Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Liberty - Apples of Gold - July 2, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 2, 2008

“Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Liberty


Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.

What if China made a deal with OPEC to buy all the oil they had?

What if they sealed it with a threat of invasion?

One little deal like that on the other side of the world would radically change our lives in America.

You think high dollar gas is bad?  Imagine this – no gas.

What would we do, go to war?

Why hasn’t something like this happened?  Is it because we have the power to nuke them off the face of the earth?

Now think about this.  Why haven’t there been any more big terrorist attacks in America after 9-11?  Are you telling me they couldn’t just make up their mind and do it if they wanted to?

Why hasn’t there been another world war?  What’s stopping Russia or China or India or Iraq from marching out and gobbling up their neighbors?

And you can rest assured, if any big thing happens in the world, it will involve us, the United States of America.

At this point we have immense freedom and peace in America.  But there is no guarantee that will last.  If we take it for granted, we will lose it.

One of my all time favorite quotes is this, “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”

The only way we can keep our liberty, for us and our children, is by constantly working on it.

Will another country attack America?  It could happen, you know.  That’s why we never stop working around the world.  That’s why, for example, we are part of the Six-Party process regarding North Korea, which brought about that country’s commitment to denuclearize. 

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the fight for freedom never ends.  Her view is that if we want to stay free in America, then we must work to bring about freedom everywhere.  She calls it “transformational diplomacy,” which means we partner with foreign citizens to better their own lives and build their own nations.  She says, “We must begin to lay new diplomatic foundations to secure a future of freedom for all people.” 

So why do we care if other countries are free? 

One reason is because if they believe in freedom, then they will grant us our freedom and their neighbors their freedom.  When you believe in freedom, you aren’t going to attack your neighbor and take away their freedom.

So spreading freedom is one strategy for keeping our freedom.

Of course not everyone wants to grant their citizens freedom, but we still have to work with all those countries.  We have to work with them in order to maintain our own freedom.

Diplomacy is great, but all some people understand is force.  That’s why we must keep a strong military.  It’s called “peace through strength.”  We must stay so strong that every other country looks at us and says, “No, messing with them is not worth it.”

Keeping our liberty is a job that is never done. 

But now think about this.  Who is doing all this work?  Well a ton of it is done by government officials, people you’ve never heard of.  And let me tell you, I hope and pray that these people know what they are doing!  I hope they are smart and wise and diligent, because our nation hinges on these unknown workers.

A lot of this work is done by our soldiers.  They are stationed all over the world.  This “peace through strength” comes from real people doing their jobs day and night, putting their lives at risk so we can live at peace, without fear of invasion.

And you know what?  We constantly need new people to do these jobs.  People come and people go, and who will take their place?  I hope and pray that good, qualified people are always there to protect our liberty.

Now you might think, “Well, there will always be someone to do it, so I don’t have to.”  Maybe and maybe not.  If enough people take that attitude then we are in trouble. 

Remember Proverbs 18:9, “One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys.”  You don’t have to fight against this nation to destroy it.  All you have to do is be slack in your work for this nation.  So think about what part you can play.  Pray about it.  Say, “Lord, what do You want me to do for the good of my country?”

One big thing we should all do is pray.  First Timothy 2 says we should pray for all those in authority so we can live peaceful and quiet lives.  And yes, I think our prayers and God’s answers are one reason why we have kept our liberty so far.

As we prepare for another Independence Day celebration, let us not take for granted the precious freedoms we enjoy.  They come at a great cost, both in the past, and to this very day.  The price for our liberty is never paid in full, because the price of liberty is eternal vigilance. 


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.

Here is a great website to keep current on our dealings with other countries.  It also makes a great prayer list!

 

http://www.state.gov/


© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

Why “The Arrow’s Tip”?  Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold.  Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.”  I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for
Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000

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