Good Morning Meetpastordan Readers…America has a unique place in the history of nations in that it was an experiment with a democratic form of government, meaning it was to be “a government of the people, by the people, and for the people”. Merriam-Webster defines democracy as “a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them, directly or indirectly, through a system of representation, usually involving periodic free elections.”
The American experiment in democracy was not only unique, but was also improbable when Thomas Jefferson penned the Declaration of Independence in 1776. This document was a list of grievances against the King of England justifying our separation from British rule. Today as we look around the world, we can see how difficult it is for democracy and freedom to take hold and flourish. America, by contrast, seems like a political miracle.
In 1787, after the Founding Fathers had just hammered out the U.S. Constitution (a document outlining how the government would function), Benjamin Franklin told an inquiring woman what the gathering had produced: “A republic, madam, if you can keep it.” The self-evident truth that “all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” still remains the powerful philosophical and moral foundation of our great country. But unfortunately, those very principles are being challenged today by the Democrat Socialists who espouse a form of government that has proven to be a failure time and time again. That, I’m sure to no one’s surprise, is a socialist form of government.
To define that philosophy, the power is not with the people, but is found in a large bureaucratic government that is designed to be our provider (and our god). But this is the unspoken trade-off: The more it provides, the more we become dependent, and with that dependence comes less and less personal freedom. That is the antithesis of the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution. That, in fact, was the biggest fear of our Founding Fathers, that someday we would give in to the allure of government provision. So far, we Americans have been able to keep our republic and built it to be strong, but it will only remain so under constant vigilance. This is what Ben Franklin meant when he said, “A republic, if you can keep it.”
Life and freedom of choice are obviously important to God. When it came time to produce what was to be called “His proudest creation”, He could have made us perfect, meaning He could have programed us to do everything that was in line with His will. But He didn’t do that; He gave us free-will. Even though He knew we could use it for reasons other than His original intention (to chose to enter into a relationship with Him), He still created us. If God endowed us with this gift of choice, surely no man or government has the right to try to take that gift away.
Our two party system could not be more divided or strident in their philosophies. One philosophy is dedicated to restoring our country to its former greatness, thus the familiar slogan, “Make America Great Again”. The other philosophy is about fundamentally transforming America into a socialist form of government. Mark J. Perry, concurrently a scholar at American Enterprise Institute and professor of economics and finance at University of Michigan wrote an article in 1995 entitled, “Why Socialism Fails.” His opening statements included these two indictments: “Socialism is the ‘Big Lie’ of the twentieth century. While it promises prosperity, equality, and security, it delivered poverty, misery, and tyranny. Even if there are initial signs of success, those signs quickly fade as the fundamental deficiencies are exposed. It is the initial illusion of success that gives government intervention its pernicious, seductive appeal, but in the long run, socialism has always proven to be a formula for tyranny and misery. Equality was achieved only in the sense that everyone was equal in his or her misery.”
Tomorrow we all have an opportunity to make our voice heard at the ballot box. While the media’s intent has been to make this a personality contest, what is really at stake is the future of our great country, the“Land of the Free, and Home of the Brave”. Part of Americas uniqueness is that it has risen to heights no other nation has ever known. “Not that we were ever without fault or sin, but we did aspire to fulfill our calling. ‘And what was that calling’, you might ask? To be a vessel of redemption, an instrument of God’s purposes, a light to the world. It would give refuge to the world’s poor and needy, and hope to its oppressed. It would stand against tyranny. It would fight, more than once, against the dark movements of the modern world that threatened to engulf the earth.” (Jonathan Cahn, author of The Harbinger)
Let’s leave the personalities out of this equation, and let’s just look at the platform that defines each party. I will list only eight categories of concern for comparison, but I’m sure you will immediately see the stark contrast. First is the Democrat Socialist platform: big government, less personal freedom; open borders, anyone, good or evil, can come in; sanctuary cities, defiance of law and order; government health care, look at the current debacle (need I say more?); higher taxes, stymie economic growth; support abortion on demand; silence those with opposing views; continue the full assault on Christianity. Conservative Republican platform: Limited Government, more personal freedom; secure borders, build the fence, only legal immigration permitted; respect for law and order, enforce existing laws; people responsible for their own health care (exceptions in case of poverty); cut taxes, incentive for economic growth; offer alternatives to abortion; maintain freedom of speech; maintain freedom of religion.
Our current administration has been hard at work fulfilling the campaign promises that are listed below. Keep in mind that this was done in spite of the “resist at all cost” opposition. Can you imagine what might have been accomplished with a concerted effort to make America great?
- Almost 4 million jobs have been created since election, 250,000 this past month alone.
- More Americans are now employed than ever recorded before in our history.
- We have created more than 400,000 manufacturing jobs since the election.
- Manufacturing jobs are growing at the fastest rate in more than THREE DECADES.
- New unemployment claims recently hit a 49-year low.
- Median household income has hit highest level ever recorded.
- African-American unemployment has recently achieved the lowest rate ever recorded.
- Hispanic-American unemployment is at the lowest rate ever recorded.
- Asian-American unemployment recently achieved the lowest rate ever recorded.
- Women’s unemployment recently reached the lowest rate in 65 years.
- Youth unemployment has recently hit the lowest rate in nearly half a century.
- We have the lowest unemployment rate ever recorded for Americans without a high school diploma.
- Under this Administration, veterans’ unemployment recently reached its lowest rate in nearly 20 years.
- Almost 3.9 million Americans have been lifted off food stamps since the election.
- The Pledge to America’s Workers has resulted in employers committing to train more than 4 million Americans. We are committed to VOCATIONAL education.
- 95 percent of U.S. manufacturers are optimistic about the future—the highest ever.
- Congress passed the biggest package of tax cuts and reforms in history. After tax cuts, over $300 billion poured back into the U.S. in the first quarter alone.
- As a result of our tax bill, small businesses will have the lowest top marginal tax rate in more than 80 years.
- The Administration helped win the U.S. bid for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
- We opened ANWR and approved Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines.
- A record number of regulations were eliminated.
- We enacted regulatory relief for community banks and credit unions.
- The Obamacare individual mandate penalty was eliminated..
- This Administration is providing more affordable healthcare options for Americans through association health plans and short-term duration plans.
- Last month, the FDA approved more affordable generic drugs than ever before in history. And thanks to our efforts, many drug companies are freezing or reversing planned price increases.
- We reformed the Medicare program to stop hospitals from overcharging low-income seniors on their drugs—saving seniors hundreds of millions of dollars this year alone.
- We secured $6 billion in NEW funding to fight the opioid epidemic.
- This administration has reduced high-dose opioid prescriptions by 16 percent during President’s first year in office.
- The Congress passed and the President signed the VA Choice Act and VA Accountability Act. VA telehealth service, walk-in-clinics, and same-day urgent primary and mental health care were expanded, as well.
- We increased our coal exports by 60 percent; U.S. oil production recently reached an all-time high.
- The United States is a net natural gas exporter for the first time since 1957.
- The Administration withdrew the United States from the job-killing Paris Climate Accord.
- We cancelled the illegal, anti-coal, so-called Clean Power Plan.
- We secured a record $700 billion in military funding; $716 billion next year.
- Our NATO allies are spending $69 billion more on defense since 2016.
- The process has begun to make the Space Force the 6th branch of the Armed Forces.
- The Senate has confirmed more circuit court judges than any other new administration.
- The Senate confirmed Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch and Judge Brett Kavanaugh.
- The Administration withdrew from the horrible, one-sided Iran Deal.
- The President moved our U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, keeping his campaign promise.
- The Administration is protecting Americans from terrorists with the Travel Ban, upheld by our Supreme Court.
- The President issued an Executive Order to keep open Guantanamo Bay.
- The Administration concluded a historic U.S.-Mexico Trade Deal to replace NAFTA.
- We reached a breakthrough agreement with the E.U. to increase U.S. exports.
- We imposed tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum to protect our national security.
- We Imposed tariffs on China in response to China’s forced technology transfer, intellectual property theft, and its chronically abusive trade practices.
- Our net exports are on track to increase by $59 billion this year.
- We have improved vetting and screening for refugees, and switched our focus to overseas resettlement.
- We have begun BUILDING THE WALL.
If the balance of power should shift after tomorrow’s election and the Democrat Socialists win the majority in either the House or the Senate, not only will the “resist at all cost” movement continue, but it will become even more of a roadblock to restoring America to its former place of honor. Many of the accomplishments listed above will most likely be rescinded. Showing up at the voting booth tomorrow is your part in “keeping the republic” that Ben Franklin referenced in the third paragraph above. Your future is truly in your hands. Our responsibility is to show up and make our collective voice heard: “We will settle for nothing less than freedom!”
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May God Bless Y’all Abundantly,
Dan Presgrave (a.k.a. Pastor Dan)
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