Rudyard Kipling wrote, “Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet, Lest we forget - lest we forget!” Our glorious history spans over two centuries and is decorated with the noble hearts and character of Godly men and women who long before us pledged their lives their fortunes and their sacred honor to a dream that would become the reality of the United States of America. Born on the waves of the Holy Spirits influence on the Great Awakening sounding forth with the echoes of George Whitfield, John Mirant, John Witherspoon, Jonathan Edwards and others, our founders words and documents clearly state their reliance and confidence in the help and blessing of God on our nations founding. Our nations birth certificate states…We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. John Quincy Adams said, “The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected, in one indissoluble bond, the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity.” In 1787 Benjamin Franklin and others were laboring through the incredible task of forming what we have for the last 234 years enjoyed as our form of Government…
At what appeared to be a moment of impasse he stood and said, “Mr. President…. The small progress we have made after 4 or five weeks close attendance & continual reasoning’s with each other,” our different sentiments on almost every question, several of the last producing as many noes and ays, is methinks a melancholy proof of the imperfection of the Human Understanding. We indeed seem to feel our own want of political wisdom, some we have been running about in search of it. We have gone back to ancient history for models of Government, and examined the different forms of those Republics which having been formed with the seeds of their own dissolution now no longer exist. And we have viewed Modern States all round Europe, but find none of their Constitutions suitable to our circumstances. In this situation of this Assembly, groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understandings? In the beginning of the Contest with G. Britain, when we were sensible of danger we had daily prayer in this room for the divine protection. ”Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a Superintending providence in our favor. …. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? 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 labour 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: … And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments be Human Wisdom and leave it to chance, war and conquest. I therefore beg leave to move, that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the Clergy of the City be requested to officiate in that service.” And so from that day to this whenever any business is conducted in Congress, a minister prays.
The reintroduction of a truthful and complete telling of American history is long overdue. Daniel Webster was right: "History is God's providence in human affairs," and it is time for Americans once again to become aware of the remarkable hand of God throughout our history. “The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind” said Thomas Paine. The cause of all mankind…That would be God’s cause, God’s plan. This freedom has propelled freedom around the world. Not just physical freedom alone, but the everlasting kind! Freedom from spiritual bondage, Freedom from Sin, Freedom from a godless eternity, The freedom that comes in and through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Allow me to extend to you and yours an invitation to “Lest We Forget 2011”An evening to honor our military personnel as well as first responders while at the same time calling our Tri-State area to remembrance of what happened ten years ago in our country. The event will take place in Portsmouth Ohio at the Clark Athletic complex on the campus of Portsmouth High School on Saturday September 10th. The evenings events will begin at 4:00 P.M. with First Responder and Military vehicles and tactical units from the Tri-State area displayed on Waller Street adjacent to the Athletic Complex with the “Lest We Forget” service and ceremonies beginning at 6:00 P.M. with word and song as we recognize and honor each member of the military and all first responders in attendance. We do have a website for the event this year, it is lestweforget2011.com
I look forward to seeing you there!
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