Our Nation’s Godly Heritage ~ BELIEVE!

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Charles Habib Malik, Christian Morality, Dr. Benjamin Franklin, Founding Fathers, John Hancock, Judeo-Christian Morality, Presidential Prayer Team

Today, God continues His work in America – but it’s in a nation that has clearly lost its moral compass because good men and women became entangled in our everyday lives. There are stories in the news everyday concerning one or more of the following:

• Sanctity of life – abortion and euthanasia.
• Sanctity of marriage – same-sex marriage and gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues.
• Sanctity of the family – divorce, spousal and child abuse, out-of-wedlock pregnancies and absentee fathers.
• Judicial activism (Supreme and lower court decisions).
• Revisionist education in the public schools.
• The perceived rise of Socialism and one-world government trends.
• Attacks and media bias against Christianity.
• And the infiltration of Islam into America.

Some politicians, for their own reasons, work to rewrite our heritage and remove God, and still they wonder why suicide is up, teenage pregnancy is up, broken marriages are up, and violence in general is up.

It is time for the silent majority of Americans to re-engage and begin to take our nation back so it continues to be the Shining Light on a hill our Founders believed it to be. It will not happen overnight, but we can ignite a rebirth of all that has been our American Heritage, if we begin NOW!

It is at times like this that we, as believing Americans must remind ourselves, and our neighbors (gently) of our heritage, the Foundation this nation was built upon. Our heritage is rich in faith and action… faithful action! We must recollect the brilliance of our Founders and grasp the meaning and depth of their faith. Even the skeptics understood the value of Judeo-Christian Morality, but these values have been twisted and maligned so thoroughly by Hollywood, by self-serving politicians, and even by some Pastors, Priests, and Rabbis that the simplicity of them is lost. Jesus summed the Law and the Prophets up in the Greatest Commandment:

MATT 22: 36-40

36 “Teacher, what is the most important commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus answered:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. 38 This is the first and most important commandment. 39 The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, “Love others as much as you love yourself.” 40 All the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets are based on these two commandments.

We are a culture, a society that has forgotten how to love one another, how to befriend one another, and how to help one another as good neighbors. If we could re-learn this, many of our nation’s issues would be solved! We must remember that our Constitution, our Declaration of Independence both proclaim us FREE citizens by God’s gift, and demonstrate our GRATITUDE by sharing what we have, whether great or small, with whomever we can. It is a HEART-ATTITUDE change that must occur in America. It MUST, if we are to survive.

Our Nation’s Godly Heritage

Charles Habib Malik (1908-1987), Lebanese Philosopher and Diplomat

Charles Habib Malik (1908-1987), Lebanese Philosopher and Diplomat

Charles Malik was born in Lebanon and educated at the American Mission School for Boys in Tripoli, as well as the American University of Beirut where he graduated with a degree in mathematics and physics. He moved to Cairo, where he developed an interest in philosophy, and later studied at Harvard from which he earned a Ph.D. in philosophy. He was a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly for Lebanon, and a member of the Human Rights Commission. He was a noted theologian, appealing to fellow Eastern Orthodox Christians, Roman Catholics and Evangelicals alike. He wrote numerous Bible commentaries. Evangelical leader Bill Bright spoke well of him and often quoted him.

The good [in the United States] would never have come into being without the blessing and power of Jesus Christ … Whoever tries to conceive the American word without taking full account of the suffering, and love and salvation of Christ is only dreaming.

I know how embarrassing this matter is to politicians, bureaucrats, businessmen and cynics, but, whatever these honored men think, the irrefutable truth is that the soul of America is at its best and highest, Christian.

“No one can deny that many of the founding fathers of the United States of America were men of deep religious convictions based in the Bible and their Christian faith in Jesus Christ. Of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence, nearly half (24) held seminary or Bible school degrees.

These Christian quotes of the founding fathers will give you an overview of their strong moral and spiritual convictions which helped form the foundations of our nation and our government.” (Founding Fathers Christian Quotes)

George Washington
1st U.S. President

“While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian.”
–The Writings of Washington, pp. 342-343.

Even Dr. Franklin, who was skeptical about the divinity of Jesus, said the following, “”Here is my Creed. I believe in one God, the Creator of the Universe. That He governs it by His Providence. That He ought to be worshipped.

“That the most acceptable service we render to him is in doing good to his other children. That the soul of man is immortal, and will be treated with justice in another life respecting its conduct in this. These I take to be the fundamental points in all sound religion, and I regard them as you do in whatever sect I meet with them.“

John Hancock
1st Signer of the Declaration of Independence

“Resistance to tyranny becomes the Christian and social duty of each individual. … Continue steadfast and, with a proper sense of your dependence on God, nobly defend those rights which heaven gave, and no man ought to take from us.”
–History of the United States of America, Vol. II, p. 229.

Thomas Jefferson
3rd U.S. President, Drafter and Signer of the Declaration of Independence

“God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever; That a revolution of the wheel of fortune, a change of situation, is among possible events; that it may become probable by Supernatural influence! The Almighty has no attribute which can take side with us in that event.”
–Notes on the State of Virginia, Query XVIII, p. 237.

“I am a real Christian – that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus Christ.”
–The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, p. 385.

Will God’s will be done on Election Day?

by James N. Watkins

Rather than a book of answers or a systematic theology, the Bible is a book rich with mysteries and intriguing clues: God is three yet one, Christ Jesus is completely God and completely human, and the Lord raises up leaders while Americans freely elect officials.

The prophet Daniel wrote that God “controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings.” (Daniel 2:21 NLT) Curiously, this was written while the Jewish people were under Babylonian captivity. The apostle Paul wrote, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” (Romans 13:1) He continues that authorities are “God’s servant[s] for your good” and “ministers of God.” (Romans 13:4, 6) Mysteriously, Paul penned that passage during Roman occupation led by deranged dictator Nero.

So, will God have His way on November 6? It’s a mystery! However, two things can be emphatically stated.
CONTINUE READING

SEE Presidential Prayer Team Devotional for more ideas and scriptures to pray.

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Their Sacrifice is Monumental: GOLD STAR MOMS ~ Thank you!

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“Gold Star Mother’s Day”

“They also serve who only stand and wait.” –John Milton

For more than 75 years, the last Sunday in September has been designated as Gold Star Mothers Day, in recognition of the sacrifice made by mothers who have lost a son or daughter in service to our country.

History of the Gold Star Mothers

When the United States entered World War I in 1917, George Vaughn Seibold, 23, volunteered, requesting assignment in aviation. He was sent to Canada where he learned to fly British planes since the United States had neither an air force nor planes. Deployed to England, he was assigned to the British Royal Flying Corps, 148th Aero Squadron. With his squadron, he left for combat duty in France. He corresponded with his family regularly. His mother, Grace Darling Seibold, began to do community service by visiting returning servicemen in the hospitals.

The mail from George stopped. Since all aviators were under British control and authority, the United States could not help the Seibold family with any information about their son.

Christmas Eve, 1918, the postman delivered a package to the Washington, DC residence of George and Grace Seibold. The package was marked, “Effects of Deceased Officer, First Lieutenant George Vaughn Seibold, Attached to the 148th Squadron, BRFC.” No other information was provided.

Grace continued to visit hospitalized veterans in the Washington area, clinging to the hope that her son might have been injured and returned to the United States without any identification. While working through her sorrow, she helped ease the pain of the many servicemen who returned so war-damaged that they were incapable of ever reaching normalcy.

Grace Darling Seibold

After months of inquiry, the family received official notice. “George was killed in aerial combat during the heaviest fighting over Baupaume, France, August 26, 1918.” His body was never recovered.

Grace, realizing that self-contained grief is self-destructive, devoted her time and efforts to not only working in the hospital but extending the hand of friendship to other mothers whose sons had lost their lives in military service.

She organized a group consisting solely of these special mothers, with the purpose of not only comforting each other, but giving loving care to hospitalized veterans confined in government hospitals far from home.

The organization was named after the Gold Star that families hung in their windows in honor of the deceased veteran.
After years of planning, June 4, 1928, twenty-five mothers met in Washington, DC to establish the national organization, American Gold Star Mothers, Inc.

The success of our organization continues because of the bond of mutual love, sympathy, and support of the many loyal, capable, and patriotic mothers who while sharing their grief and their pride, have channeled their time, efforts and gifts to lessening the pain of others.

We stand tall and proud by honoring our children, assisting our veterans, supporting our nation, and healing with each other.

Woodrow Wilson

On May 28, 1918, President Wilson approved a suggestion made by the Women’s Committee of the Council of National Defenses that, instead of wearing conventional mourning for relatives who have died in the service of their country, American women should wear a black band on the left arm with a gilt star on the band for each member of the family who has given his life for the nation.

“The Service Flag displayed from homes, places of business, churches, schools, etc., to indicate the number of members of the family or organizations who are serving in the Armed Forces or who have died from such service. Service flags have a deep Blue Star for each living member in the service and a Gold Star for each member who has died.” Thus, the gold Star and the term Gold Star Mother, as applied to mothers whose sons or daughters died in the World Wars, has been accepted.

Who Is a Gold Star Mother?

Often the question has been asked, “Who is a Gold Star Mother?” During the early days of World War I, a Blue Star was used to represent each person, man or woman in the Military Service of the United States. As the war progressed and men were killed in combat, others wounded and died of their wounds or disease, there came about the accepted usage of the Gold Star.

This Gold Star was substituted and superimposed upon the blue Star in such a manner as to entirely cover it. The idea of the Gold Star was that the honor and glory accorded the person for his supreme sacrifice in offering for his country, the last full measure of devotion and pride of the family in this sacrifice, rather than the sense of personal loss which would be represented by the mourning symbols.

Proclamation by the President of the United States
• Whereas the preamble to Public Resolution 123, 74th Congress, approved June 23, 1936 (40 Stat. 1895), recites:
  Whereas the service rendered the United States by the American mother is the greatest source of the Country’s strength and inspiration; and “Whereas we honor ourselves and the mothers of America when we revere and give emphasis to the home as the fountainhead of the State; and
• “Whereas the American mother is doing so much for the home and for the moral and spiritual uplift of the people of the United States and hence so much for good government and humanity; and
  “Whereas the American Gold Star Mothers suffered the supreme sacrifice of motherhood in the loss of their sons and daughters in World Wars”
• and Whereas the said Public Resolution 12 provides:
  “That the President of the United States is hereby authorized and requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the Government officials to display the United States flag on all Government buildings, and the people of the United States to display the flag and to hold appropriate meetings in their homes, churches, or other suitable places, on the last Sunday in September, as public expression of the love, sorrow and reverence of the people of the United States for the American Gold Star Mothers.”

  “Sec. 2. That the last Sunday in September shall hereafter be designated and known as “Gold Star Mother’s Day,” and it shall be the duty of the President to request its observance as provided for in this resolution.”

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BLOGGER’s NOTE: Most of us don’t think too much about our military or their families. It’s not that we don’t care, we are simply busy with our own lives, too busy to consider the everyday sacrifices these families make on behalf of their soldier. Whether the service member is stationed stateside or deployed to one of the many overseas stations, they are separated from family and loved ones for long periods of time. If they are overseas, they are also in a foreign culture which is often difficult to adjust to. The people speak different languages, have different cultures, and different ways of doing things. It’s asking a lot of our service members to make these adjustments, but they do it willingly. They signed up for this voluntarily. They families, though, did not, and yet they, too sacrifice their loved one to the service of the United States of America for an indefinite period. There is much uncertainty in the life of a service member, and uncertainty is one of the most difficult things for any of us to live with. Perhaps today is a good day to take a minute or two to ponder what a mom feels or a dad … when their son or daughter is deployed to the other side of the globe. Take time to appreciate their sacrifice.

For MORE info on GOLD STAR MOTHERS, please go HERE, HERE, and HERE.