Why stand we here idle?

"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! 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!"

~ Patrick Henry, March 23, 1775

A License to be Free

From page 15 of the "Citizens Rule Book" by Webster Adams

Young Christian attorney Patrick Henry saw why a JURY of PEERS is so vital to FREEDOM! It was March 1775 when he rode into the small town of Culpeper, VA He was totally shocked by what he saw! There, in the middle of the town square was a minister tied to a whipping post, his back laid bare and bloody with the bones of his ribs showing. He had been scourged mercilessly like JESUS, with whips laced with metal.

Patrick Henry is quoted as saying: “When they stopped beating him, I could see the bones of his rib cage. I turned to someone and asked what the man had done to deserve such a beating as this.”

SCOURGED FOR NOT TAKING A LICENSE!

The reply given him was that the man being scourged was a minister who refused to take a license. He was one of twelve who were locked into jail because they refused to take a license. A license often becomes an arbitrary control by government that makes a crime out of what ordinarily would not be a crime. IT TURNS A RIGHT INTO A PRIVILEGE! Three days later they scourged him to death.

This was the incidient which sparked Christian attorney Patrick Henry to write the famous words which later became the rallying cry of the Revolution. “What is 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!” Later he made this part of his famous speech at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Richmond, VA.

Were "Early Baptist Founders" Anglicans?

I recently received the following quote on my post entitled Are Baptists Protestant? I felt that it deserved an entire post dedicated to its rebuttal.

“As John Smythe and the early Baptist founders were Anglican Separatists and the Anglican Church is very much a protestant church, I would argue that, yes, Baptists are protestants.”

This premise is false on three fronts.

1. Baptists predate the Anglican Church.

The Anglican church was not founded until 1534 A.D. (17 years after the spark of the reformation). In fact, the very founding of this denomination came as the result of a conflict between Henry VIII and the Catholic Pope. Henry wanted a divorce from Queen Catherine of Aragon and the pope would not allow it. In retaliation, Henry declared himself as the supreme potentate of the Church of England and the Anglican Church was officially born.

Baptists, however, were alive and well long before the advent of this new religion. Pay special attention to the following quotes.



“We shall afterwards show the rise of the Anabaptist took place prior to the Reformation of the Church of England, and there are also reasons for believing that on the Continent of Europe small hidden Christian societies, who have held many of the opinions of the Anabaptists, have existed from the times of the apostles.” ~ Robert Barclay (The Inner Life of the Societies of the Commonwealth, 11, 12. London, 1876)


Even Catholic scholars from that era recognize that Baptists can trace their roots back over 1200 years into the past (i.e. 360 A.D.):



“If the truth of religion were to be judged by the readiness and boldness of which a man of any sect shows in suffering, then the opinion and persuasion of no sect can be truer and surer than that of the Anabaptist since there have been none for these twelve hundred years past, that have been more generally punished or that have more cheerfully and steadfastly undergone, and even offered themselves to the most cruel sorts of punishment than these people.” ~ Cardinal Hosius (Member of the Council of Trent, A.D. 1560)


2. Baptists are doctrinally opposed to the Anglican Church.

One of the distinguishing doctrinal marks of the Baptist belief system is that an individual is to be fully immersed in the baptismal waters only after having consciously decided to place Christ as his or her personal savior. Baptists believe that sprinkling a child with baptismal waters does not constitute a person’s ability to make that decision for himself and cannot, therefore be considered Baptism. The Anglican church, of course, practices and did practice the doctrine of child baptism.

This doctrine is so important that Baptists were persecuted and actually received their name from those who opposed them on this issue. In fact the word Anabaptist is derived from Greek (Greek ανα (again) +βαπτιζω (baptize), thus, Re-baptizers). As Baptists would gain converts from the Catholic and Anglican Churches they would encourage their followers to become baptized following their conscious decision to follow Christ. This being their second baptism led to them being called Anabaptists and later being called Baptists.

This doctrine is what distinguishes a Baptist from any other Christian denomination and logic teaches us that things that are not and cannot be the same are different.


3. Neither John Smith nor “early Baptist founders” claimed to be a part of the Anglican church, in fact the Baptists were persecuted by the Anglicans.

The very year that Henry VIII claimed himself as the head of the Church in England, he issued two proclamations. The first proclamation gave all those not adhering to Anglicanism ten days to leave the country. The second proclamation was a signed death warrant for any persons who decided to be re-baptized. A protestant inquisition ensued.

Ergo the claim that any Baptist ever was Anglican becomes null.

Are Baptists Protestant?

According to Google, protestant is defined as:

“A name for those Christians and churches which separated from the Roman Catholic Church at the Reformation, and for other churches and groups descended from them.”

Most historians agree that the protestant Reformation was kicked off on Oct. 31, 1517 when Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door at the Wittenberg Castle and began a movement that would shake the contemporary religious landscape. From this information, we can know that protestants date back to the sixteenth century. The question we must answer...do the Baptists predate this revolution and are they associated with it in any way?

Baptists can date their religious lineage much farther back than 1517 A.D. In fact, a thorough look at history will show a group of people who hold to the same doctrines as current Independent, Fundamental Baptists during every century since the time of Christ. These groups have not always been called Baptists, but even a casual glance through their writings will reveal that they are adherents to the same doctrinal standards that we hold to today. These groups include the Montanists (150 A.D.), the Novatians (240 A.D.), Donatists (305 A.D.), Albigenses 1022 A.D.), Waldensians (1170 A.D.), and the Anabaptists who followed shortly after these groups.

"Were it not that the Baptists have been grievously tormented and cut off with the knife during the past 1,200 years, they would swarm in greater number than all the Reformers.” ~ Cardinal Hosius

Cardinal Hosius was a strong antagonist against the reformation. He was actively involved in putting down non catholic groups and furthering the work of the Catholics. It is interesting to note that this man sees a clear distinction between Baptists and protestants.

It is also important to note that Baptists were historically persecuted by those who were reformers. They were beaten and martyred by Calvin, Luther, and many others.

“Uncounted thousands of them lost their goods, their lands, and their lives in these persecutions. Konred Grebel died in prison in 1526. Felix Manz was drowned by the authorities at Zurich in 1527. Noted Baptist leader Baithauser Hubmaier was burned alive at the stake in Vienna March 10, 1528. Three days later his wife was drowned by being thrown over the Danube bridge with a stone tied to her neck.” ~ Dr. Vernon C. Lyons

To Be Continued…

The Gecko - A Product of Evolution or Creation?

They walk across walls and ceiling as though gravity didn't exist. But how? For a long while, geckos defied all attempts to explain how they could cling to any surface with no visible sign of glue or suction cups. Then, when a group of biologists and engineers studied the microscopic hairs on the toes of geckos, the answer was found. The ends of the hairs directly attach to molecules in the surface by what is called van der Waals force, a type of attraction between atoms. According to a report in Nature, scientists concluded that engineering a structure like the foot of a gecko is "beyond the limits of human technology." However, they hope that the "natural technology of gecko foot-hairs can provide biological inspiration for future design of a remarkable effective adhesive."

Is America A Christian Nation?

This is a popular question among many circles in the United States. Many secular historians are vehement that our founders were Deists or even outright opposed to Christianity. Christian historians push forward ideals that are the exact opposite. Which is the truth?

In an epic effort to answer that question from a truly historical and well-studied position, I have added a new section to my website entitled "Historical Documents." This list of documents can be found under the resources tab, which I have come to call the heart and soul of this website. I will be posting famous historical documents that make reference to the religious nature and the religious freedoms intended by the early American republic.

Rather than simply pushing my own belief, which I am sure most of you who are reading this can probably guess, I will push the actual history and let you come to your own conclusions. This can be a great resource to those working on essays for school, those doing independent research to strengthen your faith, or for those with an open mind who want to know the truth.

I began by posting the landmark Supreme Court case from 1892. In this opinion, Church of the Holy Trinity v. The United States, the Supreme Court of the United States claims emphatically that this is a Christian nation! They cite pages upon pages of American precedents and history.

Although historical documents may be considered difficult reading, this is a great resource and should be considered priority reading for any Christian Patriot!

The Summer Soldier and the Sunshine Patriot

"THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value."

~ Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776

I Am An American Soldier

Disclaimer: At work, we are currently working on a production called "Spirit of America." During the production, the United States Army Band plays a song entitled "American Soldier." When I first heard these lyrics, it nearly brought me to tears. When I got home from work, I looked this song up on the internet so that I could share them with all of you. I found out that it is a song written by Toby Keith and that it is actually a country western song. I would not have been able to tell that from the way that the Army Band sang it at our production and even though I found out that the original work is not the type of music that I would condone, I still felt I should share the lyrics. This is the description of my life and the lives of those with whom I work day after day.

I'm just trying to be a father
raise a daughter and a son
be a lover to their mother
everything to everyone

Up and at 'em bright and early
I'm all business in my suit
Yeah, I'm dressed up for success
From my head down to my boots

I don't do it for the money
There's bills that I can't pay
I don't do it for the glory
I just do it anyway

Providing for our future's my responsibility
Yeah I'm real good under pressure
Being all that I can be
I can't call in sick on Mondays
When the weekend's been to strong
I just work straight through the holidays
Sometimes all night long

You can bet that I stand ready
when the wolf growls at the door
Yeah I'm solid, yeah I'm steady
Hey I'm true down to the core

And I will always do my duty
No matter what the price
I've counted up the cost
I know the sacrifice
Oh and I don't wanna die for you
But if dying's asked of me
I'll bear that cross with honor
Cause freedom don't come free

I'm an American soldier
An American
Beside my brothers and my sisters
I will proudly take a stand
When liberty's in jeopardy
I'll always do what's right
I'm out here on the front line
So sleep in peace at night
I'm an American soldier
I'm an American soldier


Yeah an American soldier
An American
Beside my brothers and my sisters
I will proudly take a stand
When liberty's in jeopardy
I'll always do what's right
I'm out here on the front lines
So sleep in peace at night
I'm an American soldier
I'm an American
An American
An American soldier

Spurgeon On The Ressurection Of Christ

"I had a friend, who, standing by the side of a piece of frozen water saw a young lad in it, and sprang upon the ice in order to save him. After clutching theboy he held him in his hands, and cried out, “Here he is! here he is! I have saved him.” But just as they caught hold of the boy, he sank himself, and his body was not found for some time afterwards, when he was quite dead.

"Oh! it is so with Jesus. My soul was drowning. From heaven’s high portals he saw me sinking in the depths of hell. He plunged in.

"'He SANK beneath his heavy woes,
To raise me to a crown;
There’s ne’er a gift his hand bestows,
But cost his heart a groan.'

"Ah! we may indeed regret our sin, since it slew Jesus.

"Now, Christian, change thy note a moment. “Come, see the place here the Lord lay,” with joy and gladness, He does not lie there now. Weep, when ye see the tomb of Christ, but rejoice because it is empty. Thy sin slew him, but his divinity raised him up. Thy guilt hath murdered him, but his righteousness hath restored him. Oh! he hath burst the bonds of death; he hath ungirt the cerements of the tomb, and hath come out more than conqueror, crushing death beneath his feet. Rejoice, O Christian, for he is not there-he is risen. “Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”

18 Signs that You’re a Fundamentalist Preacher

Even though this should probably be offensive to me and the people I run with, I think it is hilarious. I have no problem being made fun of.

1. You consider studying for sermons something that lib’rals do instead of soul winning.
2. You prepare your sermons on the way to church, which explains why you recently preached against tan lines, energy drinks, and men wearing short sleeve shirts.
3. You actually make fun of preachers who use Greek and Hebrew in their sermons.
4. You consider volume a fine substitute for substance.
5. To you, “exegete the Greek” is a funny rhyme.
6. You decide on what sins to preach against based on who’s in the congregation.
7. You consider a pulpit more of a punching bag rather than a place to rest your Bible.
8. You have 35 sermon outlines prepared and ready to preach – as soon as you find text verses for them.
9. In a 117 minute sermon, you spent 53 minutes telling stories from your childhood, 47 minutes telling stories from your early ministerial days, 15 minutes denigrating men who wear pleated pants, and 2 minutes explaining your text verse.
10. You have actually spent an entire sermon preaching against the evils of Barney the purple dinosaur.
11. You’re favorite illustrations are Darwin’s deathbed conversion, the “microphone in hell” bit, and Spurgeon giving up his cigars.
12. You quote John Gill as supporting your position against Calvinism.
13. You think people who know what “supralapsarianism” means need to get saved.
14. You think its okay to preach a verse out of context, as long as you tell your people that you’re doing it on purpose.
15. You love to apply Messianic prophecies to yourself.
16. When you preach, you can’t help but say “evangelical” effeminately.
17. You think “expositional” is someone who doesn’t take a position on anything.
18. You’re not sure what TULIP stands for, but you know you’re against it.

Many Erroneously Believe America Was Founded As A Christian Nation

USA Today recently did an article on the view that American’s have toward the Christian influence of the founders and their intent for our nation. In the article, Andrea Stone writes, “The survey measuring attitudes toward freedom of religion, speech and the press found that 55% believe erroneously that the Constitution establishes a Christian nation.”

Erroneously? This seems to become the key word in the entire article, making it quite clear that the author is not actually relaying poll information from the public to the public, but is, in fact, critiquing us and telling us that what we believe is flat out wrong. It becomes evident that the author maintains no journalistic integrity. She is not reporting news, but rather pushing her personal view of history through the medium of a nationally read news outlet.

Most people feel that the term Christian nation refers to a nation governed by principles drawn from the Word of God. The constitution very clearly reflected a prominent influence of Judeo-Christian culture and principles. It was in fact the Baptists who were the strongest proponents of the freedoms stated in the first amendment. These freedoms have never been found in any other secular or religious culture and society other than those based on non-Catholic Christianity.