Dr. Ed Young - A Broken Washington

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Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn in 1983, this Russian philosopher, scholar was writing about his native land, Russia. And Solzhenitsyn said he could remember as a boy hearing the older people talk in the family, and they were lamenting about what happened to Russia, what happened to their great land that they loved? And he could recall one of the older men saying "The people have forgotten God". And Solzhenitsyn, writing at the end of the last Century, said as he looked around the world, and as you know, he was a great scholar-philosopher who served so many years in the gulags there in Russia; he said as he studied the world and tried to find a phrase that would explain where we are today, he said "I remember that phrase I heard as a boy. It's the best explanation yet! People have forgotten God"!

We learn from history, or we repeat history. We've heard that before. Do we really comprehend it? If I touch a hot stove-pweeeew! I am burned! Do I learn from that, or do I go back and touch that hot stove again? As we look at history today, we're going to look at a slice of Biblical history and see a broken Jerusalem, and we're going to look at a slice of current history and see a broken Washington. Look at this Biblical history covering a brief 57 years, a broken Jerusalem, and we begin with the end of the life of Solomon, and these words are written in I Kings 11, Verse 9: Now the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the Lord. Nobody ever had a more auspicious beginning than Solomon. He had everything! His dad was David; left him a kingdom. Gave him a man who discipled him in the ways of God.

As a young man, God presented Himself to Solomon in a vision and said "Whatever you want, here's a blank check", and Solomon asked for wisdom, and God gave it to him. I could make a case that Solomon was the most gifted, naturally gifted man who's ever walked this earth. He was an architect, he was a poet, he was a writer, he was a builder, he was a statesman, he was a visionary, he was a horticulturist. You name it, and Solomon achieved in so many of the areas of life. But Solomon, at the end of his life, had broken every provision of the Covenant every king of Israel made with Almighty God, listed in Deuteronomy, Chapter 17. There were four things that a king could not do.

Number one, he could not have numerous horses. What did that mean? That meant he could not be someone who sought personal wealth. It was demonstrated in horses. It was demonstrated in power, and Solomon had numerous horses. I have been to Israel, and I have been in the ruins of the stables of Solomon, a wealthy man who collected horses from around the world. He broke the first provision of the Covenant. Secondly, he should not be a man who had much gold and silver, and we see that Solomon ended up by measuring current standards, of being the wealthiest man who has ever lived! He accumulated for Israel, and particularly for himself gold and silver.

Now somebody's saying "Time out! Time out! Don't you know Solomon built the Temple of the Lord"? Yes he did! But before he built a Temple to God, he built a palace for himself that was twice the size of the Temple, and spent five times more on his personal palace, than he did on the House of God. So he broke the second provision. He became a man of wealth. And he broke the third provision and then that he married many, many wives! The Bible said he had 700 wives, and 300 concubines! So he threw himself in a hedonistic, sensual lifestyle, enjoying the pleasures of the flesh. The lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. And finally, he broke the fourth provision of his Covenant with God in that he became an idolater.

At the end of his life, he had pushed the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob waaay out on the periphery, waaay out over there, out there somewhere, and he worshipped at all the pagan idols that all of his wives, his foreign wives had brought in! They had a shrine on the mountain, a shrine on the hill. They had a pagan temple here. They offered sacrifice. They burned incense here, and Solomon sold himself out to idolatry! That is the reason you read his autobiography, Ecclesiastes. He says eighty-four different times, "Vanity, vanity, vanity! All is vanity, vanity, vanity"! His life ended up being useless and meaningless as far as he was concerned.

So we see a man who contributed to broken Jerusalem by his own lifestyle. By the way, does it surprise anybody he became an idolater? I see that happen all the time! People start off strong with a God. Oh, they get horses! Not horses! But they become successful! And as they become successful, they, they make money! And with money, there comes power! With power, there comes a life of hedonistic pleasure. And then finally, because they have moved along the path of power, and money, and now pleasure; they moved away from the principles of God so many, many, many times, and they have to worship other things, and worship other idols because that is prohibitive to the Lord God Almighty!

So we see a broken Jerusalem in Solomon's day. But you say "Wait a minute! He had a son"! And always with a change of leadership, when in the Bible says "The people did evil in the sight of the Lord, because Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord..." Maybe with his son, Rehoboam, there would be a change. Look at Rehoboam there in Chapter 12. At his inauguration, when he was installed as king, look what happened. I Kings 12, Verse 4: "Your father made our yoke..." that's Solomon. They're speaking, the people are speaking to Rehoboam. "...hard. Now therefore, lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke, which he put on us, and we will serve you".

The people are saying, "We will serve you as our leader if you will take the taxes, and all the burden of work and labor that your father put on us to build this empire for himself. If you will lighten that up, we will serve you". But Rehoboam did not listen to the people. And then we see the next thing that happened. Verse 13: "The King, Rehoboam answered the people harshly, for he forsook the advice of the elders which they had given him". In other words, he exercised poor discernment. The elders told him to lighten up the taxes, the burden, to back up on the big government that they had. Let the people have a voice! But he listened to the advice of the young men who surrounded him, his peers and his contemporaries, and therefore, we see what happened in broken Jerusalem, that Rehoboam exercised poor discernment.

And look at the next thing that he did, Verse 14: "And Rehoboam spake to them", this is the people, "according to the advice of the young men, saying 'My father'", this was Solomon, "'made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.'" And then we see that Rehoboam governed through fear and bribery. My thesis is, we see a parallel today as we look at broken Washington as we have just looked at broken Jerusalem. And broken Washington today, I believe -Washington is not listening to the people. In a recent Gallup poll, we read that 91% of people in America believe in God. Yet, we have a secular government which is proper. Our government was set up to be secular; but the secular government is trying to secularize our society.

A secular government functions in a pluralistic society so that a God-fearing society can function. But when a secular government tries to make the society secular, God out of schools, God out of business, God out of athletics, God out of everything! Then they're trying to create a secular society from a minority of people, because the overwhelming number of Americans believe in God! Washington, the legislative and the judiciary branches are not listening to the people, just like in Rehoboam's day! Pete Peterson, an economist, wrote something that was very, very wise. He said "If you tax people at eighteen percent, and you spend eighteen percent, that's conservatism. If you tax people at thirty-nine percent, and spend thirty-nine percent, that's liberalism. If you tax people at thirty-nine percent and you spend sixty-nine percent, that is lunacy and insanity"!

There's no category for that! And this is where we are today! My thesis-nobody in America can make money! Not now! Nobody can! You say "Well that's the craziest thing I've ever heard"! Stay with me! Does anyone doubt the personal income taxes are going up? Anyone doubt that corporate taxes are going up? Anyone doubt that capital gain taxes are going up? Anyone doubt that vat taxes are going up? Let me tell you something: Taxes are going astronomically up for everybody, every walk of life! And let me tell you something else! You'll have no businesses start in America. Anybody who would start a business today, or expand a business today; I question their fiscal responsibility, and their economic sanity! You just can't do it. Why? When you do all your due diligence to start a business today, you have to ask these questions: "What is energy going to cost a year from now"? Nobody knows!

Ever heard of cap and trade? "What's the availability of money a year from now"? Nobody knows! Nobody knows. "What's corporate taxes going to be a year from now? What is the health cost going to be a year from now"? And you're set to do the basic stuff you have to do to start a small business, or a corporation, or anything else, and the answers are out there in never-never land, because Washington has given us an economic climate that we don't know what in the world is going to happen next! And I am saying we are in a tough climate! A tough moment in our history! But by the way, this has been going on for a long time! Did you know since 1996 to 2006, those ten years there, that pork-barrel spending has gone up over a thousand percent?

By the way, I understand a lot of people don't understand pork. Let me explain what this is! You hear, they say "I don't know what that is"! Let me tell you what it is! Not tough! In, 1879, they would ship meat in barrels, and it'd be filled with salt. And when they would undo those barrels, some of the shipping people would reach down in there and get a piece of salt pork and pull it out, and, and cover the barrel back up, and that was a special morsel they would take out, a piece of salted pork. And that came in the political vocabulary, and now it's a part of almost everything we do in Washington! Let, let me show you how that works! Let's just say for example that they had an idea to build a bridge from L.A. to Honolulu! That's a good project! Cost a couple of zillion dollars! That's no big deal!

And let's say that I'm a representative from this area, and we want to build a giant lake out here in the middle of a park in the Katy area! So we're going to build this giant lake for four million dollars, and they got this bazillion dollar bill, and I, they say "Look! If you'll vote for my bridge from L.A. to Honolulu, I'll give you that four million dollars to build your lake there in Katy"! And I'll say "Oh, hoopee! I'll do it"! What I put on that bill is pork. It is pork! And that's what's happening. Let me show you-by the way, the President said in his campaign that he would eliminate all pork from any bills that come out of the White House. He did. He only had 8,000 different pork things in the budget he presented just a few months ago. Only 8,000 of these little porky spenditures for specialized constituency, paying off, I guess, those who voted for him.

By the way, this has been done through the years. Bush, all of 'em-Clinton, Nixon-go back! I mean, I'm not taking any prisoners! I'm apolitical! I'm mad at all of 'em, because Washington is broken! Let me show you some of the pork that's come down recently! You'll love this! "This is some of these added on-one million for the New York Woodstock Museum, proposed by Senator Hillary Clinton, and Senator Charles Schumer! A hundred and ninety-two million for U. S. Territories, Rum Industries. Rum imported from Puerto Rico, and the U. S. Virgin Islands. Four hundred and sixty thousand, seven hundred fifty-two dollars, research for the produce new hops for beer! A hundred and seven thousand dollars to study the sex life of the Japanese quail! Now they're spending with something good! I'm ba..."

Uh, one point two million to study the breeding habits of the woodchuck. A hundred fifty thousand to study the Hatfield-McCoy feud! I'd a done that for seventy-five thousand and tell 'em about that! A hundred and forty-four thousand to see if pigeons follow human economic laws! A million to preserve a sewer in Trenton, New Jersey as a monument to somebody! Fifty-seven thousand for gold-embossed playing cards on Air Force Two. I'm glad Vice-President Biden will have some good cards to play with! I think that's just wonderful there. The CATO Institute uncovered an earmark to Plum Creek Timber Company, five hundred million! Before long, we'll be talking about a lot of money, won't we? And noted that the company spent two million in lobbying and campaign contribution to secure the tax payer's handout of five hundred million! I'll spend two to get five hundred, won't you? Do you see where we are?

You say "Well, you're being a politician"! No, I'm talking about an insidious, deadly, moral climate that's infected Washington D.C. Washington is broken! Now, let's talk about some answers! Let's talk about some answers. Federal Government. State of Texas. We the people. Listen carefully! Listen carefully! You have to know the difference between what happened in the French Revolution-follow me! And the American Revolution. In the French Revolution, the philosopher, Rousseau. Robespierre was the one who had did all the dirty work, and headed up all the beheading. The French, in their revolution, had the idea that everybody, every human being was born innocent and pure. "It is the society of the culture that has corrupted us"!

That was their philosophy of human life. And therefore, they wanted to build, beginning with a committee, a utopian society that would not corrupt the children as they were born! And they tried to build that utopian society, and the results was, they got a dictator named Napoleon Bonaparte. The United States revolution, our Constitution was drawn up by Christians and Deists, and they had a different understanding of a human being. They had the idea we were all born sinners! Original sin! Original sin. "Nobody had to teach you or me how to cheat, or lie, or be prideful, or deceitful, or to lu..."

You know, I just, I learn so, I just, it was born, it was built in us, that bent toward sin! That's called "The Fall", the original sin. And therefore, our Constitution was drawn up, not to create a utopian society, but from those Christians and Deists were the idea that all have sinned, and therefore, you have checks and balances in our government to allow for the sinfulness in human beings! That is the basic difference! That is the rock of our Constitution! And in the beginning, I can tell you that the power was vested in "We the people..." I spilled some! I may go into politics is invested in "We the people"! That was where the power was.

And I can tell you that when the Constitution was ratified, the State of Virginia; they did not ratify it until there was also a bill of rights. And the Constitution begins with "We the people..." And I just re-read it this week and looked over it again to understand exactly! It's, it's clear English! And the people and our founders were very careful that a little power was given to the states, and then the state was given a little power to the Federal Government. Okay! Now! That's the way the documents are written! Make no mistake about it! And it starts with "We the people..." And the Tenth Amendment in the original ends with "To the people..." Jefferson said "That's the perfect circle".

We the people have the power! It's all about us! We give a little to the states. The state gives a little to the Federal Government, and any powers that are mentioned, it goes back "To the people..." says the last words of the Tenth Amendment. And this is how we are to function. What has happened in our day, and it, we're all guilty, Democrats and Republicans, bigger and bigger, and more and more and more expensive, more expensive, and now the power is basically vested in the Federal Government, and they want to control, and rule, and operate, and dominate everything in our society! And now, they want to take over our health part, which is what? One sixth, or one-fifth of our economy?

I guess they're doing it on the basis of the good job they've done with the post office! That's all I can figure out! So this is where we are today! Now what is part of the answer to this? Remember the foundation of all of this is based on a Biblical worldview! Remember the important questions! "Who am I"? We understand that from Creation. Creation-who am I? Who are you? I am made in the image of God! That's a human being! That's the dignity of man! I am made according to the Psalmist by Divine prescription! You were made by Divine prescription, by God when your mother and da, daddy came together in love, and they were co-creators with God in making you, and making you! That is Creation! That is the, where this world came from! That is basic truth! The Creation!

And then we look at what happened! There is the Fall! There is the original sin! And we have to have a question of "What's the source of evil? How did we get in this mess"? That's the fall of man, the bent toward evil! The checks and balances we have in our government, built on this -this is the subfloor. This is the foundation of it all. And finally, there is redemption. There is redemption! There's a way of forgiveness, and salvation, new life to get out of the mess that we're in! So we see how this comes together! Now understand something! The operative Verse for healing broken America, and healing broken Washington is II Chronicles 7:14. Listen to it! "If My people..." "We the people, beginning of the Constitution, to the people, end of the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution..."

Now, "If My people, who are called by My Name..." How do we heal America? That's all of us! We're called by the name of the Lord! We say we're in God's camp! We're in church! It's "If My people..." That's us! "If My people who are called by My Name..." That's you and me! Not "them out there, over there, Republicans, Democrats, Independent, this one and that one..." We put all the blame! Oh no! The way we lead to healing, "If My people, who are called by My Name..." will do what? "Humble themselves..." The Republicans ran the Presidency and both Houses of Congress just a few years back. Did you see an over abundance of humility then? Do you see any more humility today with the Democrats running it?

I didn't see humility then. I don't see humility today! We're talking about healing! "If My people, who are called by My Name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face..." What does that mean? To seek the will, and the plan, and the purpose of God! That's what it means to seek His face! Humble, pray, seek His face. "And turn from your wicked ways..." That's all of us, ladies and gentlemen! That's not them, or thus, or somebody, or someone. That's all of us who name... will turn from their wicked ways. What does God promise? "I will hear from Heaven. I'll forgive your sin, and I'll heal your land. I'll heal your land". Ladies and gentlemen! That is the only path to the healing of America!