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This week marks our nation's highest celebration. It is remembrance
of our founding heritage. Traditionally we've set aside July 4th,
to remember the beginning of the greatest nation on the face of
the earth. I'm Dennis Finnan, speaker on the World, the Word &
You! And in a moment we'll give rightful time to examine this
wonderful event.
Many folks aren't aware, but in the year 1903, secular forces
in the nation of America, set in motion a plan so devious and
so evil, that to this day its program has had lasting and ruinous
effect. It was in that year, the Carnegie Foundation's Board of
Trustees began a plan and program to change the perception of
American history. Instead of presenting our youth with national
heroes such as George Washington or Benjamin Franklin and others
as men of integrity and virtue, they were purposely presented
as individuals whose only goal was to use their power and position
for personal selfish gain. By the year 1950 textbooks across the
nation had been revised to include moral indiscretions, and failures
of many of our founding fathers and former heroes of the nation.
Records show that more than $ 30 million dollars a year was spent
by the Carnegie Foundation, along with the Rockefeller and Ford
Foundations to rewrite American history. As wild as that sounds
all this can be documented.
Now since that date, we can all say, we've heard or seen the docu-dramas
of television that have done their nefarious work. Our young generation
sown with the seeds of doubt as to the credibility of our discovering
and founding fathers., now has no anchor in patriotism or the
principles of our past. To them, Christopher Columbus is considered
a scoundrel, Washington a hypocrite and womanizer, and Patrick
Henry a lazy extremist of dubious credentials. Its' no wonder
patriotism is dead, and young people today have little to no idea
that America's greatness is the direct result of the omnipotent
hand of the Creator God of all life.
Today we live in what might be considered the age of secular enlightenment.
Although I am more than a half century old, I have witnessed in
my lifetime the denigration and perversion of American history
presented to our nation's youth. I am thankful that when I went
to school in the forties and fifties, the school systems I attended
had not purchased or accepted the up coming and new textbooks
that have essentially rewritten history. My history textbooks
were old and printed in the 20's and 30's. In them were no derogatory
accounts of our national heroes. And, in place of that were thrilling
accounts of God-fearing men whose faith, courage and patriotism
brought us, as we still say to this day to be -"One nation
under God." Hence, I grew up profoundly patriotic, with a
deep reverence and love for this nation called the United States
of America. My eyes still water when I hear the Star Spangled
Banner, American the Beautiful and other patriotic hymns. Although
I never served in our armed forces, I personally volunteered to
enter on two separate occasions, but was rejected for medical
reasons. I love America and I know why. For it is far above any
other nation on the face of the earth - A MIRACLE NATION!
Yes, that's right a miracle. Now let's define that word. What
is a miracle? Is it finding a quarter when we have no change and
need desperately to make a phone call in a public telephone? No,
I'd call that a wonder. A miracle by its very definition is something
that happens that is impossible by human standards and principles.
It is by this account I believe America's foundation is nothing
short of miracle.
Think for a moment, especially all those of you who regularly
have listened through the years to my messages. It was a miracle
that Columbus discovered this part of the world. We know from
his own written accounts, that his Christian faith in Jesus Christ
led him by divine providence to find these shores and establish
it for God. Not only was Columbus' discovery a miracle, but think
of our Pilgrim fathers. The leading of God brought the Pilgrims
to this land, and guided and directed them to the northern Plymouth
foundation. The winds of God's guidance blew them off the course
of a Virginia landing and brought them providentially to Cape
Cod, Massachusetts. Had they arrived a few years earlier, they
would all have been killed by one of the most fierce tribes that
lived right there. However a massive plague wiped out the Patuxet
tribe, freeing the area from hazard and hostility. Moreover, it
was a miracle they also survived the trip and first winter. In
fact, William Bradford of the Plymouth Foundation wrote in his
memoirs this account of miracle intervention of God in their continued
existence,
"About the 16th
of March 1621, a certain Indian came boldly amongst them and spoke
to them in broken English… he spoke of another Indian named
Squanto who would come and help them. Squanto came and continued
with them, being their interpreter. He was a special instrument
sent from God for their good beyond their expectation."
God preserved the Pilgrims who by themselves would have perished
from the land without the help and aid of these friendly Indians.
They took it upon themselves to help the Pilgrims survive and
continue in their new-world home. Yet for the next 156 years the
colonies continuance historically shows God's intervention and
providential care. Continuing on, history reveals it was an even
greater miracle that these godly colonists considered rebelling
against the motherland. In light of their strict faith in God
and the call of every Christian to honor those in authority and
not rebel, these colonists not only rebelled but won the impossible
Revolutionary War against all overwhelming odds. Historical account
after account tells how God intervened on the side of the Continental
armies.
George Washington himself tells of the hand of God at one time
rescuing them. Washington at Brooklyn Heights was once surrounded
by General Howe and the British forces. The only thing left to
do was surrender. However during the night it appears God gave
a plan in the mind of Washington. He collected every floating
vessel he could find and set about to escape by water since the
land was covered by British soldiers waiting to capture them.
However, from human reasoning this plan was crazy! Imagine 8000
troops trying to get away by small boats in the clear moonlight
without being seen or heard? As Washington's plan was readied,
the troops and other commanders questioned this foolhardy escape.
However Washington insisted God would lead them. He prayed asking
for divine intervention. As they were getting ready to man the
boats, suddenly on this clear moonlit night an eery fog arose,
a thick fog that shielded the British eyes from seeing any escape
by water. By morning the fog lifted and Washington and his 8000
troops with their provisions, cannons and even horses were gone!
Indeed it was a miracle of God that saved the Continental Army.
Had they been captured as was inevitable under normal circumstances,
the war would have been over and America to this day might have
still been a British colony. However, the miracles go on!
Our nation is a miracle nation when one reads of the Confederacy
period and the Civil War . God delivered those who stood for that
which was right. Abraham Lincoln, and the northern armies won
the war against the south not because of their strength, but because
it was God's will that slavery be abolished. America's constitution
said, "all men are created equal" - equal under God
and equal before the law. As such this must prevail. And friend,
it's still a miracle that this nation exists today as a strong
and free people, in spite of all attempts to subjugate it to the
will of men! Yes this July 4th, we all need to pause
from the busyness of life and give thanks to God for giving us
a nation of freedom and good will.
But say friend have you also thought of this - if God's hand of
providence actually brought about the discovery, founding and
continuance of this nation, we need to ask ourselves why did God
do it? Well the answer is obvious. God chose in the sovereignty
of world affairs to raise up a nation that would be used by Him
in the work of redeeming the souls of people from every kindred,
tongue and nation of the world. By establishing a nation that
guaranteed religious freedom, that promoted God's higher or common
law in the land, that honored the Judeo-Christian principles of
life and living - God was able to energize his Church to freely
carry out its command to "go and preach the Gospel to every
creature." You see, when Jesus left this earth with the promise
of coming again, he said,
Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV) ….., "All authority in
heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and
make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching
them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am
with you always, to the very end of the age.""
America more than any other nation and people is responsible for
the greatest missionary evangelistic outreach since the church
began. Millions of Christians even to this day send thousands
of missionaries and spend billions of dollars that God's saving
Word reaches the farthest corners of our globe. Indeed America's
greatness still lies in its willingness to be God's instrument
of grace to a lost and needy world. Now although America has fallen
far from its heritage and beginning, we can still thank God this
week for His providential keeping and care. Rather than vilifying
the American heroes of the past by raising up so-called historical
facts of their immoral and questionable living, we need to reject
this new information which by the way friend, is very questionable.
The Carnegie Foundation and other secularist groups goal has been
to dethrone God in American law and life so that the godless new
age thinkers can bring a better world. Better? …
Already by their changes we have the fruit of their world without
God on the throne. Millions of lives have been lost to the wicked
sin of abortion on demand. More than 30 millions American lives
have been killed by rejecting God's time honored Word that says,
"Thou shalt not murder." Since we've thrown out God's
moral laws, and banned the Ten Commandments from all social institutions
of learning and governing - we have produced a generation of youth
that are dying by the thousands to AIDS, and other STD's. The
war for America's soul thus far has swung to the left and the
death and destruction it has promoted is evident. With the passing
of America's heroes, our young people have no standard or morality,
no patriotism, or vision of its greatness in the lives of our
past countrymen.
The result has been the steep rise in crime, and abuse. Rape,
incest, promiscuity, suicide, dishonesty, and theft - rule our
young people as they see no future and take what they can of the
present. All this my friend is the result of rejecting God and
His Word for our nation and its life and living. Yes, our social
landscape is littered with their wreckage by years of excluding
God from public life. The silence of God's people and their churches
all contribute to our national decline.
Therefore I declare unto you isn't it time, especially this week
of patriotic remembrance that we do something about it? If the
majority of our citizens, who still claim to have deep religious
and moral yearnings will band together and rise up against the
Rape of American History, and the godless secularization of our
Christian heritage - we can change this nation overnight. Back
in 1976 the Christian watchword was the Old Testament Word of
God which stated,
2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV) "if my people, who are called
by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and
turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and
will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
Although that passage specifically speaks to the elect nation
of Israel in the past, the principles behind it apply to every
nation of God's people founded to honor God and His Word. America
friend, still qualifies! Therefore, the first thing we Christian
can and must do is (1) PRAY - like the founding Fathers
who sought God to lead them through difficult times and ways --
we must pray for a spiritual revival in the land. We must pray
for God to raise up God-fearing men and women who will run for
political office. From school boards to the nation's presidency
- we must elect those who best qualify to uphold God and His Word
for American life.
Secondly, we must be (2) PARTICIPATE and be politically
active. Every Christian in the nation needs to realize that God
has given us a land where the people are called to rule by the
democratic processes. As such, the perfect candidate may not be
given us as a choice. Christians must not stay away from the voting
booths. Sometimes the only choice we have is the "lesser
of the two evils." We must still vote for the better candidate
who will be closer to God's standards. This means voter registration,
election campaigning, informing the people of voting records and
moral issues must be the work of Christians. Although the secular
forces cry foul, we Christians have every right to build and fortify
a nation that returns to the Christian heritage of our founding
fathers and people. Friend the future of America is up for grabs,
and unless we take back what God has given to our forefathers,
we will have no future. The Bible says,
Psalms 9:17 (NIV) "The wicked return to the grave,
all the nations that forget God."
That is God's unalterable law and promise. All nations that forget
God will return to the grave. Individual Christians can make a
difference even when our political regime is actively hostile
to the faith of our forefathers. And as Edmund Burke the great
British orator of the 18th century said: "All
that's necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do
nothing."
It is my prayer this holiday week that you my friend, your family
and churches rise up and be counted. Let us not remain silent,
let us prayerfully seek God's face, let us reexamine our own moral
and spiritual walk in this world, and may we become involved for
Christ. Remembering first of all that our job is not to save America,
nor to preserve our freedoms important as they are - our first
and foremost responsibility is to stand for Christ, witnessing
His grace and power, fortifying God's Word in our homes and families,
and training our children in the ways of God and His Word. Only
those who have experienced this life changing power and are living
it triumphantly, can bring that power to our fallen society that
now languishes in hopelessness. Our founding fathers did their
part. They obeyed and followed God, they gave their lives to Jesus
Christ, they lived their lives for His glory and grace, they set
up a government with God at the helm. Now it is up to us to carry
the same torch and do everything we can to keep it.
John Adams our second president said, " we have no government
armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled
by morality and religion… our constitution was made only
for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the
government of any other."Thousands of quotes such as
this permeate our founding fathers words spoken to this nation.
Why? Because our nation by Christian consensus, was indeed founded
and operated under the laws of God, and the principles of morality
and justice God's Word details. Oh how we need a revival in the
land, a desperate turning back of Christians from their apathy
and compromises. But of course it all begins in you and me. Will
you make a new and fresh commitment to follow the Lord Jesus Christ.
Will you ,if necessary, put your trust in His Person and work
today? Only God ,I believe, can save us now as we begin to prepare
to enter the 21st century. If we enter it without God
at the helm, our nation is doomed. But if we turn the helm back
to His guidance, we can have a bright future and hope. May God
add His blessings this patriotic weekend, to these words for Jesus
sake. Amen.
The World, the Word & You! Broadcast is a non-denominational ministry based on the historic fundamental evangelical interpretation of the Scriptures.A copy of our doctrinal statement is available upon request.These weekly radio commentaries can be heard in selected areas around the nation. Dennis Finnan has been the speaker for 16 years, and serves as General Director. These transcripts are available free of charge to all who desire them. Also available are radio cassette tapes and printed booklets of each message. A free listing of all messages is available upon request also.
For further information, reprints, or a listing of all topics, please write to our speaker, Dennis L. Finnan (wwyfin@sparc.isl.net)