My friend Captain Craig Jiovanni at the best Key West fishing charter boat, the Ultra Grand Slam, has an article to that effect as well. He told me that he’d not seen any oil when he was out either.

Too often fear drives what we do and we don’t rely on God to protect us. Perhaps it’s because we have stepped out of covenant with Him or perhaps we just don’t have a close enough relationship with Him to know how capable and desirous He is to help us. Or maybe it’s just a bad day and our faith is weak. Whatever the cause we need to let Him help us back up to our feet, brush ourselves off and just replace that fear with faith that will bring any problem to its knees!

If I’m born as, let’s say for instance, a Spaniard and later I move to France and live like the French and learn the language and can pass myself off as a French person, does that make me any less a Spaniard?  Just because our nation has chosen to act like the devil does not change who we are.If we ever forsake completely the principles that formed this nation then we will become the puppets of whomever is the biggest threat or best talker.  Today I read that in the UK they are covering terrorism-watch cameras in Muslim neighborhoods because the Muslims feel they are being profiled.  Someone replied that if the government gives in on putting up the cameras then the next thing they should put up is a white flag.  Whether you like the idea of cameras watching public streets or not, if they do it for one they should not back down from another just because they claim prejudice.

Our nation was founded on Christian principles and on the desire to live as we wish without persecution from others of different beliefs.  How is the tyranny of England saying in which church we will worship any different than a religious group saying in which direction we can point cameras?  How is the suppression of speech that led to the Revolutionary War any different than the “political correctness” that prevents us from even praying out loud for fear “someone” will be offended?

If you want to see where we came from just look to our National Anthem.  No one has said anything about it — yet — and still it is an amazing piece.  I’m copying it below but look especially carefully at the 4th verse and tell me that we are not a Christian nation.

The Star Spangled Banner Lyrics
By Francis Scott Key 1814

Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
‘Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

God is in control and His kingdom is without lack or need or recession… it has no dependency on people spending money, the government bailouts or any other situation.

I’m thankful for the servants that God has put in place to remind us of these things.  One of them is Dave Ramsey who is a financial expert and has a huge ministry to help others get out of debt and stay that way.  He has a lot of real-world terminology instead of the fancy eco-speak such as “stupid tax” when we do something dumb and end up paying for it and your “I love debt score” which is your credit rating.  He talks to people on the regular-person level and shows us how to eliminate our debt.  He also has a network of like-minded professionals in different fields such as real estate, tax consultation, etc.

This is not an ad for him or his work but I do want to mention it since it is a perfect example of my point… we are tied into God’s economy, not the world’s system.  Dave is doing a ‘Town Hall for Hope’ meeting on April 23 to kick off a national and ongoing movement to bring back hope to all Americans.  You can find out about the meeting at Town Hall for Hope including local venues where you can participate with other people just like you.

Fear kills – use your faith (trust) in God to get through any tough times and He will be faithful to do as He promises in His Word. Remember, faith can not operate in the presence of fear!