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AMERICA, THANKSGIVING AND GOD Those in our nation who want to remove God or any reference to Him, either do not know our history or do not care. Our news media, colleges, Hollywood, and public figures have so degraded and disgraced our nation and our moral standards that we are well on our way to destruction if there is not a major turn around. Remember, God will succeed without America, but America will not succeed without God. Our early leaders did believe in God and did openly appeal to Him. Let me share with you some history. On October 3, 1789, President George Washington made the first Thanksgiving proclamation. I’ll share just some of his comments. “Whereas, it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will …we recommend to the people of the United States a day of public Thanksgiving and Prayer…Thursday the 26th day of November…offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions. During the Civil War, on October 21, 1864, Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation for a second annual Thanksgiving to be held the last Thursday of November. In it he said we humbly should “offer up penitent and fervent prayers and supplications to the Great Disposer of events, etc. Early American history informs us that the Pilgrims after the first harvest decided to share their bounty and invited some Indians to join them. About 90 Indians did and they brought wild turkey and deer for the feast. Found in George Washington’s field notebook was this prayer; “Direct my thoughts, words and work, wash away my sins in the immaculate Blood of the Lamb…frame me more and more into the likeness of Thy Son, Jesus Christ.” In 1852 John McLean, Justice of the Supreme Court, told the American Bible Society, “The Bible has shed a glorious light upon the world. It shows us that in a coming day we must answer for the deeds in the body…the price paid for our redemption show the value of our souls.” In 1892 the Supreme Court, after an exhaustive study and research of hundreds of volumes of historical documents asserted, “We were a religious people…a Christian nation. Even as late as 1952 we have Justice William Douglas affirm “we are a religious people and our institutions presuppose a Supreme Being. Would it not do great things for our nation today if we had leaders who would openly proclaim these truths again? If, however, they won’t or can’t or are afraid to because of pressure; that should in no way inhibit you or me from proclaiming these truths about our God and our Christ, and may we continually give thanks, and may we repent and pray and seek His face. (II Chronicles 7:14) Happy Thanksgiving! Love you, Art
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