Providence Foundation 2015 Report

 

Greetings! We appreciate your support of the Providence Foundation.

We wanted to share with you a report of some of the things we did in 2015 in order to bring Godly transformation to America and the nations.

New Books

1. The Biblical Family – God has entrusted the family with the care and management of property and children, which empowers it to fulfill its mission. This control of education and property by the family is greatly threatened today in America. Stephen McDowell gave numerous talks on this topic including at a pastors’ retreat sponsored by American Family Association.
2. The Threat of Islam to Liberty and Christianity – Many people have used this book to teach others about this grave danger. We have also spoken on this subject in numerous settings. Concerning the book, General Curry wrote:

“The Threat of Islam to Liberty and Christianity is a fine piece of scholarship that merits the widest distribution possible. It is a first rate summary of the history and interaction of Christianity and Islam. Your handling of the Crusades is the most succinct I have read anywhere.” – Gen. Jerry Curry (retired)

 

3. The Bible: America’s Source of Law and Liberty

This exciting new book could potentially impact thousands of state legislators, as well as inform voters everywhere of what is needed to protect America’s future and well-being. We worked with West Virginia State Representative Mike Azinger to produce a new book that he distributed to every member of the House and Senate in his state in January 2016. In addition to West Virginia, by February 2016 copies were distributed, or arranged to be distributed, to the legislatures of Minnesota, Missouri, Arizona, and Mississippi.

Throughout 2016 and following, through our Legislators’ Project, we hope to get a copy to every member of all the other state legislatures in the country. In addition, we hope many citizens will read it and become informed of America’s founding principles, enabling them to more effectively participate in choosing good and Godly leaders.

We have endorsements from 15 legislators from a dozen different states, and from Christian leaders such as David Barton, Tim Wildmon, and Rick Green.  The American Family Association helped sponsor the book and will be promoting it. A few endorsements follow:

“If you are a leader, this is absolutely essential knowledge. On our shoulders rests the future of the greatness of our nation. Read this! Finish it. Read it again. Retain it. Teach it until it is retained!” – Kevin Jones, Kansas State Representative, 5^th District, Former US Army Green Beret

“Stephen McDowell’s newest book is must reading for any legislator—any American!—with a desire to learn the story of America’s Christian heritage.” – John D. O’Neal IV, House Majority Whip, West Virginia, 28th District

“This book looks to be the answer I’ve wanted when I am challenged by a liberal saying our country did not have Christian roots – our Founders were a bunch of opportunists and theists.  I appreciate all the research and footnoting that supports this information.  This is definitely both a book that inspires and one that needs to be on every conservative’s shelf for quick reference.” – Dennis Guth, State Senator, Iowa, District 4

We ask for your prayers and support as we seek to put this book into the hands of state legislators in all 50 states.

4. Stephen was interviewed on two AFA videos: One Generation Away (a documentary exploring the loss of religious liberty in America) and The Erosion of Religious Liberty.

Public Presentations and Talks

Scores of seminars and presentations were conducted at dozens of churches, Christian schools, homeschool groups, and social impact organizations in numerous states. A couple of events included speaking at a pastors’ retreat sponsored by America Family Association and conducting two training events for African-Americans on Biblical civil involvement for the Frederick Douglas Institute. A nine-day trip to Tampa is typical of many multi-day events, where Stephen spoke on a variety of subjects at seven churches, six Christian schools and homeschool groups, a businessmen’s gathering, and other venues.

Christian History Tours

Stephen conducted about 24 days of tours of Washington, DC, Virginia, and New England for various groups including the three annual tours he does with Tim Wildmon and America Family Association. In addition with assisting with the AFA tours, John McDowell also conducted numerous tours on his own, including a special event for Pat Robertson’s birthday. Stephen wrote a new 120 page tour guide for New England, which he used to conduct a three-day Christian history tour of Plymouth, Boston, Lexington, Concord, and Braintree, Massachusetts, for folks from California and India.

Radio

• Our new book, God’s Blueprint for Life, Liberty, and Property: A Bible Study on the Ten Commandments served as the topic for about 2 dozen radio programs and interviews. WallBuilders Live and American Family Radio conducted over 10 interviews each, covering one of the Ten Commandments on each show. The WallBuilders Live programs are available on our website.
• Numerous other radio interviews were conducted on the threat of Islam, America’s Christian history and government, and Biblical transformation.

International

• Stephen spent 10 days in Colombia, South America, helping to launch the Transformation Institute and speaking at churches, on the radio, and doing recordings for numerous television programs.
• Friends in Pakistan are printing one-half million copies of The Ten Commandments and Modern Society in three languages to distribute throughout the country.
• We continue to consult with leaders in many nations seeking Biblical transformation.

On-Going Classes

1. Monumental: Restoring America as the Land of Liberty

Numerous churches and groups are using Monumental: Restoring America as the Land of Liberty, the study that Stephen did with Kirk Cameron. One class leader wrote: “Monumental: Restoring America is an anointed work. It has blessed many at Bell Shoals Baptist Church. We had 25 attend our first Impact Class” and they have plans to offer this again in 2016. One student wrote: “Wow! What an eye opener! I thank God for you and for the way he is using you for His kingdom.”

A number of new organizations have been started by folks who were inspired by the Monumental study. One of these, Monumental Awakenings, has taught four classes and hosted a pastors’ event in Rushville, NY, to encourage these pastors to host a Monumental course at their churches. A church in Kentucky recently ordered 40 copies of Restoring America as the Land of Liberty for a class they are conducting. The Monumental series has been shown on a number of television networks in the U.S. as well as other nations. A friend from Ireland emailed us saying he had seen one of the programs on one of their channels.

West Virginia Delegate Azinger taught the course which helped inspire him to work with us on the Legislators’ Project, with the goal of putting a copy of our book The Bible: America’s Source of Law and Liberty into the hands of all 7383 state legislators in all 50 states.

2. The Threat of Islam to Liberty and Christianity – numerous people have used this book, one of our more recent ones, as a text in classes.
3. God’s Blueprint for Life, Liberty, and Property: A Bible Study on the Ten Commandments

Thousands of individuals, groups, and churches have been going through this recent study, and we have received much positive feedback. One woman said it was the best Bible study she had ever done. One man wrote, “This study of the Ten Commandments was a refreshing study of God’s Word. It is an important combatant in the war against lawlessness in America.”

4. America’s Providential History continues to be used as a textbook for classes in homes, churches, and schools. It remains our biggest seller, with Joyce Meyer Ministries alone ordering 4000-5000 annually.

New Articles

We authored a number of new articles which were not only distributed through our network but via other publications as well.

• “We the People” or “We the Judges”? Stopping Judicial Activism by Stephen McDowell and John McDowell
• Drifting toward Oligarchy by Stephen and John for the AFA Journal
• Barack Obama: A Good President or Evil Leader
• The Two Greatest External Threats to Christianity
• The Supreme Court Ruling to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage Is of “the First Order of Absurdity”
• Revisionist Thanksgiving

Webinars

We offered a few new webinars, two of which are accessible on our website. Webinars include:

• The Threat of Islam to Liberty and Christianity
• God’s Blueprint for Life, Liberty and Property: The Ten Commandments
• Monumental: Restoring America as the Land of Liberty

Website

During 2015 our website (providencefoundation.com) had over 130,000 unique visitors (an increase of 18% from the prior year), who made 340,000 visits and accessed 1.8 million pages. Visitors read articles, watched webinars, listened to podcasts, viewed Biblical Worldview University courses, ordered books, etc. We continue to add new materials making our website a virtual school.

Emailers and Facebook

We reach tens of thousands of people each month via our bi-weekly email newsletter and almost daily facebook posts.

New or Improved Presentations

New powerpoint presentation we produced include:

• We the People (Judicial Activism)
• Restoring America as the Land of Liberty
• God’s Blueprint for Life, Liberty, and Property
• American Exceptionalism

Podcasts and Radio Spots

• About 2 dozen podcasts are available on our website and via Itunes.
• About 15 one-minute Providential Perspective radio spots have been produced and regularly aired on AFR. 15 new ones will be made this year, also to be aired on AFR.

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Your support has enabled us to accomplish the above items and more. Thank you so much! Your continued support will help us spread Christian liberty and truth among the nations and train others to transform the culture for Christ.

 

2017 Report

Greetings! We appreciate your support of the Providence Foundation.

We wanted to share with you a report of some of the things we did in 2017 in order to bring Godly transformation to America and the nations.

New Website

A new state-of-the-art website was designed and initiated in 2017. This new site not only enables us to present ideas and offer products much more effectively, but we can also manage our data and communication much more efficiently. In addition, our Biblical Worldview University courses have a much improved template for access. Along with the new website design, we also redesigned our logo. Please visit our website and check back often as we add new materials regularly.

Video Clips

We filmed seven videos ranging from 2 to 15 minutes in length covering such subjects as socialism vs. Biblical capitalism, Christians’ involvement in government, the role of the church in society, the Bible as the foundation of America, and the Christian nature of our historic sites. We have released three of these via our email newsletter, Facebook, and Youtube, and will release the remaining videos in the coming months. These videos are posted on our website home page, as well as our Youtube page (Providence Foundation). To make sure you see these, sign up for our email newsletters (sign up at our website) and like our Facebook page (Providence Foundation).

Legislators’ Project

Six new states were reached in the past year, making a total of 18 states where legislators in one or both houses have received this important book.

In January 2016, working with West Virginia State Representative Mike Azinger, we published a new book by Stephen McDowell, The Bible: America’s Source of Law and Liberty. Representative Azinger distributed a copy to every member of the House and Senate in his state in January 2016.  This was so well received that we launched our Legislators’ Project with the goal of giving copies to all 7383 state legislators in the 50 states. Within a few months we had distributed so many copies we had to reprint the book.

Thanks to the generosity of our members and other donors, we have been able to give free copies of this book to legislators in one or both houses in seventeen states – West Virginia, Arizona, Missouri, Minnesota, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington, Wyoming, Nebraska, California, Michigan, Oregon, Arkansas, Florida, New Mexico, Idaho, and Indiana. In each of these states we enlisted a legislator or government official to write a cover letter explaining why their colleagues needed to read this book. In his cover letter accompanying the book, Tennessee Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey encouraged the senators to read this book saying, “If this state and this nation is to survive into the next generation and beyond, we must all cherish and pass along this great history and heritage.”

We have received many encouraging responses from those who have received and read the book, including from those who have a differing governmental philosophy. One leftist liberal who read the book said he found it very interesting and had never heard such ideas. We believe getting a copy of this book to each legislator will bear much fruit; thus, we continue to work toward this end. We need your help to accomplish this. We need contacts with legislators who might sponsor the distribution to their colleagues, as well as funds so we can provide these to legislators for no cost.

Here are a few endorsements from state legislators:

“If you are a leader, this is absolutely essential knowledge. On our shoulders rests the future of the greatness of our nation. Read this! Finish it. Read it again. Retain it. Teach it until it is retained!” – Kevin Jones, Kansas State Representative, 5^th District, Former US Army Green Beret

“Stephen McDowell’s newest book is must reading for any legislator—any American!—with a desire to learn the story of America’s Christian heritage.” – John D. O’Neal IV, House Majority Whip, West Virginia, 28th District

“This book looks to be the answer I’ve wanted when I am challenged by a liberal saying our country did not have Christian roots – our Founders were a bunch of opportunists and theists. I appreciate all the research and footnoting that supports this information. This is definitely both a book that inspires and one that needs to be on every conservative’s shelf for quick reference.” – Dennis Guth, State Senator, Iowa, District 4

New Books and Publications

1. No Cross, No Crown – The Life Message of William Penn

In December, 1668, William Penn was thrown in jail for expressing his religious views. While imprisoned for over eight months, he wrote No Cross, No Crown. In this book he states that “Christ’s Cross is Christ’s way to Christ’s Crown.” Penn’s life is a great example of one who bore the cross and, therefore, did bear the crown. This book presents what it means to take up your cross and tells the story of how God used William Penn to bring great blessings to America—blessings which still affect the world today.

2. Why Do the Leftists Rage

This booklet by Stephen McDowell explains why there is such a great uproar among the secularists/leftists in America today. Basically, they see man as god and savior, and having lost control of the mechanism to bring about their salvation (that is, via government), they will stop at nothing to regain control.

 

3. Transforming Nations through Biblical Work

NEW BOOK

This soon to be released book examines the Biblical doctrine of work and looks at dozens of Christians who have led the advancement of mankind in all spheres of life, including: Isaac Newton, Michael Faraday, Christopher Columbus, Samuel Morse, George Washington Carver, John Locke, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Johann S. Bach, Daniel Webster, and many others. A copy will be sent to Providence Foundation members in the near future.

4. Providence Foundation Resource Catalog

We published a new catalog in 2017 that contains our growing list of books and materials to train people in a Biblical worldview. Our newest additions include The Bible, America’s Source of Law and Liberty, No Cross, No Crown: The Life Message of William Penn, The Bible: Divine or Human? and others.

5. Memory Disk with Spanish Resources

With our extensive travels to Latin American in the past few years, we have begun to make our many books and Powerpoint presentations available in electronic format via memory disk. Our Spanish resources disk contains Spanish versions of 6 books, 3 articles, and 14 Powerpoint Presentations.

Our books, videos, and courses have impacted hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. and in many nations. While not listed in our catalog, we have books and writings translated into 18 different languages and published in 17 different countries. Copies of our non-English books have only been available in the nations where they have been printed, but with our new website we have begun to offer electronic copies of some of our books, making them accessible to anyone in the world.

6. First Prayer in Congress Magnet

This magnet depicting the First Prayer in Congress serves as a great reminder to pray for the Providence Foundation. Let us know if you would like a magnet.

 

New Film

In the summer, Tim Mahoney interviewed Stephen McDowell reenacting Thomas Jefferson for a follow-up film to his successful “Patterns of Evidence: Exodus.” Filming took place at James Madison’s home, Montpelier, and included discussions of how these American Founders applied ideas originating with Moses and the nation of Israel.

 

McDowell Chosen as One of AFA’s 40 Faithful

In 2017, in observance of 40 years of ministry, American Family Association spotlighted 40 faithful men and women who have appeared in their AFA Journal and worked with them to promote faith, freedom, and family. Stephen was one of the “40 Faithful who represent the best of Christian and conservative activists in our midst.” A few of those 40 were interviewed in their July-August Journal. Stephen’s interview was posted on our Facebook page (in a July 19 post) if you wish to read it.

Christian Heritage Week

Stephen wrote a series of American history lessons that will form the core of a project we are working on with David Barton and WallBuilders to provide teachers with resources to teach about the Christian heritage of America. We will be encouraging governors and legislators to set aside one week during the school year as Christian Heritage Week. The online resources we are developing will provide teachers all the information they will need to impart this important history to their students. We have special days, weeks, and months for all kinds of things but neglect the most important item for students to be learning; that is, God’s hand in our history.

Presentations and Interviews

Scores of seminars and presentations were given at numerous churches, schools, and social impact organizations in many states and nations. Stephen was interviewed on a number of radio programs on topics including: judges and the constitution, religious liberty, the Ten Commandments, why the leftists rage, and America’s historic monuments.

Christian History Tours

Stephen and John conducted numerous tours of Washington, DC, and Virginia for various groups including the three annual week-long tours we do with Tim Wildmon and America Family Association. In addition with assisting with the AFA tours, John also conducted numerous tours on his own.

International

Transformation of Colombia

God is doing something special in the nation of Colombia. During three separate visits, Stephen spent six weeks in seven different cities in the summer and fall of 2017, speaking to thousands of pastors, lawyers, businessmen, and Christian leaders. These Colombian pastors desire to be equipped in Biblical principles of government and economics in order that they may train their congregations, believing this is vital for the future of the nation.

Last fall the nation voted to reject a peace plan that their socialist President Santos negotiated with the rebels in hopes of ending 50 years of fighting. It was a bad deal, giving away land and permanent seats in the legislature, yet everyone thought it would be easily approved as the government and most of the media supported it. However, the people rejected it. The vote was as surprising as Brexit (where the English people chose to leave the European Union) and the election of Trump in America.

Unfortunately, after the vote Santos decided he would go through with the peace plan regardless of the will of the people. That action, coupled with a flood of people coming into the nation from Venezuela who are escaping the failure of that nation’s socialist leaders, has caused many pastors and Christians to awaken. Not wanting to become like Venezuela, and fearing that many people may fall for the false promises of socialist leaders (as happened in Venezuela), thousands of pastors are attending many training events in many cities like the ones Stephen conducted. Two hundred pastors from 30 cities came to a three-day conference in Cali (see picture at right top). Stephen also spoke to 2000 church leaders at another event in Cali, and 200 more attended another two-day training event in a nearby city.

Many of the primary Christian leaders in the country are also supporting the newly formed political party, Justice Colombia. Stephen spoke to the leaders of that party in July, and they have plans to use our courses to train all the party leaders and their candidates for the national elections in March 2018. They see next year’s elections as a crucial time for the country. Stephen will be returning in February 2018 for further training events in many cities.

In the past 40 years, the number of Christians in Colombia has risen from 10-15,000 to over 8 million (20% of the population). This is a huge growth, but typical of many nations in the world. What is not typical of all the nations experiencing a great outpouring of God’s Spirit is the stunning increase, mostly in the past year, in the number of pastors awakening to their civil duties and getting training so they can teach others. To help them, we have had many of our books and materials translated and published in Spanish. With new and prior efforts we now have in Spanish 6 books (Watchmen on the Walls, Liberating the Nations, The Ten Commandments and Modern Society, Crime and Punishment, Rendering to Caesar the Things that Are God’s, and In Search of Democracy), 2 articles, one course manual (Biblical Economics and Business), and 14 Powerpoint Presentations.

Bibles to Nigeria

We reported earlier how Nigerian John O. became a Christian as a result of reading one of our booklets (four of our books have been printed in Nigeria), and how he then led 104 people to the Lord. He asked for Bibles for these folks, and as a first step we arranged in early 2017 for 37 of them to get their first copy of a Bible through a local bookstore. Many of these recipients wrote how much this gift meant to them. Here are two:

“I had no Bible and my stand in Christ was not strong until I received the Bible you sent. I started reading it daily, having fellowship with other Christians, and attending church meetings. Because of this Bible my life changed completely. I read my Bible daily in church when we are asked to read any passage. I quickly jump up and I read it out. Each day that passes by my faith in Christ becomes stronger and stronger. I can now use my Bible to tell others about Christ. I am the happiest person. I thank you very, very much.” – Micheal C.

“Today I am the happiest person on earth because I have completely decided to follow Jesus. I almost went back to living my old life because I lacked a Bible to read or take to prayer meetings, but today I am filled with joy because of the Bible you sent through Brother John. I have been reading my Bible every day and I am gaining peace with God and do go to church regularly and participate in the activities and also in telling others about Christ’s saving grace.” – Edward M.

Thanks to gifts from our friends and supporters we arranged in the fall of 2017 for the other 67 converts to get a Bible. Please pray that God will continue to use and protect these new believers as they face much opposition. John wrote that he and friends were evangelizing door to door when “a group of Boko Haram Muslims attacked us with cutlass and rod; we have to run for our dear life. Only 3 people were wounded but no body died. Please, we need your prayers. They cannot stop us from spreading the gospel of Christ. We are not ashamed.”

Training Bolivian Leaders

We conducted our first training event in Bolivia when Stephen traveled to Cochabamba, Bolivia, in July to teach Biblical principles of societal transformation to pastors, government officials, educators, and business leaders who had traveled from many cities for the three-day intensive seminar. These leaders plan to teach others and put into effect the nation-changing truths they learned.

Book Publishing and Sales

Since our founding in 1984, we have published about 40 different books, over 20 Biblical Worldview Courses, a dozen videos, and scores of audios and other resources. Over 300,000 of these have been sold in the United States. Our books and materials have been translated into 18 different languages and distributed to one million people in about 100 countries.

America’s Providential History is our most popular book. It has been used by many well-known ministries and Christian leaders including American Family Association, Joyce Meyer Ministries, and Actor Kirk Cameron who wrote:

My family and I have been captivated by Stephen and Mark’s America’s Providential History. It is the best book I’ve read that shows God’s miraculous hand in American history. If you want your children and grandchildren to understand why America became the freest nation in all of history, then you need to read this awesome book. I highly recommend it.

On-Going Classes

1. Monumental: Restoring America as the Land of Liberty

Many churches continue to use our Monumental study (a 12-session course we put together with Kirk Cameron) that teaches how to restore America as the land of liberty. In October, Stephen taught at a conference at a church in Ohio who had offered the course.

2. God’s Blueprint for Life, Liberty, and Property: A Bible Study on the Ten Commandments

Thousands of individuals, groups, and churches have been going through this study, and we have received much positive feedback. One woman said it was the best Bible study she had ever done. One man wrote, “This study of the Ten Commandments was a refreshing study of God’s Word. It is an important combatant in the war against lawlessness in America.”

3. America’s Providential History has been used as a textbook for classes in homes, churches, and schools for nearly 30 years. It remains our biggest seller, with Joyce Meyer Ministries alone ordering 4000-5000 annually.
4. The Threat of Islam to Liberty and Christianity –The Institute on the Constitution is one of many groups that uses our book as a regular part of their training courses.

New Articles and Presentations

We authored a number of new articles which were not only distributed through our network but also via other publications, such as Stephen’s article on “Why Do the Leftists Rage” published in the AFA Journal. A number of new Powerpoint Presentations were produced including:  Biblical Revival, Overcoming Socialism with Biblical Capitalism, No Cross, No Crown, and Matrix of Liberty. We reach tens of thousands of people each month via our bi-weekly email newsletter and almost daily Facebook posts.

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Your support has enabled us to accomplish the above items and more. Thank you so much! Your continued support will help us spread Christian liberty and truth among the nations and train others to transform the culture for Christ.

 

 

Stephen McDowell

Murder is an evil act which must be condemned and dealt with in a proper way to diminish future murders and create a culture of life. Murder has existed since the fall of mankind, and has waxed and waned in various societies based upon their faith and worldview.

The prevalence of murder in America has increased in recent times, especially since the early 1960s. At that time God and His Word were publicly rejected and extirpated from government schools, although Christian ideas and morals had been under assault long before.

Our public schools have taught for generations that man is an accident of nature, and that he is an amoral being with no more value than animals. We should, therefore, not be surprised when men act like animals and treat others with little regard. We have kicked God and His moral standards out of our schools, and then we bemoan the consequences of people acting upon the relativistic ideology engrained in them. We violate God’s laws of justice and reject His criminal penalties and wonder why we have a growing culture of crime.
Who is to blame for the recent shootings and mass murders?

Regarding the recent shooting in the Pittsburgh synagogue, some people have attempted to blame President Trump. However, it is not the rhetoric from the president that caused this. Rather, in a general sense, it is the rhetoric from the school rooms. Such crimes have increased because we have failed to teach the nature of fallen man and the righteous standards of the Creator. Sinners will act like sinners. We must restrain the fallen nature of man by teaching God’s moral standards, and by teaching and executing the consequences for violating those standards.

The Cause of Murder and Crime
To properly deal with murderous and criminal actions in society, we must first understand what causes such behavior. The Bible teaches that violence and crime are caused by evil in men’s hearts.
Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually…. Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence. (Gen. 6:5, 11)
The fall of man brought about corruption in the heart of man, which manifested itself externally with violence and murder. God established civil government in the earth as the means of restraining evil doers and protecting law-abiding citizens (Gen. 9:6; Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Pet. 2:13-14). It was given the use of the sword to enforce its authority to protect the life, liberty, and property of the people.
Why Does Crime Flourish?
If civil government does not fulfill its duty to restrain criminals in accordance with Biblical guidelines then crime will flourish. Ecclesiastes 8:11 says, “Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil” (Eccl. 8:11). Swift execution of God’s justice is necessary to keep a culture of crime from growing in a nation.
Combating Crime
What can individuals and governments do to combat crime? Understanding that sin and evil in men’s heart is the cause of crime reveals that preaching the Gospel and seeing individuals converted to Christ is the only way to ultimately reduce crime in a nation. Only God through the atoning work of Christ can change man’s heart and give him a new nature, one that seeks to obey God and live in conformity to His law. God not only gives man a new heart, but He empowers him with His Holy Spirit to enable him to follow His blueprint for all of life. This is why crime diminishes when Christianity comes to a community. Where Christian revivals have occurred in history, courts and jails have become empty and police officers have had little to do.
Since men are fallen and sinful, crime will never be completed eliminated from this world, therefore, civil government has a vital role in bringing tranquility and quietness to this life (1 Tim. 2:2). The Bible says, “When a ruler executes judgment, he scatters away all evil” (Prov. 20:8) and “The king gives stability to the land by justice” (Prov. 29:4). Thus, civil leaders should administer God’s justice in a timely fashion (while taking into account the provisions to protect people from false charges), protect law-abiding citizens, and punish criminals in accordance with Biblical guidelines.
Biblical Means of Dealing with Crime
What is crime and how should a society deal with it?
Crime is rooted in the sinful nature of man. Sin is acting contrary to God’s standard as revealed in His Law-Word. Crime is unlawful behavior (as delineated by God in His Word) that usually threatens the life, liberty, or property of others, either directly (such as robbery or murder) or indirectly (such as treason). There is criminal activity that potentially only affects one’s own person, such as drug use. Such activity is still an assault on life (and our lives are not our own since God who created us ultimately owns us; we are merely stewards of our bodies).
Crime comes under the jurisdiction of the state or civil government. While all crimes (as defined by God, but not necessarily the state) are sins, all sins are not crimes punishable by civil authorities. Many sins (violation of God’s Law-Word) are outside the jurisdiction of the state; some sins are to be dealt with by the family, some by the church, and many by God Himself. It is very important that civil leaders understand the distinction of crime and sin, the source of crime, and how to administer God’s justice when crime is committed.
Civil governments throughout history have declared many actions to be criminal that according to God are not criminal at all, including reading the Bible and worshiping God according to the dictates of one’s own conscience. Where laws exist that are contrary to God’s higher law, it is the duty of Christians to seek to change these. Sometimes men have criminalized bad behavior, with the goal of limiting behavior that was not criminal according to God, but rather was sinful, or potentially sinful. The Eighteen Amendment to the United States Constitution is one such example. This well-intended but ill-conceived prohibition amendment, adopted in 1919, caused more problems than it attempted to solve and was eventually repealed in 1933.
Some use prohibition to proclaim we cannot legislate morality, nor should we try to legislate morality. However, every law is a legislation of someone’s morality. Murder and theft are moral issues. Enacting laws against these actions is a legislation of morality. The important question is, “whose morality should we legislate?” There are really only two answers: either’s God’s morality (which He reveals in His Word, the Bible) or man’s. While all law legislates morality, it is very important to understand that man cannot legislate good. Laws cannot change the heart of man; they cannot elevate men above the level of their faith and morality.
As mentioned earlier, a society must understand the source of crime before they can effectively deal with crime. The Bible clearly states that wickedness and sin in the heart of man is the source of crime (Gen. 6:5, 11). As a result of man’s sin – that is, disobedience to God – evil entered his heart. What was in the heart of man manifested itself in his actions (the world was filled with violence). Recognizing the true nature of man – he is a sinful, fallen being in need of a savior – is the beginning place for a society to correctly deal with crime. Both preventative and corrective measures must be taken.
Preventative — Teach Truth and Biblical Morality
Since crime is a result of evil in the heart of man, transformation of the heart is the ultimate preventative measure, and since only God can change a heart, preaching the Gospel is the best thing we can do to lower crime. Since only the true and living God – the God of the Bible – can change a heart, nations where Christianity has the greatest influence have the greatest weapon to reduce crime.
Following transformation is the need to teach God’s standards of conduct. These serve as the plumb line for how we should live. While Christians are empowered by the Holy Spirit to help them live right, these standards impact non-Christians also. Thus, we must lift up God’s standards, which are summarized in the Ten Commandments, within our nation and teach them to everyone. We must teach the Bible not only in churches but also in schools and everywhere ideas are presented. The Founders of America understood and did this very thing.
Signer of the Constitution, James McHenry, said:
The Holy Scriptures … can alone secure to society, order and peace, and to our courts of justice and constitutions of government, purity, stability, and usefulness. In vain, without the Bible, we increase penal laws and draw entrenchments around our institutions.
Benjamin Rush, Signer of the Declaration and father of American medicine, wrote:
In contemplating the political institutions of the United States, I lament that we waste so much time and money in punishing crimes and take so little pains to prevent them. We profess to be republicans, and yet we neglect the only means of establishing and perpetuating our republican forms of government, that is, the universal education of our youth in the principles of christianity by the means of the bible. For this Divine book, above all others, favors that equality among mankind, that respect for just laws, and those sober and frugal virtues, which constitute the soul of republicanism.
Imparting the principles of the Ten Commandments to all Americans is just what is needed to diminish murders and to most effectively deal with the 2.2 million criminals in jail today.
Corrective — Biblical Means of Punishment
It is better to prevent crime than to attempt to correct the effects of crime after it is committed. If a crime is committed, the Bible provides the best means of how to deal with it.
The emphasis of God’s law in dealing with criminal acts is restitution to the victim and restoration of Godly order. The Roman idea of punishing the criminal is what is predominant in our criminal system today. The penalties in Biblical law for stealing have the goal of establishing Godly order, of cleansing and healing man to live in God’s order.
Remember that all sins are not crimes, thus if God’s law is violated, it should be handled by the appropriate jurisdiction and with an appropriate penalty. We should discern if it is the responsibility of the family, church, or state (or God Himself) to administer God’s justice. In addition, when executing the penalty we should remember God’s mercy and His justice. A thorough knowledge of God’s Word (the Bible) is necessary for this.
In brief, here are the Biblical penalties for criminal behavior (that is, violating Biblical civil law) as given to the Hebrew Republic:
1. Restitution for theft (Ex. 22:1 ff). Work (via servitude) to make restitution for those unable to pay.
2. Corporal punishment and/or fines for minor offenses (Lev. 19:14; Dt. 22:13-21; Num. 5:5-10; Lev. 5:14-16; Lev. 6:1-7). For sins of negligence and inadvertence (Num. 5:5-10; Lev. 5:14-16) and minor offenses of a deliberate nature involving property (Lev. 6:1-7), the principal plus 20% was to be restored.
3. Death for serious offenses against life or incorrigibility (Ex. 21:12-16; Ex. 22:19-27; Lev. 20:10-21; Dt. 21:18-21).
4. City of refuge for accidental death (Num. 35; Dt. 19:1-13).

For an elaboration of each of these points, including addressing opposition to the death penalty, order Crime and Punishment: A Biblical Perspective.

Remembering the Thanksgiving Story

For PDF Version: Abraham Lincoln’s Faith

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Public Sermons in Early America

For PDF Version: Abraham Lincoln’s Faith

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Colonial American pastors would cringe at the thought of modern pastors shying away from delivering sermons on political issues that are pertinent for today.

[See “Pastors of Conservative Churches Say They Won’t Preach What the Bible Says about the Issues”]

 

The clergy continually clarified and applied a Biblical worldview to relevant issues that the colonists faced. For 150 years leading up to the Revolution, the Colonial pastors used every opportunity possible to educate the people in the principles of liberty.  Various means included:

1. The Weekday Lecture
2. The Election Sermon – An annual event begun in 1633 in Massachusetts.  These sermons were their political textbooks.

John Wingate Thornton writes of the Election Sermons and the clergy’s influence in early America:

“The clergy were generally consulted by the civil authorities; and not infrequently the suggestions from the pulpit, on election days and other special occasions, were enacted into laws.  The statutebook, the reflex of the age, shows this influence.  The State was developed out of the Church.

“The sermon is styled the Election Sermon, and is printed.  Every representative has a copy for himself, and generally one or more for the minister or ministers of his town.  As the patriots have prevailed, the preachers of each sermon have been the zealous friends of liberty; and the passages most adapted to promote the spread and love of it have been selected and circulated far and wide by means of newspapers, and read with avidity and a degree of veneration on account of the preacher and his election to the service of the day. . . .”

These election sermons were preached in America for about 250 years (into the 1870’s).

[For excerpts from two Election Sermons]

3. The Artillery Sermon – These were periodic addresses given to the military on such topics as “a defensive war in a just cause is sinless” and the sin of cowardice.
4. Special Fast, Thanksgiving, and Anniversary Sermons – These sermons were preached in observance of victories, calamities, and special events.

 

The American political Science Review in 1984 showed that 10% of all Political writings in the Founding Era were sermons, and asserted therefore that colonial clergymen must be considered part of our “Founding Fathers” in America.

In an adult’s lifetime in Colonial America, the average adult listened to about 15,000 hours of Biblical exposition by the clergy. Their influence on public opinion was equivalent to what is held today by the modern media.  If we ever hope for a restoration of the American Christian Republic, political educational efforts such as these must once again become a regular part of the clergy’s weekly responsibilities in their churches.
[add something here or in endnotes on the colonial pastors found precedence in the Bible for these various sermons. Use the Scripture I gave you for artillery sermons, check Founder’s Bible for election sermons, …]

Artillery Sermon

An example of an artillery sermon preached to General Washington and his troops on the eve of the Battle of Brandywine reveals the force that motivated the colonists. Rev. Jacob Troute’s sermon was titled “They That Take the Sword Shall Perish by the Sword.” [As you read these excerpts consider our current struggle with Islamic terrorists.]

 

Soldiers, and countrymen, we have met this evening perhaps for the last time. We have shared the toils of the march, the peril of the flight, and the dismay of the retreat, alike. We have endured the cold and hunger, the contumely of the internal foe, and the scourge of the foreign oppressor. We have sat night after night by the campfire. We have together heard the roll of the reveille which calls us to duty, or the beat of the tattoo which gave the signal for the hardy sleep of the soldier, with the earth for his bed and the knapsack for his pillow.

And now, soldiers and brethren, we have met in this peaceful valley, on the eve of battle, in the sunlight that tomorrow morn will glimmer on the scenes of blood. We have met amid the whitening tents of our encampments; in the time of terror and gloom we have gathered together. God grant that it may not be for the last time.

It is a solemn moment! Brethren, does not the solemn voice of nature seem to echo the sympathies of the hour? The flag of our country droops heavily from yonder staff. The breeze has died away along the green plaid of Chadd’s Ford. The plain that spreads before us glitters in the sunlight. The heights of Brandywine arise gloomy and grand beyond the waters of yonder stream. All nature holds a pause of solemn silence on the eve of the uproar and bloody strife of tomorrow.

“They that take the sword shall perish by the sword.”

And have they not taken the sword?

Let the desolate plain, the blood-sodden valley, the burned farmhouses, blackening in the sun, the sacked village and the ravaged town, answer. Let the withered bones of the butchered farmer, strewed along the fields of his homestead, answer. Let the starving mother, with her babe clinging to the withered breast that can afford no sustenance, let her answer,-with the death-rattle mingling with the murmuring tones that marked the last moment of her life. Let the mother and the babe answer.

It was but a day past, and our land slept in the quiet of peace. War was not here. Fraud and woe and want dwelt not among us. From the eternal solitude of the green woods arose the blue smoke of the settler’s cabin, and golden fields of corn looked from amid the waste of the wilderness, and the glad music of human voices awoke the silence of the forest.

Now, God of mercy, behold the change. Under the shadow of a pre-text, under the sanctity of the name of God, invoking the  Redeemer to their aid, do these foreign hirelings slay our people. They throng our towns, they darken our plains, and now they encompass our posts on the lonely plain of Chadd’s Ford.

“They that take the sword shall perish by the sword.”

Brethren, think me not unworthy of belief when I tell you the doom of the British is sealed. Think me not vain when I tell you that, beyond the cloud that now enshrouds us, I see gathering thick and fast the darker cloud and thicker storm of Divine retribution.

They may conquer tomorrow. Might and wrong may prevail, and we may be driven from the field, but the hour of God’s vengeance will come!

Ay, if in the vast solitudes of eternal space there throbs the being of an awful God, quick to avenge and sure to punish guilt, then the man George Brunswick, called king, will feel in his brain and heart the vengeance of the eternal Jehovah. A blight will light upon his life – a withered and an accursed intellect; a blight will be upon his children and on his people. Great God, how dread the punishment! A crowded populace, peopling the dense towns where them men of money thrive, where the laborer starves; went striding among the people in all forms of terror; an ignorant and God-defying priesthood chuckling over the miseries of millions; a proud and merciless nobility adding wrong to wrong, and heaping insult upon robbery and fraud; royalty corrupt to the very heart, and aristocracy rotten to the core; crime and want linked hand in hand, and tempting the men to deeds of woe and death; – these are a part of the doom and retribution that shall come upon the English throne and English people.

Soldiers, I look around upon your familiar faces with strange interest! Tomorrow morning we go forth to the battle – for need I tell you that your unworthy minister will march with you, invoking the blessing of God’s aid in the fight? We will march forth to the battle. Need I exhort you to fight the good fight – to fight for your homesteads, for your wives and your children?

My friends, I urge you to fight, by the galling memories of British wrong. Walton, I might tell you of your father, butchered in the silence of the night in the plains of Trenton. I might picture his gray hairs dabbled in blood. I might ring his death-shrieks in your ears. Shaefmyer, I might tell you of a butchered mother and sister outraged, the lonely farmhouse, the night assault, the roof in flames, the shouts of the troops as they dispatched their victims, the cries for mercy, and the pleadings of innocence for pity. I might paint this all again, in the vivid colors of the terrible reality, if I thought courage needed such wild excitement.

But I know you are strong in the might of the Lord. You will march forth to battle tomorrow with light hearts and determined spirits, though the solemn duty — the duty of avenging the dead — may rest heavy on your souls.

And in the hour of battle, when all around is darkness, lit by the lurid cannon-glare and the piercing musket-flash, when the wounded strow the ground and the dead litter your path, then remember, soldiers, that God is with you. The eternal God fights for you; He rides on the battle-cloud. He sweeps onward with the march of a hurricane charge. God, the awful and infinite, fights for you, and you will triumph.

“They that take the sword shall perish by the sword.”

You have taken the sword, but not in the spirit of wrong or revenge. You have taken the sword for your homes, for your wives and your little ones. You have taken the sword for truth, justice and right, and to you the promise is, be of good cheer, for your foes have taken the sword in defiance of all that men hold dear, in blasphemy of God; they shall perish by the sword.

And now, brethren and soldiers, I bid you all farewell. Many of us will fall in the battle of tomorrow, and in the memory of all will ever rest and linger the quiet sense of this autumnal eve.

Solemn twilight advances over the valley. The woods on the opposite height fling their long shadows over the green of the meadow. Around us are the tents of the Continental host, the suppressed bustle of the camp, the hurried tramp of the soldiers to and fro, and among the tents the stillness and awe that mark the eve of battle.

When we meet again, may the shadows of twilight be flung over the peaceful land. God in heaven grant it! Let us pray.

 

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