Faith of our Fathers

Happy Independence Day to all Americans! May I also take this opportunity to thank everyone in our Armed Forces, active duty and reserve, for your personal sacrifices as you continue in your service to do your part in keeping the United States free from tyranny and oppression.

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.” President Ronald Reagan

President Reagan was only one of many great men of faith that God has raised up to lead this country in the past 232 years. There are many examples we can look to for encouragement and instruction from our nation's history. But the one man I really want to discuss this month is the one whom Henry Lee honored when he said of this man “First in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen”; the man George Washington.

I chose President Washington because not only was he one of the founding fathers of this great nation, but also he was very open and deliberate in his faith. I am encouraged by him because he cared very little for the opinion of men. He lived his life in a way that demonstrated the only approval he was concerned with was that of God. President Washington understood that if he remained faithful to God, God would honor his faithfulness.

When you read about his courageous service during the Battle at the Monongahela July 9, 1755 during the French & Indian War, you may think this young man of only 23 to be reckless. You see, Washington rode back & forth across the battle delivering the orders of British General Braddock. The British troops were being decimated by the French on all sides. Every British officer on horseback, except for Washington , was shot down. General Braddock himself was killed as well. Washington later wrote to his brother, John A. Washington:

“But by the all-powerful dispensations of providence, I have been protected beyond all human probability or expectation; for I had four bullets through my coat, and two horses shot under me, yet escaped unhurt, although death was leveling my companions on every side of me!”

You see, President Washington recognized even at this early age that his life was not his own. He recognized that he had no more power to save his life that he did to grow another inch or two in height. He released all concern for self to the Providence of God. He knew that when his time came to be gathered to his fathers, it didn't matter where he was or what he was doing. Therefore, he accepted his duties and discharged them in a manner that not only showed great courage, but great faith as well.

Now, here's the really interesting part of this story; what Paul Harvey would call, the rest of the story. Fifteen years later President Washington was traveling through the very same area where this battle took place. He and his companion were met by an old Indian chief. The Indian chief addressed President Washington with the aid of an interpreter. This is what the Native American had to say to Washington :

“…I have traveled a long and weary path that I might see the young warrior of the great battle. It was on the day when the white man's blood mixed with the streams of our forests that I first beheld this chief [ Washington ].

I called to my young men and said, mark yon tall and daring warrior? He is not of the red-coat tribe-he has an Indian's wisdom, and his warriors fight as we do-himself alone exposed.

Quick, let your aim be certain, and he dies. Our rifles were leveled, rifles which, but for you, knew not how to miss-was all in vain, a power mightier far than we, shielded you.

Seeing you were under the special guardianship of the Great Spirit, we immediately ceased to fire at you. I am old and soon shall be gathered to the great council fire of my father's in the land of shades, but ere I go, there is something bids me speak in the voice of prophecy:

Listen! The Great Spirit protects that man [pointing at Washington ], and guides his destinies-he will become the chief of nations, and people yet unborn will hail him as the founder of a mighty empire. I am come to pay homage to the man who is the particular favorite of Heaven, and who can never die in battle.”

From the time President Washington was a very young lad, until his death, he always put his relationship with God ahead of other concerns. He truly lived his faith out in day to day living. He was always quick to speak or write about God in his communication with others and in his personal journal as well. Today, many would think such a thing strange. But for him, it was as natural as breathing. As a soldier, he often encouraged those under his command to take time for daily prayer and meditation. He saw to it that every regiment in the Continental Army had a Chaplain. He understood how important it was that his soldier's spiritual needs were met, even when many went without physical comforts. I find this to be a powerful testimony, and I believe it is why the Continental Army under the leadership of General Washington was willing to endure all the hardships it did; because they had a shepherd that expressed genuine Christian love, care, and concern for them.

General Washington understood that for some in his army, he may be the only Christ any of them ever saw. He also understood that God had placed him in command of those men and charged him with the responsibility of caring for their spiritual needs. I wonder how many men eventually left the army at the conclusion of the war and returned home taking the gospel of Jesus Christ with them.

George Washington lived out his faith, even when he didn't know anyone was watching. We have the account from a Quaker by the name of Isaac Potts, who was General Washington's temporary landlord at Valley Forge in 1777. Potts recounts that as he traveled through the dark woods near the General's headquarters, he heard at a distance a voice which grew louder as he advanced. Potts slowly approached, not certain of what he would discover. But as he drew closer, he saw the Commander-in-Chief of the armies of the United Colonies on his knees in the act of devotion to God. Potts watched from a distance, hidden by trees, and witnessed General Washington interceding for his beloved country in tones of gratitude that labored for adequate expression. Potts later returned to his home, and, when questioned by his wife as to the reason for his outward agitation, Potts responded “…I have seen this day what I shall never forget. Till now I have thought that a Christian and a soldier were characters incompatible; but if George Washington be not a man of God, I am mistaken, and still more shall I be disappointed if God does not through him perform some great thing for this country.”

Our faith should be as obvious and we should be just as unapologetic for it. When a friend confides in you about problems they are experiencing that are very troubling, do you offer to pray for & with them at that moment, lifting them up to God? You should. God expects it. Do you bow your head in prayer when you eat out in a public place? Do you practice this at home before your children? When was the last time someone unknowingly walked in and found you in the middle of obvious prayer? How did you feel? Where you embarrassed? Do you hesitate to bow & pray either silently or outwardly prior to a meal with others because you are afraid that someone else may be offended or think you strange? If you are fearful of following the example Jesus gave us to always give thanks to God prior to a meal, maybe you need to do a gut check, and examine whose you really are. Every time we bow our heads in prayer, it is a silent testimony to others for Jesus. By living out our faith in our daily lives we testify to whose we are, and who we are.

George Washington considered public service to be one of the greatest ways he could serve God, who calls us to serve not only Him, but others as well. George Washington committed 45 years of his life to public service in one form or another even when the pay was lousy and the conditions inhospitable. The life of a soldier is not easy now; it was even less so 200 years ago! Henry Muhlenberg was pastor of the Lutheran church near Valley Forge & one of the founders of the Lutheran Church in America . He said of George Washington “From all appearances, this gentleman does not belong to the so-called world of society, for he respects God's Word, believes in the atonement through Christ, and bears himself in humility and gentleness.”

George Washington knew he did not belong to the world; he knew whose he was. George Washington humbled himself many, many times before God in prayer and fasting on behalf of his country. Many miracles occurred that helped bring about his victory over the most powerful nation on the face of the earth at that time. I will not go into all those details at this time, but I do believe these miracles happened in direct response to the fervent prayers of this righteous man. He remained humble because he recognized that it was the providence of God that not only continued to protect him, and in some instances his army, but also had raised him up to the position & authority he held. Perhaps he remembered what happened to King Saul after he became prideful and arrogant.

After the war for America 's independence had been won, General Washington retired his uniform and returned to private life on his beloved Mt. Vernon farm. The American people wanted to make him their king. George Washington would have nothing to do with wearing a crown. So, they elected him President in 1789. During his years in office, George Washington often wrote to the different denominational churches, encouraging them in their endeavors to fulfill the Great Commission and to remain faithful. He made 2 Thanksgiving Day proclamations also.

His attitude toward God and country did not soften in his later years. He once stated “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.” He possessed a divine understanding that government was from God, instituted for the right governing of man under the authority and at the distinct pleasure of the Lord God most high. He also understood that it is government's responsibility to God to acknowledge Him and encourage its citizens to do the same. If that isn't politically incorrect today, I don't know what is.

President Washington believed that a people could not govern themselves without morality that is biblically based. In his farewell Speech in 1796 he stated “And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion.” He knew that history has demonstrated time and again when a government builds its moral codes and laws on man's wisdom, and abandons the absolutes, the wisdom, & teachings of the Bible, then that form of government leaves itself open to a slow and eroding decay from within. It has no firm foundation to stand on because its foundation shifts like sand. When you remove the absolutes of the Bible from everyday life, then it becomes ok to lie, cheat, steal, murder. It's ok to commit adultery, abuse a child. It's ok to abort a pregnancy. Because you have removed the rule of right that has stood for thousands of years and supplanted your own version of right and wrong, which is relative. Without the Word of God, you have no standard to judge. You can just make it up as you go.

We also find in President Washington's farewell speech the following, which seems only too prophetic when read against the backdrop of America in 2008:

“And of fatal tendency…to put, in the place of the delegated will of the Nation, the will of a party; - often a small but artful and enterprising minority…they are likely, in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the Power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of Government; destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion…

But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism – The disorders and miseries, which result, gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an Individual…[who] turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of Public Liberty…

The spirit of the encroachment tends to consolidate the powers of all the departments in one, and thus to create, whatever the form of government, a real despotism…

It opens the doors to foreign influence and corruption, which find a facilitated access to the Government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.”

Today we find ourselves at the mercy of foreign governments, through such powers as the U.N., and N.A.F.T.A., just to mention 2, that want to re-write our laws and subjugate the American people to the rule of other nations. They desire we surrender our sovereignty while they maintain theirs. International courts attempt to make rulings against American interests and individuals within our own borders, ignoring our sovereignty altogether.

Gay-rights activists, atheists, and the pro-abortionists, with the help of wealthy supporters and liberal activist judges, even though they are a minority in America , have been fighting viciously for a generation to overturn long-standing laws and succeeding. Did you ever think you would see the day when gay marriage would be legitimized in this country? We have genocide against the unborn. Since Roe vs. Wade, the number of aborted babies in this country is fast approaching 50 million, all in the name of convenience. This liberal mindset demands we become understanding and accepting of their opinions and lifestyle choices, while at the same time extending zero understanding or tolerance of ours.

But these are all subjects for another time. My point is this; it is as if God had given President Washington a vision of what the future held for the United States if we as a nation turned from God, even explaining how it would come about. I wonder of there was a tear in the eye of the President as he spoke these words. I wonder if he truly did have some divine insight.

If we want to influence our culture and the world in which we live, then we, like George Washington, must live our faith out every day in the public arena. It must be as evident to those we come into casual contact with as it is to those we live and worship with. We must not concern ourselves with popularity; a lifestyle of worship should be our only concern. We need to be bold in word, action, and deed. We must be deliberate in projecting the light within us into the darkness of this world. Indeed, we must consume ourselves with thoughts, habits, and concern for the salvation of others that brings a smile to the face of God as He considers us.

Let your life be your witness. God is not concerned with your comfort zone; He wants you to step out of it. Extending God's kindness and love to others may not always be easy or comfortable, but it is required. And He has given you probably several platforms on which to do this in your life. Maybe not as public as George Washington, but they are there none-the-less. Look for them and utilize them to the benefit of others. You may not have to utter a word, let your actions be your words. Remain faithful, and God will also. If we want America to experience another great awakening, it is dependent on us as Christians to make our supplications known to God and let Him do a work in us, so He can do a work through us. Just look at what He did through one man that humbled himself to His will on bended knee.