Who gives us our rights?

Our nation's Founding Fathers had an understanding of where our "rights" as human beings came from; something of which would do our nation well to understand today.  I suspect that most people either out of ignorance or denial forget the words penned by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence.  Here are the first several lines which make very clear the answer as to where our rights as human beings come from:

"When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.


We hold these trust to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness. -- That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,--That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, at to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration.html

So the answer is that our rights are given to us by the Law's of Nature and of Nature's God (simply affirming what is already known in the Holy Scriptures).  Rights are not given by men, by government or any other entity that is of this world, but by God alone.  Don't believe me, you try to extend your life by just one day in any given situation.  The death rate for every person, regardless of "stature" is 1 for 1.

When I see comments such as the one's made my Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York City I take issue and must take a stand against them.  The excerpt below is from the following linked article:

"Stand aside, privacy-rights protectionists. The bombings in Boston prove the nation needs to change how it interprets the Constitution to give government greater power to protect citizens, New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said." ~Emphasis added

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/apr/23/ny-mayor-michael-bloomberg-constitution-must-chang/#ixzz2RfzvGfWw

Consider for a moment the words of Benjamin Franklin in 1755 to the Pennsylvania Assembly: Reply to the Governor, Tue, November 11, 1755:

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/quotable/quote04.htm

Benjamin Franklin is right on.  Anyone who is foolish enough to believe that their safety depends on a government or someone other than God and themselves does not deserve either.  This falls right inline of the rights given to us by our Creator, we have the right to live, to pursue happiness and safety.  We are responsible for our own actions and accountable to our God (regardless of whether you believe in Him or not) for those actions. Bloomberg's assertions of how we need to "change how it interprets the Constitution" is completely wrong.  Makes me wonder if he has ever even read the Constitution.  The Constitution starts off by saying:

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

"We the people"... this right to safety is firmly in the hands of its people clearly defined by the Constitution.  Some might say well it was to form a government and that government is responsible for our safety, to a certain extent it is.  If you know your American history the original purpose of the Federal Government was to provide defense for our borders, regulate interstate commerce and to provide infrastructure (infrastructure being roads, communication, etc., not welfare, that was/is the responsibility of the Church... or aka the PEOPLE of God) for this nation.  The states are responsible for all other components of government.  Additionally it is the citizens of this nation  that are responsible for there own safety.  We wouldn't go walking through grizzly bear country without protection so why would we walk through this world that does have evil people in it without protection, regardless of the weapon used?  There are wolves, sheep, and sheepdogs in this world.  (If you don't know what I mean read the following http://www.gleamingedge.com/mirrors/onsheepwolvesandsheepdogs.html.  Which one are you?

So getting back to "Who gives us our rights", if your answer is that our rights come from people or a government then who is to say those "rights" are actually rights at all and not just subjective ideas defined by whatever we feel in that particular moment?  However, if our rights come from the one true God, our Creator, then our rights are clearly given to us through the Holy Scriptures of the Bible and are forever timeless regardless of how we feel.  Of course the latter is true and our Founding Father's were right on!
"The constitutions of most of our States assert that all power is inherent in the people; that … it is their right and duty to be at all times armed; … "
Thomas Jefferson - letter to Justice John Cartwright, June 5, 1824. ME 16:45.

http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/presidents/thomas-jefferson/letters-of-thomas-jefferson/jefl278.php

We live in a world where evil exists.  The culture in which we live is determined to remove any reference to God from it.  We are not the first nation to do this.  Read 1 & 2 Kings, and 1 & 2 Chronicles, Israel attempted the same, and you can read the outcome and about how evil prevailed.  Many other nations have followed suit since then, we aren't any different.

Serving One Another in the Midst of the Trials

One of my struggles of late has been with my job.  Last September I was moved into a role that required significantly more travel, something I absolutely despise.  I hate being away from my family, the hassle of flying and all the preparation that goes into that.  It makes it hard being on the road a lot of weeks, something of which I am convinced is not the Lord's will for a long period of time.  As I have wrestled with this for several months, along with some other things, one aspect of God has become very clear to me.  That is the Lord's sovereignty over my life.  For whatever reason, like it or not, we are asked to walk through certain things in our lives that we may not like.  The book of Ecclesiastes makes that very clear, "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven;" (Ecclesiastes 3:1).  Ecclesiastes also tells us that, "there is nothing new under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 1:9).  I have asked the Lord to remove this from me, to allow me to find another job, to take whatever it is that I am struggling away from me; however, He has not.  Over the months I have instead begun to ask the Lord to give me the strength to endure, grant me courage, hope, and full and complete trust in Him, regardless of the wind and waves that might be crashing about (I'll write more on this in another post at some point).  This season in my life has been a trial for me, teaching me more about who the Lord really is.  While our God could be a tyrant and take joy in our misery, He is nothing like that.  Our God in all His might and majesty tempers that might and instead in His perfect holiness reveals Himself in love to us.  That perfect love of God the Son.

I was reminded today of the love of God in the midst of my trials and how He exemplified that love through His son.  Take a look at John 13:1-17.  It is the account of Jesus' washing of His disciples' feet after they shared supper on Jesus' last night on this earth.  Obviously there was no greater love shown than what Jesus endured during His passion leading up to and on the cross; however even in the midst of what Jesus knew he was going to endure he served his disciples.  Once he was finished washing their feet he says, "If I then, Your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.  For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you."  The Lord clearly reminded me that even in the midst of trials and various seasons that we go through we have to serve one another, for isn't that true love?  Later in that same chapter Jesus states, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34, 35).

We can get so wrapped up in our own trials, our own desires, thoughts, ideas and totally forget that in all of those things we are called to love one another, and by that love the world will know we are Jesus' disciples.  Perhaps that is why such a darkness has fallen across our land is that the disciples of Jesus are not washing one another's feet and loving well, even in the midst of trials.