American Minute

[Soldier4Christ]

William Jay, son of the First Supreme Court Chief Justice, helped found New York City's Anti-Slavery Society in 1833. His son, John Jay, was manager of New York Young Men's Anti-Slavery Society in 1834. Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story helped establish the illegality of the slave trade in the 1844 Amistad case. Salmon P. Chase, appointed Chief Justice by Lincoln, defended so many escaped slaves in his career he was nicknamed "Attorney-General of Fugitive Slaves." Cassius Marcellus Clay, diplomat to Russia for Lincoln and Grant, founded the anti-slavery journal True American in 1845 and helped found the Republican party in 1854. Rufus King, born MARCH 24, 1755, was one of the youngest signers of the U.S. Constitution, only 32 years old. A Harvard graduate, Rufus was an aide to General Sullivan during the Revolutionary War. He later served as U.S. Minister to England and was a Senator from New York. In a speech made before the Senate at the time Missouri was petitioning for statehood, Rufus King stated: "I hold that all laws or compacts imposing any such condition as slavery upon any human being are absolutely void because they are contrary to the law of nature, which is the law of God."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Old Hickory." During the Revolution, young Andrew Jackson refused to polish the boots of a British officer and was slashed on the arm with a sword and jailed. His mother died of prison fever while caring for captured American soldiers. Jackson carried a bullet in his body from a duel defending his wife's honor. In the War of 1812, General Jackson defeated over 2,000 British in the Battle of New Orleans. In January of 1835, President Andrew Jackson survived an assassination attempt when a bearded man fired two pistols at him at point blank range. On MARCH 25, 1835, Andrew Jackson wrote in a letter: "I was brought up a rigid Presbyterian, to which I have always adhered. Our excellent Constitution guarantees to every one freedom of religion, and charity tells us (and you know Charity is the real basis of all true religion)...judge the tree by its fruit. All who profess Christianity believe in a Saviour, and that by and through Him we must be saved." Andrew Jackson concluded: "We ought, therefore, to consider all good Christians whose walks correspond with their professions, be they Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Baptist, Methodist or Roman Catholic."

[Soldier4Christ]

Richard Allen was born to slave parents in Philadelphia and sold with his family to a plantation in Dover, Delaware. With the permission of his master, he began attending the Methodist meetings and learned to read and write. Richard Allen was converted at age 16 and is said to have worked harder to prove that Christianity did not make slaves worse servants. He then invited a minister to visit and preach to his master, resulting in his master's conversion after hearing that on the Day of Judgment slaveholders would be "weighed in the balance and found wanting." His repentant master made arrangements for Richard, now 26, to become free. Richard Allen became a licensed exhorter and founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Their first church building was dedicated in 1794 by America's first Methodist Bishop, the circuit-riding preacher Francis Asbury. Richard Allen stated: "This land, which we have watered with our tears and our blood, is now our mother country, and we are well satisfied to stay where wisdom abounds and Gospel is free." By the time of Richard Allen's death, MARCH 26, 1831, the African Methodist Episcopal Church had grown to over 10,000 members.

[Soldier4Christ]

President John Adams' son, John Quincy Adams, was U.S. Minister to Russia. In September 1811, John Quincy Adams wrote from St. Petersburg to his son, Charles: "My dear Son...You mentioned that you read to your aunt a chapter in the Bible...every evening." John Quincy Adams continued: "This information gave me real pleasure; for so great is my veneration for the Bible, and so strong my belief, that when duly read and meditated on, it is of all books in the world, that which contributes most to make men good, wise, and happy-that the earlier my children begin to read it...the more lively and confident will be my hopes that they will prove useful citizens of their country." This correspondence was published after his death as "Letters of John Quincy Adams to his son, on the Bible and its Teachings." President John Quincy Adams' grandson, Henry Adams, was an American historian, writing from his unique perspective the 9-volume work "History of the United States." Henry Adams, who died MARCH 27, 1918, wrote: "The Pilgrims of Plymouth, the Puritans of Boston, the Quakers of Pennsylvania, all avowed a moral purpose, and began by making institutions that consciously reflected a moral idea."

[Soldier4Christ]

On MARCH 28, 1885, the Salvation Army was organized in the United States. It was begun in England by "General" William Booth in 1865, who conducted meetings among the poor in London's East End slums. Originally named the Christian Mission, he designed uniforms and adopted a semi-military system of leadership. On December 1, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson remarked to the Salvation Army in New York: "For a century now, the Salvation Army has offered food to the hungry and shelter to the homeless-in clinics and children's homes, through disaster relief, in prison and welfare work, and a thousand other endeavors. In that century you have proved time and again the power of a handshake, a meal, and a song. But you have not stopped there. You have demonstrated also the power of a great idea." President Lyndon Johnson continued: "The voice of the Salvation Army has reminded men that physical well-being is just not enough; that spiritual rebirth is the most pressing need of our time and of every time; that the world cannot be changed unless men change. That voice has been clear and courageous-and it has been heard. Even when other armies have disbanded, I hope that this one will still be on the firing line."

[Soldier4Christ]

Tenth President John Tyler was born MARCH 29, 1790. He was the first Vice-President ever to assume the Presidency when William Henry Harrison died after only one month in office. To mourn his death, President John Tyler's first act was to proclaim a National Day of Fasting and Prayer, in which he stated: "When a Christian people feel themselves to be overtaken by a great public calamity, it becomes them to humble themselves under the dispensation of Divine Providence, to recognize His righteous government over the children of men...and to supplicate His merciful protection for the future." In his 2nd Annual Message to Congress, December 6, 1842, President Tyler stated: "The schoolmaster and the missionary are found side by side." In his 4th Annual Message to Congress, December 3, 1844, President Tyler stated: "The guaranty of religious freedom, of the freedom of the press, of the liberty of speech, of the trial by jury, of the habeas corpus...will be enjoyed by millions yet unborn....Our prayers should evermore be offered up to the Father of the Universe for His wisdom to direct us in the path of our duty so as to enable us to consummate these high purposes."

[Soldier4Christ]

During the Civil War, after issuing his Emancipation Proclamation, President Abraham Lincoln set a National Day of Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer, MARCH 30, 1863, stating: "It is the duty of nations...to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins...with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy...The awful calamity of civil war...may be but a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins." Lincoln continued: "We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven...We have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious Hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own." Lincoln concluded: "Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us! It behooves us then to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins and to pray for...forgiveness."

[Soldier4Christ]

Henry Opukahai'a was an orphan raised by his uncle to be a pagan priest but he became disillusioned with rituals and chants and left Hawaii for New England with a friend, Thomas Hopu. They were befriended by Yale students and became the first Hawaiian Christians. Henry studied Greek and Hebrew and translated parts of the Bible. In his memoirs, which sold 500,000 copies after his death in 1818, Henry Opukahai'a wrote: "My poor countrymen, without knowledge of the true God, and ignorant of the future world, have no Bible to read, no Sabbath." This inspired Thomas Hopu and Hiram Bingham to be the first missionaries to Hawaii, arriving MARCH 31, 1820. Devising a 12-letter alphabet, they translated the Bible, set up a school, a church, a newspaper and convinced women to wear dresses. Idolatry and human sacrifice had previously been ended by King Kamehameha II and his Queen mother Ka'ahumanu. Just prior to her death, Queen Ka'ahumanu, who had helped spread the Gospel in the islands, was presented with the newly completed version of the New Testament in the Hawaiian language. Her last words were: "I am going where the mansions are ready."

[nChrist]

Hello Pastor Roger,

Brother, I just wanted to thank you again. These are great, and I plan to send copies to my kids. I hope that many are proud to claim a Christian heritage - I am. I also hope that most Christian parents know that these things ARE NOT taught in school these days. Things like this have been removed from school texts.

I think that it's important to know about our Christian way of life, not forget it, and maintain our Christian way of life. After all, this is part of our living testimony for CHRIST, and it's nothing to be ashamed of. If someone doesn't like me teaching my kids and grandkids the things of the LORD and our Christian heritage, it's too bad and none of their business. For those who want to poke fun, it's also an opportunity to witness.

Love In Christ,
Tom

[Soldier4Christ]

You're most welcome. I have enjoyed reading them as i post them myself. It is indeed great material for teaching our young ones. I am using them extensively, including the ones that you have posted here.

[Soldier4Christ]

60,000 U.S. troops landed on the Island of Okinawa, APRIL 1, 1945, in the largest amphibious attack by the U.S. in the Pacific war. 12,000 Americans died, 36,000 were wounded and 400 ships were sunk or damaged. Though Japan's casualties exceeded 100,000, their kamikaze suicide attacks grew more intense, not relenting until the bombing of Hiroshima. The U.S. entered the war after President Roosevelt addressed Congress, December 8, 1941: "The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage...lives have been lost...ships have been reported torpedoed between San Francisco and Honolulu...the Japanese Government also launched an attack against Malaya...Hong Kong... Guam...Philippine Islands... Wake Island...and Midway Island." FDR stated January 6, 1942: "Japan's...conquest goes back half a century...war against China in 1894...occupation of Korea...war against Russia in 1904...fortification of the mandated Pacific islands following 1920...seizure of Manchuria in 1931...invasion of China in 1937." President Roosevelt continued "Our enemies are guided...by unholy contempt for the human race...We are fighting...to uphold the doctrine that all men are equal in the sight of God."

[Soldier4Christ]

The world of communication was revolutionized by a man who died APRIL 2, 1872. His name was Samuel Morse, inventor of the telegraph and the Morse Code. An outstanding portrait artist in his own right, founding the National Academy of Design, Morse erected the first telegraph lines between Baltimore and the U.S. Supreme Court chamber in Washington, D.C. The first message over this new communication system, sent in 1844, was only four words, a verse from the Bible, Numbers 23:23: "What hath God Wrought!" Samuel F.B. Morse graduated in 1810 from Yale College, having studied under President Timothy Dwight, who stated in 1798: "Without religion we may possibly retain the freedom of savages, bears, and wolves, but not the freedom of New England." Timothy Dwight continued "If our religion were gone, our state of society would perish...Nothing would be left which would be worth defending." Four years before his death, Samuel F.B. Morse wrote: "The nearer I approach to the end of my pilgrimage, the clearer is the evidence of the divine origin of the Bible, the grandeur and sublimity of God's remedy for fallen man are more appreciated, and the future is illumined with hope and joy."

[Soldier4Christ]

"A Man Without a Country" was a classic book written by Edward Everett Hale, born APRIL 3, 1822. It was partially based on the life of Aaron Burr, the 3rd Vice President, who killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel and was indicted for treason. Edward Everett Hale was the son of the editor of the Boston Daily Advertiser and grandnephew of Revolutionary hero Nathan Hale. Edward Everett Hale entered Harvard at age 13 and later taught at the Boston Latin School. He published over 50 books, opposed slavery and pastored Boston's South Congregational Church for 45 years. In 1903 he became Chaplain of the United States Senate. Edward Everett Hale wrote: "I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I should do and, with the help of God, I will do." Near the end of the book, "A Man Without a Country," 1863, Hale wrote: "He could not stand it...he beckoned me down into our boat...'Youngster, let that show you what it is to be without a family, without a home, and without a country. And if you are ever tempted...to...put a bar between you and your family, your home, and your country, pray God in his mercy to take you that instant home to his own heaven.'"

[Soldier4Christ]

Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated APRIL 4, 1968. Pastor of Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church, he rose to national prominence through the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Awarded the Nobel Prize in 1964, Congress set aside his birthday as a National Holiday. Rev. King said August 28, 1963: "Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God's children...Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity...We must not allow our...protest to degenerate into physical violence...We cannot walk alone." Rev. King continued: "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal.' I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood." Martin Luther King finished: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."

[Soldier4Christ]

Born in a slave hut APRIL 5, 1856, was Booker T. Washington. In dire poverty after the Civil War, he moved to West Virginia to work in a salt furnace and coal mine. At age 16 he walked 500 miles to attend Hampton Institute. He taught in West Virginia until he founded Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, where he recruited George Washington Carver as a professor. At his death, the school had 1,500 students and a faculty of 200 teaching 38 trades. The first African American to have his image on a U.S. coin and postage stamp, Booker T. Washington wrote in Up From Slavery, 1907: "If no other consideration had convinced me of the value of the Christian life, the Christlike work which the Church of all denominations in America has done during the last 35 years for the elevation of the black man would have made me a Christian." Of his speech in Atlanta, 1895, Booker T. Washington wrote: "The afternoon papers had forecasts of the next days' proceedings in flaring headlines...I did not sleep much that night...The next morning...I also kneeled down and asked God's blessing...I make it a rule never to go before an audience...without asking the blessing of God upon what I want to say."