💬 Show Notes:
In this episode of the Morning Star Heritage Briefs, Chuck Christie delves into the aspects of the American economy and its relationship with governance. Drawing from the insights of Rick Joyner, we explore trade and community, the moral responsibilities of leadership, and the historical context that shapes our present.
As we reflect on the pillars of freedom and the call for righteousness in our society, we invite you to consider these choices in the battle between control and liberty.
🗣️ Quotes from Rick Joyner
"The economy is more fundamental than government, as it is built on basic human transactions, trade, and exchange."
"Freedom works many times better than control for releasing initiative and innovation in an economy."
🗣️ Quote from Charles Finney
"If immorality prevails in the land, the fault is ours in a great degree."
📝 Blog Post Body:
In this episode of Morning Star Heritage Briefs, we take a deep dive into the intricate relationship between the economy and governance within the American Republic. Chuck Christie leads the discussion, drawing from the insights of Rick Joyner, who emphasizes that while an economy can exist without a government, a government cannot thrive without a sound economic foundation. This fundamental truth highlights the importance of trade and exchange as the very fabric that binds communities together.
Christie argues that understanding the economy is essential to grasping a nation's essence. He reflects on the historical context of the American economy, noting that it flourished when it grew organically, free from the constraints of Marxism or other forms of economic tyranny. The discussion also touches on the significance of moral character in business, suggesting that our true selves are revealed not only in worship but also in our daily transactions.
A particularly poignant moment in the episode is when Christie addresses the historical extremes that often dominate narratives, such as those surrounding the American Civil War. He argues that most life during that time was defined not by battle but by the everyday experiences of the populace. This perspective is crucial for understanding the broader societal dynamics at play.
As the episode unfolds, listeners are invited to reflect on the current state of religious liberty and the potential for a third Great Awakening in America. Christie draws parallels between past struggles for freedom and present challenges, urging us to consider the implications of our choices in the ongoing battle between control and liberty.
Ultimately, this episode serves as a clarion call for listeners to engage with the moral responsibilities that come with leadership and governance. It challenges us to strengthen the pillars of our society—patriotism, morality, and spiritual life—so that we may build a future that reflects our values and principles. Join us for this enlightening discussion and discover how the lessons of history can guide us in our quest for a just and prosperous society.
✍️ Episode References
Rick Joyner
Charles Finney
First Kings 7:21
Psalm 89:14
Automatic Show Notes
Chapters
Long Summary
In this lecture, Chuck Christie presents the Free Trade Heritage Brief 17 by Rick Joyner, exploring the foundational relationship between economy and government. Christie underscores that while an economy can exist independently of a government, the reverse is not true, as the economy stems from fundamental human interactions, trade, and exchange. He emphasizes that these interactions form the core of community bonds, where business dealings often supersede even familial ties in their significance. Thus, having a thorough understanding of economic principles is crucial for grasping the complexities of a nation.
The discussion progresses to the organic growth of a nation's economy, highlighting the dangers posed by economic ideologies such as Marxism, which can stifle natural development. Joyner draws an intriguing parallel from biblical scripture, referencing the two pillars in Solomon's Temple—representing both spiritual and commercial aspects of society—suggesting that divine presence should permeate our everyday business dealings, not just our worship practices. Joyner's assertion posits that a person's character is more accurately revealed through their business ethics rather than their church attendance, reinforcing the notion that morality in economic activities is paramount to a nation's health.
Next, the lecture reflects on the historical context of American governance. The Founding Fathers prioritized securing individual liberties, trusting that a morally guided populace would naturally establish a just economy. Joyner notes that corruption arises when one strays from divine principles, resonating with historical patterns seen in Israel's journey. He articulates a vision for the economy that transcends mere financial prosperity, advocating for a commitment to righteousness and justice, which he identifies as foundational to a society's overall health. The conversation shifts to the pitfalls of focusing on extremes in media and historical narratives, arguing that this selective attention gives a distorted representation of societal norms and can lead to misjudgments about widely-held beliefs or behaviors.
Christie continues by stressing the interconnectedness of government effectiveness and economic performance. He claims that governments which foster justice and uphold fair business practices tend to create environments of prosperity; conversely, excessive control leads to tyranny and social unrest. Joyner warns that economic downturns often signal a loss of governmental integrity and advocates for economic freedom as a corollary to personal liberty. Drawing on historical precedents, he illustrates how early American settlers viewed their mission as divinely inspired, underscoring a connection between their freedoms and a higher purpose.
The lecture also highlights the significance of the Great Awakening, which transformed American Christianity and unified diverse church congregations, fostering a spirit of liberty that contrasts sharply with past European religious practices. Joyner suggests that the quest for control within church leadership often leads to divisiveness among Christians, and that true spiritual liberty breeds closer ties among believers. This principle of fellowship experienced by the colonists became a catalyst for independence, demonstrated by their fierce resistance to any infringement on their freedoms, particularly religious liberty, culminating in revolutionary sentiments against British rule.
In conclusion, the lecture draws parallels between historical and contemporary socio-political challenges, emphasizing that the struggle for liberty is once again at the forefront in America and worldwide. Citing Joseph Stalin's observations about American resilience, Joyner argues that the strength of a nation lies in its patriotism, morality, and spiritual fortitude. Christie stresses the responsibility of church leaders in shaping the public moral landscape, warning that the consequences of moral decline fall heavily on their shoulders. He calls for a collective awakening to these societal responsibilities, urging an ethical commitment to nurturing the moral fabric of the nation in order to foster a resilient and just society.
Brief Summary
In this lecture, Chuck Christie presents the Free Trade Heritage Brief 17 by Rick Joyner, examining the intricate ties between economy and governance. He argues that while an economy can function without government, the opposite is not true, as economic interactions form the foundation of community. The lecture critiques ideologies like Marxism for undermining organic economic growth and posits that moral character is revealed through business ethics rather than religious attendance. Historical insights are drawn from America's founding principles, highlighting a commitment to individual liberties and a just economy. The discussion extends to the impact of the Great Awakening on American unity and liberty, calling for a responsible moral framework from church leaders to ensure societal resilience and justice.
Transcript
[0:07 ] Introduction to Free Trade Heritage
[0:00] Hello again, this is Chuck Christie, bringing you another segment of the Morningstar Heritage Briefs. This episode is entitled Free Trade Heritage Brief 17 by Rick Joyner. You can have an economy without a government, but you cannot have a government without an economy. The economy is more basic than government as it is built on basic human transactions, trading, and interchange.
[0:32] This is what binds people together into communities. The majority of all communication today is about some form of trade or business. After family ties, business is the strongest human link. For this reason, understanding the economy is essential to understanding a nation.
[0:53] If that nation's economy has been allowed to grow organically and has not had Marxism or other forms of economic tyranny imposed on it. It is noteworthy that the two pillars in the temple of Solomon were named after a priest and a businessman. See 1 Kings 7.21. Yachin was a priest and Boaz a businessman. As the temple was God's dwelling place, this speaks of how God wants to be present in our daily business and our daily transactions, with others, not just when we gather to worship Him in services. Who we are is not determined by how we behave on Sunday, rather by how we behave Monday through Saturday. Our basic character can be revealed more through how we do business than how we attend church services. We know from their writings that the Founders sought the Lord for wisdom on how to structure our government, but not so much about the economy. Why? They sought to establish a government that was limited to protecting the people's liberty.
[2:04] The Role of Economy in Society
[2:05] As long as we remained a godly moral people, we would build a godly moral economy. This has proven accurate, Corruption comes when we drift from the Lord, and purity comes back when we return to Him, just as we see repeated in the history of Israel in Scripture. Freedom works many times better than control for releasing initiative and innovation in an economy. Even so, we must have a higher vision for our economy than just being prosperous. We must have a devotion to do what is right and just if we are to be a partner with God, as the foundation of His throne is righteousness and justice. See Psalm 89.14.
[2:54] Even in the most godly moral society, there will be some who deviate. Because both the media reporting current events and historians reporting past ones give the most attention to the extremes rather than the norm, history covers the extremes and not the normal.
[3:13] For this reason, we get a distorted picture of the times even from the most honest reporters or historians. They may be reporting the extremes accurately, but the extremes are not the overall reality of the times. For example, we can read any history of the American Civil War and it will be mostly about the battles, with maybe a little about the politics of the time. Consider that less than 2% of the time during this period was spent in battles, and less than 2% of the population was engaged in them. So, what was normal life like for the other 98% of the time, and for the other 98% of the people? No one covered that. Who would read it? To have an accurate picture of history, we must not judge people or the times by their most extreme elements. Certainly those can have a major impact on the times. But this tendency to judge others and events by their extreme elements is the source of some of the most destructive deception and division in the world today. Consider how the political right tends to look at the most extreme on the left. And think that all who are on the left are like the extremes. The left does the same thing to the right.
[4:42] Non-Christians do it to Christians, and Christians can do it to non-Christians. This is what the Bible calls seeing in part and knowing in part. This causes people to make vast, sweeping judgments of others using only partial information, and such judgments are almost always wrong. If allowed to persist, those extreme perceptions can cause terrible fracturing of a society. This being understood, the economy is a barometer that tends to reflect accurately how effective and just a government and a people are. Governments that establish justice and provide a level and fair playing field for business as well as protect the liberty that encourages initiative and innovation have been the most successful in stewarding prosperity for their people as we can see repeated in history when excessive control is imposed on the economy, it results in increasing control over the people until there is ultimate tyranny. The first indications that this is happening will be an economic slowdown. Economic freedom is crucial to basic freedom.
[6:11] The Purpose of Early American Colonists
[6:05] People were created to be free, but freedom must be connected to purpose to be enduring. The early American colonists came with a purpose that was greater than finding gold or creating a free market. They viewed themselves as being on a divine mission to build a place that would reflect the nature and kingdom of God. This was not true of everyone, but it was for most. This vision was stoked into a much greater fire by the Great Awakening. This was a movement like the world had not seen since the birth of Christianity. Because of this awakening, Christianity in the colonies became very different than had been experienced by the European nations. To this day, Europeans do not seem able to comprehend American Christianity because it is so different from their own experience with Christianity, which was dominated by very controlling institutions. The Great Awakening was not birthed out of any denomination, and it united almost all churches in a special fellowship. This is a liberty of the Spirit that produces a fellowship that once experienced makes it hard to settle for anything less.
[7:27] The division among Christians has come mostly through leadership that starts to seek control more than maintaining the liberty of the Spirit. When this control is cast off, Christians tend to draw closer to God and one another because this is the true work of the Spirit. This experience of liberty and the fellowship it made possible was a main factor that made the ultimate independence of the colonies inevitable.
[7:57] The colonists had learned to discern between the control spirit and the liberty of the spirit, and they would rather die than surrender that liberty. One of the straws that broke the camel's back that led to the revolution was when King George III started revoking the religious liberty of the colonists by declaring that all preachers in the colonies had to be licensed by the Church of England.
[8:26] A New Awakening and the Fight for Liberty
[8:27] Religious liberty is again under assault in America, and at the same time a third Great Awakening is beginning. The same strains that brought about the first American Revolution and the Civil War are building in America again. We are again being forced to choose between control and liberty.
[8:49] This is not just happening in America, but the whole world now seems to be entering the same valley of decision. What will we decide? Joseph Stalin is attributed as saying, America is like a healthy body and its resistance is threefold, its patriotism, its morality, and its spiritual life. If we can undermine these three areas, America will collapse from within.
[9:21] Strengthening America's Core Values
[9:17] He was right, but the reverse of this is also true. If we strengthen these three things, we will have a cord of three strands so strong that we will never be broken.
[10:14] The Responsibility of the Pulpit
Brethren, our preaching will bear its legitimate fruits. If immorality prevails in the land, the fault is ours in a great degree. If there is a decay of conscience, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the public press lacks moral discrimination, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the church is degenerate and worldly, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the world loses its interest in religion, the pulpit is responsible for it. If Satan rules in our halls of legislation, the pulpit is responsible for it. If our politics become so corrupt that the very foundations of our government are ready to fall away, the pulpit is responsible for it. Let us not ignore this fact, my dear brethren, but let us lay it to heart and be thoroughly awake to our responsibility in respect to the morals of this nation. Charles Finney, The Decay of Conscience, 1873.
Copyright 2020 by Rick Joyner. All rights reserved.