During the early morning hours of April 19, 1775, 700 British Redcoats were on a mission to confiscate the firearms and ammunition of those who were considered a threat to the Crown of England. The morning air was thick with the anxiety and anticipation of the 77 colonial militia were waiting with muskets in hand. They were determined to defend their families, their freedoms and their town.

These men had responded to the call of Captain John Parker and the example of Pastor Jonas Clark. When the British were about a half a mile away, Captain Parker challenged Clark’s congregation and other MinuteMen, to stand as free men in Christ and fight: “Every man of you, who is equipped, follow me; and those of you who are not equipped, go into the meeting-house and furnish yourselves from the magazine, and immediately join the company.”

A British officer drew a line in the sand when he said: “Lay down your arms, ye damned rebels, or you are all dead men.”

Undeterred, Captain John Parker said: “Stand your ground! Don’t fire unless fired upon — but if they mean to have war, let it begin here.”

When this first battle at Lexington was over, 8 MinuteMen had paid the price of freedom as they died on the battlefield. A monument was erected to memorialize their sacrifice. The inscription reads: “On April 19, 1775, the die was cast!! The blood of the martyrs, in the cause of God and their country, was the cement of the Union of these states . . . they nobly dared to be free, and the peace, liberty and independence of the United States of America was their glorious reward!”

The actions of Pastor Clark and the members of his church were evidence of the sentiment and mindset of many of the colonial churches. Many pastors challenged their congregations to join the fight for freedom and even led them from the pulpit to the battlefield.

The patriotic fervor of 1775 is a stark contrast to the insipid response I see in the life of the church today. Too many freedoms are being consumed by the mammoth appetite of the current administration; its ever expanding government programs; its assault on our Second Amendment rights; and, what appears to be an utter disdain for the Christian worldview.

In this past week President Obama has prostituted the grief of the traumatized parents of Sandy Hook. He used Air Force One, at tax payers expense, to fly the parents to Washington and then parade them in and out of offices in an effort to restrict the Second Amendment.

When the President’s legislation was defeated, he angrily whined that it was the fault of a determined minority. The problem wasn’t the minority, it was the fact that the President could not twist enough arms to get a majority. This is the difference between a Republic and a Democracy, and the United States is a Republic.

I doubt I will ever own a BushMaster AR 15, but once you let the government in the hen house, the fox will rule the roost.

I think we have a sly fox who is ransacking too many hen houses.