“This week we celebrate another season and remembrance of a time called Thanksgiving. It's an ancient tradition that for many today that seems out of place. Yet, its origin has great meaning not only for those who first celebrated it, but also for those today who still believe its timeless message”

 I’m Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World, the Word & You! Broadcast and in a moment we’ll talk about THIS SEASON OF THANKSGIVING...

… It's surprising today, how little Americans know of their own history. Oh yes, all of us have studied American history in school, but sadly most schools of education have left out much of the truth every American needs to know. So today, I'm going to open the history books, but not those edited editions the secular schools give to our children, these days. No, I'm going to look back to the time of our Pilgrim Fathers, to open a dusty file that deserves your attention.  Yes, after we pause again for another moment of music, I want to talk with you about one man, who above many others, was used to shape American history; but alas, has been purposefully forgotten. Today we are going to look at what I would call, "THE BRADFORD FILE."  So don't go away. This man's dossier from history, is what shaped our freedoms and blessing we all richly  enjoy to this day…

… If I asked you, who is this nation’s "father of American history" - could you tell me his name? If I were to ask you, who in history was the “father of America's Free enterprise system,” could you tell me? Most likely you could not, for the simple reason his name has almost been eradicated from all secular American history. And, my friend the reason he has been eradicated and down played, is because his greatness and the work he accomplished was achieved through His faithfulness to Jesus Christ and the God of Christianity.  Who was this man? His name is William Bradford.

William Bradford was born on a farm in Austerfield, Yorkshire, England in the spring of the year 1590. Young William grew to manhood with a great love for academics. Largely he was a self-taught man.  During his youth, he personally studied history, philosophy, theology, Latin, Greek and Hebrew. As a young man he was introduced early to the teaching of the Word of God.  William Bradford without hesitation gave his heart to Christ upon learning of God's forgiveness, and free gift of life eternal. As soon as he was old enough he became a member of a Puritan congregation at Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, which was at that time pastored by William Brewster, a name many know was later to be one of the founding fathers of the Plymouth colony in the new world of America. 

As that little Puritan congregation studied God's Word, they grew to learn of the need to stand individually accountable to God and man. However, the Anglican Church that ruled England at that time refused to allow this independence and persecuted this little flock of God’s people.  Pastor Brewster and young Bradford, who came to be a leader in the church, were arrested and imprisoned for their faith. After serving some time, both men knew that God wanted them to continue to actively live out their faith to the best of their ability. However, England at that time was growing more and more oppressive and they saw that the means to live out their faith could only be achieved in another place. So Brewster, Bradford and the small congregation in Scrooby, every one of them, packed their bags and moved to Holland where freedom of faith was promised to this band of believers. 

In Holland, Bradford, a young man now, chose to study at Leiden University. By the age of 21, he saw there was no use in going back to England. So he sold the farms he had inherited and became a citizen of Leiden.  The small congregation that migrated to Holland soon found out that the people there were not as open to them as they thought.  Their zealous commitment to Christ and His word for every facet of their lives, caused them to be called – “Separatist.” Such a fanatical religion, as they seemed to embrace, caused many misunderstandings and soon persecutions against them arose once again. The name Puritans was given to them in England, to scornfully describe a people who sought to "purify" the church. Few wanted anything to do with them - so they were often alone in this world. The words of Jesus often reminded them of this role in life, for the Lord said to all true believers,

John 15:18 (NLT)  "When the world hates you, remember it hated me before it hated you.

1 John 2:15-17 (NLT)  Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love the world, you show that you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Father. They are from this evil world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever.

By the year 1600, many of these godly people realized that there was no chance of "reforming" the Anglican Church, so the thoughts came to their heads of the possibility of migrating to a new land and place where they could create a society that granted them freedom to live and worship as they pleased.  Being unable to return to England, the land they loved, because of threats of persecution, and fearing new rising repression from Hollanders, well this all gave impetus to strongly consider a new land far across the sea. The new land of America, often talked about appealed to them, and under the encouragement of William Bradford and the leadership of Pastor Brewster - after much prayer and God's leading, they agreed to take all their families and belongings to this new world, in the hopes of beginning a new society where God would rule the law of the land, granting freedom to all to worship as they pleased.  Well you know the rest of the story, or do you? These small brave men, women and children, 101 to be exact booked passage on a British ship, called the Mayflower. By contracting with the Virginia Company of London, these Pilgrims, agreed to farm the new world for payment for the passage and privilege of settling there.

So on September 16, 1620, they sailed from Plymouth, England. The journey was rough and difficult - so many in tight quarters - it wasn't healthy and as a result some grew weak and sickly and others died aboard ship before reaching the new world. Among these "pilgrims" was of course William Bradford, his wife and small child. As the ship arrived off the coast, this band of Christians knew that to live in the new world, they needed a covenant of law and order. As the Mayflower dropped anchor on November 11, 1620 off the coast of Cape Cod, the leaders of this group sat down together and formed a prayer meeting. Out of this meeting with God, searching His Word, they saw the need to draft what became known as the “Mayflower Compact.” This was the first lawful document in America, completely composed by Bible believing Christians, under the supreme authority of the Word of God that was put together for the glory of God, and the good of all men Christian or non-Christian.

At the heart of this compact lay the undisputed conviction, that God must be at the center of all law and order and that law without a biblical moral base is really no law at all! This compact rested upon a "covenant" agreement which later lay the foundations of what we today know as our American Republic and democracy. You see the democracy that this country has enjoyed only worked for centuries for it was founded upon the truth that all law in this nation was under the authority of God's Word, the highest law, which superceded man’s law. Around the world today there are many democracies - but they all eventually fail because they are founded upon non-Christian principles and as such they can never work!  Today, our nation is moving to believe that we can exist as a democracy without the higher laws of God. One day sooner than we think, we too shall find out it will fail. God warns,

Psa 9:17 (NIV)  The wicked return to the grave, all the nations that forget God.

Well, this Mayflower document faithfully served the Plymouth colony for more than 70 years, until in 1691 the colony united with Massachusetts. 

As the Pilgrims officially landed on December 26, 1621, the weather had already turned cold and nasty. The winds were high and the seas rough - as the longboat shuttled the people and families to the shore, William Bradford's wife accidentally drowned that day, leaving him alone to face the new world, with a one year old son named John. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but from Bradford's own records, he never charged God, nor showed any bitterness to the loneliness that ensued. The first winter that came upon them was quickly devastating. These inexperienced pilgrims were not ready for the harshness of New England winters. Within three months of the first year, by April 1621, more than half of these frail Christians died of disease and famine. Even the first governor, Deacon John Carver died too, and the small group want of leadership prayerfully selected William Bradford as their second governor. Under William Bradford's strong Christian leadership, he served in this position until his death which included more than 30 terms of office, except for a few terms he chose to sit out.

Now Bradford, a man whose faith was strong in the Lord, brought the people together that first year, to pray for God's sovereign intervention and care. When spring arrived, God led friendly Indians to them, who showed them how to plant corn and to catch fish. This revived this weary people. From Bradford's own records we have learned that the corn grew tall and stately and the new settlers became hopeful again. However, as the summer wore on, it became a hot, dry and rainless one. A drought came upon them and soon the corn and crops withered. 

In William Bradford's diary and recorded history of these times, he wrote how they mustered together and sought the divine help of God. They prayed together, for the Lord to send rain. The Indians watched them pray to their God, and they wondered about it. In Bradford's own words I want you to know what happened that summer in 1622. Bradford writes,

"The rains came, without wind, or thunder or any violence and by abundant degrees it wetted the earth and soaked the crops. Within a quick period of time, the decayed corn and other fruits began to wonderfully revive. Even the Indians were astonished to behold the transformation. And afterwards all through the hot summer months, God sent seasonable showers. Through God's blessings, He caused a fruitful and liberal harvest to our comfort and rejoicing."

You see my friend the BRADFORD FILE, America's first history book, tells us how the Pilgrims rested on God's providence and care, time and time again. They never charged God for the sorrows they experienced, but always gave thanks for the good things God bestowed upon them. As the years progressed, Governor Bradford saw that the principles of colonization, share and share alike, ordered by the individual investors back in England, wasn't working. For in those days men believed in the philosophy of Plato and other godless thinkers, who taught that the best arrangement for civil life, was a collective or socialistic communal life and living. Even to this day, this warped thinking is growing in America once again. Democratic leftists, try to move forward establishing "big government," by wanting to portion out all wealth, robbing the rich to subsidize the poor. Well, in the original colony this system of life, ordered for them by the "investors," wasn't working! For in the colonies, property was held in a common community. Joint labor was required of all, with a common storehouse to share equally by all the people.  William Bradford knowing the Scriptures, saw this was actually unbiblical and worse an evil in and of itself. I'm sure he was reminded of the word of God that taught men were to be allowed private ownership. Why even the Israelites when they entered the land of Canaan which God gave to them, Joshua was told to divide up the land and give it to the twelve tribes as their “own” possession.  Yes my friend, private ownership, free enterprise is a Biblical system of life and living God ordained for mankind. It is not an invention of any democratic republic.  Well, Bradford prayed and asked God what they were to do, for it seemed production was rather small for this growing group of settlers.

By God's leading Bradford saw in the Bible what to do, and chose to start a new thinking, uncommon in his day. He met with the leaders of the colony and they agreed to divide up the land equally among the people, as God's Word indicated as best. Private ownership was given, and each family was responsible for their own food and profits. What was the result?

Well, soon production spiraled, and the community was thriving as each one worked as hard as possible, knowing their labors weren't in vain or to be used by someone else. The harder they worked the more they were rewarded. You see William Bradford was the first in the new land of America to begin a “FREE ENTERPRISE SYSTEM,” based upon personal accountability that God's word commands for people.  Listen to the Scriptures which read,

2 Th 3:10 (NIV)  For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."

During the biblical Pilgrim’s days, there was no social welfare for the lazy, and indolent, who refused to work, or share the load. Each man was responsible for himself and his family. If he chose to neglect labor, no one else was responsible for him or his family!    

This was what become known as the Puritan work ethic.  Hard decent honest work is godliness. Willful unemployment, idleness and slothfulness is sin! Much of the homelessness we see in the nation today is the latter category, unfortunately supported by godless welfare and misguided benevolence. The pilgrim principle William Bradford imposed, is still what God calls every Christian in America to live by to this day!

Well, William Bradford faithfully served the Plymouth colony until his death.  Bradford remained true and faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ, and always worked to establish God's laws in their society for their good and God's glory.  William Bradford's writings, “the History of the Plymouth Plantation,” exists to this day and tells us that time and time again, despite the great hardships, these pilgrims also saw the great blessings of God in their midst. They indeed were a thankful people.  Beginning with the first harvest in 1622, they set aside a time to give thanks to God for His blessings and care. They never forgot that this new land and its sustenance were gifts from God, and therefore came with it a responsibility to keep this land soundly based on the Judeo-Christian principles of life and living.

Yes my friend, Bradford wrote time and time again that their purpose of coming to the Americas, and their settling here, was to provide their children and grandchildren, with a society that firmly was based on God's Word for law and living. So when you celebrate Thanksgiving day, don't let the alien voices, the godless detractors, and foolish secularized sinful people around you tell you this land has no place for Christianity in public life!

The real alien teachings today that are un-American is “Secularism,” which extracts God from our laws, our education, our legislation and operation of this land. And just think - we would have never known this fully had not, the Bradford file, better known as “the History of the Plymouth Plantation,” penned by the hand of one who was there and lived to see it grow - reminds us,

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach thereof. All nations that forget God will be turned into the grave.

However, my friend as this Thanksgiving season is upon us once again, we need to reflect deeply on this. Nations are made up of people, and whatever a nation becomes, is simply a reflection of what the people have become.  We see these days the fast moving shift of our nation from the righteousness of the Christian faith, to the godless secularism of atheism, to the lowly place of rejecting God, Jesus Christ and His Word for our societal life and living. I tell you, if William Bradford were alive today, his voice would be loud and clear crying out warning, that all men need to repent of their wickedness of rejecting God and His Word, and in humble repentance turn to Christ, giving thanks for His mercies and providence for life and eternity that is available to all. 

Well, Bradford died in Plymouth, Mass. on May 9, 1657, but his legacy and truth lives on in the lives of those, who this Thursday will be like the pilgrims of old -- still giving thanks to God for His care and keeping. May God use this true story of American history to remind us of our great Christian heritage and our present duty today to honor God in all of our societal life. Today my friend, I ask you are you living for God? Have you acknowledged Him the only way this generation can - by exalting God the Son, Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Without this truth living in your soul, I remind you of Jesus' words - "Unless you believe that I am the one I claim to be, you shall perish in your sins." May God open our eyes to see His great glory and grace for yet another year of life. Amen.

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·         Radio talk #4706

·         Broadcast date: November 19 2006

·         Speaker: Dennis L. Finnan, Commentator

·         Program: The World, the Word & You! Radio Broadcast

·         Address: P.O. Box 60033 Grand Junction, CO 81506

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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 are not exhaustive studies of any particular subject due to the time limit of broadcasting. Actual broadcasts can be heard in selected areas around the nation, as funding provides. Dennis Finnan has been the speaker for over 25 years, and serves as General Director.

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