Blessed is the nation who see God is the Lord; and the people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance. Psalm 33:12
There are a number of very special days which we, as Americans and Christians celebrate in order to bring to remembrance the events which are attached to those days. As Americans we celebrate certain days and as Christians we hold certain days dear also.
I am in the process of reading a book about the Second World War as it was fought in the Pacific theater. This part of the war which was fought with Japan was a particularly brutal and costly conflict. In fact, it was far more than a conflict. It was a brutal out and out war which was started with the bombing of the American harbor in Hawaii in 1941.
Those of us who live in a country which has provided us with safety and general freedom from threat, have a hard time imagining the brutality of a war such as the war with Japan in the Pacific. My own father participated in this war as a member of the United States Navy. He was a radar operator and paymaster on his ship which experienced the Kamikaze attacks which killed thousands of Americans. When I was a young man, he told me about some of the things that happened and I don’t see how our men survived when certain battles were fought. I just finished reading about the Battle for Okinawa. Those of us who read about such battles can never appreciate the brutality of the events which took place as our forces won that island after a battle of 82 days. Those of us at home have often stated that our men were fighting for our freedoms that we enjoy. That is true but that simple statement is in danger of denigrating what really happened. Unbelievable….except for those who were actually involved. My appreciation for the American fighting soldiers grew in a huge amount as a result of reading a very accurate and well researched book by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard entitled “Killing the Rising Sun.” I recommend it to anyone interested in getting a deeper understanding of the price that was paid for our freedom.
This week we will celebrate July 4th. It is one of those special days that should always bring appreciation for our Founding Fathers and our Military forces. This
great holiday is a time when we shoot off fireworks and spend time with our families and friends as we celebrate the Birth of our Nation. It is our most celebrated day as we remember the birth of our nation and the price that has been paid for its preservation. Benjamin Franklin knew it would be difficult to preserve our Republic when he was asked about what form of Government they had formed. He said: “A Republic if you can keep it.” He could see that we would have to protect our Republic in the future. Many people don’t know that the United States is a Republic and not a pure Democracy. A Republic is maintained by having laws to guide its people. It has some of the characteristics of a Democracy but not a pure Democracy.
So, we celebrate the formation of our nation on July 4th and we also show our love for and appreciation of those who have fought to preserve our form of Government. We must always strive to keep the American Spirit alive by celebrating Independence Day…July 4th.
Christians also have special days we celebrate. We remember the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ on December 25th. Everyone loves Christmas, even those who don’t identify as a believer in Christ. Merchants really love Christmas. Money flows. But we should not lose the real meaning of that wonderful day; the birth of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Easter is another of those days we remember in a special way. That is the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Without Easter, Christmas has no real meaning. Easter put God’s seal of approval upon everything Jesus did. God showed the world that all that He promised concerning eternal life with Him was proven by the bodily resurrection of His Son, Jesus. So, Easter and Christmas go hand in hand. Easter proved Jesus was really the savior of mankind and Christmas is when God sent him to save us.
America was founded as a Christian nation. Some will disagree with that but the facts found in our documents prove that is the purpose of our founding. In our earliest document, The Mayflower Compact, it states that we were founded “for the propagation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” End of argument. We have those who are trying to make our land into something it was never meant to be….a secular nation that doesn’t need God. Remember what Ben Franklin said when asked what we had formed. He said: “A Republic if you can keep it.” Our people
should be vigilant in preserving our nation, our Republic, and also our Christian foundation.
In a few days we will celebrate the foundation of our Judeo-Christian country. Let’s make sure that we always keep this day in our remembrance and that we will understand that it was founded upon the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Yes, it is a Very Special Day. Honor it and remember the lives which have preserved it. Have a great day of remembrance on July Fourth!
