Happy Birthday, America!
June 29, 2010
Dear Believers Stand United Partners,
Our nation is a place of rich spiritual legacy and great
history. Even a cursory glance at our history shows the tremendous
impact God has made in America through people of faith from
its inception. Christian leaders are interwoven into so many
facets of what we hear and see around us on a regular basis.
For example: “My Country ’Tis of Thee” was
written by Pastor Samuel Francis Smith; the Pledge of Allegiance
was written in 1892 by Pastor Francis Bellamy; the words “In
God We Trust” on our currency are directly linked to
the commitment and work of the Rev. W.R. Watkinson; and several
Christians including the Rev. John Witherspoon were signers
of the Declaration of Independence. In addition, in 1782 the
U.S. Congress voted in favor of a resolution recommending
and approving the Bible for use in schools.
Further, our Founders consistently spoke of the need for utilizing
and employing the Bible and Christian values in defining and
preserving our country. In fact, 12 of the original 13 Colonies
incorporated the entire Ten Commandments into their civil
and criminal legal codes. President John Adams stated, “The
law given from Mount Sinai was a civil and municipal code
as well as a moral and religious code. These laws are essential
to the existence of all people in society.” He went
on to say, “Vain indeed would it be to search among
the writings of secular history to find so broad, so complete
and so solid a basis of morality as the Ten Commandments.”
It’s also important to remember that the American Bible
Society was started by an act of Congress, and President Adams
served as its first leader.
President George Washington said, “It is impossible
to govern the world without God and the Bible.” The
Honorable Patrick Henry, the first governor of Virginia and
a member of the Continental Congress, stated, “It cannot
be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation
was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on
religions but on the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Yes, we are a people with a tremendous lineage of faith. But
in comparison to other nations of the world, we are a relatively
young country. Historians and political scientists tell us
that America’s history has spanned only a few generations.
When Thomas Jefferson died, Abraham Lincoln was a young man
of 17. When Lincoln was assassinated, Woodrow Wilson was a
boy of 8. By the time the nation mourned the death of President
Wilson, Ronald Reagan was a boy of 12, and when President
John F. Kennedy was killed, William Jefferson Clinton was
a teenager. But even though we have a brief history compared
to other countries, God has clearly been an important part
of every chapter of our story.
When French philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville visited America
to learn the secret which enabled a young, ragtag, largely
untrained citizen military to defeat the largest, wealthiest
and most-equipped military on the face of the earth, Great
Britain, he traveled from shore to shore. He looked for the
greatness of America in our harbors and rivers, our fertile
fields and boundless forests. He studied our schools, our
military, our Congress and our Constitution. But after all
of that research he still had not found the secret. It was
not until he went into our churches and heard preachers “aflame
with righteousness” that he found the answer. When he
returned to his nation he wrote, “America is great because
America is good. If American ever ceases to be good, America
will cease to be great.”
My friends, as we celebrate the Fourth of July 2010, may
we remember the rich legacy which is so intricately woven
into the fabric of our country. When we see our flag wave
proudly on this special Independence Day and every day thereafter
at a ballgame, city park, political rally, school, parade
route, worship service or on our front porch, may we still
feel a chill run up our spine at all this symbol of liberty
means. Let’s also make it a point to thank the men and
women of the armed forces and civil service of the United
States and their families for the great sacrifice they have
made and continue to make to keep our nation free.
Indeed, words from Psalm 33 remind us, “But the plans
of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart
through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is
the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance….
May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put
our hope in you” (verses 11-12, 22, New International
Version).
Happy birthday, America, happy anniversary, fellow Americans,
and thank You, Lord Jesus Christ, for the plan You have always
had for our homeland. We pray that You would use each of us
to keep the spirit of America strong, not just for today,
but for generations to come.
Thank you for standing with us as together we make a difference
and restore the principles upon which the United States of
America was founded.
Blessings to you and remember,
JESUS IS LORD!
Dr. Stephen Lowell Swisher
Kenneth Copeland Ministries
www.believersstandunited.com
Keeping You Informed
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Thank you again for joining us in this endeavor. Together we’re making a difference! |
