Here We Go Again!
If you couldn’t be there in person, you missed something very, very special. That is why, even if you were there, you will want to savor it again — the Forum’s 14th annual Celebration of God and Country dinner that drew over 500 guests to the James Madison University campus last spring.
We are reviving those memories this weekend as we air Part II of this three-part series from that special Celebration which features an outstanding presentation by our keynote speaker, Rev. Rafael Cruz — a Christian patriot who personifies the American Dream.
Cruz Who?
In case you may not know anything about Rev. Cruz or his background, this is just a thumbnail sketch to help you better understand why he made such an impact on our dinner audience.
He was born in Cuba under an oppressive dictator but was able to come to America in 1957 on a student visa. It was understandably a life-changing experience.
He became involved in the political process during the early 1980’s and encouraged other people of faith to do as well. To that end, he founded and is the current Director of Grace for America, sharing his love for God, for America, and for Liberty with crowds of people across the country.
His son is Ted Cruz, U.S. Senator and now also a presidential candidate, who as a boy often heard his father say: “When we faced oppression in Cuba, I had a place to flee to. If we lose our freedom here, where do we go?”
That is why Rev. Cruz is so passionate about returning America to the Judeo-Christian values and Constitutional principles on which it was founded and has prospered for over 400 years – and which have made it such an exceptional country.
In Review: “The Toxic Viruses” of Part I
In case you missed Part I from last week’s program, Cruz confronted some of the toxic viruses that are infecting our culture and doing serious damage to our country. In reality, they are “regressive” rather than “progressive”, as their left-leaning supporters like to claim.
They include “Secular Humanism”, misleading ideas about “Social Justice”, a false understanding of “Separation of Church and State”, and growing attacks by the federal government, including the activist Courts, on our values and on our freedoms.
Part II: No Excuses — Christians and Politics
Now, in Part II, Rev. Cruz reminds pastors that they will be challenged to compromise and even to violate their faith. He then lists several common excuses that churches and pastors give for not getting involved in “politics”. For example, some say they are only called to “preach the gospel”.
In response, Cruz urges the church to preach the “whole” Gospel, which includes Jesus’ call for us to be Salt and Light to a dark world. That means getting out of our pulpits and comfortable pews and into the public square to fight for core Biblical issues like the sanctity of life, natural marriage, and religious freedoms.
There are others who refuse to get involved with the excuse that “Politics is a dirty business.” Cruz again responds that if Christians won’t get involved, they abandon the arena to those who don’t know God – with predictable results.
Therefore, he urges them to at least vote, because not to vote is to vote! He even provides specific Biblical guidance on who we should vote for!
Finally, Cruz points to a number of areas in which the government has overreached its constitutional authority at the expense of the states and of the people. It has intruded onto our turf and needs to be put back in its place. We must be involved.
The George Whitefield Award!
As an added bonus to the program, Forum Chaplain Dr. John Sloop presents our very first George Whitefield Award to a Valley couple in honor of the 18th century English evangelist who helped lead the first Great Awakening in America and who helped unify the colonies in their fight for independence.
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Valley Faith in Action airs five times on WAZT-TV, beginning at 8:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday, again at 7:00 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. Sunday, and finally at Wednesday midnight. That is on Comcast Cable Channel 13 in the central Shenandoah Valley area but varies in other locations — including on WIAV-TV at 8:00 p.m. Friday in Washington DC.
You can also watch this and other VFIA programs online HERE anytime. Part III and the Grand Finale of this “God and Country” dinner program with Rev. Cruz will air next week.
We value your prayers and your support, so if you would like to help with a tax-deductible gift, please send it to the Valley Family Forum at 3465 Izaak Walton Dr., Harrisonburg, 22801.
For God and Country!
Dean
PS: If you haven’t already done so, please get your Early Bird table reservations in now for our 15th annual “God and Country” dinner at JMU beginning at 6:30 p.m., Friday, May 20. The program will feature Liberty Counsel, one of America’s premier champions of religious freedom, with music by Southern Hospitality, and presentation of our annual Wilberforce and Daniel Awards. Call (540) 438-8966 or write to family@valleyfamilyforum.org.