by David K. Homes, Exec. Vice President & Chief Legacy Officer • 5 minutes
In the year 445 B.C., the prophet Nehemiah asked the Lord to remember His promise to gather His people from their dispersion – if they repented. The Lord heard his prayers, and the Persian king Artaxerxes astoundingly allowed Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem and to rebuild the walls of the city, to repair the gates of the temple, and to build Nehemiah’s house.
When I read of the conditions under which the people labored to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, amid the scorn and threats of its neighbors, I can’t help but think of our work to rebuild the fortresses of religious freedom in this country.
The walls of old Jerusalem were torn down and set afire, analogous to the erosion of our religious liberties here over the past decades. And yet, like the Hebrew people and their restored walls, we have steadily regained ground and rebuilt our defenses against forces that would destroy our religious freedom.
Look at our victories in the last 10 years that have had landmark, precedent-setting impact: American Legion v. American Humanist Association, Carson v. Makin, Groff v. DeJoy, Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, and others. Nine, in fact. And more coming in the current pipeline!
Like the various tribes in Israel, who carried swords and bricks, we are putting up strong fortresses against religious discrimination with legal victories in one hand, and our Constitution in the other. Yet, we need more workers and more victories. We need more people to buy more bricks, in other words, to help restore religious freedom in America. Forever!
In Genesis, scripture speaks of the mighty men of renown. They were referred to again later as David’s mighty men in 2 Samuel 23:8-39 and in 1 Chronicles 12 at Ziklag. Gideon was named by an angel from God as a mighty man of valor in Judges 6:12.
Can 2050 mighty people of valor also step forward and indicate they will join us in a new and exciting way? We appreciate all your support, past and present, because current gifts are crucial to funding present cases. However, I am referring to the future here.
Imagine 2,050 Americans bequeath $25,000 in their wills. Think how that would strengthen the legacy of liberty you could leave your family – all the way to the year 2050 and beyond. 2050 for 2050!
Here is an excerpt from a recent article I wrote about the year 2050, and why looking ahead is so critically important:
“Imagine you are on a train. You look far ahead, way down the tracks. The weather is clearing around you after a 4-year spring storm, and life feels pretty good in America in 2025. There’s been a watershed election, the economy is picking up, the border feels safer, the Iranian nuclear threat is severely degraded, and conservative principles, including religious liberty, seem to rule the day. And First Liberty has won 9 Supreme Court cases in ten years! But far ahead, maybe 25 years from now, in the year 2050, down the tracks on the horizon, you see dark storm clouds, even lightning. It looks ominous. What’s going on?
Fighting for religious liberty is like the changing weather. It’s great to win victories now, but the adversaries to religious freedom will never rest, and the future will be full of cultural, courtroom, and media turmoil.
The blackening clouds on the horizon, in my mind, represent social revolution and an all-out assault upon our religious rights. Is First Liberty equipped to defeat the enemies of the Constitution and our 1st Amendment religious liberty then?”
So, in addition to your current support, I ask that you prayerfully consider becoming one of the 2050 Might People of Valor for Religious Liberty for the year 2050.
If you are able, leave a $25,000 gift from your will to help rebuild the walls of religious liberty and establish a legacy for your family. This isn’t “here-and-now money” from your cash accounts, it’s future money from your estate after the Lord has called you home. This could have a profound impact on religious liberty, much like the cases I cited earlier.
Please email me at wills@firstliberty.org to indicate the dollar amount of your estimated intentions. Such an indication is not legally binding – you can change either the amount or the named beneficiaries in your will at any time without even notifying anyone. What the indication gives is an idea of how many warriors and future dollars we have with us, using “financial swords”, to rebuild walls of religious liberty!
If you recall, there were enemies of Israel who wanted to keep the walls in shambles. In our times, the enemies of religious freedom wish to keep the Constitution and religious liberty in shambles. And we can’t let that happen.
Thank you for your ongoing support and for your prayerful consideration of the future of religious liberty in 2050.
* DISCLAIMER: This article does not provide individualized tax or legal advice. This article is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied upon, for tax or legal advice. You should consult your own tax and legal advisors before engaging in estate planning.
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