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ReactorSTUDIES FROM BRETHREN IN CHRIST
SERMON MENU SELECTIONS??/??/202? ~ Best Presidential Quotations #1 – #10 |
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♔ Darkness drifts upon an empty horizon. Greatness is built on timeless truths. * Seeking a successful publishing arrangement. A more extensive manuscript has been constructed. Bonus PowerPoint:  Washington to Lincoln Timeline.pptx
In the course of human events time slips on. In each moment, those of curious and wondering minds question the reality about. Characters develop with both sharp and soft demeanors as situations and conditions unravel. Memories either dominate or passions ahead guide. For us to be the nation inspired of free men desiring a better way, of good conscience under God’s grace, we cannot abandon those things believed by the great and noble souls of the past. Many genuine so hard fought for our enlightenment, and forged the pathways we now enjoy. If we dismiss or forget their careful examination of truths, and determined thoughts of wisdom, surely they will be lost to the coffins of the past. PART 1 1. George Washington (1789-1797) “It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible.” “Do not let any one claim to be a true American if they ever attempt to remove religion from politics.” “Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.” 2. John Adams (1797-1801) “As the safety and prosperity of nations ultimately and essentially depend on the protection and the blessing of Almighty God, and the national acknowledgment of this truth is not only an indispensable duty which the people owe to Him.” “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” “Human passions unbridled by morality and religion…would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net.” Duty to God builds the best civilizations
“I have examined all religions, and the result is that the Bible is the best book in the world.” 3. Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809) “The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of a people that these liberties are of the Gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever.” “Because religious belief, or non-belief, is such an important part of every person’s life, freedom of religion affects every individual. Religious institutions that use government power in support of themselves and force their views on persons of other faiths, or of no faith, undermine all our civil rights. Moreover, state support of an established religion tends to make the clergy unresponsive to their own people, and leads to corruption within religion itself. Erecting the “wall of separation between church and state,” therefore, is absolutely essential in a free society.” “The clergy converted the simple teachings of Jesus into an engine for enslaving mankind and adulterated by artificial constructions into a contrivance to filch wealth and power themselves … these clergy, in fact, constitute the real Anti-Christ.” Religious Authority is declared by God, Not man
“Sir, no nation has ever yet existed or been governed without religion. Nor can be. The Christian religion is the best religion that has been given to man, and I as chief magistrate of this nation am bound to give it the sanction of my example.” 4. James Madison (1809-1817) “We have staked the whole future of American civilization not on the power of government, far from it. We have staked the whole of our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves according to the commandments of God. The future and success of America is not in this Constitution, but in the laws of God upon which this Constitution is founded.” “It is the duty of every man to render to the Creator such homage ... Before any man can be considered as a member of Civil Society, he must be considered as a subject of the Governor of the Universe...” “Whilst we assert for ourselves a freedom to embrace, to profess and observe the Religion which we believe to be of divine origin, we cannot deny equal freedom to those whose minds have not yet yielded to the evidence which has convinced us. If this freedom be abused, it is an offense against God, not against man: To God, therefore, not to man, must an account of it be rendered. ” “During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What has been its fruits? More or less, in all places, pride and indolence in the clergy; ignorance and servility in the laity; in both, superstition, bigotry, and persecution.” Weakness of Flesh Shunts Nobility
“If men were angels, no government would be necessary.” “Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm.” “If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.” 5. James Monroe (1817-1825) “Before any man can be considered as a member of civil society, he must be considered as a subject of the Governor of the Universe. And to the same Divine Author of every good and perfect gift we are indebted for all those privileges and advantages, religious as well as civil, which are so richly enjoyed in this favored land.” There is the transparent part of a soul, while other parts are preserved hidden. Integrity is to draw from the obvious leaving those hidden parts of power scheming hypocrisy behind. What is plain has no greater value. Crippling the rise of humanity, in the truth of God, leadership is atrocious when it unjustly condemns its own. The failings of men are found in their thirst for power and self-interest over outcries for justice. Therefore, God opened a door for men to find family, and a nation of free conscience, to worship God in one’s own spirit and truth. Inspiration’s seed is a desire for change
The unity we hold comes only by the truths we cherish PART 2 6. John Quincy Adams (1825-1829) “The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity.” “The first and almost the only book deserving of universal attention is the Bible. I speak as a man of the world to men of the world; and I say to you, Search the Scriptures! The Bible is the book of all others, to be read at all ages, and in all conditions of human life; not to be read once or twice or thrice through, and then laid aside, but to be read in small portions of one or two chapters every day, and never to be intermitted, unless by some overruling necessity.” “The Bible contains the revelation of the will of God. It contains the history of the creation of the world, and of mankind.” “The Sermon on the Mount commands me to lay up for myself treasures, not upon earth, but in Heaven. My hopes of a future life are all founded upon the Gospel of Christ.” “There are three points of doctrine the belief of which forms the foundation of all morality. The first is the existence of God; the second is the immortality of the human soul; and the third is a future state of rewards and punishments. Suppose it possible for a man to disbelieve either of these three articles of faith and that man will have no conscience, he will have no other law than that of the tiger or the shark. 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.” Harmony can only be found from within
“THE Gospel of Christ not only differs from all other systems of religion in the superior excellence of the truths it reveals, but also in the directions it gives for the propagation of its doctrines. Other systems seek to advance themselves by invoking the aid of the secular power, and by forcing men, against their convictions, to accept a theory repugnant to their views. They have thus succeeded in thronging their temples with hypocritical worshippers, bound to their altars through fear and slavish dread. These systems, in order to maintain themselves, find it necessary to proscribe and persecute all who differ from them, either in their articles of belief or mode of worship. But the Gospel of Christ, though it is the infallible truth of God, expressly prohibits a resort to any such measures for its advancement. It not only teaches its adherents to utterly abandon the use of carnal weapons for its propagation, but it also charges them not to proscribe those who may differ in their views or mode of worship. This principle is directly expressed in the text and its connection. The teaching of the Savior has been violated, however, even by his professed followers; and, in the name of the meek and lowly Jesus, men have gone forth with proscription, oppression, and persecution, to advance their own opinions, and crush out that liberty of thought, and those rights of conscience vouchsafed to man by his Maker, and the free exercise of which is alone compatible with his personal accountability.” ... we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. ... ~ Galatians 1:8-9 “...he [Muhammad] declared undistinguishing and exterminating war, as a part of his religion, against all the rest of mankind ... The precept of the Koran is, perpetual war against all who deny, that Mahomet is the prophet of God.” “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” “It was the special purpose of Christ's appearance upon earth to bring immortality to light.” 7. Andrew Jackson (1829-1837) “That book [Bible], sir, is the Rock on which our Republic rests.” “From the earliest ages of history to the present day there have never been thirteen millions of people associated in one political body who enjoyed so much freedom and happiness as the people of these United States. You have no longer any cause to fear dangers from abroad ... It is from within, among yourselves - from cupidity, from corruption, from disappointed ambition and inordinate thirst for power - that factions will be formed and liberty endangered ...” Freedom is only free when concern for others is the Bond
“Go to the Scriptures... the joyful promises it contains will be a balsam to all your troubles.” 8. Martin Van Buren (1837-1841) “I only look to the gracious protection of the Divine Being whose strengthening support I humbly solicit, and whom I fervently pray to look down upon us all. May it be among the dispensations of His Providence to bless our beloved country with honors and with length of days; may her ways beways of pleasantness, and all her paths be peace.” 9. William Henry Harrison (1841) "I deem the present occasion sufficiently important and solemn to justify me in expressing to my fellow-citizens a profound reverence for the Christian religion and a thorough conviction that sound morals, religious liberty, and a just sense of religious responsibility are essentially connected with all true and lasting happiness; ….” Clear how to obtain peace beyond understanding
“Conscience, that vicegerent of God in the human heart, whose "still small voice" the loudest revelry cannot drown.” 10. John Tyler (1841-1845) “Let it be henceforth proclaimed to the world that man's conscience was created free; that he is no longer accountable to his fellow man for his religious opinions, being responsible therefore only to his God.” 11. James K. Polk (1845-1849) “Under the blessings of Divine Providence ... It becomes us in humility to make our devout acknowledgments to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for the inestimable civil and religious blessings with which we are favored.” 12. Zachary Taylor (1849-1850) “The Bible is the best of books, and I wish it were in the hands of every one. It is indispensable to the safety and permanence of our institutions. A free government can not exist without religion and morals, and there cannot be morals without religion. Especially should the Bible be placed in the hands of the young. It is the best school book in the world. I would that all our people were brought up under the influence of that holy book.” Without Faith in God Societies Crumble
One cannot avoid principles of truth, even if ignored, denied, or innocently unnoticed. To obtain the greatest in individual life was the goal of the founding fathers of America. Ignorance and shortness of memory demands truth’s refreshing, and constant reminder, to build a cemented foundation, either personal or global. The magic dust of life is the hope we have for one another. Without conscience, the sting of hate buries those lacking of it. Persecutors play boss absent of following the will of God. Accountability to God rises over the threats of man. God’s simple truth cuts through all the lies propagated of men. What defeats a people is unhappy mean spirits allowed to dominate without accountability. Troubles inevitable increase where God is not considered as the rule of law. Responsibility is a sign of honesty. Blessed is where each is able to answer to their own conscience, to God alone. True religion embodies safety through morals strengthening all who would have her, the bride of God. Leadership is built upon godliness. Uprising from tyranny the cry goes out to God
What is Holy rises from the heart of honesty PART 3 13. Millard Fillmore (1850-1853) “May God save the country, for it is evident that the people will not.” “God knows that I detest slavery, but it is an existing evil, for which we are not responsible, and we must endure it, till we can get rid of it without destroying the last hope of free government in the world.” 14. Franklin Pierce (1853-1857) “But let not the foundation of our hope rest upon man's wisdom. It will not be sufficient that sectional prejudices find no place in the public deliberations. It will not be sufficient that the rash counsels of human passion are rejected. It must be felt that there is no national security but in the nation's humble, acknowledged dependence upon God and His overruling providence.” Real Security is given by God
15. James Buchanan (1857-1861) “The Government of the United States possesses no power whatever over the question of religion.” “I am the last President of the United States!” 16. Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865) “That I am not a member of any Christian Church, is true; but I have never denied the truth of the Scriptures; and I have never spoken with intentional disrespect of religion in general, or of any denomination of Christians in particular.” “When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That’s my religion.” “I am for liberty of conscience in its noblest, broadest, and highest sense. But I cannot give liberty of conscience to the pope and his followers, the papists, so long as they tell me, through all their councils, theologians, and canon laws that their conscience orders them to burn my wife, strangle my children, and cut my throat when they find their opportunity.” “I see a very dark cloud on America's horizon, and that cloud is coming from Rome.” “The war, the American Civil War of 1861-1865, would never have been possible without the sinister influence of the Jesuits.” “When any church will inscribe over its altar, as its sole qualification for membership, the Savior's condensed statement of the substance of both law and Gospel, 'Thou shalt love the lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and thy neighbor as thyself' that church will I join with all my heart and all my soul.” “Surely God would not have created such a being as man, with an ability to grasp the infinite, to exist only for a day! No, no, man was made for immortality.” “Near eighty years ago we began by declaring that all men are created equal; but now from that beginning we have run down to the other declaration, that for SOME men to enslave OTHERS is a "sacred right of self-government." These principles cannot stand together. They are as opposite as God and mammon; and whoever holds to the one, must despise the other.” “The Bible says somewhere that we are desperately selfish. I think we would have discovered that fact without the Bible.” “I know that the Lord is always on the side of the right. But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation should be on the Lord's side.” “Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.” “I do not boast that God is on my side, I humbly pray that I am on God's side.” “Don't pray that God's on our side, pray that we're on his side.” “Faith is not believing that God can, but that God will.” “Freedom is the natural condition of the human race, in which the Almighty intended men to live. Those who fight the purpose of the Almighty will not succeed. They always have been, they always will be beaten.” “The only assurance of our nation's safety is to lay our foundation in morality and religion.” “My friends I now leave, not knowing when, or whether ever, I may return, with a task before me greater than that which rested upon Washington. Without the assistance of that Divine Being, who ever attended him, I cannot succeed. With that assistance, I cannot fail.” “It is the eternal struggle between these two principles - right and wrong. They are the two principles that have stood face to face from the beginning of time and will ever continue to struggle. It is the same spirit that says, "You work and toil and earn bread, and I'll eat it." “I appeal to all loyal citizens to favor, facilitate and aid this effort to maintain the honor, the integrity, and the existence of our National Union, and the perpetuity of popular government; and to redress wrongs already long enough endured.” The heart of all truth is undeniable
“And upon this act [Emancipation Proclamation] ... I invoke ...the gracious favor of Almighty God.” “I will either be America's greatest president or its last.” Allegiance to God is only obtained by the noble of heart who give their whole. Without submitting to God, the true heights of existence can never be found. Down is to up and direction either lifts or descends in the story we all travel. Between pain and glory, honorable are the self- sacrificing hard workers that claim no credit, just hope, and love of others. That value from above pays conscience in memories of loneliness and inspiration, either through imagination or God’s own grace of providence. Living comes by individual salvation as the foundation, and delivers all that is higher where angels dwell. To be right with God lifts one above all of mankind
Long is the stretch in time to eternity's gate PART 4 16. Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865) “You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence. You cannot help people permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.” Cultures spiral on perpetual poverty without equitable prospects
“Any society that takes away from those most capable and gives to the least will perish.” “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.” “You must remember that some things legally right are not morally right.” “When I left Springfield [to become President] I asked the people to pray for me. I was not a Christian. When I buried my son, the severest trial of my life, I was not a Christian. But when I went to Gettysburg and saw the graves of thousands of our soldiers, I then and there consecrated myself to Christ.” “I am profitably engaged in reading the Bible. Take all of this Book upon reason that you can, and the balance by faith, and you will live and die a better man (When a skeptic expressed surprise to see him reading a Bible).” “In regard to this Great Book, I have but to say, it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Savior gave to the world was communicated through this book. But for it we could not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man's welfare, here and hereafter, are to be found portrayed in it. ” “All things desirable to men are contained in the Bible.” “The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.” “Don't kneel to me, that is not right. You must kneel to God only, and thank Him for the liberty you will hereafter enjoy.” 17. Andrew Johnson (1865-1869) “Let us look forward to the time when we can take the flag of our country and nail it below the Cross, and there let it wave as it waved in the olden times, and let us gather around it and inscribed for our motto: 'Liberty and Union, one and inseparable, now and forever,' and exclaim, 'Christ first, our country next!'” “I have performed my duty to my God, my country, and my family. I have nothing to fear in approaching death. To me it is the mere shadow of God's protecting wing . . . Here I will rest in quiet and peace beyond the reach of calumny's poisoned shaft, the influence of envy and jealous enemies, where treason and traitors or State backsliders and hypocrites in church can have no peace.” 18. Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877) “Hold fast to the Bible as the sheet anchor of your liberties. Write its precepts in your hearts, practice them in your lives.” “Hold fast to the Bible. To the influence of this Book we are indebted for all the progress made in true civilization and to this we must look as our guide in the future.” “Two commanders on the same field are always one too many.” 19. Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-1881) “Every age has its temptations, its weaknesses, its dangers. Ours is in the line of the snobbish and the sordid.” “Conscience is the authentic voice of God to you.” “The religion of the Bible is the best in the world. I see the infinite value of religion. Let it be always encouraged. A world of superstition and folly have grown up around its forms and ceremonies. But the truth in it is one of the deep sentiments in human nature.” “I hope you will be benefitted by your churchgoing. Where the habit does not Christianize, it generally civilizes. That is reason enough for supporting churches, if there were no higher.” The larger scheme is God’s salvation for man
“The best religion the world has ever known is the religion of the Bible. It builds up all that is good.” In establishing an excellence of a people, many factors play crucial roles. Independence and opportunity assists in the inspiration to pursue the lives each has been given, over the idleness and complacency that has destroyed so many previous civilizations. God has made everyone to uniquely become someone. Competence cannot be substituted with amateurs, and if the most capable are not utilized, and preferred, society becomes more mediocre, rather than exceptional. Having a common set of ideals is what draws the success of a people. Purpose is vital to each and all if enlightenment is to be had. By abandoning Bible principles, corruption engulfs the retreating unity. When lawlessness is rampant in defiance of authority (time-honored laws for order), all is but collapsed, socially. Without noble qualities of common citizenship, people build their lives behind locked doors, or if reduced to homelessness, they can be pillaged out in the open by thugs or roaming gangs. Anarchy arrives when criminals are set free, and authority does not expeditiously enforce accountability, embracing lies over truth. Delayed justice is injustice. Many have fought for the truth where God delivers
No man can finish the tasks laid before him PART 5 20. James A. Garfield (1881) “I believe in God, and I trust myself in His hands.” “Men are tending to materialism. Houses, lands, and worldly goods attract their attention, and as a mirage lure them on to death. Christianity, on the other hand leads only the natural body to death, and for the spirit, it points out a house not built with hands, eternal in the heavens ... Let me urge you to follow Him, not as the Nazarene, the Man of Galilee, the carpenter's son, but as the ever living spiritual person, full of love and compassion, who will stand by you in life and death and eternity.” What one falls for declares depth of character
“The world's history is a divine poem, of which the history of every nation is a canto, and every man a word. Its strains have been pealing along down the centuries, and though there have been mingled the discords of warring cannon and dying men, yet to the Christian philosopher and historian - the humble listener - there has been a Divine melody running through the song which speaks of hope and halcyon days to come.” “But for we could not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man's welfare... are to be found portrayed in it.” 21. Chester Arthur (1881-1885) “If it were not for the reporters, I would tell you the truth.” 22. Grover Cleveland (1885-1889) “All must admit that the reception of the teachings of Christ results in the purest patriotism, in the most scrupulous fidelity to public trust, and in the best type of citizenship.” “And let us not trust to human effort alone, but humbly acknowledging the power and goodness of Almighty God, who presides over the destiny of nations, and who has at all times been revealed in our country's history, let us invoke His aid and His blessings upon our labors.” 23. Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893) “If you take out your statutes, your constitution, your family life, all that is taken from the sacred book, what would there be left to bind society together?” “God forbid that the day should ever come when, in the American mind, the thought of man as a consumer shall submerge the old American thought of man as a creature of God, endowed with unalienable rights.” What one emphasizes declares the outcome
“Have you not learned that not stocks or bonds or stately houses, or products of the mill or field are our country? It is a spiritual thought that is in our minds.” 24. Grover Cleveland (1893-1897) “I know that human prejudice - especially that growing out of race and religion - is cruelly inveterate and lasting.” “A government for the people must depend for its success on the intelligence, the morality, the justice, and the interest of the people themselves.” Only communities in agreement find victory
25. William McKinley (1897-1901) “Our faith teaches that there is no safer reliance than upon the God of our fathers who has so singularly favored the American people in every national trial and who will not forsake us so long as we obey His commandments and walk humbly in His footsteps.” “The more profoundly we study this wonderful Book, and the more closely we observe its divine precepts, the better citizens we will become and the higher will be our destiny as a nation.” 26. Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909) “A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.” “I enter a most earnest plea that in our hurried and rather bustling life of today we do not lose the hold that our forefathers had on the Bible. I wish to see the Bible study as much a matter of course in the secular colleges as in the seminary. No educated man can afford to be ignorant of the Bible, and no uneducated man can afford to be ignorant of the Bible.” “It is necessary for the welfare of the nation that men's lives be based on the principles of the Bible. No man, educated or uneducated, can afford to be ignorant of the Bible.” “I believe that the next half century will determine if we will advance the cause of Christian civilization or revert to the horrors of brutal paganism.” “If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month.” “Envy is as evil a thing as arrogance.” “The foes from whom we pray to be delivered are our own passions, appetites, and follies; and against these there is always need that we should war.” “There is not one among us in whom a devil does not dwell; at some time, on some point, that devil masters each of us... It is not having been in the Dark House, but having left it, that counts.” “A churchless community, a community where men have abandoned and scoffed at or ignored their religious needs, is a community on the rapid downgrade.” Where a people abandon the Bible, death destroys, and truth becomes a lie. In climbing toward greater understandings, through the Bible’s wisdom, it is death that delivers life. Spiritual awareness is only available to those who surrender to God and His gift of life. If the river of living water is damned, the people suffocate of thirst. Freedom has always been an expression of faith where men find love in the loyalty of their souls, to themselves and others. Principles of integrity and commitment are the cornerstones of sure strength in any and all successful enterprises. Climbing back to God revolves around truth
The Bible delivers divine truths freeing the soul and building a people PART 6 27. William Howard Taft (1909-1913) “The precepts of the Gospel were universally the obligations of Masonry.” “The Masonic system represents a stupendous and beautiful fabric, founded on universal purity, to rule and direct our passions, to have faith and love in God, and charity toward man.” 28. Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921) “When you have read the Bible, you know it is the word of God, because it is the key to your heart, your own happiness, and your duty.” “The Bible is the supreme source of revelation of the meaning of life, the nature of God, and the spiritual nature and needs of men. It is the only guide of life which really leads the spirit in the way of peace and salvation. America was born a Christian nation. America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness which are derived from the revelations of Holy Scripture.” Scarcely given is the truth for all to know
“If you lose your wealth, you have lost nothing; if you lose your health, you have lost something; but if you lose your character, you have lost everything.” Character rises from the heart when on the spot
“No people are true Christians who do not think constantly of how they can lift their brother and sister, how they can assist their friends, how they can enlighten mankind, how they can make virtue the rule of conduct in the circle in which they live.” “I am sorry for men who do not read the Bible every day. I wonder why they deprive themselves of the strength and pleasure.” “Fear God and you need not fear anyone else.” “My urgent advice to you would be, not only always to think first of America, but always, also, to think first of humanity. You do not love humanity if you seek to divide humanity into jealous camps. Humanity can be welded together only by love, by sympathy, by justice, not by jealousy and hatred. I am sorry for the man who seeks to make personal capital out of the passions of his fellowmen. He has lost touch with the ideal of America. For America was created to unite mankind.” Citizens love of country establishes unity
“A nation which does not remember what it was yesterday, does not know what it is today, nor what it is trying to do. We are trying to do a futile thing if we do not know where we came from or what we have been about.” “America was born a Christian nation. America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness, which are derived from Holy Scripture. Ladies and gentlemen, I have a very simple thing to ask of you. I ask of every man and woman in this audience that, from this night on, they will realize that part of the destiny of America lies in their daily perusal of this great Book of revelations. (The Bible) That if they would see America free and pure they will make their own spirits free and pure by the baptism of Holy Scripture.” “I firmly believe in Divine Providence. Without belief in Providence I think I should go crazy. Without God the world would be a maze without a clue.” 29. Warren G. Harding (1921-1923) “We need citizens who are less concerned about what their government can do for them, and more concerned about what they can do for the nation.” 30. Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929) “The strength of our country is the strength of its religious convictions. The foundations of our society and our government rest so much on the teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country.” “It is hard to see how a great man can be an atheist. Without the sustaining influence of faith in a divine power we could have little faith in ourselves. We need to feel that behind us is intelligence and love. Doubters do not achieve; skeptics do not contribute; cynics do not create. Faith is the great motive power, and no man realizes his full possibilities unless he has the deep conviction that life is eternally important, and that his work, well done, is a part of an unending plan.” Through faith kingdoms are established
The root of peace is love. Where men live for contempt of one another, there is no leadership. Help can only be found through compassionate hearts healing what is broken. Many splendid arrays cross the ages where people have joined in a cause for all; the rock of golden times is the unity found in thankfulness. Freedom of Faith is what causes blessings to arrive, dismissing doubters and sceptics to the avalanche of the past. Hearts ache where lack of faith doubts
The Bible brings the truth of God home PART 7 30. Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929) “The government of a country never gets ahead of the religion of a country. There is no way by which we can substitute the authority of the law for the virtues of men.” Only ethical morals hold civilization up
“It is only when men begin to worship that they begin to grow.” “Our government rests upon religion. It is from that source that we derive our reverence for truth and justice, for equality and liberty, and for the rights of mankind. Unless the people believe in these principles they cannot believe in our government.” Religious values inspire men of good character
“The danger to America is not in the direction of the failure to maintain its economic position, but in the direction of the failure to maintain its ideals.” “Unless the people, through unified action, arise and take charge of their government, they will find that their government has taken charge of them. Independence and liberty will be gone, and the general public will find itself in a condition of servitude to an aggregation of organized and selfish interest.” “If American democracy is to remain the greatest hope of humanity, it must continue abundantly in the faith of the Bible.” 31. Herbert Hoover (1929-1933) “The study of the Bible is a post-graduate course in the richest library of human experience.” “The whole inspiration of our civilization springs from the teachings of Christ and the lessons of the prophets. To read the Bible for these fundamentals is a necessity of American life.” “There is no other book so various as the Bible, nor one so full of concentrated wisdom. Whether it be of law, business, morals...he who seeks for guidance...may look inside its covers and find illumination ...” “We are indebted to the Book of books (Bible) for our national ideals and institution. Their preservation rests in adhering to it's precepts.” “Our strength lies in spiritual concepts. It lies in public sensitivities to evil. Our greatest danger is not from invading armies. Our dangers are that we may commit suicide from within by complaisance with evil, or by public tolerance of scandalous behavior.” “Menaced by collectivist trends, we must seek revival of our strength in the spiritual foundations which are the bedrock of our republic. Democracy is the outgrowth of the religious conviction of the sacredness of every human life. On the religious side, its highest embodiment is the Bible; on the political side, the Constitution.” 32. Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945) “[The United States is] founded on the principles of Christianity.” “I am a Christian and a Democrat, that's all.” “Lord, reform Thy world, beginning with me.” “Let us move forward with strong and active faith.” “We cannot read the history of our rise and development as a nation without reckoning with the place the Bible has occupied in shaping the advances of the Republic. Where we have been the truest and most consistent in obeying its precepts, we have attained the greatest measure of contentment and prosperity.” “As Commander-in-Chief, I take pleasure in commending the reading of the Bible to all who serve in the Armed Forces of the United States. Throughout the centuries, men of many faiths and diverse origins have found in the Sacred Book words of wisdom, counsel, and inspiration. It is a fountain of strength...an aid in attaining the highest aspiration of the human soul.” The truths of God bring humble souls comfort
“Freedom of speech is of no use to a man who has nothing to say and freedom of worship is of no use to a man who has lost his God.” “No greater blessing could come to our land today than a revival of the spirit of religion. I doubt if there is any problem in the world today -- social, political, or economic -- that would not find happy solution if approached in the spirit of the Sermon on the Mount.” The Sermon on the Mount holds matter of truth
“Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth.” “If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed.” – Adolf Hitler “We look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression. The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way. The third is freedom from want. The fourth is freedom from fear.” Ideals are bars of what is hoped in the heart
“I suggest a nationwide reading of the Holy Scriptures during the period from Thanksgiving Day to Christmas.” Noble virtuous ethical morals can so easily be dismissed when carnal desires overtake restrained thoughtfulness. Hearts of compassion inevitably have religious convictions, interested in the widest good, and they build what is best in a people. It is the Bible that has led the greatest of us. When the heartless rule the heartful, tyranny and repression plague the land. Leaders without strong religious principles tend to be dictators, against the good of the people, rather interested in their own selfish needs. Worshipping the self devours civility for others and blinds one from the larger picture held by faith. When a government rises above religious principles, the people are not served. True deep worship humbles a heart, inviting understanding in the face of all that we are. It is the difference between unethical simpletons and wisdom seekers. Forsaking those ideals we once held as dear to our hearts, such as truth, justice, equality, liberty, and the right to life, reduces the lot of us to a most pitiful condition. Our government was created to protect religious values, not to have them taken away under the guise of independence for all, even lawlessness. Catering to the complainers steals from the once moral majority. It is a mistake to believe freedom is without condition, and any selfish pursuit or perversion of indecency is the right of all individuals, at the expense of discarded virtues. Profane offensive bumper stickers and blatant media immorality deny the higher national character. It is a slippery slope when the wisdom and respect of God is cast-off. Our highest aspiration should be to be Holy, and without such, hell is one step away. The heights of truth are found in God’s Word
God’s counsel inspires strength of character PART 8 33. Harry S. Truman (1945-1953) “This Nation was established by men who believed in God. ... You will see the evidence of this deep religious faith on every hand.” “We believe that all men are created equal because they are created in the image of God.” “The fundamental basis of this Nation’s law was given to Moses on the Mount. The fundamental basis of our Bill of Rights comes from the teachings which we get from Exodus and St. Matthew, from Isaiah and St. Paul … If we don’t have a proper fundamental moral background, we will finally end up with a totalitarian government which does not believe in the rights for anybody except the State!” “We must never forget that this country was founded by men who came to these shores to worship God as they pleased. Catholics, Jews, and Protestants, all came here for this great purpose. They did not come here to do as they pleased - but to worship God as they pleased, and that is an important distinction.” “A person who is fundamentally honest doesn't need a code of ethics. The Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount are all the ethical code anybody needs.” “We must remember that the test of our religious principles lies not just in what we say, not only in our prayers, not even in living blameless lives - but in what we do for others.” Service is often challenged when sinfulness rules
34. Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961) “Without God there could be no American form of government, nor an American way of life. Recognition of the Supreme Being is the first, the most basic, expression of Americanism. Thus, the founding fathers of America saw it, and thus with God’s help, it will continue to be.” “The spirit of man is more important than mere physical strength, and the spiritual fiber of a nation than its wealth. The Bible is endorsed by the ages. Our civilization is built upon its words. In no other book is there such a collection of inspired wisdom, reality, and hope.” The truth can be refused but not denied
“In the highest sense the Bible is to us the unique repository of eternal spiritual truths.” “It is not a struggle merely of economic theories, or forms of government or of military power. At issue is the true nature of man. Either man is the creature whom the psalmist described as a little lower than the angels ... or man is a soulless, animated machine to be enslaved, used and consumed by the state for its own glorification. It is, therefore, a struggle which goes to the roots of the human spirit, and its shadow falls across the long sweep of man's destiny.” Only fools cannot see the truth
“We are particularly thankful to you for your part in the movement to have the words under God added to our Pledge of Allegiance. These words will remind Americans that despite our great physical strength we must remain humble. They will help us keep constantly in our minds and hearts the spiritual and moral principles which alone give dignity to man.” “If our founding fathers were alive today, they'd roll over in their graves.” 35. John F. Kennedy (1961-1963) “The rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.” “This country cannot afford to be materially rich and spiritually poor.” If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. ~ 1st John 1:10 “The great enemy of truth is very often not the lie -- deliberate, contrived and dishonest--but the myth--persistent, persuasive and unrealistic. Too often we hold fast to the cliches of our forebears. We subject all facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations. We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.” “This nation was founded by men of many nations and backgrounds. It was founded on the principle that all men are created equal, and that the rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened ... It ought to to be possible, in short, for every American to enjoy the privileges of being American without regard to his race or his color.” “I think it is appropriate that we pay tribute to this great constitutional principle which is enshrined in the First Amendment of the Constitution: the principle of religious independence, of religious liberty, of religious freedom.” “But I think it is also important that we pay tribute and acknowledge another great principle, and that is the principle of religious conviction. Religious freedom has no significance unless it is accompanied by conviction.” “Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal.” The Lord has created His nursery for a soul’s return
“The guiding principle of this Nation has been, is now, and ever shall be IN GOD WE TRUST.” If we lose that we were created in the image of God, curses rather than blessing will be upon us. Our country was meant for freedom of worship, not the abandonment of God. Still with us is His unending love, waiting for us to find the meaning of His touch in the unending river of life. To find God, and why men of past sacrificed and dedicated their lives for all, one must examine God’s word to see that truth above man’s miniscule convolutions, which are void of true insight. As we walk in the shadows of ignorance, evil dominates much of what surrounds us. Importance is declared by each heart, and what that is exposes depth of character, be it reverent or lawless. Sad is the practice of, “Kick them while they are down.” It is certainly a travesty when countless lawyers lie, and businesses rules by cheating the truth oppressing the honest. Greed is the downfall of all. Humanity has howled from the beginning, since love became dry and the tasteless pursuit of hate has dominated. Castles of heart are built where God dwells
Freedom rises from our love of God PART 9 36. Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969) “You might say that Lyndon Johnson is a cross between a Baptist preacher and a cowboy.” “Emancipation was a proclamation, but not a fact.” “Greater love hath no man than to attend the Episcopal Church with his wife.” “The separation of church and state is a source of strength, but the conscience of our nation does not call for separation between men of state and faith in the Supreme Being.” “We need to remember that the separation of church and state must never mean the separation of religious values from the lives of public servants. ... If we who serve free men today are to differ from the tyrants of this age, we must balance the powers in our hands with God in our hearts.” Common sense is lost without God
37. Richard Nixon (1969-1974) “The Soviet Union began by banishing God. The United States began as a community of people who wanted to worship God as they chose. ... Man does not live by bread alone. Those in the United States whose desire to create a strictly secular society is as strong as Lenin's was should study this Cold War lesson closely. Communism was defeated by an alliance spearheaded by 'one nation under God.'” “To a crisis of the spirit, we need an answer of the spirit. To find that answer, we need only look within ourselves. When we listen to the better angels of our nature, we find that they celebrate the simple things, the basic things--such as goodness, decency, love, kindness. Greatness comes in simple trappings.” One cannot enjoy what one does not have
“Remember, always give your best. Never get discouraged. Never be petty. Always remember, others may hate you. But those who hate you don't win unless you hate them. And then you destroy yourself.” Wisdom often comes from the coals of despair
38. Gerald Ford (1974-1977) “Without God there could be no American form of government, nor an American way of life.” “For millions of men and women, the church has been the hospital for the soul, the school for the mind and the safe depository for moral ideas.” Freedom without responsibility is perversion
“But the separation of church and state, although a fundamental principle to which I fully subscribe, was never intended in my view to separate public morality from public policy. 40. Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) “I believe with all my heart that standing up for America means standing up for the God who has so blessed our land.” “America needs God more than God needs America. If we ever forget that we are One Nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.” “Our National Motto - 'In God We Trust' - was not chosen lightly. It reflects a basic recognition that there is a divine authority in the universe to which this nation owes homage.” “Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face.” “Our liberty springs from and depends upon an abiding faith in God.” “We are never defeated unless we give up on God.” Once evil crawls into the mainstream it is a hard nut to remove. What has never changed is the intentions of the founding fathers to create a safe society, free of cleric domination, where individual worship of God could take precedence. Leaving our original principles behind changes us into something other than what the original founders were trying to accomplish, and prevent. Warnings from the beginning were sounded with fears of failure. By God’s own grace, we have endured though corruption that has crept at every corner, since honor became the civil cry of “Give me liberty or give me death.” Sorrowfully we must ask, have we lost the ideal of freedom under decency of God’s own declared word? Insatiable passions miss the peace of God’s calm
Forever is the playground of the faithful PART 10 40. Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) “The constitution was never meant to prevent people from praying; its declared purpose was to protect their freedom to pray.” “When our Founding Fathers passed the First Amendment, they sought to protect churches from government interference. They never intended to construct a wall of hostility between government and the concept of religious belief itself.” “Without God, there is no virtue because there is no prompting of the conscience... without God, there is a coarsening of the society; without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure.” “God, the source of all knowledge, should never have been expelled from our children's classrooms.” “The Bible and its teachings helped form the basis for the Founding Fathers' abiding belief in the inalienable rights of the individual.” “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.” “Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged.” “Freedom is one of the deepest and noblest aspirations of the human spirit.” “The American dream is not that every man must be level with every other man. The American dream is that every man must be free to become whatever God intends he should become.” “The time has come to turn to God and reassert our trust in Him for the healing of America - our country is in need of and ready for a spiritual renewal.” “[Our goal] is to help revive America's traditional values: faith, family, neighborhood, work and freedom. Government has no business enforcing these values but neither must it seek, as it did in the recent past, to suppress or replace them. That only robbed us of our tiller and set us adrift. Helping to restore these values will bring new strength, direction and dignity to our lives and to the life of our nation. It's on these values that we'll best build our future.” Truth does not change the value it maintains
“I'm convinced, more than ever, that man finds liberation only when he binds himself to God and commits himself to his fellow man.” “There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don’t care who gets the credit.” 41. George H. W. Bush (1989-1993) “My first act as president is a prayer. I ask you to bow your heads: Heavenly Father, we bow our heads and thank You for Your love. Accept our thanks for the peace that yields this day and the shared faith that makes its continuance likely. Make us strong to do Your work, willing to head and hear Your will, and write on our hearts these words: 'Use power to help people.' For we know that we are given power, not to advance our own purposes, nor to make a great show in the world, nor a name. There is but one just use of power, and it is to serve people. Help us to remember it Lord, Amen.” “No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered as patriots. This is one nation under God.” “Atheists are not Americans.” “Education is not complete unless we teach our children not only how to read and write but the difference between right and wrong.” “Something’s wrong when kids can get birth control in school but can’t say prayer in school.” “There is a God and He is good, and his love, while free, has a self imposed cost: We must be good to one another.” Great men and women have lived and died for the betterment of all, sacrificing in time and effort without measure. Passions with the love of life from God, and disgust for all evil persecutions, have driven souls to the edge of loss, yet eternal gain. Quantifying anything is at most difficult, in such a complex world, with all the variables of the past and present, known and unknown, and then lies mixed with truth? Each heart has uniquely been given. All have a common measure of ignorance in the vast ocean that rains upon all existence. To find freedom has always been a yearning of each soul, no matter age or place. Life has no borders of distinction as time moves on. As said, “The present is a gift.” Acknowledging that the Spirit sustains us is coming to God. Seasoned men of wisdom declared once for all the best of what could be for all. These inspirations rose from the truths given by God, the author of clarity. America was built upon the rock of faith from the very beginning. Certainly, faith is a chain of what has come before, and that which lies ahead. Insight and vision erected this country’s foundation, by the grace of God, and the blood sweating of man. In such an expanse of sacrifice, it is a travesty to now abandon our children, to the lusts of the flesh, void of such sacred eternal truths, which hover just above the dust. It is God who waits for our conscious return. Of all ever written, it is the Bible that shines the brightest for the world and individual souls to know. After all is said and done, love remains. No time has been void of troubles, yet even more perilous times arrive when godless ignorance rules the land. Atheists have no place in the community of man. Common sense is an ability to react, and even anticipate and implement solutions prior to a pending calamity or onslaught of evil. Many lack the ability to hear, half less see beyond themselves. And it is evil we battle in the divides of men. Men and women of all ages, races, and nations must pray for the salvation and mercy of God Almighty, to awaken what is written on the back of each of our hearts. God save us from ourselves! Answers have been given to questions of why
Heaven proclaims His goodness that never leaves us It is hard to put a man’s lifetime in a box. Darkness is filled with all that is absent. Presidential List & Tables |
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