•• Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another.
~ Malachi 3:16 ••
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This blog by Terry Haines reaches out to those Biblical thinkers who want Christianity to once again greatly influence our society.
I offer my opinions and observations.
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The Convention of States (COS) Movement
I am an avid supporter for the Convention of States movement. But many people don't know what that is. So let me do some explaining.
There are two ways to bring about an Amendment to our US Constitution. In the almost 250 years our country has existed, we have only used only one of these ways. Our country went through the Congress to adopt Constitutional Amendments. But what if Congress and the federal government are themselves the problem? Our wise Founders provided a second route for Constitutional Amendments. It is using the states. This way is also found in Article 5 of our Constitution.
This second method reads:
...or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments...
Because the different states have to agree on the purpose for this assembly, those who propose we now take this path have given three intentions on what we consider for Constitutional Amendments. These are:
Limit Their Time
That is, make an Amendment that will bring about term limits for many or all federal Representatives. This could include the US Senate, the US House of Representatives, the Supreme Court Justices, and perhaps bureaucrats or other federal employees. This Amendment has widespread approval. According to one poll, 87% of Americans want term limits for their Representatives. Many other polls express at least 80% approval of term limits.
Limit Their Power
When our country was founded the Constitution placed many limits on what powers or authorities the federal government had. Through some really bad Supreme Court decisions over many decades, we now have a federal government that for all practical purposes has no limit at all on their powers. Our government that was designed to serve and protect its citizens is now very clearly the master of its citizens. The answer is to clearly limit the federal powers and bring power back to the states and the people.
Limit Their Money
Our country desperately needs some form of fiscal control. Our country is so far in debt right now that when a baby is born, they already owe the federal government around $100,000. Three out of every four dollars that we give the government in Income Taxes is spent to pay the INTEREST on the federal debt. Our federal government is funded by one fourth of our income taxes and whatever they choose to borrow in our name. We spend more money on our national debt than we do on the Department of Defense. Forty percent of the money printed by the Federal Reserve has been printed since Covid-19, with most of that in the past several months. The Federal Reserve, which is a private banking system that lends to our government at interest, has existed since 1913. It is hard to imagine that we have overspent that much in that short of a time, but we have.
As this debt increases, one by one our government services will be impossible to maintain. The federal government has proven that they will not, most would say cannot, control themselves fiscally. The states must step up to this responsibility.
What Needs to Happen Now?
We have 19 states that have already agreed to bring about this Convention of States (COS). We need two-thirds, or 34 states to agree for this assembly to occur. The legislators have to agree to the Convention. The various governors have no say-so on this matter. COS is not a bill, but a proposal, a referendum. MICHIGAN is one of the states that still needs to agree to bring about this Convention.
If and when the 34 states agree to meet, all 50 states will meet with one Commissioner representing each state. They can have as many advisers as they wish to assist them, but when it comes to a vote, there is only one official vote per state, the Commissioner's vote. The different state legislatures will choose this Commissioner to represent the interest of that state. If the Commissioner does not follow the wishes of their state, they can be recalled and replaced at any time by the state legislatures.
When over half (26) of the commissioners agree on the wording of a proposed Constitutional Amendment, then it is sent to the states for ratification. This follows the exact same ratification procedure that we may be familiar with. Three-fourths (38) of the states have to agree on the Amendment for it to legally become part of our Constitution. That is a high standard. That means that if one chamber of 13 states does not agree to the Amendment, the Amendment fails to become part of our Constitution. This brings almost unbelievable safety to the entire procedure.
We desperately need this, for so many reasons. This one Convention could solve 80% of our frustrations with out federal government. But this Convention must be called at a STATE level.
I am personally aware of no purer political movement..
If you would like your state legislators to support this Convention, then contact them through the Convention of States web site and sign the petition to make this a reality.
Also - let me dwell on the obvious - you can also elect me to the State House.
That will help the movement.
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• Why do I believe the Convention of States is consistent with my Christian faith?
First of all, debt is compared in the Bible to slavery.
...[T]he borrower is slave to the lender.
~ Proverbs 22:7
Also, printing money with no backing, such as gold or silver, creates inflation. Inflation is the cruelest of all government taxes. It hurts the poor the most. What the Federal Reserve does is legal counterfeiting. It sucks up our money and gives it to the wealthiest people on the planet. Don't tell me that you want to care for the poor and try to tell me at the same time that you support the existence of the Federal Reserve. That is a contradiction.
Whoever oppresses the poor taunts their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors Him.
~ Proverbs 14:31
I believe in personal freedom and personal responsibility. Why should the federal government have unlimited power? Bring the power back to the states and the people where it belongs and where our Founders intended it to be. Government service should be just that - service - not an ambitious life long career choice
...[Jesus] said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be...servant of all.”
~ Mark 9:35
Bringing power back to the states will bring accountability to our representatives. We don't want people in government representing whoever will fund their campaigns and cover up their mistakes. We want to keep a fresh supply of new people with new ideas and new skills. I believe in the benefit of term limits.
I support the Convention of States because I want to give a gift to my children and my grandchildren. Children are not a burden. They are a blessing.
Children are indeed a heritage from the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is His reward.
~ Psalm 127:3
If we bring about the Convention of States, it will cause us to rediscover that our nation was founded on Biblical principles. The Convention of States may, perhaps more than any other single event, bring about world-wide revival.
We have hundreds of pages of documents from our nation's founders. We also have 250 years of history of how we have gone wrong. Let me add a personal desire. When our country was founded there were three people groups who were not represented in that founding. These were women, slaves, and native Americans. Women now have a say in the course of our country. But the Convention of States now brings about the new possibility that the descendants of slaves and the descendants of native Americans can help us rediscover the good in our country's foundation, yet bring about a better society.
I believe that the Church should begin to pursue the Convention of States with the same zeal they pursue the right to life. We should ask every state representative two questions as a litmus test.
~ Will you support the rights of the pre-born?
~ Will you support the Convention of States?
If the answer for both of those questions is yes, then consider these candidates further for state office. If the answer for either one of these questions is no, then find someone else as a candidate or run for office yourself.
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The State of Oklahoma calls the Bible a necessary historical document.
~ Without the Bible you do not have a complete understanding of western civilization.
~ The Bible is a basis of our legal system.
~ The Bible is a foundational document in the creation of our Constitution.
~ We find major points in history that refer to the Bible.
~ Martin Luther King Jr. used the Bible as a major impetus for Civil Rights.
• Oxford Professor of Math Argues Theism and Christianity (About ten minutes)
Feeling that we have to choose between God and Science is a false dichotomy at best.
Let me add that church and state are not dichotomies, completely separate, but intricately interconnected. We should not be afraid of that.
• Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them.
~ Psalm 111:2
• In Ezekiel 37:1-14, we hear the story God gave about the dry bones. "Can these bones live?", God asks. "Only You know", Ezekiel answers. Those dry bones were symbolic of Israel. But what if we ask the same question of our ineffective body of Christ, the body of Christ that has lost almost every battle in the worldly cultural war? What if we ask that same question of America? Let us prophesy the words God wants us to prophesy. Let us say to the church and let us say to America, "LIVE !"
There's more to the story than you know (6:12).
• Family love
• 3 important facts Christians need to know about Tim Walz. From Blaze Media.
~ Abortion
~ LGBTQ Agenda
~ COVID pandemic and religious freedom
• BREAKING NEWS: JD Vance Discusses Christian Faith, Meaning Of 'Grace' At 'God And Country' Breakfast
• Prophetic Dream Warns of Election Surprise: Chris Reed (34:51).
Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets.
~ Amos 3:7
I believe this part of the Bible is for all time, not just the Old Testament time. What I can't tell you is who God is using currently as a prophet. Still, the message is interesting.
• What does it mean for a woman to be a helper to her husband?
The interviewer is Candace Owens.
• African American Pastors Preaching Goes Viral: Alton R Williams
This pastor is admonishing his fellow blacks to not be fooled into voting in evil to stay with the black narrative.
• Mark Walberg (actor, producer) was asked about his Catholic faith and how abortion was at an all-time high.
"So, a man who doesn't want to take care of his kids is a deadbeat Dad. But a woman who doesn't want to is pro-choice. It doesn't make sense and I think everybody needs to be real with themselves."
• Don't miss out on this beautiful Olympic story.
• The Myth of The Separation of Church and State from Wallbuilders.
• View an attack on "Christian Nationalists" because they believe rights come from God. So that makes them dangerous, according to the reporter.
The reporter needs to reread the Declaration of Independence. It says we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights.
This criticism is a way to get Christians to NOT VOTE for Christian values.
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