HE IS RISEN…SO OUR HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL (for battles like Health Standards)
As the guardians of 1st Amendment Rights in Nebraska, we realize that our members have a range of spiritual beliefs, and we support your right to worship the Creator of the universe according to your beliefs. The desire for freedom to practice their Christian faith was the driving force for our founding fathers and mothers to leave their home country and risk the perilous journey on wooden ships to start a country based on Biblical principles. So, to all our members across Nebraska, the NFFV leaders shout “celebrate and savor this precious time in 2021!”
For we Christians, Holy Week and Easter Sunday are the crescendo of our annual spiritual journey. One goal each year is that we are more Christ-like than last year in our thoughts, prayers, and actions!
When we reflect on Jesus’ agony, scourging, pain from whips and the crown of thorns, it is shocking to us. When we reflect on Jesus’s courage to carry his cross to Calvary despite His massive blood loss and the humiliation from the soldiers and crowd, we are overwhelmed with sorrow. Then to think of the pain of His crucifixion and dying of asphyxiation to save us from our sins, it is overwhelming to know how much HE loves me and every other human on earth. Then all those feelings are replaced with the joy of Christ’s resurrection from the grave to overcome death.
So, the joy and energy in our hearts should re-charge our spiritual battery for the physical and mental energy we need to defend the Gospel message as the foundation of public square in Nebraska and the entire USA! That public square includes your local schools, your local government, the Nebraska Legislature, the Nebraska Department of Education, and the Nebraska State School Board.
We have solid feedback that our initial opposition testimony on Friday against the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) standards has created a significant thrust of momentum in month #1 of this 5-to-6-month battle before the final Health Standards are voted on by the Nebraska State School Board. Here are the stats from our in-person opposition efforts on Friday at the Nebraska State School Board meeting in Lincoln:
A. 83 Total Testifiers
B. 66 Opposition Testifiers (80%)
C. 17 Proponent Testifiers (20%)
WOW, this a terrific ratio of opposition with only one weeks’ notice provides us GREAT hope and energy in this marathon battle! Experience would indicate that a similar opposition percentage would also be present in the 4,000+ emails that the NDE received about the Draft #1 Health Standards.
Watch for future Minuteman Alerts – these will detail our next prayer and action steps that NFFV Leaders will share with you to keep positive pressure on the NDE employees and Nebraska State School Board Members for the next 30 days. In the meantime, savor our GREAT spiritual celebration of the year!
Blessings to each of you NFFV members!
NFFV Board Members and Co-Executive Directors
