Newsletter: 2008-15 US National Day of Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving Day

Greetings from HomeWorship 101™

"In everything give thanks,

for this is the will of God ..."

- 1Thessalonians 5:18

Thanksgiving Day, is a traditional North American holiday to give thanks to our CREATOR for the blessings of the yearly harvest season. Giving thanks is very important to our CREATOR, and America’s founding leaders knew their Bibles well. They set aside the 4^th Thursday of November (this year it is today the 27^th), as a national Thanksgiving Day. The holiday dates back to pilgrams in early 1600’s. A national day, setaside to give thanks to our CREATOR was so important to the early settlers, that George Washington made it a permanent holiday in 1789. Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States, and on the second Monday of October in Canada.

George Washington’s 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation:

“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 committee, 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 and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness…”

Wouldn’t it be refreshing to hear such bold and powerful words from today’s political leadership? There are many Scriptural commands to give thanks, and up until the time of President Abraham Lincoln our political headship had no problem in publicly doing so. When it comes to answering the GOD question, our early leadership boldly went where none have gone before. America’s founders were the only ones that built a nation that would glorify our CREATOR instead of some earthly king or leader. To commemorate those ideals, they proclaimed to the whole nation that on this day, stop your daily work, gather with friends and family, devote some time to home worship, table fellowship, and give thanks.

All glory goes to our CREATOR.

(Luke 2:14; John 10:25, 14:12-15)

Developing the best working community-compact has been evolving since the time of Noah, and America founding declarations and constitution was the pinnacle of that evolution. Our founders boldly answered the GOD question by publicly declaring our their belief “in GOD we trust.” We trust in GOD. We ask GOD for guidance. We give thanks to GOD! And on this Thanksgiving Day the nation give thanks to GOD. Yes our early leaders, in their halls or power, had no problem acknowledging our CREATOR. Unfortunately it’s not like that any more.

Sadly, today, after generations of being constantly bombarded with politically correct speech, history revisionists, and militant atheists, we have been slowly losing our way. If you ask people as to how this happen, you will get many opinions. Some would say it was President Lynden Johnson, in the 1960’s, who ruined this country. Some would say it was FDR. Others would say it really began with President Woodrow Wilson and his accomplice Colonel House. Some say it’s the secret societies, and so on… (Personally, I think this country began drifting from the path when they revised – mellowed - the Protestant schoolbook series “McGuffey Readers” in the 1850’s-1860’s – but that’s a subject for another time.)

Culturally, we are devolving. Today, it’s not too difficult to find historical revisionists who would tear down America’s first President, George Washington, and the founding fathers. Sadly, many of these revisionists aren’t from some fringe radical group, they come from our so-called higher schools of learning. Yet, one could go through the halls of today’s educated elites and still be hard pressed to find a group of men who accomplished what our founders achieved. The two most recent examples of modern social thinking are reflected in the UN Charter of Human Rights, or the current draft of the EU Constitution. Neither of these is as citizen rights and freedoms friendly, as what America’s founders organized. In short, all they want to do is control you. Basically, it’s still the same ole’ story, what the government gives, the government can take away – boorrrring. Log on to: http://www.homeworship101.com/cultural_issues.htm

The simple truth is that upon coming home victorious from the War of Independence, George Washington could have been anointed king, but he was wise to the problems of Europe’s so-called ‘divine rulership of kings, popes, and dictators,’ and would have none of it. He wanted to complete the planned Constitution, and he agreed to serve a term, as it’s first president. With that decision, this country was born with the Bible in one hand, and the Declaration of Independence in the other. The founding fathers were Protestant-Christians, and they knew their history and Bible well. They were well aware of our CREATOR’S warning concerning the government of kings, 1Sam.ch.8. Their faithful hearts, and their reverence for the will of GOD, symbolized their commitment to the creation of the first nation that would glorify GOD instead of some earthly king. Log on to: http://www.homeworship101.com/bb-c6_hellenism_romanism.htm

The founders were Protestant-Christians, which means protesting Christians. To put it simply, they protest against the dictatorial rule of a centralized religious authority. They protest against any mere mortal being placed between them and GOD. And they stand for the right of anyone to have a copy of the Holy Scriptures in their native language for personal study. (In my own strange way of looking at the world, I believe the very first Christians, were Protestant-Jews.)

The revolutionary Protestant concept, that GOD directly empowers the people instead of a king or pope, and what GOD directly gives, no man can take away, is what makes American unique among all other nations. What is extraordinary is that the American concept did not force-feed religious conversion or dogma, whether you believe in GOD or not doesn’t matter - even the atheist has the same human rights and freedoms. (And ‘free people’ join together to form a government, a representative-republic, based on universal Biblical values.) Make-no-mistake, no other nation, ancient or modern, not even the Jews, have ever made such a proclamation. It’s a miracle that it ever happened! And it’s been under attack by the dark side ever since. Log on to: http://www.homeworship101.com/wp_americans_who_risked.htm

The Bible – by itself - is not a religion (Jam.1:26). America’s Founders didn’t want a priest running the store, but they wanted the store run on the Biblical concepts of personal honor and self-reliance. Our Founders knew that developing a humble relationship with GOD gives one a place in the Universe. They knew the Biblical lessons of self-control, responsibility, and compassion, builds strong families, communities, and country. They believed that the Biblical values were goals to be achieved through applications of personal study and effort, practice, and group support. They didn’t believe in a state education to force-feed this, they believed that sharing spiritual knowledge is empowerment, and in the early years, the U.S. Congress printed and gave free Bibles to the people for personal and group study.

If you ever run into a ‘get-GOD-out-of-government’ person, ask ‘em a simple question: “If they do not want GOD as the grantor of human rights, then what mere mortal do they suggest?” Let ‘em ramble a few minutes, and then just remind them of history. (And don’t let them sandbag you with the term democracy. Democracy has been around since the Greeks, and it’s basically mob-rule doomed to failure.)

We give thanks to our CREATOR. Scriptures clearly state all glory goes to our CREATOR (Luk.2:14; Jon.10:25, 14:12-15), and America’s path leads to GOD and HIS Word. Stop for a moment and say a prayer of thanks for all the blessings of our CREATOR YHWH, Ps.111, or 136. And in these times of great geo-economical/political stress, pray that our FATHER’S Blessings continue.

"Let brotherly love continue.

Do not forget to entertain strangers,

for by so doing

some have unwittingly entertained angels."

- Hebrews 13:1-2

It is interesting to note that “Thanksgiving Day” was designed to be a national ‘home Worship’ holiday. George Washington first proclaimed the holiday as a day to gather with friends and family, share the autumn harvest bounties, and to give thanks. Traditionally, the spiritual highlight of the Thanksgiving event was staged around table-fellowship. Today the day still is much the same as it was in his time. People travel a great deal to be together with family and spend a day with home with food, fun, and fellowship. In our multi-ethnic nation, food, music, and dance might vary, but typically, the main event would be when everyone joins around the dinner table, kindles the two main candles, and says a prayer of thanks.

“And whatever you do in word or deed,

do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” - Colossians 3:17

Our Thanksgiving Day is about the only holiday that hasn’t been ruined by commercialism. But the secularists are still trying to remove our CREATOR from the holiday by wishing people a “happy turkey day, ” instead of a Happy Thanksgiving. Don’t let the misguided secularists, and the misinformed theologians derail you. Follow our founder’s footsteps and boldly proclaim that we give thanks to our CREATOR, YAHWEH. Scriptures clearly state, whether you know the Messiah or not, Christian or Jew, all glory goes to our CREATOR, and America’s path leads to YHWH and HIS Word.

The colonists endured much hardship when they settled this country, but their faith never wavered (click for their story). Their hardships brought us the Bible and much spiritual knowledge free for all to study. Today, we should not take for granted all the blessings we have. Say a heartfelt prayer of thanks for all the blessings of our CREATOR YHWH (Ps.100). And in these times of great geo-political stress, pray that our CREATOR’S Blessings continue.

“And whatever you do in word or deed,

do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

- Colossians 3:17

Enjoy the journey of learning…

Ø Be thankful, log on: http://www.homeworship101.com/wp_be_thankful.htm

Ø Name log on: http://www.homeworship101.com/bb-c1_top_god.htm

Ø http://www.homeworship101.com/NL_2008_13.htm

Please allow me a moment to say thank you for the blessings of my newfound friends through this newsletter and website. Thank you for all your letters throughout the year - it keeps me going. I appreciate all of your kind words, letters of support, and even the corrections from those gifted in proofreading, I fell truly blessed to have made so many new friends via Internet – (GOD Bless America). When I began writing the book and website in the mid-ninety’s, many people where afraid of saying or using our CREATOR’S Name, “YAHWEH,” for fear that the black booted government types would drop out of the sky on you. Well we have come a long way, nobody has bothered me, and I’m not worried, I think they have bigger things to worry about. In the beginning, only my wife understood my madness, when I published the website, I started out with about 50 website visits a month, and now averaging about 20,000 visitors a month, all reading and learning from my website, by people all around the world - I am both amazed and humbled. Bless you and thank you.

Please remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and for all those who stand with Israel (Ps.122).

Take care. Peace and blessings, Errol.

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Errol Mueller, chronicler extraordinaire

e-mail: errol@homeworship101.com

website: www.homeworship101.com

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WSC Newsletter 2008-15, posted 11/27/08.

Copyright © 2008 Errol Mueller. All rights reserved. Short quotations, page copying, or redistribution for personal or non-commercial group study is permitted and encouraged, provided they are copied in total with no alterations or deletions. Author’s name, website address, and copyright notice must be included. If any other use is desired, written permission is required.

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Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version of the Holy Bible.

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