George Washington’s 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation
Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me “to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”
Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789. (signed) G. Washington. From Spark’s Washington, Vol. XII, p. 119.
SHARING
Correct Thy Child
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6
The fact is clearly set forth that what we allow or disallow in our children, has long term effects upon their lives. But an even greater reality is the endurance of truth. The truth will withstand all attacks against it. No matter what a person does, thinks, or where they go, the truth will endure forever. Even if truth is denied with the mouth or one’s actions, it still remains the truth indelible in the heart.
Combine the power of truth with the mold of training, and this will become a force that will accompany the individual their whole lifetime. Reality teaches us that God’s creative power, His authority over His creatures and His training of them, did not make them incapable of wrong doing. By choice, the exercise of their own will, they followed Satan’s devices in sinning against God. We must not puff ourselves up into thinking we can do more for or with our children, than God could do with Adam and Eve. But we must also realize that through proper training, we are imparting unto our children that which will bear with them forever, being an inseparable part of their being.
Wherever you see people being saved, morality and uprightness being exhibited, it is due to the power of truth. Wherever you see proper conduct and conversation in action, it is the fruits of training. “Permissiveness” is the devil’s way, “correction” is the way of God. The devil does not want children to be corrected, nor trained, nor taught the Word of God. Here is what God says:
—“Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.” Proverbs 29:17
—“Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.” Proverbs 22:15
—“Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.” Proverbs 23:13-14
I remember when I went to school, there were no shootings or killings. School was a safe place. Teachers were in control. Misconduct was quickly extinguished. What was different between then and now? The school was an institution of training, discipline, correction, and moral principles, where God’s Word and prayer were revered. You were made to know right from wrong, if you already didn’t know it. AND you knew you could not get by with rebellion and misconduct, because the principal’s rod of correction (and then the parents’, when they would find out about it) would make it unprofitable. You also feared the shame and disgrace of being a wrongdoer. THE GOOD OLD DAYS!
SHARINGWhat To Look For In A Church
What should we look for in a church, is the right question. And, being the right question, it deserves a right answer. To go to the “court of public opinion”, will produce such a variety of opinions, so as to make a right answer obscure. But to get the right answer, we must not look to man, but rather seek unto God.
The rightness of a church is not found in that which man approves of, but in that which God is the author of. In almost every case, what pleases men will be the opposite of that which is right with God. For example, Jesus Christ is the Founder, Builder, and Head of the New Testament Church, yet the Jesus Christ of the Bible…“He is despised and rejected of men.” Isaiah 53:3
The concern of a New Testament Church is not with pleasing man, but in being approved of by God: “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10
The ministry of the New Testament Church is not to entice people through attractions, but is to preach the Word: “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
The mainstay of the New Testament Church is sound doctrine, not self-gratification: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears” SO, “Preach the Word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” 2 Timothy 4:3,2
The beauty of a New Testament Church is seen in her spiritual and moral purity, according to the standards of God’s Word: “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:25-27
“Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! For so did their fathers to the false prophets.” Luke 6:26
SHARINGThe Covenant Of Love
The Church Covenant of the Faith Baptist Church is a covenant of true Christian love:
“…we do now, in the presence of God and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ.”
–Thus the basic element of church membership is to be bonded to the Body (each other and the whole assembly), allied to each other, jealous for and loyal to the promotion of the church. The fundamental of church membership is to think and do what is expedient for the church, to glorify God by not giving any offense to the church, 1 Corinthians 10:31-32.
“…We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Ghost, to walk together in Christian love…”
–Thus the maintenance of our relationship with the Body in the warmth and care of Christian love, is to supersede all other interests and concerns: “That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.” “And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.” 1 Corinthians 12:25,21 It is just basic understanding to realize that the Lord’s work in and through His Body, is done through promoting each other in Christian love.
“We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love…”
–This is to exclude contempt and arouse concern. Parents watch over their children in selfless love. The emphasis of real love is endearment to the extent that alienation cannot gain control, for if alienation enters in, the caring will cease. Real love is fed more by a personal sense of responsibility than by appealing passion. Church members are debtors to watch over one another in brotherly love.
“…to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and Christian courtesy in speech..”
–The grassroots level of church membership requires the elimination of high-mindedness and conceit. A person must perceive others as being more worthy than themselves. “…in honor preferring one another; Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.” Romans 12:10,16 “…in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” Philippians 2:3
“…to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Saviour to secure it without delay”
–Church membership must be cherished to the extent one does not allow resentments, offenses and indifferences of any sort to set in. We must remain committed to the covenant of love. “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” Proverbs 17:17
Only by embracing the covenant of love do we remain. Otherwise, it is like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. BE WISE!
SHARINGAre You Going To Heaven?
“Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” Luke 13:24
STRAIT (not the word “straight”) = restricted, confined, to God’s way.
THE ANSWER: “Jesus saith unto him, I AM the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6
You may say, “But surely everyone understands this, don’t they?” WRONG!!
On the matter of going to heaven, people are still relying on things such as: “Well, I try to be a good neighbor and help out where I can; I try to make a difference with what I have to do with.” And “Well, I believe there are good people in all religions – and as long as we are sincere and do the best we can, what else is there?”
But none of these and many other ideas even acknowledge that there is such a thing as a strait gate. Rather, it is as if no gate is needed to get into heaven, but that it lies before all of us, and all we have to do is just walk our own way right into heaven!
Let us consider the possibilities of any going to heaven apart from the strait gate.
The access to heaven is only by the strait gate, or it isn’t. That gate is either strait, or it isn’t. Christ either told the truth, or He lied. This writer is going to say, let Christ be true and all who do not accept His message are the liars. The fact is, no one is in heaven, is going to heaven, or will go to heaven except by the strait gate.
God’s Word is clear – “There is none righteous, no, not one. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:10, 23) “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 15:50) Thus, we see that the strait gate is not any of the ways of man, because no man has the righteousness or the means to make the strait gate. If man could make it, it would not be strait (only available by God’s means.)
Even before sin entered the human race, mankind was not an heir of God’s heaven and there was no possibility of any man going there by any right or means of his own. Since man had no way to go to heaven before sin, how much less after he sinned and came under the condemnation of sin!
So, God provided the strait gate. God was not willing that sinful man perish, so HE SENT HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON to earth to not only die for our sins that we perish not, but to also offer Himself to God for us to be made acceptable to God by His Divine righteousness and person. Thus the strait gate, man going to heaven, by way of God having accepted Christ’s offering for him – a joint heir with Christ! This is unto all, but only upon them that believe in this way.
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