The Bible says: Luke 2:14 (NIV)

Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.

Does your heart yearn for peace? The hectic nature of Christmas sometimes inspires more weariness, conflict, loneliness, and feelings of unworthiness than the joy promised by the angles at Christ’s birth. The tumult within your spirit and unfulfilled dreams may leave you longing for rest. But be assured, your Savior desires to give you genuine tranquility in the midst of all the pressures of the season (John 14:27).

Friend, you will feel exhausted and overwhelmed when you believe everything depends on you. But Christ calms your soul by taking full responsibility for your needs as you obey Him. You’ll find peace when you trust Him, because you’re assured that the One who is best able to give you the victory in every situation will never leave or forsake you.

So when you feel overwhelmed, stop and spend time with your Prince of Peace. Then rejoice in the fact that he’s got everything under control (Psalm 103:19). Truly, He is always ready, willing, and able to help you (Psalm 46:1).

Ron

(Most gentile folks know that the Jewish people have a ceremony around our Christmas time. They call it Hanukkah. However, most gentiles know very little about it. I think it would be pertinent for you to know all about it. I have chronicled the story of Hanukkah for your benefit below. Do read it and find out all about Hanukkah.)

Hanukkah represents the Rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BC.

The origin of lights at this season can be traced back to the Jewish Festival of Lights, or Feast of the Dedication, in Hebrew called “Hanukkah.”

Solomon’s week-long dedication of the First Temple began on the 1st day of the Hebrew month Tishri, in the 10th century B.C., ending on the 8th day of Tishrei.  (First Kings 8; Second Chronicles 7.)

Beginning in 597 B.C., the army of Babylon surrounded Jerusalem, deposed King Jehoiachin, and deported the first group of Jews.

Babylonian’s army returned and destroyed the First Temple on the 9th day of the month of Av, circa 587 B.C., and made a second deportation of Jews.

The prophet Jeremiah wrote in chapter 25: “And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord.”

And Jeremiah wrote in chapter 29: “For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.”

The prophet Daniel read Jeremiah’s prophecy and wrote in chapter 9: “In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.”

In 539 B.C., Cyrus of Persia captured Babylon, the ancient world’s largest city. Shortly after, Cyrus let Jews return to Jerusalem after 70 years of captivity.

The Book of Ezra, chapter 6, recorded how Jews built the Second Temple and dedicated it in 516 B.C.

Around 334 B.C., Alexander the Great invaded from the west and speedily conquered the Medo-Persian Empire.

The prophet Daniel foretold in chapter 8: “The male goat was coming from the west over the surface of the whole earth without touching the ground; and the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. (That was Alexander the Great). He came up to the ram that had the two horns, which I had seen standing in front of the canal, and rushed at him in his mighty wrath and he struck the ram and shattered his two horns.”

Thus, the common understanding is that Alexander’s Empire, after numerous  battles, was divided up thus:

Seleucus ruled the rest of the Middle East, Syria, Babylon, Persia, and parts of India, collectively known as the “Seleucid Empire.”

Lysimachus ruled Thrace & Asia Minor;

Cassander ruled Macedonia and Greece;

Ptolemy ruled Egypt and into the Middle East.

Around 167 B.C., out of the Seleucid Empire, there arose an aggressive king, Antiochus the Fourth Epiphanes.

So, Daniel wrote further: ” Around Out of one of them came forth a rather small horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Beautiful Land.”

That horn was Antiochus who attacked Jerusalem, as reported in 2nd Book of Maccabees 5:11-14: “The king thought that Judea was in revolt. Raging like a wild animal, he set out from Egypt and took Jerusalem by storm. He ordered his soldiers to cut down without mercy those whom they met and to slay those who took refuge in their houses. There was a massacre of young and old, a killing of women and children, a slaughter of virgins and infants. In the space of three days, eighty thousand were lost, forty thousand meeting a violent death, and the same number being sold into slavery.”

The prophet Daniel foretold in chapter 11:22-27: “While returning to this land with great riches, his (Antiochus) heart shall be moved against the holy covenant and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage. And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary with desolation.

Antiochus the Fourth Epiphanes tried to force the Jews to abandon their beliefs and adopt the Greek culture, as recorded in 2 Maccabees 5:11-14: “Not long after this the king sent an Athenian senator to force the Jews to abandon the customs of their ancestors and live no longer by the laws of God; also to profane the temple in Jerusalem and dedicate it to Olympian Zeus. They also brought into the temple things that were forbidden, so that the altar was covered with abominable offerings prohibited by the laws. A man could not keep the sabbath or celebrate the traditional feasts, nor even admit that he was a Jew. Women were arrested for having circumcised their children and were publicly paraded about the city with their babies hanging at their breasts and then thrown down from the top of the city wall. As were Others, who had assembled in nearby caves to observe the sabbath.

“Though they were persecuted, Daniel prophesied: “But their God shall be strong, and carry the people who know Him out to great exploits.”

Around 167 B.C., Mattathias and his sons began the Maccabean Revolt against Antiochus Epiphanes. Judas Maccabaeus was finally successful in driving the enemy out in 164 B.C.

When the Second Temple was cleansed of all pagan defilement, a week long re-When the Second Temple was cleansed of all pagan defilement, a week long re-dedication began on the 25th day of Kislev, circa 164 B.C. But there was a problem, there was only found enough holy olive oil to light the golden lamp stand, the menorah, for one day, and it would take a week before more could be made. The decision was made to relight it anyway, and miraculously, the light burned for eight days.

This is celebrated annually as the Feast of Dedication, also known as the Festival of Lights or HANUKKAH, which is the Hebrew word for “dedication.”

Flavius Josephus wrote in the Jewish Antiquities (12.7.6-7 316-325) that in 164 BC: “The generals of Antiochus’ armies having been defeated, Judah Maccabee assembled the people and told them that after the many victories which God had given them they ought to go up to Jerusalem and purify the Temple. But when he with the whole multitude came to Jerusalem and found he Temple deserted, its gates burned down, and plants growing in the Temple of their own accord because of the desolation, he and those with him began to lament.”

Josephus continued:  “When he had carefully purged it he brought in new vessels, the menorah, the table and the incense altar, which were made of gold. And on the 25th day of the month Kislev, which the Macedonians call Apellaios, they lighted the lights that were on the menorah, and offered incense upon the altar, and laid the loaves upon the table, and offered whole burnt offerings upon the new altar.

As it happened, these things took place on the very same day on which, three years before, the divine worship had been reduced to an impure and profane form of worship; for the Temple had remained desolate for three years after being made so by Antiochus. “

Josephus concluded: “And so Judah and his fellow citizens celebrated the festival of the restoration of the sacrifices of the Temple for eight days. They honored God, and delighted themselves with psalms of praise and the playing of harps. Indeed, they were so very glad at the revival of their customs and, after so long a time, having unexpectedly regained their right to worship, that they made it a law for their posterity that they should keep a festival celebrating the restoration of their Temple worship for eight days.”

The New Testament Book of John, chapter 10:22-23, recorded that even Jesus observed the Feast of Dedication: “At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, ‘How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.'”

The many centuries of Hanukkah candles being lit during the winter might have been an inspiration for the Christian tradition of putting lights in tree branches to depict the sky above Bethlehem.

Various U.S. Presidents acknowledged Hanukkah: Franklin D. Roosevelt wrote to Samuel I. Rosenman, President of the Jewish Education Committee in New York, December 16, 1940: Dear Sam, Please convey my best wishes to your co-workers in the Jewish Education Committee of New York, at the annual Hanukkah Dinner. Our modern democratic way of life has its deepest roots in our great common religious tradition, which for ages past has taught to civilized mankind the dignity of the human being, his equality before God, and his responsibility in the making of a better and fairer world. The world is engaged in a great spiritual struggle to test whether that ancient wisdom is to endure, or whether some few men shall dominate multitudes of others and dictate to them their thinking, their religion, their living. We need the sustaining, buttressing aid of those great ethical religious teachings which are the heritage of our modern civilization. For ‘not upon strength nor upon power, but upon the spirit of God’ shall our democracy be founded.”

In 1951, President Harry S. Truman received a presentation of a Hanukkah menorah from Israel’s Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion.

On December 17, 1979, President Jimmy Carter was the first President to participate in Hanukkah. He walked from the White House to Lafayette Park to light the National Menorah erected by the American Friends of Lubavitch.

Carter said: “The first candle that I lit, the shammes candle, has given its light now to five other candles. It has not itself been diminished. It shows that when we give life and love to others, the life and love in our own hearts is not diminished. It grows the more we share it. So, tonight we pray that our closeness to God, our memory of these fine commitments of human beings down through the ages will strengthen our desires to share our life and our love.”

President Ronald Reagan stated in his Hanukkah Message, 1983: “Whether we be Americans or Israelis, we are all children of Abraham, children of the same God. The bonds between our two peoples are growing stronger, and they must not and will never be broken.”

President George H.W. Bush stated in his Hanukkah Message, 1991: “When Judah Maccabee and his followers prepared to rededicate the Temple in Jerusalem, they found only enough oil to light the menorah for one night. Miraculously, it lasted eight.”

President Bill Clinton stated in his Hanukkah Message, 1997: “From the days of the ancient Maccabees down to our present time, tyrants have sought to deny people the free expression of their faith and the right to live according to their own conscience and convictions. Hanukkah symbolizes the heroic struggle of all who seek to defeat such oppression and the miracles that come to those full of faith and courage. This holiday holds special meaning for us in America, where freedom of religion is one of the cornerstones of our democracy. The coming year will mark the 50th anniversary of the State of Israel, where the story of the first Hanukkah took place so many centuries ago. May the candles of the menorah light our way to a true and lasting peace for the people of the Middle East.”

George W. Bush remarked lighting the Hanukkah Menorah in the White House, December 10, 2001: “Tonight, for the first time in American history, the Hanukkah menorah will be lit at the White House residence. The magnificent menorah before us was crafted over a century ago in the city of Lvov. The Jews of Lvov fell victim to the horror of the Nazi Holocaust, but their great menorah survived. And as God promised Abraham, the people of Israel still live. We’re reminded of the ancient story of Israel’s courage and of the power of faith to make the darkness bright. We can see the heroic spirit of the Maccabees lives on in Israel today, and we trust that a better day is coming, when this Festival of Freedom will be celebrated in a world free from terror.”

President Donald J. Trump remarked on Hanukkah, December 12, 2017: “The miracle of Hanukkah began more than 2,000 years ago, when the practice of Judaism was made punishable by death. A small band of Jewish patriots rose up and reclaimed their Jewish identity by vanquishing a mighty army. In their pursuit to rededicate their holy temple, the Jewish heroes found only enough oil to light the temple’s menorah for one night. However, a miracle occurred and with God’s grace the oil lasted for eight days. On this holiday, we are proud to stand with the Jewish people who shine as a light to all nations. We also stand with the people of Israel, the Jewish State, which has itself a miraculous history of overcoming the tallest of odds. We hope that those observing the holiday here, in Israel, and around the world have a wonderful holiday.”

(So now you know the real story of Hanukkah)

Ron

The Bible says: Galatians 4:4

“When the fullness of the time came, God sent forth his Son“

This Christmas, are you waiting for some precious promise to be fulfilled? Do not despair—God always keeps His Word. Yet just as the Savior appeared in a way and time that were completely unexpected to anyone—so will the blessings He has for you.

For example, the nation of Israel thought the Messiah would appear during a time of national crises. But the Lord had better plans. He waited until the message of the gospel could be carried to the ends of the earth so the whole world could embrace the good news. It was the only time in history that one could travel safely across the whole known world on the safe Roman roads and safely cross all national boundaries without a visa.

How Christ came contradicted the Israelites’ expectations as well. They imagined a great conqueror who would build the kingdom for Israel—not a baby in a manger. Yet Jesus had a greater purpose—saving their souls, not just their land. Therefore, if you’re discouraged because God’s promise to you is not yet fulfilled—remember, His answer may not appear in the manner or time you suppose. But rest assured, He has greater plans than you can imagine. So continue to trust and obey Him completely, and anticipate the blessings He has promised you with joy.

In the Battle of Princeton: “Washington advanced so near the enemy’s lines that his horse refused to go further”

Frederick the Great of Prussia called these ten days “the most brilliant in the world’s history.” At that time.

After winning the Battle of Princeton, Christmas Day evening, 1776, George Washington’s 1,200 man force faced General Cornwallis’ 4,500 man British army. Washington was fighting the army of the globalist King of Great Britain, the most powerful military on the planet.

On the night of January 2, 1777, Washington left his campfires burning and marched his army around the back of a portion of Cornwallis’ army – the 1,400 British troops camped at Princeton, New Jersey. He ordered his soldiers to march in absolute silence, even wrapping their guns with heavy cloth to lessen the noise of troop movement.

British commander Lord Cornwallis ordered Colonel Mawhood to join his regiments to the rest of the British army. This providentially, resulted in the British ceasing to patrol the very roads Washington was marching on.

At daybreak, January 3, 1777, Washington attacked the British from behind. This was similar to what the British did to the Americans at the Battle of Brooklyn Heights a little over four months earlier.

At this Battle of Princeton, the surprised British immediately fought back, sending forth a bayonet charge which killed dozens of American soldiers. One of those killed was General Hugh Mercer, who had fought with Washington in the French and Indian War, and in the Battle of Trenton. Hugh Mercer’s descendants included WWII General George S. Patton.

After Mercer was killed, the British pressed their counter-attack. The American militia under General John Cadwalader began to panic and flee. To stop the retreat, General George Washington immediately rode to the front of the line and ordered the soldiers to stop running away. He commanded them to turn around and follow him back to the front lines. Washington rode extremely close to the British, within just 30 yards.

Turning and facing his men, Washington yelled: “Halt!” “Aim,” then “Fire!”

The British immediately fired a volley in return. The field of battle was filled with a cloud of smoke. Many thought Washington was surely shot, as he was exposed to fire from both sides.

Irishman John Fitzgerald, who was an American aide-de-camp, pulled his hat down to cover his eyes so as to not see Washington killed. But when the smoke cleared, to their dismay, Washington was seen on his horse, waving to his men to charge ahead. The Americans charged and won a great victory at the Battle of Princeton.

An estimated 100 British were killed or wounded, and over 300 captured, as compared to only 23 Americans killed and 20 wounded. Enthusiasm swept America. Though it took nearly seven more years of fighting till the Revolutionary War ended, this battle was a major turning point.

British historian Sir George Otto Trevelyan wrote of the American victories at Trenton and Princeton: “It may be doubted whether so small a number of men ever employed so short a space of time with greater and more lasting effects upon the history of the world.”

President Calvin Coolidge stated October 28, 1925: “Distinguished military critics have described Washington’s campaign of Trenton and Princeton as a military exploit of unparalleled brilliancy.”

The equestrian statue at Washington Circle in Washington, D.C., depicts General Washington at the Battle of Princeton. At the statue’s dedication in 1860, sculptor Clark Mills stated: “At the Battle of Princeton where Washington, after several ineffectual attempts to rally his troops, advanced so near the enemy’s lines that his horse refused to go further, but stood and trembled while the brave rider sat undaunted with reins in hand.

But while his noble horse is represented thus terror stricken, the dauntless hero is calm and dignified, ever believing himself the instrument in the hand of Providence to work out the great problem of liberty.”

Yale President Ezra Stiles described General George Washington as the American version of the Israelite commander Joshua, in an Election Address before the Governor and General Assembly of Connecticut, May 8, 1783: “Congress put at the head of this spirited army, the only man, on whom the eyes of all Israel were placed. This American Joshua was raised up by God, and divinely formed by a peculiar influence of the Sovereign of the Universe, for the great work of leading the armies of this American Joseph, and conducting this people through the severe, the arduous conflict, to liberty and independence”

Ron

The Bible says: Psalm 25:12

“Who is the man who fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way he should choose.”

Life is one continuous decision-making process from childhood through the golden years. Thankfully, God is willing to give us clear guidance about every choice we make—regardless if it’s major or minor. However, when He speaks, He expects us to respect Him, doing as He instructs.

In fact, His Word tells us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10 NIV). In other words, if you’re going to be wise, you must honor His direction, serving Him instead of yourself. And you do so because of your steadfast confidence in His sovereignty and character.

So consider—are you in the midst of a difficult situation today? Friend, understanding that the Savior is perfect in His knowledge, all-sufficient in His strength, and unconditionally loving toward you is key to submitting to Him for your future. So reevaluate your situation in light of His trustworthy character an obey however He directs you to proceed. Because you’ll be sure to make excellent decisions when you do.

(You hear a lot about the help that France gave to the American Cause in the Revolutionary War. However, Spain gave enormous aid also. In fact, without Spain’s help, General Washington’s army would probably never have defeated the British Forces. Below for your edification I have chronicled some of that Spanish aid:)

The Aid of Spain

During the Revolution, America benefited from the Spanish and French navies laying siege to British controlled Gibraltar. It was the longest siege the British had ever endured, and one of the longest in naval history, requiring an enormous amount of British military resources that would have otherwise been sent to America.

On the night of August 8, 1780, a large convoy of British ships and merchant vessels left the English Channel. In the dark, Spanish Admiral Luis de Córdova y Córdova’s flagship slipped between the lead British ship and the rest of the British fleet. Córdova mimicked the signal shots of the lead ship to fool the British convoy into following him into a trap.

When dawn broke, the British convoy was surrounded. A British officer wrote: “At day-light we found ourselves in the center of thirty ships of the line and four frigates, all Spanish. We tried to run, but found it impossible.” It was one of the largest naval captures in history, 55 ships and over a million British pounds of supplies, robbing them of resources intended to fight Americans. 

King Carlos III of Spain, together with King Louis XVI of France, secretly supplied  five million livres worth of materials and arms to America through a front trading business — “Roderigue Hortalez and Company.” The company covertly worked with Connecticut merchant Silas Deane and Thomas Morris, the half-brother of Robert Morris, the “Financier of the Revolution.”

Similarly, The Dutch secretly funneled supplies and weapons to America through the Spanis Island of St. Eustatius. including muskets, cannons, cannonballs, gunpowder, bombs, mortars, tents, and clothing enough for 30,000 soldiers.

King Carlos III gave a directive to the Spanish Governor of Louisiana, Bernardo de Gálvez, to allow military supplies, weapons, uniforms, and medicine to be shipped up the Mississippi River to the Ohio River to aid the Continental Army troops under the command of General Washington and Brigadier-General George Rogers Clark. In 1777, the value of the supplies delivered was over $70,000.

Barnardo de Gálvez’s uncle,  José de Gálvez, as Inspector General of New Spain, appointed the Franciscan Junipero Serra as head of the 21 missions in California, where he baptized over 6,000 Indians.

Bernardo de Gálvez corresponded with Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, and American General Charles Henry Lee.

In 1779, Gálvez recruited troops from Cuba, México, Santo Domingo, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Costa Rica, free Blacks, Indians, Creoles, and French Catholic Acadians -“Cajuns” to fight t He negotiated with Texas governor Domingo y Robles in June, 1779, for 2,000 head of cattle to be driven to Louisiana to feed his troops.

They defeated the British at Fort Bute, Baton Rouge, and Natchez, freeing up the lower Mississippi Valley.

In 1780, Galvez captured Mobile in the Battle of Fort Charlotte, and in 1781, defeated the British at Pensacola, driving British forces out of that west area and the Gulf of Mexico. Fort Charlotte was previously called Fort Conde by the French before they were defeated by the British in the French and Indian War, 1763. The British claimed the Louisiana Territory east of the Mississippi, calling it British West Florida.

The British Colonial period on the Gulf Coast ended in spectacular fashion during the American Revolution. In March 1780, Don Bernardo de Gálvez, the Spanish governor of Louisiana, led more than a thousand troops to Mobile and laid siege to Fort Charlotte. For 14 long days, Spanish guns battered the old fort. Faced with the complete destruction of his ragtag army of 300 men, including armed slaves and volunteers from the town, British Captain Elias Dumford surrendered Fort Charlotte.

Gálvez, with 32 ships and 3,000 troops from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Mexico, Canary Islands, along with black militia and Native Americans, fought many battles along the Mississippi River and the Gulf Coast, including the Port of New Orleans, Fort Bute, Baton Rouge, Natchez, and Nassau, Bahamas. After a two month siege, he captured Pensacola and effectively drove the British out of the Gulf of Mexico.

Gálvez also sent reinforcements to St. Louis, near where the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers meet, to repel the British in the Battle of Fort San Carlos, May 25, 1780. Gálvez actions prevented the British from attacking Washington’s army from the west.

In 1783, Gálvez went to France and helped in the negotiations which culminated in the Treaty of Paris, ending the Revolutionary War. In gratitude for his support of America, General Washington invited Gálvez to ride next to him in the July 4, 1783, victory parade in Philadelphia.

In October of 1784, Bernardo de Gálvez was made Governor of Cuba, Louisiana and the Floridas, where, as a gesture of goodwill, he released all American sailors imprisoned for smuggling. Galveston, Texas, was named for him. A statue of Gálvez is in New Orlean’s Spanish Plaza and in Washington, DC., near the Department of State. Congress awarded Gálvez honorary American citizenship – one of only seven other people to be thus recognized.

(So, Spain helped greatly in the Revolutionary War.)

Ron

The Bible says: John 20:27 (NLT)

“Don’t be faithless any longer: Believe!”

Thomas was missing when Jesus first appeared to the disciples, and he was also the one to voice the greatest doubts about the resurrection. He declared that he wouldn’t believe Christ had risen from the grave unless he touched Jesus’ hand and side (John20:25). You can imagine the shock and embarrassment he felt when Jesus appeared.

Yet what happened to Thomas can be instructive for you today, especially if God made you a promise that you’ve waited a long time to see fulfilled. What you believe about Him will ensure either your success or your failure.

You may, like Thomas, demand the Lord show you signs, but when you do so, you only prove the weakness and immaturity of your faith.

But Jesus said, “Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed” (John 20:29). If you’ll unwaveringly trust Him to do as He said, you will receive great blessings. You’ll not only see your dearest prayers answered, but you’ll glorify Him, and your faith will grow.

So don’t embarrass yourself by doubting Him. Trust that He is able, and that one day your faith will be turned to sight.

Few people have ever heard of this amazing man. However, Count Zinzendorf had a greater impact on spreading the Gospel of Christ to the whole world, and the founding of America, than any man who ever lived. You just must know about him. Do read the account below of his amazing life and how God used him:

Pilgrim Governor William Bradford wrote: “As one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone unto many, yea in some sort to our whole nation.”

An example of “one small candle” lighting a thousand” occurred in the early 1700s, with a rich young ruler.…..Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf.

Count Zinzendorf was born in 1700 into a noble German family, with his ancestor being Maximillian the First, the Holy Roman Emperor from 1508 to 1519.

When Nikolaus was six weeks old, his father died. His mother remarried, and at the age of four, he was sent to live with his pietistic Lutheran grandmother, Henriette Catharina von Gersdorff.

In 1719, at the age of 19 years old, Count Zinzendorf went on his “Grand Tour” – a trip where young aristocrats made their first introductions to the royal courts of France, the Netherlands, and major German kingdoms.

While on this tour, in the city of Dusseldorf, Count Zinzendorf visited a museum, where he viewed a painting by Domenico Feti depicting Christ’s suffering.

The painting, titled “Ecce Homo” — “Behold the Man”, had a Latin caption underneath, “Ego pro te haec passus sum Tu vero quid fecisti pro me,” which translated is: “This have I suffered for you; now what will you do for me?”

Young Count Zinzendorf was moved in a profound way.

Convicted in his heart by the Holy Spirit, Count Zinzendorf came to an intensely personal faith in Christ, an experience which was part of a revival movement labeled “Pietism.”

In 1722, at the age of 22, Count Zinzendorf opened up his estate at Berthelsdorf, Saxony, for persecuted Christians of Europe who were displaced during the 30 Years War, to come and live together.

People arrived from Moravia, Bohemia, Czech Republic, and other areas, and built a village on his estate called “Herrnhut,” which means “The Lord’s Watchful Care.”

The religious refugees that came to Count Zinzendorf’s estate almost ended the endeavor before it really began, by bringing their doctrinal rivalries with them. When they started disagreeing among themselves, the 27-year-old Count Zinzendorf began a prayer meeting, August 13, 1727. This meeting, called a “prayer watch,” went on continuously 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with believers taking turns, uninterrupted for over 100 years.

Count Zinzendorf stated: “I have one passion: it is Jesus, Jesus only.”

More Moravian missionaries were sent out from Herrnhut in the next 20 years than all Christendom had in the previous 200 years. The Moravians (Moravia was just the name of a state in Germany) were the first to send unordained lay people onto the mission field rather than trained clergy. Missionaries were also given no financial support but had to earn their own living. Most of the missionaries were young men and women. Imagine today, if all the woke youth, instead of rioting and tearing things down, were using their energy to share the love of Christ and found missions, orphanages, schools and hospitals around the world!

They established hundreds of renewal groups and Herrnhut-style settlements around the world, emphasizing personal prayer, worship, Bible study, confession of sins, communion, and mutual accountability.

On May 3, 1728, Moravians began publishing a daily devotional called Losungen, or “Daily Watchwords,” which went on to be translated into over 50 languages and be the oldest and most widely read daily devotional in the world.

Moravians were the first large scale Protestant missionary movement: They sent missionaries to Greenland, Canada, Alaska, to the Inuit of Labrador, to the West Indies, Costa Rica, Belize, Haiti, to American Indians, such as Cherokee, Lenape, Mohican, Algonquin, to the northern shores of the Baltic, to the slaves of South Carolina, to the Miskito peoples of Nicaragua and Honduras, to slaves in South America, Suriname, French Guyana, Peru, to Tranquebar and Nicobar Islands in the East Indies, to the Copts in Egypt, to Northern India and Nepal, to Kenya, Rwanda, Zanzibar, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Kivu, Katanga in DR Congo, and the west coast of South Africa.

The story of the first Moravian missionaries began in Germany with Johann Leonhard Dober. Dober was apprenticing to be a potter like his father, but at age 17, visited the community at Herrnhut and converted. On July 24, 1731, he heard Zinzendorf’s plea for someone to reach the slaves on the Caribbean sugar plantations, recounting the testimony of Anthony Ulrich, a former slave from the Danish island of St. Thomas — which became part of the U.S. Virgin Islands in 1917.

“In the course of a few weeks the negro, Anthony, himself arrived at Hermhut, and confirmed, at a public meeting that his oppressed countrymen in St. Thomas were worked by their masters, that, unless those who went to preach to them would consent to become slaves themselves, and labour with the negroes in the plantations, they would have little opportunity of communicating divine instruction to them.

This intelligence did not in the smallest degree daunt the devoted young men at Hermhut; they were both ready, not only to be bound, but to die for the Lord Jesus. They were willing to make any sacrifice which might be required, if they could win but one soul to Christ, nay, if they might but have the opportunity of carrying the news of salvation to Anthony’s sister, a poor despised female slave.”

David Nitschman, then traveled to the Danish capital of Copenhagan to get permission to go to go there. After a prayer meeting, August 20, 1732, Zinzendorf blessed Johann Leonhard Dober and carpenter Dt. Thomas to go there.

Not having financial support of a church or missionary organization, the King’s Chamberlain, Von Plesz, asked how they expected to live while evangelizing the slaves. Nitschmann replied: “We shall work as slaves among the slaves.” Von Plesz said, “But that is impossible. It will not be allowed. No white man ever works as a slave.” Nitschmann replied, “I am a carpenter, and will ply my trade.” “But what will the potter do?” “He will help me in my work.” “If you go on like that,” the dismayed Chamberlain replied, “you will stand your ground the wide world over.”

They left Copenhagen, October 8, 1732, and two months later arrived in St. Thomas where they lived humbly and ministered to the slaves. Over the next 50 years, more Moravians arrived and established churches on St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John’s, Jamaica, Antigua, Barbados, and St. Kitts, baptizing over 13,000 converts.

Nitschmann undertook no less than fifty sea voyages and was particularly successful evangelizing among slaves and native Americans. In 1740, he helped found a mission near Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

On a trip back to Germany, David Nitschmann was elected a Moravian bishop. In 1735, he sailed for Georgia on a ship carrying the passengers John and Charles Wesley. The ship was caught in a terrible storm. While others panicked in fear, the Moravians sang praise songs to the Lord. This made a profound impression on the Wesleys.

Charles Wesley was sent to be the secretary of Georgia’s founder James Oglethorpe. John Wesley was sent to be the colony’s Anglican minister, at the settlement on St. Simon Island. The Wesley brothers returned to England where, feeling defeated, they were invited to a Moravian prayer meeting at Aldersgate. They were so touch by they Holy Spirit and their lives were forever changed.

In 1738, John Wesley visited Herrnhut to study with the Moravians. What he witnessed he described as “the religion of the heart.”

John returned to England where he began the Methodist revival movement. Charles Wesley wrote over 6,000 sacred hymns.

Through the Wesleys, the Moravian influence was felt by George Whitefield, who helped lead the Great Awakening Revival in the American colonies.

In 1741, Count Zinzendorf visited America, hoping to unify the various German Protestants churches in Pennsylvania. On Christmas Eve, 1741, Count Zinzendorf founded Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Moravians settled an area in North Carolina which was named Wachovia, after one of Count Zinzendorf’s ancestral estates on the Danube River. There his daughter, Benigna, organized a school which became Moravian College.

Count Zinzendorf traveled with the German Indian agent and interpreter Conrad Weiser into the wilderness to share his faith with Iroquois Indian chieftains, making Zinzendorf one of the few European noblemen to meet with Indians in their villages.

Conrad Weiser’s daughter, Ann Marie, married a young German minister, Henry Muhlenberg, who is considered the main founder of the Lutheran Church in America.

In 1742, Henry Melchior Muhlenberg met Count Nicholas Ludwig Von Zinzendorf. Later that year, on December 12, 1742, Henry Muhlenberg became pastor of fifty German families at the Old Trappe Church in Pennsylvania. In 1751, Henry Muhlenberg received a land grant from the sons of William Penn, and on it founded Trinity Lutheran Church in Reading, Pennsylvania. It was referred by Lutherans as their “mother church,” as out of it were birthed numerous Lutheran Churches.

Henry Muhlenberg was influenced by the Pietist movement within Lutheranism which stressed a personal relationship with Christ in addition to adhering to orthodox doctrine. It also had a political consequence similar to “separation of church and state.” Calvinist Puritans believed God had a will for everything including government and it was a Christian’s duty to put God’s Will in place; Pietists, on the other hand, believed that when someone believed in Christ their life should change and they should not participate in worldly distractions such as bars, theaters, and government.

It was therefore a major step for Henry Muhlenberg’s son, John Peter Muhlenberg, pastor of Emanuel Church in Woodstock, Virginia, to join General George Washington’s army as a colonel, with 300 members of his church forming the 8th Virginia Regiment. John Peter Muhlenberg was promoted to Major-General in the Continental Army, then elected to the U.S. Congress and Senate.

Henry Muhlenberg’s other son, Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg, was pastor of a Lutheran congregation in New York. Frederick Muhlenberg became active during the Revolution and afterwards was elected to the U.S. Congress, being the first Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Both John Peter and Frederick were members of the First Session of U.S. Congress which passed Twelve Amendments limiting the power of the Federal Government. With both of them being ordained pastors, it is obvious they did not think the purpose of the First Amendment was to keep pastors out of politics.

Pastor Henry Muhlenberg wrote of General George Washington at Valley Forge in The Notebook of a Colonial Clergyman: “I heard a fine example today, namely that His Excellency General Washington rode around among his army yesterday and admonished each to fear God, to put away wickedness and to practice Christian virtues”

Rev. Muhlenberg continued:

“From all appearances General Washington 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. Therefore, the Lord God has also singularly, yea, marvelously preserved him from harm in the midst of countless perils, ambuscades, fatigues, and has hitherto graciously held him in his hand as a chosen vessel.”

“As one small candle may light a thousand,” Count Ludwig von Zinzendorf, the Moravian missionaries, and the pietist Lutherans, had a profound impact on the founding of America, as well as on missionary efforts spreading the Gospel around the world.

Ron

(Please read below the documentation of the official founding of “Thanksgiving” in America.)

Congress approved the First Amendment the same week it called for a Day of Thanksgiving to Almighty God.

The First Amendment was passed in the First Session of Congress, which was meeting in New York City.

The first Ten Amendment, called the Bill of Rights, were intended to be “handcuffs” or limitations on the power of the new Federal Government — a restraining order on Washington politicians.

The Bill of Rights was signed by two individuals in the U.S. Congress: Vice-President John Adams, as President of the Senate, and Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg, as the First Speaker of the House, who was also an ordained Lutheran minster.

The PREAMBLE to the Bill of Rights reveals the intent of the States to prevent the Federal Government from an “abuse of its powers,” insisting “restrictive clauses” should be placed on it: “The Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to PREVENT misconstruction or ABUSE OF ITS POWERS, that further declaratory and RESTRICTIVE CLAUSES should be added as amendments to the Constitution of the United States.”

The First Amendment began: “CONGRESS shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

Websters 1828 Dictionary defined “respecting” as: “regarding, concerning, relating to.”

In other words, when anything relating to the subject of “an establishment of religion” came before the Federal Government, the response was to be “hands off,” as religion was under each individual State’s jurisdiction.

In his Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States, 1833, Justice Joseph Story stated: “In some of the States, Episcopalians constituted the predominant sect; in others, Presbyterians; in others, Congregationalists; in others, Quakers. It was impossible that there should not arise jealousy if the national government were left free to create a religious establishment. The only security was in abolishing the power. But this alone would have been an imperfect security, if it had not been followed up by a declaration of the right of the free exercise of religion. Thus, the whole power over the subject of religion is left exclusively to the State governments.”

In the First Amendment, the states also limited the Federal Congress from: “abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Congress was the only branch of government that made laws, so it was the focus of the restrictions.

If the founders could have seen into the future that the Supreme Court would make laws from the bench, or that Presidents would make laws through executive orders, or that bureaucratic Departments would make law through regulations, they might have worded the First Amendment something like: “CONGRESS, the SUPREME COURT, the PRESIDENT, and FEDERAL BUREAUCRACIES shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, OR PROHIBITING THE FREE EXERCISE THEREOF.”

Obviously, they did not think the First Amendment that they just passed should outlaw prayer or God! 

The Bill of Rights were passed by Congress on September 25, 1789, and sent to the States for ratification.

The same week Congress approved the First Amendment, they requested President George Washington declare the United States’ First National Day of Thanksgiving and Prayer to Almighty God.

(Now, even though it is lengthy, do read what George Washington wrote in establishing our first official national Thanksgiving.)

Washington declared on OCTOBER 3, 1789: “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 Committees 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 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 twenty-sixth day of November next, to be devoted by the People of these United 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, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed.

Since it is 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 hath 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; And 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.

And to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, 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 3rd of October, IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine. 

George Washington.”

Ron

It says in the Bible: Hebrews 12:9 (NIV)

“We have all had human fathers who disciplined us….But God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.“

You have a Father who loves, protects, and provides for you. Regardless of how your earthly dad treated you, our heavenly Father never fails you and He would never reject you. This is because through Jesus sacrifice on the cross, you’ve been permanently adopted into God’s household and have been given the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of His love foever.

Truly understanding how wonderful this is may require a shift in your thinkking and the removal of strongholds in your life. So your wise and merciful heavenly Father allows you to experience circumstances that reveal His faultless character to you, demonstrate the depth of His love, and help you trust Him more.

So today, embrace that He is your Father. In whatever you face, look to Him to teach you and be assured you remain in the center of His perfect provision and love no matte what happens.

Ron