"LEARNING FROM LINCOLN" - Ed Feulner / @EdFeulner / February 12, 2019 / https://www.dailysignal.com/2019/02/12/learning-from-lincoln/
George Washington was lauded as “first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen,” in the words of Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee. But even our nation’s first president couldn’t prevail over the desire for a three-day weekend.
Washington’s birthday, which falls on Feb. 22, was celebrated for decades on the actual day. But then, according to the History Channel’s website, “the holiday became popularly known as Presidents Day after it was moved as part of 1971’s Uniform Monday Holiday Act, an attempt to create more three-day weekends for the nation’s workers.” The result: Our first president—as well as President Abraham Lincoln, whose birthday falls on this day—are simply swallowed up in the name “Presidents Day”—which, the History Channel notes, “is now popularly viewed as a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents, past and present.”
That is, simply put, ridiculous. Are we seriously expected to put Washington on par with the scandal-ridden Warren G. Harding? Or place the Great Emancipator on the same level as James Buchanan, whose inability to deal with the slavery question helped hurtle the nation to the brink of civil war?
Yes, all Americans should have at least a passing acquaintance with all 45 occupants of the Oval Office. But only a few deserve to be celebrated. Head and shoulders above the rest are Washington, who was indispensable to the creation of our union, and Lincoln, who saved it.
Lincoln’s roles in steering the country through the Civil War and in ending the scourge of slavery are well known—and rightfully so. But we sometimes forget that it was, in large measure, his deep understanding of the Constitution that enabled him to rise to such greatness at the moment of crisis.
Take his view of the judiciary’s role in our structure of government. Lincoln, of course, deplored the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the 1857 Dred Scott case, which denied full citizenship rights to African-Americans. But in expressing his opposition, he affirmed the court’s role as a co-equal branch of government:
"The candid citizen must confess that if the policy of the government upon vital questions and affecting the whole people is to be irrevocably fixed by decisions of the Supreme Court, the people will have ceased to be their own rulers, having, to that extent, practically resigned their government into the hands of that eminent tribunal."
How can we learn from this today? In a speech marking the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth, former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese observed:
"I believe, following Lincoln’s example, that the Congress can be much more active and much more assertive in its role in relation to the judiciary. There are a number of ways in which this can happen. The Senate can more carefully fulfill its role in the selection of federal judges."
We should also, at a time when some politicians openly embrace socialism, remember Lincoln’s thoughts on liberty:
"I believe each individual is naturally entitled to do as he pleases with himself and the fruit of his labor, so far as it in no wise interferes with any other man’s rights and that the general government, upon principle, has no right to interfere with anything other than that general class of things that does concern the whole."
There’s another thing we can learn from Lincoln today, according to Meese: The importance of national unity.
"Lincoln was compelled to unify the nation by force of arms, and he also sought to unify the people themselves emotionally, by patience, compassion, and persuasion. I would suggest that, today, we must unify the nation by the force of our ideas, by the validity of our principles, and by the persuasiveness of our rhetoric."
When President Ronald Reagan called America “a shining city on a hill,” he echoed Lincoln: “My dream is of a place and time where America will once again be seen as the last, best hope on earth.” May it always be our dream as well.
[italics and colored emphasis mine]
Edwin J. Feulner’s 36 years of leadership as president of The Heritage Foundation transformed the think tank from a small policy shop into America’s powerhouse of conservative ideas. Read his research.
Originally published by The Washington Times
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PRAYER MATTERS:
"To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against
the disorder of the world. - Karl Barth
the disorder of the world. - Karl Barth
"Prayer is inviting God into a seemingly impossible situation and trusting/resting in His love and grace to accomplish His perfect will in His perfect time and for His greatest glory. Intercession is one of the great privileges AND responsibilities for EVERY believer."- Stan
World-Wide Prayer Requests:
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Praying Through the Open Doors World Watch List for persecuted believers:https://www.opendoorsusa.org/take-action/pray/monthly-prayer-calendar/
Secret believers in North Korea Winters can be very difficult in North Korea. Food is often scarce— especially this winter following the recent drought. However, even in the midst of this difficulty, Christians often share a portion of their rice with their neighbors—a practice called “holy rice.” One underground leader says, “It’s a great way to build trust and, after trust has been built, to talk about the gospel.” Right now, Open Doors is helping 60,000 Christians with food relief to strengthen the church and empower believers.
-[Trauma care in Nigeria The Shalom Center, a long-awaited trauma center in Nigeria from Open Doors, started operations in March 2019 after it was delayed by a year due to challenges with security in the area. The center is intended as a place where people who have suffered various kinds of trauma can come for extended care to find peace. Since opening on March 1, the center has trained trainers and provided weekly in-depth care to survivors of violent attacks.] “I was able to make sense of how trauma has affected my life,” says Pastor Peter.* Pray with him as he works through his pain.
February 13 - Pray for protection over the center—that the area would remain secure and hidden from extremist groups.
*Representative name or photo used to protect identity
STANDING STRONG THROUGH THE STORM - OpenDoorsUSA.org
At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them.- 2 Tim. 4:16
SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THOSE WHO SUFFER
The Apostle Paul knew exactly what it was like to be alone, to be deserted by all who called themselves “brothers” and “sisters.” A former colleague who has done considerable travel among the persecuted says, “It is hard to believe that Christians are the largest persecuted group in the world today. But it is even more difficult to believe that this is so seldom mentioned in our gatherings and church services. More Christians know the names of their favorite actors than their fellow believers who are in prison.”
He continues, “With every trip something in my heart breaks as I hear the echoes of suffering:
I remember the echoes of an Egyptian mother as she shared how her young boy was stuck in a haystack because she refused to deny Jesus.
I remember the sounds of weeping as fellow students in Indonesia
I remember the cries of anguish as we walked from church to church that was burned to the ground on the island of Lombok
I remember the tears of Rebecca in Iran
I remember the voice of Pastor Daniel in Vietnam
I remember the fear of Grace from Sudan
Oh, I remember the cries of Caleb in Eritrea
And I remember the tears of Joy in the southern Philippines as she shared how her fiancé was shot to death in their church in Mindanao .
But, most all, I remember the deafening sounds of silence every time I return home.
RESPONSE
How can I be silent today? How can I not speak on behalf of those who suffer? How can I desert those that belong to the same body that I belong to and who desperately need the encouragement of my intervention?
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