Feature
By Judge John Marshall Meisburg, Jr. (this is the original text of the Judge’s speech at the 6-29-24 Christian Heritage Parade/Fest in Fernandina Beach)
The Christian Heritage of America cannot be denied, and is the primary reason the United States of America became the greatest nation in the history of the world.
The man who discovered America, Christopher Columbus was a devout Christian, who prayed his way across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492. Columbus wrote in his prayer journal that he was guided by the Holy Spirit, and that he made his voyage to share the Gospel with the new world! Columbus named the island where he landed “San Salvador” which means “Holy Savior”, to give glory to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Pilgrims came to America in 1620 for religious freedom. When they landed in Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts, the signed the Mayflower Compact, which said they made their voyage “for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith.” The Mayflower Compact was the very cornerstone of American self-government and democracy. And their harvest feast in 1621 was the first American Thanksgiving.
The French Huguenots were Spirit-filled Christians who came to America for religious freedom and to share the Gospel. They landed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1564, and built Fort Caroline on the banks of the St. Johns River. The Huguenots believed they had all the spiritual light they needed in Christ alone and the Scriptures alone. Their motto was “In God’s light, we see the light.” Psalm 36:9.
In 1608, the British settlers of Jamestown, Virginia planted a cross on Virginia Beach, and dedicated this land to the Lord Jesus Christ. Captain John Smith quoted Scripture to the people: “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.” This Biblical principle of hard work laid the foundation for the great American economy, the most productive nation in history.
The Father of our country, George Washington, was a devout Christian who prayed in the snow at Valley Forge. During prayer, the Lord gave General Washington the plan to cross the Delaware and attack the British troops on Christmas Eve. So the prayers of Washington led to victory in the Revolutionary war, and our independence as a nation. In his farewell address, President Washington said that religion and morality were the pillars of American democracy, and that we should “follow the example of the Lord Jesus Christ, so we will have a happy nation.”
The vast majority of our Founding Fathers were devout Christians, and not Deists as the liberals say. And they used the Bible foremost in drafting the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
The Declaration of Independence honors God in the first paragraph: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator (God) with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
And Abraham Lincoln prayed in the White House during the Civil War to save the Union and free the slaves. He coined the phrase “One nation under God” in the Gettysburg Address, and he issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.
So what is the Christian heritage of America? What are the Christian values that made America great?
Number one, faith in God. Our National Motto, on all of our money, is “In God We Trust”!
Number two, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world, and the only way to salvation and eternal life with God in Heaven.
Number three, faith in the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount and the Bible as the Holy Word of God, including the sanctity of life and Godly marriage.
Number four, faith in hard work and personal accountability.
Number five, faith in the free enterprise system and the private ownership of property, which is very motivating.
Number six, faith in freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, peaceful assembly, separation of powers, law and order, due process and equal justice under law.
Number seven, faith in self-government and democracy. We the people govern in this land. And we have no king but Jesus Christ!
The Christian heritage of America cannot be denied, and was critical to the success of our country, the greatest nation in the history of the world. The Bible says: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”
Let’s pray. Father in Heaven we love you and bless you and praise you for the Christian heritage of America. God we thank you for Columbus and the Pilgrims and George Washington, and for all our great Founding Fathers. We thank you for blessing this land for 240 years. We pray today that our people will turn back to You and to the faith and Christian values that made America great.
And we give you all the honor and glory that is due your Name. We say and declare that Jesus is Lord over America. Jesus is Lord over Florida. And Jesus is Lord over Nassau County. And we pray it all in the mighty Name above all names, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
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NOTE: This speech was given at the First Annual Christian Heritage of America Festival in Central Park on Amelia Island on June 29, 2024.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR- JUDGE JOHN MARSHALL MEISBURG JR.
Judge John Marshall Meisburg, Jr., was a U.S. Administrative Law Judge with the Social Security Administration for 26 years in Jacksonville, Florida. He retired as a judge in 2021 and is now living in Fernandina Beach, Florida with his wife of 43 years, Dr. Denise Meisburg. They have six children and 11 grandchildren. Prior to being a judge, he was a lawyer with the Federal government for 23 years, serving in all three branches of the government, with the U.S. District Court, EEOC, Justice Department, Congress, FDIC and Office of Special Counsel (MSPB). He was in private law practice one year in Washington, D.C. and filed the lawsuit that became the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case on sexual harassment. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Kentucky, and a Juris Doctor law degree from the University of Kentucky College of Law. He is a lifelong Christian, being raised in the Baptist faith in Louisville, Kentucky. He was an Elder at New Life Christian Fellowship in Jacksonville where he taught Sunday School, the Jewish Roots of the Faith and the Christian Heritage of America. He was a leader of both the National Day of Prayer and the House of Prayer in Jacksonville for over ten years. He has published ten books relating to Christian and legal issues. He is now a member of Living Waters World Outreach Center in Fernandina Beach, where he serves in the prayer and home group ministry, and is a member of the Board of Directors for Faith Christian Academy.
The views expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Citizens Journal Florida
