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<meta http-equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><b>"TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE" MINISTRIES<br>Jim & Marie Watt<br>PO Box 25116 -- Federal Way WA 98093-2116<br>Tel: 253.874.4265 -- Email: <a href="mailto:jmbetter@gmail.com">jmbetter@gmail.com</a><br>
Web: <a href="http://www.2rbetter.org">www.2rbetter.org</a> -- June 29, 2008<br></b><br>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><u>"<b>LINCOLN'S SECOND
INAUGURAL ADDRESS"</b></u></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">Abraham
Lincoln -- March 4, 1865</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">(From
"Intercessors for America", July/August 2008 - Vol. 35, 7/8)</span></span></p>
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</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><i><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">Various
church and civic leaders speaking at the May 1, 2008 National Day of
Prayer observances in Washington, DC referenced Lincoln's Second
Inaugural Address. The issues which Lincoln addressed are all
pertinent today; injustice and prolonged war, racial discord and
political division, economic upheaval, Christians praying "against"
each other, the divine attributes and judgments of God, and "binding
up the nation's wounds." We felt prompted to include Lincoln's
historic speech for summer reflection and prayer. -- </span></span></i>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;" align="left"><i><span style="">Gary
Bergel</span></i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;" align="left"><br>
</p>
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<span style="">Fellow-Countrymen .... On the
occasion corresponding to this four years ago all thoughts were
anxiously directed to an impending civil war. All dreaded it, all
sought to avert it. While the inaugural address was being delivered
from this place, devoted altogether to saving the Union without war,
urgent agents were in the city seeking to destroy it without war --
seeking to dissolve the Union and divide effects by negotiation. Both
parties deprecated war, but one of them would make war rather than
let the nation survive, and the other would accept war rather than
let it perish, and the war came.</span></p>
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<span style="">One-eighth of the whole population
were colored slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but
localized in the southern part of it. These slaves constituted a
peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was
somehow the cause of the war. To strengthen, perpetuate, and extend
this interest was the object for which the insurgents would rend the
Union even by war, while the Government claimed no right to do more
than to restrict the territorial enlargement of it. Neither party
expected for the war the magnitude or the duration which it has
already attained. Neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict
might cease with or even before the conflict itself should cease.
Each looked for an easier triumph, and a result lest fundamental and
astounding. Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and
each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any
men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their
bread from the sweat of other men's faces, but let us judge not, that
we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered. That of
neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes.
"Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that
offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh." If
we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses
which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having
continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove, and
that He gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe
due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern therein any
departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a
living God always ascribe to Him? Fondly do we hope, fervently do we
pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away.</span></p>
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</p>
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<span style="">Yet, if God wills that it continue
until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty
years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood
drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword,
as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said "the
judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether."</span></p>
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<br>
</p>
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<span style="">With malice toward none, with
charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see
the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up
the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle
and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and
cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all
nations. </span>
</p>
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<br>
</p>
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<br>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="left"><u><b>NOTE:</b></u><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
Gary Bergel has rightly discerned both the relevancy and the unusual
importance of this address. God raised up Abraham Lincoln for a time
in the history of our nation that cannot but cause Americans to
ponder and marvel at His wisdom and timing on our behalf.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="left"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="left"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">I
was born in of American parents in Arkansas, one of the states of our
nation that made their decision one way concerning this problem. Now
my wife Marie and I reside in the state of Washington, as Americans
holding dual citizenship with Canada.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="left"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="left"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">Canada
and the United States hold in common the longest undefended border
between any two nations in the world. Canadians watch with great
interest American elections, as well as their economic and political
decisions. I remember as a boy of 13 running to a neighboring farm in
Langley, BC to learn the latest election results south of the border
in 1936. We did not have a radio in those post-depression years.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="left"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="left"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">Former
Prime Minster Pierre Elliott Trudeau of Canada once said, "Canada's
role with its neighbor to the south, is much like a mouse sleeping
with an elephant. If the mouse twitches in its sleep, it is of little
import. But if the elephant twitches in his sleep, it can be
catastrophic!"</span></span></p>
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</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="left"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">There
have been many prophecies regarding the high purposes of God for
these two nations. According to some American prophecies, we learn
that the War of Independence for the USA in 1776 was permitted by
God. He had designed a leading role for America for the end times.
But he also had a role for Canada. He cautioned America to aid 40,000
United Empire Loyalists to emigrate to Canada at that time so they
could remain under the British flag. Just as people formerly fled
from Britain and Europe to find residence in a nation that would
grant them freedom in their choice of religion, so Americans should
in turn help any of their people to do likewise concerning Canada.
God intimated that just as He would use America in their independence
-- so He had reserved Canada for the last days to spear-head world
evangelism and missions. Pastor David Yonggi Cho of Seoul, South
Korea strongly confirmed this in 1975, 1979 and 1984 in Kelowna, BC;
Toronto, Ontario and Halifax, Nova2skagitattic.com Scotia.</span></span></p>
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</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="left"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">So
now, looking back on the American Civil War presided over by Abraham
Lincoln as President, we indeed have much to ponder and meditate
upon. And how would God have us apply the lessons we glean? Certainly
Prayer and Fasting -- the twin challenges of "Intercessors for
America" for the past 35 years, can be strengthened in this
application. And certainly thanksgiving can be offered up to God for
placing Abraham Lincoln as "Commander-in-Chief" of our nation
back in 1860-65. Thank God for this unusual man of God placed in this
critical position at that specific time.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="left"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="left"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">Should
we not then pray then in the present critical time for our nation,
that God would again unusually intervene to place a man of God as
commander-in-chief of our nation this year?
Jim Watt <br></span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="left"><br><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style=""></span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="left">
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