The timely cause for protest was that a story had broken just a week before about the Clintons’ unconscionable renting out of The Lincoln Bedroom in exchange for political contributions. Aside from being completely grotesque in my opinion, there was concern that selling off the people’s property was a violation of The Emoluments Clause. Of course my blood pressure spiked at the thought that allegedly free citizens were being prohibited from voicing peaceable redress of their government. 

I jumped to action and ran to the store, probably a Duane Reade, and grabbed a giant permanent marker and a foam core placard and then hurried to find my way as close to the theatre as I could get. I succeeded in getting to the last Secret Service cordon about a half a block from the theatre. 

There didn’t appear to be any protestors there. I suppose there were some poor unfortunates who felt OK being subjects and went to the Imperial approved protest zone away from the theatre. Not me. I stood calmly and surveyed the scene to see if there were any other fellow travelers and thought there might be a few, and there were many regular onlookers trying to see the President. I had a feeling that the Clintons were already in the theatre. I heard that the limousine was there and obscured by a canvas tent.  

It was clear that, in spite of my best efforts to have my opinion known, I’d have to stay through the entire show if I hoped to have Bill and Hillary see my sign. I then realized there were an army of journalists and news outlets all around me, and there appeared my opportunity to at least be seen by the people and the masses. In a move reminiscent of Sally Fields in the motion picture Norma Ray, I stood up as tall as I could and raised my placard high in the sky, and there my liberty rang out uninhibited. There and then the world around the Nederlander Theatre and the world beyond the camera lenses of the media saw my message. Media started filming and snapping up my one-man protest seeing my hand scrawled message which I wrote with the jagged letters of the RENT Playbill, “LINCOLN BEDROOM FOR RENT.” It was an instant hit (to anyone with a sense of humor). It created a stir, smiles, buzz of the crowd, and the clamoring of the media hounds.  

Just then, a large, well-dressed Secret Service agent rapidly approached me wearing his best intimidating look, not knowing that you cannot intimidate a free patriot on a mission. He barked, “What are you doing?” 

My response had to be directly from God, as I had never met aggression with such utter calm and control. I mildly replied, “I am John Q Public and I am exercising my sacrosanct First Amendment Rights.”  

He smugly replied like an automaton, “This is a 'no protest zone.’ There is a place for you back at Port Authority.” 

I calmly and assuredly asked, “On whose authority are you claiming to be able to deny my right to peaceable protest?” Just then, very well prepared for the moment, I pulled my pocket sized U.S. Constitution out and firmly stated, “This is The Constitution of The United States, and it guarantees my right to peaceably redress my government for grievances.”  

That was the abrupt end of the conversion. The agent huffed and turned away. 

The onlookers in my immediate vicinity gave me much praise and a few back pats for winning the day. I half jokingly asked them all to tell me if they saw any red laser dots on my forehead. There were snipers on several of the rooftops, and I have no doubt they were told about the dissident in the crowd. 

Unfortunately that is the state of freedom in America, and worse, in the police state formerly known as “liberal,” The Empire State. 

The next day I did see myself in one of the NY papers. My off-kilter RENT letters looked great. I don’t recall which newspaper it was and also had reports from friends that they saw my RENT sign on the local news. I was so proud that I stood my ground on the blood of my forefathers, who gave all so that potentates would never have super-powers to deny peace-loving citizens their First Freedom, the right to simple dissent. We have a Savior who paid the ultimate price for simple dissent that rattled the power establishment of His day. We must never, ever cede that blood stained ground that paved the way to liberty. 

It won’t happen on my watch.

—Michael V Austin

My article is scheduled to post on April 14 on www.HeadlinePrayer.org. You can sign up for an email alert at www.RichDrama.com/blog/post/Prayer.

We went to a pre-release screening of A Great Awakening last Wednesday and were thrilled that Joshua Enck (writer/producer/director), Jonathan Blair (writer/George Whitefield), Josh Bates (Alexander Hamilton), and Katie Miller (head of Sight & Sound’s film division) were all in attendance and willing to do interviews with me after the screening. 

Here's my article about the film:

"What Will SAVE America? An Awakening!"

Lord, our government leaders fight like cats and dogs. Please bring another great awakening! We need You like never before!

Leaders from every state are at each other’s throats! Are they arguing over the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act or funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)?

Nope. Those tensions won’t rise for 239 years. The heated debates comprise the first scene of A Great Awakening, opening nationwide on April 3. At issue in the Constitutional Congress of 1787 is the power dynamic between large and small states. That will soon be solved by creating the House of Representatives (with the number of representatives based on population) and the Senate (with two senators for every state, regardless of size). Though it isn’t featured in this film, we know from The American Miracle Expanded that eight of the 13 states wanted to abolish slavery, which also caused much contentious chatter.

[Click to read the whole article...]

I taught on Hebrews 6:13 -20 as a part of Westchester Chapel's Wednesday night series, The Supremacy of Christ: A Study of the Book of Hebrews.

“Thomas Jefferson Explains the Declaration”: On our 25th anniversary as a nation, our third President explains the Declaration of Independence, which he drafted. Some children are invited to the stage, so he can explain it to them… and so adults in our era can understand it better. 

“Something’s Brewin’ in Boston”: Rev. John Bacon stirs the crowd to join him at his church, the Old South Meeting House, where people will be gathering to plan the Boston Tea Party. Rev. Bacon reminds a modern audience that “the clergy of this colony understand the solemn charge laid upon us: to shepherd not only souls, but the cause of liberty itself.” 

"A Pastor Signs the Declaration": Rev. John Witherspoon, the sixth president of Princeton University, was the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence. He reflects on the day and the importance of faith in our founding.

Thanks!

Here's my latest article for Intercessors for America:

Two States’ Schools May Be Forced To Leave Out the Facts of January 6

Lord, the future of our nation is in the minds of our students. Please give teachers the courage to teach the truth, no matter what!

Virginia school teachers may soon be required to teach about what happened on January 6, 2021, within the narrow confines of approved talking points. ...

Though the Virginia bill doesn’t require children to be taught about J6, Long Island Democratic state Rep. Chuck Lavine wants to take things a step further in New York. His bill, A03966, “Requires instruction on the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and its aftermath in all schools in the state.”

[Click to read the whole article...]

We covered this and other articles from www.HeadlinePrayer.org, leading with "FBI Investigates NYC ISIS-Inspired Attack As Terrorism" on Headline Prayer Live:

In June Joyce and I covered The American Miracle: Our Nation Is no Accident. It’s now available on DVD and streaming, and today my review of the follow-up documentary, The American Miracle Expanded, posted to www.HeadlinePrayer.org:

I felt a heavy burden to write an article addressing how the Church is being divided by anti-ICE riots: 

"Weaponized Compassion Pushing the Anti-ICE Agenda"

Lord, please bring unity in the Body of Christ around truth and justice. Be the balm as facts are ignored and spun.

  

Many Christians are among those who have been protesting how Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is handling deportations in Minneapolis, Minnesota. There were more than 600 faith leaders and clergy who went to Minneapolis on January 22. About 100 of them were arrested for “trespassing and failing to comply with an officer.”

[Click to read the whole article...]

Joyce and I were not on today's Headline Prayer Live (we're on the 2nd and 5th Tuesdays), but I was really blessed by how today's team covered the article: