July 12 2018 – Click here to listen
I met Bill Federer at a conference. I didn’t know him but when he learned that I owned a plantation in Florida he mentioned that he once spoke at a church on a plantation in North Florida, Honey Lake Church. Of course, that is the church I built on my plantation and apparently I was out of town that Sunday, but we both remarked what a small world we live in.
Soon after I met him he began sending me his daily blog on historical events. It is called the American Minute and I encourage you to subscribe at
www.AmericanMinute.com (it’s free).
I am often overwhelmed by its voluminous content; it is great reading and inspiring and today’s post was no exception. It included in part the following:
George Washington dictated a “talk” to the Cherokee Nation, August 29, 1796: “Beloved Cherokees, the wise men of the United States meet together once a year, to consider what will be for the good of all their people . . . I have thought that a meeting of your wise men once or twice a year would be alike useful to you . . . I now send my best wishes to the Cherokees, and pray the Great Spirit to preserve them
Twelve of the original 13 States sent delegates to Philadelphia where they drafted the U.S. Constitution (Rhode Island boycotted the Convention.)
The 55 delegates who wrote the U.S. Constitution belonged to the following denominations:
26 Episcopalian
11 Presbyterian
7 Congregationalist
2 Lutheran
2 Dutch Reformed
2 Methodist
2 Quaker
2 Roman Catholic
and Dr. Franklin, who called for prayer at the Constitutional Convention, June 28, 1787, stating:
“In the beginning of the contest with Great 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 . . . “
Franklin continued: “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? . . . ”
Franklin concluded: “We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that ‘except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it’ . . .
I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel . . .
I therefore beg leave to move – that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessing on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business.”
So much for the hogwash surrounding the founders not being Christians and separation of church and state and prayer in Congress. They recognized the fact that America flourishes at the good pleasure of Almighty God and not of ourselves. How I long for the day that our modern day government understands, once and for all, that God sits on the throne. We need to acknowledge Him for who He is and pray for His guidance DAILY!
Psalm 22:28
. . . for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations.