The United States of America has never had a state denomination, but she has always been built upon a common faith: Christianity. Other nations received Christ’s teachings as a pagan culture, taking on Judeo Christianity from the outside-in. The United States was built upon Judeo-Christianity from the inside-out.
The term “liberty” is not a human-created term or concept. It was first given to humanity in Leviticus 25:10, when Almighty God (of the Bible) commanded His covenant children to proclaim liberty throughout all the land. This liberty was not merely spiritual, but was actually to be administered by government in the economy of the nation, with the cancellation of every debt (including onerous taxation), and the release of every slave. It was such a revolutionary concept that man could not conceive it. It came from God Himself, and was embraced by America as God’s idea for this nation.
The three branches of government in the United States were rooted in Isaiah 33:22 which says, For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us. The executive, legislative and judicial branch was birthed from this, and America became one nation under God (no comma in the middle of that, by the way), because God permeated every fiber of America from her beginnings.
Our Founding Fathers quoted the book of Deuteronomy more than any other book. They referenced Bible passages and concepts in more than 80 percent of their writings. Our founding documents are laced with Biblical foundations, including the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the first 10 articles of the Bill of Rights (which are meant to rein in government; not the people). Even the Constitution (which many say is a secular document) provides exceptions for bills signed on Sunday, the Christian “Lord’s Day,” allowing for their signing on Monday instead. No provision is made for Islamic or other religious sacred days; only Christianity. It is signed Anno Domini, the year of our Lord, referencing Christianity once again.
Perhaps one of the most Christian celebrations in America is Thanksgiving. In November, 1620 the Mayflower Compact had been signed, the first governing document in the colonies. It plainly stated that Plymouth was to be founded “for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith.” Every man aboard the Mayflower signed it, whether saint or stranger. These families trusted Almighty God and Jesus Christ with their lives. Half of them died that first winter of 1620-1621, but when Mr. Jones, Captain of the Mayflower, offered to take the survivors back to England in the Spring of 1621, not one consented. They were here to glorify God and plant the Christian colony that God had ordained.
That winter God had brought a Christian Indian, Squanto by name, to help these hardy souls. He taught them the ways of the land, helped them understand and interact with the local Wampanoag tribe, purchase land from them, and forge a lasting peace. By the time the Fall of 1621 arrived the Plimoth (their spelling, not mine) pilgrims had experienced God’s abundance. In thanksgiving to Almighty God, they invited their native American friends to celebrate the bounty in a Christian expression of feasting and joy. The holiday lasted several days, and was filled with merriment, games, hunting, and food! This is the foundation of America, upon Judeo-Christianity, upon the Bible as our common law, and upon a firm reliance on divine Providence (as it says in the Declaration of Independence).
Today the world wants to make Thanksgiving about black Friday, football, or secularism. You can have that if you like, but I will make my celebration, my joy, my Thanksgiving focus on the One that made this great land. If we want America to be great, we must repent, reclaim and rebuild around the Greatest God once again. Secular humanism is failing, and every knee shall bow to the Lord Jesus Christ in time to come. In the meantime, I am thankful for Him, for His blessing, and His hand upon the United States of America. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Until next time!