07-03-2022 – “America Began as a Nation Under God”
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July 3, 2022
“America Began as a Nation Under God”
On July 4, 1776, the final wording for the Declaration of Independence was agreed upon, but not until August 2 was it signed by a group of fifty-six courageous men, sometimes referred to as our “founding fathers”. The closing words of that document read, “With a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”
These men counted the cost of freedom and liberty: Five were captured and tortured to death. Twelve had their homes robbed, occupied and then burned to the ground. Nine died in the war. Two lost their sons in the war.
The founding fathers of America were guided and strengthened by Biblical principles and precepts, for example:
In 1787, when representatives from the thirteen colonies met in Philadelphia to write the Constitution of the United States, Benjamin Franklin, 81 years of age, addressed the convention: “I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: that God governs in the affairs of man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings that except the Lord build a house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this. I, therefore, beg leave to move that, henceforth, prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven and its blessing on our deliberation be held in this assembly every morning.”
In 1789, President George Washington addressed Congress, saying: “No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible hand which conducts the affairs of men more than the people of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency. We ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of heaven cannot be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which heaven itself has ordained.”
In 1816, John Jay, Chief Justice of U.S. Supreme Court declared: "Providence has given our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, privilege, and interest of a Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers."
In 1828, Noah Webster, in the preface to The American Dictionary of the English Language, wrote: “In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government, ought to be instructed…No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people.”
In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln set aside April 30, as a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer: “It is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.”
Woodrow Wilson (President 1913-1921) said: “When you have read the Bible, you know it is the word of God, because it is the key to your heart, your own happiness and your own duty." President Wilson read his Bible every day, meditated on what he read, and sought to obey the teachings of the Scripture.
Did you know the Pledge of Allegiance was written in August 1892 by a socialist minister, Francis Bellamy. In its original form it read: "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” It was meant to be used by any citizen of any country.
In 1923, the words, "the Flag of the United States of America" were added, so that it read: "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower addressed Congress saying, “Without God there could be no American form of government, nor an American way of life. Recognition of the Supreme Being is the first--the most basic--expression of Americanism. Thus, the founding fathers of America saw it, and thus with God’s help, it will continue to be.” He then exhorted Congress to add the words "under God," to the Pledge of Allegiance, to which they did, so that it would remain as we say it today: "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
America’s greatness parallels her acknowledgement, application, and adherence to certain basic principles of the Christian Faith. The philosophy and practice of our founding fathers was guided by Biblical principles, here are five of those principles:
- Heterosexual monogamous marriages and traditional families…
God ordained that the covenant of marriage should be between one man and one woman (cf. Genesis 2:22-24). This couple is to be committed to God and to each other (cf. Ephesians 5:21-33), for the purpose of raising children (cf. Genesis 4:1-2a) in accordance with the principles and precepts revealed in God’s Word (cf. Ephesians 6:1-3)
Divergent family forms such as common law marriages, same-sex unions, polygamy, and the notion that it takes a village to raise a child, are an abomination to God and a detriment to society.
- Dignity of human life… All human life is sacred, and life begins at conception (Psalm 139:13-16); therefore, the Bible forbids murder and considers abortion to be a capitol crime deserving a death sentence (cf. Genesis 9:6; Exodus 21:12, 22-25; Leviticus 24:17; Matthew 5:21).
- Common decency… Common decency begins with the covering of the human body parts that are associated with specific male or female sexuality, as was exemplified in the story of Creation (cf. Genesis 2:25; 3:7-11, 21-24), when God covered Adam and Eve’s nakedness with animal hide.
The loss of innocence, the lack of morality, and the increase in decadence, is clearly being exhibited in America today: Pornography is a multi-billion dollar business; our news stands, television shows, theaters, and internet are filled with vulgarity, profanity, nudity, and obscenity.
- Work ethic… The Bible says a man must earn his food and keep by the work of his hands and the sweat of his brow (cf. Genesis 3:17-19). It also tells us that even life’s most mundane tasks and simplest pleasures can bring great joy and fulfillment to a thankful person who is in a right relationship with God (cf. Ecclesiastes 2:22-25).
There is a dignity in hard work, but the welfare system in America has stripped that dignity from millions of people
(cf. 2Thessalonians 3:6,
2Thessalonians 3:10).
The free enterprise system in America was meant to encourage ambition, incentive, competition, and hard work; but without God’s blessing no one will find satisfaction.
- God ordained the Home, the Church, and the State.
The Home is the basic unit of society
(Ephesians 5:21-23;
Ephesians 6:1)
and a society is only as strong as the individual families within that society.
The Church was established, so God’s people might serve Him individually, yet corporately
(John 14:15-20;
Ephesians 2:19-22);
and although the church is under direct attack by Satan, the world system, and all those who reject Christ, the church will succeed in carrying out God’s plan, purpose, and provision in and through Jesus Christ.
The State (civil government) established human, civil government
(Romans 13:1;
1Peter 2:13-17);
therefore, we must pray for our leaders and demonstrate respect for positions of authority placed over us; but, we must obey God’s Word first and foremost.
Jesus said (Mark 12:17),
“Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s but give to God what is God’s”.
Homes, churches, and governments will cease to sufficiently provide for those within them, when God’s sovereign Word is not acknowledged, applied, and adhered to! America began as a nation looking to God for protection, purpose, and provision; governed by leaders who recognized and revered God’s authority; but over the past four hundred years, God’s Word in America has become marginalized in our government, mocked in our culture, minimized in the workplace, maligned by public education, and misrepresented by the media,
Future generations will indeed be more hostile toward Christianity than this present one, because we live in a post-Christian America, and we, as Christians, need to turn to God and His Word like never before in the history of America.
God's Word is the sovereign authority in all things Life, Death, Marriage, Family, Culture, Education, Religion, Government, and Eternity; but the truth is, America no longer references, respects, or reveres, God’s Word, for America has ceased to be
One Nation UNDER GOD.
2Timothy 3:1-5,
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-- having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”
2Timothy 3:12-13,
“In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”
The Constitution of the US was meant to perpetuate a Christian order; America’s founding fathers desired America to be the political expression of Christian ideas, it was never intended that there would be an absence of God in America’s government, because America began as One Nation Under God!
Peter Marshall, a Scottish-American Preacher, was twice appointed Chaplain to the US Senate (1947-1949); he died in 1949 at the age of 46. Peter Marshall profoundly understood what was needed if America was to continue as One Nation Under God, “The choice before us is plain, Christ or chaos, conviction or compromise, discipline or disintegration. I am rather tired of hearing about our rights and privileges as American citizens. The time is come, it now is, when we ought to hear about the duties and responsibilities of our citizenship. America’s future depends upon her accepting and demonstrating God’s government.”
The majority of America’s government is spiritually deaf, dumb, and blind; and America’s people for the most part, are spiritually deceived and have been taken captive by the the evil one, the father of lies, Satan himself
(2Corinthians 4:4, 6),
“The god of this world [who] has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” “For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”
John 1:1-4, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.” 14, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 8:12,
Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
John 10:10,
“I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
Although it is very unlikely that America will ever again be One Nation Under God, the truth is, God’s Word tells us that all Christians from every nation, tongue, tribe, and culture, throughout all history (past, present and future), are the Bride of Christ, members of God’s Church, the Family of God; and we are One People Under God
(1Peter 2:9), “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that [we] may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called [us] out of darkness into His marvelous light,” indivisible, with liberty and justice for all, through Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior, crucified, resurrected, and coming again.
Pastor Mike
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