Cowboys with A Cause

By Dave Meyer

     Have you heard about Francis Asbury? Mr. Asbury happens to be one of the greatest figures in American history…yet, many people don’t know who he is. In fact, Francis Asbury is an inspiration to all Christians, and the life he lived reflects God’s purpose for America.

     You might be thinking, God’s purpose for America? What is that? Let’s take a look at the life Francis Asbury led and how his legacy helped put God’s purpose for America in motion. 

Picture This

     The Revolutionary War has just ended. Hope is in the air. Americans now have complete religious freedom according to their new Constitution. As Americans begin building this new nation, a vast frontier awaits them to the west. Several million people are living in the forests and prairies that spread out over thousands of miles. It is the late 1700s, and 95 percent of the American population lives in places with fewer than 2,500 residents— meaning most do not have quick and easy access to a church or the clergy.  Our pioneering ancestors had spiritual needs with few to zero witnesses for Christ out there on the plains and in the forests. This need in early America helped create a new form of evangelism—the circuit-riding preacher.

On a Mission 

     Francis Asbury, a devoted Methodist minister from England, came to America after hearing about these spiritual needs. Francis Asbury is one example of many other circuit-riders who were used by God to spread the Good News throughout the fledgling nation. What makes Asbury an American hero as well as a hero of the faith was his passion for evangelism— a passion so intense he willingly gave up everything for Christ.

     He never got married. He never bought a home. All his possessions were carried in two saddlebags strapped to his trusty horse. Asbury risked his own life to spread the Gospel throughout the thirteen colonies, traveling more than 270,000 miles and preaching over 16,000 sermons. His self-sacrifice enabled him to see thousands of people accept Christ as Savior.

True Grit

     Visualize this: The circuit-riding preacher trots into a town, hot and thirsty…or maybe cold and hungry, depending on the season. He takes out an old parchment to tack up his invitation to a meeting. Then, unless the arrangement was made in advance, he needs to fi nd a house, schoolhouse, barn… someplace to hold a meeting. Remember, this is a community without television, radio or any other entertainments of today. Eventually, as the word spreads about the meeting, people grow more excited. This could be the most exciting thing these people have seen in weeks…or longer! People run home, clean up and put on their best clothes for the occasion. If the circuit-rider wasn’t able to find a Christian family to spend the night with, he would sleep outside. Often, people were honored to host a preacher who came into town to serve them. The preacher would pray with those he stayed with, help them read the Bible, and was even a good source of news from the “outside” world. Through rain, sleet, snow or scorching sunshine, the circuit-rider didn’t stop. It was common for them to travel 200 to 500 miles every two to six weeks.

Dynamic Piece of Americaʼs Christian Heritage 

     The circuit-riding preachers are an awesome part of America’s Christian heritage. What a legacy they left—changing the frontier with their innovative methods of gospel-sharing as God’s powerful Spirit helped them overcome the challenging conditions experienced in early America. They planted seeds throughout the frontier that grew and formed into many churches and helped thousands of pioneer families build a tradition of Christian service.

     Their brave dedication to sharing the Gospel, even at the expense of their own personal comfort, helped lay the groundwork to one of God’s primary purposes for America: taking the Gospel to the far corners of the earth. The gritty determination shown by the early circuit-riders has continued through America’s history—carried on by today’s modern-day “circuit-riders” who risk their lives serving the
Lord as missionaries in far off lands.

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from Enjoying Everyday Life, A Joyce Meyer Ministries (JMM) magazine December 2011 issue

Dave Meyer is Vice President of Joyce Meyer Ministries and has been married to Joyce for over forty years. He passionately shares the truth about our rich Christian heritage in conferences nationwide, encouraging people to get educated pray and take action.

1. “Francis Asbury: Methodist on Horseback” http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/131christians/
denominationalfounders/asbury.html accessed July 8, 2011.
2. Bill Bright and John Damoose, “Red Sky in the Morning,” NewLife Publications, Orlando, FL, 1998, p. 67-68.

Is America A Democracy or a Republic?

The Answer May Surprise You. Here is Why it Matters by Dave Meyer

What if someone asked you the question: What type of government does the United States have in place? What would your answer be? If your answer is "a democracy," that's understandable, because many people from Senators to school teachers, have repeatedly labeled the U.S. a democracy for many years now.

You  may be surprised to learn that our system of government is actually a republic. There are some big differences between a democracy and a republic, and it's important for Americans to know the difference between the two. Let's start by defining how a democracy and a republic are different.

A Democracy

A pure democracy is where the entire population votes on all issues needing to be decided. Therefore, laws are always determined by the majority. Whatever emotions sweep through the majority of the people will end up being the law of the land. This could be described as governance by majority feeling (Our Founds called it a "mobocracy").

A Republic

A "republic", on the other hand is a form of government where the people elect representatives to govern the country, and these representatives have a foundation of laws they use to run things (The Constitution). So a republic is a rule by law.

Is America Ruled by Emotions or God's Word?

There's a reason why our Founding Fathers set up a republican form of government instead of a democracy: They did it to establish the source of the government's authority.  You see, the Founders wanted to make sure that the newly created government was founded on the authority of the Bible and Christian principles. A republic does a much better job maintaining this form of government.

What a blessing this has turned out to be. You see, the freedoms we enjoy rest not on the whims of an ever-changing majority opinion, but on the God -inspired documents we call the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

I like how David Barton put in his book, Original Intent: "The transcendent values of Biblical natural law were the foundation of the American republic. Consider the stability this provides: in our republic, murder will always be a crime, for it is always a crime according to the Word of God. However, in a democracy, if a majority of the people decide that murder is no longer a crime, murder will no longer be a crime". Just as God provides the stability for individuals, He also provides stability to nations.

The Founders Had This to Say

In Original Intent, Barton also documented many of the things our Founders said pertaining to why they chose to form a republic based on the principles of God's Word and not a democracy. For example, Noah Webster said. " Our citizens should early understand that the genuine source of correct republican principles is the Bible, particularly the New Testament or the Christian religion."

Our Founders knew how important it was to base the nation's government on the solid values of their Christian faith. They understood that people are not perfect and are capable of making decisions based on self-interest instead of what is best for all, including the minority.

Warning Against Democracy

That is why the Founders had some strong vies on the dangers of democracy. Here are a few examples.

"Remember democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide." - John Adams

"Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security, or the rights of property, and have, in general, been as short in their lives as they  have been violent in their deaths". - James Madison

"A simple democracy... is one of the greatest of evils." - Benjamin Rush

My hope is that this article will spark your interest in the amazing Godly heritage of the United States. I pray that more leaders will take this information to heart and pass this knowledge on to other Christians throughout America. If you need more information, I suggest reading Original Intent by David Barton. Or you can find additional resources at joycemeyer.org/america

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Article from 'Enjoying Everyday Life' of Joyce Meyer Ministries November 2011 issue

Dave Meyer is the Vice President of Joyce Meyer Ministries and has been married to Joyce for over forty years. He passionately share the truth about our rich Christian heritage in conferences in America, encouraging people to get educated, pray and take action.