! You see ignorant, wicked children, unrestrained and untaught by those to whom God and nature have entrusted their souls!<br /><br />You see thousands of poor slaves in a Christian country, the property of 'Christian' masters, as they will be called, almost as ignorant of Christianity as when they left the wilds of Africa!<br /><br />You see the holy religion of Jesus—abused, neglected, disobeyed, and dishonored by its professors!<br /><br />You see hear Infidelity scattering her ambiguous hints and suspicions; or openly attacking the Christian cause with pretended argument, with insult and ridicule!<br /><br />You see crowds of professed believers, who are in reality, practical Atheists! These nominal Christians are really unholy heathens! They are abandoned slaves of sin—who yet pretend to be the servants of the holy Jesus!<br /><br />You see the ordinances of the gospel neglected by some, profaned by others, and attended upon by the generality with a trifling irreverence, and studied unconcernedness. Alas! who would think that those thoughtless assemblies we often see in our places of worship—have met for such solemn purposes as to implore the pardon of their sins from an injured God, and to prepare for an all-important eternity?<br /><br />Alas! Has that religion, for the propagation of which, the Son of God labored, and bled, and died; has that religion, for which his apostles and thousands of martyrs have spent their strength, and shed their blood; has that religion, on which our eternal life depends—has that religion become such a, trifle in our days—that men are hardly serious and in earnest when they attend upon its most solemn services?<br /><br />You see multitudes lying in a deep sleep in sin all around us! You see them eager in the pursuits of the vanities of time—but stupidly unconcerned about the important realities of the eternal world just before them! So few are concerned what shall become of them—when all their connections with earth and flesh must be broken, and they must take their flight into strange, unknown regions! So few lamenting their sins! So few crying for mercy and a new heart! So few flying to Jesus, or even sensible of the importance of a Mediator, in a religion for sinners!<br /><br />You may indeed see some degree of civility and benevolence towards men, and more than enough of cringing complaisance of worms to worms—of clay to clay—of guilt to guilt. But oh! how little sincere homage, how little affectionate veneration for the great Lord of heaven and earth! You may see something of duty to parents, of gratitude to benefactors, and obedience to superiors—but if God is a Father—then where is his honor? If he is a Master—then where is his fear? If he is our Benefactor—then where is our gratitude to him?<br /><br />You may see here and there some instances of proud, self-righteous virtue, some appearances of morality: but oh! how rare is vital, evangelical religion, and true Christian morality, animated with the love of God, proceeding from a new heart, and a regard to the divine authority; full of Jesus, full of regard to him as a Mediator, on whose account alone—our duties can find acceptance!<br /><br />O blessed Redeemer! what little necessity, what little use do the sinners of our country find for you in their religion! How many discourses are delivered, how many prayers offered, how many good works are performed—in which there is scarce anything of Christ! And this defect renders them all—but 'shining sins', 'glittering crimes'!<br /><br />How few pant and languish for you, blessed Jesus! and pledge never be contented with their reformation, with their morality, with their good works—until they obtain a saving interest in your righteousness, to sanctify all, to render all acceptable!<br /><br />You may see children sensible of their dependence on their parents for their existence; you see multitudes sensible of their dependence on clouds, and sun, and earth, for provision for man and beast. But how few sensible of their dependence upon God, as the great Sustainer of the universe? You see that even the dull ox knows its owner, and the stupid donkey knows its master's feeding–trough; you see the workings of gratitude even in your dog, which welcomes you home with a thousand fondling motions! But how is Jehovah's government and agency practically denied in His own territories! How few receive the blessings of life as from His hand—and make proper returns of gratitude to Him!<br /><br />You see a withered, ravaged country around you, languishing under the frowns of an angry God; but how few earnest prayers, how few penitential groans do you hear! Pass over the land, and bring me the facts! Is not this the general character of our country? I know there are some happy exceptions; and I hope sundry such might be produced from among you. But is not this the prevailing character of a great majority? The most generous charity cannot think the contrary, if under any Scriptural or rational limitations.<br /><br />May it not be said of the people of our country—as well as those of Sodom, "Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD!" And thus, alas! it has been for a long time! Our country has sinned on securely for over one hundred and fifty years; and each generation has increased the vices of the previous one! And can a land always bear up under such a load of accumulated wickedness! Can God always allow such a race of sinners to go unpunished, from generation to generation! May we not fear that our iniquities have now filled up the cup of God's wrath—and that He is about to thunder out His dreadful mandate to the executioners of His vengeance, "Swing the sickle—for the harvest is ripe! Come, trample the grapes—for the winepress is full and the vats overflow—so great is their wickedness!" Joel 3:13<br /><br />And is there no relief for a sinking country? Or is it too late to administer it? Is our wound so incurable, that it cannot be healed? No, blessed be God; if you now turn every one of you from your evil ways, if you mourn over your sins, and turn to the Lord with your whole hearts—then your country will yet recover. God will appear for us, and give a prosperous turn to our affairs; he has assured us of this in his own word, "If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil—then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned!" Jeremiah 18:7-8.<br /><br />Therefore, my friends, as we have all rebelled—let us all join in unanimous repentance and a thorough reformation. Not only your eternal salvation requires it—but also the preservation of your country, which is now bleeding with the wounds you have given it by your sins. The safety of these our friends, who are now engaged in so generous a design, requires it: for even an army of saints, or of heroes—cannot defend a guilty, impenitent people, ripe for the judgments of God!<br /><br />If you would be everlastingly happy, and escape the vengeance of eternal fire, or (to mention what may perhaps have more weight with some of you,) if you would preserve yourselves, your families, your posterity—from poverty, from slavery, ignorance, idolatry, torture, and death; if you would save yourselves and them from all the infernal horrors of popery, and the savage tyranny of a mongrel race of French and Indian warriors: in short, if you would avoid all that is terrible, and enjoy everything that is dear and valuable—then you must repent and turn to the Lord. This is the only cure for our wounded country; and if you refuse to repent in time—then prepare to perish in its ruins.<br /><br />If you go on impenitent in sin, you may expect not only to be damned forever—but (what is more terrible to some of you) to fall into the most extreme outward distress. You will have reason to fear not only the loss of heaven—which some of you perhaps think little of—but the loss of your estates, which lie so near your hearts. And will you not repent—when you are pressed to it from so many quarters at once?<br /><br /><i>(Note: The above is an excerpt from a much longer sermon.)</i></div><div>(Sermon Source: <a href="https://www.gracegems.org/Davies/sins_of_our_country.htm">Sins of Our Country - gracegems.org)</a></div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><div><br /></div><div>It has been said that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hand_That_Rocks_the_Cradle_(poem)" target="_blank"><i>the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world</i></a> and perhaps in Patrick Henry's life this has some meaning as his mother was reportedly a descendent of "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Dissenters" target="_blank">dissenters</a>" and one who helped instill Patrick's conviction of liberty and freedom which is truly only found in Christ Jesus. </div><div><br /></div><div>Dear Lord, we thank you for men like Patrick Henry and those whom You used to lead America to freedom from the rule of tyrants. Please have mercy upon us - forgive our sins which are so numerous it is hard to recount them all! But let's start with idolatry and acknowledge that we've made licentiousness our god - we've cast You and Your Word behind our back and mocked the very men and women You used to make us into a strong nation. We are a wicked, immoral people who elect leaders that aren't qualified or fit for public office. We've compromised with evil for so long we've forgotten what true righteousness consists of. We've profaned Your holy name and the Sabbath by seeking our own pleasures. We desreve hell. But yet I know You are a merciful God and I pray You will lead us out of this wilderness of sin and debuachery. In Lord Jesus Name I pray. Amen.</div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><b>For more on the early life of Patrick Henry, please also see:</b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2023/05/hanover-county-and-patrick-henry-the-locations-that-made-the-legend/"><b>Hanover County and Patrick Henry: The Locations that made the Legend - Journal of the American Revolution (allthingsliberty.com)</b></a></li><li><a href="http://historicpolegreenchurch.org/story.php"><b>STORY - Historic Polegreen Church</b></a></li></ul><br /></div>Angela Wittmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04025738299107632514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364993632163963485.post-82869100325132422042023-04-04T06:51:00.000-07:002024-01-27T05:12:26.832-08:00Taking a Closer Look at Patrick Henry, Author of the Virginia Resolves<p>Patrick Henry (1736 - 1799) was a firebrand from Virginia during the early formation of our nation and the author of the <b><a href="https://www.mercyadamswrites.christian-heritage-news.com/2023/03/taking-closer-look-at-virginia-resolves.html" target="_blank">Virginia Resolves</a></b>. It's been said he was best known as a <a href="https://www.historicstjohnschurch.org/patrick-henry" target="_blank">"fiery orator"</a> and, in my opinion, he was a true Christian Statesmen.</p><p>Let's take a closer look at his religious beliefs which shaped his character and the mark he left upon Virginia and our nation.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCyFZclK38pKz6nQFxSc50eO2PLRqEgHqfj_7imsYcsWCGw159ku3ZQ8czi5-Z7P9S2qrnBnWBH5-_xnWxUJtm1TRSPNoeDX5MVnY9akroJI7Gf-60WwJfHyUxAFVFpqBT1CeeMyi2J7JcbdFjyNiHHOXtp6pwphygxRDibEsxN0RmMyOtE_JtpebiVg/s750/13480.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="580" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCyFZclK38pKz6nQFxSc50eO2PLRqEgHqfj_7imsYcsWCGw159ku3ZQ8czi5-Z7P9S2qrnBnWBH5-_xnWxUJtm1TRSPNoeDX5MVnY9akroJI7Gf-60WwJfHyUxAFVFpqBT1CeeMyi2J7JcbdFjyNiHHOXtp6pwphygxRDibEsxN0RmMyOtE_JtpebiVg/w494-h640/13480.jpg.webp" width="494" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Source: <a href="https://www.worldhistory.org/image/13480/patrick-henry-before-the-virginia-house-of-burgess/">Patrick Henry Before the Virginia House of Burgesses (Illustration) </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.worldhistory.org/image/13480/patrick-henry-before-the-virginia-house-of-burgess/">World History Encyclopedia</a> </div><p><a href="https://www.historicstjohnschurch.org/" target="_blank"><b><i>Historic St. John's Church</i></b></a> has a brief biography of Mr. Henry on their website and tells us this about his religious background:</p>"He was born in Hanover County to John and Sarah Syme Henry. Henry belonged to the Anglican Church and his uncle was an Anglican minister. Members of his mother’s family, however, were religious dissenters."<div>(Source: <a href="https://www.historicstjohnschurch.org/patrick-henry">Patrick Henry, Delegate, Governor of Virginia — Historic St. John's Church, 1741 (historicstjohnschurch.org)</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRgBn6V6YR1PhRDFY9eQwFE3GiH7DAEtojk3qAm_JQjwEoIP1oXb1WodTNixDfObv9AdmrLw7zwsTuFEvZUCc3UYbjRQ2EGf4-nFzUNwmFftKHPGoyZfbyh2Gy7Cow_WhETaV_dFGs_f1pGp3r5qW0P9T3OHa7TijJoMb1q9nHytzQpqyoXPHZ5r-aYA/s640/435959155-henry_687.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="640" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRgBn6V6YR1PhRDFY9eQwFE3GiH7DAEtojk3qAm_JQjwEoIP1oXb1WodTNixDfObv9AdmrLw7zwsTuFEvZUCc3UYbjRQ2EGf4-nFzUNwmFftKHPGoyZfbyh2Gy7Cow_WhETaV_dFGs_f1pGp3r5qW0P9T3OHa7TijJoMb1q9nHytzQpqyoXPHZ5r-aYA/w640-h301/435959155-henry_687.webp" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Source: <a href="https://quotesgram.com/patrick-henry-quotes-on-christianity/">Patrick Henry Quotes On Christianity. QuotesGram</a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Author Kelly Boggs of <a href="https://www.baptistpress.com/" target="_blank"><b><i>Baptist Press</i></b></a> gives us more insight into Patrick Henry's Christian beliefs in an article he wrote in 2014 titled <b><i><a href="https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/first-person-the-faith-of-patrick-henry/" target="_blank">The Faith of Patrick Henry</a></i>:</b></div><div><br /></div>"Henry was a follower of Christ and a man of faith. A variety of sources confirm the following incidents from his life.<br /><br />"He once said to a neighbor:<br /><br />“'This book [the Bible] is worth all the books that ever were printed, and it has been my misfortune that I never found time to read it with the proper attention and feeling till lately. I trust in the mercy of heaven that it is not too late.'”<div><br /></div><div>Mr. Bogg's also includes these quotes from Mr. Henry which reveal what a profound impact Jesus Christ and the Christian religion made in his life:</div><div><br /></div>"In a letter to his daughter dated August 20, 1796, he wrote:<br /><br />“'Amongst other strange things said of me, I hear it is said by the deists that I am one of their number; and indeed, that some good people think I am no Christian. This thought gives me much more pain than the appellation of Tory; because I think religion of infinitely higher importance than politics; and I find much cause to reproach myself that I have lived so long, and have given no decided and public proofs of my being a Christian. But, indeed, my dear child, this is a character which I prize far above all this world has, or can boast.'<br /><br />"On his deathbed, Patrick Henry was reported to have said:<br /><br />“'Doctor, I wish you to observe how real and beneficial the religion of Christ is to a man about to die…. I am … much consoled by reflecting that the religion of Christ has, from its first appearance in the world, been attacked in vain by all the wits, philosophers, and wise ones, aided by every power of man, and its triumphs have been complete.'<br /><br />"On November 20, 1798, in his Last Will and Testament, Patrick Henry wrote:<br /><br />“'This is all the inheritance I give to my dear family. The religion of Christ will give them one which will make them rich indeed.'”<div><br /></div><div>Mr. Bogg's also includes this excerpt from the speech Patrick Henry made at St. John's Church, March 23, 1775, which is noted to have been a "more than a year before the Declaration of Independence was signed." I think after reading this text you will agree that he relied upon the Holy God of Israel and not just upon an arm of flesh to fight our battles and eventually give us victory (emphasis mine):</div><div><br /></div>“They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house?<br /><br />“Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance, by lying supinely on our backs, and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot?<br /><br /><b>“Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power.</b> <b>Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us.</b><br /><br /><b>“Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations; and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave.</b><br /><br />“It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms!<div><br /><b>“Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”</b></div><div><div><div>(Source: <a href="https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/first-person-the-faith-of-patrick-henry/">FIRST-PERSON: The faith of Patrick Henry | Baptist Press</a>)</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Please also see <a href="https://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1701-1800/patrick-henry-makes-liberty-or-death-speech-11630287.html"><b>Patrick Henry Makes "Liberty or Death" Speech </b>(christianity.com)</a> and <a href="https://www.historicstjohnschurch.org/the-speech"><b>Patrick Henry's Liberty or Death Speech — Historic St. John's Church, 1741</b> (historicstjohnschurch.org)</a> for the complete text of his famous speech.</div><div><br /></div><div>There is so much more to know and appreciate about this Virginia Statesman which I intend to share in the near future. But be assured of this - he was instrumental in obtaining our independence from Great Britain. Patrick Henry was a virtuous man of integrity, much unlike the politicians of today who are often found to be corrupt, liars, covetous and inherently immoral. </div><div><br /></div><div>Dear Lord,</div><div>I pray you will forgive our national sins and raise up leaders like Patrick Henry to turn America back to the true liberty and freedom found only in nations that acknowledge and follow Jesus Christ, and that the United States of America will once more be a country that serves as a beacon of light, hope and righteousness to other nations. </div><div>In Lord Jesus Name I pray, amen. </div>Angela Wittmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04025738299107632514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364993632163963485.post-44844077371109739762023-03-31T07:14:00.000-07:002024-01-27T05:13:02.704-08:00Taking a Closer Look at the 'Virginia Resolves'<p> <i>Encyclopedia Virginia</i> tells us Patrick Henry was the author of the <b><i><a href="https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/virginia-resolves-on-the-stamp-act-1765/" target="_blank">Virginia Resolves on the Stamp Act</a></i></b> written in 1765:</p><i><a href="https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/henry-patrick-1736-1799/">Patrick Henry</a> wrote the following five resolutions against the Stamp Act and introduced them to the <a href="https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/house-of-burgesses/">House of Burgesses</a> on May 29, 1765. The House passed them after a heated debate, but rescinded the fifth resolution the following day. This iteration of the Virginia Stamp Act resolves comes from a handwritten document that was found inside a small envelope that Henry included with his last will and testament.</i><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBFqGEGhx3qkFz-mIECOmWMpG3g6mJl9ldMMV5HTWaHFlkBNmXgo2E8NdNq1DNH_yqGx3C0gYoy2QLfYEsdPhRMTUa8XhIxEN-yhAvmu1WF0k4UyHKNxvMsQSK1tzR96mkIFgGHxv8XRnVtkx-8zYdvmCMysiamxiTfSRSPWCCDBXzTjqfS6zaPl2nsA/s1024/956hpr_806deb66a7ef7cb-643x1024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="643" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBFqGEGhx3qkFz-mIECOmWMpG3g6mJl9ldMMV5HTWaHFlkBNmXgo2E8NdNq1DNH_yqGx3C0gYoy2QLfYEsdPhRMTUa8XhIxEN-yhAvmu1WF0k4UyHKNxvMsQSK1tzR96mkIFgGHxv8XRnVtkx-8zYdvmCMysiamxiTfSRSPWCCDBXzTjqfS6zaPl2nsA/w402-h640/956hpr_806deb66a7ef7cb-643x1024.jpg" width="402" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="color: #0000ee; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><div><i>Virginia Resolves on the Stamp Act - Encyclopedia Virginia</i></div></span><i><br /></i><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Here is the full text of that marvelous document:</div><div><br /></div><i><b>Resolved</b>, That the first Adventurers and Settlers of this his Majesties Colony and Dominion brought with them and transmitted to their Posterity and all other his Majestie’s Subjects since inhabiting in this his Majestie’s said Colony all the Priviledges, Franchises & Immunities that have at any Time been held, enjoyed, & possessed by the People of Great Britain.<br /><br /><b>Resolved,</b> That by the two royal Charters granted by King James the first the Colonists aforesaid are declared intituled to all the Priviledges, Liberties & Immunities of Denizens and natural born Subjects to all Intents and Purposes as if they had been abiding and born within the Realm of England.<br /><br /><b>Resolved,</b> That the Taxation of the People by themselves or by Persons chosen by themselves to represent them who can only know what Taxes the People are able to bear and the easiest Mode of raising them and are equally affected by such Taxes themselves is the distinguishing Characteristick of British Freedom and without which the ancient Constitution cannot subsist.<br /><br /><b>Resolved,</b> That his Majestie’s liege People of this most ancient Colony have uninteruptedly enjoyed the Right of being thus governed by their own assembly in the Article of their Taxes and internal Police and that the same hath never been forfeited or any other Way given up but hath been constantly recognized by the Kings of People of Great Britain.<br /><br /><b>Resolved,</b> Therefore that the General Assembly of this Colony have the only and sole exclusive Right & Power to lay Taxes & Impositions upon the Inhabitants of this Colony and that every Attempt to vest such Power in any Person or Persons whatsoever other than the General Assembly aforesaid has a manifest Tendency to destroy British as well as American Freedom.</i><div><div><i>(Source: <a href="https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/virginia-resolves-on-the-stamp-act-1765/">Virginia Resolves on the Stamp Act (1765) - Encyclopedia Virginia</a>)</i></div><div><div><br /></div><div>Next time we will take a look at the famous Christian Statesman and Orator, Mr. Patrick Henry. </div><div><br /></div><div>May God continue to bless and memorialize the name of His servant, Patrick Henry. A man who helped stir hearts to fight for our freedoms and who brought glory to God in doing so. Amen. </div></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Angela Wittmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04025738299107632514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364993632163963485.post-56851442072132703472023-03-23T11:25:00.000-07:002024-01-27T05:13:22.965-08:00Taking a Closer Look at Mecklenburg, NC: Thomas Polk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4jYsSNRBNPpHrLVGPCcdq9CjugD4B2e91rXKpj69mRkvgh75YJ_iKmS-Dk4W0FnkyNUN5v454WPI_S1p6SqHNffKPoO21gfx0o1DHCAOQqxxjTZvAjaY_0XDjiFvdQy8eTYNMQWcSyeqMj5yNfFnQvFSz7aQmJNoc0eySQx0PVz7769flBozn9BIiRg/s640/9190_108838242805.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4jYsSNRBNPpHrLVGPCcdq9CjugD4B2e91rXKpj69mRkvgh75YJ_iKmS-Dk4W0FnkyNUN5v454WPI_S1p6SqHNffKPoO21gfx0o1DHCAOQqxxjTZvAjaY_0XDjiFvdQy8eTYNMQWcSyeqMj5yNfFnQvFSz7aQmJNoc0eySQx0PVz7769flBozn9BIiRg/w640-h480/9190_108838242805.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Image Source: <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9190/thomas-polk">Gen Thomas Polk (1730-1794) - Find a Grave Memorial</a></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><i>"The Resolves were a bold set of anti-British resolutions, adopted on May 31, 1775, at a meeting in Charlotte organized by Thomas Polk and they helped to fire a spirit of independence."</i></b><div>(Source: <a href="https://www.ncpedia.org/mecklenburg-resolves">Mecklenburg Resolves | NCpedia</a>)<p> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p><a href="https://www.cmstory.org/exhibits/mecklenburg-people/thomas-polk" target="_blank"><b> <i>The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Story </i>gives us this brief biography of Thomas Polk:</b></a></p>"In 1755, surveyor Thomas Polk (1732-1794) built his home where two Indian trading paths met. Many years later this crossroads would become the Square, the intersection of Charlotte's busy Trade and Tryon streets. Polk married Susannah Spratt, whose family was one of the first to make their way through the wilderness to what would become Charlotte Town. With Abraham Alexander and John Frohock, Polk bought 360 acres of land from Britain's Lord Augustus Selwyn. The land lay where the future downtown Charlotte would flourish.<br /><br />"In the 1770s, conflicts grew between settlers and the British rulers who wanted to maintain control over the colonies. Thomas Polk became commander of the local army, called a militia. He was one of 27 men who signed controversial documents in 1775 that pronounced the county's freedom from British rule. The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence and the Mecklenburg Resolves would remain the source of controversy for many years.<br /><br />"When President George Washington visited Charlotte in 1791, he dined at the home of Thomas Polk."<div>(Source: <a href="https://www.cmstory.org/exhibits/mecklenburg-people/thomas-polk">Thomas Polk | Charlotte Mecklenburg Story (cmstory.org)</a>)</div><div><br /></div><div>Let's see if we can take a closer look at this man who played such an important part in North Carolina and American history:</div><div><br /></div><div>NCpedia gives us some insight into his early years:</div><div><br /></div>"Thomas Polk, revolutionary officer, planter, and politician, was the great-grandson of Robert Bruce Polk, an immigrant from Northern Ireland who settled in Maryland sometime before 1687. Thomas was born to William and Margaret Taylor Polk around 1732 in Cumberland County, Pa., to which his father had moved from Maryland. In 1753, along with two of his brothers, Thomas moved to <a href="https://www.ncpedia.org/geography/anson">Anson County</a>, N.C. Two years later he married Susanna Spratt, and they became the parents of eight children: Thomas, William, Ezekiel, Charles, Margaret, Mary, Martha, and James."<div>(Source: <a href="https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/polk-thomas">Polk, Thomas | NCpedia</a>)</div><div><br /></div><div>And Wikipedia tells us:</div><div><br /></div>"Polk was among the residents and officials of Mecklenburg County who drafted and adopted the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mecklenburg_Resolves">Mecklenburg Resolves</a> on May 31, 1775, which called for a reorganization of colonial government and declared laws enforced by the Crown null and void."<div>(Source: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Polk">Thomas Polk - Wikipedia</a>)</div><br />The website <a href="https://www.carolana.com/NC/Revolution/home.html">Carolana.com</a> has an indepth account of Col. Polk's military history: <br /><b><br />Thomas Polk</b><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Colonel over the Mecklenburg County Regiment of Militia - 1775</b></li><li><b>Colonel over the 2nd Battalion of Salisbury District Minutemen - 1775-1776</b></li><li><b>Colonel over the 4th NC Regiment - 1776-1778</b></li><li><b>Commissary General for the NC Continental Line - 1780</b></li></ul></div><div>"On September 9, 1775, the NC Provincial Congress appointed Thomas Polk as Colonel/Commandant over the Mecklenburg County Regiment of Militia. Col. Thomas Polk led his regiment at the battle of the Great Cane Brake, SC (12/22/1775) and in the infamous Snow Campaign, SC (12/23-12/30/1775).<br /><br />"On December 21, 1775, the NC Provincial Congress created the 2nd Battalion of Salisbury District Minutemen and appointed Thomas Polk as Colonel/Commandant while he was still in South Carolina on active duty against Loyalists. He led the 2nd Battalion of Salisbury District Minutemen in the battle of Moore's Creek Bridge on February 27, 1776. All Minutemen regiments were disbanded on April 10, 1776.<br /><br />"On April 15, 1776, the NC Provincial Congress appointed Thomas Polk as Colonel/Commandant over the newly-created 4th NC Regiment (NC Continental Line). He led the 4th NC Regiment against British forces at the skirmish known as Fort George on Bald Head Island on September 6, 1776. He led his regiment at the battles of Brandywine Creek, PA (9/11/1777) and Germantown, PA (10/4/1777).<br /><br />"Due to dwindling numbers of troops, the 4th NC Regiment was folded into the 2nd NC Regiment on June 1, 1778, and Col. Thomas Polk was sent home to recruit new men and refill the ranks of the Continental Line. He resigned his commission on June 26, 1778 and retired from active duty to resume civilian life.<br /><br />.................<br /><br />"Thomas Polk was a delegate to the Colonial Assembly from 1766 to 1771. Gov. William Tryon appointed him as a Captain of Militia during the War of Regulation. Thomas Polk participated in the NC/SC state line survey of 1772."<br />(Source: <a href="https://www.carolana.com/NC/Revolution/patriot_leaders_nc_thomas_polk.html">The Patriot Leaders in North Carolina - Thomas Polk (carolana.com)</a>)<br /><br />You may also want to read Thomas Polk's biography at <i>Find-a-Grave</i>: <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9190/thomas-polk">Gen Thomas Polk (1730-1794) - Find a Grave Memorial</a>. <br /><br />While I haven't been able to find a church affiliation for Thomas Polk, I have read that his father was of Scots-Irish descent and it seems likely he would have raised Thomas and his other children with a Presbyterian background and a strong belief in the God of the Bible. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thomas Polk left a wonderful legacy of freedom and liberty for his descendents, as well as for all of us. We owe him a great deal of respect and gratitude for the sacrifices he and his family made before, during and after our War for Independence.</div><div><br /></div><div>May the good Lord bless his name and memory. Amen. <div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div>Angela Wittmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04025738299107632514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364993632163963485.post-73386600125073344642023-03-22T10:29:00.000-07:002024-01-27T05:05:56.414-08:00Taking a Closer Look at Mecklenburg, NC: 'The Charlotte Town Resolves; May 31, 1775'<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Resolves Adopted in Charlotte Town,</b></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Mecklenburg County, </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>North </b><b>Carolina, </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>May 31, 1775</b></div></b><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>This Day the Committee met, and passed the following</b></div></b></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>RESOLVES:</b></div></b><br /><i><b>Whereas by an Address presented to his Majesty by both Houses of Parliament in February last, the American Colonies are declared to be in a State of actual Rebelion, we conceive that all Laws and Commissions confirmed by, or derived from the Authority of the King or Parliament, are annulled and vacated, and the former civil Constitution of these Colinies for the present wholly suspended. To provide in some Degree for the Exigencies of the County in the present alarming Period, we deem it proper and necessary to pass the following Resolves, viz.</b></i><br /><br /><b>1.</b> That all Commissions, civil and military, heretofore granted by the Crown, to be exercised in these Colonies, are null and void, and the Constitution of each particular Colony wholly suspended.<br /><br /><b>2.</b> That the Provincial Congress of each Province, under the Direction of the Great Continental Congress, is invested with all legislative and executive Powers within their respective Provinces; and that no other Legislative or Executive does or can exist, at this time, in any of these Colonies.<br /><br /><b>3.</b> As all former Laws are now suspended in this Province, and the Congress have not yet provided others, we judge it necessary, for the better Preservation of good Order, to form certain Rules and Regulations for the internal Government of this County, until Laws shall be provided for us by the Congress.<br /><br /><b>4.</b> That the Inhabitants of this County do meet on a certain Day appointed by this Committee, and having formed themselves into nine Companies, to wit, eight for the County, and one for the Town of Charlotte, do choose a Colonel and other military Officers, who shall hold and exercise their several Powers by Virtue of this Choice, and independent of Great-Britain, and former Constitution of this Province.<br /><br /><b>5.</b> That for the better Preservation of the Peace, and Administration of Justice, each of these Companies do choose from their own Body two discreet Freeholders, who shall be impowered each by himself, and singly, to decide and determine all Matters of Controversy arising within the said Company under the Sum of Twenty Shillings, and jointly and together all Controversies under the Sum of Forty Shillings, yet so as their Decisions may admit of Appeals to the Convention of the Select Men of the whole County; and also, that any one of these shall have Power to examine, and commit to Confinement, Persons accused of Petit Larceny.<br /><br /><b>6.</b> That those two Select Men, thus chosen, do, jointly and together, choose from the Body of their particular Company two Persons, properly qualified to serve as Constables, who may assist them in the Execution of their Office.<br /><br /><b>7.</b> That upon the Complaint of any Person to either of these Select Men, he do issue his Warrant, directed to the Constable, commanding him to bring the Aggressor before him or them to answer the said Complaint.<br /><br /><b>8. </b>That these eighteen Select Men, thus appointed, do meet every third Tuesday in January, April, July, and October, at the Court-House, in Charlotte, to hear and determine all Matters of Controversy for Sums exceeding Forty Shillings; also Appeals: And in Cases of Felony, to commit the Person or Persons convicted thereof to close Confinement, until the Provincial Congress shall provide and establish Laws and Modes of Proceeding in all such Cases.<br /><br /><b>9.</b> That these Eighteen Select Men, thus convened, do choose a Clerk to record the Transactions of said Convention; and that the said Clerk, upon the Application of any Person or Persons aggrieved, do issue his Warrant to one of the Constables, to summon and warn said Offender to appear before the Convention at their next sittinbg, to answer the aforesaid Complaint.<br /><br /><b>10</b>. That any Person making Complaint upon Oath to the Clerk, or any Member of the Convention, that he has Reason to suspect that any Person or Persons indebted to him in a Sum above Forty Shillings, do intend clandestinely to withdraw from the County without paying such Debt; the Clerk, or such Member, shall issue his Warrant to the Constable, commanding him to take the said Person or Persons into safe Custody, until the next sitting of the Convention.<br /><br /><b>11.</b> That when a Debtor for a Sum below Forty Shillings shall abscond and leave the County, the Warrant granted as aforesaid shall extend to any Goods or Chattels of the said Debtor as may be found, and such Goods or Chattels be seized and held in Custody by the Constable for the Space of Thirty Days; in which Term if the Debtor fails to return and discharge the Debt, the Constable shall return the Warrant to one of the Select Men of the Company where the Goods and Chattels are found, who shall issue Orders to the Constable to sell such a Part of the said Goods as shall amount to the Sum due; that when the Debt exceeds Forty Shillings, the Return shall be made to the Convention, who shall issue the Orders for Sale.<br /><b><br />12.</b> That all Receivers and Collectors of Quitrents, Public and County Taxes, do pay the same into the Hands of the Chairman of this Committee, to be by them disbursed as the public Exigencies may require. And that such Receivers and Collectors proceed no farther in their Office until they be approved of by, and have given to this Committee good and sufficient Security for a faithful Return of such Monies when collected.<br /><br /><b>13. </b>That the Committee be accountable to the County for the Application of all Monies received from such public Officers.<br /><br /><b>14.</b> That all these Officers hold their Commissions during the Pleasure of their respective Constituents.<br /><br /><b>15. </b>That this Commission will sustain all Damages that may ever hereafter accrue to all or any of these Officers thus appointed, and thus acting, on Account of their Obedience and Conformity to these Resolves.<br /><br /><b>16. </b>That whatever Person shall hereafter receive a Commission from the Crown, or attempt to exercise any such Commission heretofore received, shall be deemed an Enemy to his Country; and upon Information being made to the Captain of the Company where he resides, the said Captain shall cause him to be apprehended, and conveyed before the two Select Men of the said Company, who, upon Proof of the Fact, shall commit him the said Offender, into safe Custody, until the next setting of the Convention, who shall deal with him as Prudence may direct.<br /><br /><b>17.</b> That any Person refusing to yield Obedience to the above Resolves shall be deemed equally criminal, and liable to the same Punishments as the Offenders above last mentioned.<br /><br /><b>18.</b> That these Resolves be in full Force and Virtue, until Instructions from the General Congress of this Province, regulating the Jurisprudence of this Province, shall provide otherwise, or the legislative Body of Great-Britain resign its unjust and arbitrary Pretentions with Respect to America.<br /><br /><b>19.</b> That the several Militia Companies in this county do provide themselves with proper Arms and Accoutrements, and hold themselves in Readiness to execute the commands and Directions of the Provincial Congress, and of this committee.<br /><br /><b>20.</b> That this committee do appoint Colonel Thomas Polk, and Doctor Joseph Kennedy, to purchase 300 lb. of Powder, 600 lb. of Lead, and 1000 Flints, and deposit the same in some safe Place, hereafter to be appointed by the committee.<br /><br /><i>Signed by Order of the Commitee.</i><br /><br />EPH. BREVARD, <i>Clerk of the Committee</i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Source: <a href="https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/charlott.asp">Avalon Project - The Charlotte Town Resolves; May 31, 1775 (yale.edu)</a></b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzkQSl-xWCKLhEpyozqeRPoJ4vOUZdAio-wmJFcKOs657pzI94n7qcMQPXEwbkNGDJCNr7oV24KhMeO7c71DrmHL-s1YJil9bRKndk7fRDvtS5WR0D2ISzpViLT5hqN_PJTVhkOW8bA-WevO74hOso45MnXdWNGMiOGAHgvEUkwHRsuNeqIaL6NEQhw/s758/Balch,+Hezekiah+James+Mecklenburg+Resolves+historical+marker+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="758" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzkQSl-xWCKLhEpyozqeRPoJ4vOUZdAio-wmJFcKOs657pzI94n7qcMQPXEwbkNGDJCNr7oV24KhMeO7c71DrmHL-s1YJil9bRKndk7fRDvtS5WR0D2ISzpViLT5hqN_PJTVhkOW8bA-WevO74hOso45MnXdWNGMiOGAHgvEUkwHRsuNeqIaL6NEQhw/s320/Balch,+Hezekiah+James+Mecklenburg+Resolves+historical+marker+photo.jpg" width="317" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Additional Resources:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.christian-heritage-news.com/2018/05/mecklenburg-resolves-bold-step-toward.html"><b>Mecklenburg Resolves, Bold Step Toward Independence (christian-heritage-news.com)</b></a></li><li><a href="http://library.logcollegepress.com/Alexander%2C+Sr.%2C+John+Brevard%2C+The+History+of+Mecklenburg+County+from+1740+to+1900.pdf"><b>The history of Mecklenburg County from 1740 to 1900 (logcollegepress.com)</b></a></li><li><a href="https://www.carolana.com/NC/Revolution/A_Brief_History_of_the_North_Carolina_Troops_on_the_Continental_Establishment_Davis_1896.pdf"><b>A brief history of the North Carolina troops on the Continental establishment (carolana.com)</b></a></li></ul></div><br /><div><br /></div>Angela Wittmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04025738299107632514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364993632163963485.post-28286260801010569002023-03-22T10:01:00.000-07:002024-01-27T05:05:56.499-08:00Taking a Closer Look at Mecklenburg, NC: William Kennon and Dr. Ephraim Brevard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiar1QrDvSi2_PTAingTfCoMeEtAX6yGWM0_768hoJGoecAa62aC8th3PRpgW5-JBx2vYvh1mQgj2WztjkxoSFtZJ9EYpf-5Pu3ndqDCnvE6tCMkIOjPEj_OgnypfiBCN-dYOuZQ0NvoNu2QaUPkVuHUALViPu5GN7UCAlWTQsPcx_K03a2SFMqMw-NAQ/s800/History_of_Mecklenburg_County_and_the_city_of_Charlotte_-_from_1740_to_1903_(1903)_(14576981037).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="800" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiar1QrDvSi2_PTAingTfCoMeEtAX6yGWM0_768hoJGoecAa62aC8th3PRpgW5-JBx2vYvh1mQgj2WztjkxoSFtZJ9EYpf-5Pu3ndqDCnvE6tCMkIOjPEj_OgnypfiBCN-dYOuZQ0NvoNu2QaUPkVuHUALViPu5GN7UCAlWTQsPcx_K03a2SFMqMw-NAQ/w640-h404/History_of_Mecklenburg_County_and_the_city_of_Charlotte_-_from_1740_to_1903_(1903)_(14576981037).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Mecklenburg County Courthouse </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Source: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:History_of_Mecklenburg_County_and_the_city_of_Charlotte_-_from_1740_to_1903_%281903%29_%2814576981037%29.jpg">History of Mecklenburg County and the city of Charlotte - from 1740 to 1903 - Wikimedia Commons</a></div><p>Previously we looked at <a href="https://mercyadamswrites.blogspot.com/2023/03/taking-closer-look-at-mecklenburg-nc.html" target="_blank">Rev. Hezekiah James Balch</a> believed to be one of the committee of three who wrote the <b><i><a href="https://www.meckdec.org/declaration/the-text" target="_blank">Mecklenberg Declaration of Independence</a></i></b>. The other two men believed to be on the committee are William Kennon and Dr. Ephraim Brevard. Today we will take a closer look at these men of liberty and freedom:</p>The website <b><a href="https://www.cmstory.org/" target="_blank"><i>The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Story</i></a></b> tells us:<div><br />"William Kennon (circa 1735 - ?) was one of the original signers of the Meckenburg Declaration of Independence. Although most of the signers were Presbyterians, William Kennon was Anglican and not even a citizen of the county. Although born and raised near Petersburg, Virginia, he went to the College of New Jersey, now known as Princeton University, to finish his formal education.<br /><br />"After his time there, he moved to Salisbury, Rowan County, North Carolina. Why he was in Charlotte on the day the Declaration was supposedly written is a mystery. Perhaps business or friendships brought him to the city on this monumental day. One speculation is that he had heard about the plan for this convention and wanted to learn first-hand how the Mecklenburg citizens would react to this latest news about the British.<br /><br />"Kennon's father, William, Jr., was a member of the Virginia House of Burgess, so his interest in politics may have been a family matter. William, Sr.'s father, Richard, was reportedly the original immigrant to America. The Kennon family acquired large holdings of land in Virginia.<br /><br />"William Kennon was a colonel in the Revolutionary War and was on the Rowan County Safety Committee, where he was elected chairman in April 1774. He also was chairman of the first assembly of the colony held without permission of the British government, a meeting held in New Bern in August, 1774. He signed a resolution protesting patriot's removal to England for trial. Kennon was married and had one son and three daughters."</div><div>(Source: <a href="https://www.cmstory.org/exhibits/mecklenburg-people/william-kennon">William Kennon | Charlotte Mecklenburg Story (cmstory.org)</a>)</div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="https://accessgenealogy.com/" target="_blank"><i>Access Genealogy</i></a></b> gives us this biographical sketch of William Kennon:</div><div><br /></div>“'William Kennon' was an early and devoted friend of liberty. He was an eminent lawyer, resided in Salisbury, and had a large practice in the surrounding counties. He was one of the prominent advocates for 'absolute independence' at the Convention in Charlotte, on the 19th and 20th of May, 1775. He, with Mr. Willis, a brother-in-law, Adlai Osborne, and Samuel Spencer (afterward Judge Spencer), took an active part in arresting two obnoxious lawyers, John Dunn and Benjamin Booth Boote, preceding the Revolution, in giving utterance to language inimical to the cause of American independence.<br /><br />They were conveyed to Charlotte for trial, and being found guilty of conduct inimical to the American cause, they were transported to Camden, S.C., and finally to Charleston, beyond the reach of their injurious influence. Colonel Kennon was a member of the first Congress which met at Newbern on the 25th of August, 1774, in opposition to royalty, and 'fresh from the people,' with Moses Winslow and Samuel Young as colleagues. He was also a delegate to the same place in April, 1775, with Griffith Rutherford and William Sharpe as colleagues; and to the Provincial Congress at Hillsboro, in August, 1775, associated with William Sharpe, Samuel Young and James Smith. In 1776, he was appointed commissary of the first regiment of State troops. He was ever active and faithful in the discharge of his duties. Soon after the Revolutionary war he moved to Georgia, where he died at a good old age.<div>(Source: <a href="https://accessgenealogy.com/north-carolina/biographical-sketch-of-william-kennon.htm">Biographical Sketch of William Kennon | <i>Access Genealogy</i></a>)</div><div><br /></div><div>The <b><a href="https://www.cmstory.org/" target="_blank"><i>Charlotte-Mecklenburg Story</i></a></b> tells us this biographical information regarding Dr. Brevard:</div><br />"Ephraim Brevard (17??-1781) was one of the original signers of the Meckenburg Declaration of Independence. Dr. Brevard was one of this area's first physicians. He was born in Maryland and moved at a young age with his family to North Carolina.<br /><br />"He attended school at Nassau Hall of the College of New Jersey, now known as Princeton University, prior to studying medicine in Philadelphia. Brevard followed his teacher to Maryland but left after a few short years as an assistant and returned to Iredell County. Charlotte was a growing, new community, so he moved his practice. He married Martha Polk, the daughter of Captain Thomas and Susannah Spratt Polk. His father-in-law was one of the most influential men in the county. His wife died as a young woman, leaving him with only one child. Martha was buried in Settlers' Cemetery in Charlotte.<br /><br />"He served as a trustee and instructor at the Queen's Museum Academy in Charlotte. When approached with the petition for this school, the King of England denied it, fearing it would cause more problems. The citizens erected a building anyway and proceeded without a charter. Dr. Brevard approached his maternal uncle, Dr. Alex McWhorter of Maryland, to become the headmaster. He declined the offer. The Legislature granted the college a charter if a minister of the Church of England was headmaster. This would defeat the purposes of having Presbyterian influence in the area to help the seven congregations already established here. Local citizens turned down this proposal and proceeded to have a school on South Tryon. The school name was later changed to Liberty Hall, to reflect the political feelings of the times.<br /><br />"When fighting broke out at the Cross Creek section of North Carolina, he took his 21 students towards Fayetteville. When the British left, he returned to Charlotte to resume school. However, this peace did not last long. He entered the service as a surgeon and went to Charleston, SC. When the British captured the city and Dr. Brevard, he was transported to Florida. Disease and poor nutrition caused his health to fail. He planned to return to his mother's home in Iredell County for rest. When he stopped at the home of John McKnitt Alexander in the area that is now called Croft in Mecklenburg County, he died at age 37, never making it to his mother's home. Brevard Street in Charlotte is named in his honor."<div>(Source: <a href="https://www.cmstory.org/exhibits/mecklenburg-people/ephraim-brevard">Ephraim Brevard | Charlotte Mecklenburg Story (cmstory.org)</a>)</div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="https://accessgenealogy.com/" target="_blank"><i>Access Genealogy</i></a></b> gives us more insight to this man's life and early death:</div><div><br /></div>“'Dr. Ephraim Brevard', the reputed author of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, proclaimed on the 20th of May, 1775, was born in Maryland in 1744. He came with his parents to North Carolina when about four years old. He was the son of John Brevard, one of the earliest settlers of Iredell, then Rowan, county, and of Huguenot descent. At the conclusion of the Indian war in 1761, he and his cousin, Adlai Osborne, were sent to a grammar school in Prince Edward county, Va. About a year later, he returned to North Carolina and attended a school of considerable notoriety in Iredell county, conducted successively by Joseph Alexander, (a nephew of John McKnitt Alexander) David Caldwell, then quite young, and Joel Benedict, from the New England States. Adlai Osborne, Ephraim Brevard and Thomas Reese (a brother of David Reese, one of the signers), graduated at Princeton College in 1768, and greatly contributed by talents and influence to the spread and maintenance of patriotic principles. Soon after graduation, Ephraim Brevard commenced the study of medicine under the celebrated Dr. Alexander Ramsey, of South Carolina, a distinguished patriot and historian of the Revolutionary war.<br /><br />"In 1776, Dr. Brevard joined the expedition of General Rutherford in his professional capacity, during the Cherokee campaign. Soon after this service he settled in Charlotte, where he married a daughter of Col. Thomas Polk, and rapidly rose to eminence in his profession. He had one child, Martha, who married Mr. Dickerson, the father of the late James P. Dickerson, a Lieutenant-Colonel in the South Carolina regiment in the Mexican war, and who died from a wound received in a battle near the City of Mexico. After the death of his beloved and youthful wife, Dr. Brevard again entered the Southern army, as 'surgeon’s mate,' or assistant surgeon, under General Lincoln, in 1780, and was made a prisoner at the surrender of Charleston.<br /><br />"While engaged as one of the teachers in the Queen’s Museum he raised a company, from the young men of that institution, to assist in putting down the Tories assembled on Cape Fear River. Of this company he was made captain. They marched immediately in the direction of Cross Creek (Fayetteville), but, on learning of the dispersion of the Tories, they returned home. Inheriting from his family a devotion to liberty and independence, he early became distinguished for his patriotic ardor and decision of character. He was a fine scholar, fluent writer, and drew up the resolutions of independence which the Convention of the 20th of May, 1775, adopted, with very slight alteration, acting as one of the secretaries. During his confinement in Charleston, as a prisoner of war, he suffered so much from impure air and unwholesome diet that his health gave way, and he returned home only to die. He reached the house of his friend and fellow patriot, John McKnitt Alexander, in Mecklenburg county, where he soon after breathed his last. He lies buried in Charlotte, in the lot now owned by A.B. Davidson, Esq., near the grave of his beloved wife, who, a short time before, preceded him to the tomb. Upon this lot was located the Queen’s Museum College, receiving, in 1777, the more patriotic name of 'Liberty Hall Academy.' Within its walls were educated a Spartan band of young men, who afterward performed a noble part in achieving the independence of their country."<div><div>(Source: <a href="https://accessgenealogy.com/north-carolina/biography-of-dr-ephraim-brevard.htm">Biography of Dr. Ephraim Brevard | <i>Access Genealogy</i></a>)</div><div><br /></div><div>An additional resource is the book <a href="https://electricscotland.com/history/america/mecklenburg.pdf"><b>The Mecklenburg declaration of independence, May 20, 1775, and lives of its signers </b></a> which is a pdf file and can be dowloaded at the <a href="https://electricscotland.com/" target="_blank"><i>Electric Scotland</i></a> website. I encourage you to read it as there is some <a href="https://www.ncpedia.org/mecklenburg-declaration" target="_blank">controversy</a> concerning the Declaration and if it was written before our national Declaration of Independence. You can also learn more about <a href="https://www.meckdec.org/declaration/the-controversy" target="_blank">this controversy</a> <a href="https://www.meckdec.org/declaration/the-controversy" target="_blank">at: <b>Declaration | MeckDec</b>,</a> a webiste of the <i><a href="https://www.meckdec.org/" target="_blank">Mecklenburg Historical Society</a>.</i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>I encourage you to examine the facts, weigh the evidence and decide for yourself.</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Truly these men of notable character and bravery should never be forgotten. May God give us the integrity to truly honor our founding fathers and mothers of this great nation and may we treasure the liberty and freedom they fought and died for. </div><div>In Lord Jesus Name I pray, amen. -<i> Mercy Adams</i><br /><div><br /></div></div></div>Angela Wittmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04025738299107632514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364993632163963485.post-20695141399311223402023-03-18T07:46:00.000-07:002024-01-27T05:05:56.584-08:00Taking a Closer Look at Mecklenburg, NC: Rev. Hezekiah James Balch<b><i> "There can be no freedom without order! Oh for the order which is in Christ, that we might have that freedom which is in him also!"</i></b> <div>~Motto of Rev. Hezekiah James Balch </div><div>(Source: <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/25798186/hezekiah-james-balch">Rev Hezekiah James Balch (1745-1776) - Find a Grave Memorial</a>)<p>I found this account of Rev. Hezekiah James Balch by David T. Myers <a href="https://thisday.pcahistory.org/2017/06/june-22-rev-hezekiah-james-balch/" target="_blank">posted at <i>This Day in Presbyterian History. </i></a> It's important for us to remember men like Rev. Balch and how Providence used them at such an important, foundational time in American history, which is really His-Story. </p><p>May the Lord bless you as you read this man's story and may his name be honored and remembered among God's people, amen. - <i>Mercy Adams</i></p><br /><b>Unwavering Devotion to Christ and Country</b><br />by David T. Myers<br /><br />Here and there in these posts, you have read about Presbyterian clergy who were instrumental in preparing and molding the popular minds of Americans for the great struggle of the American Revolution. From both pulpit and battle field worship service, these Presbyterian chaplains challenged the troops to fight for their freedom and win the day. The British were certainly aware of the tremendous influences of these clergy toward that end and viewed it with alarm that it was thrown into the side of the rebellion. Among the many pastors of all denominations who joined the ranks were Presbyterians such as the Reverend Hezekiah James Balch, who is our character study today.<br /><br />Born in 1741 in Deer Creek, Hartford County, Maryland to Col. James Balch and Anne Goodwin, there is little known about his early years. The whole family moved south to Mecklenburg, North Carolina when he was young. At some time in his teens, due to a recommendation from a minister who must have seen certain spiritual gifts in the young man, he entered the College of New Jersey, later Princeton, graduating from there in 1766.<br /><br />In the historical accounts, there is much confusion as to his work due to two other Balch members in the extended family, one his brother. Even the online encyclopedia Wikipedia has him laboring for the Lord and eventually dying in Tennessee, albeit serving as a Presbyterian pastor and educator. All this is wrong.<br /><br />After graduating from Princeton, he was licensed to preach the gospel and sent him to various fields as a missionary in Virginia and North Carolina in 1768. A year later, on June 22, 1769, he was called to the Presbyterian Churches of Rocky River and Poplar Tent, North Carolina as pastor, after being ordained to the gospel ministry.<br /><br />An interesting event happened before that call however. He was reproved by the Presbytery because a Church of England minister had married him. They called it a “reprehensible circumstance.” Obviously, the memory of the Church of England and the Presbyterian experience in the old country was not forgotten by this Presbytery. It didn’t seem to have an effect upon his installation of the two charge congregation where he labored until his death in 1776.<br /><br />What may have had an influence upon the Presbytery was his participation in what is known as the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. A full year before the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, PA, Rev. Balch was one of the Committee of Three who wrote up its resolves declaring independence from England. While modern revisionist history has doubted the existence of this declaration (and we will not go into that history now), it is is celebrated even now in North Carolina with Rev Hezekiah James Balch being remembered as one of the key players in its formation.<br /><br /><b>Words to Live By:</b><br />God calls His people to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world in many spheres of life. Whether in the church and/or the state, we are called to be faithful to the cause of the gospel. Our featured character today, the Rev. Hezekiah James Balch let his light shine in the establishment of both church and state in his beloved North Carolina home and ministry. We as American Christians are to be active in both spheres, good Christian citizens in our land, and faithful Christians soldiers in the church of Jesus Christ.<div><br /></div><div><b>Source: <a href="https://thisday.pcahistory.org/2017/06/june-22-rev-hezekiah-james-balch/">This Day in Presbyterian History · June 22: Rev. Hezekiah James Balch (pcahistory.org)</a></b><br /><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Please also see these additional resources for more information on Rev. Hezekiah Balch:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/balch-hezekiah-james"><b>Balch, Hezekiah James | NCpedia</b></a></li><li><a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/25798186/hezekiah-james-balch"><b>Rev Hezekiah James Balch (1745-1776) - Find a Grave Memorial</b></a></li><li><a href="https://accessgenealogy.com/north-carolina/biography-of-rev-hezekiah-j-balch.htm"><b>Biography of Rev. Hezekiah J. Balch | Access Genealogy</b></a></li><li><a href="https://www.logcollegepress.com/hezekiah-james-balch-17451776"><b>Hezekiah James Balch (1745-1776) — Log College Press</b></a></li><li><a href="https://www.cmstory.org/exhibits/mecklenburg-people/hezekiah-balch"><b>Hezekiah Balch | Charlotte Mecklenburg Story (cmstory.org)</b></a></li><li><a href="https://electricscotland.com/history/america/mecklenburg.pdf"><b>The Mecklenburg declaration of independence, May 20, 1775, and lives of its signers (electricscotland.com)</b></a></li></ul><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5gDo2UX8gAy4T04oULnxFFsO_GSybQG3pYFGvOypyCnrpVWWuXFNDsp-7ai3MzscT6Bg7JGDqe-ARzcWeip8gRhEhicSB-ClIBFQDMGy5Sk562_5yET9iVNkX9AnVj2Cs0bAm5obg-29NXkEsWG0ByX1w87kkwYtuZlgIFMWe3dIlG-SXr1bvRAFGUQ/s169/quillandpapercropped147x169px.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="169" data-original-width="147" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5gDo2UX8gAy4T04oULnxFFsO_GSybQG3pYFGvOypyCnrpVWWuXFNDsp-7ai3MzscT6Bg7JGDqe-ARzcWeip8gRhEhicSB-ClIBFQDMGy5Sk562_5yET9iVNkX9AnVj2Cs0bAm5obg-29NXkEsWG0ByX1w87kkwYtuZlgIFMWe3dIlG-SXr1bvRAFGUQ/w278-h320/quillandpapercropped147x169px.jpg" width="278" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Angela Wittmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04025738299107632514noreply@blogger.com0