Just a note to remind all who may be involved, this week is Valentine’s Day. 

Every year on February 14th, people send cards to each other or buy candy or flowers for their special “Valentine”. It is a day to express love and acts of kindness. 

Tradition speaks of this day to remember the life of a Christian martyr, Valentinus. According to various accounts there may have been more than one martyr in the Valentinus family. 

Valentinus was placed in a prison in Rome, Italy, for ministering to Christians who were persecuted under the Roman Empire. Apparently the heart and romance connection came in his care for the Roman soldiers. The Roman Empire didn’t want the soldiers to marry, but they all wanted a life. Valentinus as a minister would perform wedding ceremonies for many that had been forced into the Roman Legions. 

After Valentinus’ arrest, imprisonment, and finally an ultimate sentence of death, the story goes that he prayed for the blind daughter of his judge. The account that was passed down through the Christian community was that the daughter was healed and her sight restored. 

Valentinus wrote her a letter of farewell before his execution. He signed the letter… Your Valentine. 

That Christian martyr died in Rome on February 14th in the year 269 AD. 

The day became associated with love within the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th Century. 

In 18th Century England, the day grew into an occasion in which couples expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, candy and cards of greeting, which were known as Valentines. 

This day is to remember that love in our lives makes us kinder and more compassionate. 

Let’s remember the greatest “love gift” in the world when God gave us Jesus. Jesus then gave His life for us! 

We are loved beyond the descriptive power of words. Thank you Lord for loving us! 

You are loved, 

Pastor Ralph 

Our nation has been in a stress-test for the past few months.  The test is about the very foundation of our government, who we are as a people and what we believe or even know about the founding documents of our nation, that we function as a republic and not a democracy.

Our Declaration of Independence was based on the Biblical understanding of man and his nature with God is the source of all law.  This is the law of the creator, God.

Thomas Jefferson, the author of this Declaration, used the words life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.  This classic phrase was taught by John Locke (1632-1704) who influenced Jefferson’s pen with his writing of Civil Government.  This is a classic of political science and quotes the Bible 80 times.

Locke was convinced that humanity’s first allegiance must be to God and His Son Jesus.        
“As men we have God for our King, and are under the law of reason: as Christians, we have Jesus the Messiah for our King and are under the law reveal’d by Him in the Gospel.”

Our faith foundation and our rule of law foundation are being tested at an intensity not seen since 1776!  Our foundation stones are the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and even the 85 letters (known as the Federalist Papers) that were pro-Constitution and published in New York.  The writers of these letters to the editor were Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay.  All three of these writers professed faith in Jesus Christ.  Dr. David Gibbs, the legal scholar of our day, states that the essays of these three men are still cited in legal briefs and quoted in various court decisions.

This writer is the same James Madison who is called the father of our Constitution. It was Madison that wrote about the balance of power in government stating that all powers, House and Senate, Executive, and Judiciary would be held in check by the division of rule would provide the “checks and balances” we must have!

We must not abandon our core values in stressful situations or in tough days. We are a Christian nation.  We were built on Biblical principles.  We must not trade our foundation stones of faith and freedom for political correctness or a globalist world view.

God gave us freedom from sin through the gift of His son, Jesus.

God gave us freedom from tyranny as a people through the Bible based documents of the faith of our Founding Fathers.

May we be united in our prayers for our President, our House and Senate members, our Supreme Court and Judges. 

May God bless America spiritually again as we seek His face and return to the God of our fathers!       
You are loved,

Pastor Ralph