I have never posted a devotion this long in any of my writings, but if you are interested in the Christian history of our nation, I hope this information will be helpful. So, grab a cup of coffee and a couple of donuts and let’s dig in.

From my earliest childhood memories, my favorite patriotic song has been “My Country, ‘Tis Of Thee.” I especially like the last verse. “Our fathers’ God, to Thee, Author of liberty, To Thee we sing; Long may our land be bright, With freedom’s holy light; Protect us by Thy might, Great God, our king.”

Contrary to what revisionist historians are telling us today, America was founded upon Christian principles. The first charter of Jamestown, Virginia, dated April 10, 1606, clearly states that one of the primary purposes of the English colonization of the New World was for “the propagation of the Christian religion.” One of the very first buildings constructed in Jamestown was a church. A beautiful plaque commemorates the scene and spot where they had their first communion service on June 21, 1607. In 1609, the Virginia Company of England published a booklet entitled “The Purpose And Ends Of The Plantation Begun In Virginia.” This booklet stated that their first objective was “To preach and baptize into the Christian religion…”

The Mayflower Compact, acknowledged as one of the most significant documents ever written, says that the Pilgrims’ purpose for the settlement at Plymouth Rock in 1620 was “for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith.” Revisionists are trying to remove God from our history. In their ignorance, they show not only their contempt for God, but also for this nation. God is mentioned in the first five words of the Mayflower Compact. The first sentence talks about the grace of God. The second sentence mentions the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith. They acknowledge that what they did was not only in the presence of one another but in the presence of God.

Only eighteen years after the Pilgrims landed in the New World, Harvard College, the first of the Ivy League Schools, was established to educate the clergy and raise up a Christian academic institution to meet the needs of perpetuating the Christian faith.

Christians established all the Ivy League schools to advance Christianity in the New World. You will not find a better summary of their purpose than this inscription inside the main gate of Harvard University. It reads, “After God carried us safe to New England, and we had builded our houses, provided necessaries for our livelihood, rear’d convenient places for God’s worship, and settled the civil government: one of the next things we longed for, and looked after was to advance learning and perpetuate it to posterity; dreading to leave an illiterate Ministry to the churches when our present ministers shall lie in the dust.”

On September 26, 1642, Harvard printed what they called “The Rules and Precepts.” Listen to articles 2, 3, and 4.

Article 1, by the way, has to do with them learning Latin and Greek, the language of the Bible.

(2) “Let every Student be plainly instructed, and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life. (John 17:3) And therefore to lay Christ in the bottom, as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning. And seeing the Lord only giveth wisdom, let everyone seriously set himself by prayer in secret to seek it of Him.”

(3) “Everyone shall so exercise himself in reading the Scriptures twice a day, that he shall be ready to give such an account of his proficiency therein, both in theoretical observations of language and logic, and in practical and spiritual truths, as his Tutor shall require, according to his ability; seeing the entrance of the Word giveth light, it giveth understanding to the simple. Psalm 119:130.”

(4) That they eschewing all profanation of God’s name, Attributes, Word, Ordinances, and times of Worship, do study with good conscience carefully to retain God, and the love of His truth in their minds, else let them know, that (notwithstanding their learning) God may give them up to strong delusions, and in the end to a reprobate mind, 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12. Romans 1:28.”

On July 8, 1741, in Enfield, Connecticut, Jonathan Edwards preached a sermon entitled, “Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God.” People began wailing, crying, and holding on to anything they could find, fearing they were slipping into hell. As a result of his preaching, entire towns were transformed as revival began to sweep that area. It led to what we call “The First Great Awakening.”

George Whitefield, an evangelist and friend of John Wesley, was probably the most well-traveled man in the colonies. Before a meeting, Whitefield would spend hours, sometimes all night, praying. He would preach daily to crowds too large for a church, so they were held outside. Those who came to listen often numbered more than 30,000 people.

Benjamin Franklin was fascinated by the effects that Whitefield’s preaching had on people. Franklin wrote, “It is wonderful to see the change made in the manners of our inhabitants. From being thoughtless or indifferent about religion, it seems as if all the world is growing religious, so that one cannot walk through town in the evening without hearing psalms being sung on every street.”

The idea of separation of church and state, as commonly regarded today, did not exist when this nation was founded; in fact, it was the furthest thing from their mind. They understood that the survival of this nation depended on the Providence and favor of God, and they wanted Christians in leadership.

Some are trying to say that our Founding Fathers did not believe in God. Let’s look at the words of the Declaration of Independence. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…” You could stop there and say it is simply speaking about human equality. We seem to have a hard time actually putting that into practice, but we should believe in human equality. But the Declaration of Independence goes on to say, “that they are endowed by their Creator…” Now, that draws a defining line. Of all the man-made gods that exist, have you ever noticed that none of them claim creative power? Only One claims to have taken some dust, shaped a man, and breathed the breath of life into him. Only Jehovah God did that. The Declaration of Independence debunks evolution.

Some want us to believe that our Founding Fathers were not Christians, and not all of them were, but when you read what they wrote, you find that most had a personal belief in God, that they often quoted from the Bible, and that they believed in prayer. They also believed that the God of the Bible governs human affairs.

Although they lived nearly 300 years ago, they understood that times would change, and man would change, but God would not. So, they built a set of laws based on what would not change. Why is it wrong to kill? Because God said, “thou shalt not kill.” Why is it wrong to steal? Because God said, “thou shalt not steal.” This nation was built on the teachings of the Bible.

The Constitutional Convention of 1787 was held from May 25th to September 17th. It looked like things had bogged down. James Madison recorded in his journal the words that came from Benjamin Franklin’s handwritten speech on Prayer that was delivered on Thursday, June 28, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A portion reads, “I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth,  that God Governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings, that “except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it.” I firmly believe this, and I also believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel.”

Noah Webster, author of Webster’s Dictionary, said, “The moral principles and precepts contained in the scriptures ought to form the basis of all our civil constitutions and laws. All the miseries and evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery, and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible.”

Patrick Henry’s famous speech that included the words, “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!” That speech also included these words, “Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us.”

George Washington wrote in 1778. “The hand of Providence has been so conspicuous in all of this, that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and more than wicked, that has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations.” Although he did not make Thanksgiving a national holiday, George Washington did proclaim it the National Day of Thanksgiving.

The first President to be inaugurated in Washington, D.C. was Thomas Jefferson. He also served as a regent on the public school board of Washington, D.C. He is credited with outlining and formulating the school plan for Washington, D.C. The school board recommended that students learn to read from two books: the Bible and Watts’ Hymnal. (February 10, 1813, Columbia Historical Society)

This desire to have the Bible as part of our schools predates 1813 by over 100 years. The New England Primer was the first textbook ever printed in America and was used to teach reading and Bible lessons in our schools until the twentieth century. First published in 1690, the goal of the Primer was to combine the study of the Bible with the alphabet, vocabulary, and the reading of prose and poetry. This is the book that introduced the children’s prayer, “Now I lay me down to sleep.”

In the early colonial period, reading the Bible was the primary reason and motivation for learning to read. In 1647, the “Old Deluder Act” was passed by the Massachusetts General Court, which required every township with 50 or more families to hire a teacher. Similar legislation quickly spread to the other New England colonies, being the first step towards compulsory education. The preamble to the “Old Deluder Act” was explicit that knowledge of the Scriptures was the chief goal, and that “one chief project of that old deluder, Satan, is to keep men from the knowledge of the Scriptures.”

Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, was considered by John Adams to be one of America’s three most notable Founding Fathers, ranking alongside George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. However, his contributions to America were not purely political. For example, he is also known as…

The “Father of American Medicine.”

He was a founding member of America’s first Bible Society.

He is credited with helping begin the American Sunday School movement.

He is remembered as “The Father of Public Schools Under the Constitution,” being an advocate for free public schools for all youth.

In 1791, Dr. Rush wrote a lengthy piece providing a dozen or so reasons why America would continue teaching the Bible in our public schools.

“Dear Sir,

It is now several months since I promised to give you my reasons for preferring the Bible as a schoolbook to all other compositions.  Before I state my arguments, I shall assume the following propositions.

Christianity is the only true and perfect religion, and in proportion as mankind adopts its principles and obeys its precepts, they will be wise and happy.

A better knowledge of this religion is to be acquired by reading the Bible than in any other way.

The Bible contains more knowledge necessary for man in his present state than any other book in the world.

Knowledge is most durable, and religious instruction most useful when imparted in early life.

That the Bible, when not read in schools, is seldom read in any subsequent period of life.”

He then listed several reasons why. Let me share just two.

“The memory is the first faculty which opens in the minds of children.  Of how much consequence, then, must it be to impress it with the great truths of Christianity, before it is preoccupied with less interesting subjects.

There is a peculiar aptitude in the minds of children for religious knowledge. I have constantly found them, in the first six or seven years of their lives, more inquisitive upon religious subjects than upon any others.”

Benjamin Rush also said, “The great enemy of the salvation of man, in my opinion, never invented a more effectual means of eradicating Christianity from the world than by persuading mankind that it was improper to read the Bible at schools. The Bible, when not read in schools, is seldom read in any subsequent period of life. It should be read in our schools in preference to all other books.”

Stephen Girard, a French immigrant from Philadelphia, died, leaving an estate of over seven million dollars. He left it to the city with the stipulation that it be used to start an orphanage and school that did not allow the Bible. The city rejected his offer under that stipulation. The city of Philadelphia asked Daniel Webster to defend its case. In his appeal to the Supreme Court, he said, “If there is anything in my thoughts or style to commend, the credit is due to my parents for instilling in me an early love of the Scriptures. If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper; If we and our posterity shall be true to the Christian religion, if we and they shall live always in the fear of God and shall respect His Commandments…we may have the highest hopes of the future fortunes of our country;…But if we and our posterity neglect religious instruction and authority, violate the rules of eternal justice, trifle with the injunctions of morality, and recklessly destroy the political constitution which holds us together, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity.”

In 1844, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of keeping the Bible in the school. “Why may not the Bible, and especially the New Testament…be read and taught as a divine revelation in the school, its general precepts expounded… its evidences explained… and its glorious principles of morality inculcated? Where can the purest principles of morality be learned so clearly or so perfectly as from the New Testament?”

In 1848, John Quincy Adams published a book for his son that outlined how to read the entire Bible in a year. It was a best seller and can still be purchased today. I have a copy! In his book, he said this…

“There are three points of doctrine, the belief of which forms the foundation of all morality. The first is the existence of God; the second is the immortality of the human soul; and the third is a future state of rewards and punishments. Suppose it possible for a man to disbelieve either of these three articles of faith, and that man will have no conscience; he will have no other law than that of the tiger or the shark. The laws of man may bind him in chains or may put him to death, but they never can make him wise, virtuous, or happy.”

Abraham Lincoln was the President who made Thanksgiving a National Holiday. On November 19, 1864, he traveled to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to dedicate a National Cemetery, where a great battle had been fought in July. The President ended his speech by saying, “that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” Were those words original with President Lincoln?

In 1382, a man named John Wycliffe translated the Bible into English. In his introduction, he wrote, “This Bible is for a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” It’s obvious that President Lincoln was influenced by what John Wycliffe wrote.

Wycliffe believed that people could only truly be governed by God’s Word, and that sentiment was shared in the early days of our nation. That part of our heritage is under attack today as evil men and women are doing everything within their power to remove God from our history and our lives.

When I was a boy, we started school every day with prayer. Time was also set aside for students to memorize Bible Scriptures. I still have a wall plaque that I earned in school that says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” I have a New Testament that I earned in school for the same reason. There was no debate over which God we were praying to, for there was only One God.

Then, in 1963, the Supreme Court banned prayer and Bible reading from the schools. 1844, all nine Justices voted to keep the Bible and prayer in school. In 1963, eight of the nine Justices voted to take it out.

The problem for America began surfacing when we allowed other gods into the system. Now, instead of our dependence being in the one true and living God, we have made room for any god that people choose to worship. The reason our kids can no longer pray in school is because they can’t decide which god to pray to. They can’t decide which holy book to read from. We have forgotten the beliefs this nation was founded upon, and it is showing in a steep decline away from holy and righteous living.

As we celebrate this 4th of July, I pray we will remember what this nation was founded upon and that we will return to God with our whole hearts.

God bless America!!