This weekend I travelled to Charleston, SC to attend The Response: A Call to Prayer for our Nation. Somewhere between 4,000 – 7,000 individuals (my guestimate) from all denominations, all races, all socio-economic status and all age groups gathered to simply petition our heavenly father to work His plan in our nation.

The six hour event was divided into five specific areas, where the crowd individually and corporately prayed for each of these items to take place in our individual lives, the lives of our families, our local communities and our country:

• Repentance
• Reconciliation
• Revival
• Reformation
• Refreshing belief in Jesus Christ

South Carolina is now the third state where such a large, diverse group has gathered specifically for the purpose of prayer and fasting has taken place.  The first was in Texas and the second was in Louisiana.

While there were two Governors who spoke, this event was NOT political.  The event was free to the public and there was no indication of who sponsored this event, which certainly wasn’t inexpensive, as the Charleston Coliseum was rented out for the entire day.  With the exception of the two Governors, I am not sure any names or organizations were even mentioned, and dozens of individuals participated on stage.

At the outset, the leader said (I am paraphrasing), “Heaven is going to look like this – a coat of many colors: all races will be present, all ages will be present, and all socio-economic statuses we experience on earth will be present.  We are asking everyone to come into this place in a spirit of worship – to leave your titles, your accomplishments, your organizations, and your agenda’s outside this place.  Today we are simply here to see what God has for us, as we divide the day up into these five categories (listed above).”

To this point, I have been unable to find many videos of Saturday’s event.  It is possible to see a few short clips, as well as pictures by reviewing The Response Facebook Page.

It should be noted that the audience was 15 – 20 % black, and those who participated on stage were 35 – 40 % Black.  There were numerious hispanics, as well as other ethnic groups present as well.  I simply give that estimation (mine) of the statistics, so you know it was a diverse setting, which is required for the five goals to honestly be attained.  Also, some of the most poignant prayers came from the youth and young adults, ages 15 – 25, who were honoring to the older generations but also recognizing how much work is ahead of their generation.  Out of the mouth of babes often comes the greatest wisdom – as they have not yet been conformed to the things which hold us back.

I am going to try and summarize each point in just a few sentences:

• Repentance: Today our society celebrates that which is evil, and condemns that which is virtuous and we humbly seek forgiveness for allowing this to take place in our culture, on our watch.
• Reconciliation: Today we have allowed our society to become more divided than ever – by age groups, by socio-economic class and by race. We recognize that God created each of us as individuals, with specific gifts and talents to be used to benefit all in society – and we pray for the walls between the generations, between the classes and between the races to be broken.
• Revival: Revival does not happen for unbelievers. It happens within the hearts and communities of those who already call on the name of Jesus Christ.  Our nation is filled with dry bones, and we humbly pray for God to blow a mighty wind on the dry bones of The American Church – to wake us up so that we might be faithful to His calling on our lives, in our families, in our communities, our state and our nation.
• Reformation: We don’t seek the reformation of others – we seek the reformation of our own hearts, families, churches communities, states, and nation – that we might place virtue above all else. Without fixing our own lives, families, and churches first – we cannot have the impact which is required on our culture.
• Refreshing: This was simply a time of praise and worship. Many went to the “mosh pit,” or the front of the room to lift hands, and dance before the Lord.  It truly was a coat of many colors – where the things which divide were not present.

Because of the work I have been engaged in, both through the Social Conservative movement, and specifically helping to put on The National Security Summits, which are being conducted in many of the early primary states, I had the privilege to be asked to participate in the prayers from the stage, specifically to pray for the National Security of our Country.  Honestly, because I had not personally met any of the organizers before, I chose to simply go and participate as an individual.  Observation before participation has become something I have learned, sometimes the hard way, in the last four years.  After attending the event, there is no question in my heart, mind or spirit that this effort is Spirit led, and it gives me great hope – because the numbers of those whose hearts are pure, and are praying for our country – both inside our borders and outside our borders are growing.  I believe the growth is becoming exponential.  When The Response comes to your state – I would highly recommend not only attending, but doing all you can to help promote it, and get people there.

What this means for our future may not be what we expect or even desire.  God’s ways, actions and timetables are generally not ours.  He is however at work, and we have a lot to look forward to in the future.

In closing, I want to share two things:

• Another area of hope I have – but also a sliver of disappointment. I have had the privilege of traveling South Carolina quite a bit in the last 2 years, as a result of both High Frontier, and helping on a U.S. Senate Campaign.  As a result – rarely do I go to such a large event where I do not see several people I already know.  On Saturday, in such a large crowd, I spent the day with a good friend of mine, who also relocated to South Carolina from Virginia.  He drove from Myrtle Beach, where he now resides, to invest his day at The Response.  He was the only other individual who I personally know who I saw there.  In a way, it saddened me that I did not see more of my evangelical brothers and sisters, who I already know, who desire to see these five points achieved in our culture, in our lifetimes, invest a day in this effort.  Obviously, it could be simply because there was an unawareness.  This leads me to think of one of the points of the day – the need for our individual churches to stop being territorial, to get outside of our boxes, and unite with other believers outside of the four walls of our own church.  United, we can impact culture but divided we will not.  On the flip side – it also gives me great hope – because the pool of individuals who The Holy Spirit is working on is far larger than we know, or likely can even imagine!
• Governor Bobby Jindal shared his testimony, and it was phenomenal. I was hoping that I would be able to find it on YouTube, and while I couldn’t find Saturday’s – I did find the testimony he gave at The Response in Baton Rouge.  It is very similar – and I would encourage everyone to invest the time to watch it.  You can watch Bobby Jindal’s testimony by clicking here.

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Anyone who has been my friend or has followed me for any length of time knows I have publicly stated my disdain for not only the leadership within both of our political parties, but the way they orchestrate the entire political process.  Therefore they are likely to find this title highly unlikely.

It is true though – I do have a selective respect for our elected leaders in Washington DC.

In the last four years I have helped folks running for elections at the following levels: School Board, County Supervisor, State Senate, United States Senate, and now I have the privilege of serving on the leadership team in my state for one of the Presidential Candidates, Ted Cruz.

When this journey began for me, as a middle aged man, it wasn’t because I wanted a career in campaigning or politics – it was only because after being in private industry for two decades, like millions of Americans, my infuriation with the way our national leaders led angered me enough to no longer sit and simply yell at the nightly news, but to actually try and do something to change the leadership of our country.

Having a front row seat in several campaigns, one of the many things I have learned is the personal sacrifice it takes, not only for the candidate and the spouse, but generally for his or her entire family, to seek the privilege to serve a constituency of any size.

When it comes to the elected leadership in Washington, regardless of party, at some point – whether for noble reasons or selfish ones – they and their families chose to enter the arena of public office, which to be successful requires a tremendous amount of time, personal energy and money.  Not to mention, it requires a willingness to undergo scrutiny beyond belief.  It has been said if you want to research your family tree, rather than pay for it or do the research yourself, run for office – your opponents will do all the research for you!  For these reasons – I respect them, even those I philosophically disagree with.

For those who have been in Washington for decades now, they have learned the art of political power: how to acquire, retain and wield it.  With a leadership structure based on seniority rather than gifts and talents for true leadership and statesmanship, as well as a financial and committee reward structure which protects the seniority based leadership, it is a skill which generally is acquired over a long time period.  While the process may disgust us, that willingness and ability to invest the time, which generally requires multiple re-elections, to move up the leadership rank does deserve some respect.

For the millions like me who engaged because we see the financial titanic we are on is about to hit the iceberg, as well as philosophical worldview issues we face – not for the purpose of “wielding power,” which under the current system takes decades to acquire, it is somewhere between the fifth and seventh paragraphs above where my respect is lost. Between the sentences where I state they sought “the privilege to serve” and “they learned the art of political power.”

While their willingness to enter the arena, and their understanding of how power really works in Washington does deserve respect, and while those who just in the last few years began entering the arena are still learning the power system of Washington, I am convinced that less than 5 % of those who have been in elected office in Washington over a decade should be there any longer.  They simply are too closely connected to the continual extension of debt on our national credit card.

Respect aside, we need a paradigm shift in the way leadership is selected within Washington.  Leadership by seniority has led us to the financial cliff.  It fosters and propagates the status quo – and the status quo is leading us to financial ruin.  Sadly, I am not confident we will be able to fix our existing spending problems under the existing structure. The paradigm shift in leadership selection which is required, likely won’t come until after a financial reset.

It is my prayer that hundreds, if not thousands, of Americans are today considering running for office.  We have over 3,000 counties and municipalities in our republic.  Each of these jurisdictions have at least two dozen elected offices.  The phrase “all politics is local” is so true. Many of the problems we face in Washington are also being addressed at local and state levels – and strong leadership at these levels is required if we ever have any hope of seeing a paradigm shift of leadership, as well as a new breed of leaders in Washington.  Will you join me in that prayer – up to and including putting your hat in the ring?

So, despite my selective respect for our elected leaders in Washington – I am praying for the future folks who are mentally, physically and spiritually preparing to earn that same respect.  I pray they will also earn our respect for truly solving the problems our country faces, something I am convenced very few of those currently in Washington will be able to earn.

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So many folks tell me their perception is my life is centered in politics. The reality is my heart is concerned with culture – and politics is simply downstream of where my heart is.

_________________________________________________

The life of my family has gone through extreme transitions in the last three years.  I am not going to list them here – but suffice it to say that in 2012 we started a journey that was 180 degrees from the path we were on, and drastically different than anything we had planned on in the two decades leading up to our transition. As is the case with all of life, road blocks and speed bumps have been visited along the way. We are grateful for the hardships, challenges, opportunities and the triumphs!

One of the focuses I had when leading a civic organization in Fredericksburg, VA in 2011 and 2012, prior to moving to South Carolina, was to be strategic in that organizations communications.  It was critical to me that we stopped overwhelming our member’s e-mail boxes. So we diligently strived to have only one communication via e-mail per week.  We gave folks who found us via social media, or through the forwarding of e-mails an opportunity to subscribe to our communications.  More importantly – we gave people an opportunity to opt out, or stop receiving our communications without having to tell us.  What we found during that time period – is our overall readership drastically increased.  Our readership and influence increased when we began limiting our total communications.

I share those two things with you because since that time period, due to my life and professional experiences I have had the heart to write on a multitude of issues.  I believe the vast majority of these issues impact and interest you and your sphere of influence.  Honestly, the majority of the issues are about business, life and culture, not politics – but as I mentioned starting out – politics is downstream.  It isn’t downstream of only culture, but just everything in life.  Furthermore, due to our transition I have not been able to commit the time, or quite honestly with everything going on, have the discipline required to be consistent in writing.  Beginning June 1^st of 2015 I am now committing a portion of each week toward this effort.

I would like your permission to once a week share links to my writings and thoughts with you via e-mail – which will always link back to my personal website.  If you would like to receive this weekly summary – please sign up in the upper right hand corner of this page.

What will the topics cover, you may ask?

Through my career I have been engaged in the following industries: Travel, Big Box Retailing, Banking, Technology, Agriculture, Non-Profit Work and Political Campaigns.  My life experiences have taken me all around our great country, Europe, Israel and the former U.S.S.R.  I have lived in communities, and with housemates, which were extremely diverse and communities which were not. I have friends and mentors which are at very high levels of the worldly “success” spectrum as well as friends and mentors who are not, but although they don’t outwardly exude worldly “success,” they truly are the salt of the earth.

I mention all of that simply because most of the issues we face today are what I call “non-respecter of person” issues.  In other words, they impact everyone – and despite our leadership wanting to put us into boxes based on race, gender, socio-economic status, nationality or faith – we are all part of the same human race.

So, the topics will be varied and on things that impact us all.

I am going to close with something I shared on my Facebook Wall last night:

“I honestly think the years ahead of us are going to be the most challenging, but also the most exhilarating. God placed each of us here for this time, and this place.

Yes – there will be many of us who will see the proper course, who will come up severely lacking in will and resolve. But I believe there are vastly more individuals His Spirit is preparing in ways we cannot comprehend – and in the end, good will be achieved.

Lots of negative things being reported out there.  Chaos and negativity sells – for some reason.  But there are good things happening too.  Bridges being built – people seeking to understand vs. simply being understood – folks getting outside of their boxes and comfort zones – and legitimate love and charity taking place.”

I can’t wait for the future!

#BringItOn #LetsRoll

Again – if you would like to subscribe to my weekly summaries, please do so in the upper right hand corner of this page.

Blessings,

Scott Cooper

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Taking my own annual advice, I attempted to complete “Three of The Most Important Things You Can Do This Time of Year” – which is something I found via Doug Phillips about 16 years ago.  As a result of this effort, I want to share with you a few things that give me hope as we enter into 2015.

Doug recommends you chronicle things from throughout the previous year, like bills, checkbooks, diary’s, calendar’s, correspondence, books / articles you wrote or read, etc.  One of the things I reviewed during my “chronicling process” was some of my postings, both to my website and over Social Media during the course of the last couple years.  While I typically spend a little time in Social Media every day, and have done so for several years, I have been inconsistent in posting to my actual website, which is something I hope to improve on in 2015.

Here are three things which give me hope as we enter 2015:

Social Media Gives Me Hope:

I am thankful for Social Media and the increase in the blogosphere.  It gives me hope for several reasons.  First I believe it is one of the greatest tools which can be used for the defense of one of our greatest inalienable rights – The First Amendment.  Freedom of speech, freedom of thought, freedom of expression and freedom of association are all amazing gifts the founders of our country bequeathed to us – and never before in history have average citizens had the ability to share their thoughts and ideas to an audience that reaches beyond their own sphere of influence.  I believe Social Media will play a critical role in our preserving this gift, The First Amendment.

Second, over the last two generations journaling really has become a lost art, which is curious because the popularity of websites like Ancestry.com, Geneology.com and FamilyTree.com is at an all-time high.  So while this generation has a fascination with looking to our past, most are not intentionally journaling to leave a record for their future generations.  Social media however is providing that for us – it provides a permanent record for those who come behind us, of the things we valued in our lifetimes.  As a student of history – I believe this is a good thing and I believe it will be incredibly valuable to future generations – not only for individual families, but in the study of sociology.

In reviewing my personal website, I thought it was interesting that the first post of 2013, and the last post of 2013 both dealt with National Security.  The first 6 months of 2014 was exceptionally busy for me, and I didn’t post anything until August.  Between August and December, I had 11 Postings.  Three of them dealt with National Security Issues; however 8 of them incorporated Faith into the post.  As I reflect not only on 2014 – but the last several years, that trend in my personal life gives me hope – because I see that trend – the trend to highlight faith – among many, many others as well, not just my own life.  I will return to this later.

Renewal of Leadership Gives Me Hope:

As a result of the activities I have been engaged in since the economic collapse and the financial bailouts, I have had the privilege in the last few years of meeting literally hundreds of people from all around the country.  Many are individuals who as a result of hardship or frustration got involved in the civic arena. As a result, today they are leaders in their local and state communities in ways they had never planned, expected or desired.

One can look at this and consider the old question: “Is one born to lead or do circumstances create the leader?”  Looking at the development of these unexpected leaders during this time period of history – I believe both is true, but I also have come to believe that leadership doesn’t come with birth, degree or position.  There are many with advanced degrees and many in positions of leadership who due to self-interest choose to go along to get along, vs. lead.  Stated differently, they choose not to influence for the things they believe in, because there will be a cost involved.  For many who are new in the arena, this has been frustrating – but as we study history (which this group has intensely done these last few years), it has come to be expected.  There is nothing new under the sun.

These hundreds of new, unexpected leaders will continue to grow in 2015 – and that gives me great hope!

Renewal in Faith Gives Me Hope:

For me, the most rewarding part of meeting these new leaders from around the country hasn’t been the focus on the issues that brought them into the arena – whether they be tax issues, spending issues, national defense / Patriot Act / NSA issues, IRS abuse issues, Education issues, agriculture / food supply issues, healthcare issues, energy issues, environmental issues – or any of the other issues that are out there these days – but the key ingredient among the vast majority of these new leaders is their belief that it is our Judeo-Christian Heritage which led to our republic being the most prosperous, productive and blessed nation in history, and their desire to see a restoration of virtue and a spiritual awakening in our country.  For the vast majority of these new friends and new leaders – that one issue trumps almost every other focus.  There are too many evidences of this to list, but those new leaders who I refer to in this post will know exactly what I am speaking about.  I have spoken with many in the course of the last year(s) who are most thankful for this resurgence of activism, because it has placed them in contact with friends in the faith based community, all around the country, that they never would have met otherwise.

This is encouraging – and it gives me great hope, not only for 2015, but for beyond!  I pray it gives you hope as well!

Happy New Year!  Many blessings to you and yours!

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This morning I did my exercises walking the perimeter of a field we hope to incorporate into our Grass Fed Beef operation, Lord willing, around 2020.  Several things transpired during my brisk walk.

First, I looked onto a portion of a field that we have basically allowed to be dormant for close to two years.  Even though it is in a prominent, highly visible location, we intentionally have done virtually nothing to it, except allow the cows to graze it 4 times this year and hand pull some of the undesired plant life that naturally came back into the field when fertilizer and pesticides weren’t added.  We also cut it for hay twice during the first year.  It has been fascinating to watch what happens naturally, when nature’s system is left alone.  I am a novice at agriculture, but the more I study, the more I become convinced that all of God’s creation needs rest and healing – not just our bodies!

During my brisk walk, I also called my oldest son, who lives in another state. With the exception of discussions and a couple of weeks work at the very beginning, he has had very little involvement in our farm operation.  We spoke about the farm, some of the plans over the next several years.  Then we spoke about real estate – his passion – and some of the goals and projects he is focused on.  Then we spoke about other business opportunities, concluding by speaking about one specific entrepreneur who has used what God had blessed him with to bless countless other organizations, all of which have done great work in the civic arena.  This particular entrepreneur passed away in 2014 – and we briefly discussed how the philanthropic work this man has done over the last several decades will likely change as his foundations are passing to the next generation.

After hanging up with my son, I was at a different vantage point, looking back at the field that is coming out of two years of rest, yet still walking in the field that we hope to incorporate in 2020 – likely to place in its own 2 years of rest, which it will come out of in 2022, Lord willing!

For some reason, my mind went to Congress – and I thought – what if Congress and Washington simply took a rest – and did nothing for two years?  What would our world look like, after watching the effects of what they have done already – without doing anything new – no new additives, no tweaking – just a rest to observe the nature of what those who have been in Washington the last 2 – 4 decades have created?

Then I wondered, when they (those in Washington) look at and vote on their 2,000 page bills – do they contemplate what stages their “comprehensive” reforms will be in 5 years out from passage?  Do they contemplate the effects and the unintended consequences of their “comprehensive” reforms which often include hundreds of changes for things that have nothing to do with what the title the legislation indicates?  Then I wondered, are they building relationships with those who they hope will come behind them to manage the work they are so passionate about?  Do they listen to their viewpoints – as different generations do see things differently?

Yes – those are rhetorical questions – and if you got this far in my writing – you likely have the same conclusion I do.

In December of 2009, five years ago, I had the privilege of sitting at a large Conference Table in the U.S. Senate Russell Office building, which is where Virginia U.S. Senator Mark Warner’s office is, to discuss The Affordable Care Act Legislation.  That day we started in a Small Conference room – but because the number of people that ended up showing up at what we thought would be a small meeting was exponentially larger – we had to move to a room that would accommodate 150 or so people.

That was an infuriating meeting, because while Senator Warner’s Chief of Staff and a Legislative Aide did provide the public service their constituents are entitled to, and met with us – it was clear they were not open to any of the comments that came from their constituents – which included one passionate couple who had escaped the tyranny of Eastern Europe and an individual who had escaped Cuba.  One individual who had previously experienced socialized medicine, through her tears began to pound on the table out of anger and frustration – and others began to do the same.  I was angry that day as well – but I was also fearful for my country – because while there might be such a thing as righteous anger – what was being displayed would accomplish nothing, except end the discussion, which it did.

Well – we now know that The American Public was lied to in order to pass that “comprehensive” reform.  We know the answers to the rhetorical questions I asked above – because we are living through them – and it is painful.  And the pain is likely going to become more and more intense before it gets better.

The reason I share my experience in December 2009 in that Conference Room on Capitol Hill in conjunction with my walk this morning, five years later, is because I am convinced that just like our Bermuda grass fields, which have experienced a mono-culture for decades, require a rest – I believe the leadership in Washington requires a rest as well.  While I believe many of those in Washington were well intentioned when they arrived in DC, it is clear they have lived in the mono-culture of the beltway for far too long – and it is time for them to return home, take a rest and manage their own fields.

In my idealism, I would love to see a groundswell of patriotic action by those who have served us in Washington in elected office for the last 2 – 4 decades, and see them to return into an industry they have spent their lives legislating and regulating.  I would love to see them become entrepreneurs in the economy they have created vs. spending their final days on K Street.  That would be patriotism, in my humble opinion.  And if they achieve success in business, they would have opportunity to be benevolent with the wealth they create.  That is an American value.

In conclusion, before I began my walk this morning I read two articles about John McCain working to purge conservatives from the Arizona GOP.  This causes me to grieve.  Senator McCain has served his country nobly in war, as a prisoner of war and in public office – serving in Congress since 1983.  Even though there are policies I disagree with Senator McCain on, I believe that at 78, he has such an opportunity to leave Washington as a Statesman.  However rather than investing his energy encouraging conservatives and mentoring a replacement, my prediction is he continues to stiffen against the current trends within his party, will leave Washington like Eric Cantor – and the Arizona GOP will experience continued renewal much like RPV did this year.

Something happens inside the beltway to the vast majority of those who go there to serve.  Let us pray that the Dave Brat’s of this generation, and I predict many, many more in 2016 and 2018 – will learn from this time period – stay grounded – and remember that after a season or two – everything needs a rest.

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It is our prayer that you had a blessed time with family and friends this Christmas season.  The above picture shows that we are all still kickin’ – and the bottom picture shows that our family continues to expand!  Yes – we are taking orders for #SaladBarBeef – which will be ready for market in 2017!

Even though we finished putting away all the Christmas decorations last night, the culmination of our Christmas celebration will really be on April 5^th – Easter Sunday, when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ! 

Even at birth, Jesus knew he was born with a purpose – to live, to die and to be resurrected – with the sole purpose of saving a lost world, which was dying in its sin.  We are looking forward to the culmination of this Christmas celebration in April – when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ – for if there was no resurrection, the celebration of Jesus’s birth would have little meaning!

In our last two New Year’s Day greetings (2012 and 2013), I shared a blog written by Doug Phillips.  It is titled “Three of the Most Important Things You Can Do This Time of Year.”  As I mentioned in last year’s note and posting – I was concerned that Doug’s blog might be taken down – and indeed it was – so I am thankful I gave him credit and posted it here.

Most of us will have a long weekend this weekend.  I know it is unusual for a Christmas Message / New Year’s Message ask something of you – but this one does!

If you have not done it in the past, I would encourage you to read through Doug’s blog (linked) – and take some time doing the things he suggests.  (Just recognize you need to change the year!)  We have some exciting times in our future – beginning in 2015 – and I believe his encouragement will help each of us move victoriously into our future!

May God bless you and your family as you prepare to enter 2015!

Scott and Suzy Cooper

I trust this finds you well as we prepare for “All Hallowed Eve.”  Whether you will be having your house door open to “Trick or Treaters,” doing “Trunk or Treat” at a church parking lot, going to a fall festival, or not doing anything this evening – I wanted to share with you a great editorial which is now 7 years old, by the late Chuck Colson.  I hope you will take time to read and listen to his 4 minute explanation of “All Hollow’s Eve.”

Click here to read Chuck’s Editorial and Listen to his explanation!

You know – when we look at our culture, it is easy to become cynical about the influence our Christian Faith has on our culture.  For example – just go to the Google IMAGE page and do a search for pictures on “All Hallow’s Eve.” Not much comes up as it relates to the true meaning of this night.

The exciting thing is, WE CAN REVERSE THIS TREND!  Let us take time tonight to share with those who grace our doors, or those we spend the evening with, the hope that is within us!  We have a lot to live for – and as those we celebrate tonight demonstrated – we have a lot to die for as well.  May our salt be salty – and may our light dispel darkness.

Blessings to you and yours.  May WE Bless God – so that HE may CHOOSE to bless US again!

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We are 28 days away from Thanksgiving – and in that vein, yesterday I decided to post something I am thankful for each day of the 28 days leading up to Thanksgiving.  They are not placed in any order – like priority, relevance to anything specific – just random thankfulness that is on my heart at the beginning of each of these days.

This morning I am thankful for work.  That’s right – work.

When I reflect on creation, one of the things we often don’t think about is one of the first things God did with man, after creating man, was to give him a job – “Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it” Genesis 2:15.  Furthermore, we see in verses 19 and 20, God gave Adam the task of naming the animals God had created. 

The point being, the Garden of Eden wasn’t some hedonistic vacation that God simply placed Adam into – Adam and his heirs were given the task of cultivating and maintaining – “working” God’s creation.  It is later, after the fall that work became “frustrating.”  We should not confuse the result of sin causing work to be frustrating with the false belief that work BEGAN as a result of sin.

One of the best sermons I ever heard on the importance of work was by Dr. Drew Landry, Senior Pastor of Spotswood Baptist Church in Fredericksburg Virginia during Spotswood’s annual “Stewardship Month” in February 2008.  I have gone back multiple times throughout the years to review this message – and I share it with you, because it really does provide a paradigm shift, in my opinion, on how we should think about work – especially those in the Christian faith based community.  Please click here to listen.  (BTW – when Dr. Landry makes the comment about NASCAR, please know – I consider myself a redneck, now more than ever!)

When I call that a paradigm shift, what I mean is how the world typically views work.  Often we hear work described as “a necessary evil,” or “I owe, I owe, so off to work I go,” or “Everybody’s working for the weekend,” as became popular via the 80’s band Loverboy.  In other words, work is something we are forced to drudge through in order to get to the real purpose of life – which is leisure.

Since the majority of us will invest 24 % of our lives in the work that we do, and a far less percentage on leisure – that seems like a depressing worldview to me.

In an earlier post, I referred to the founders of our republic and their worldview of work which they referred to in the first sentence of the Declaration of Independence.  They referred to it as the pursuit of happiness, which I inferred really meant being productive –

“The men who represented the 13 colonies at the time of The Declaration of Independence thought so highly of the importance of being productive, they referenced it in the very first sentence of the preamble of the Declaration. “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.

The word Happiness was originally property.  In other words – in the first sentence, they encouraged all individuals, to use their GOD GIVEN life and liberty, TO BE PRODUCTIVE and pursue property / happiness.  Nowhere did they guarantee property / happiness – but they encouraged all individuals to be PRODUCTIVE in their pursuit of such things.”

Click here if you want to read that entire post.

In closing, for me, I am thankful for a combination of these things.  I appreciate our founders highlighting the importance of individuals using their God given gifts and talents to pursue property / happiness.  While there is nothing wrong with pursuing happiness or property – that should not be the sole purpose of work.  Colossians 3:17 states “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to the Father.”  In other words – our work is to be done for the glory of Jesus Christ; therefore we are to do it to the best of our ability, at all times – even when it is frustrating.

When we look at the society we see so many opportunities and so many challenges – the sky really is the limit, if we are simply willing to put our hands to the plow – and go to work!

Proverbs 16:27 – “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.”

Yes, it’s true – I am thankful for work!

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I have given a lot of thought to this recently –

Paul’s Use of His Freedom

¹⁹ Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. ²⁰ To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. ²¹ To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. ²² To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. ²³ I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

I Corinthians 9:19-23

Paul had Freedom.  Paul had Liberty. Paul stated he was free to live his life as he saw fit – the same freedom bestowed upon us by our triune God: God the Father, God the son – Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit.

Interesting – sounds like a form of government conservatives in The United States are very, very proud of and we seek passionately to defend.

Those in the conservative movement, myself included, talk a lot about Freedom and Liberty.  Paul’s letter to the Corinthians gives us pause to think about what our intentions should be with this God given / God ordained liberty.

There are those within our movement who have the “co-exist” mentality, otherwise known as the “live and let live” mentality – our liberty, our freedom is provided for us so that everything under the sun is permissible.  And it is, but Paul clearly states that while everything may be permissible, not everything is beneficial.  Paul, actually writes about that earlier in the same letter – I Corinthians 6:12-20.  He wraps up that section with vs. 20: “For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”

If you want to read Paul’s letter to the Corinthians in its entirety, you may do so by clicking here.

At the end of the day – I think this is what separates the two factions of the Conservative movement – those who want to make everything permissible for the purpose to live and let live, to simply live our lives to the absolute fullest, enjoying all that we possibly can before going to the grave, and those who recognize that our liberty, our freedom was purchased with blood.  It was purchased at a great price.  And ultimately, that price requires a lifestyle that goes beyond simply living life to the fullest and getting all we possibly can prior to death.

Our National Independence was purchased with the blood of our Patriot forefathers.  But they indeed recognized the blood that ultimately purchased all of humanities liberty – and they were not ashamed to proclaim it.  (Romans 1:16).

Our founders wrote extensively on the importance of virtue and it being a required ingredient to the success of our republic.  Looking to their writings, I am convinced that without a resurgence of virtue – or what some are praying for, a spiritual awakening, we will never again enjoy the liberty and Independence our republic was founded upon – and for so long enjoyed.

I encourage you to review some of the writings of our early and past leaders on the importance of virtue in our society.  You may do so by clicking here!

May you and yours have a blessed week!

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QUOTES ON LIBERTY AND VIRTUE

Compiled and Edited by J. David Gowdy, President
The Washington, Jefferson & Madison Institute

lib-er-ty\ ‘lib-er-te` \ n [ME, fr. MF liberte’, fr. L libertat, libertas, fr. liber free]
1. FREEDOM 2. POWER 3. CHOICE 4. RIGHT 5. PRIVILEGE 6. DUTY 7. STANDARD

vir-tue\ ‘ver-(,)chu: \ n [ME virtu, fr. OF, L virtut-, virtus strength, virtue]
1. MORALITY 2. POWER 3. VALOR 4. MERIT 5. CHASTITY 6. FORCE 7. AUTHORITY

“[V]irtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government.”
George Washington

“Can it be that Providence has not connected the permanent felicity of a nation with its virtue? ”
George Washington

“[T]here is no truth more thoroughly established, than that there exists . . . an indissoluble union between virtue and happiness.”
George Washington

“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim tribute to patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness — these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. . . . reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principles.”
George Washington

“The aggregate happiness of the society, which is best promoted by the practice of a virtuous policy, is, or ought to be, the end of all government . . . .”
George Washington

“Human rights can only be assured among a virtuous people. The general government . . . can never be in danger of degenerating into a monarchy, an oligarchy, an aristocracy, or any despotic or oppresive form so long as there is any virtue in the body of the people.”
George Washington

“Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.”
Benjamin Franklin

“Laws without morals are in vain.”
Benjamin Franklin (Motto of the University of Pennsylvania)

“Sell not virtue to purchase wealth, nor Liberty to purchase power.”
Benjamin Franklin

“A nation as a society forms a moral person, and every member of it is personally responsible for his society.”
Thomas Jefferson

“No government can continue good but under the control of the people; and . . . . their minds are to be informed by education what is right and what wrong; to be encouraged in habits of virtue and to be deterred from those of vice . . . . These are the inculcations necessary to render the people a sure basis for the structure and order of government.”
Thomas Jefferson

“It is in the manners and spirit of a people which preserve a republic in vigour. . . . degeneracy in these is a canker which soon eats into the heart of its laws and constitution.”
Thomas Jefferson

“[In a republic, according to Montesquieu in Spirit of the Laws, IV,ch.5,] ‘virtue may be defined as the love of the laws and of our country. As such love requires a constant preference of public to private interest, it is the source of all private virtue; for they are nothing more than this very preference itself… Now a government is like everything else: to preserve it we must love it . . . Everything, therefore, depends on establishing this love in a republic; and to inspire it ought to be the principal business of education; but the surest way of instilling it into children is for parents to set them an example.'”
Thomas Jefferson: copied into his Commonplace Book.

“When virtue is banished, ambition invades the minds of those who are disposed to receive it, and avarice possesses the whole community.”
Montesquieu (written by Thomas Jefferson in his Common Place Book).

“Dependence begets subservience and venality, suffocates the germ of virtue, and prepares fit tools for the designs of ambition.”
Thomas Jefferson

“Liberty . . . is the great parent of science and of virtue; and . . . a nation will be great in both always in proportion as it is free.”
Thomas Jefferson

“The order of nature [is] that individual happiness shall be inseparable from the practice of virtue.”
Thomas Jefferson

“Without virtue, happiness cannot be.”
Thomas Jefferson

“The institution of delegated power implies that there is a portion of virtue and honor among mankind which may be a reasonable foundation of confidence.”
Alexander Hamilton

“To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without any virtue in the people, is a chimerical idea.”
James Madison

“The aim of every political Constitution, is or ought to be first to obtain for rulers men who possess most wisdom to discern, and most virtue to pursue, the common good of society; and in the next place, to take the most effectual precautions for keeping them virtuous whilst they continue to hold their public trust.”
James Madison

“. . . Virtue, morality, and religion. This is the armor, my friend, and this alone that renders us invincible. These are the tactics we should study. If we lose these, we are conquered, fallen indeed . . . so long as our manners and principles remain sound, there is no danger.”
Patrick Henry

“Bad men cannot make good citizens. It is when a people forget God that tyrants forge their chains. A vitiated state of morals, a corrupted public conscience, is incompatible with freedom. No free government, or the blessings of liberty, can be preserved to any people but by a firm adherence to justice, moderation, temperance, frugality, and virtue; and by a frequent recurrence to fundamental principles.”
Patrick Henry

“The only foundation of a free Constitution, is pure Virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People, in a great Measure, than they have it now. They may change their Rulers, and the forms of Government, but they will not obtain a lasting Liberty.
John Adams

“We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our constitution as a whale goes through a net.”
John Adams

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
John Adams

“Liberty can no more exist without virtue and independence than the body can live and move without a soul.”
John Adams

“Public virtue cannot exist in a nation without private, and public virtue is the only foundation of republics.”
John Adams

“[I]t is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free constitution is pure virtue.”
John Adams

“The laws of man may bind him in chains or may put him to death, but they never can make him wise, virtuous, or happy.”
John Adams

“Statesmen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is religion and morality alone, which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free Constitution is pure virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People in a greater Measure than they have it now, they may change their rulers and the forms of government, but they will not obtain a lasting liberty.”
John Adams

“Honor is truly sacred, but holds a lower rank in the scale of moral excellence than virtue. Indeed the former is part of the latter, and consequently has not equal pretensions to support a frame of government productive of human happiness.”
John Adams

“Human nature itself is evermore an advocate for liberty. There is also in human nature a resentment of injury, and indignation against wrong. A love of truth and a veneration of virtue. These amiable passions, are the “latent spark”… If the people are capable of understanding, seeing and feeling the differences between true and false, right and wrong, virtue and vice, to what better principle can the friends of mankind apply than to the sense of this difference?”
John Adams

“Our liberty depends on our education, our laws, and habits . . . it is founded on morals and religion, whose authority reigns in the heart, and on the influence all these produce on public opinion before that opinion governs rulers.”
Fisher Ames

“It is certainly true that a popular government cannot flourish without virtue in the people.”
Richard Henry Lee

“Whenever we are planning for posterity, we ought to remember that virtue is not hereditary.”
Thomas Paine

“[N]either the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt. He therefore is the truest friend of the liberty of his country who tries most to promote its virtue, and who, so far as his power and influence extend, will not suffer a man to be chosen onto any office of power and trust who is not a wise and virtuous man.”
Samuel Adams

“The diminution of public virtue is usually attended with that of public happiness, and the public liberty will not long survive the total extinction of morals.”
Samuel Adams

“[M]en will be free no longer then while they remain virtuous.”
Samuel Adams

“If virtue & knowledge are diffused among the people, they will never be enslav’d. This will be their great security.”
Samuel Adams

“No people will tamely surrender their Liberties, nor can any be easily subdued, when knowledge is diffused and Virtue is preserved. On the Contrary, when People are universally ignorant, and debauched in their Manners, they will sink under their own weight without the Aid of foreign Invaders.”
Samuel Adams

“A general dissolution of the principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force of the common enemy…. While the people are virtuous they cannot be subdued; but once they lose their virtue, they will be ready to surrender their liberties to the first external or internal invader…. If virtue and knowledge are diffused among the people, they will never be enslaved. This will be their great security.”
Samuel Adams

“No people can be great who have ceased to be virtuous.”
Samuel Johnson

“No free government, or the blessings of liberty, can be preserved to any people, but by a firm adherence to justice, moderation, temperance, frugality and virtue, and by frequent recurrence to fundamental principles.”
George Mason

“[A] free government . . . cannot be supported without Virtue.”
Samuel Williams

“In selecting men for office, let principle be your guide. Regard not the particular sect or denomination of the candidate — look at his character. It is alleged by men of loose principles, or defective views of the subject, that religion and morality are not necessary or important qualifications for political stations. But the scriptures teach a different doctrine. They direct that rulers should be men who rule in the fear of God, men of truth, hating covetousness. It is to the neglect of this rule that we must ascribe the multiplied frauds, breaches of trust, speculations and embezzlements of public property which astonish even ourselves; which tarnish the character of our country and which disgrace our government. When a citizen gives his vote to a man of known immorality, he abuses his civic responsibility; he not only sacrifices his own responsibility; he sacrifices not only his own interest, but that of his neighbor; he betrays the interest of his country.”
Noah Webster

“…if the citizens neglect their Duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted; laws will be made, not for the public good so much as for selfish or local purposes; corrupt or incompetent men will be appointed to execute the Laws; the public revenues will be squandered on unworthy men; and the rights of the citizen will be violated or disregarded.”
Noah Webster

“Let a man’s zeal, profession, or even principles as to political measures be what they will, if he is without personal integrity and private virtue, as a man he is not to be trusted.”
John Witherspoon

“… the manners of the people in general are of the utmost moment to the stability of any civil society. When the body of a people are altogether corrupt in their manners, the government is ripe for dissolution.”
John Witherspoon

“So true is this, that civil liberty cannot be long preserved without virtue.”
John Witherspoon

“… but a republic once equally poised, must either preserve its virtue or lose its liberty, and by some tumultuous revolution, either return to its first principles, or assume a more unhappy form.”
John Witherspoon

“A country cannot subsist well without liberty, nor liberty without virtue.”
Jean Jacques Rousseau

“Machiavel, discoursing on these matters, finds virtue to be so essentially necessary to the establishment and preservation of liberty, that he thinks it impossible for a corrupted people to set up a good government, or for a tyranny to be introduced if they be virtuous; and makes this conclusion, ‘That where the matter (that is, the body of the people) is not corrupted, tumults and disorders do not hurt; and where it is corrupted, good laws do no good:’ which being confirmed by reason and experience, I think no wise man has ever contradicted him.”
Algernon Sidney

“[L]iberty cannot be preserved, if the manners of the people are corrupted . . .”
Algernon Sidney

“[A]ll popular and well-mixed governments [republics] . . . are ever established by wise and good men, and can never be upheld otherwise than by virtue: The worst men always conspiring against them, they must fall, if the best have not power to preserve them. . . . [and] unless they be preserved in a great measure free from vices . . . .”
Algernon Sidney

“Fruits are always of the same nature with the seeds and roots from which they come, and trees are known by the fruits they bear: as a man begets a man, and a beast a beast, that society of men which constitutes a government upon the foundation of justice, virtue, and the common good, will always have men to promote those ends; and that which intends the advancement of one man’s desire and vanity, will abound in those that will foment them.”
Algernon Sidney

“[I]f vice and corruption prevail, liberty cannot subsist; but if virtue have the advantage, arbitrary power cannot be established.”
Algernon Sidney

“If the public safety be provided, liberty and propriety secured, justice administered, virtue encouraged, vice suppressed, and the true interest of the nation advanced, the ends of government are accomplished . . .”
Algernon Sidney

“[L]iberty without virtue would be no blessing to us.”
Benjamin Rush

“Without virtue there can be no liberty.”
Benjamin Rush

“The only foundation for… a republic is to be laid in Religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments.”
Benjamin Rush

“No free government can stand without virtue in the people, and a lofty spirit of partiotism.”
Andrew Jackson

“Lastly, our ancestors established their system of government on morality and religious sentiment. Moral habits, they believed, cannot safely be on any other foundation than religious principle, nor any government be secure which is not supported by moral habits.”
Daniel Webster

“[I]f we and our posterity reject religious instruction and authority, violate the rules of eternal justice, trifle with the injunctions of morality, and recklessly destroy the political constitution which holds us together, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us, that shall bury all our glory in profound obscurity.”
Daniel Webster

“Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith.”
Horace Greely

“What is liberty without wisdom and without virtue? It is the greatest of all possible evils; for it is folly, vice, and madness, without tuition or restraint.”
Edmund Burke

“Among a people generally corrupt liberty cannot long exist.”
Edmund Burke

“Manners are of more importance than laws. Upon them in great measure the laws depend. The law touches us but here and there, and now and then. Manners are what vex and smooth, corrupt or purify, exalt or debase, barbarize or refine us, by a constant, steady, uniform, insensible operation, like that of the air we breathe in. They give their whole form and color to our lives. According to their quality, they aid morals, they support them, or they totally destroy them.”
Edmund Burke

“It is better to cherish virtue and humanity, by leaving much to free will, even with some loss of the object , than to attempt to make men mere machines and instruments of political benevolence. The world on the whole will gain by a liberty, without which virtue cannot exist.”
Edmund Burke

“Men are qualified for civil liberty in exact proportion to their disposition to put moral chains upon their appetites; in proportion as their love of justice is above their rapacity; in proportion as their soundness and sobriety of understanding is above their vanity and presumption; in proportion as they are more disposed to listen to the counsel of the wise and good, in preference to the flattery of knaves. Society cannot exist unless a controlling power upon will and appetite be placed somewhere, and the less of it there is within, the more there must be without. It is ordained in the eternal constitution of things, that men of intemperate minds cannot be free. Their passions forge their fetters.”
Edmund Burke

“Among a people generally corrupt liberty cannot long exist.”
Edmund Burke

“[T]he very best forms of government are vain without public virtue . . . .”
William A. Cocke

“No polity can be devised which shall perpetuate freedom among a people that are dead to honor and integrity. Liberty and virtue are twin sisters, and the best fabric in the world . . . .”
James H. Thornwell

“[P]erfect freedom consists in obeying the dictates of right reason, and submitting to natural law. When a man goes beyond or contrary to the law of nature and reason, he . . . introduces confusion and disorder into society . . . [thus] where licentiousness begins, liberty ends.”
Samuel West

“When was public virtue to be found when private was not?”
William Cowper

“The laws by which the Divine Ruler of the universe has decreed an indissoluble connection between public happiness and private virtue, whatever apparent exceptions may delude our short-sighted judgments, never fail to vindicate their supremacy and immutability.”
William Cabell Rives

“Unless virtue guide us our choice must be wrong.”
William Penn

“If men be good, government cannot be bad.”
William Penn

“Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall, when the wise are banished from the public councils, because they dare to be honest, and the profligate are rewarded, because they flatter the people, in order to betray them.”
Joseph Story

“The life of the nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful and virtuous.”
Frederick Douglas

“[R]eligion, morality and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall be forever encouraged.”
Northwest Ordinance of 1787

“I consider the domestic virtue of the Americans as the principle source of all their other qualities. It acts as a promoter of industry, as a stimulus to enterprise and as the most powerful restraint of public vice. . . . No government could be established on the same principle as that of the United States with a different code of morals.”
Francis Grund

“The American Constitution is remarkable for its simplicity; but it can only suffice a people habitually correct in their actions, and would be utterly inadequate to the wants of a different nation. Change the domestic habits of the Americans, their religious devotion, and their high respect for morality, and it will not be necessary to change a single letter in the Constitution in order to vary the whole form of their government.”
Francis Grund

“History fails to record a single precedent in which nations subject to moral decay have not passed into political and economic decline. There has been either a spiritual awakening to overcome the moral lapse, or a progressive deterioration leading to ultimate national disaster.”
Douglas MacArthur

“[Liberty] considers religion as the safeguard of morality, and morality as the best security of law and the surest pledge of the duration of freedom.”
Alexis de Tocqueville

“I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her comodious harbors and her ample rivers, and it was not there; in her fertile fields and boundless prairies; and it was not there; in her rich mines and her vast commerce, and it was not there. Not until I visited the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”
An old adage attributed to Alexis de Tocqueville

“Somehow strangely the vice of men gets well represented and protected but their virtue has none to plead its cause — nor any charter of immunities and rights.”
Henry David Thoreau

“To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society.”
Theodore Roosevelt

“We have never stopped sin by passing laws; and in the same way, we are not going to take a great moral ideal and achieve it merely by law.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower

“No government at any level, or at any price, can afford, on the crime side, the police necessary to assure our safety unless the overwhelming majority of us are guided by an inner, personal code of morality. And you will not get that inner, personal code of morality unless children are brought up in a family — a family that gives them the affection they seek, that makes them feel they belong, that guides them to the future, and that will build continuity in future generations. . . . the greatest inequality today is not inequality of wealth or income. It is the inequality between the child brought up in a loving, supportive family and one who has been denied that birthright.”
Lady Margaret Thatcher

“A state is nothing more than a reflection of its citizens; the more decent the citizens, the more decent the state.”
Ronald Reagan

“Today it would be progress if everyone would stop talking about values. Instead, let us talk, as the Founders did, about virtues.”
George Will

“The ultimate success of this government and the stability of its institutions, its progress in all that can make a nation honored, depend upon its adherence to the principles of truth and righteousness.”
John Lord

“Righteousness exalteth a nation.”
Proverbs 14:34