From Freedom to Tyranny

Only in America have we been able to enjoy civil and religious liberty for the last 200 years. We see just a glimpse of how this freedom was achieved when we understand how this nation was founded. Located in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. is the famous painting depicting the Pilgrims before they departed to the shores of North America, where they sought religious freedom.[1]

These brave men and women pledged their family, their lives and their fortunes to God, pleading for His divine providence and mercy as they embarked to the New World. This was the unique origin of the United States. The Pilgrims were not prospectors seeking gold or riches. They didn’t risk their lives to increase their fortunes. They came seeking for hope and a new beginning. They were looking for a land where civil and religious freedom could flourish. This new experiment was unique to America – a place where all men and women would one day be created equal.

The Old World from whence they fled was ruled by a tyrannical government. All the European nations were ruled by monarchs who governed by the “Divine Right of Kings,” meaning their authority supposedly came from God and not from their subjects.[2]

Everything belonged to the king. The gold, the land, all the properties and even the people were considered the king’s subjects. The king had absolute control over every aspect of society and could terrorize and kill any who fell out of his favor.

Europe also experienced the tyrannical power of the papacy who also adopted this same form of tyranny during the Dark Ages. It was the papacy that determined what was right and wrong. It was the papacy that decided what truth was. There was no higher appeal than the bishop of Rome. The pope was both the spiritual head of the church and he also held temporal power over the affairs of the state. If you fell out of favor with the pope he could take everything away from you including your life.

Tyranny didn’t begin during the Middle Ages. Long before the papacy, for 4,000 years, this world was ruled through tyranny. Starting with Nimrod and his first civilization after the flood – and all the way down through the Pharaohs of Egypt and the kings of Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome – tyranny flourished as rulers wielded both civil and religious power. The heads of the state were synonymous with the heads of the church. To defy the king was both blasphemy and treason. There was no relief or appeal for the common subjects, other than trusting in God’s divine providence.

This was the very tyranny that the Pilgrims were fleeing. There was no religious or civil liberties in the Old World. In fact our Founding Fathers looked at every form of earthly government, past and present, when formulating the great principles of our American government. They rejected all forms of tyrannical governments and instituted a government that derived its powers from the people. A Constitution was adopted with a Bill of Rights that limited the powers of government; thereby preventing tyranny – so they thought.

200 years later, the principles of our American ideals have slowly been eroding. There are efforts being made to eliminate the freedoms which we enjoy and to establish tyranny in America. Prophecy declares that one day, this peaceful “lamb-like” beast (Revelation 13:11) would one day speak as a “dragon.” We are already beginning to see the coming changes happening in America.

Tyranny #1 – Executive Orders

The U.S. Constitution is the highest law in the land. Every public official (the President, the Supreme Court, members of Congress) puts one hand on the Bible and raises the other while taking an oath to defend and uphold the Constitution. Many of these officials are lying when taking this oath. Notice what the Constitution actually says:

“All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives” (U.S Constitution, Article 1, Section 1).[3]

What do the words “all legislative powers” mean? Does that mean 90% of our laws or does that mean 100%? There are no provisions anywhere else in the Constitution for legislative powers. All legislative powers have been assigned to the peoples’ house – the U.S. Congress. The House and Senate represent the people from the different states and it is this branch of government, the peoples’ house, that has the first and final authority when it comes to law.

Have you heard of the word “Executive Order?” It’s not in our Constitution, anywhere. Executive Orders are laws that a sitting U.S. President makes by his sole authority. Sometimes Executive Orders are good, sometimes they are not. But whether they are good or not is beside the point. What does the Constitution say about Executive Powers? Does anyone in the Executive Branch of government have the Constitutional right to make laws?

“He (executive branch) shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.” U.S Constitution, Article 2, Section 3).[4]

This is the only provision given to the Executive Branch with regards to law. There are no legislative powers granted to officers within this branch of government. The sole responsibility of the Executive Branch (the President and his officers) is to faithfully make sure that the laws are enforced. That’s it. The Constitution is silent with regards to creating laws. Below is a short list of some of the abusive acts by the Executive Branch of our federal government through the power of Executive Orders:

• President Roosevelt placed Japanese living in the U.S. in interment camps by Executive Order during the World War II.[5]
• President Truman nationalized and seized the steel industry in America through Executive Order during the Korea War.[6]
• President Bush II passed an Executive Order establishing the Department of Homeland Security [DHS] consolidating 22 federal policing agencies into a single department.[7] The reason given for this was to fight the war on “terror.” We have sinse learned that DHS has been doing a lot more than just fighting terror. They have been actively spying on Americans.[8]

Tyranny #2 – 15 Federal Regulatory Bodies and 88,889 Federal Regulations

 There are federal regulatory bodies that help implement “regulations.” These regulations are actually laws which are issued by federal regulators (non-elected officials) to help “carry out the intent” of enacted legislation by our U.S. Congress (elected officials). All this is unconstitutional. There are no provisions in the Constitution for federal regulators to implement polices (laws). Many of these federal regulators have overreached their authority and in many cases they are exceeding their constitutional bounds and are violating their constitutional oath.

Federal regulators are forcing many public institutions to make bathrooms and locker rooms transgender friendly. They have forced private corporations to offer contraceptive and abortion services to their employees. They are also forcing a politically correct ideology upon all segments of society.[9]

Below is the list of the Federal Regulatory Bodies in the United States. Within each body are other agencies. There are literally hundreds of federal agencies. The truth is that nobody really knows how many federal agencies there are in total.[10]

• Department of Agriculture – 36 different offices and agencies
• Department of Commerce – 32 different offices and agencies
• Department of Defense – 46 different offices and agencies
• Department of Education – 47 different offices and agencies
• Department of Energy – 36 different offices and agencies
• Department of Health and Human Services – 33 different offices and agencies
• Department of Homeland Security – 22 different offices and agencies
• Department of Housing and Urban Development – 19 different offices and agencies
• Department of the Interior – 89 different offices and agencies
• Department of Justice – 38 different offices and agencies
• Department of Labor – 29 different offices and agencies
• Department of State – 68 different offices and agencies
• Department of Transportation – 12 different offices and agencies
• Department of the Treasury – 39 different offices and agencies
• Department of Veterans Affairs – 10 different offices and agencies

As of 2016, there are 88,889 federal regulations and laws.[11]

Federal regulators have become so pervasive and so overreaching that they don’t even need a U.S. Congress. Our civil and religious liberties are under assault by federal regulatory agencies [FBI, NSA, IRS, EPA, CIA, ATF, TSA, USDA, DHS, FDA, DOD, FCC, CDC and on and on]. These agencies have become more powerful than our U.S. Congress. Because the leadership of these agencies consists of un-elected officials, they have been considered by some as part of the deep state that is working to undermine our Constitution.[12]

Tyranny #3 – The Supreme Court

There is a term used in our legal justice system called “case law.” This term does not exist in our Constitution. Case laws are laws that are established by the outcome of court decisions. Here is the legal definition for “case law”:

“Case law: The law based on judicial opinions, as opposed to law based on statutes, regulations, or other sources.[13]

This is totally unconstitutional because courts do not contain any legislative powers. Courts have the jurisdiction to make a judicial review and declare something constitutional or unconstitutional. However, those judicial reviews, according to the Constitution, do not establish law. The framers of our Constitution stated clearly that “All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives” (U.S Constitution, Article 1, Section 1).

That has all changed today. The Constitution doesn’t mean anything anymore. We have the U.S. Supreme Court making laws that are binding upon all the people. Today in America, the Supreme Court is redefining morality and redefining what God has already established through “landmark decisions” on sexuality, biology, marriage, life and family.

Look at what the U.S. Supreme Court did to the will of the people. In 1996, President Bill Clinton signed into law a bill that was approved by both houses of Congress. It was called the Defense of Marriage Act and defined marriage as the union of one man and one woman.[14]

The nation rejoiced as the sacred institution established by God was protected by the will of the people. 20 years later the U.S. Supreme Court said, “No.” In a landmark decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision (Obergefell v. Hodges, 2015) that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same sex-couples, and gays and lesbians are entitled to marriage licenses and marriage benefits.[15]

Here we had a split court (5-4) of un-elected officials. And by the vote of one person, the court overruled the will of God and the will of the people. The U.S. Constitution is being shredded by these kinds of rulings as they become binding upon all. Our Founding Fathers never intended for the destiny of the nation to hang on the opinion of one person – as in the case of a 5-4 decision. Here we have what are supposedly called “experts.” You have 9 experts sitting on the Supreme Court and they are all looking at the same Constitution. How in the world do you get a 5-4 decision from the experts when everyone is looking at the very same document?

Obliviously, the reason why they are not experts is because they allow their world view to dictate what they want to see. Some have a Biblical world view and others have a secular world view. Sadly, courts are making rulings based upon party lines and not based on the Constitution. The court should have upheld the will of the people by affirming the Defense of Marriage Act.

In another landmark decision (Paven v. Smith, 2017) the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that birth certificates can list two “mothers” as the biological parents of a child.[16]

It is biologically impossible for a child to have two biological mothers (or fathers). Obviously, the court is not making rulings based on reality or biology but rather on “equality.” The court is mandating all of this and is forcing the nation to accept it or else.

The Only Solution to Tyranny – Restoring States’ Sovereignty and Oversight

In 1787 it was the states that passed and ratified the U.S. Constitution thereby creating the federal government – the U.S. Congress, the Office of the Presidency, and the U.S. Supreme Court. It was the individual states that created the three branches of the federal government and determined its responsibilities and limitations. Therefore, the executive, judicial and legislative branches of government are subject unto the people (states), and not the other way around.[17]

If you create a business and hire employees, you don’t leave it up to the employees to determine whether or not they are doing a good job. The employees don’t decide if they get a raise or not. The employees don’t determine what their salary is. It is the ones who created/founded the business that have the authority over the employees, and not vice versa.

The states didn’t create a federal government and then left it up to that government to determine whether or not they were exceeding their authority. The people (states) created all three branches of government and no, it’s not up to either of these federal powers to self regulate themselves without the oversight of the people who created them.

Individually we cannot do anything about the assault on our freedoms, but the states we represent can. Each state has a capitol, a governor, a legislature, a state high court, a state constitution and a constituency. Why? What are these for? For pretty pictures and decorative features? Absolutely not! The states created the federal government and they can stand up to their abuses and overreach by saying “No!”

Why don’t they? Our states have been bought and are getting paid to keep quiet. Our states can’t sacrifice their principles fast enough for federal hand-outs. States want federal subsidies for Medicaid, hospitals, education, infrastructure, transportation, energy and law enforcement. Every state in the U.S. receives federal aid to help meet their annual income. The annual percentage varies from state to state. North Dakota is the lowest at 16.8% and Mississippi is the highest at 40.9%. This means that 40.9% of Mississippi’s annual income comes from federal aid. Sadly, many states depend heavily on federal dollars just to stay afloat.[18]

When the States Resist Federal Overreach

 When the federal government begins to exceed their constitutional bounds the states have the duty and the right to fight back. Look at the liberal state of California. They are locked in a battle with President Trump’s administration over immigration and border security.

Even though the Constitution grants the U.S. President broad powers to protect the borders of the nation, California is determined to oppose the federal government at every step.

Article 4, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution says the following:

“The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence” (U.S. Constitution, Article 4, Section 4).[19]

California has responded to President Trumps crack down on illegal immigration by becoming a sanctuary state and by refusing to cooperate with the federal government.[20]

President Trump replied by threatening to cut off federal funding to California.[21]

California didn’t back down and responded by saying that it would also stop forwarding federal income taxes to the federal government.[22]

This is how the liberal states are fighting the federal government. Why can’t conservatives and conservative states stand up for morality and say no to abortion, same-sex marriage, the militant gay lobby and other godless and anti-Christian propaganda?

What Can We Do?

“And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.” John 20:26-28.

Thomas fell to his knees after seeing all the signs and all the evidence. He cried out to the Lord and acknowledged and confessed the sovereignty of God. This is what we must do as the signs of the times are being fulfilled and while sin is being legalized by our government. While lawlessness and godlessness are being celebrated, God’s people must throw off the shackles of trying to please everyone. The everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ (Revelation 14:6-12) must be preached in all its fullness which is the answer to all the wickedness and tyranny we are seeing today.

Sources

[1] https://www.aoc.gov/art/historic-rotunda-paintings/embarkation-pilgrims

[2] https://www.britannica.com/topic/divine-right-of-kings

[3] https://www.usconstitution.net/xconst_A1Sec1.html

[4] https://www.usconstitution.net/xconst_A2Sec3.html

[5] https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/roosevelt-signs-executive-order-9066

[6] http://www.independent.org/publications/article.asp?id=1394

[7] https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2001/10/20011008-2.html

[8] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-23123964

[9] https://conventionofstates.com/news/10-terrifying-examples-of-federal-overreach

[10] https://cei.org/blog/nobody-knows-how-many-federal-agencies-exist

[11] https://www.forbes.com/sites/waynecrews/2017/08/15/how-many-rules-and-regulations-do-federal-agencies-issue/#6097efcd1e64

[12] https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/apr/22/leaks-trump-deep-state-fbi-cia-michael-flynn

[13] https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/case_law

[14] https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/104/hr3396

[15] https://www.glad.org/cases/deboer-v-snyder/

[16] https://www.glad.org/cases/pavan-v-smith/

[17] http://www.freedomworks.org/content/federal-government-was-created-states

[18] https://taxfoundation.org/states-rely-most-federal-aid/

[19] https://www.usconstitution.net/xconst_A4Sec4.html

[20] http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-california-becomes-sanctuary-state-1507227629-htmlstory.html

[21] http://www.newsweek.com/trumps-fight-california-over-sanctuary-city-funding-heads-appeals-court-880838

[22] https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2017/01/27/california-could-cut-off-feds-in-response-to-trump-threats/