Reforming A Nation Published Monday, October 30, 2023 A note from OCPAC FOUNDATION PRESIDENT BOB LINN Sparks of National Reformation Last week’s ascendance of U.S. Congressman Mike Johnson to national prominence rivaled the elevation of David (I Samuel 16) from the common and obscure to national hero and messianic forerunner. Johnson, Louisiana's U.S. Congressman, rose suddenly in the diminishing wake of a once great nation whose Christian remnant prays daily for its restoration and a return to the godliness it once cherished. It seems God may be calling a nation to the hope of its forefathers and the Biblical precepts of Western Civilization. Mike Johnson, newly elected Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, is a reminder of the way we once were and the way we can become again. He knows the path is in the moral and spiritual pillars of our past. The media’s curiosity is soaring. Speaking to Hannity, Johnson shared the yardstick by which all issues could be measured: I am a Bible-believing Christian. … Go pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it – that’s my worldview. That’s what I believe, and so I make no apologies for it. Charlie Kirk described this perfectly in a comment made on social media: Mike Johnson believes what nearly every Founding Father believed. This is not radical, fringe, or scary. This is what built the entire world you live in. His worldview is the basis of our entire civilization, which is exactly why the media is trying to discredit and destroy it. Duke professor, Alice M. Baldwin, noted ninety-five years ago that we as a nation had lost the heart and soul of our greatness. In 1928, she published The New England Clergy and the American Revolution and reminded America that: The constitutional convention and the written constitution were the children of the pulpit … There was not a right asserted in the Declaration of independence which had not been discussed by the New England clergy before 1763. Now nearly 100 years older, the nation is perhaps awakening to her book's reminders. She went on to write that there was an intimate relation of the New England minister to the thought life of eighteenth-century New England. She wrote to make clear the similarity and the unmistakable link between Puritan theology and fundamental political thought. Here is how our new Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, put it last week: I don't believe there are any coincidences in a matter like this. I believe that scripture, the Bible, is very clear that God is the one that raises up those in authority. And I believe that God has ordained and allowed each one of us to be brought here for this specific time. It was in 1962, our national motto, "In God We Trust," was adorned above this rostrum. The little guide that they give tourists, constituents, and visitors to the House, on page 14, tells you the history. It says: "These words were placed above us, this motto was placed here as a rebuke of the Cold War-era philosophy of the Soviet Union. That philosophy was Marxism and Communism, which begins with the premise that there is no God." "This is a critical distinction that is also articulated in our nation's birth certificate. The famous second paragraph that we used to have children memorize in school" -- and they don't do that so often anymore, but they should. G.K. Chesterton was the famous British philosopher and statesman. He said one time, "America is the only nation in the world that is founded upon a creed." He said, "It is listed with almost theological lucidity in the Declaration of Independence." What is our creed? "We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal." And they're endowed by the same "inalienable rights, life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness." That is the creed that has animated our nation since its founding and has made us the great nation that we are. And we're in a time of extraordinary crisis right now. And the world needs us to be strong. They need us to remember our creed and our admission. Those close to Mike Johnson weren’t surprised by his allusion to many verses in the Bible inlcuding Daniel 2:21: “He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.” Probably a third of his answers to the questions involved Scripture references. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins noted that The Louisiana Republican’s campaign for the speakership was “through prayer, not politics.” For most observers, something certainly seemed miraculous about Johnson’s sudden and unexpected emergence from the chaos and disruption that gripped the House Republican Conference in the wake of the successive failures of so many others. In addition to his faith, Mr. Johnson is a classic Reagan conservative with a distinctly populist accent. On his official website is listed the congressman’s “Seven Core Principles of Conservatism,” which include individual freedom, limited government, the rule of law, peace through strength, fiscal responsibility, free markets, and human dignity. Mike Johnson has opposed gay marriage and abortion and supported student-led prayer in public schools. He led a hearing on the harmful effects of “gender-affirming care” on children. In 2005, Johnson wrote in an op ed: Your race, creed, and sex are what you are, while homosexuality and cross-dressing are things you do … This is a free country, but we don’t give special protections for every person’s bizarre choices. Hearing that, one conservative journalist wrote: That alone opens the door to revival across this nation. Revisiting Duke University’s Alice M. Baldwin, we read: There are striking analogies between religious and [American] political creeds. Indeed, as one studies this everyday literature of the time, it becomes increasingly evident that the New England ideas of government were intimately connected with the interpretation of the Bible. Although theology was of less importance to the average New Englander in the eighteenth than in the seventeenth century, it still had a far more important place in his life than it has today. It seems we may be seeing a return to the victorious and culturally productive trajectory of our forefathers and the leaders of Western Civilization which was their springboard. This and the over turning of Roe v Wade is our promise that God remains on the eternal throne and governs the destiny of nations. This week, we celebrate the Reformation of more than 500 years ago. We need a national reformation today. We must continue our work in Oklahoma. Visit our website at www.OCPACfoundation.org CONTENTS LEGISLATIVE HEARING Senator Dana Prieto at the Capitol with J.J. Humphries  NEXT MEETING Turning Point USA November 8 BOB LINN Statesman of the Year Bott Radio Network STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION November 16. New time: 1 PM WEDNESDAY NO OCPAC FOUNDATION MEETING THIS WEEK!!!!! INSTEAD,THIS WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 1, 2023 12:00 pm NOON State Capitol Room Labeled: "4s9" (419) COME HEAR LEGISLATORS ENTERTAIN TESTIMONY ON OKLAHOMA JUDICIAL INTEGRITY WEEK AFTER NEXT OCPAC FOUNDATION HISTORY CENTER BOTT RADIO AWARDS BOB LINN STATESMAN OF THE YEAR The OCPAC Foundation appreciates the partnership we have with Both Radio Network and their kind gesture to recognize our President! JOIN BOB & JANE LINN at STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION THURSDAY November 16, 2023 Meeting 1:00 pm The far left seeks to combat the work being done by Ryan Walters and the State Board of Education to remove pornography from our schools, to remove racist ideology, and to re-focus on academics. They show up each month and were it not for the many of you who also show up, the news media would have a field day. Actually, they do anyway. However, Ryan Walters and the board need your presence to balance the room. Jane & I will show up at 8 AM in order to have a place in line. We encourage you all to show up by 8:30. It is for the future of our children. OCPAC FOUNDATION FUND RAISING OCPAC | P.O. Box 2021, Edmond, OK 73083 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected] powered by Try email marketing for free today!