Written By: Miranda Caverley
The atmosphere of tonight’s event Faith and Freedom with Mike Huckabee at Ohio Christian University in Circleville Ohio, can only be explained by the first sentenced that Congressman Steve Austria spoke as he took the podium to begin his speech to introduce Mike Huckabee. He said, “I felt more energy tonight than I have the past 30 days on the campaign trail.” It was truly an amazing feeling of camaraderie and unity that swept over the entire crowd.
The event began with Timothy Noble playing a piano solo of patriotic and spiritual hymns. This young boy was just 11 years old but played like he had been doing this for decades. He was astoundingly talented. After Timothy blessed us all with his amazing piano solos, the Bucyrus Celebration Singers and Orchestra took the stage and entertained us with patriotic songs and hymns to really get the crowd pumped.
American Political Activist Ralph Reed then took the stage to give the opening speech. The main point about his short speech that truly struck me was he used the bible scripture of being the head not the tail. That we as Americans need to stop allowing the government and elected officials who have taken our country clearly in the wrong direction from making us the tail. We need to rise up and become the head again, and bring America back to God. Strangely The quote “We are the head and not the tail” is one of the main quotes Jeremy and I use in our ministry when we are trying to encourage others whether it be in a phone call, email, on our JMC LIVE show or even live speaking engagements. To hear Ralph Reed say these same words was truly an inspiration. After Ralph Reed finished the opening speech and then the opening prayer was said, Dr. Ken Blackwell took to the stage.
Dr. Ken Blackwell has been very well known with the Tea Party Movement and has traveled all over the country speaking to the people in the church. Trying to get them to wake up and get out of their pews and from behind their pulpits and start making a change in America. To stop the path our current leaders have us on. Ken not only expressed that Americans need to become more pro-active in the community and politics but also shared some frightening statistics and stories he found out by attending many liberal meeting in America. He shared how Socialism is truly trying to infiltrate into our government and society and we as Americans need to stop this. Ken had a great sense of humor and nearly through his whole speech every other sentence was a joke or funny moment that he shared from his life.
Pastor Benny Tate took the stage after Ken Blackwell and I tell you I don’t think anyone stopped laughing through most of his speech. This man was a ball of fire the whole time and you just never knew what he was going to say. He wasn’t like many preachers I’ve experienced because this man was not afraid to say anything. He spoke what most pastors, preachers, ministers and Christians in general are afraid to say. I was just waiting for Kirk Franklin to pop up and yell “Preach Preacher!” at any moment because this man was on a roll. Benny stressed that Americans Need to Speak up For
1. Sanctity of Life
2. Preachers To Have A Backbone
3. The Sacredness of Working
4. The Church needs to stand up and be the salt and light of the world.
By the end of his speech Benny had everyone on their feet in a standing ovation and it was electrifying.
Dr. Mark Smith President of Ohio Christian University then came to the podium and the main point he made in his speech was that our world be in even worse shape than what it is now had it NOT been for the faith community. Dr. Smith also shared of some of the exciting new programs that OCU has started to reach out more to the community especially when disaster strikes.
After Dr. Mark Smith spoke the Bucyrus Celebration Singers and Orchestra led us in the pledge of allegiance and then the National Anthem.
The most surprising thing of all was that they had us sing the 4th verse of the national anthem that majority of people didn’t even know existed. Jeremy and I were just 2 of the very few that even knew the verse and we sang it loud and clear, while surprisingly able to heard ourselves singing because many in the audience around us didn’t even know the 4nd verse that it even existed or that there are actually 3 other verses to the Star Spangled Banner. If you have never heard the 4th verse or even the other 3 verses of our national anthem here they are for you
First Verse
Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say, does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
Second Verse
On the shore, dimly seen thro' the mists of the deep, Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes, What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep, As it fitfully blows half conceals, half discloses? Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam, In full glory reflected now shines in the stream; 'Tis the Star-Spangled Banner, O long may it wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Third Verse
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion, A home and a country should leave us no more? Their blood has wash'd out their foul footsteps' pollution. No refuge could save the hireling and slave From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave: And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Fourth Verse
Oh, thus be it ever when free men shall stand Between their loved homes and the war's desolation! Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n rescued land Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserved us a nation! Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto, "In God is our trust" And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
After the singing of our national Anthem Steve Austria came to introduce Former Governor Mike Huckabee. That was when Steve made the comment that he had not felt so much energy from a crowd in 30 days of being on the campaign trail as was felt tonight at Ohio Christian University. So when Mike Huckabee finally came to the podium to give the final speech everyone was more than ready to listen. The first thing that struck me about Mike Huckabee is that if this whole political thing doesn’t work out for him he would make a killing as a standup comedian, because the man is hilarious. The first sentenced out of this mouth was about Pastor Benny Tate who had spoken earlier. Mike said, “I’m not worried about Benny Getting into heaven, I’m afraid he’ll be so excited when he gets there he’ll run right past it and have to turn around!”
The main subject of Mike Huckabee’s speech however, was about bringing America back to its roots and remembering what our country was founded on and that if we don’t fight for our country there won’t be one for our future generations to come. Here are just a few of the most prominent quotes from Mike Huckabee’s speech
While discussing the upcoming elections and how great the way our government is set up Mike said, “America is like a self cleaning oven. When it gets gunked up and dirty, we turn up the heat and watch all the gunk turn to ash. Then on Election Day we open the oven and clean out the ashes and start all over.”
As Mike continued to tackle many tough topics he came to the recession and the fall of Wall Street and said, “Wall street didn’t melt down because of a money problem, but because of a moral problem!” Then while continuing to tackling the topic of Wall street, the recession and job loss in America Mike says, “we are exporting jobs because we’ve lost our common sense.”
But not once in his speech did he attack any particular person, political party or anything like that. He attacked the topics that no one in Washington is talking about. That we need to bring America back to what our Founding Fathers made it to be and founded it on. Start using the constitution and bill of rights to govern our country again and stop the selfishness and greed that seems to have over run our country.
As the event came to a close and Mike Huckabee finished his speech the crowd came alive to their feet and gave a long standing ovation. I felt at that moment, that I had just witnessed a part of history that I will one day share with generations to come. For I know that next week as we go to the poles and cast our votes here in America we will be sending most of those in Washington their pink slips and we will start to take America back! By placing the right people into the positions to help right all the wrong that has been done in this country.
