What do you remember on Memorial Day? Did you have a loved one or an ancestor that died in war for these United States? I never knew, until I did some genealogy research, that several of our ancestors died in war for this country.
I could list their names and tell you all about their stories, for they are exciting tales, and worth the listen. However, I bet most of you could say the same thing, if only you knew. For according to War History Online, our country has been at war 93% of the time since it started in 1776. Also according to that source, over 1.4 million service members have died in their duty since our nation’s beginning.
War has touched almost every family in some way, though it may be a few generations back. Our Memorial Day, which is held in the US on the last Monday in May every year, is a federal holiday dedicated to the memory of those who lost their lives in combat (or associated with the war) for this country.
And while we certainly want to remember those who sacrificed everything for the rest of us, we must admit that this country has changed to the point of being nearly unrecognizable over the last 250 years. Part of the reason for that is that we have stopped teaching the true facts of US History, and have allowed treasonous lies to be taught instead.
I went through a huge eye-opening moment when we began homeschooling, and I began to research US history for myself. I found that textbooks are least likely to tell the truth about history. Very few accurate details will be included in that version, and much of it won’t even be true at all.
When I realized how little of what I had learned in school was actually true, I buckled down and unlearned and relearned US History by going as far back into the source documents as I could. We dug into the historical archives, and read a lot of letters and biographies (but found we had to be careful with those). The stories are amazing! And they are nothing like the movie versions that we get, or the historical docu-dramas that have been produced.
This is Mrs. Stock’s Memorial park in Hillsdale, MI
David Barton has made it his life’s passion to collect artifacts of US History, and to educate others via seminars and books. We learned so much from his books and courses, because he is passionate about our history, and he loves to tell the stories.
He told the following story about George Washington:
During the French and Indian War, George Washington was Colonel of the Virginia militia at a mere 23 years old. He was one of 86 English and American officers presiding over 1300 men. As they neared what is now Pittsburgh, they walked into a Native American ambush. In the fierce fighting, more than 700 of their soldiers were killed. Every officer except George Washington was shot off his horse. And though several of his horses had been shot from under him, Washington, himself, was not hit.
Washington wrote a letter to his family, telling them that when he got undressed, he found four bullet holes in his shirt. He said, “By the all powerful dispensations of Providence, I have been protected beyond all human probability or expectation.”
Fifteen years later, when George Washington was again in the same area, an old Indian came to speak with him. He said that he had been in that battle, fifteen years ago, and had instructed his braves to shoot all of the officers. He had personally fired 17 times at George Washington, and had not been able to hit him, so he finally ordered his braves to cease firing at him, believing he was protected by the Great Spirit. The Indian came back to “pay homage to the favorite of heaven who can never die in battle.” (From the back cover of David Barton’s book, The Bulletproof George Washington.)
That is only one of the many amazing stories about George Washington. He lived a life of sacrifice (because what he really wanted to go back home and live on his farm), serving the brand-new nation. He famously prayed before battles, and obviously relied on God for wisdom and protection.
at Federal Hall in New York City.
I wonder if his prayers are still protecting us now?
But George Washington wasn’t the only one of our founding fathers who turned to God for help.
In the writing of our Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson appealed to “the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions.” The “Supreme Judge of the world” is God, of course, and the word “rectitude” means “moral uprightness,” or “righteousness.” In other words, “we appeal to God because of the righteousness of our intentions.”
And the last paragraph of the Declaration says, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” In other words, they were relying on divine Providence (God) for support and protection. And when they pledge their “sacred honor,” that means their honor before God.
That is why people say that God founded our nation. Our founders appealed to God because their cause was just before Him; they relied on God for protection. And God protected them.
About 50 years after America’s founding, Alex de Tocqueville came from Europe to report what was going on in America. The European nations were curious about the source of power and growth in the young nation. The result was a detailed report of about a thousand pages, published as Democracy in America. While de Tocqueville never said these exact words, they ring true to the spirit of his report: “America is great, because America is good.”
The favor of God rested on our fledgling nation.
When we look at the stories about George Washington, and how his success on the battlefield was, in some cases, miraculous, we are seeing what the favor of God looks like in practice. Washington could not be killed. He was careful to do right in all his ways, even when others betrayed him. God helped him to be righteous, because George Washington acknowledged God and asked him for help.
Prosperity is the natural blessing we receive from God when we obey Him, and we have certainly been blessed here in the United States. But success can also lead to our ruin if we begin to trust our riches, take them for granted, and forget God. This is what Moses said to warn the children of Israel as they were preparing to enter the Promised Land:
“Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands. . .do not become proud, and forget the Lord your God. . .never think that it was your own strength that made you wealthy. Always remember that it is the Lord your God who gives you the power to become rich. . . if you ever forget the Lord you God and follow other gods, worshiping and bowing down to them, you will certainly be destroyed.” Deuteronomy 8:11-20 NLT
I’m sure I don’t have to list all of the ways our beloved America has fallen from God’s grace. It is obvious in almost every broadcast via internet, TV or radio. We use either sex or fear to sell almost everything. We teach our children to despise the old ways, and urge them to seek riches above all else. We do not value all human life, and instead promote abortion and euthanasia. We have forgotten God.
In our prosperity, we have become soft. Women rule the men, and children rule their parents. We have despised the order that God created, flipping everything inside out and backwards. And we can feel what we are doing is wrong, because our behavior brings us to despair. We feel the sin tearing us apart and burying us alive. In our rebellious state, it becomes harder and harder to hear God, until we feel alone, abandoned, and begin to doubt God’s existence.
We mistake God’s silence for his ambivalence or absence, but it is actually mercy that holds His anger back. But He is just, and the time will come when He will confront us with our sin.
“While you did all of this, I remained silent, and you thought I didn’t care. But now I will rebuke you, listing all the charges against you. ” Psalms 50:22
One day, everything will be known.
“For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be made known and brought to light.” Luke 8:17
Every lie, every deception, every slanderous word, every envious thought, all the sinful anger, and every lust, all of it, will be revealed. How can we escape the resulting humiliation, revenge, and destruction that is coming our way?
In a word, repent. A nation is made up of individuals. So, as individuals, we must turn from our sin and obey God. It is such a little thing, and yet it requires us to die to ourselves, so it’s very hard. But once we do, we will create a small space on this earth that is not dominated by sin and death. For we will be made brand new, and will live in a new way, loving God and loving each other.
Dying to ourselves. What does it mean? It means total submission to God. And if God were a tyrant, it would be horrible. But God tenderly loves us, and He is the source of all goodness. He is LOVE.
We must submit to love. And through our submission, Love will empower us. We give up our power and then God gives us His power. He has already conquered every enemy, including the last one, death. And when we surrender to Him, He will transform our lives here on earth, and lead us into everlasting life.
“In a little wrath I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you, says the Lord your Redeemer.” (Isaiah 54:8)
Our redeemer has already saved us and just waits for us to join Him. He will not force us to love him, will not drive us into his arms. We must go willingly, for this is love. He is waiting, but He will not wait forever.
Our decision to surrender to God and follow his commands to love Him and to love others in the same way we love ourselves makes our little corner of the world a better, more loving place.
When our hearts are reformed by the power of Jesus Christ, the space we occupy will be transformed. We will carry the light of the world in our hearts, and will shine that light out into the world, transforming the area around us.
You say, “Fine, but one little transformation in this huge dirty world won’t make a lick of difference. In fact, you will only stand out and invite persecution.”
Ah, but when you say that, it becomes obvious you do not understand the transforming power of God. Each one of us secretly longs to be pure, to be good, to be holy. We long to be close to God, to know Him, and to understand that He knows us. For He is our Father.
But we have been cut off, and we have lost the confidence to cry out to Him. Our enemy whispers to us that we will be rejected, that it’s only for others, not us. But when we see another person become transformed, we begin to understand that transforming power.
When one stands up, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, his face will light up. No matter how he looks, he will become attractive to others, and they will instinctively trust him. You have to understand that the light that comes from Christ is not just light; it’s a beacon. Love acts as a drawing force.
This Memorial Day, I will remember the ideals my ancestors died for, and the hope they hid in their hearts. They died for liberty, to set the captives free. They died to defend the right to openly worship God. They died for the right to live, to have liberty, and to pursue joy. And because their cause was just, God protected them, and established this nation.
This year, I will pray for America to find revival, to remember the God who formed her before it’s too late. I pray that she repents of her murders, her idolatry, her lust. Please pray with me for revival, so that soul by soul, God will be established in the heart of America once again.
This Memorial Day, I am remembering the foundation of our nation, and praying for our core values to become deeply established and embedded in our nation’s culture once again. I am praying for America, by the power of God, to become good again.
The Fullers Four 