28 November 2019, Anno Domini
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IVE thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.
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N every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
There is an insidious effort afoot in our day to undermine every Christian religious observance of the people that, unfortunately, has allies in many apostate churches across America and Around the World. For many decades, Thanksgiving Day was a uniquely American holiday, but today is celebrated by an array of mostly Christian nations around the world on the day each designates. For the United States, that day is the third Thursday in November. According to a proclamation of President Lincoln, Thanksgiving was to be observed on the fourth Thursday; however, President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved it up to the third Thursday. Why? In order to accommodate the commercialization of the Christmas Season - a policy that has only gained such momentum as to drown out the true meaning of both Christmas and Thanksgiving in the hearts of many.
The Pilgrim Fathers who launched off into the new adventure in America did so from Southampton, England, in September 1620 and arrived at Plymouth (Cape Cod) Massachusetts, on 11December 1620. They did not completely abandon quarters on the Mayflower until the day after Christmas of the same year. Their first action was to hold a prayer service returning thanks to Almighty God for their safe passage.
The Pilgrims had left England and Holland as a result of religious persecution. Religious freedom is that freedom which underpins all others. They were especially oppressed and persecuted in England for objecting to the high church formality that had come to characterize the Church of England decades following the Great Reformation.
The first Thanksgiving Proclamation of record was issued on June 20, 1676: The Holy God having by a long and Continual Series of his Afflictive dispensations in and by the present War with the Heathen Natives of this land, written and brought to pass bitter things against his own Covenant people in this wilderness, yet so that we evidently discern that in the midst of his judgments he hath remembered mercy, having remembered his Footstool in the day of his sore displeasure against us for our sins, with many singular Intimations of his Fatherly Compassion, and regard; reserving many of our Towns from Desolation Threatened, and attempted by the Enemy, and giving us especially of late with many of our Confederates many signal Advantages against them, without such Disadvantage to ourselves as formerly we have been sensible of, if it be the Lord’s mercy that we are not consumed, It certainly bespeaks our positive Thankfulness, when our Enemies are in any measure disappointed or destroyed; and fearing the Lord should take notice under so many Intimations of his returning mercy, we should be found an Insensible people, as not standing before Him with thanksgiving, as well as lading him with our Complaints in the time of pressing Afflictions.
From those early days of the American settlement, faith in a Holy God dictated the society and government of the colonies. This influence of faith and biblical living permeated American public policy and the hearts of the people for almost 300 years following the Pilgrim landing. But in the modern day, that faith has waned, and social values have turned to the uttermost evils of man’s imagination.
There has always existed a segment of society whose licentious behavior has been shameful and repugnant to decency. Such evils as public nakedness, Abortion (or offering one’s child to idols), homosexuality, Euthanasia, and a corrupt indoctrination to evil under the guise of ‘education’ have flourished at intervals in the annals of history; but I do not believe there can be any period recounted in which the validity and dignity of law have been so disgustingly and egregiously demonstrated as in the cities of present day America.
It is high time for the nation to awaken from its drunken slumber and restore righteousness and dignity to our governments and society. We have little time remaining before we bring down upon our unrighteous shoulders the full wrath of an offended Sovereign. Our Lord will not forever turn His righteous glance from our wicked enterprises. If we wish to continue celebrating a National Thanksgiving (NOT Turkey Day!), we had best fall on our knees in prayers of repentance and pleas for mercy and grace to restore our land to the beautiful and bountiful American handed down to our Forefathers by a loving and Righteous God.
A Happy & Blessed Thanksgiving!
Jerry L. Ogles
Presiding Bishop
