And Now a Few Words From Our Founders
Pastor Eric J. Hanson. July 2, 2017
Proverbs 14:34: Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.
Psalm 33:12: Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD.
Proverbs 29:2: When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice.
1 Timothy 2:1-2: Therefore, I exhort, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, [and] giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
Psalm 9:17: The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
Dan Celia writes:
On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia voted to approve a “Resolution of Independence” that would legally separate the 13 colonies from Great Britain.
On that same date, founding father—and future President—John Adams wrote a letter to his wife that said, in part, “The second day of July 1776 will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding generations, as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the Day of Deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty…”
Adams’ prediction was off by two days, but one thing was certain: our nation’s formation was surely a solemn act of God that should be held up with great devotion, even to this day. Still, I can’t help but wonder how many of us will take the time to think about the intervention of God on this Fourth of July holiday that we will observe across this great land.
Surely, we can see the hand of God, not only in the writing of the Declaration of Independence, but in the Revolutionary War that followed.
One thing hasn’t changed much since that time—but hopefully is as apparent today as it was back then—the hand of God is still on this nation. We know that the Constitution of the United States and the Declaration of Independence were surely written by men submitted to God.
Words from Our Nation’s Founders on God and Government
Jerry Newcombe writes
Barely a week goes by without some challenge to our nation’s Judeo-Christian roots in the name of the separation of church and state. But as another Fourth of July is upon us, it’s interesting to note what the founders said in their own words. Consider the following sampling:
Thomas Jefferson, author of the first draft of the Declaration, said, “The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time” (Virginia delegates to Congress, August 1774) and “Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just” (Notes on Virginia, 1782).
Samuel Adams, the lightning rod of the American Revolution, signed the Declaration in the summer of ‘76: "We have this day restored the Sovereign to Whom all men ought to be obedient. He reigns in heaven and from the rising to the setting of the sun, let His kingdom come."
John Adams, Samuel’s distant cousin, wrote, “The general principles, on which the Fathers achieved independence, were the only Principles in which that beautiful Assembly of young Gentlemen could Unite....And what were these general Principles? I answer, the general Principles of Christianity, in which all these Sects were United: And the general Principles of English and American Liberty, in which all those young Men United, and which had United all Parties in America, in Majorities sufficient to assert and maintain her Independence.” (Letter to Thomas Jefferson, June 28, 1813).
When General George Washington first received a copy of the Declaration of Independence on July 9, 1776, he made an order to hire chaplains in every regiment. These were to be “persons of good Characters and exemplary lives.” Washington said, “The General hopes and trusts, that every officer and man, will endeavor so to live, and act, as becomes a Christian Soldier, defending the dearest Rights and Liberties of his country.”
Congress regularly called for days of fasting and prayer throughout the war. For example, they declared one on May 17, 1776, as a "day of Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer…[to] confess and bewail our manifold sins and transgressions, and by a sincere repentance and amendment of life, appease his [God's] righteous displeasure, and through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, obtain his pardon and forgiveness." (Source: Library of Congress website, loc.gov).
John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress which declared independence and adopted the Declaration, later served as the governor of Massachusetts. On October 5, 1791, he declared a day of thanksgiving to God for many blessings, including “the great and most important Blessing, the Gospel of Jesus Christ: “And together with our cordial acknowledgments, I do earnestly recommend, that we may join the penitent confession of our Sins, and implore the further continuance of the Divine Protection, and Blessings of Heaven upon this People…that all may bow to the Scepter of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, and the whole Earth be filled with his Glory” [emphasis his].
James Madison championed the cause of the Constitution. In his “A Memorial and Remonstrance,” an essay on religious liberty from 1785, Madison stated: “It is the duty of every man to render to the Creator such homage, and such only, as he believes to be acceptable to him. This duty is precedent both in order of time, and degree of obligation, to the claims of Civil Society.”
Ben Franklin signed the Declaration and the Constitution. He called for prayer at the Constitutional Convention, when things were slow going. A variation of his request was adopted when the founding fathers attended a July 4th worship service at a Christian church in Philadelphia. Franklin said, “In the beginning of the Contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayer in this room for Divine protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard, & they were graciously answered…To that kind Providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful Friend? or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance?” (June 28, 1787).
Alexander Hamilton, a key proponent of the Constitution, wrote: “Let an association be formed to be denominated ‘The Christian Constitutional Society,’ its object to be first: The support of the Christian religion. Second: The support of the United States.” (Letter to James Bayard, April 16-21, 1802).
The first Chief Justice of our country was founding father John Jay. His Last Will and Testament begins: “Unto Him who is the Author and Giver of all good, I render sincere and humble thanks for His merciful and unmerited blessings, and especially for our redemption and salvation by his beloved Son.”
This Independence Day we should strive to remember the Christian underpinnings of this nation, which helped give freedom to all, regardless of creed.
Pastor Hanson Writes
How Bad Has It Gotten?
We do well to pray for our nation. We are in multiple points of crisis at this time. The opposing factions within Government are more strongly against each other than at any time since the days just before the Civil War. Many college professors openly hate our nation and some of them call for Communist or Socialist revolution. Many voices on the left are talking about murder of Bible Believing Christians being justifiable, and murder of conservatives of all stripes being a favor to the people. The Social Studies departments of our Universities simply lie about our founders and their motives. Our own tax-funded institutions are working overtime to dismantle the truth about our Nation’s birth and founding set of values.
Racial tension is at a historic high at a time long after the evils of Jim Crow laws and forced segregation have been abolished. Now there are many calling for segregation of another kind to be enforced on certain campuses and other organizations. “Whites not allowed.” Some are also calling for open season on the killing of police of any race. Not receiving publicity now, but very much in existence is militant Hispanic Pride centered in groups such as La Raza, which call for hatred against and segregation from both whites and blacks, and for Hispanic supremacy.
The divide over sexual morality, regardless of race, is also severely high. The proponents of traditional marriage and gender identity find that we are singled out for public ridicule and great hostility. We are pretty well shut out from being able to speak openly in forums within the College & University World.
As hatred grows against all that is conservative, and violence breaks out more often year by year, I fear that there will be a real backlash by militia types, and that we could see something approaching gang wars of militant liberal versus militant conservative people.
At the same time as all of this, militant and hate-filled Islam continues to grow in our cities and in our prisons. Much of it also has overtones of racial hatred in it. The leaders of this movement, should they ever gain power, would have no problem with enslaving (Dhimmitude) and/or killing conservatives and liberals alike, targeting atheists, Christians, and LGBTQ people especially harshly.
Is There Any Hope?
Only a huge move of God can save this nation from serious and painful decline, and possible dissolution into permanently disunited factions. Such a move of God, needs to be of a large enough scope to reach into all levels of Government and Courts, all levels of Education, the bastions of Hollywood and the News Media, and into the homes of all the races of the people. Such a move of God needs to also sweep many out of Islam and into walking with the Lord Jesus Christ. This needs to be a move of God big enough that tens of millions are genuinely saved and changed, and so that millions of currently dull Christians become fully alive in the Lord!
What can we do?
-Pray, Intercede, be connected to prayer warriors all over the nation, and in this church!
-Educate yourself and others in all these matters.
-Walk close to the Lord and always be ready to share Him with all the folks in your life.
Let’s Pray…
