America is in deep trouble. While many look at our federal government as the source of our growing malaise, Christians must see beyond the fruit to deal with the root causes of our condition – the Church.

As you know, we have a representative form of government, meaning the leaders responsible for setting the vision and course for our nation have been placed there either by our bad judgment or through our failure to engage in the process. In short, “they” are a snapshot of “us.”

So what is the problem with America? I AM.

Revival and cultural transformation begin with individuals taking personal responsibility for themselves, their marriages, their families and their community. And it all starts on our knees in the presence of a HOLY God. America is far from God because we, as individuals, have grown cold in our affections towards Him.

This is why we gather, as a church family, on the first Sunday of each new month to humble ourselves, to seek His face, and to cry out for God to forgive our sins and heal our nation.

I want to invite you to join me this Sunday from 8:30-9:30am at Living Stones Church for a powerful time of worship and prayer for America. Together we can make a difference!

“The foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do?”

Psalm 11:3, NLT

In the face of a growing list of governmental usurpations of authority, resulting in the trampling of our most treasured liberties, we stand together, as shepherds of Christ’s Church, to defend and proclaim the God-given, unalienable truths necessary for freedom to flourish. We join together across historically diverse lines of theological differences to embrace our obligation to speak and act on these truths for the glory of God and the good of all people. In firm conviction of Christ’s Lordship over all the created realm and in full confidence in His promise to bring us life in all its fullness, we speak with unyielding conviction on the following non-negotiable truths:

The Sanctity of Life
We declare the sacredness of human life. As people made in the image and likeness of God, life is precious because God is most precious. We reject our current “culture of death” and call on our leaders, both elected and appointed, to protect life in all of its stages, especially the lives of the most defenseless and vulnerable among us. We commit to working together until the unalienable right to life is restored to all unborn children.

The Dignity of Marriage
We declare our commitment to the dignity of marriage as an institution established by God and given to us as the cornerstone of healthy societies. God defined marriage between one man and one woman. We reject recent attempts by activist judges to re-define this sacred institution and call upon our leaders, both elected and appointed, to honor and uphold this sacred union. We commit to preaching and teaching the historic marital components as revealed in the Scriptures; namely monogamy, exclusivity and permanence. We will work toward the building of healthy marriages and families while encouraging our parishioners to elect leaders who share these values.

The Gift of Religious Liberty
We declare our firm resolve to protect religious liberty and the freedom of conscience from the intrusion of government. Our Founding Fathers referred to religious liberty as our “first freedom” and the free exercise clause of the First amendment to the Constitution forever enshrined this unalienable right. Because we recognize Jesus’ Lordship over all of life, we affirm the rights of citizens to express their faith publically and to conduct their business according to biblical principles. Today we see pastors being told to turn over their sermons to the government. Teenagers are ordered by public school officials to take Jesus out of their graduation speeches. Christian business owners are told to keep their religious beliefs out of the marketplace. We stridently reject these current attempts by our government to privatize our faith or to coerce people, through fines and/or imprisonment, to violate their consciences as the “price” for public engagement. Our founders had a word for this – tyranny. We call upon our leaders, both elected and appointed, to honor the God-given gift of religious liberty and to return to our long standing American tradition of protecting the individual’s right to conscience.

Because we love justice and are committed to the common good, we will not comply with any act of government that seeks to compel us, or the institutions we represent, to violate the clear commandments of God and the moral guidelines He has established for human flourishing. We honor government, as an institution created by God. However, when civil leaders rebel against God and legislate in direct opposition to Divine Law, we affirm our duty to obey God and to disobey tyrannical governments. While we remain committed to “rendering to Caesar” what rightfully belongs to him, we will not render to Caesar that which alone is reserved for God.

Response

1] Make sure your church knows about this event! Encourage them to attend.

2] Share this Declaration with your pastor and ask him to sign on in support. We are compiling a master list. He can message me on facebook: facebook.com/ronjohnsonjr or via email @ ron.johnson.jr@lstones.org.

The outrageous situation currently taking place in Houston, TX, is the latest and one of the most egregious threats to our most precious and fundamental liberties: Freedom of Speech. This blatant infringement of the First Amendment rights of pastors is quickly becoming a rallying point for concerned Americans across our nation. It’s time for pastors to step into the public arena and lead the way in proclaiming and defending the biblical principles necessary for freedom and liberty to flourish.

To borrow the words from the Apostle Paul, it’s time to take a STAND. (Ephesians 6:13)

I want to invite you to join me and hundreds of pastors from across our great State to stand united together for life, marriage and religious liberty. On Saturday, November 22, from 2:00-3:00EST we will gather on the steps of the Statehouse in Indianapolis to boldly stand and make a public declaration of our commitment to defend the unalienable rights given to us, not by the governments of men, but from the hand of the Great Governor of the universe. We will gather to corporately worship Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords; to pray as one for repentance and revival to sweep our nation, and to proclaim our unyielding commitment to stand for Truth and Liberty in the face of godless secularism and growing tyranny.

This event will be led by pastors. However, every freedom-loving Hoosier is encouraged and invited to be there to support their pastors. Our vision is to flood the capitol with concerned citizens from every corner of the state. Would you and your congregation be willing to stand with us in this critical time in our nation’s history?

If so, we need to hear from you. Please visit any of the following Facebook pages:

www.facebook.com/ronjohnsonjr

www.facebook.com/ipalliance

or contact me personally at:

ron.johnson.jr@lstones.org
cell #: 219-663-7729

A Declaration of THE STAND will be released shortly and I would love to include your name and the city/town where you pastor. Please contact me so your name can be added.

Standing with you,

Dr. Ron Johnson
Executive Director, Indiana Pastors Alliance